Oblivion

Oblivion (2013)
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 56%

When I was a kid, I only knew two actors: Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. Why this is, I don't know. Perhaps it was because they were in movies that I loved when I was younger; Tom Cruise (Top Gun, Risky Business, Cocktail(?), Interview With the Vampire) and Brad Pitt (Cool World, Se7en, Twelve Monkeys, Interview With the Vampire). Regardless of the reason, I ended up choosing Brad as my celebrity guy crush; my Bronection (that is a portmanteau of Bro and Connection...). I feel I chose wisely because he has ended up having the more varied career (maybe) and also he isn't crazy. I share all of this with you so I can tell you that Oblivion is one of my favorite Tom Cruise movies...ever.

Check out the trailer for the film if you haven't already.

*drooool*

Tom Cruise is Jack Harper, a drone repair worker two weeks away from joining the rest of Earth's civilization on Saturn's moon, Titan. Sixty years before the start of the film, the Earth was attacked by an alien race the humans dubbed Scavengers (Scavs). There was an epic war fought between the two sides but the humans ultimately won, however the victory came at a price. They were forced to use the nuclear weapons in reserve in order to combat the Scavs. In the process, the Moon was destroyed which created immeasurable chaos on Earth. Earthquakes and tsunamis destroyed cities and countries. The remaining people either died on Earth or caught transport to Titan. The TET is a government installation located in space that is responsible for converting sea water into fusion energy for the population on Titan. Jack and his partner, Victoria (Andrea Riseborough), maintain the drones protecting these machines that dot the coast off of New York. Every morning, Jack wakes up, gets in his sweet future helicopter, and patrols the ground. Vica communicates with Sally, their TET contact, and relays any damage beacons or messages to Jack. One day, as Jack is searching for a lost drone, he is confronted by Scavs and is almost killed. Jack escapes and makes it back to his base camp but he begins to question what he knows about the Scavs. He believes that they weren't trying to kill him...but catch him. As Jack looks for answers, he discovers that not everything is so simple.

I was at a loss when I started thinking about what I wanted to write here. There is so much to this movie that I don't want to give away so I cannot really discuss the plot so I will say this...this is one of the most well done Sci-Fi movies I have ever seen. The story is set in 2077 so it's not THAT far into the future which is always a plus for me. When a movie (or game) is set in some ridiculous year like 2277 (Fallout 3), and they are still using things like books, glass bottles, or fossil fuel burning cars, I begin to question the timeline that the creators have set forth. 2277; that is more than 250 years from now. 250 years into the past was a COMPLETELY different world. We use almost nothing that those people thought were everyday items. If you are going to set your story in some ridiculously distant future, there better be tech I cannot imagine at this moment. Take for instance, Alien. Alien takes place in 2122 and they, for some reason, don't have access to good flashlights, or flares, or night vision goggles.

It's a good trailer though.

Now, I know that Alien was filmed in 1979 and the technology is...dated but you get what I am saying. Oblivion's tech was completely believable. The HUD on Jack's badass helo is something we either do have or could have right now. The computer system that Vica uses throughout the film looks like a Microsoft Table system. Even the weapons appear to be something that could be created within a few years. This all adds to the believability of the film for me. My mind didn't wander down some critical bunny trail during the film. I was enthralled in what I saw on the screen. This brings me to an interesting point; does CGI make films better? I know that on the surface the answer would almost certainly be yes, but consider how groundbreaking Alien was. It was a Sci-Fi Horror film that is absolutely terrifying. Would the movie be better if it were remade today with a bunch of computer animated monsters? I highly doubt it. What do you think??

No BS

Oblivion is a ton of fun. If you like Tom Cruise, action movies, or Sci-Fi then you cannot miss this one. I didn't see it in IMAX but I can imagine it would be intense so do that if possible. Also, don't worry...he TOTALLY runs in this movie.

You're welcome.

My Score: 8.5/10

Somebody Up There Likes Me

Somebody Up There Likes Me (2012)
Directed by: Bob Bylington
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 70%

I am a fan of offbeat comedies. There is something about them that is just so pleasing to me. I like the satisfaction of laughing at something that is funny without feeling like I am being told to laugh (not sure if that makes sense). For instance, The Hangover is a funny movie because it is so outrageous. The characters do appalling things and you feel compelled to laugh because it is so crazy. Now, compare that to a Wes Anderson film and you will see the differences in the types of comedy they provide. Anderson films are subtle, tongue-in-cheek, and smart. The comedy that they provide is a bit more cerebral and that is fun for me. Somebody Up There Likes Me is similar to Anderson films in that the whole film is completely offbeat and actually rather strange.

