Movie Review: Evil Dead

Evil Dead (IMDb score: 7.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 63% Fresh)

Writer & Director: Fede Alvarez
Cast: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci

Disclaimer: I have not seen either the original Evil Dead or its sequel, so I can’t comment on whether it stays faithful to the source material.  If you enjoy horror movies, and gore in particular, I recommend this film.  While some of the character’s actions reach Prometheus levels in that they make entirely no sense given the circumstances, some of the sequences were very frightening, thrilling, and funny.  I don’t believe in the concept of hell but the scariest element from the movie was the fact (eventually known to some characters) that if they are killed by this demon they will spend eternity in hell unless the demon is defeated.  The idea of being mortally wounded and knowing with near certainty that your soul is about to belong to the Devil is probably the worst feeling I can imagine. 

NETFLIX Movie Review: Safety Not Guaranteed

Safety Not Guaranteed (IMDb score: 7.1, Rotten Tomatoes 91% Fresh)

Director: Colin Trevorrow (Will be directing the upcoming Jurassic Park IV)

Writer: Derek Connolly

Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni

With March Madness and Easter, I didn’t make it to the cinema this past weekend, but I watched this movie on Netflix and loved it.  I meant to see this in theaters but I never could, and it is available for streaming on Watch Instantly now.  A QUICK PLOT OVERVIEW:  a Seattle magazine writer sees an ad in the classifieds requesting a partner to travel back in time with him.  The writer (Johnson), looking to hook up with an old classmate, takes along two awkward interns for two purposes: to get the story and to get wasted.  The would-be time traveler (Duplass) turns out to be completely serious and is gearing up for his grand voyage, and intern Darius (Aubrey Plaza) becomes entangled in his pursuit. I found that clip hilarious, and if you enjoy it you'll like the movie.  (continues after the jump)

Movie Review: Stoker

Stoker (IMDb score: 7.6, Rotten Tomatoes 67% fresh)

Director: Park Chan-Wook (Oldboy, Lady Vengeance)

Writer: Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield from Prison Break ha)

Cast: Mia Wasikowska (pronounced Vaas-Kaav-Ska), MatthewGoode, Nicole Kidman

Oldboy is on my list of foreign movies I’d really like to see, and it’s beloved by much of the film community that I read and respect so I was interested to see the director’s English language debut.  I walked into the theater without having seen so much as a preview, so I had no idea what to expect.  As the film progressed I was reminded more and more of how I felt watching Black Swan.  Both are beautifully shot and orchestrated well, but the tone is a sort of creepy melancholy where the audience knows something is disturbed beneath the surface.  Taking center stage is the Stoker family: India (Mia), her mother Evelyn (Kidman), and a previously unheard from Uncle Charlie (Goode).  It’s clear from the outset that India is highly introverted and off-putting in certain ways, and that she has a strange relationship to her mother.   Brilliant acting from Wasikowska and Goode on display here, she is totally convincing and heightens some already ruthless sequences with her cold, ethereal presence.  Meanwhile Goode is all mysterious charm. (continues after the jump)

Movie Review: Spring Breakers

Spring Breakers (IMDb score: 6.6, Rotten Tomatoes 70% Fresh)

Writer and Director: Harmony Korine (numerous short films)

Cast: Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine, James Franco, GUCCI MANE!!!

Hopefully this movie isn’t taken too seriously by audiences, because it is completely devoid of any semblance of morality or realism.  Instead it combines two of the most idolized elements of American youth: partying and the crime culture often promoted by rap music.  The result of this concoction is a crazy, ridiculous, entertaining ride of a movie.  Three ladies and their younger friend are eagerly looking forward to, you guessed it, Spring Break, yet they have no $$$.  To solve this problem they cruise to a restaurant where Brit (Ashley Benson) and Candy (Vanessa Hudgens) violently rob the patrons.  Up to this point the movie was a haze of weed and booze and boobs, so this drastic change of tone worked to great effect.  The way this scene was shot was amazing, and I won’t spoil it here.  From a rookie director, I was quite impressed. (continues after the jump) 

Movie Review: Dead Man Down

Dead Man Down (IMDb score: 7.0, Rotten Tomatoes 38% Fresh)

Director: Niels Arden Oplev (Swedish Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)

Writer: J.H. Wyman (The Mexican)

