UNFRIENDED

Never thought I'd actually see this film. The trailer is pretty terrible and the entire film is a social media gimmick. Yeah, no thanks. But over the past few days the reviews have been positive. So far UNFRIENDED has remained fresh on Rotten Tomatoes which was surprising to me, so I had to see what the buzz was about.

Stylistically I hate everything about UNFRIENDED. This may make me sound old. But I do not want to watch a “movie” which is a characters computer screen for 82 minutes. I'm sorry but if you ask me, that's not a movie! However, I do think that there is something a tad clever going on here. But staring at iMessage, Facebook, Google, and Skype for almost an hour and a half is not my idea of a fun night at the movies.

That clever thing I was talking about is that the filmmakers may have reinvented the dead teenager/revenge slasher horror sub genre? But I'm probably giving the makers of UNFRIENDED too much credit. One film that may come to mind is I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, which if you are a horror fan you should be able to dig deeper than that. I was thinking more along the lines of the early eighties slashers, where the killer is getting revenge for something embarrassing that happened to them or a loved one.

A group of online chat room friends find themselves being terrorized by a mysterious, supernatural force using the account of their dead friend. Laura killed herself after being embarrassed because of a video that was uploaded of her acting a drunk fool.

Kids, don't be a bully. Especially don't cyberbully. Thank goodness there wasn't YouTube or camera phones around when I was in school. Because if what happened to Laura happened to me, then yeah I'd want to kill myself to! I won't spoil it, but it's embarrassing and gross.

So one by one the chat room friends get killed and eventually a game of 'I Never' is played so that Laura can get her “friends” to fess up. This was when I couldn't take the gimmick any longer. I was getting annoyed looking at a computer screen.

Watching and hearing the audience reaction was the best part of UNFRIENDED which helped the movie be entertaining. In fact, if it wasn't for a sold out auditorium I would have probably walked out and asked to see another movie. Rarely do I go see a horror movie in the evening, because I am such a wuss. The downfall is that I miss the audience reaction which is the best part of seeing a scary movie, good or bad.

When the movie was over I overheard two groups of people talking about how awesome they all thought the movie was. And it made me wonder what would this group of people think about THE BABADOOK? I bring this up because I finally got to see THE BABADOOK. A film that is amazing, but I didn't think so at first. Admittedly I was a tad harsh on the symbolism and artiness of the movie. I'll get into that more if I ever review the film. But my point is that it took something like UNFRIENDED for me to see the greatness in THE BABADOOK.

In closing I can't recommend UNFRIENDED, based on the simple fact that stylistically I hated the movie. If the future of cinema is watching a computer screen then count me out.*

*Watching a trailer on a smartphone or tablet is the only exception.

THE BREAKFAST CLUB

Has it been 30 years already? It feels like only yesterday that it was the films 25th anniversary! "Life moves pretty fast...". Wrong movie I know, but fitting words from another John Hughes film.

During my elementary school years there was this neighborhood kid that was in high school. We rarely hung out, but when we did I felt like the coolest person alive! This kid had it all. We're talking Atari, a train set, electronic NFL game, MTV, and he was the first kid on our block to get a Nintendo. The Nintendo wasn't until later, so a good portion of me hanging out was to watch MTV.

One day while waiting for the Thriller music video, one of his posters he had hanging on the wall caught my eye. It was the movie poster for THE BREAKFAST CLUB. He told me it was about high school and that I probably wouldn't “get it”. At the time he was probably right. But looking at the poster I recognized Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall from SIXTEEN CANDLES. It was from that moment on that this Fifth Grader couldn't wait to go to high school.

By the time jr. high rolled around, the films of John Hughes taught me everything I needed to know. I was ready. But unfortunately reality sucks and needless to say my high school experience was not cool. Nothing bad, it was just normal. But looking back it's amazing how much John Hughes got right!

It's hard to believe that THE BREAKFAST CLUB is 30 years old. Made in the 80's but the story and characters are timeless. Nothing about the film really shows it's age. Well maybe except for that stupid dance Emilio Estevez does when his character is smoking weed. By the way, what was up with that? When did smoking pot ever make you wanna get up and reenact a scene from FOOTLOOSE? Other than that, everything is timeless and relevant to teens still to this day.

You know the story. Five high school students; a brain, a beauty, a jock, a rebel, and a recluse meet in detention. There they poor their hearts out to each other and find out they have a lot more in common then they thought.

The truth about THE BREAKFAST CLUB is that the story itself is kinda predictable. You know why these teens all have their faults. The jock's father is a perfectionist, the prom queen has parents that show their love through material possessions, the rebel has an abusive father, you get the picture.

What makes the film work and work so well is that the movie has great dialogue. When these kids start talking to one another the conversation sounds genuine. Add some current events and you can make the same film today!

If you are familiar with my blog, then you might think that horror and action are my two favorite genres of film. You'd be correct, but the teen comedy genre is not far behind. I consider Hughes the master of said genre. FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF is my favorite John Hughes movie. The older I get and the more that I watch THE BREAKFAST CLUB, it may someday become my favorite.

There is more going on in the adventures of Ferris and Cameron, but the simplicity of dentition on a Saturday speaks volumes.

EVERLY

My favorite film is KILL BILL. Don't ask me what my favorite volume is, because I'll tell you that I like them both because it's one film. But there are some that just cannot except that, for whatever reason? So for those people, I am more partial to Volume 2 because of it's spaghetti western aesthetic. With KILL BILL being my favorite film, I love exploitation movies!

