LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972)

This year for the month of October I am going to blog about the films of Wes Craven. Not all them, but as many as I can.* Let's start things off with his “first” film LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT. It wasn't until the late eighties that I knew who Wes Craven was. And I only knew him as the guy who made A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. By the time I got to Jr. High, he was already considered the master of horror. And you were considered an amateur if you had only seen his Freddy Kruger movie. According to the heavy metal kids the Wes Craven film THE HILLS HAVE EYES was where it's at.

I had seen A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS on television and liked it enough that I wanted to see more. But I was still too much of a wuss to rent the horror recommendations at the video store. Especially THE HILLS HAVE EYES. Still to this day Michael Berryman still creeps me out on that box cover. But there was one movie at the video store that I hadn't heard about. And that movie was LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT. I knew it was a Wes Craven film because the box cover mentioned something like “Before the nightmare on elm street there was the last house on the left”. Or some crap like that?

I ended up not renting LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT that night, nor any other night for that matter. It wouldn't be until several years later that I'd finally watch the grindhouse exploitation “classic”. And LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT really didn't do anything for me. I understand the films significance in the history of modern horror with it's rape and brutal violence. But there is an element to LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT that hurts the film greatly in my opinion. And that element is the bumbling sheriff and his deputy. I get what the director was trying to accomplish but it just does not work.

Two teenage girls go to the city for a rock concert. While trying to score some weed, Mari and Phyllis get kidnapped by a gang of psychotic convicts. The gang, lead by the nasty Krug takes the girls out to the middle of nowhere and rapes and murders them.

The psycho killers find a place to stay in the rural area. The homeowners welcome them but soon find out their guests are the ones who murdered their daughter. Enraged, the parents take on the gang and get bloody satisfaction doing it!

If you can get past the silly cops I think the film is great. For a exploitation film to stick with you well after you've seen it is saying a lot for most grindhouse pictures.

The highlight of the film for me is the character Krug, played to perfection by David Hess. When you turn your own son into a junkie just to control him, that's some twisted stuff let me tell you!

If you are a fan of Wes Craven but have never seen his early work, then LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT might be worth checking out.

If you're a fan of horror exploitation, then I'd say the film is highly recommended. But whatever you do, please don't watch the 2009 remake. The last thing the original needs is a sleek looking update. Age (besides the awful soundtrack...and idiotic cops) is the best thing going for LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT.

*It won't just all be Wes Craven films this month. Amazon Prime has a lot of stuff I want to talk about so some of the horror blogs may spill over into November.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

This is the Star Wars film that started it all for me. My earliest memory of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is watching the movie with my parents in a standing room only auditorium. And everyone was glued to the screen.

What makes THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK so great? Why is it the favorite among the majority of Star Wars fans? It can't just be because of Boba Fett can it? I mean come on, how bad ass can the guy really be? He fell into a pit and died at the beginning of RETURN OF THE JEDI.

I'm just kidding. Boba Fett is cool, don't worry. But seriously, what makes Episode VI so great? The simple answer is that the film delivered on fan expectation. Everything about the sequel is bigger and better. It has a bigger budget, better special effects, excellent script, and good direction. All these elements distract the audience that the film itself has a weak plot. The plot of the film is simply Darth Vader hunting down Luke Skywalker and the Rebellion.

The film opens with a bang. The Hoth sequence rivals the Battle of Yavin from the first film. And what's really cool about the Hoth ground assault scene is that it happens at the beginning of the film. 99% of the time a sequence like this is always at the end of the film. I believe there are two reasons for this; Lucas wanted to give audiences something to rival the climax of STAR WARS right off the bat, and the second reason is Lucas is again playing with conventions and audience expectations.

The film doesn't slow down because next our heroes split up. A first for a Star Wars movie. Luke takes a detour from the Rebellion rendezvous to visit Yoda, the Jedi master. And Han and Leia would like to meet up at the rendezvous but are having a hard time shaking off the relentless Empire.

Watching the movie for the first time I loved Yoda. For the longest time he was my favorite character. As a teenager the scenes on Dagobah bored me because of a whinny Luke Skywalker. With the exception of one scene. And that's Yoda lifting the X-Wing from the swamp. That scene will always be an all time favorite of mine in the Saga.

I always wanted to get back to the relentless pursuit of Millennium Falcon. The tension still holds up today! Darth Vader killing officers left and right, the asteroid field, and the bounty hunters. What a movie!

The bounty hunters must have left a huge impression on me because I believe I had pretty much every toy related to those iconic characters. Boba Fett's ship, Slave-1 was my favorite toy second to the Millennium Falcon. And I'll never forget my oldest cousin giving me his mail away action figure of Boba Fett. My cousins are some of the nicest people I know.

It wasn't until RETURN OF THE JEDI that the big twist at the end of Episode VI had any real impact on me. The only thing I remember is being scared and I thought Luke was going to die. Pretty dark and deep material for someone who hasn't even started kindergarten yet.

But for the past 15 – 20 years that lightsaber duel at the end of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is my second favorite duel in the series!

From start to finish the film is just a masterpiece of genre cinema. While the first film is art out of adversity, it's clear that the money is on the screen for the sequel. While still having a budget, it's obvious Lucas spared no expense.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is the best Star Wars movie. And THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is the greatest film ever made!

THE GREEN INFERNO

THE GREEN INFERNO is director Eli Roth's love letter to cannibal exploitation horror films. This Italian horror sub-genre became popular in the late seventies and early eighties. The genre never quite caught on like the Spaghetti Westerns or Zombie films did. That's why you don't see a ton of them, unlike your typical DAWN OF THE DEAD rip off or umpteenth Django western.

Stuck in limbo for almost two years it was unclear if moviegoers were going to see THE GREEN INFERNO at the theater, or at all for that matter? Months if not weeks before the film was to hit theaters the studio releasing the picture hit a financial snag and couldn't/wouldn't show the movie. Given the opportunity I always try to watch a film on the big screen. Especially one that I want to see! Thanks to movie producer Jason Blum (the current David O. Selznick of horror) audiences now were able to see the cannibal horror adventure on a mainstream level.

Will a theatrical release help THE GREEN INFERNO in terms of box office? Probably not. I don't see a cannibal resurgence happening anytime soon. It's just cool that a film like this is getting a major release.