Cast: Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Terrence Howard

I’m struggling to understand the IMDb score for this movie, as it deserves a much lower rating.  This is a classic $2, sit-on-your-couch-on-a-Sunday flick.  Focusing on a scarred (literally and emotionally) woman on a quest for revenge and a mobster thug who is more than meets the eye, this is an entertaining but highly predictable affair.  Rapace and Farrell’s chemistry propels the movie as far as it can go on such a weak script, but unfortunately Terrence Howard is underused.  They could have made him much more sinister or ruthless, but instead I almost pitied him!  There are a few bloody and rather impressive action sequences which were enjoyable, but there’s little to no mystery about the whole thing.  In terms of plot this will seem like familiar territory for many viewers. (continues after the jump)

Movie Review: Oz the Great and Powerful

Oz the Great and Powerful (IMDb score: 7.0, Rotten Tomatoes 61% Fresh)
Director: Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead, Spiderman Trilogy, Drag Me to Hell)
Writer:  Mitchell Kapner (The Whole Nine Yards, Romeo Must Die)
Cast: James Franco, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz

Attempting to create a prequel to one of the most essential and beloved Hollywood classics of all time seemed to me like a very dangerous undertaking.  Simple to screw up, hard to do well.  Despite this fact, the potential ROI of a film like this is astronomical and that’s what earned it the green light from the studio.  Imagine you’re Disney and you see Alice in Wonderland make over $1 Billion in 2010.  This is solid gold. EDIT: Well, after opening weekend it’s only made $155M worldwide against a budget of $215M so there goes that theory!  It should still make it to $500M. 

Thankfully, I was mostly happy with how Oz played out.  The story is shallow and somewhat underwhelming (like the original Oz when you think about it), but the world Raimi and the production and design teams created is brilliant.  I saw this one in IMAX 3D and it visually blew me away: amazing colors, breathtaking wide shots, and beautiful special effects.  The tornado sequence was intense and stressful, as it should be.  The original score complements the film well, helping to inspire a sense of wide-eyed awe. Overcoming the weaknesses of the plot and characters, if you get something out of incredible visuals, this one is worth seeing. (continues after the jump)

TV Review: Dexter Season 7

Hey everyone, I've been on a bit of a hiatus to help get ready for my dad to return home from the hospital, but I should be posting regularly from now on.  

WARNING: I will spoil a lot of Season 7 but not much from previous seasons.  Do not read further if this sounds like something you want to avoid!  I will say that this was a GREAT season, up there with Season 1 and Season 4 as the best the show can offer.  The review begins after the jump.

Book Review: THE TWELVE

THE TWELVE: Sequel to The Passage (big spoilers for the first book after the jump)
Genre: Fiction - Post-Apocalyptic - Vampire

Tune of the week: KREWELLA

This week features an act I've been listening to for awhile now called KREWELLA, an electronic group that incorporates elements of dubstep, hard electro, and even some progressive house.  Accompanying the thunderous beats are sexy vocals by the two ladies of the group. They add in elements of pop at times, but my favorite tracks are those that just pour on the bass.  Here is the title track off their EP, "Play Hard", that showcases all of their different flavors at various points in the song:


If this suits you, check out "Come & Get It" (intensely upbeat yet still smooth) and "Killin' It" (a dubstep banger).  "Alive" (more pop sounding) is also very good.  I love how the silky vocals balance out the sometimes harsh sounding drops.  Excellent.   Lastly, here's an hour long mix (the third that they have released) available for free download that proves they are also awesome DJs.  Can't wait to see them live, hopefully sometime soon!

Movie Review: Warm Bodies

Warm Bodies (IMDb score: 7.4, Rotten Tomatoes 78% Fresh)
Writer and Director: Jonathan Levine (50/50)
Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer


Based on the novel written by Isaac Marion, this romantic comedy features an unusual protagonist: a zombie.  The film opens by following the zombie, soon to be called R, around as he shuffles aimlessly in an abandoned airport.  He makes amusing observations about the zombie life, and is frustrated about his lack of connection with his fellow brain eaters.  Soon he encounters a human woman, and instead of eating her brings her back to the airport.  Then changes start happening which could affect the entire world. (continues after the jump) 

Movie Review: Side Effects

Side Effects (IMDb score: 7.6, Rotten Tomatoes 86% fresh)
Director: Steven Soderbergh (Magic Mike, Contagion, Traffic, Ocean's Eleven Series)
Writer: Scott Z. Burns (The Bourne Ultimatum, Contagion)
Cast: Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Channing Tatum, Catherine Zeta-Jones



Soderbergh has claimed this will be the last film he will direct, and if that's true (please no!!) this is a fine way to go out.  Filled with suspense and intrigue, this is a film that has a LOT going on beneath the surface.  I went into it knowing very little about it, and I would advise you to do the same if you plan on seeing it.  This is another movie that intrigues me as a psychology major, as there is a heavy focus on depression, the drugs that millions take to cope with this disease, and the impact they have on their lives.  The tone is eerie and captivating, and as the tension mounted my attention never wandered, which is rare during January, a month usually bereft of high quality cinema.  (continues after the jump)