Somebody Up There Likes Me looks at the adult life of Max; an odd and socially awkward man. When the film starts, we meet Max at the airport. He has just come into town to see his soon to be ex wife (Kate Lyn Sheil). As he meanders around the airport, he stops at a flower vending machine to pick up a gift/peace offering for his wife. He doesn't buy the flowers and he drives to his wife's house. On his way, he spots a roadside memorial and opts to "borrow" flowers from it. When he arrives and offers the flowers, his wife notices that it says "In Memoriam" and asks if he is "completely stupid". Max responds by saying "not completely" and then comments on how the painting he got her is upside down. Max leaves, buys flowers at a local grocery store, and returns to catch his wife in bed with another man. She tells him that you buy flowers from a florist, and Max asks if he had done that if he would be the one in bed with her. Max leaves, returns the flowers, and goes on with his life. A while later Max begins working at a steakhouse with his best friend Sal (Nick Offerman). There, he meets Lyla (Jess Weixler) and falls in love with her. She is awkward and constantly eats the thin breadsticks that the restaurant offers to its patrons. The film follows Max and Lyla's life together, Sal's role in their lives, and the impact of Max and Lyla's strange behavior on their son Lyle. There is also a mysterious blue suitcase that is seen throughout the film ala Pulp Fiction.

Somebody Up There Likes Me is not for everyone. It is an incredibly subtle and mundane comedy, but if you like that brand of humor then you will definitely enjoy this film. Offerman is so great as Sal and I am almost positive that most of his lines were ad-libbed. Watch the trailer to get a feel for the film.


Also check out how incredibly brilliant Nick Offerman is.

Amazing.

My favorite part of the film (dialogue aside) is the way it was filmed. It feels like it was shot with a handheld camera which feels a lot more personal than a professionally done film. One of the unique parts of the film is that it spans thirty five years yet the only people that age are Sal, Max's therapist (Megan Mullally), and Lyle. Bylington doesn't even apply makeup to his lead actors to give the appearance of age. It is up to the audience to understand that they are aging. There is a film called Suture that stars Dennis Haysbert and Michael Harris as nearly identical brothers. What is strange about this is that Haysbert is black and Harris is white.


The idea behind the decision to cast the identical brothers as different races is to allow the audience to get lost in the story. If you know that neither actor looks anything like the other then there is no time spent on determining the similarities and differences. I found that, as I watched it, it was easier to accept that the two were brothers because that is what the story told me, and not what I observed. In the case of Somebody Up There Likes Me, we don't spend any time focusing on the age makeup, we don't wonder if that is actually how they would look in thirty years, and Bylington didn't have to cast older actors to play the middle aged versions of his characters.

No BS

Somebody Up There Likes Me is not going to have a huge audience. It isn't in danger of winning an MTV movie award (thank God). It is a wonderfully constructed, subtle comedy. If you don't like to be spoon fed comedy, if you are not a fan of laugh tracks (I am talking to some specific friends of mine), and if you love Nick Offerman then definitely see this film.

My Score: 7.5/10

Bully

Bully (2011)
Directed by: Lee Hirsch
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%

I follow Philip DeFranco on YouTube and generally enjoy most of his videos. He does a Movie Club posting every Saturday where he watches a film and discusses it with fellow YouTubers. His most recent entry was for 2011's Bully. I had heard about Bully but never dedicated time to watch it. The reason is because I can't stand to see people being hurt in real life. This is the same reason I refuse to watch Intervention. I knew that the subject material for Bully would hit close to home because I was, to an extent, bullied in school.

Hirsch's film focuses on the everyday lives of three students in American schools, and the continuing grief that plagues two families that are dealing with the loss of their own children. We are first introduced to the family of Tyler Lee Long. His father, David, speaks of Tyler lovingly. His narration of his fondness for his son is juxtaposed with family home videos. The tone begins to change as he discusses Tyler's teenage years. He reveals that the students would tell him to hang himself and that they wanted to hurt him. After dealing with the pain of the ridicule for too long, Tyler hanged himself. The film then introduces, one by one, the central people of the text. Alex Libby lives in Sioux Falls, Iowa and is picked on relentlessly because he looks different. He tries to laugh things off because he doesn't know any other way to get through the day. When his parents ask him about his day he clams up, and refuses to divulge any information about the bullying. Next, we are introduced to Kelby Johnson. She is a teenage lesbian dealing with the stresses of ridicule dealt out by not only students, but faculty as well. Her parents, former Sunday School teachers, have been shunned in the community and alienated from their friends. Jameya Johnson was a highly successful student that was destined to go to the military. She played basketball and came from a loving household. Because of the bullying that she endured, Jameya chose to bring a gun to school. While riding the bus to school, she pulled the weapon and threatened the lives of those that were bullying her. Jameya was charged with over forty criminal felonies and is in a youth detention center at the beginning of the film. The last subject of the film is Ty Smalley. He was an eleven year old that decided to shoot himself because of the incessant bullying. The filmmaker shows what happens to these kids in school, on the bus, and at home. The danger to one of the students gets so out of control that Hirsch is forced to show footage to the parents and administration so that action would be taken.