Much like Roth's two previous films, THE GREEN INFERNO has a group of college aged kids finding themselves in a heap of trouble. This time around it's a college activist group heading to the jungles of Peru to stop the deforestation of the Amazon. From the start you get the feeling that something isn't quite right. These students are quick to blindly follow activist Alejandro. At first our films lead Justine (played by the beautiful Lorenza Izzo) isn't buying into the cause, but cannot get over how hot she thinks Alejandro is. So she joins the group despite her skepticism.

When they arrive their plan is to chain themselves to trees and broadcast it live over the internet. The protest is a success but the college kids are immediately taken back to the plane and asked to leave. With no time to change they are back on the plane still wearing construction worker uniforms. The victory is cut short when the plane crashes into the jungle.

After one of the most intense plane crashes in cinema history, the survivors are captured by a indigenous tribe. But instead of being welcomed as guests to the village, the group becomes dinner. The plane crash was intense but this is when the film becomes no holds barred.

Up to this point the movie is pretty bad. Flat looking cinematography (thanks to digital) and clunky dialogue plague the first half of THE GREEN INFERNO. The stiff acting and bad dialogue might be on purpose due to the film being a exploitation movie? But once we get to the jungle everything looks beautiful and performances are great. The fist victim of cannibalism is the most gruesome scene in the film. I mean this guy gets it the worse. I won't go into to detail, but we're talkin' 5 piece barbecue chicken dinner. Everything after is pretty standard (not a bad thing), but that first kill belongs in the horror hall of fame.

While waiting for their fate the rest of the group learn that Alejandro hasn't been completely honest with them. The protest was all a ruse so that another construction team could come in and clean house. So now that it has been revealed that he's a asshole, the group plan to escape without him. They get caught again and now Justine is victim to an ancient ritual. But thanks to a young boy from the tribe she escapes. But will the green inferno of the Amazon engulf her? While THE GREEN INFERNO is one of the most brutal films you'll see this year, it's got some dark humor to relieve the tension. This is where Eli Roth reminds the audience that what you are seeing isn't real. And that you can have fun while being scared or grossed out. In other words THE GREEN INFERNO isn't just complete total nihilism.

The fact that the film isn't a full on exercise of nihilism depravity is a good thing. The horror review gurus that criticize THE GREEN INFERNO for not going all the way are wrong. The only things missing from Roth's film are rape, genital mutilation, and animal killings. Who wants to see those things? The themes are implied well enough that we don't need to see it. Less is more anyways.

So I should mention the political sub text of the film. Eli Roth hates the idea of social justice warriors. And I don't blame him. Making change in the world isn't about how many “likes” your Facebook page gets, or how many times you've been re-tweeted. If you're on social media then you know what I am talking about. It's gotten so bad these past couple of years that I always consider deleting my Facebook account.

The thing that surprised me the most about THE GREEN INFERNO was how Eli Roth didn't go full on homage. Instead, we feel the spirit of CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST and CANNIBAL FEROX.

If you're a fan of horror and have never seen a cannibal movie, then I recommend THE GREEN INFERNO. And if you see the film and love it, and by love it I mean it's now your favorite horror movie, then and only then do I recommend you see CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST.

CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST

My curiosity for horror movies probably started 30 years ago with A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE for rent on VHS. Or maybe it was HBO? I think back then, stuff came out on cable before it hit video? Whatever the case, I was frightened/intrigued by the 'Freddy' cardboard standee at my neighborhood video rental store. They had it in the corner so that it would stare at you no matter where you stood. I've told this story before but it's left an impression on me and think that it's the catalyst for why I like horror movies.

The reason why I think horror films are so popular is because of the thrill viewers get by watching them. Much like the love of riding a roller coaster. Along with that is the notion that the movie might be something forbidden, something you're not allowed to see. The threat of nightmares kept me away for awhile.

In my formative years I just stuck with the standard horror classics like the Elm Street, Jason, and Evil Dead films. All the heavy metal kids in High School talked about the Faces of Death movies, but I stuck with the fake stuff, thank you very much. Turns out those were fake anyways, and apparently sucked. So jokes on them!

By the late 90's and early 2000's I heard about a sub genre of horror called Italian horror. And in my discovery learned about a film called CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST. This film was the holy grail of exploitation horror. In a nutshell, the film had a reputation that if you watched it you'd go to hell. At the time of discovery the film was only available by bootleg. So my friend and I just stuck with the safe stuff like THE BEYOND or DEMONS.

When KILL BILL came out, that's when my obsession with exploitation films started. And I made it my mission to find and watch the mother of all exploitation films. At the time I didn't know what that was, but I'd soon find out.

I had forgotten about CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST until about a year ago when it made it's debut on blu-ray. I quickly remembered that the movie was considered one of the best, if not the best horror exploitation films ever made. It certainly sounded like the most controversial because of all the real life killing of animals.

After giving it some serious thought, I finally decided to watch the film. After all, it's only a movie. How nasty can it be? Pretty nasty as it turns out.

A New York University professor returns from a rescue mission to the Amazon rain forest with the footage shot by a lost team of documentarians who were making a film about the area's local cannibal tribe.

CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is basically two films. The second act is a found footage film sandwiched between the film. The first part is finding out what happened to the missing crew. The second part is us getting to see the footage and piecing together the mystery. And lastly we get a social commentary on what is considered 'entertainment' these days.

The film is a gore fest and on several occasions I wanted to shut it off. But every time I thought about doing that, something brilliant always happened. And when it got to the ending I came to the conclusion that the film is a masterpiece. Who would've thought that a horror exploitation film can have a message? So yeah, I guess you could say I like gore. Gore in movies. Why? I don't know because the funny thing is, I cannot stand sick stuff in real life. Unless it's my own, the sight of blood freaks me out. Heck, I don't even like to hunt. And that includes fishing.

But when it comes to blood & guts make-up effects, the gore doesn't bother me. Okay, it does but I can handle it, Most of the time. I guess because I know it's fake and I can't help but think the movie making process is fun.

In fact, I know from experience that it's fun because I had the honor of playing a dead guy in a popular web series. The make-up effects guy gave me a bullet hole in the head. That was a fun couple of hours!

With all that being said, the gore effects in CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is pretty extreme. But it is fake, so just keep telling yourself that. What's not fake is the animal killings. And yes it's disturbing and uncomfortable to watch. Forget the cannibalism, it's the innocent slaughter of jungle rats, monkeys, sea turtles, and pigs that's repulsive.

