hoernkeem Reviews

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024, Adam Wingard) More video effects heavy Titan action with Kong and Godzilla teaming up.... again....

[4/10 · 30 May 2024]

Eric's Grade: C- While I greatly enjoy the movie monsters Godzilla and King Kong most of the recent films have not been very good. They are big, shiny objects that generate revenue, but don't really do much for the characters or the universe they are trying to build. 'Godzilla Minus One' is a bit of an outlier as it does not fit in with the American films of the past decade. I actually really enjoyed the reintroduction of Godzilla in the 2014 Gareth Edwards film but since then both Godzilla and Kong films have been lackluster. Due to the fact they are making money they keep churning out sequel after sequel though. 'The New Empire' is the fifth film in this Godzilla/Kong MonsterVerse overall although only the second to feature both in the same movie. It is a direct sequel to the events that occurred in 'Godzilla vs. Kong' where the two Titans finally fought each other. Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry and Kaylee Hottle reprise their roles from the previous film with Dan Stevens coming on as the most significant new supporting character. 'The New Empire' has become the highest grossing Godzilla film of all time.

After the last film Godzilla maintains a vigil on Earth's surface rising up to maintain a balance between humanity and the presence of Titans which are large monsters akin to Godzilla and Kong. When a significant threat is posed Godzilla will nullify it destroying any significant human historical site along the way. In this film we not only get Roman Colosseum carnage, but Egyptian pyramid destruction as well. It is like none of these beings can battle unless there is a major landmark in the immediate vicinity. Kong lives alone in the recently discovered Hollow Earth. Monarch's Hollow Earth base picks up a signal and is subsequently destroyed. Jia, the little girl who connected with Kong in the previous movie, also receives the signal which gives her hallucinations. Hall is Ilene Andrews, and she takes a small contingent of people including Stevens' Trapper and Henry's Bernie Hayes to Hollow Earth to determine what is wrong. Meanwhile Godzilla is active on the surface attempting to load up on radiation energy in order to super power itself to handle some imminent conflict that it senses on the horizon. Kong discovers a subterranean realm in Hollow Earth previously sealed off. A Hollow Earth within Hollow Earth? There he discovers an ape tribe ruled by Skar King who has a Titan in chains. He seeks access to the above world so he can unleash another ice age. As the title would indicate Kong goes to collect Godzilla, and with luck and their powers combined they may be able to defeat and contain this foe before it is too late for humanity on the surface.

I feel like I want to say a lot of bad stuff about this film, and I probably will, but when you walk into a movie like 'Godzilla x Kong' you know exactly the type of film you are going to get. You are going to get more of 'Godzilla vs. Kong', and that is exactly what the film delivers. You might benefit from not seeing the trailer for this as I felt I knew 95% of the movie upon watching the trailer and the whole enterprise proceeds very predictably. It is tough to give both monsters their due in a Godzilla/Kong team up movie. By their natures Kong is more empathetic and able to communicate on a limited basis with humans. As such this feels much more like a Kong movie that Godzilla is guest starring in than a true collaborative, double headlining effort. After scrapping pretty much every human character we have encountered in each MonsterVerse movie, even if you can remember them, they finally return some primary human characters for a follow up movie. That said the human characters really don't seem to matter that much. Jia by her nature is important within the story, but it feels manufactured rather than genuine. The best human character is a newcomer in the form of Dan Stevens hippie Titan veterinarian. His character really seems like he embraces the absurdity of it all which makes him a really fun character to follow. I did not like the primary bad guy. After Mechagodzilla in the last film to get this weird, lanky balding ape that looks like something out of a 'Lord of the Rings' movie is kind of a let down on a scale of one to badass on the villain meter. The appearance of Mothra is about the one thing the trailer didn't give away, but not being a Godzilla nerd I didn't really geek out over the appearance of this Titan like some might. I did enjoy this experience more than I expected, but guilty pleasure aside the movie is lacking. I would also like to see Kong and Godzilla split and get their own movies again rather than lackluster team ups. This outing feels like a paint by numbers, and very contrived rather than discovering a good narrative in which all affiliated parties are allowed to flourish.