Bully made me sad and extremely upset. As I stated in my intro, I was bullied in school and I knew those memories would come flooding back. I will say that I was not bullied to the extent as the kids in these films, but it doesn't make it any less painful to the person experiencing it. From my experience, I believe that kids (or grown people) that bully others are not intelligent enough to know what to do with themselves, or what to do when there is someone different around them. I was able to turn a lot of the bullying around on the person trying to hurt me because of my wit. I gained a reputation as a funny person so the bullying lessened, and then stopped. Some kids, like Alex, are not built that way and they shut down; they accept bullying as a part of their lives. If Bully teaches anything, it shows how criminally ineffectual some school administration can be. The Principal of Alex's school is so insanely bad at her job that it makes you want to scream. Hirsch shows this with a quick but telling moment. As the camera operator and the Principal walk down the hall they pass a child (class is in session at this point). As he continues walking, the Principal stops and turns to ask him if he is in trouble. He replies (while still walking) by nonchalantly saying "not really". She just says "ok" and then continues to walk. There is another scene where she pulls to kids to the side that are arguing. She asks the boys to shake hands because that ends all types of conflict. The perpetrator of the argument reaches out his hand and the victim refuses to shake it. The Principal gets upset and forces them to shake hands. The one kid leaves as she talks to him about the situation. He explains that he is picked on every day, and that he tries to distance himself but he is followed by the bully. She says that it will be handled; it never is. When Alex's parents come to the Principal after seeing Hirsch's footage, they plead with her to do something. She begins to talk about her new niece and how she cares for all the children in the school. Bullying in schools may never end because there is only so much that can be done. The best thing for the situation is to educate everyone about the consequences of bullying, and the emotional scarring that can occur. Eleven years old...that is too young for anyone to consider suicide as an option. If Hirsch had not made this film, how long would these kids have lasted? Click here for more information about The Bully Project.

I am not going to do a "No BS" review for this film because I feel everything that I stated needs to be read. Our country is in an incredible state of turmoil. School shootings seem to be a more common occurrence (thankfully not routine, yet), child suicides are becoming more prevalent, and religious zealots are harming more people every year. Bullying comes in all forms whether it be a person that hurts others to make themselves feel better about themselves, or an organization that protests funerals because their lives don't match the warped ideals of the group. This film is well done and it will absolutely break your heart. You're not alone if you feel compelled to reach out, through the screen, to hug these kids; to let them know that it is all going to be ok in the end. The teenage years in a kid's life are ALWAYS awkward and trying, but it's because you are finding out who you are and how everything works. It shouldn't be because they are being ridiculed for being different.

My Score: 9/10

Place Beyond the Pines

Place Beyond the Pines (2013)
Directed by: Derek Cianfrance
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%

A little while back, I reviewed Blue Valentine which is another one of Cianfrance's films. I really enjoyed the emotion and gravity of the film so when I saw the trailer for Place Beyond the Pines, and saw that Cianfrance was at the helm again, I got excited. The trailer sets up the story nicely without revealing too much to the viewer. It was released nationwide yesterday and I took the opportunity to score a matinee price this afternoon. Before you read my review, I strongly encourage you to watch the trailer if you haven't already.


Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) is a daredevil dirtbike rider. He makes a living traveling with a carnival and performing stunts inside a metal cage. The film opens with Luke walking from his trailer to the tent where his bike and cage await. We see that Luke is heavily tattooed and has bleached blonde hair. He looks like white trash. After his performance, Luke is signing autographs for the children that watched him perform. At this point, a woman catches his eye. It is revealed that Luke knows the woman, Romina (Eva Mendes), from the year before. He takes her home and tells her that he is leaving for another year tomorrow. The two part ways but Luke begins to contemplate staying with Romina. He rides back to her house and Romina's mother answers the door. She is holding a baby and informs him that he, Jason, is his son. Luke holds Jason for a few moments, hands him back to Romina's mother, and heads to the diner where she works. He confronts her about the child and says that he is going to stick around. He quits his job with the carnival the next day and goes to ride his bike in the hills. He is spotted by Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) who is out riding his four-wheeler. Robin offers Luke a ride into town and he accepts. As they ride, Robin discovers that Luke knows a lot about engine mechanics so he offers him a job and a trailer to sleep in. After some time passes, Luke mentions that he needs more work because what Robin is paying is not enough to support Jason and Romina. Robin tells Luke they could rob a bank and Luke laughs off the suggestion. Robin details the plans for the robbery stating that he has done it four times over a decade ago; he was never caught. After an altercation with Romina's boyfriend, Luke agrees to the robbery. Place Beyond the Pines is a film about the decisions we make and how they affect our lives and those around us. It's about the lengths that a father would go through to protect and to provide for his child.