In good conscious I cannot recommend CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST. But I'm not your mother, so watch at your own risk. Just remember, curiosity killed the cat.

CANNIBAL FEROX

For the past decade or so I've had a real guilty pleasure of seeking out classic exploitation films. Most of them are crap that haven't aged well, some are good, but there are a few that become gems. While it's not my favorite, CANNIBAL FEROX is a grindhouse gem!

CANNIBAL FEROX, or as it's known in the States, MAKE THEM DIE SLOWLY was part of the short lived Italian horror cannibalism sub-genre. It's a good thing the genre was short lived because most of the films suck. But there are two masterpieces, CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST and CANNIBAL FEROX. Not only are these films great cannibal movies, they are excellent pieces of Italian genre cinema.

Now I wanna make something perfectly clear, I like gore, but not in the way you might think. For me it's more of an effects thing. I'm curious how they pulled off the illusion . But let's be honest, with the cannibalism films it is all about the shock and gore that make them popular. So why do I like them? If horror films are akin to roller coaster rides, then I'd say the Italian cannibal movies are the carnivals.

There are several reasons but the main reason for my guilty pleasure is the sleaziness. The fact that KILL BILL is my favorite film(s) has a lot to do with that. I also like how CANNIBAL FEROX actually went deep into the Amazon jungle to film. And lastly I just think exploitation films are cool.

Two New York City low life's rip off a drug dealer and head off to South America. We know this because the film starts off with a murder investigation in the Big Apple. Man, I love 80's New York City! Anyway, the very next scene is in Rio (I think) and we follow three friends taking a trip into the Amazon jungle to disprove cannibalism. The two groups eventually meet and become hunted by a indigenous tribe seeking revenge.

While on the run from the tribe, one of low life's spills the beans. He tells the group of friends the true story of why him and his partner Mike Logan, are in the Amazon. They stole money from a heroin dealer back in the States and fled here to hide. In Rio they met someone who had uncut emeralds and knew where to get more. Things didn't pan out and Mike, high on cocaine, went nuts. He killed a few members of the tribe, and the rest is history.

The tribe is out for revenge and everyone is guilty. And rest assured, they are gonna make them die slowly.

The first time I watched CANNIBAL FEROX it made me sick. Sick that I'd watch a movie like that. It didn't have quite the moral impact that CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST did. But at least it's part of exploitation history and I have seen it, and I can move on. But I watched it a second time so that I could blog about it and get the movie out of my system. Then the strangest thing happened? I liked the film the second time around. The gore still makes me uncomfortable, but it has what I love about exploitation films. Or in this case, Italian exploitation films.

Let's talk about the gore for a moment because let's face it, blood and guts are what make these films popular. From a special effect stand point the gore is amazing. Unfortunately what isn't a special effect is the killing of animals (the main controversy of these films). And let me tell you, seeing a defenseless animal getting killed is far worse and super uncomfortable compared to fake gore. No matter how realistic looking it is.

The conversation on gore will continue when I blog about CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST. Because in that film, I almost shut if off on several occasions. But much like the trooper that I am, I stuck through it. Which I'm glad I did because while the movie is what it is, there is a good message in the film. But like I said, more on that latter.

In all honesty I cannot recommend a film like CANNIBAL FEROX. Due in large part to the extreme nature of it. For me even the mere mentioning the film feels like dealing with contraband sometimes. This blog is more or less about me getting the film out of my system and acknowledging the sub genres place in horror history.

STAR WARS

My earliest memory of STAR WARS was seeing it at a Drive-In theater. We were in the old family van, not a mini-van, but a van. I was in the back with all my Star Wars toys having an adventure. I cannot remember for sure if this was my first time seeing the film? I'm thinking no, because of the toys. But they were Empire Strikes Back toys. So maybe THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK was my introduction to the Trilogy? Age wise this makes the most sense.

While THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is my favorite film of the saga, I owe my love of cinema to STAR WARS. Let me rephrase that. I owe my formative years of loving movies to STAR WARS. Harrison Ford was my first favorite actor. I went crazy seeing Carrie Fisher play a scorned girlfriend in THE BLUES BROTHERS. And Darth Vader was my favorite fictional character.

From ages 3 – 8 it's probably easy to say that my fandom was primarily due to toys. I know I loved the movies, but I liked the toys more. It wasn't until the late eighties and early nineties that I started to forget Star Wars. Me and my best friend at the time were getting into Nintendo and horror movies. He was really into the film ALIENS and I followed suit. By the nineties we thought Star Wars was kids stuff. Fast forward a couple of years and it's all Nirvana, video games, Ninja Turtles, and EVIL DEAD II. It was also around this time that I thought TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY was the biggest best film around.

90's modern rock was real big with me (and the world) at the time. And there was this independent film called CLERKS that had a cool soundtrack, or at least that's what the ads in my comic books were telling me. One afternoon at the video store I stumbled across CLERKS and decided to rent it because of that cool soundtrack. I invited my friend over and we laughed our asses off! At the time I thought it was the funniest film I had ever seen.

Some of the jokes were referencing STAR WARS. It was so awesome! Now for any millennials reading this and thinking “so what”? Believe it or not, but there was an actual time where Star Wars was nostalgic. Man, that's depressing. Star Wars will never ever be nostalgic again.

It was an awesome time to be a fan. And in 1997 the coolest thing happened, STAR WARS was re-released on the big screen. But this wasn't your typical re-release, no we were getting a special edition of our beloved trilogy! Never underestimate the power of the dark side. We were all duped on this because of nostalgia clouded our judgment.

To this day I don't have a problem with the minor changes of the special edition. I think a lot of the improvements are valid. What I do have a problem with is all the unnecessary additions of CGI creatures, buildings, Boba Fett, Han shooting first, and other alterations to Mos Eisley cantina.

Maybe one day we'll get a non special edition of STAR WARS! There are rumors that such a release is on the way? To mark the 40th anniversary of the film, 20th Century Fox will release a 4k remaster of STAR WARS. I'm not holding my breath, but this may be happening folks! How cool it that!