When I saw the trailer for EVERLY the first thing that came to mind was KILL BILL. Okay, we have a bad ass assassin played by the beautiful Salma Hayek, who is held up in an apartment killing a bunch of bad guys. Sold! Here movie, take my money! What impressed me more was that come to find out the Everly character wasn't an assassin, but yet a sex worker turned slave trying to get out of a dire situation and save her daughter. I was so set on her just being a professional killer, but instead got a far more interesting character.

While the film is a grindhouse shoot em up, director Joe Lynch messes with conventions of the action genre making EVERLY feel a bit original. In other words, he zigs when you think he's going to zag. Another hint of originality is the mash up of eastern influence. It's amazing how influential THE RAID and THE RAID 2 have already become. Another influence that I noticed was that of Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike.

EVERLY opens up with the characters knowing everything and us the audience knowing nothing. All we know is that Everly is having the worst day in her life. It's so bad that suicide has become a serious possibility. But she is stronger than that and in a awesome fight or flight moment she kills every henchman in the room.

The story of her predicament begins to unfold when Everly receives a phone call from the gentleman who is causing all of the chaos. Apparently Everly was at one time Taiko's girl (as in sex slave). She wanted out but Taiko wouldn't let her. I guess once a Yakuza bosses girl, always a Yakuza bosses girl.

Everly even tried to get the police involved but of course that never works. For her punishment, Taiko tells Everly that he is going to kill her and her family. After begging for mercy not to have her daughter killed, Taiko agrees. Making Everly the only target. Surviving wave upon wave of assassins the evening concludes with an epic showdown between Everly and Taiko.

We're still only in the 1st Quarter of 2015, but I'm pretty certain EVERLY will be in my top ten this year. It's refreshing to see an action film of this caliber. Remember me saying that director Joe Lynch zigs when he's supposed to zag? We'll he does. I was on the edge of my seat most for most of the films runtime because things happen when you least expect it. Or a shocking death scene will come out of no where. Speaking of which, there were several times where I thought Everly's daughter wasn't going to make it!

I think my favorite scene though was the crazy and weird part of the movie where the sadomasochist showed up. It was like BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA meets Takashi Miike. Super weird and total grindhouse.

If you're a fan of action films then I highly recommend EVERLY.

CINDERELLA (2015)

When I had heard Disney was making a live action Cinderella movie I thought nothing of it. A princess movie is not for me and I'm definitely not in the demographic. But I do like a good fairy tale. I like Disney. Growing up, I became a big fan of their classic animated movies and live action films. But two things happened; I got old, and I don't care for the reimagining trend that's been going on. MALEFICENT being a perfect example.

With zero desire of seeing CINDERELLA I got a text message from a friend telling me how he was excited for the Cinderella movie because Kenneth Branagh was directing it. Wait, what? Color me curious. With this new information and early positive buzz, I was honestly pumped to see the film. But thoughts of the dreaded MALEFICENT worried me.

Just as I thought, the movie turned out to be awesome. A excellent night at the movies! Before I talk about CINDERELLA, I wanna mention my thoughts on the animated short that showed before the feature. FROZEN FEVER was a disappointment. I stopped thinking about it as soon as the main feature began. For me the main culprit is that it's just too soon. Oh, and the fact that it was completely pointless. Forgettable filler.

Once CINDERELLA started I knew this was going to be something special right from the opening frame. A picturesque setting of a village that reminded me a lot of the old school Technicolor films from the 40's and 50's. Very British and very Powell & Pressburger (THE RED SHOES, BLACK NARCISSUS). I wonder if Branagh was influenced at all by those guys? It sure looked like it.

You all know the story, but here you go. When her father unexpectedly passes away, Ella finds herself at the mercy of her wicked stepmother and sister in-laws. Ella's courage and kindness find good fortune when she runs into a dashing stranger in the woods. Unaware that he is a prince, not merely an employee at the palace, Ella feels she has finally met a kindred soul. Yes, you know the rest. The prince has a party to find his princess. Ella wants to go but her stepmother prevents her. Saddened by this Ella gives up hope, but her fairy godmother has other plans.

With a little magic Ella who is now Cinderella can go to the ball and met her “prince”. She arrives and is the belle of the ball. But at the stroke of midnight everything is to turn back to normal so instead of a goodnight kiss Cinderella leaves the prince a glass slipper. Days go by and the prince has yet to find the girl with the glass slipper. And as the story goes he finds Ella, to which then if the shoe fits?

So everybody knows the story of Cinderella, therein lies the task of making a story known interesting. And Kenneth Branagh does so in a way that is so fresh but somehow timeless. Instead of making it cool and hip for the kids, he sticks with what works and that is the story. What a brilliant concept! Nothing dumb like the wicked stepmother just being misunderstood and Ella's parents being the real evil ones? My favorite thing about CINDERELLA was how it looked! It reminded me of watching a Technicolor film from the 40's. And the movie looked like film, not 4k Digital HD. The best special effect was Ella's transformation to Cinderella. It felt like it was ripped straight out of the animated feature, and it looks fantastic! Reverse roto-scoping, if there is such a thing. If you like classic Disney then I highly recommend CINDERELLA!

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII - JASON TAKES MANHATTAN

All things must come to an end. I find it fitting that the end of the 80's also marked the end of the Friday The 13th franchise. The rate of returns started to diminish after Part 5, at least that's the impression I get looking back on the series. So by the time the eighth film came along Paramount said it was going to be the last one. And what better way to end it than to have Jason take a slice out of the Big Apple. Wait, what?