**OBLIGATORY SPOILER WARNING**
Place Beyond the Pines feels like three separate films. The first part is about Luke, Romina, and the bank robberies. The second part is about Bradley Cooper (yeah, he's in this), Avery Cross, a young Schenectady police officer that catches Luke. The last part is about Cross's son, AJ, and Jason fifteen years after Luke is caught. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but it segments the film and can feel jarring. As I was watching the film I checked the time more times than I like to while I am supposed to be engrossed in what I am watching. I am not saying the film was bad, actually, it's quite the contrary. It just felt...disjointed. The most exciting aspect of the film was the bank robberies. When Robin tells Luke his plan it seems too easy. Luke parks his bike at the front door of the bank he is robbing, he wears coveralls and his helmet, and he goes in and demands that the tellers empty their drawers. Luke puts the bills in his bag himself to ensure there are no dye packs. He then exits the bank and rides his bike, really fast mind you, to a truck here Robin is waiting. Luke rides the bike up into the truck, Robin closes the gate, and the two ride off without a trace of the robber. These scenes keep you pulled in. We want Luke to succeed because he is doing this for his family. However, things get dicey when Luke feels the need to rob more and more banks. He becomes addicted to the rush and to the feeling he gets by providing for Ro and Jason. This is Luke's decision that changes his life forever.
Avery Cross ends up catching Luke and is awarded by the department for his bravery. He is then taken to Ro's house by fellow officers to search the premises for evidence of the money that Luke stashed. When one of the officers finds fourteen thousand dollars, they leave and split it amongst them (with Avery getting the largest cut). When Avery brings this to the attention of the captain, he is chastised for trying to indict his fellow officers. Officer Deluca (Ray Liotta), the leader of the crooked cops, instructs Avery to follow him in his car because he needs to discuss something with him. Deluca leads Avery out into a dirt road in the woods and Avery stops his car, reverses, and speeds away. He then goes to the DA (Bruce Greenwood) with evidence against a group of officers and demands to be made an assistant DA. He is asked if he is sure he wants to go through with the case. Avery says he does. This is Avery's decision.
Fifteen years later, Avery is now seeking public office and is in the thick of the election season. His son, AJ, has come to live with him and is not fitting in well (he talks like a Jersey Shore reject). Jason, Luke's son, is the same age as AJ and is a loner at school. The two become friends until the truth about AJ's father is made known to Jason. Jason must decide how he will handle that information. This is Jason's decision. Ultimately, as I stated above, Place Beyond the Pines explores the decisions we make, how they affect the situation, and how that affect will continue for years to come.

No BS

Place Beyond the Pines is a cerebral film. It makes you think about what you would do if placed in the position that the characters are in. Would you react in the same way? Would you be so quick to be the hero or would you take an easy way out? While I did enjoy the film, I felt it was a little long and disjointed. I'd recommend seeing it once it hits RedBox or Netflix (sorry Derek).

My Score: 7/10

Things Are Happening!

Hello film fans! Great things are happening in the world of Film Grad Reviews! As you can see above, the logo design for FGR is well underway. What you see is a working idea so the finished product will be even better. Once the logo and outline for the site is agreed upon, then the building of the site can commence. I am hoping that by late May everything will be ready to roll.

I have also launched my YouTube channel! You can find it here. I had a run in with copyright infringement ALREADY with my review for Hannibal. I had included the first four minutes of the pilot in the review so I could provide a visual reference to what I was discussing. Gaumont International Television and NBC flagged the video and YouTube blocked it from being seen. I appealed to YouTube saying that the clip was being used for critique and review purposes. They unblocked the video and I thought all was rosy. Well, this morning I learned that Gaumont denied my appeal (I guess NBC was cool with it) and YouTube banned the video AGAIN. The next step was a counter-argument and they suggest lawyering up for that so I decided to delete the clip and repost the video. Boo. Not sure what this holds for the future of my channel since I already have a copyright strike. Once you get three, your account becomes suspended. I may play it cool or I will just become versed in the "Free Use" clause of copyright law.

Anyway, that's what's up so far! I have an IndieGoGo campaign set up if you wish to help me in my endeavors. If you cannot help financially then please just help spread the word. Thanks to all my loyal readers!

Stay tuned this weekend, I feel a Hate Watch coming on!

42 and My Top Five Favorite Baseball Movies

42 (2013)
Directed by: Brian Helgeland
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%

I love baseball. Everything about it is fascinating to me. The mind games that occur at every moment of the game, the way every pitcher is different yet they do the same job, the amount of skill it takes to decide whether you are going to swing at an object hurdling towards you at nearly one hundred miles per hour. When I am bored at home I turn on MLB Network and just consume everything they are discussing. It hasn't always been this way though. Up until college I never paid much attention to sports. Sure, I played baseball, basketball, and hockey growing up but my heart was never in it. When I was a Freshman in college, something changed. I was headed out of my dormroom and on my way to the dining hall when the TV caught my eye. The Braves were playing (can't remember who) and the game was in extra innings. I sat down and watched the rest of the game. When I started watching I think they were in the eleventh inning. The game finished in the eighteenth or something crazy like that.eighteenth inning. That was when I knew that I could take an interest in sports. I tried watching football because that was the most popular sport in my group of friends but it never really grabbed my attention. Baseball is the only sport that truly matters to me. I say all this to set up my review of the Jackie Robinson biopic 42. I have always loved sports movies (Remember the Titans, Major League, Mighty Ducks, Tin Cup, etc) and I have added this one to my list of tops. What I want to do is go over my five favorite baseball movies and discuss why they hold a place in my heart. I promise that some of you will disagree (Bull Durham isn't on this list) but the great thing is it doesn't matter.