Watching the film as an adult I find myself enjoying more with every viewing! Now that my knowledge of film is more vast, I pick up more on the influences. The easiest being Kurosawa. But more that that I get a kick out of how unconventional it was for it's time. Who begins a movie with two robots in the desert? And it's east meets west. The eastern influence you have Darth Vader, a fallen warrior, who uses a laser sword. Then there is the west, characters like Han Solo, the smuggler gunslinger.

Depending on what mood I'm in will always decided what film I like more, STAR WARS or THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. They are both masterpieces in my opinion! I love how simple and imaginative STAR WARS is. It's a fairy tale in space. And while being serialized, it can still certainly be a stand alone film.

Imagine if the movie would have flopped? You'd have this cult classic space opera film that movie buffs would still be talking about today.

I try and watch STAR WARS at least once a year. Heck, I've already watched THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK five times this year already! I swear it's not because I'm crazy, I'm just excited about the new Star Wars film coming out this December. My only complaint is that I wish I was 23 years old and not 38! Fans that grew up with the original trilogy got screwed over in 1999 with STAR WARS: EPISODE I – THE PHANTOM MENACE.

We were all duped back then, but I honestly believe this time is different. I haven't been this excited for Star Wars in a long long time. In fact, before it was announced that Lucas sold the rights to Disney, I was seriously thinking of setting childish things aside. I had talked about Star Wars enough. Thankfully, filmmaker J.J Abrams has so far proven to change that.

The second teaser trailer for STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS makes be believe that there is hope once again in that galaxy far, far away.

FANTASTIC FOUR (2015)

With all the negative reviews and months old rumors that the production and final product is a disaster, I chose not to see FANTASTIC FOUR. But then I read an interview with the director of the movie, Josh Trank. In that interview he mentioned something that hit home with me, I'm paraphrasing, but he said go into a movie with your own judgment.

If the movie sucks, then at least YOU think the movie sucks. “If your experience of movie watching only comes through pre-determined universal consensus, you'll never have a personal relationship with movies. Ever.” I try and live by that philosophy when it comes to watching movies. I also think that's great advice for someone that wants to be a filmmaker.

After reading the interview I was curious again, but my viewing experience was going to be a Redbox rental at best. Then two of my friends went to see it and based on their opinion and our similar taste in film, I decided to watch FANTASTIC FOUR for myself. What I saw in this latest film adaptation, is a textbook example of when a movie studio/corporation puts out a movie just for the sole purpose of retaining the rights of a franchise.

FANTASTIC FOUR is not the worst film I've ever seen. But when there has been a solid comic book movie formula since say IRON MAN or MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS, how do you mess it up? How could you possibly go back to the dark ages? How was this film released? The only explanation that I can come up with is that 20th Century Fox got greedy. I'm calling this an inside job to either retain franchise rights or destroy the genre all together. It's probably neither of those things and just a classic example of corporate meddling.

I love the synopsis released by Fox. “FANTASTIC FOUR, a contemporary re-imagining of Marvel's original and longest running superhero team, centers on four young outsiders who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.”

They got the re-imagining part down at least. The team learning to harness their new powers must have been left on the cutting room floor? Or maybe that was during the 'One Year Later' title card? As for their former friend turned enemy, it's more like former colleague.

As far as criticisms go I've got nothing to say that probably hasn't been said already. And I hate to dogpile, especially this late in the game. Because it does seem it's kinda the popular thing to right now to bash the movie and drink the 'haterade'. But, I do think the 9% rating on Rotten Tomatoes isn't too far from the truth.

Because FANTASTIC FOUR is worse than say, GREEN LANTERN or BATMAN AND ROBIN. There was successful world building in GREEN LANTERN. Now, if it was true to the source material is besides the point in this example. FANTASTIC FOUR has little to no world building at all. And yes, BATMAN AND ROBIN is still terrible. But at least that movie has a consistent tone. Whereas FANTASTIC FOUR is basically tone deft throughout.

The film that Josh Trank had in mind is somewhere within the 100 minute run time of FANTASTIC FOUR. And from what little there is to piece together, I want to believe that Josh was trying to make a comic book movie inspired by the early works of Joe Dante and David Cronenberg?

At least Josh Trank tried. And that's the worth while experience I got out of seeing this film. I recognize his influences and I'm interested to see him try again.

I cannot recommend FANTASTIC FOUR. So, I'm sure many of you now are wondering what should be the future of this franchise. Well, I think Marvel should re launch the comic book immediately. Remind fans on how cool Marvel's first superhero family can be!

As for another movie, I think the damage is already done. And Disney should acquire the cinematic rights back post haste. If the Marvel Cinematic Universe is still going strong in 2020, then Doctor Doom should be the next big bad for The Avengers. And have The Fantastic Four make their triumphant comeback as supporting characters only.

IT FOLLOWS

So far my favorite film of 2015 is MAD MAX: FURY ROAD. But after watching IT FOLLOWS a second time, I feel there is a close tie for the top spot.

Watching IT FOLLOWS is even better the second time. I picked up on a lot of deep stuff this time around. It's still fun trying to figure out the horror film logic of how “it” follows you and how to stop/kill it. This alone can spark interesting conversations with people who have seen the film. But as I found out during my second viewing, the film really isn't about the STD curse, or whatever you wanna call “it”.

No, the film is about the fear of growing old. This isn't some big secret, the clues are all right there. I just think I picked up on it the way that I did was because at this current phase of my life I hate the idea of growing old. Or worse yet, I have a fear of it.

For nineteen-year old Jay, fall should be about school, boys, and hanging out with her friends. But after having a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, she seems plagued by an unknown supernatural force. Here are the rules. In order to break the curse / prevent it from following you, you have to sleep with someone. But if they die, then you're haunted again. To stay alive it's simple math, but basically you're screwed.

Now I know what some of you are thinking. You're thinking, that sounds stupid and doesn't seem scary at all. Well, you're right. It is kinda stupid. But the film works, like gangbusters it works. A large part of that is due to how the film is photographed. The film is beautiful to look at, in an 80's horror movie sort of way. But the terror of IT FOLLOWS is the musical score. Trust me. You'll be watching this movie with hands over your ears. My first impression of IT FOLLOWS after seeing it was that the film felt like a Wes Craven movie directed by John Carpenter.