Movie Review: Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (IMDb score: 6.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 15% fresh)
Director and Writer: Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow);
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Famke Janssen


The first movie I saw with a 2013 release date, Hansel and Gretel is in many ways a mess.  The dialogue is cringe worthy, there's minimal character development, and the gore/blood effects are comical.  However, my earliest fear in life?  WITCHES.  So seeing these BAMFs get shot, stabbed, beat up, burned alive, etc. was cathartic for me.  I loved it, because these old hags don't go down without a fight.  There is plenty of action, in the form of hand to hand combat as well as numerous chase scenes.   The movie opens with the actual Hansel and Gretel tale, with a few alterations, and the rest of the story takes place 15 years after. (continues after the jump)

#1 - We Can Be Heroes, Just for One Day

1 – THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER: Another timely release for me personally, as I am not far removed from graduating college.  This left me reflecting a great deal on my life so far, and left me appreciating just how important my time in high school was.  It has also been a period of transition, and the main character Charlie is undergoing a huge one as he begins his 9^th grade journey.  Charlie is utterly alone, with some serious emotional distance between himself and others around him after his best friend committed suicide.  This loneliness leads him to befriend an enthusiastic slacker senior Patrick and his friend Sam (Emma Watson).  They decide to take Charlie under their wing, and suddenly he has a life worth living, partly through his deep infatuation with Sam. (continues after the jump)

#2 - Forever Trust In Who We Are

2 – ZERO DARK THIRTY: Perhaps the most controversial film of the year because of its depiction of torture and its suggestion that torture was vital in finding Osama Bin Laden, this will stand the test of time as the definitive take on The War on Terror.  At least the early years of it, because I see no end in sight.  From the opening, bone-chilling 9/11 representation, the movie spans the last decade as the CIA did what it thought was necessary to protect the US and carry out the largest manhunt in history.  Except, as the movie shows, they didn’t do a particularly good job in those early years, as terrorists continued to brazenly attack Western nations.  Meanwhile, the CIA did some pretty horrific things to helpless captives, and you can justify it however you want.  In my view, it’s simply immoral, and it’s very interesting to see how the politics changed as time passed.  To each their own on this one.  (continues after the jump)

#3 - Helmet to Helmet, on the Defense, 15 Yards, Automatic First Down

3 – SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK: I have a more personal relationship with this one because a close relative of mine is bi-polar who also suffers from depression.  So mental illness is extremely relatable for me, and while my relative doesn’t go manic to the degree that Bradley Cooper’s character Pat does, I thought that it captured the essence of the disease very well.   Jennifer Lawrence is irresistible as Tiffany, a fellow damaged soul dealing with death of her husband.  This is at its heart a romantic comedy, and it was a nice change to see two people being completely, sometimes brutally, honest with another.   These two lay the hammer down on each other repeatedly in epic confrontations.  This is contrasted excellently by the delusions they each cling to, and by how hard it can be to separate reality from what you want the world to be like. (continues after the jump)

#4 - Days of Future Past

4 – LOOPER: Time travel hasn’t been invented yet in 2044, but it has in the future, and the mob sends back targets for execution to eliminate any evidence of the crime.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt works as one such assassin, taking out random people from the future as soon as they are shipped back to him.  The catch is, 30 years after he retires he will also be sent back for elimination, to “close the loop”.  Future Joe arrives in the form of Bruce Willis, beginning a sequence of events that will determine the path the world takes for decades to come. (continues after the jump) VV minor spoilers VV

#5 - Always Look Before You Leap

5 – THE CABIN IN THE WOODS: Let me begin by saying that I was not sober for this movie, and it only enhanced the experience.  It’s hard to describe this movie without ruining it, but it is not at all what it seems.  It is a horror film initially, then morphs into something else where you’re not totally sure what is going on, then you have the “oh shit!” moment, and the climax is a blitzkrieg of action.  This is an impressive nod to the entire genre, which I could appreciate despite not being a fan of most horror films.  Watching these five college kids try to survive is in turns frightening and funny, and there are endless stoner jokes for those of you who enjoy that as well. It's amazingly fun. (continues after the jump)