Gran Turismo (2023)

Gran Turismo (2023, Neill Blomkamp) Cool premise based on real events that unfortunately only translates to a very basic feel good sports story

[5/10 · 30 May 2024]

Eric's Grade: C 'Gran Turismo' is a 2023 sports drama directed by Neill Blomkamp from a script by Jason Hall and Zach Baylin. The films stars Archie Madekwe and David Harbour with significant supporting roles for Orlando Bloom, Josha Stradowski and Djimon Hounsou. This is not what one would normally construe as a video game adaptation. Instead this is based on real world events where an idea was put forth wondering if any of the best Gran Turismo game players could be turned into legitimate race car drivers. It is an interesting project for Blomkamp to take on as he has made a name more in the dystopian science fiction space with films like 'District 9' and 'Elysium'.

Madekwe stars as Jann Mardenborough who is just a kid from Cardiff who happens to be really good at playing 'Gran Turismo'. His father, played by Hounsou, disapproves and thinks these games are a waste of time, and that his kid needs to learn a trade and play a real sport. Meanwhile Danny Moore, a marketing executive at Nissan played by Orlando Bloom develops the GT Academy which is where the best Gran Turismo players on the planet, after winning a competition, are extended an invitation to train and possibly race an actual race car. For a game Gran Turismo is in essence an incredibly detailed racing simulator from which players can learn a ton about the cars and tracks which have real world applicability. What cannot be taught in a simulator are the very real world stresses placed on a driver in a car both physically and mentally. David Harbour plays Jack Salter who is a former driver turned mechanic with his own past who takes on the role of trainer for the potential drivers. He takes a very hard edged approach knowing what these lackluster video game kids will face in real life. Of course Mardenborough through trial and tribulation eventually earns his spot. We see him gain fame and race in real life and compete, against the odds, to attain the podium at Le Mans which will signify this idea is valid and these video gamers can be molded into the real deal.

If you see the trailer for 'Gran Turismo' or even if you hear the premise you can probably guess how at least 95% of this movie is going to go. At its core it is a basic, feel good sports drama with its roots in everything from 'Days of Thunder' to 'Rocky' to almost every sports drama ever made regarding an underdog character trying to make good. The acting here is mostly serviceable with Harbour and Honsou really leaning into both of their adult mentor roles. Madekwe is a relative newcomer and fills the role nicely, but is not that inspiring as a lead which may actually be at the heart of the character. There is a moment after he wins his spot that Moore questions giving it Mardenborough because he does not have the most marketable personality. The whole narrative from Jann's relationship with his father, to his burgeoning romance, to his progression on the racing circuit is all incredibly predictable. With the way they tell you his exact goal I was stating the outcome of every race he was in including a physically and mentally debilitating crash that would almost derail his career. That sequence was actually criticized for being used as a narrative element, taken out of order in the actual progression of career to give the film more drama. They even have that one driver who shows up as that antagonistic dick that everyone just loathes and winds up a modern cliched mustache twirling villain. The premise here is quite interesting especially the concept that it is based on a real story, and it is even cooler when you know the real life Jann Mardenborough served as a stunt double for his character on the film. The race sequences are very cool and well filmed, but at its core this is a very basic, paint by numbers, predictable sports drama that fails to really stretch that genre or its storytelling beyond average.

Crimes of the Future (2022)

Crimes of the Future (2022, David Cronenberg) Classic Cronenberg body horror hides a deeper societal message, but unfortunately it is not that captivating

[6/10 · 24 May 2024]

Eric's Grade: C+

After watching a few minutes of 'Crimes of the Future' there is no doubt you are watching a Cronenberg film. It displays classic imagery of body horror that few directors outside of Cronenberg could conceive. To be fair for the last 20 years or so the auteur has made few films that delved science fiction or horror of any kind much less body horror. That said whenever we utter his name the images that come to mind are of body horror such as 'The Fly', 'The Brood' and 'Scanners'. He delves his specific body horror genre with a different methodology here as, while this features graphic displays of body mutilation, the scenes and the narrative are not designed to be horrific in terms of thrills or scares. 'Crimes of the Future' had been slated to be made back in 2003, but it was shelved and Cronenberg went on to other things before dusting it off and retooling his original story in 2021. Viggo Mortensen, Lea Seydoux, Kristen Stewart and Scott Speedman star in this science fiction drama.