So like I mentioned earlier, the first time I watched IT FOLLOWS, I became so wrapped up in the STD metaphor that the fear of getting older angle never hit me. What a great testament to the film! A genre film no less. Not to give too much away but here are some of my favorite scenes. The moment before Jay's date/boyfriend ties her up so that “it” can get her, she is talking about how when we are young all kids ever talk or dream about is being a “grown-up” doing grown up things. But of course when we get older, all we talk about is how easy life was when you are younger.

And the ending, I love the ending! Of course I'm not going to give it away, I just think it signifies love. That love conquers all.

IT FOLLOWS will probably be the most personal film I will see this year. I related to the themes of running away from adulthood. And I find myself (and a lot of people in this day and age) drowning out my fear of getting older by regressing toward the comfort of nostalgia and my childhood.

I will always love nostalgia, it's just who I am. But this film woke me up. Living too much in the past can be poison. This also has led me to start doing more writing and less watching. Which is awesome.

I cannot recommend this movie strong enough! I predict it'll be streaming on Netflix before the year is up. But don't wait that long, rent this movie tonight! Especially if you love horror movies.

ANT-MAN

Sometimes having a bias opinion over a movie can be a bitch. It's tough especially when Edgar Wright is one of my favorite filmmakers. Man, it sucks that we'll never see what could have been!

When it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I'm in for the long haul. Or at least till AVENGERS: INFINITY WARS PART II? That's how far I'm invested in at this point. What Marvel Studios has planned after that is unclear to me, interest wise? If we're talking reboot, then I'll pass. Sony making a deal to share Spider-Man couldn't have happened at a better time. The best Spidey films since SPIDER-MAN 2 should be the future, not an immediate Iron Man reboot.

ANT-MAN the newest Marvel Studios “character” film since CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, does feel like the future of the MCU. I know that GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY was the latest film in terms of new characters, but that film is a whole other animal. There is a reason people are comparing ANT-MAN to the first Iron Man movie.

I know I am not alone on this, but certainly feel like I belong in the minority. I'd love to see a future Avengers movie without Cap, Tony, and Thor! Yes, give me Falcon, War Machine, Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Ant-Man! Oh, and of course Spider-Man! There's your box office draw for the alternate Avengers team. I'd die to see this line up of Avengers 2.0, not because I'm a Avengers fan, but because I am a comic book geek.

So far the future is going to be Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and The Inhumans. Let's hope it stays this way! But I'm afraid that once Robert Downey Jr. leaves for good, then it's reboot time. Because you have that “fast-food” audience mentality that there always has to be an Iron Man around. And unfortunately these types of moviegoers pay the bills better than True Believers like myself.

Reformed cat burglar Scott Lang can't seen to catch a break. Baskin Robbins won't even hire him. All Scott wants to do is see his daughter. But his ex wife won't let that happen until he gets a real job and a apartment. Desperate, Scott agrees to pull one more burglary. The job ends up becoming a set up. A set up to help Scott.

Enter Hank Pym, a scientist that used to work for S.H.I.E.L.D that created a suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength. Hank left the agency after an incident with his wife. He took his research with him, leaving his company and S.H.I.E.L.D with no super suit.

Years later Darren Cross, a “mentor” of Hank Pym, is on a breakthrough to discovering the ability to shrink. Cross wants to weaponize the new found technology. So Hank entrusts the aid of Scott to done the super suit and pull off a corporate espionage heist to save the world.

So is ANT-MAN any good? Yes. The film works well as a Saturday matinée. And the rumors are true, it's probably the best character driven Marvel Studios movie since IRON MAN. Off the top of my head I'd rank it 8th or 9th in the cinematic universe.

The jury is still out on whether or not I wanna see a sequel? An Ant-Man and Wasp team-up may be fun! But much like The Hulk, it may be best if Ant-Man just shows up in the Avengers films.

STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH

10 years ago this past May was the tenth anniversary of STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH. Hard to believe it, but life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.

This was going to be the final Star Wars movie, again. By the release of Episode III the prequels had their haters. But love em or hate em, the premiere of the “final” Star Wars was and always will be a communal thing. A gathering of fans young and old, a celebration of everything Star Wars. Standing in line we didn't talk about our favorite moments from the prequels, we discussed what makes Star Wars special to us.

To this day the line for Episode III holds the record for most crowded line that I've waited for a movie in. 4 auditoriums all sold out.

If I had to choose a favorite prequel then I'd pick STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH. It has it's problems just like the other two films but I find it the most re-watchable of the three. Thanks in large part to the highly recommended television series STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS. The most Star Wars-ish thing concerning the Prequels. Yeah it's a cartoon, but the spirit of Star Wars is in full swing.

Pretty much what I don't like about the Prequels remains to be true in this film. The overabundance of lightsabers, Sith using lightsabers, bad dialogue, and dumbing down the story for kids. Some new criticisms are the Wookie planet, and not just bad, but terrible dialogue.

In fear of just repeating popular criticisms about this film, I am just going to highlight some criticisms that myself and some friends have developed over the years.

With the help of Red Letter Media and long discussions about Star Wars with friends and fellow peers, I've come to the belief that Siths using lightsabers is dumb. You never see The Emperor use one at the end of RETURN OF THE JEDI. In fact he mocks the weapon of a Jedi. The only reason Darth Vader uses one is because he used to be a Jedi.

Wouldn't it have been more bad ass if Palpatine had just used The Force and Force Lightning when Mace Windu and some Jedi came to arrest his? And while we're on this topic. Wasn't the death of Mace Windu some of the most awkward acting and terrible dialogue in the history of a Star Wars film?

It took 22 years but George Lucas finally got to put Wookie planet in a Star Wars film. 22 years and a whole lot of nothing. Be sure to buy your Episode III Chewbacca action figure today! To be fair, I understand that after THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK it's always been about action figures. Just ask George. And every kids first favorite Star Wars character is a Chewbacca.

What was destined to be my favorite lightsaber duel, Anakin Skywalker vs. Obi-Wan Kenobi , turned out to be cool but a little too choreographed for my taste. Unless it was to signify that they are equal in skill? But I highly doubt it.

So what did I like in STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH?

George Lucas has always said he is a visual storyteller. One of my favorite scenes in the film is when Mace Windu tells Anakin to go back to his quarters and wait for further instructions while he goes to arrest Palpatine on charges of being a Sith Lord. Anakin can't stand this while he broods in his apartment. Across the way in another building is his wife Padme. The two have a connection. You see, Anakin has foreseen the death of Padme and Palpatine is the only one who can “save her”. It's a nice quite scene and you can see the emotion of Anakin betraying the Force and trusting his feelings instead! I loved the scene in the theater and still love it today!