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII – JASON TAKES MANHATTAN is the weakest of the original 8 (the Paramount years) and my least favorite of that series. Being such a big fan of the Part 7, I was interested in how they were going to pull off such a crazy concept? Still to this day I remember seeing the trailer in the theater and everybody laughing. So clearly these film had run their course.

When I finally saw the film on HBO the slasher genre was still something new to me and I had only the previous film to judge it against. On first viewing I liked it. Yeah it was silly but at the time I got wrapped up in the story of the movies main character. Her sub plot of when she was a little girl learning to swim at Camp Crystal Lake (of all places) and a young Jason grabbing her leg from underwater. Watching it now it's a pretty terrible film but back when I was 12 or 13 I didn't know any better. Sometimes I still don't.

The graduating class of whatever high school is in the same city as Crystal Lake is going on a cruise to NYC. So apparently Jason's favorite watering hole is adjacent to a river that flows into the ocean? Okay, I'm sorry but that's just dumb. Anyways. The Class of '89 aren't the only ones who want to party down in the city that never sleeps. Machete wielding manics need vacations too, so Jason climbs aboard the doom cruise.

Get comfortable because we are not going to see Long Island anytime soon. That's right, the films majority of run time takes place on the ship. And it's boring. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII – JASON TAKES MANHATTAN has some of the most uninspired kills in the history of the franchise. It's as if they were tired of being bullied by the MPAA so they took it upon themselves to ease up on the gore.

But the lack of interesting kills is nothing compared to how terrible Jason looks. In the last film the make-up effects for Jason were amazing. The best the character has ever looked. Here they screw it up by having him just covered in slime. It just looks so cheep compared to what he looked like before.

When it comes right down to it, FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII – JASON TAKES MANHATTAN has only one good scene in it. And that's the one in Times Square. Jason is chasing his prey through the city and comes across some punks and their ghetto-blaster. He smashes the stereo into a million pieces. The punks yell at Jason with one even pulling out a butterfly knife. Jason just turns to face them and lifts up his hockey mask, and they run off. It's awesome! Seriously, check it out on youtube if you can.

My final thoughts on FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII – JASON TAKES MANHATTAN are that it does not hold up very well or if it ever did at all. I watched it again for this blog and I can safely say that I'll probably never watch it again. Revisiting the film made me appreciate Parts 3 and 5. Heck. I love those films compared to this train wreck; however, come to find out this isn't my least favorite Jason Voorhees film. No sir. That would be the film I recently like to call the “anti” Friday the 13th movie, the piece of crap that is JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY.

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII - THE NEW BLOOD

The year was 1988 and I was becoming interested in horror movies. Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger were pop culture icons. At the mall it was hard not to have something Nightmare On Elm Street catch your eye. For Halloween that year I wanted to go as Freddy but the costumes and make-up kits were super expensive. Plus homemade costumes are a lot more fun. I had made a glove with cardboard knives and bought a inexpensive hat. The only thing missing was the make-up. Long story short, I bought a glow-in-the-dark hockey mask. So for Halloween 1988 I went as a Freddy/Jason hybrid.

By now the Friday The 13th movies were becoming frequent on cable television and HBO. But I was still too chicken to watch. Between quick channel flips and talking with friends at school, I got the gist of it. Then came along the Nintendo game, and the rest of my questions were answered. Or so I thought? At the time I thought that the Friday The 13th video game was a true adaptation of the film series. As far as I knew, the camp counselors in the game were characters from the movies. And yes that also means I thought Jason kept his mothers decapitated head deep inside a cave.

I remember renting that game and playing it with friends all weekend long. Not because it was a good game, but because it was hard, frustrating, and believe it or not fun. Don't get me wrong, the game is terrible. You can now go on the Internet and find numerous blogs and vlogs explaining how bad and broken the video game is.

But in 1988 we didn't know any better, as far as we knew the game was smarter than us. Luckily one of us was a computer geek and had a knack for “broken” games. In other words, he thought outside the box. I think he works for Google now that I think about it? As smart as he may be, none of us could kill Jason. We would either run out of time or not have enough characters with strong weapons.

In the years that followed whenever the Friday The 13th films were brought up, I mentioned the video game. Fast forward to 1990, the year I watched my first Jason Voorhees movie unedited and in it's entirety. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII – THE NEW BLOOD was my first official foray into the popular horror franchise. It continues to be my favorite “zombie” Jason make-up of the entire series.

At the time I didn't think anything about the MPAA taking a lot of the gore out of the movie. In fact I thought the movie was pretty tame. By now I'd seen more blood and guts in films like PREDATOR and ROBOCOP. But since FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII – THE NEW BLOOD was the first one I watched “unedited”, I couldn't compare the gore to the earlier installments.

It's been 20 plus years since the last time I watched the movie. Re watching Part VII was a trip down memory lane that was well worth the wait, literately. The film doesn't hold up that well until the last 20 or 30 minutes. It's laughable how edited the gore is compared to earlier installments and the horror movies of today. If the kill scenes were ever restored only then would the movie rival FRIDAY THE 13TH – THE FINAL CHAPTER as my favorite of the series.

While this movie is somewhat dated it does have two qualities that continues to make it memorable. One, It's the first appearance of stunt man/actor Kane Hodder in the role of Jason. Kane is the quintessential Jason Voorhees and my favorite to done the hockey mask. Instead of just being “the killer”, Kane for the first time brought personality to the character of Jason Voorhees. And FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII – THE NEW BLOOD is the best Jason has ever looked.

The second quality is that Part VII tried something new, and in my opinion it worked. And that something new was having Jason go toe to toe against a teenager with psychic powers. Yes, it's Jason vs. Carrie, more or less. Again, if the severely edited gore wasn't such a distraction for me then this movie would be my favorite of the franchise.

