Mooby Reviews 5/31/18

Here are my current reviews, not that great of a selection this round...

Black Panther                                                             OK/G

All the hype?  I had to.  Plus, diversity is always nice, this being a superhero movie directed by a black man with a predominantly black cast set mostly in the fictionalized African country of Wakanda, it appearing to comprise of some of the most beautiful places in the world, not just Africa.  It also manages to incorporate female empowerment in addition to black representation.  It would’ve been nice if they also included LGB or even T representation.  Many people seem to only mention race and gender when it comes to diversity and discrimination while completely disregarding sexuality and gender identity.  Anyway, just because something breaks convention doesn’t mean I’m going to like it, condescension can be just as bad as prejudice after all, but this does manage to be entertaining for a good portion of its 2 hour-plus run-time even though it’s still a superhero movie with a lot to take in.  Now all we need is a gay superhero movie and maybe some representing other ethnicities so Hollywood can go back to making superheroes straight white men again if they so choose.  5/26/2018

Desolation                                                                   G

Why do characters scream for help in horror movies?  It should only be done if a) you know you’re a great distance from your pursuer, or b) you know people are definitely nearby and you have a chance of escaping.  Why didn’t the two adult females and one of their teenage sons all sleep in the same tent after being followed by a shady man in the woods earlier?  The 13-year-old boy has more sense when suggesting they sleep in shifts after one of them is taken.  This survival flick is far from great and I almost feel a bit nice with my rating, but the characters are likeable which makes their ordeal more harrowing, and it’s a taut 73-minute thriller that would fit nicely amongst many other plotless ‘80’s flicks featuring nameless killers in the woods (or elsewhere).  5/29/2018

Dude                                                                           OK

Teen movie from Netflix called Dude that’s ironically about the friendship between four girls during the last week of senior year in high school.  Teens issues will always be the same as proved in 2018 and this movie seems to indicate everyone is still very much heterosexual, although there is a bathroom labeled with a rainbow question mark (so progress may be acknowledged if not always necessarily evident).  While it deals with very real situations (a tragic death the year before; periods; female masturbation), it also contains what we’ve come to expect from these movies (tough college decisions; partying; friends fight, stop talking, get back together, yada, yada, yada) and just isn’t as much fun as the teen movies I grew up with that are ingrained in my mind as being tough to top.  I didn’t dislike it at all but it’s not my ‘John Hughes’ movie like it will be for this generation or the next.  Maybe I’m getting too old or I just watch too many movies…5/28/2018

Early Man                                                                   EH

The newest claymated film from the creators of Wallace & Gromit.  I’ll admit I’m not an ardent fan of Wallace & Gromit, but I do remember liking the film, Curse of the Were-Rabbit, though.  I recall liking Chicken Run as well.  I wasn’t a fan of this one.  I almost hated it actually.  I’m giving it a teeny, tiny bit of credit because I can’t imagine how painstakingly arduous it is to make one of these movies.  I shouldn’t even give it that, finished content is key after all, because if it was the same exact movie in live-action, I’d give it a lower rating.  Only a few parts were funny, I could probably count them on one hand, but I was generally annoyed more than impressed.  It begins in the Stone Age before “advanced” humans from the Bronze Age take over their village.  A game of soccer (“football”) is proposed by a boy from the Stone Age and if the “Stonies” win, they get their village back.  Naturally, none of the “Stonies” can play for shit despite their recent ancestors being football players (apparently modern Americans are the only ones that call it soccer).  A girl from the “Bronzies” is a really good football player but being a girl, of course, means they won’t let her play.  She helps the “Stonies” improve in typical “inspirational underdog sports movie” fashion.  Do you think the “Stonies” win?  I won’t spoil it for you in case you want to waste your time like I did.  5/23/2018

Game Night                                                                 EH/OK

I guess it is possible to hate a movie and simultaneously sort of, but not really, like it as this one proved.  The characters are so idiotic.  The script is idiotic.  I actually laughed-out-loud several times though, mainly because the characters were complete imbeciles.  A night intended to be a joke turns into something very real but it’s not much fun since we as viewers know that a bit before the characters figure it out (it just didn’t work here like in other movies).  There’s a twist towards the end that’s kind of clever but infantile and not exactly out of place with the rest of the film.  I wish I could say I enjoyed my time more with this group congregating for regular game nights, but it seems like I might have more fun with them instead of observing them acting like buffoons.  5/26/2018