But my favorite scene has to be the opera house scene. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine has invited Anakin to the opera. While watch the performance Palpatine proceeds to tell Anakin a story about a Sith Lord who had the power to keep one from dying. Both actors do an excellent job. Anakin, already broken by the dark side is easily manipulated by the Supreme Chancellor's story.

So when it comes to revisiting the Prequels I'd rather just watch the cartoon series and this movie. The other two Prequels become dull to watch, especially Episode II.

Now that I've finished talking about Episodes I, II, and III it's time talk about the films that really matter. The original trilogy. And I cannot wait! Expect these not to come out so soon because I want to re-watch them and say all that I want to say about them.

Stay tuned and may the Force be with you!

TERMINATOR: GENISYS

If I had to describe what I thought of TERMINATOR: GENISYS in one word, the word that I would choose is 'unnecessary'.

Once I saw the teaser trailer for this new Terminator movie, I was on board. I liked the look of the movie and how they were changing up classic moments from the original. The idea of multiple T-800's in 1984 sounded cool to me. But then I saw another trailer, and the more trailers I saw the less enthusiastic I became.

Last night I went to go see the new Terminator film. For months I was on the fence about this one because of the latest trailers, but those doubts went away because of one certain promotion. James Cameron, director of the original endorsed TERMINATOR: GENISYS. And apparently his opinion was not bought and paid for. Which I hope is true, because I have a hard time believing that the director of the most successful Smurfs movie of all time really liked this movie? Because TERMINATOR: GENISYS sucks!

The convoluted plot due to the time travel and alternate time lines makes the Cameron films seem like perfect movies. I'm not kidding, trying to make sense of everything in TERMINATOR: GENISYS is enough to make your head explode. Thus leaving the film simple sound and fury. Some of the action scenes are cool but in the grand scheme of things like say plot, they don't make any sense.

One of the things I was looking forward to the most was why and how does Sarah Connor have a T-800 helping her in 1984! Who sent it? John Connor? Why is it good? And why did it show up in 1972? Was it because "Pops" (Yes, Sarah calls the T-800 Pops) went too far back it time? None of this crap is answered!

The reason this and a whole bunch of other things never get answered is because we're dealing with a poor script. This film is beyond plot holes. To compensate, the film runs on waves of nostalgia which is cool at first but becomes meaningless once you realize it does not propel the story forward. And what happens is the worst thing that can happen to a sequel or remake, TERMINATOR: GENISYS makes you wish you were watching the original film! If I am constantly thinking "man, I really wish I was watching THE TERMINATOR"! Then I am sorry, your movie has failed!

So it's the year 2026 and John Connor is leading the human resistance to infiltrate Skynet's time travel device. They don't make it in time so Kyle Reese volunteers to travel back to the year 1984 and protect Sarah Connor. Something goes wrong and Kyle Reese gets sent back to THE TERMINATOR RELOADED. In that time line it's Sarah who saves Kyle from a T-1000, and she has a sidekick which is a T-800 she calls "Pops". This Terminator is "friendly" (because it was clever in T2: JUDGEMENT DAY) for some reason. Who programed this one? Was it John? Who cares, it's kwel!!!

So Sarah and "Pops" bring Kyle up to speed on their plan to travel to the year 1997 and stop Judgment Day. But he rejects that plan with a new one. Travel to 2017 because he had a vision during his trip to 1984. After some easy convincing Kyle and Sarah travel to 2017, and "Pops" will meet them when they get there.

They get detained at the hospital by Homeland Security but John Connor saves them. If you've seen the trailer then you know this is a twist. Because John is now a Terminator, a new model, one we haven't seen before.

So now the threat level is even bigger since John Connor is trying to stop Sarah, Kyle, and "Pops" from destroying Genisys. Genisys is the new Skynet that is an app that everyone in the world has downloaded. Because apps are cool and relevant plus the fact that Judgment Day will always find a way. Can our three heroes stop Genisys? Of course because you quickly realize the movie has zero stakes. And Skynet will always find another way. Boring! Say what you will about the last sequel TERMINATOR SALVATION, but at least that movie tried something different.

I mentioned earlier about how the T-800 that got sent to 1972 is “friendly” and how it's programed to protect Sarah Connor. And seeing that we don't know who programed “Pops” to be a good guy? It makes the plot twist stupid. Why it worked in T2: JUDGEMENT DAY was because at the time it was a clever twist. The machine was stolen and programed to protect John Connor. And if you've seen the movie then you know that it took the whole film for John to make the T-800 more human.

With TERMINATOR: GENISYS Pops being a “friendly” feels empty.

Speaking of Pops, God bless Arnold Schwarzenegger. He's trying his best here but the material he has to work with is terrible. Which is sad really, Arnold deserves one last good Terminator movie. But after what I witnessed last night, I think this is the last one.

As for the rest of the characters I really tried my hardest to care what was going on with them. I think the actors were trying to because they had little to work with.

Along with a terrible script, I feel TERMINATOR: GENISYS suffers from to much exposition. What makes the Cameron films masterpieces of genre is that the what, where, and why is secondary. Especially the first film. What makes THE TERMINATOR work is that it's just a glorified B-movie about a cyborg from the future sent to kill the mother of John Connor, the leader of the resistance. We're told just the right amount of information about Skynet and Judgment Day to keep the plot moving.

When I think of TERMINATOR: GENISYS the phrase Keep It Simple Stupid comes to mind.

I recommend taking a pass on TERMINATOR: GENISYS and watch the original instead, especially if you've never seen it.

JAWS

JAWS was the first film to ever terrify me! It also might be the first movie to ever give me nightmares! So for years I considered JAWS a horror movie. And with being so scared I would mix up the sequels with the original film.

One of the best films ever made turns 40 today. Released on June 20th 1975, twenty-one months before I was born, JAWS and it's popularity would have a big impact on my childhood. For the longest time the film scared me to death. It got so ridiculous that my dad would call me into the living room if the movie was playing on television or HBO. I think he got a kick out of scaring me!