Years after the events of Part VI, Jason has laid dormant at the bottom of Crystal Lake. Saddened by the death of her father, Tina accidentally releases Jason Voorhees from his watery grave.

Taking a page from FRIDAY THE 13TH – THE FINAL CHAPTER, we see a return to the party setting. But these cast of characters aren't as interesting. They are more generic if anything. And 80's fashion has seemed to have gotten worse. Lazy canon fodder for Jason. This misstep would become the blueprint of the slasher genre from now on. Annoying personalities or lack there of so audiences can root for Jason .

I've never been a fan of rooting for the killer/monster is horror movies. For me it's always been about seeing who survives and who is gonna kill Jason, Micheal, and Freddy. Every fan is different and I know I am in the minority.

My final thoughts are FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII – THE NEW BLOOD is the last good film of the original series (the Paramount years). And it's worth revisiting because of it's awesome make-up effects and significance in horror history in it's casting of Kane Hodder, who is and who forever will be the best Jason Voorhees.

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI - JASON LIVES

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI – JASON LIVES is the funnest entry in the whole bunch. And it's probably my second favorite film in the franchise. That's right I said this film is fun, as horror movies should be. There are times to be serious (THE EXORCIST) and times to enjoy the roller coaster ride. This film is a roller coaster ride!

Part VI marked the return of Jason Voorhees. In the last movie the killer was a copycat and not Jason. The majority of fans hated this idea so the suits at Paramount told the producers to get Friday The 13th back on track. And they did. Director Tom McLoughlin introduced fans to my favorite iteration of the Jason character. Zombie Jason, or better yet Frankenstein's Monster Jason.

Now I normally don't root for the killer in these type of movies, but this isn't your typical slasher film. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI – JASON LIVES is a monster movie. And in monster movies you root for the monster. This is why I consider it my second favorite of the series.

It's been years since Tommy Jarvis hacked Jason to death at the end of FRIDAY THE 13TH – THE FINAL CHAPTER. Now an adult Tommy wants to face his fears and make 100% sure that Jason Voorhees is d-e-a-d dead. So he goes to Jason's grave to make sure. Not convinced, Tommy takes a metal rod and stabs the maggot infested corpse. Unfortunately it starts to rain and lightning strikes the rod and brings Camp Crystal Lakes favorite resident back to life.

Tommy escapes and runs to the Sheriff station for help. They think he's crazy so he gets put in cell for the night to sleep it off. The legend of Jason is nothing more than a faint memory for the town of Forest Green. Yeah, they changed the towns name to help people forget. And Sheriff Garris would like to keep it that way by giving Tommy a ride out of town. Tommy escapes the jail and goes on the hunt for Jason alone.

Meanwhile Jason has been out and about doing what he does best. It's just too bad the audience doesn't get to see it very well. Ever since Part 5 the MPAA have been a thorn in the side of this series. Critics and mom groups across the country have had enough of the gory slasher genre. So the MPAA obliged them and started rating these movies X unless the gore gets toned down. I'm not outraged by this like a lot of fans are, but some inventive kills do get edited down to awkward shoving matches. It wouldn't be until Part 7 that I actually care about the excessive editing. That film screams 'Director's Cut'.

As I was saying, Jason is killing teenagers and some grown ups. It's up to Tommy and his new friend Megan to find a way to stop Jason once and for all.

I won't totally spoil it for you but I love the final battle in this film. It's a classic monster movie climax. Tommy finds a way to stop Jason and it involves sending him back to the lake where he belongs. It's one of the better endings of the entire series. Gone are those retarded jump scare dream sequence things that don't make a lick of sense.

While I personally love the film I can only honestly recommend it to movie buff horror fans. For the new generation of horror fans I'd point them toward something like the Hatchet films. Those slasher films are definitely a response to the MPAA editing the gore out of slashers. But if you are into horror movie history and love a good monster, then by all means check this one out.

87th Academy Awards

For the past 2 years I've shared my thoughts on the Academy Awards. This year my hearts not in it but why stop now. I'm not going to hit every category because for example, I haven't seen any of the Documentaries nominated or any of the Shorts. And I've only seen one of the Animated films that's nominated.

Let's face it, The Oscars have always been political due to the method of campaigning. When I watched the annual ceremony growing up the “campaigning” didn't bother me, because of course I didn't know it was going on. As an adult watching it seems the politics have gotten worse. I'm not sad, that's just how it is. What I do find sad is the snubs that happen every year. But that's a whole different blog post.

Okay let's get this party started! The award for Best Visual Effects, and the nominees are:

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

INTERSTELLAR

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

I think it will be between INTERSTELLAR and DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. This is a difficult choice for me but I'm going to root for INTERSTELLAR just because I'm a fan of practical effects and miniatures. This film rocked it in 70mm IMAX!

This next one I'm uncertain about. The award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and the nominees are:

AMERICAN SNIPER

THE IMITATION GAME

INHERENT VICE

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

WHIPLASH

The popular safe bet is probably between THE IMITATION GAME and THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING. In my opinion the one to look out here for is WHIPLASH. Yep, I'm rooting for WHIPLASH.

Now here are the nominees for Best Original Screenplay: BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

BOYHOOD

FOXCATCHER

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

NIGHTCRAWLER

I don't think there is any doubt with this one, BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE) will be the winner.

For Best Sound Editing the nominees are: AMERICAN SNIPER

BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES

INTERSTELLAR

UNBROKEN

Don't count out AMERICAN SNIPER in this category but I think it's a safe bet INTERSTELLAR will nab most if not all the technical awards this year.