Ghostheads                                                                 OK

I went to school with the producer, Tommy Avallone, from seventh to twelfth grade.  He sent me a friend request on Facebook not that long ago and I saw that this was one of his films he was involved with.  I didn’t add him right away because there was a time I actually hated him (mainly around 8^th and 9^th grade).  I understand, people are immature in middle school, high school, and even longer than that.  I definitely hated many of his friends more and other people in my school and can almost understand the notion of believing what others say about those “not cool” or “queer,” and straying from the path could mean social suicide.  Tommy and I were cool towards the end of high school (at least I assumed) and we hung out for several years after that at our local bowling alley, so there were enough good things to overcome the bad associations (thus his friend request acceptance).  There’re still many people from my past I would never add, in fact, I denied someone a couple weeks ago.  Yeah, I don’t add nor accept everybody.  I’m subconsciously still mad at stuff from when I was 5 years old (I’m 35 now), so if anyone pissed me off (intentional or not) from then until now, there’s a high chance I haven’t forgotten it and likely never will (out of sight, out of mind works too).  The same goes the other way; if I happened to piss anyone off (and I know I have, often it may have been retaliation), I’d understand if you held a grudge (at least make me aware of it so I know and can possibly explain why I acted that way).  Anyway, enough of this memoir shit and let’s get to the actual movie.  The title refers to groups of people all over the world obsessed with the Ghostbusters franchise encompassing the 1984 original and its sequel, plus the animated series, The Real Ghostbusters.  These people are fucking nerds!!!  But it’s also a subculture I knew nothing about which makes me wonder what other groups are out there.  That’s the power of documentaries; they can entail anything and possibly be eye-opening.  In addition to a few Ghostheads, there’re interview segments with stars Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Ernie Hudson, director Ivan Reitman and some other less famous faces.  Egon (Harold Ramis) is no longer with us but Bill Murray is, so where was he?  I own both Ghostbusters DVD’s (I hope you understand I don’t mean the remake but the original and its sequel), one volume of The Real Ghostbusters, a T-shirt, a poster, some comics, and still have my Stay Puft Marshmallow Man stuffed animal I received as a child.  I’m a fan, yes, but wouldn’t categorize me as a Ghosthead.  So why would I care about those that are?  Anyone not a fan of Ghostbusters, past or present, would probably care less about extreme fans of it.  Even at 73 minutes, the film wears thin by the end but it’s still an interesting concept we don’t often see or hear about and it’s part of pop culture however unconventional.  Well Tom, congratulations, your ambitions certainly paid off and if you’re ever back in Jersey and wanna go bowling, let me know!  5/28/2018

I Remember You                                                         EH/OK

Supernatural mystery from Iceland containing effectively eerie sequences but is very slow; foreign thrillers tend to be much more than American ones though (foreign usually indicates non-American but the term equally applies to American films being foreign to other countries).  There’re more questions than answers, at least initially; I had to read a synopsis on Wikipedia to make sure I took everything in and apparently a crucial detail bypassed me.  The payoff isn’t grand and the aforementioned scenes that do work have already been done before, foreign or not.  5/28/2018

The Lotus                                                                    EH

Yet another undead flick unworthy of your time.  It’s not even listed on the All Movie or VideoETA websites so how the hell did Netflix get a hold of it?  It tries being nonlinear at first but a Tarantino film this is not.  It’s also an alien film, but that was already done in Undead…better.  Sleeping zombies have been done already too, The Girl with All the Gifts being one.  Basically, a couple meteorites land on Earth, initiating an experiment to contain a virus but, as you may guess, the virus isn’t exactly contained like usual.  The violence often resembles video game graphics which makes the film appear even less realistic while showcasing its limited budget.  This low-budget, seemingly unknown (minus Netflix DVD) film tries too hard but succeeds not.  Not only does it involve the dead but it is dead!  5/26/2018

The Manor                                                                  OK/G

It begins with creepy music reminiscent of ‘70’s and ‘80’s horror flicks before showing an aerial view of the titular manor.  Much like below average yet watchable horror films of those decades, this film needs work structurally but is stylistically appealing.  Expecting a haunted house story, but beginning like what appeared to be a tortured soul film featuring a demon resembling a cheaper Descent creature, it eventually turns into a twisted slasher movie.  It’s usually not the best idea to take someone being released from the “funny farm” to a house with bad memories, especially if that person suffers from hallucinations and the hospital worker even advises it might not be the best idea.  Hallucinations?  Can’t separate reality from fantasy?  I had an idea of where this might’ve been headed but it actually averts going down High Tension territory.  It is flawed for sure and derivative, but much of it surprisingly attracted me, making it one of those not-so-great films I would actually tell you to check out.  5/30/2018