It wasn't until I was a teenager that I conquered my fear and watched JAWS in it's entirety. I had seen the movie before but only in bits and pieces. And in seeing those bits and pieces, not to mention parts of the sequels on HBO thinking they were the original, made seeing the original in one sitting much more important.

The rest is history. I was hooked! The film still scared me, but at the same time I conquered that fear. Much like Brody and his fear of the water.

So usually this is when I write what the movie is about but seeing that JAWS is 40 years old and still a classic, I'm sure it's fine if I skip it.

What can I saw about JAWS that hasn't already been praised about by millions? The answer is nothing. But in honor of 40 years, I'll share what I love about the film!

No matter how many times I see the film, the tension is still the same for me. Every time.

I'm sure if you watch and examine you'll find faults (because no movie is perfect), but I consider JAWS a perfect film.

I love the fact that I got to see a 35mm film print of JAWS in a theater before studios stopped doing that by forcing theaters to convert digitally.

And lastly, my favorite scene is JAWS has to been when Brody, Hooper, and Quint are in the Orca getting drunk and singing.

If you wanna celebrate, select theaters are showing JAWS this month! Check your local listings/theaters.

Happy 40th anniversary JAWS,

STAR WARS: ATTACK OF THE CLONES

It was around the release of the VHS of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE where fans were becoming extremely vocal about how much they hated the film. I am sure there were some that hated it from day one, fine whatever.

When STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES came out I was still a big defender of the prequels and thought all the haters just didn't “get” George Lucas. Red Letter Media sure showed me the errors of my ways. And in their criticism I was able to find my own faults with the 3 films. But before that I used to get drunk on high definition, Jedi with lightsabers, Yoda with lightsabers, and not-Boba Fett!

There was a time that this second installment was my favorite of the prequel trilogy. I loved how some of it “echoed” certain scenes from the original trilogy. One I was particularly fond of was how the battle in the droid factory was reminiscent of Luke and Leia on the Death Star bridge in STAR WARS. But looking back on it now I don't care for it as much. It's too noisy of a scene, meaning there is an overabundance of CGI. And that's the main issue I have with STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES. Everything looks fake.

Ever since the climactic fight scene at the end of MAN OF STEEL, I've been critical of CGI overabundance.

Say what you will about STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE but at least that movie had some practical effects and still retains a warmth to the finished product. I recently demoed the blu-ray on a Ultra HD 4k television. Once we got the settings how we wanted them, the movie looked it's best since the theater.

So the more that I watch STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES it suffers the same fate as it's predecessor, the film is boring. There is an action scene involving a impressive chase on the busy city planet of Coruscant. It begins in the air with flying cars and ends with a game of cat and mouse in a sports cantina. It's one of the most impressive scenes in the film. And once it's over the movie drags big time.

Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala hide out on Naboo while Obi-Wan Kenobi travels to the outer rim in search of the bounty hunter hired to assassinate Padme. During this time we are subjected to some of the blandest romantic dialogue between two characters since TITANIC . Anakin and Padme getting to know each other better is pure momentum killer.

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan finds a clone army at the Republics disposal to fight against the Separatists. This leads him to Boba Fett, sorry, Boba Fett's dad. They fight. Which is actually pretty cool. But the Fett father and son get away. Kenobi follows them to a planet that the Separatists have been hiding out on preparing their droid army. He gets captured and it's up to Anakin, Padme, R2-D2, and C3-PO ( for some reason) to save the Jedi Knight. As I mentioned before, I liked this scene very much but the whole thing feels very cartoon-ish to me now.

Looking at it now, STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES as a whole is a flawed film. It does have it moments of coolness and George Lucas can be a good visual storyteller, except for all those lightsabers.

In conclusion, I consider STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES the worst of the prequel trilogy. The negatives outweigh the positives. The film is also the biggest reminder that the prequels were uninteresting and pointless. Do we really need to see Boba Fett as a child or see his origin? No. Is Yoda with a lightsaber cool? At first yes, but when you really think about it, the answer is no. Are Jedi and the Force cool and mysterious? Not anymore, not after this movie!

I think you get my point.

STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE

What can be said of this film that hasn't been said before? Nothing. Red Letter Media has that covered . Their analysis of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE is the end all of any review about the film. What I wanna do is basically talk about what Star Wars means to me, thoughts leading up to the first prequel, and what I thought after.

Believe it or not, but there was once a time when Star Wars was considered retro. It's true, I was there! It was the year 1995. The trilogy was remastered in THX and fans started to get nostalgic. For gamers and collectible geeks like myself, there was a CCG Star Wars card game that was all the rage for awhile. Young filmmaker Kevin Smith inserted clever anecdotes and jokes about the beloved trilogy into his early films. It was a great time to be a Star Wars fan!

In 1997 the greatest thing happened, or so we thought? The greatest trilogy of them all was coming back to the big screen! This was huge. Advanced tickets sold out super fast, and this fan had to wait until the next weekend to see STAR WARS on the big screen. As we all know, these re-releases were special editions with added special effects, new scenes, and Boba Fett. Kwel!

It's now common law for any Star Wars fan to face palm at the very mention of the special editions and countless updates given to them. But in 1997, I did not care because I got to see STAR WARS on the big screen!

It wasn't until the release of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE on video and the umpteenth VHS box set release of the original trilogy, where fans started to really see the downside to the alterations.

But lets back it up a bit to the theatrical release of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE. The buzz for this movie was insane! Everybody was talking about it, and marketing was everywhere. I think there was even Episode I batteries! The film itself isn't very good, but I wouldn't trade this moment of fan hype for the world.

It's been several years now and I still remember day like it was yesterday. The day I bought advanced tickets for the first Star Wars film in 16 years. It was an experience I will never forget and never ever do again. I must have shown up to Springfield 8 at about 6am or 8am to purchase my advance tickets. Much to my surprise the front steps to the theater had been transformed into a campground. Tents and sleeping bags were everywhere.

I was shocked and a little intimidated so I left thinking that I wasn't prepared. After breakfast I drove back to the theater and got in line. By then the tents and sleeping bags had been put away. And for the next several hours everybody that was in line was talking about Star Wars and how much the films and legacy of the franchise meant to them.

What happened next was real annoying. The box office opened for the first matinée but unlike today we had to wait until 4pm (or something close to that) to get advanced tickets. I don't remember the details, but things worked very very differently back in the day. I wanna say that even ordering tickets online wasn't a thing yet?