First, I will start this list with 42 (since that is why you're here). I hesitate to say that this is my number five favorite baseball movie but in terms of this list it'll do. Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) is a short tempered but incredibly talented baseball player. He dreams of playing in the Major Leagues but there is something stopping him; his color. Robinson plays with the Negro leagues in the late forties and is a spectacle above all the others. The Brooklyn Dodger's club President, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), realizes the potential in Robinson and decides to recruit him for his team. He starts him in the AAA affiliate, Montreal, but soon promotes him to play with the famed Brooklyn Dodgers. There is a triumvirate that makes this film so great: superb acting (Ford's best role in years), crisp sports action scenes, and a story that is told in an engaging way. In case you didn't know Ford was in 42 (I didn't) here is what he looks like next to his real life counterpart:


It is unreal how well the makeup crew did with him and Ford delivers a believable performance as the lovable curmudgeon. The writing of 42 couldn't have been an easy undertaking. There is a line that you must tow when it comes to race relations in film; you don't do enough and it looks like a weak attempt, however if you go overboard you will be lambasted as cashing in on the pain of the Black people. 42 does a great job of showing how people behaved in that time, Robinson's reaction, and the eventual acceptance of people of color in Major League Baseball.

As I thought about this some more I am going to list five movies in ADDITION to 42. Again, my list will vary (I know Bull Durham is a favorite but I saw it too late in life to gain a proper appreciation).

My number five favorite baseball movie is Rookie of the Year. Henry Rowengartner (Thomas Ian Nicholas of American Pie fame) is a huge Cubs fan that is blessed with a crazy fast pitching arm (due to tightly wound tendons that healed wrong after a broken arm injury). He is recruited by the Cubs to be in their starting rotation and hilarity ensues. Case in point:


My number four film is Little Big League. This movie came out a year after Rookie of the Year and never gained the same attention, but I think it is a better film. Billy Heywood(Luke Edwards) is the grandson of the owner of the Minnesota Twins, Thomas Heywood. When Thomas dies, it is revealed that Billy has inherited the team. When he butts heads with the current manager of the team, Billy opts to fire him. He then appoints himself the manager of the team (while still being the owner). This wouldn't happen in real life but it's nice to dream!

About :54 seconds in is great!

Number three is Moneyball. This is where I'll lose some of you (if you haven't left already). Moneyball tells the story of the 2002 season of the Oakland Athletics. It shows Bill Beane's (Brad Pitt) skepticism and later acceptance of "buying" wins with overlooked players. Philip Seymour Hoffman does a great job as Art Howe as well. I really love this movie for several reasons. First, I love Brad Pitt. I would see a movie just because he is in it. I enjoy looking at baseball from a statistical side (SABR) and that's what this whole film is about. Above all, this film is shot beautifully.

I get chills watching this.

Number two is Major League. Not only is this a great baseball movie, but it is a great sports movie in general. Major League focuses on the lackluster Cleveland Indians who are in the thick of a streak of losing seasons. When the team is inherited by a reluctant owner, their future looks bleak. The new owner, Rachel Phelps, wants to move the team to a warmer climate and plans on sabotaging the current season so she can do so. Phelps tells her GM to hire a team of misfits and rejects, including an incarcerated pitcher, Rick "The Wild Thing" Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) and a catcher with knee problems, Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger).

And this one

I love this movie because it is funny and it is a great underdog story!

My number one favorite baseball movie of all time is...The Sandlot! If you haven't seen this movie then stop what you are doing and dedicate an hour and a half to watching it. You're life will be enriched because of it. The plot follows the summer of a group of boys in 1962. Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry) has just moved to town and is clueless about the one thing the neighborhood boys love, baseball. As he struggles to find a place among the kids he learns about the sport as well as other things boys talk about, girls. When the ongoing game is threatened due to their ball being hit over the fence, Smalls comes to the rescue with a ball that he has seen in his step father's office. When that ball is lost over the fence, Smalls tells them there was a signature on the ball from some woman...Baby Ruth. The boys lunge at Smalls as they tell him that it is Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat! They then conceive several schemes to try and get the ball back.
A True classic!

*EDIT*
Ok, so I don't know where my head was at but Field of Dreams is my favorite baseball movie of all time! I was so wrapped up in everything I completely forgot. Kevin Costner stars as an Iowa farmer that hears a voice in his cornfield one day. It says to him: "if you build it, he will come". This phrase haunts him for days until he finally decides to level a section of his crops and build a baseball diamond. He travels across the country to recruit James Earl Jones and eventually goes back in time to meet a doctor that was once a great baseball prospect.


Now, back to the original topic; 42. The film is very well done and I would recommend seeing it. Harrison Ford delivers one of his best performances of his career and the story of overcoming odds is appealing to everyone.

My Score: 7.5/10

The Words

The Words (2012)
Directed by: Brian Klugman
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 22%

I stated in my Oscar Predictions and also in my review of Silver Linings Playbook that I love it when an actor steps out of their comfort zone. Bradley Cooper continues to impress me (Hangover 3 notwithstanding). He is constantly challenging himself; taking different roles; not getting comfortable. The Words is no exception. I had seen this film advertised months ago and had a small desire to see it but, alas, the desire was not strong enough. I had forgotten about it until I was at RedBox this evening. As I sorted through the titles I had already seen I began to lose hope; that my trek into the storms had been in vain. I saw The Words on the last page of available titles so I got it. This review is going to be a little more spoiler laden than normal because of the nature of the film. I will try and keep things concise and vague (at points), but in order to discuss the film as a whole I feel it is necessary to delve into some key details.