The nominees for Best Sound Mixing: AMERICAN SNIPER

BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

WHIPLASH

INTERSTELLAR

UNBROKEN

Again, like I said INTERSTELLAR is the obvious pick here. But BIRDMAN just might upset the Christopher Nolan masterpiece.

Best Production Design, the nominees are: THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

THE IMITATION GAME

INTERSTELLAR

INTO THE WOODS

MR. TURNER

Disney always seems to do well in this category so I'm going to say INTO THE WOODS will win. But I kind of want THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL to win!

This next category I would generally skip, but there is a film nominated here that should win hands down and that is GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY for Best Makeup and Hairstyling!

Best Music – Original Score:

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

THE IMITATION GAME

INTERSTELLAR

MR. TURNER

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

If fit the movie but I wasn't too impressed with Zimmer's score for INTERSTELLAR. And where is GONE GIRL, BIRDMAN, and NIGHTCRAWLER? All three has awesome original music. Seeing that THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING won a Golden Globe for this category, I'm sure it'll win an Oscar as well.

The nominees for Best Film Editing are: AMERICAN SNIPER

BOYHOOD

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

THE IMITATION GAME

WHIPLASH

This one should only really be between BOYHOOD and BUDAPEST HOTEL. If AMERICAN SNIPER wins in Sound Editing and or Sound Mixing, then it might sneak an win. But let's face it, AMERICAN SNIPER isn't going to win anything. I can totally see why WHIPLASH is nominated here. The intensity of music performance and acting had me by the balls! Worthy nomination!

Best Cinematography: BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

IDA

MR. TURNER

UNBROKEN

No doubt in my mind that it'll be another win for Emmanuel Lubezki with the excellent BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

The nominees for Best Directing: BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

BOYHOOD

FOXCATCHER

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

THE IMITATION GAME

I'm 99% certain the award will go to Richard Linklater for BOYHOOD. But Alejandro G. Iñárritu may steal for the win with BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:

Patricia Arquette – BOYHOOD

I have not seen WILD or INTO THE WOODS yet so I cannot make a honest pick. But from what I have seen, Patricia Arquette is my pick to win.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:

Do I even have to list the nominees? We all know J.K. Simmons will win for WHIPLASH!

Best Actress in a Lead Role:

I cannot speak for three of the performances so as far as I'm concerned it's a free for all. But I loved Rosamund Pike in GONE GIRL!

Best Actor in a Lead Role:

Steve Carell – FOXCATCHER

Bradley Cooper – AMERICAN SNIPER

Benedict Cumberbatch – THE IMITATION GAME

Micheal Keaton – BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

Eddie Redmayne – THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

Yes! I want Keaton to win an Oscar.

And last but not least, the nominees for Best Picture AMERICAN SNIPER

BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

BOYHOOD

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

THE IMITATION GAME

SELMA

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

WHIPLASH

If BIRDMAN won I wouldn't complain but I think we all know the winner will be BOYHOOD.

JUPITER ASCENDING

Ever since STAR WARS I have had a deep love and interest in science fiction and space fantasy films. As a kid growing up there were 4 movies on heavy rotation at my house. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, FLASH GORDON, THE NEVERENDING STORY, and THE LAST STARFIGHTER. These films along with a few cheesy ones like BEASTMASTER cemented my love for fantasy.

JUPITER ASCENDING reminds me of going to the bookstore as a kid and looking at all the paperbacks in the Science Fiction section. I would always pick up something “lite” like a Star Trek book. But the others with their cool looking covers would send my imagination into overdrive. And for me, JUPITER ASCENDING was The Wachowskis bringing those awesome book covers to life.

There is a good 90 minute version of JUPITER ASCENDING somewhere within the films 127 minute runtime. The more I describe the new Wachowskis film to friends, I find myself liking it less and less. But rest assured I'm still a fan of their work and willing to give the film a second chance if a extended version or director's cut becomes available on home video.

Essentially the film is a Cinderella space opera set in a bright and colorful future. Mila Kunis plays Jupiter, a destitute caretaker who's life life is about to change. What Jupiter doesn't know is that she is the reincarnation of a queen. To keep things simple lets just say she is the reincarnation of a space queen. Queen to a intergalactic royal family of spoiled brats. These brats are actually thousands of years old.

To keep this less convoluted as possible I'll try to explain things even simpler. Balem Abrasax has his claim of Earth, but Jupiter Jones is the rightful heir. An assassination attempt is made and Titus Abrasax hires Caine Wise (Channing Tatum)to find Jupiter Jones and keep her safe. Once safe and sound Jupiter bureaucratically becomes royalty and rightful heir to Earth. The Abrasax family secret of harvesting earthlings to make cell rejuvenation cream is discovered. Will Jupiter forfeit Earth to save her family and the entire human race? Or can her and Caine put a stop to Balem?

Like I mentioned earlier, the more that I think about this film the less I like it. Besides the convoluted plot, we've got a severely miscast lead in Mila Kunis. After the Star Wars prequels I could understand why Natalie Portman would be done with space adventures, but I think she would have been a far better choice for Jupiter Jones.

And I felt Channing Tatum was under utilized. He did an okay job but I honestly felt he was more bad ass in the 21 Jump Street films. Sorry, but his gravity boots weren't as cool as the movie wanted you to think they were. I never thought I'd say this but I'm finding Tatum far more compelling in films like FOXCATCHER than in action/adventure roles.