Most Likely to Murder                                     EH

It was pretty blunt that Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was the inspiration for this.  Aside from being a comedy incorporating a murder mystery, it actually references the Jim Carrey film more than once (one reference was pretty funny, being the only laugh-out-loud moment I recall).  It also cribs from Rear Window and The ‘Burbs amongst others and is actually more of a pre-midlife crisis film and not a very good one.  A guy returns home for Thanksgiving and believes he witnessed, while drunk, the “loser” across the street kill his mom that suddenly passed away overnight.  Of course no one believes the sweet “loser” is capable of such a crime and any “evidence” the accuser provides is always refuted.  Do you think it’s all a misunderstanding as is usually the case in films with similar assumptions?  Most likely to forget!  5/30/2018

The Party                                                                    OK/G

This black-and-white film with more than one familiar face resembles that of a stage production.  It involves a couple throwing a (can you guess it?) party to celebrate a job promotion until someone else reveals depressing news which leads to more revelations causing complete drama amongst the seven guests.  While it may have been interesting to see an intended pleasant gathering go to shit, it still felt like a “party” I’ve attended before cinematically, and also a real party in which I’m the ignored introvert observing everything.  It is only 71 minutes though so it doesn’t overstay its welcome one bit.  5/23/2018

Punk’s Dead:  SLC Punk 2                                         OK

I enjoyed SLC Punk for the most part, it being a frenzied, fourth wall breaking, post-collegiate rebellion film set in 1985.  This sequel, released 18 years later and set in 2005, has the same director and a large portion of the original cast so it almost feels legitimate.  Technically, you don’t have to see the first before this since previous characters are re-introduced, but it might be better if you did.  Plus, like always, why would you care to see SLC Punk 2 if you didn’t see SLC Punk 1?  Fans of SLC Punk will be curious to check out the follow-up, and it won’t hurt to do so nor take up much time (it’s barely over an hour if you exclude the end credits), but expectations should be kept even lower than the fact it’s a sequel released 18 years later.  A different character from the first breaks the fourth wall this time while focusing on his son and his two friends taking a road trip to a punk concert in Salt Lake City.  Whereas the first felt like it was part of a larger story, this one felt even smaller in that larger story.  While the passage of real time fits in seamlessly with the storyline time (much like Dumb and Dumber To and the recent revival of Roseanne), I hate to say it still felt like an unnecessary continuation.  I also can’t believe the two biggest stars of the first (Matthew Lillard and Jason Segel---who wasn’t big at the time) didn’t make a cameo here.  5/22/2018

Sweet Virginia                                                             OK

Small town.  A crime.  Outsider.  Duplicitous characters.  You’ve seen this before.  The mountain town is “very far from Virginia,” a synopsis declares it’s Alaska but there was never any indication of it being set in that state (I was born in), the title just refers to the motel owned by “Shane” from The Walking Dead who used to be a rodeo rider from Virginia.  All those aforementioned clichés wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, this film appeared to have the makings of a decent thriller, it just draaaaaaaaaags and is so straightforward that I almost wanted a twist or two thrown in.  5/26/2018

---Sean O.

Mooby Reviews 5/19/18

Here be my newest critiques...

Ali Wong:  Baby Cobra/Hard Knock Wife      Cobra: OK/G Wife: OK

I never would have heard of this Asian-American female comedian of Chinese and Vietnamese descent were it not for a recent Entertainment Weekly review of Hard Knock Wife, and she’s a writer for Fresh off the Boat, a sitcom I’m a fan of.  I’m open-minded, being part of a marginalized group myself (despite not being visible), so I always like to see and hear different perspectives.  The only other Asian comedian, male or female, I ever truly knew about was Margaret Cho before this.  Baby Cobra was filmed three years ago and I wanted to watch that before Hard Knock Wife (both available on Netflix streaming).  Both times she performed while visibly pregnant.  She already had one kid by the filming of Wife, so much of that material pertains to motherhood, something only other mothers would be able to relate to.  For being a woman speaking out against feminism in Cobra, she sure spends a lot of time in both, Wife in particular, talking about gender double standards in favor of women.  Being a non-white comedian, it wasn’t long before her race is mentioned and comparisons to white people start in Cobra, but I’d honestly be surprised if a non-white comedian didn’t.  Baby Cobra was decent but lengthy even at an hour.  Hard Knock Wife contained some of the same material as Cobra; I’m guessing she thought people watched Cobra two years ago and forgot while disregarding people like me that might watch them back-to-back for the first time?  But like I mentioned about her having a kid by filming Wife, the bulk of the material pertains to motherhood and what pregnancy does to a woman’s body (during and after) which is something I could never relate to other than vicariously putting myself in her shoes.  My only suggestion is not to watch either with your parents regardless of how open-minded they may be.  Bad language is one thing, but she talks quite a bit about sexual material in both that might make for uncomfortable viewing alongside certain people.  5/14/2018