Clay Hammond (Dennis Quaid) is a well known novelist. He has just released his latest book, The Words, and has been invited to read excerpts from it at a public reading. Clay begins to tell the story of Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper); an aspiring young novelist that has just sold his first book. We see Rory accepting an award for his accomplishment but then Clay backtracks a little to tell how Rory has gotten to where he is. He details Rory's early struggles as an unpublished writer. Rejection letters flooded Rory's mailbox and his father continually doubts his son's ability to write. Dora (Zoe Saldana), Rory's wife, never doubts his ability and she supports his endeavor. While the two take a trip to Paris, Rory finds an old satchel in an antique shop. Dora thinks it suits him so she purchases it. When the two return home, Rory begins to transfer manuscripts to the satchel and finds something tucked away in an inner pocket. What he finds is a novel that had been written many years before by an unknown author. He reads the story and is enthralled by the beauty in the writing. He marvels at how taut the voice is. Rory struggles with knowledge of the story. Does he tell someone; does he throw it away; does he declare it is his? One night, as his thoughts plague him, he decides to get up and transfer the story to his laptop. Dora finds the story and insists that he tell a publisher. We then see that this novel is the one that Rory is being awarded for in the beginning of the story. However, there are consequences when the actual author reads his own words attributed to another person. The Old Man (Jeremy Irons) finds Rory and regales him with his story; the one that Rory stole.

First of all, this shot:


happens at least five times during the course of the film.

There were only two different ones on Google Images.

That's not really important but it was kind of jarring. The Words is, to give some context, almost exactly like Inception. Not in the fact that they are stealing dreams or constantly running from a psychotic, curly haired monster. It is like Inception in that it is extremely complicated at times. As I said before, this review is going to get spoilery so you've been warned. The film starts with Clay telling the story of Rory. Rory has written a story within the story that Clay is telling. It turns out that the story Rory is telling, really happened to The Old Man. He wrote it down and lost it only for it to be discovered years later. The layers begin to intertwine and the plot begins to get muddled a bit. Perhaps the only real technical aspect of The Words occurs during The Old Man's flashbacks. The scenes have a dream-like tone; like sepia tone. This is, of course, short hand for the viewer. We know that these scenes are supposed to have occurred many years ago because that's what the pictures looked like. I am not knocking the technique just pointing out it isn't original.

The Words was better than I thought it would be, but it is not great. The story drags in the middle as The Old Man ambles on about his time in Paris. I forgot that Bradley Cooper was in the movie I was watching, and was surprised when I saw Dennis Quaid again. I feel that it loses its direction which really hurts the overall appeal of the film. I was engaged in Rory's story but I am torn out of that while I am forced to watch the life story of The Old Man (I really wish they'd given him a name). Once The Old Man finishes his I-know-your-secret story the pace gets kicked into overdrive. Resolutions happen too quickly and a very messy situation is wrapped up quite nicely.

No BS

The Words was enjoyable. As the credits rolled, I was happy that I had seen it. I felt that the attempt was admirable and that it was pulled off pretty well. At its heart, I feel this is a love story (depressing but still, a love story). On another note, according to Wikipedia, Klugman was accused of ripping off a German novel called Lila, Lila. How about that irony?

My Score: 6.5/10

Hesher

Hesher (2010)
Directed by: Spencer Susser
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 54%

I was flipping through the DirecTV guide a few weeks ago searching for something to watch, and I was coming up empty. We pay for something like 36,000 channels and I usually just keep it on MLB Network all day. Well, as I was searching through the pay channels I saw Hesher. I had never heard of it so I checked out the info. I got as far as "Joseph Gordon-Levitt..." before I said "yes, I will watch this". The only drawback was that I was tired and not looking to be engaged at the moment. So, I used the most useful piece of technology to exist since the VCR and that is the DVR. I set it to record and promptly forgot about it. Here it is, weeks later, and I have finally dedicated the time to watch the film. While Hesher is not the best film I've ever seen it certainly isn't the worst.

The film opens with a frantic chase between T.J. (Devin Brochu) and a tow truck that is hauling away a red car. T.J., on a bike, is cutting through traffic trying to keep up with the vehicle, and is even thrown off his bike when he collides with the front of a vehicle. He eventually comes to the garage that the tow truck hauled the car to. He gets into the passenger seat and, mentally, fades away. It is revealed later that the car is the one that his father was driving when a car accident took his mother's life. The film then takes us to T.J.'s home where he lives with his father and his grandmother. We see that T.J.'s father, Paul (Rainn Wilson), is coasting through life with the aid of prescription medication. He is seen sleeping most of the time and is, generally, useless as a parent. One day, as T.J. is riding his bike, he meets Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Hesher is a squatter with long, unruly hair, and crude tattoos all over his body. He threatens T.J. and starts to stalk him around town and even at school. The film shows us that T.J. is bullied at school by Dustin. He shoves him into lockers and yells obscene things at him. The next day, as T.J. is riding hom, Dustin pulls up next to him and screams at him. We see that his car has been vandalized and he believes T.J. is responsible. Dustin chases T.J. to a grocery store and he begins to fight with him. The two are broken up by Nicole (Natalie Portman) and Dustin flees. Nicole sees that his bike is in need of repair and offers T.J. a ride home. When she lets T.J. out at his house, Hesher's van can be seen barreling down the street. Nicole leaves and Hesher invites himself into T.J.'s home. He begins to do laundry and makes himself at home. Hesher, acting as a foul mouthed and dirty Mary Poppins, shows T.J. and Paul that they still have each other and that they need to cherish that.