#6 - You Come at the King You Best Not Miss

6 – THE RAID: REDEMPTION: The best kung fu, hand-to-hand combat movie I’ve seen since the Matrix.  Except this is one big Indonesian fight for 2 hours. There are endless INCREDIBLE scenes of brutal face-bashing, limb-shattering battles.  If your favorite part of movies is the action, or the fighting, SEE THIS MOVIE.  This is jaw-dropping stuff, with a sick soundtrack to boot.  If this 1 minute (imagine a whole movie of this) clip can’t convince you, then nothing will (start 30 seconds in): 

#7 - Jack Black is Back

7 – BERNIE: This is another under-the-radar little movie that kept me laughing for the whole 90 minutes.  Jack Black plays a metrosexual, eccentric, perfectionist mortician  who is seemingly involved in EVERY activity around his rural Texas town, and the town loves him.  Whether it's fundraising, the local church, or random hobbies, he's everywhere.   He becomes enamored with a soul-crushing shrew of a widow, and her control over him eventually drives him to take drastic action.  Enter Matthew McConaughey as the prideful, swaggering prosecuting attorney and let the games begin.  (continues after the jump)

#8 - Shelter from the Storm

8 – MOONRISE KINGDOM: Into the elite eight we go, with Wes Anderson’s portrayal of childhood isolation and intimacy.  The setting makes this movie, as it all takes place on an island in middle-of-nowhere, picturesque New England.  Sam and Suzy have been penpals for a year and decide to run away together, since they are both quite unhappy.  Sam has no friends in his boyscout troop, and Suzy is depressed at home.  The chemistry between these two is excellent in a weird, quirky, unexpected way, and they both share a strong sense of optimism about the world despite their current troubles. (continues after the jump)

#9 - Southern Hospitality

9 – DJANGO UNCHAINED: Not for the faint of heart, this continues Tarantino’s revenge fantasy sequence of films, going back to Kill Bill.  The best part of seeing this film was the audience.  Listening to the different reactions, they said a surprising amount about that person and their sense of humor.  My theater ran the spectrum from a redneck dude who seemed to laugh a liiittle too hard to uneasy suburbanite to a stone-faced black man.  I found it hilarious, but I have a darker sense of humor than most.  This scene with the KKK had my Christmas Day audience in stitches (continues after the jump).

#10 - A Modern Marvel

10 – THE AVENGERS: Wow.  Marvel and Disney accomplished something fantastic here, creating four movie franchises which managed to have their own flavor but still had a sense that they could be occurring in the same universe.  Then they combined all of these characters into one movie, didn’t even have some monstrous scary villain (Loki is a noob), and still produced a first class comic book epic.  While the plot wasn’t too original, the sheer ambition and risk involved with making a film like this earn it some major points.  Oh, and it made $1.5 billion off a budget of $220 million.  NBD. (continues after the jump)

#11 - Ahmadinejad's Vote for Best Picture

11 – ARGO: Ben Affleck provides the perfect example of how to make a great, entertaining Hollywood movie.  Running the gamut of emotions, the film manages to remain realistic up until the very end.  Then things get a bit overdramatized but whatever, I was horrified for these escapee hostages and what they endured.  It also was unbelievably timely with the Benghazi shenanigans occurring just before its release.  The film captures the intense anti-Western sentiment that was rife at the time and has only deepened since.  I have zero desire to visit Iran after seeing this movie, despite the vibrant, bustling depiction of Tehran. (continues after the jump)

#12 - The Best Republican

12 – LINCOLN: The passage of the 13^th amendment gets the Spielberg treatment with Daniel Day-Lewis a shoo-in to win nearly every major acting award.  Quickly vacillating from heartbreaking to hilarious, this film featured my favorite dialogue of the year.  The eloquence with which these folks rip each other a new one is so refreshing. The wit comes thick and fast while never detracting from the weightiness of the issue at hand: freedom.  This is a fascinating case study of how a major bill gets passed, with bribing, cajoling, and threats all employed.  The cast is full of brilliant actors, and they seem to relish inhabiting characters from an era long forgotten. (continues after the jump)

#13 - California Love

13 – END OF WATCH: This criminally (heh) underappreciated buddy cop story is one of the best the genre can offer.  Shot in hand-held style by Jake Gylenhaal and his partner Michael Pena, this is a down-to-earth look at an LAPD duo.  From ball busting (example below)                  

and pranks to life-or-death shoot outs, these two go through some serious shit together and they are clearly best friends with their hearts in the right place.  (continues after the jump)

#14 - Tom Cruise Is Not Impressed

14 – THE MASTER:  This one is an acting masterpiece from Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix (what a great name).  A cult leader and a damaged lost soul try to find their way in this beautifully shot film.  Their camaraderie blossoms quickly, and they begin to expose doubts and weaknesses in each other.  The film explores whether or not we can truly change our nature without some massive life event happening to us.  Can we, through self-discipline and therapy, change our personalities for the better?  Cults and their obsessive members are also examined, and this cult relies much on the appeal and charm of its creator.  (continues after the jump)