In a future that does not seem too distant humans have started to change, some say evolve whereas others believe the changes lead to abomination. The changes that have been wrought seem to center around human physiology. Infection and pain have all but vanished, and some have even had spontaneous organs generate in their body. The cause of these changes are unknown as are what the ends are. The government wants to preserve and protect humans as they have been and thus guard against these changes with a National Organ Registry as well as a New Vice subset of police officers/investigators. Following these changes a culture has risen up surrounding body mutilation as art as well as erotic pleasure. At one point a character even says "surgery is the new sex". Mortensen plays Saul Tenser and Seydoux plays Caprice and together they are a team of celebrated performance artists who thrive in this new subculture. Tenser spontaneously grows new organs, and they put on shows where Clarice uses a special biomechanical to remove the organs during their performance of public surgery as high art. Different agendas surround our two leads as the National Organ Registry is pretty much an odd pair of people that appear to be lured by the performance artist subculture. There are also New Vice agents digging around attempting to maintain their hold on old humanity by controlling and containing the new evolution. Then there is a fringe group that actively advocates for human change by altering human physiology to turn themselves into plastic eaters. All this and more Saul and Caprice face as they navigate this strange and bizarre present into an unknown future.

This film is definitely out there which is par for the course for Cronenberg, but despite seeing some unsettling and graphic body mutilation this is not a true horror film. If anything it could be construed as existential horror, but really exists in the science fiction drama space more than horror. The idea of surgery as sex and performance art in the absence of pain and infection is a fascinating concept although I am sure the graphic nature of the film will dominate people's thoughts as the film closes. It also subtly works in governmental control over personal decisions disguised as welfare of the general populace, but what it really comes down to is them exercising fear and control. As weird as it sounds it would seem like the plastic eaters evolution is good for the future of the race from a survival standpoint, but the head of that movement is assassinated with little fanfare as his crusade is subverted. The actors are all good here at channeling some bizarre concepts, and it takes a second to really catch on to what is going on in this story especially walking in with no idea what you are getting into. If you can wrap your head around what Cronenberg is attempting to say as well as deal with the more graphic nature of the film then there is an enjoyable, thought provoking narrative here. While I found the idea interesting I the narrative was a bit too sparse for me to really get engaged and care about what was happening to any of these people.

The Way Back (I) (2020)

The Way Back (2020, Gavin O'Connor) Basic, cliche sports drama lacking genuine emotion

[2/10 · 24 May 2024]

Eric's Grade: D- Gavin O'Connor directs this sports drama from 2020 reteaming with his 'Accountant' star Ben Affleck. 'The Way Back' is scripted by Brad Ingelsby, and co-stars Al Madrigal. The movie was pushed back from an October 2019 release date to March of 2020, and thus became an early casualty of the COVID pandemic, and ended up on Premium VOD only two weeks after its release date taking in only $15.5 million at the box office.

The movie centers on Ben Affleck as Jack Cunningham who is a barley functioning alcoholic. He drinks to escape some demons that at first we believe revolve around the dissolution of his marriage, however, as the narrative continues we realize a much heavier burden haunts him. Back in the day Jack Cunningham was a catholic high school basketball star, and now the diocese is petitioning him to help coach their lackluster team in an effort to save them and himself. He begrudgingly does it turning the downtrodden losers into plucky underdog fighters that can be proud of themselves, but it remains to be seen if the spiraling Cunningham can save himself before its too late.

This is not high drama, and is the kind of role Affleck can do in his sleep. This movie is just about every standard sports cliché wrapped into one movie combined with the down-on-his luck coach which has echoes of a much less emotional 'Manchester by the Sea'. There is a severe lack of star power in the casting and it shows in the performances. All of these characters outside of the lead are basic templates, and while Jack pushes the wayward kids to be better versions of themselves everything is done to move his story forward despite this being a team sports movie. Only the final scenes really sacrifice him when they are forced to as he cannot be with his team in their big moment yet even then the players are still rallying by saying win one for coach and like minded sports pep talk jargon. I never felt for any of these kids and forgot them as soon as the credits rolled. Madrigal was alright, but ultimately ineffectual. This whole enterprise is just so basic and incredibly forgettable as it was predictable. There are so many better sports dramas out there that it is easy to pass this one by unremarked. There are so many better addiction dramas out there that it is easy to pass this one by unremarked. Due to the pandemic the box office run for 'The Way Back' passed by unremarked. My advise is just avoid this, and let it pass by unremarked, and find a better movie to watch tonight.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014, Matt Reeves) This film is decent, but the human characters are pale, and this only inches the larger Apes story forward