Allure                                                                          G

This simplistic story is actually really messed up underneath the surface; the first being the fact an adult female (played by Evan Rachel Wood) holds captive and eventually has an intimate relationship with a 16-year-old girl that looks like a baby (unless laws have changed, I’m pretty sure that would make Evan’s character a pedophile).  It’s technically not a kidnapping and there’s no Stockholm syndrome since the 16-year-old chose to go stay with her and had several chances to leave if desired.  The fact this girl is supposed to be “missing” makes me wonder how no one ever recognized her when she went out, not incognito either.  Alluring may not be the right term for the movie itself, but it’s a compelling story about truly damaged people (the illicit lesbian relationship isn’t the only part of the story) and it’s been a long time since I recall seeing Evan Rachel Wood in a moderately good movie.  5/19/2018

Anon                                                                            EH

I didn’t realize there was a “Black Mirror movie” until I watched this Netflix film.  As futuristic visual media has shown us, the more advanced technology becomes, the less private our lives will be.  In this world, I’m not sure exactly when (it bypassed me if so), certain people are able to know your name, age and occupation just by looking at you.  You can also look at an item and see its name and definition; schooling wouldn’t be needed if this technology is ever created.  Naturally, with any technology, it falters and some people figure out ways to work around it; technology is created by man after all.  That’s where the murder mystery of the story comes in.  If the murderer didn’t hack into the system, they would’ve been caught right away (oh, this technology can tap into people’s memories as well) and there’d be no movie.  Maybe if they scrapped the whole movie idea and actually made it an episode for the above-mentioned anthology series, it might’ve worked; it’s stylistically perfect and could’ve gone numerous routes with its concept.  The average Black Mirror episode contains more engaging material in an hour or less while this film at 100-minutes is completely empty.  5/6/2018

Bad Apples                                                                  OK/G

The old ‘nature vs. nurture’ theme is used in this movie with no significance whatsoever other than being brutal.  That’s never necessarily a criticism if done right and effectively.  There’s a right and wrong way to portray violence?  Actually yes, art is supposed to be a creative outlet in which realistic taboos are acceptable.  Artists and their fans are sensible enough to separate art from reality, but naturally there’re always some bad apples (!) ruining it for the majority.  Aside from containing some poorly executed murders, this film is well-shot, well-acted, and thoroughly entertaining---something I’m unaccustomed to seeing from Uncork’d Entertainment.  It combines elements of The Strangers, Ils (Them), and The Purge while set on Halloween night.  It’s not for everyone unless everyone enjoys pointless violent entertainment like many a great bygone horror film.  5/16/2018

Cargo                                                                          OK/G

Decent Australian zombie film from Netflix.  Emphasis on the decent.  Aside from the landscape, look of the infected, and time it takes the infected to fully change, it’s still just a regular undead flick presented as a survival story.  It is often bleak while making great use of its continental landscape, more so than the only other Australian zombie films I’m aware of which are Wyrmwood (which is more of an action movie) and Undead (which is simultaneously an alien film).  I did enjoy those films better, but I’m not rejecting this; just don’t expect anything new other than what I mentioned.  5/19/2018

Escape Room                                                              OK

Two current films bear the same title, this one starring Skeet Ulrich of Scream and The Craft fame for my generation, Riverdale for this generation.  For those that don’t know what an escape room is, basically a group of people are locked in a room and given a certain amount of time to figure a way out via clues hidden throughout the room.  The group here, consisting of two heterosexual couples, are locked in a room with a box (a really cool skull one I might add) containing an ancient demon.  As you may guess, the box is opened and bad stuff happens.  The situations are completely plausible but having the film in one primary location naturally wears the premise out pretty early, at least way before the ending.  It does have some good things going for it though, making it an average Saw rip-off.  I wonder how much different (if at all) the other Escape Room, set for a November release, is going to be.  I can only hope for the best but I’ll settle for better.  5/14/2018