As action is concerned, this movie could've had more of Channing Tatum and Sean Bean kicking ass, and less of Mila Kunis falling through the sky and screaming. It happens a lot and quickly annoying.

Yes, Sean Bean is in this thing and he's cool as usual. One thing though. I didn't quite catch his genetic splicing ability? His name is Stinger because he was spliced with a bee. And the house he was living in could double as a hive. But I guess his “ability” was loyalty? I mean Caine was spliced with a dog or wolf, and at least he did some dog like stuff whereas with Stinger I was never sure. It doesn't really matter I guess.

But the acting highlight of JUPITER ASCENDING is Eddie Redmayne as Balem Abrasax, the films villain. I had a blast with his performance. It's peculiar to down right laughably bad. It begs the question, what was he thinking! Especially after knocking it out of the park with THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING where he played Steven Hawking. I was talking to a friend a work and we both think that Eddie's chances of an Oscar this year are completely shot now. But holy cow, wouldn't it be amazing if he won! It'd be hilarious, but that's just me.

For me the only thing JUPITER ASCENDING has going for it is the visuals. The production design and costumes are awesome. The special effects were a nice change of pace from all out CGI. Most of the action was shot with blue screen. A practice you don't see much anymore. While it does look dated I prefer this old school method over heavy CGI. Because it feels like you are watching a film, not a video game.

I'd only recommend JUPITER ASCENDING to those who like space adventure movies. Especially ones from the 80's. This would make a great double feature with FLASH GORDON (1980). Just make sure you watch JUPITER ASCENDING first, that way you don't fall asleep.

TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT

Humphrey Bogart is one of my favorite actors. And the four films he made with Lauren Bacall, his wife, are among the ones I like the most. Most notably KEY LARGO and THE BIG SLEEP. But their first outing together, TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT might be number one for me.

I love CASABLANCA. What film fan doesn't? It's a classic! But the film I gravitate more to is the 'other' CASABLANCA, which is TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT. Both movie are similar. Strikingly similar. Both films are set during WWII, each one has a cool night club, and Bogart plays a cynical expatriate in each. The list of similarities goes on and on.

Yes, CASABLANCA is probably the better film. Director Michael Curtiz could light a B&W movie like nobody. I just happen to think that TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT is cooler. It's a Howard Hawks film, so you know the dialogue is going to be witty and fast paced, which I like a lot. Plus Bogart is way cooler in this one.

Bogart plays Harry Morgan, an American expatriate hiding out in Martinique during WWII. Harry and his first mate Eddie (played by Howard Hawks regular Walter Brennan) make their money by taking customers out deep sea fishing. One night at a club they run into a client who has yet to pay up. The gentleman's date for the evening, Marie, wants to get payed as well. Harry catches Marie (Lauren Bacall) pickpocketing her date. Shy about $500 dollars Harry stops her hoping to collect.

The chemistry between Harry and Marie begins almost immediately but the night is cut short when Vichy authorities/the Gestapo shoot up the place due to some French opposition. Both Harry and Marie are interrogated but released. The Vichy authorities intend to disrupt any activity that might prove detrimental to German interests. It is about this time that Harry decides it is probably a good time to leave, and decides to help the Free French resistance find a base to continue their opposition.

So it's probably because TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT is more of a adventure film than CASABLANCA is the reason I like it more. That, and the fact that I love the chemistry of Bogart and Bacall. From the moment of Marie's opening line “Anybody got a match?”, it was love at first sight after that. A Hollywood match made in Heaven!

Happy Valentines Day!

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3

It's a toss for up for me concerning FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3, there are things I really like about the third film, but there are things about it that really bug me.  Things I even hate about it.  While it's not my least favorite entry in the series, I do think it's one of the weakest.  It was made to be seen in 3D and if you can't view it that way then quite frankly the film does not hold up very good.  According to interviews with cast and crew the movies budget focused on the 3D more than anything. And believe me it shows.

Until Paramount Pictures releases a proper home video 3D release of FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3, it will continue to be the ultimate dud of the series.  What we are stuck with for the time being is a headache inducing 3D that requires the use of those lame red and blue lenses glasses.  They're lame because they don't freaking work half the time!  It's hard not to see a double image most of the time.  And if you are lucky to have the 3D work, the colors are very washed out and the picture has a blue and or reddish hue to it.

With the 3D being the main selling point of the film, everything else seemed to take a backseat. None of the acting is very good. There are plenty of entertaining moments but I cannot help but notice weak spots in performances throughout. It probably has to do with the script or lack of one. I have heard stories and seen interviews where production had started even before a script was completed. And when there was a script, rewrites were happening constantly.

Now while the acting is a tad sub par I think it's worth noting that the characters remain likable. And what little story FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3 does have, you do have to admire the “final girl” characters story arc and how it actually comes full circle. Say what you will about slasher flicks just being “women in peril” schlock, but I found Chris's fight with Jason quite entertaining and empowering.

Chris and her friends go to her family's lake house for the weekend. This is a big thing for Chris, seeing that she was raped the last time she visited the lake house. It's time to put her fears to rest, as she puts it. Little do Chris and her friends know that there is a killer on the loose.

Fresh off his killing spree in Part II, Jason Voorhees takes his reign of terror from Camp Crystal and moves it to the other side of the lake. The weekend at the lake house turns bloody as Jason kills the “party goers” one by one. And Chris will literally have to face her fear as she discovers that it was Jason who raped her 2 years ago.

In terms of continuity the plot of this movie sucks. It makes zero sense continuity wise, but in all honesty continuity in a Friday The 13th film went out the door in the first sequel. I like these movies because they are apart of my childhood and pop culture, but Parts II – VIII have all been one glaring plot hole.