I honestly though that it was going to be revealed that Hesher was an imaginary person ala Tyler Durden. I thought that in order for T.J. to cope with his mother's death and the bullying at school, he created Hesher as a means of self preservation. This theory is nixed early on when Hesher is shown interacting with other people while T.J. is in the same room. I feel that the most compelling reason to see Hesher is that you get to see actors outside of their norms. For instance, this is what JGL usually looks like:

I'm super straight but come on, he's gorgeous.

This is what JGL looks like as Hesher:

Somethings a little off, wouldn't you say?

Likewise, Rainn Wilson is known for portraying the lovable dweeb Dwight Schrute on The Office. He typically looks like this:


This is Rainn Wilson as Paul in Hesher:


Gordon-Levitt continues to prove that he doesn't have a role preference. He could do any role and it would feel completely natural. Wilson has tried this as well but the Dwight expectation is usually too great, and it seems to interfere with his performance. That is not the case in Hesher. Wilson's performance was fantastic. After the initial schock of "hey, it's Dwight" I completely accepted Wilson as Paul. This is the trailer for Hesher. It shows a brief look at how different the two are in their roles.


Young Devin Brochu also shows that he has the chops to share the screen with the giants he is co-stars with. He acts twice his age and we don't think twice about it. In conjunction with the great performances, I stated that Hesher behaves like a Nihilist version of Mary Poppins. He invades the Forney's lives and ends up changing them due to his unusual methods of getting things done. He seems larger than life and that he will, somehow, outlive everyone. He then does this: **WARNING** The scene linked here is a mild spoiler and is littered with foul language. I chose to share it because it wraps up the meaning of the film quite nicely.


No BS

Hesher is foul and unbelievably crude but is actually enjoyable. Underneath the vulgarity there is actually a pretty great message: cherish the time you have with your friends and family.

My Score: 6.5/10

Evil Dead (2013)

Evil Dead (2013)
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 65%

I went and saw the Evil Dead remake/reboot this evening and...*sigh* it was exactly what I thought it'd be. If you recall, I just recently saw the original Evil Dead so it was fresh in my mind as I sat through this modern retelling of the story. That being said, seeing the original in no way prepares you for what you are about to experience in the ninety-one minutes that follows.

Evil Dead is a modern teen horror movie set in an abandoned cabin in the woods. Our characters consist of: David (Shiloh Fernandez), his girlfriend Natalie (Elizabeth Blackmore), Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci), Olivia (Jessica Lucas), and David's sister, Mia (Jane Levy). It is revealed early in the film that David is estranged from his friends, and has come back to town to help them aid Mia in a cold turkey drug rehabilitation. David is the Ash analogue in this retelling but he shares no similarities with Bruce Campbell's cult classic character. He broods for much of the movie and is generally unlikeable. The rehab treatment appears to be going well until Eric finds the Necronomicon and lets his curiosity get the better of him. He recites some phrases in the book bound in flesh and releases The Evil.

Evil Dead has a few subtle hints to the original movie (the cabin is the same, there is a broken down Oldsmobile, Mia is wearing a Michigan State shirt, and the chainsaw makes an appearance) but other than little hints; this is a completely different version of the story. During the film my girlfriend said "I'm going to text you something that I want you to discuss in your review". That text said "10 things I learned from watching 'scary' movies". Something you need to understand about my girlfriend: she HATES to be scared. She panicked when I told her I wanted to see this movie but she went with me because she loves me. We laughed through the whole movie because it simply wasn't scary. The studio had a huge budget compared to the original ($17 million as opposed to the $400,000 budget of the original). Sure, the effects were better, the makeup was better, and the mood was creepier but the little things were lost. The camera work was too "professional" in this version. Part of what made the original film so scary is that the camera work felt amateur; like something you could personally do. This added to the realism. It's the same effect that The Blair Witch Project had. This is the list of things we learned by watching "scary" movies that Katie and I came up with:

1) While being chased, your sense of balance will suddenly disappear.
2) Doors will ALWAYS slam when a character enters a dangerous room.
3) There will be yellow eyes looking at you at some point.
4) Lights will inevitably flicker or go out at some point.
5) It's never the first key you try.
6) The weapons lying around will be used by the villan first.
7) The bad guy/girl/thing isn't dead yet!
8) Everything is over the top to increase intensity (i.e. blood showers instead of drops and foul language).
9) That thing that has all the warnings about how bad it is? Yeah, listen to those warnings
10) You're NEVER safe!