The Humanity Bureau                                                 G

Here we have yet another post-apocalyptic movie.  In this film taking place I’m guessing in the 2030’s based on minimal information given, the titular agency tracks down, audits and sends those not contributing to society to a place called New Eden which is far from what’s promised.  Fuck Nic Cage, I like Hugh Dillon, the bald actor most known for Flashpoint in America and Durham County in Canada.  I actually liked Nic Cage here though and I haven’t particularly cared for him in quite a while.  This is very derivative of numerous post-apocalyptic sci-fi films of the last 40-plus years, but somehow I liked this one.  Much like liking a band sounding very similar to other bands of the same musical genre, sometimes you like a movie better than similar ones of a specific genre.  The film is rather bleak too, visually, thematically and conceptually.  5/17/2018

Josie                                                                            OK

The title reminds me of the Blink-182 song when they were still good.  I don’t believe the pop-punk trio had anything to do with this film though.  The characters, namely Josie (short for Josephine) and Hank (played by Dylan McDermott), are interesting in a fairly bland story before an eye-rolling twist that’s nothing new by a long shot but quite clever in how it ties everything together, making all the preceding events actually necessary.  I’m not dismissing it, but don’t expect much until the end and you’ll likely not want to re-watch regardless.  One of those “once and done” movies.  5/16/2018

Mary and the Witch’s Flower                                      OK

This comes from Studio Ponoc which is a “continuation” of Studio Ghibli after they went on hiatus.  This is their first film and I wish I could’ve liked it more.  It involves the titular girl coming across the titular flower that transports her to a parallel world containing schooling for magic plus a more sinister agenda.  While it does contain imaginative sequences only befitting animation, the uninspired plot reminded me more of Harry Potter-meets-The Island of Dr. Moreau than Spirited Away (the former studio’s lasting achievement).  5/10/2018

Nostalgia                                                                     B/EH

Nostalgia.  Something we all have.  It can pertain to an item, song, person, or even a specific memory.  Usually it refers to good things and that’s something we could all use more of considering we tend to dwell mostly on bad memories.  Nostalgia is also subjective.  Nostalgia is personal.  I’m not going to have the same feelings as someone else when it comes to their own nostalgia.  That’s a big reason why this movie failed to make me feel anything.  Why should I give a shit about someone else’s emotional connections if it doesn’t pertain to me?  Perhaps I wasn’t looking at it the right way?  Or maybe I have a cold heart?  The Jon Hamm/Catherine Keener storyline may have been able to go somewhere in this ensemble film.  Yes, this is an ensemble film, not an anthology film.  Anthology films rarely have any connecting stories other than a wraparound segment, whereas ensemble films focus on different characters while being connected somehow.  Creepshow is an anthology film.  Love Actually is an ensemble film.  Creepshow 2 is an anthology film.  Little Athens is an ensemble film.  The segment in question though goes on longer than it should after a predictably mawkish incident that’s far from fresh, making my eyes roll more than tear up.  Cold heart?  The only nostalgia I’ll ever have in regards to this dud are the delicious tacos, semi-cold Pepsi, and chewy fruit mix lemonheads I had while watching.  5/13/2018

Paddington 2                                                               G

I liked it better than the first one (reviewed last blog entry).  It still contained some eye-rolling sappy moments, but it’s completely harmless and charming enough to give a slight recommendation.  It’s actually funny at times too.  I think this is enough for the Peruvian, marmalade-loving, anthropomorphic bear though.  I could care less if and when they make a third one.  5/17/2018

The Rain:  Season One                                               G

Yet another post-apocalyptic story.  This time by way of an 8-episode Netflix series from Denmark (yes, you will have to adjust the settings before each episode if you’re annoyed by poor dubbing like me).  Here, the rain is what causes the end of the world; it’s briefly hinted how at the end of the last episode.  Anyone touched by the rain at the onset is struck with a contagious virus.  There be no zombies here though.  Those left alive naturally have to be cautious of other survivors and the one commodity fought over and searched for is food.  Much of this is predictable.  Much of this, if not all, is nothing new.  What makes one similar story different from another?  Or better from another?  I really am never quite sure why I like certain movies or TV shows over similar ones.  Perhaps the characters?  The location?  A different concept added?  This Danish series is far from great but I did enjoy enough of it to say give it a shot; I wanted to continue after each episode which is always a plus since I never felt like I forced myself to watch it.  If they continue, and there’s a very high chance they will based on the ending, I hope they don’t make the same mistake The Walking Dead did by far outstaying its welcome.  5/12/2018