There is something else that bugs me about FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3 and that's the costume/production design. In order for the 3D to work there had to be a lot of the color red and the color blue in front of the camera. The majority of the cast was wearing something either red or blue. The production design was the same way. The van they drove was blue, the lake house had a red barn, and the general store had red vending machines. You get the idea.

I think it's worth noting that this is the film where Jason gets his iconic hockey mask. A trademark that lasted the rest of the series. It wasn't until recently that I found out a little history behind the famous mask. Apparently the original idea was for Jason to not have a mask, but someone thought that the characters make-up wasn't scary enough so they stuck with the mask. One of the best ideas in the history of the franchise if you ask me!

I can only recommend FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3 to those interested in the history of the slasher flick sub genre of horror. Other than that, you're perfectly fine with just checking out Part IV, my personal favorite of the series.

Happy Friday the 13th!

WHIPLASH

WHIPLASH kicked my butt! The most intense film I saw last year wasn't LONE SURVIVOR nor was it NIGHTCRALER. No, WHIPLASH utterly drained me. Between the scenes of Andrew (Miles Teller) playing the drums till his fingers bleed and countless moments of Fletcher (J.K Simmons) the band leader/conductor drawing blood from a stone to make sure his jazz band is the best, I was white-knuckled for most of the films 107 minute runtime.

No way am I a musical prodigy, but in a small way I could relate to WHIPLASH. A very small way. I played saxophone for 8 years, 5th grade through my senior year in high school. Up until high school I thought I was pretty great. It was in high school that I found out that being excellent at sight reading music wasn't going to cut it. And my jazz band experience humbled me quite a bit.

While I never had a band teacher that was driven quite like Fletcher, I did see glimpses of my instructors from high school. So if you were ever enrolled in band at school, you might be able to say “I remember that” if you see WHIPLASH.

Andrew is enrolled at a elite music school in New York. He is a jazz drummer in hopes of becoming the next Buddy Rich. He's good. He's so good that he catches the eye of Fletcher, a instructor/mentor who stops at nothing to get the best out of the students of the conservatory. Sometimes Fletcher can push a little too far. But how far is too far if students like Andrew truly want to be the best?

I've been a fan of Miles Teller since the FOOTLOOSE remake. Take note kids, this guy is going to be one of the next great movie stars. But the real star of WHIPLASH is of course J.K. Simmons as Fletcher, the instructor who will break a student to reach their potential.

The role is mesmerizing. I found myself laughing one moment only to be shockingly speechless the next. It makes you wonder if this guy is crazy, or does he truly have a point? While I disagree with his teaching methods, I totally believe the message of Fletcher.

We as a society, as a culture are dumbing down the future with “just okay” becoming the new “that's great”. It's a variation on the “everyone's a winner” and “no one's a looser” mentality.

WHIPLASH is the second feature from filmmaker Damien Chazelle. He also wrote the screenplay for the highly entertaining thriller GRAND PIANO. Now playing on Netflix, which I highly, highly recommend. I'm expecting great things from Mr. Chazelle in years to come. A true wonderkind.

So go see WHIPLASH for the amazing performance from J.K. Simmons, and stay for the cool jazz music.

AMERICAN SNIPER

Really don't want to review this one because of how political this film has become. I know it's not impossible to talk about AMERICAN SNIPER without bringing up politics, so I'm going to give it a shot. To help move this along I'll get the politics out of the way right off the bat. I supported the war, I support our troops, and any form of terrorism should be eradicated from this world.

I am overjoyed at how well AMERICAN SNIPER is performing at the box office. Before you get mad, it's not for the reasons you're probably thinking. This time of year is a ghost town for movie theaters across the nation. Hollywood and your local multiplex needed this. Heck. Clint Eastwood needed this! I think it's now officially become his highest grossing picture or something like that?

Sadly AMERICAN SNIPER doesn't live up to the hype. I was a big fan of GRAN TORINO but Eastwood's last great film was probably MYSTIC RIVER. Which is currently streaming on Netflix, so I should give it a re-watch to see if I still feel the same way about it as I did roughly 10 years ago.

As of late Eastwood films have felt very point and shoot movies. And his stories get a big budget just because of his name. Where did the director of UNFORGIVEN go? Maybe Quentin Tarantino was correct in saying that directing is a young man's game? But look at Martin Scorsese and THE WOLF OF WALL STREET? That my friends is an amazing picture!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that AMERICAN SNIPER felt like it could have been directed by anybody. Would it be doing the business that it is at the box office if Clint's name wasn't attached? It's possible, but I don't think so.

Unless you've been living in a cave, you all know what AMERICAN SNIPER is about. Bradley Cooper plays Navy Seal sniper Chris Kyle, who was a war hero saving countless lives on the battlefield during the Iraq war. At home between tours Chris finds it hard to leave the war behind. After 4 tours and suffering from PTSD, he finds help in helping others with the terrible disorder.

Once my patriotism wore off after a couple days from seeing the film, I found myself nitpicking the war movie cliches that I am will to put money on saying they didn't happen. Best example being, the solider who just got engaged and gets shot in the face immediately after telling his fellow Seals. Now I do realize I am watching a dramatic interpretation of the source material and the film is more about what war does to a man. But these war movie cliches sometimes took me out of the movie. Sorry if that sounds heartless.

I will go ahead and recommend AMERICAN SNIPER for two reasons. Bradley Cooper does an amazing job! Going in I didn't think he'd be able to pull it off, but his portrayal of a solider suffering from PTSD moved me. The second reason is two words, fake baby.