No BS

The Evil Dead reboot is worth seeing if you're a fan of the franchise. You will get to see the nods and will have fun tearing it apart as you watch. It would be on par with a Hate Watch. If you don't like horror movies then it's probably not for you but as I stated above, we laughed through the whole thing. Plus there is a scene that all I could think of was this:


My Score: 6/10

Evil Dead

Evil Dead (1981)
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

Allow me to introduce this review by saying that I had never seen Sam Raimi's classic (and groundbreaking) Evil Dead. Judge me how you will but horror movies have just never really appealed to me. When I was younger I saw several of the Friday the 13th movies along with several installments in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. These movies terrified me but there was always something bringing me back. Now, I never went out of my way to see a horror movie. I always saw it if it was already on or if a friend wanted to see it. For instance, I saw Halloween: H20 in the theater because my mom wanted to see it. I swear I saw Michael Myers standing in my door way every night the rest of that week. When I was in high school, something changed. I saw that the remake of the Amityville Horror was coming out and it looked pretty good. I did some research and became enthralled with the story. I saw the movie opening day and laughed through the entire thing. It was so bad and not scary at all. They added something about ancient torture grounds under the house and completely ignored all of the compelling things that happened in real life. It was at this point I realized that I wasn't scared of these types of entertainment anymore (this is big coming from someone that would have panic attacks whenever the Unsolved Mysteries theme song would come on). I have since seen several more horror movies (Candyman, Paranormal Activity, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Child's Play, etc) and must say that Halloween is my absolute favorite. Now, even though I had never seen Evil Dead, I knew that it was an important film not just to the horror genre, but to all of film. After watching it, I can see why.

I will provide a VERY brief synopsis of the movie because I feel it is important for everyone to see so I am hoping to entice you. Evil Dead starts with a group of friends arriving at a decrepit cabin in the woods. The surroundings scream "Please come kill us" but the group is determined to have a good time. Our friends consist of: Ash (Bruce Campbell), who is dating Linda (Betsy Baker) , and their friends Scotty (Hal Delrich), his girlfriend Shelly (Sarah York), and Ash's unpaired sister Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss). Almost immediately, Cheryl beings to hear a voice saying "join us". She leaves the cabin to investigate (because that's a good idea) and is essentially raped by the forest.

The picture gets pixelated because there is an exposed breast

The tree raping leaves Cheryl disoriented and frantic. She pleads with Ash to take her into town and he agrees to oblige. However, when they reach the bridge they crossed to get to the cabin they discover that it has since collapsed; they are trapped. When the two return, Cheryl sits by the window and stares out. She eventually flips her sh*t and beings to attack the people in the cabin (including stabbing one of them in the foot with a pencil). What follows is both hilarious, disgusting, and disturbing all rolled into one movie!

One of the elements that makes a fantastic horror movie is the feeling of being trapped or confined. When we watch movies, we implant ourselves into the lives of the main characters; we become them. When a film takes place in one location we begin to feel claustrophobic. One of the marks of a great adventure film is exotic locations. We feel we could go anywhere; it's freeing. This makes the horror genre the foil to adventure. Evil Dead gives us a false hope with the ability to get in the car and drive away. Things are not going well so let's just leave. The trapped feeling rushes back when we discover the bridge has been compromised. As I think back, my favorite thrillers/horrors have very few location changes (The Strangers being one of them).

Voyeurism is also another element that is essential to the horror genre. Remember the story about the babysitter that gets a call from a stranger, and then she discovers that the call is coming from INSIDE the house? What's scary about that? It's that he knows where she is but she doesn't know where he is. He can see her and is watching her every move. Even typing that gives me chills. Evil Dead has a fair dose of voyeurism when the "Evil Force" is spying on the friends in the cabin. The camera (representing Evil) comes right to the window and we can see our friends undressing and occupying themselves. This changes the dynamic for the audience too. We are still implanted into the characters lives but we have also taken on the role of the villan. This leaves an uneasy feeling because we can sense our impending doom and there is nothing we can do about it.

Linda Williams argues that horror and pornography fall into the same film genre, and I feel Evil Dead demonstrates that very well. She feels that these (along with Melodrama) are all meant to create physical reactions from their viewers. Horror is supposed to make you shake with fear and pornography is supposed to arouse you sexually. I feel that this could be taken a step further for Evil Dead, because it has such a sexual feeling to it. I have already discussed the "tree rape" above which starts off the tormenting. A seed of evil is implanted in Cheryl which causes her to change into a demon after it has had time to take root. Then each subsequent character is infected when their skin is broken and the disease enters their blood stream. This is much like sex. There are also several instances of extreme close ups (eyes, legs, feet, etc) which is also common in pornography.

No BS

See this movie! If you don't like horror then see it with lights on and with a group of people. It is funny in its own right but is also terribly gruesome. If you consider yourself a movie person then you're doing yourself a diservice if you don't see Evil Dead.

My Score: 9/10