The Red Pill                                                                G

The Men’s Rights Movement.  A movement scoffed at by many and compared to groups like the White Nationalists.  Cassie Jaye, a feminist filmmaker, concocted this documentary after previously tackling other issues like feminism and LGBT rights.  The title, taken from The Matrix, is a notion proposed by Paul Elam (ironically male backwards and his actual name), a Men’s Rights Activist, in which people that take the red pill will see all the hypocrisies of feminism and gender double standards the world at large chooses to ignore, whereas people that take the blue pill will always see women as the victims and men as the powerful perpetrators.  Some men join these groups or cry egalitarianism because they feel women don’t have it as bad as they claim.  Basically, no one has it easy and we’re all going to blame the other gender or the other race when we don’t get what we feel we deserve.  I’m not going to lie, I’m guilty of being pissed off about gender double standards for many years.  Being a gay male, I’ve always thought women had it better in many regards (sometimes I still do) and always wondered if I would’ve felt differently had I been a straight male.  Then I hear stories and personal experiences from women of their struggles and it momentarily makes me feel better.  That’s why I think you should hear different perspectives.  I heard someone mention a writer say that you should never compare suffering.  In a way, both the feminist and MRA movements aren’t progressive since their issues are generally one-sided.  Both have been accused of sexism while both claim to advocate equality.  If that’s the case, why don’t we all become humanists?  Humanism has even been accused of trying to eradicate feminism, but if equality is what we all desire, then humanism would seem like the logical movement.  No matter where you stand on the gender spectrum, this doc makes for a compelling sociological examination on gender studies and double standards.  It might even make you learn a thing or two or change your opinion on specific topics addressed.  Cassie questioned whether she was still a feminist by the end, so it makes me wonder how many others would feel afterwards.  It also makes me wonder how many MRA’s would change if they did a similar case study about feminism, but I believe the whole point of this film was to debunk many feminist notions and bring to light an ignored issue.  Can’t we all just get along?  I know that’s likely never going to happen as long as we are different, but listening to each other and putting ourselves in other’s shoes would be a start.  5/19/2018

10x10                                                                          EH/OK

Man follows woman.  Man kidnaps woman.  Man takes woman to his house and locks her in the dimensional room of the title.  More than one fight ensues.  Man chose this woman for a reason.  Neither are who they initially appear to be.  Stockholm syndrome?  Not quite.  If anything, this film just solidified my contempt for bible-thumping zealots, or at least prove how batshit crazy some of them can be.  While not the absolute worst of its kind, it’s still unnecessary.  5/15/2018

---Sean O.

Mooby Reviews 5/6/18

Here are my latest reviews...

B&B                                                                            G

A gay couple return to the same bed & breakfast they sued and won the year before after being refused a room with a double bed.  Good for them, anyone that’s ever discriminated against should always hold their head up high.  It takes place in England I assume and the arrival of a Russian deemed to be a neo-Nazi causes some palpable tension, particularly for the guests.  This becomes fairly standard after beginning as a very engaging thriller but twists and turns a bit by the conclusion.  One twist I had an inkling might occur but it didn’t ruin anything because it felt right situationally.  There’re also some deep truths pertaining to the more accepting yet concealed homophobia in these “I hate the sin, but not the sinner” times.  4/23/2018

The Chalet:  Season One                                            G

Here’s a decent French thriller which is a 6-episode Netflix series (each one roughly an hour give or take).  An isolated village in the mountains with only one entrance blocked off after a certain incident---what a perfect setting for a thriller.  The phone signals have been destroyed too.  No one in this town is getting out and no one is coming in.  The series takes place currently plus 1997 with the same characters in each (not actors for obvious age differences).  It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that something happened in 1997 and everyone, whether returning (for a wedding) or still residing in the town, may be involved somehow.  There is one twist similar to Taking Lives which I guessed after hearing a certain detail and the revelations don’t amount to much, but I was thoroughly engaged with most of the characters and it’s a fairly decent revenge tale when all is said and done.  I’m unsure if six hours (roughly) was necessary to tell the story, but I’m glad that was where it was cut off.  4/24/2018

Hostiles                                                                       EH/OK