THE IMITATION GAME

THE IMITATION GAME is one of the biggest let downs in recent memory. When I first heard about the film it sounded like pure Oscar bait to me. Then a friend at work told me the story about Alan Turing. A British mathematician who cracked the Nazi enigma code during WWII. In 1952 he was prosecuted for being homosexual and accepted chemical castration as a alternative to prison. Two years later he killed himself. Such a sad story for a man who helped end a world war and basically invent the first computer.

If you want to know the story of Alan Turing I suggest you read the book that the films screenplay was based on, because you'll probably be more satisfied than what THE IMITATION GAME has to offer. THE IMITATION GAME is an incomplete film. It's incomplete on a emotional level. A total whitewash if you ask me!

The film shows us three significant times in Alan's life. In 1952 being interrogated/filing a report for a break-in at his home, During World War II being hired to crack the Nazi enigma code, and we see him in boarding school getting picked on for being different. Most of the films running time focuses on Alan and other mathematicians trying to break the code.

This was really only the best part of the movie. I really liked how Cumberbatch played Alan as the smartest mathematician in the room. The cast is great all around. Strong characters, especially Joan Clarke played by Keira Knightly. Two great scenes involving Keira, the first one being her introduction. To pick a team worthy of working beside Alan, he creates a test that has to be solved in under 10 minutes (or something like that) and Miss Clarke solves it in the quickest time. It's a really good scene. The second one is where Joan reveals to Alan that she knows he's gay buy still wants to marry him because of the mission and to keep him safe.

It's after Turing and his team crack the code that the film starts to loose it's steam. It looses it's identity. Throughout the movie we are giving clues that he is gay. Which by the way added nothing dramatically to the story. I say this because all the build up leads to nothing. He's gay, so what? Why should the audience feel sympathy for this character when we are not taken on that journey as film goers?

Possible spoiler alert!

The film ends several years after the war and Joan comes to visit Alan. He is weak and frail. Putting two and two together it's because of his court ordered chemical castration. Then the film ends with text telling us Alan was prosecuted because he was gay...his war heroism was kept top secret because of national security...he later killed himself because of his chemical castration. Tragic? Absolutely! Do I care? Yeah, but I'll have to read the book to truly grasp what Alan Turing really went through, meaning the whole story. Because the movie certainly failed detailing the events of his life after WWII. But that's just my opinion.

The Oscar nominations that THE IMITATION GAME has received is a clear indication just how deep the pockets of Harvey Weinstein truly are. This film shouldn't be in the running, especially for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.

BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

Once I heard about this film I just had to see it. Michael Keaton playing an actor who became a massive star after playing the title role of Birdman, a popular superhero movie. And leaving the role at the peak of it's popularity. Art imitating life am I right!

BIRDMAN OR (THE UNXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE) is a great film. It was one of my favorite films of 2014. Partly due to the fact that I've always been a long time fan of Michael Keaton. The other reason is my continued growing appreciation of art house cinema.

Last year I started watching the works of filmmaker John Cassavetes, a pioneer in American independent film making, with his improvisational methods and his cinema vertie (documentary style) technique. I became a fan while watching a good portion of his work. Some worked for me and some did not. All in all I enjoyed the process.

What Alejandro González Iñárritu's new film reminded me most of was what if Cassavetes had directed a Federico Fellini film. Fellini's film 8 ½ is a movie that constantly flowed through my mind while watching BIRDMAN OR (THE UNXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE). The more I think about it, this would probably make for an interesting double feature!

Fellini's 8 ½ is probably the best film ever about directing. It's about a troubled filmmaker who is having some serious director's-block as he attempts to get a new movie off the ground. Overwhelmed by his work and personal life, the director retreats into his thoughts, which often focus on his love life, both past and present. These thoughts also teeter into the fantastical, and as he tries to sort out his many entanglements, the filmmakers new film starts to become autobiographical.

In BIRDMAN OR (THE UNXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE) Micheal Keaton stars as Riggan Thomson, a former cinema superhero who quit the role of Birdman at the height of franchises popularity. Washed up, Riggan is now getting ready a ambitious Broadway production that he hopes will give him the comeback that he needs. It's a creative gamble that he hopes will prove that he is an artist and not just a has been movie star. Days before opening night a cast mate is injured, forcing Riggan to hire an actor who is notorious for shaking things up on set/stage. All of this plus Riggan must deal with his girlfriend, daughter, and wife.

Iñárritu's new film has two popular gimmicks going for it. The meta aspect, seeing that Keaton played a popular superhero character in real life for two movies then left the series. And the second gimmick that might be more popular than the first, is that BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE) looks like it was all shot in one take.

Keaton cast as Riggan Thomson because he played Batman is indeed very cool. It adds a nice touch to the viewing experience. The film edited to make it seem like the movie was one continuous shot was awesome. However, I still consider the famous stedicam shot from GOODFELLAS to be the best. It's only one scene but no trickery was done, it's genuinely one take.

What I like more about the “film being one continuous shot” is what it represents. The impression I get is that it is about the franticness of a Broadway production. Ever since I had the once in a lifetime opportunity (for this Midwestern at least) to see a Broadway play, I have a deep, deep respect and admiration for the art.

One of my favorite scenes in the film is where Riggan gets locked out of the theater during a public test run ( I forget what they call those). So he is locked out and has to walk a block or two through Times Square and enter the lobby of the theater to get back on stage. It's a cool scene and quite comical for reasons I won't ruin here.

BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE) is still in theaters because of Oscar season and I highly recommend checking it out.