#15 - Wheelin' and Dealin'

15 – THE INTOUCHABLES: This French film found itself in deep controversy across the Atlantic because of its perceived “Uncle Tom” themes.  While France is also rife with inequalities, their racial history is MUCH different than that of the red, white, and blue, so I think these issues are overblown.  The film is set in Paris, and focuses on a wealthy man paralyzed from the neck down who is hiring a new caretaker, who has to do literally EVERYTHING for him.  A young black man from the Banlieues, essentially “the hood”, applies for the job merely because he must apply at four places to continue receiving unemployment benefits.  Except he ends up being offered the job, and a great friendship begins. (continues after the jump)

#16 - Gamers, Start Your Engines

16 – WRECK IT RALPH: For once, my favorite animated feature from this year does not come from Pixar.  As a child I was prohibited from video games by my parents until the age of 11.  Probably so I didn’t turn out like this guy (continues after the jump):

#17 - I Believe I Can Fly

17 – CHRONICLE:  With that said, if you’re a nerd like me and love explosions and superpowers, but are just tired of the same old studio crap, this is one for you.  Shot in found-footage documentary style, this MTV-backed production is not for those with motion sickness issues.  A star athlete along with a popular kid and his introverted cousin stumble across something not of this world during a run-of-the-mill house party.  Strange things start happening, and soon the trio’s metaphysical powers morph into something amazing, and potentially deadly.   The actors do well here, each representing a high school stereotype, yet none are black-and-white; they have their nuances and surprises like the rest of us. (continues after the jump)

#18 - Time for some lakeside peace and quiet

WTF? His brother's ghost was a no show?!?

18 – YOUR SISTER’S SISTER: This small independent film, written and directed by Lynn Shelton (never heard of her? Neither had I before this) features a charming cast and a simple story.  The title refers to the relationship between the three characters played by Mark Duplass (hilarious on The League), Emily Blunt, and Rosemarie DeWitt.  The film opens on the 1 year death day (think Nearly Headless Nick) party for Mark’s brother who was also Emily’s husband.  Emotions are still raw so Emily sends Mark to her lake house to clear his head.  Little do they know that Emily’s sister is already there dealing with issues of her own. (continues after the jump)

#19 - An Epic Trilogy Concludes...

19 – THE DARK KNIGHT RISES:    Up next is my favorite caped crusader besides the two in Kickass : Batman.   Christopher's Nolan and Bale return, along with their amazing cast which includes newcomers Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, and Tom Hardy (talk about A-list).  Eight years have passed since Batman disappeared and Bruce Wayne locked himself away in his manor, yet Bane has come to force him out of retirement.  Catwoman and Bane seriously make this movie for me, whose controversial, speech-distorting mask gives every line comedic possibilities.  Try saying ANYTHING in the Bane voice to an unsuspecting person.  You know you want to.  It’s hilarious.  And then there’s this: 
(continues after the jump)

My Favorite 20 Films of 2012: #20 - Shaken, Not Stirred

To get things started I thought I might as well bring out the big guns: my top 20 of 2012.  For all that the wonderful 919 has to offer (gorgeous weather, superior college basketball, etc.), it's doesn't get as many indie movies as some places.  As a result, I haven’t seen as many films as I would’ve liked.  There are also a few that even with my MoviePass subscription (If you want an invite just holla at me) I just couldn’t find the time to see (Beasts of the Southern Wild, Les Mis, Amour, Holy Motors, Rust & Bone, The Impossible, etc.).  With that said, let’s begin. (continues after the jump)

Introduction

What's good everyone? I spend a good amount time watching movies and TV shows, reading books, and encountering dope music.  I often have thoughts on all of these, and this blog is where I will be recording my reflections on cool material I come across. A few notes...

• Comments are ALWAYS appreciated and encouraged, especially recommendations  
• SPOILERS: most reviews will contain minor spoilers, mostly setting the stage of the plot.  If you haven't seen the movie yet and do not want to know anything plot-related, just skip it.  I will warn y'all if a posted YouTube clip is especially spoiler-iffic.
• I will include older entertainment that I watch on DVD or Netflix as well as current stuff
• Please feel free to call me out on grammatical errors, it's helpful
• I will include IMDb links to actors and directors whenever I discuss them (along with random other stuff), but not to the actual movies themselves.

Alright, well for my first review I decided to do something special so I've made a Top 20 list of my favorite films of 2012.  I hope someone out there finds it worthwhile!