Who exactly are the hostiles?  The Comanche Indians?  The white soldiers?  There’s even a black man aggressive towards Native prisoners.  The title was probably meant to be polysemic.  This begins and ends with scenes of brutality doled out by both Indians and whites, respectively.  Everything in between is essentially a road movie (without roads and horses for transportation) with stops on the way and occasional dangers before reaching the intended destination.  A white soldier (played by Christian Bale) is ordered to take a Cheyenne Indian and his family from New Mexico to their home in Montana.  This isn’t quite Dances with Wolves despite being a Western occurring at the end of the 19^th century involving Natives and whites, in addition to initial animosity turning to compassion after both races realize we’re all human with behaviors both kind and hostile.  Now that I said that, it might very well be like Dances with Wolves aside from being less involving and Wes Studi being the peaceful prisoner instead of the ruthless warrior he was in Dances.  4/24/2018

Paddington                                                                  OK

Paddington 2 is currently being released on DVD and it came to my attention that I never saw the first one released three years ago!  I may not have had any interest, I never read the books.  I may have also thought a CGI bear in a live-action movie looked rather unappealing.  The CGI bears are very distracting at first, I would’ve much preferred them animated or practical (if integrated with live-action), but that’s something I could’ve overlooked.  The eponymous bear travels from Peru to London after a tragedy (very befitting many a Disney film) and no one thinks it’s rather odd that a bear is walking and talking?  If there were other animals acting similarly, which there weren’t, maybe I wouldn’t have found it so peculiar.  Again, that’s something I could’ve overlooked being a movie about a talking bear obsessed with marmalade.  This may have been a charming family movie sweeter than fresh cotton candy, but it’s also very derivative.  I will watch Paddington 2 eventually (why stop now?) but it can very well wait if it took me three years to watch this one!  5/1/2018

Peter Rabbit                                                                OK/G

Quite a surprise this was considering I wasn’t entirely enthusiastic about watching a modern take on Beatrix Potter’s furry creation.  The animals were CGI and, although apparent, weren’t necessarily out of place amongst the live-action.  In fact, the animals (particularly the hares) own the movie much more than the human characters; the deer is funny when referring to a common metaphor.  I’m not a devoted fan of the reading material with not much recollection from when I did read them, so I went into this containing minimal knowledge.  I believe it’s geared specifically towards the younger set, but there’s actually some discreet adult humor scattered here and there and I think your tolerance would solely depend on your level of open-mindedness.  It was surprisingly funny often.  The last third does enter sappy saccharine fluff territory (it is based on a children’s story after all) and the voiceover, while acknowledging clichés, comes off as parodical which never quite works in non-parodies.  I definitely lean more towards G though since the pros outweighed the cons for me (I said the same thing in the Still/Born review below; I really need to hone my writing skills).  5/5/2018

The Post                                                                      EH

Unless you were born yesterday, you should know the U.S. government is always concealing information they don’t want the general population to know about.  You should also have somewhat of an idea or at least heard of The Pentagon Papers incident during the Nixon administration and if not, Google it.  This film involved The Washington Post and how such information was uncovered until being published and the Supreme Court declaring ‘freedom of the press’ thereafter.  I never cared much about politics but I’m curious as to when the current presidential administration will undergo similar circumstances without being deemed “fake news.”  Somewhere buried underneath all the tedium in this film is a compelling story, funny mentioning story in a film about stories, but it was basically a familiar concept stretched into an unnecessary 2-hour film.  When Mr. Spielberg isn’t making big-budget epics, he’s also managed to make interesting films involving simpler topics (i.e. Catch Me If You Can; Munich; Bridge of Spies), but sadly this isn’t one of them.  4/27/2018

Race with the Devil                                                     OK

Here’s a “Satanic movie” from the ‘70’s I never got around to watching but always wanted to.  There’s something special, or distinctive more likely, about movies (horror or not) from that decade and this film is no different.  Why it’s labeled a Satanic movie though (aside from the title and involvement of a Satanic cult) is beyond me since it’s more akin to Mad Max than Rosemary’s Baby (focusing more on the Race of the title).  Two couples (one of the men played by Peter Fonda) on a road trip in a motor home stop at a park where a nearby ritual happens to be taking place and a chase initiates after the cult members spot them.  The car chase sequences are choreographed better than any modern scene could ever rival, fitting perfectly with the ‘70’s aesthetic, and the final scene is very ominous since it effectively utilizes the Satanic theme.  Better enjoyed as a product of the ‘70’s lest you might be disappointed if expecting a strictly Satanic horror film.  4/23/2018