So it's the afternoon and I still have a final at OTC to take later that day. But before that, I got to see THE MUMMY (1999) at half price for standing in line for hours and hours. However, was my whole day waiting in line going to be in vain because of some college final? Luck would have it that my dad was already off work or had the day off. The phone call was made and I was already prepared for the worst. Kids, never underestimate how cool your parents are! If this was for any other movie I'd be up a creek, but dad understood Star Wars.

So my final is done and I'm heading back to the theater thinking that my dad will have my advanced tickets in hand waiting for my return. Nope. Everybody is still waiting, and the line has doubled from the looks of it. After it was all said and done, I think it was 4pm that I finally got my advanced tickets. Was it worth the wait?

Yes and no, but mainly yes. The day of the midnight showing was a communal gathering of Star Wars fans that I will never forget. I ran into old friends and even made new ones. It was a great time to be a fan. That alone makes getting advanced tickets worth it, and I would do it again. The reason that I kinda feel that advanced tickets wasn't worth it is obviously moot but still one aspect of the experience annoyed the crap out of me. And that reason is, I saw the film again the very next day with my best friend early in the morning with no muss and no fuss.

Once STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE hit VHS, that's when fans started to discover that the movie wasn't very good. For years, almost a decade even, I was a huge George Lucas apologist. My excuse always being that he is a unconventional filmmaker. And that Jar Jar is for the kids so just quit your bellyaching. I always found the Trade Federation Droids and actor Jake Lloyd more annoying than everyones favorite Gungan.

Then one day my opinion changed. Someone on Facebook directed me to the light. If I remember correctly an old high school friend sent me a link to a video review of Episode I, but it just wasn't a review, it was an analysis of why the film is terrible.

You know what video I speak of. The popular Plinkett reviews from Red Letter Media. Their video made me realize just how boring the film is and how it's riddled with plot holes and things that just don't make sense in regards to the original trilogy. And just how un-Star Wars it was! Foolish me, all these years I just figured Lucas was on a whole other level when it came to writing and directing.*

A Star Wars film (or any film for that matter) should not be a chore to sit through. And for me the first two prequel movies are just that, a chore. Episode III has it's fair share of problems but at least I still consider that one entertaining enough to re watch. But anytime I try and watch one of the prequels, I opt for the original trilogy instead.

Do yourself a favor and watch the original trilogy today! May The 4th Be With You!

* Insert joke here.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

The question on everybody's mind is if AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON is better than MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS? The answer is yes. However, nothing will ever top the first time Joss Whedon brought together all the MCU in one film. Not only bring them all together but make it work. And boy did he make it work.

Much like how a comic book opens with a splash page (a action panel that typically takes up two pages), AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON wastes no time and kicks things off with a traveling action sequence reminiscent of the NYC battle at the end of the first film. With all our heroes working together. Such a beautiful way to start the movie.

Even though this is only the second film, The Avengers coordinate like a well oiled machine. It's as if there have been some missions we haven't seen?

This time around The Avengers are called upon to retrieve Loki's staff which is now in the hands of Hydra. During the mission our heroes run into two new meta-humans, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff who are brother and sister. Under control by Hydra the siblings make the mission difficult for The Avengers. Especially Wanda and her psychic ability to make people see things that aren't really there.

During the raid of Baron Von Strucker's secret Hydra base, Iron Man/Tony Stark obtains Loki's staff. It is at this moment when Wanda gives him a glimpse of the future. In this future all Earth's Mightiest Heroes are dead. Is this a mind trick or are we seeing a possible outcome from the Infinity Wars? Like I said it's only a glimpse and once it's over, the mission at hand is successful.

Back at Avenger HQ Stark thinks about the future and decides it is time for Ultron, his artificial intelligence peacekeeping program. Something goes wrong and Ultron becomes self aware and comes to the conclusion that the only way to keep earth safe is to wipe out the human race. Thus putting The Avengers up to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON might be my favorite comic book movie. For a long time that title has belonged to SUPERMAN (1978). Still to this day I consider it the 'godfather' of comic book movies. I've learned over the years on what makes that movie great. We all know Superman is going to win. He's Superman! But what makes that film compelling are the stakes involved in it. He can't be in two places at once so he has to decide which missile to try and stop first.

In my opinion Joss does the same thing in his film. Obviously The Avengers will stop Ultron and save the world. But at what cost? And will our heroes be the same afterwards? Not to spoil anything but by the end we have an Avengers 2.0 team and a fan favorite who seems to have had enough.

I should also mention that the film is hilarious. This thing has Joss Whedon written all over it! It's kinda sad that he won't be returning for the third installment. But he has been an excellent architect for the MCU and I hope he'll at least stick around as a creative consultant.

Avoiding explaining what my favorite scenes and fights were I'll just tell you what I liked. First and foremost the look of the film. There is a lot of TLC in the detail of AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON. Right down to the giant 'A' atop Avengers Tower. And it's true, Vision steals the show! Probably the best introduction of a character in the MCU thus far. There was much rejoicing then immediate shock and awe in the theater during his appearance. I cannot wait to see how Vision plays into the next film!

Now for something that has little to do with special effects. Two of my favorite scenes were pure character interaction. The beginning of the movie has great a party scene. And I am a sucker for party scenes. Ever since watching DAZED AND CONFUSED, the hang-out genre has been one of my favorites. The camaraderie of them all gathered around trying to lift Thor's hammer is a scene worthy of admission price alone.

My second favorite character moment was when the team had to go regroup at Hawkeye's farm. A nice break from all the action. And it was nice to see a glimpse of Clint Barton's personal life. It's cool that Joss is giving more screen time to characters like Hawkeye, who we really only see in the Avengers films.

If I had to pick a fault with the film, I'd say it was the relationship with Banner and Romanoff. It felt way too forced in my opinion. It's convincing, just a tad tacked on. Another issue I have is major spoiler-ish because it has to do with the death of a character. Yes, it wouldn't be a true Joss Whedon movie if a character didn't die. I just think that this time around the suits at Marvel Studios and Disney stepped in and made some changes.

My final thoughts are easily summed up as I think the MCU is at a point now to where it'll be extremely unlikely that I'll be disappointed between now and AVENGERS:INFINITY WAR -PART I & II. After that it's anybody's guess?

But for now, Make Mine Marvel!