Stephanie                                                                     G

Beginning with a little girl (of the title) in a big house all alone making unconventional smoothies and talking to stuffed animals, something clearly is not right.  We do learn of a worldwide virus that’s only part of the overall story.  At times, I was reminded of Carrie, Home Alone, A Quiet Place and Right at Your Door, either directly or indirectly.  It felt like more than one type of movie in the roughly 80-minutes, but that’s not necessarily a criticism since the filmmakers succeeded in presenting an overdone concept effectively.  5/5/2018

Still/Born                                                                     OK/G

I can see comparisons being made to Rosemary’s Baby and The Stepford Wives when, in actuality, there are no strict similarities.  In this film, she has the baby upfront unlike Rosemary where she had it at the end and it was spawned by Satan; she was supposed to have twins but the title should explain what happened to one of them.  While Stepford was mentioned in this film, none of the women have hive minds in this town; the focus is on one woman with a condition coined postpartum psychosis which appears to be much worse than postpartum depression could ever be.  There’s also a baby-snatching demon.  Gee, as if losing a kid and having both postpartum depression and psychosis weren’t enough to worry about.  Some parts are admittedly creepy and the film goes to some quite dark places, but I was often torn between knowing if what I was seeing was real or imagined.  Perhaps that was intended to show the effects of postpartum psychosis?  There’s also several expected jump scares because the scenes predictably lead up to them.  I’m torn based on my misgivings, but the pros outweighed the cons for me.  4/24/2018

Super Troopers 2                                                        OK/G

I liked Super Troopers a teensy bit more than I disliked it.  It’s equally stupid (half funny-stupid and half ridiculous-stupid) and charming and one of those movies I’ve seen a couple times despite not thinking highly of it.  I actually liked this sequel much more than I disliked it.  Naturally, I would have higher expectations given the Broken Lizard troupe has 16 years and at least four other movies between the first film.  This one still has some ridiculous-stupid parts (Canadian vs. American stereotypes, a Fred Savage cameo, Rob Lowe’s character) but also crazier sequences (the dream in the beginning) and some laugh-out-loud moments (various drug reactions, montage featuring Canadian police impersonations).  If you like Super Troopers, you should like this one.  If you think Super Troopers is okay, you’ll likely feel the same about this one.  If you hated Super Troopers, I don’t know why you would bother with this because you’ll likely feel the same way or not much different.  All in all, there’s no denying the five men comprising Broken Lizard ever had the same level of camaraderie nor appeal as in the Super Troopers films.  4/30/2018

Tremors:  A Cold Day in Hell                                     EH

I’m a huge fan of Tremors and it holds a special place in my heart for being one of the first horror movies I recall watching.  Tremors 2:  Aftershocks was a worthy sequel, naturally not as good, and the Shriekers were passable creatures.  Although the Ass Blasters were kind of a moronic creation, Tremors 3:  Back to Perfection was decent for a threequel.  I’m not the biggest fan of backstories, but Tremors 4:  The Legend Begins was okay for a fourquel and a prequel to the series.  Tremors 5:  Bloodlines contained an updated Ass Blaster belonging in a crappy Syfy-channel movie as well as an updated Graboid (both CGI) reminding me of Dune (David Lynch’s worst film in my opinion), proving yet again how bad special effects can ruin what might’ve been a better movie.  This one, part 6, contains the same crappy Syfy-channel movie designs as the last entry, this time taking place in the Canadian Arctic instead of South Africa (ironically this one was shot in South Africa).  Yup, the snow you see here is CGI just like the creatures.  About the setting though---don’t expect it all to take place entirely in snowy landscapes.  Other than the beginning, all the action takes place on dry land due to the “arctic heat wave.”  Uh-huh.  Gun-loving Burt Gummer (played by Michael Gross) is the only character/actor that appeared in all six movies.  The movies seem to weaken upon each succeeding entry.  I don’t know why modern filmmakers feel the need to use CGI when the practical effects of yesteryear are obviously so much better looking and make the onscreen action more believable.  Sure, it may take longer to use practical effects but the final product is what matters.  Aside from the practical use of a Graboid head in one scene, which is actually a nice touch pertaining to a poignant issue, the unsatisfactory effects spoiled this and the last entry.  Would I have liked it better if it were the same movie with practical effects?  Maybe, maybe not.  There’s only so many ways we can have Graboids, Shriekers, and Ass Blasters attacking and terrorizing people before they outstay their welcome.  It would be a start though.  Advice for the filmmaker(s) in charge of a probable seventh entry?  Or if the recently scrapped TV series gets picked up again?  Whatever the case, someone make me like this franchise again!  5/2/2018

---Sean O.