[7/10 · 24 May 2024]

Eric's Grade: B 'Dawn' is the nonsensically titled sequel to 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' released 3 years prior. I mean, come on... Shouldn't 'Rise' come before 'Dawn'? It just makes sense. Originally Rupert Wyatt was slated to return as director, but ultimately left the project, and Matt Reeves would take over directing duties. He would also go on to direct the third movie in the franchise in 2017 as well. The only true returning actor is Andy Serkis in his motion capture role as the ape leader Caesar. The human cast for this outing includes Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, Gary Oldman and Kodi Smit-McPhee. 'Dawn' would garner an Academy Award nomination for Visual Effects, and the movie would go on to be the highest grossing of the franchise claiming over $710 million in worldwide box office.

It is 10 years after the events of the original film which saw a band of genetically enhanced apes escape into the woods north of San Francisco. Coinciding with that a deadly pandemic swept through the human population all but wiping them out. Jason Clarke stars as Malcolm who is a member of a community of human survivors in San Francisco. Running out of fuel he leads a small contingent north to a dam that could provide the city power if they can get it operational. Unexpectedly they stumble into the apes stronghold and, while not killed, they are rebuffed. The apes then appear at the humans door much closer to humanlike than previously believed possible riding horses and speaking in coherent sentences. Caesar warns the humans not to return. The humans do, however, needing the power, and this begins a bit of predictable back and forth between these two different species who don't much like or trust one another. There are factions in both the human and ape camps that would prefer war, but as long as Caesar leads he knows war leads to doom for the apes, and he has no desire to slaughter humans knowing that they do possess the ability to be good and benevolent. Due to malign intent hostilities ensue and it is up to a small group including Malcolm and his family along with Caesar and his closest allies to cease the hostilities before everyone is destroyed.

I will admit I am not the biggest fan of the 'Apes' franchise. I am not sure if people were really out there clamoring for a rebooted series, but the box office would indicate that there is indeed interest. Through the first two films of this burgeoning franchise they are taking a very slow burn methodology to the storytelling. The first film one ape lead more of an escape than any sort of true revolt, and in this film the apes have built a small civilization, but it is isolated and still percolating. This feels still a far cry from the apes on top, humans on the bottom motif that made the franchise what it was back in the Charlton Heston days, and was also the basis for Tim Burton's remake. So people tuning in for that will be disappointed I suppose, and the overall themes here are very broad such as the revelation that apes can indeed be just as devious as people. The human characters and the plot in 'Dawn' are just so much filler designed to have a framework within which to have the ape and human cultures reestablish contact and clash. We realize, as we already know, that both sides have the capacity for good and forgiveness as well as hate and warmongering. Serkis' Caesar is the spoon that stirs the coffee and his presence and gravitas give this movie an added weight which he incredibly imbues into a motion capture performance. The story here is only medium, but the special effects take a so so story and elevate it a degree or two. Visual effects and main character aside the major issue the film faces is that it feels like it only exists to connect past to future. It is like the writers and director wanted to get the franchise to a much larger scale battle between humans and apes, and all this film was designed to do was precipitate that and thus while the movie isn't bad it is nowhere near as good as it could have been had they constructed a story that had more agency and intent rather than just being connective tissue.

Dirty Dancing (I) (1987)

Dirty Dancing (1987 Emile Ardolino) Nostalgia, magnetic leads and a wonderful soundtrack propel this otherwise basic dance drama

[6/10 · 21 May 2024]

Eric's Grade: B- 'Dirty Dancing' is one of the most classic and endearing films of the 1980s. You will probably never see it on best of lists, but I am sure there are plenty out there that rate 'Dirty Dancing' as one of their favorite films. Stars Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey were not unknowns at the time, but they were nowhere near the stars they would become following the success of 'Dirty Dancing', especially Swayze. While Grey would become a household name after this role she did not go on to the heights of Swayze's stardom in all his People's "Sexiest Man Alive" glory. This movie exists and subsists to a large extent on nostalgia. The story is nostalgic in and of itself, and then it has a lot of nostalgia for people of a certain generation who watched it as kids in the 80's. This was really the start of the star run of Swayze's career which would include 'Ghost' and 'Road House'. The film was scripted by Eleanor Bergstein who based much of it on her recollection of childhood trips to Catskill resorts. The film is directed by Emile Ardolino who was a first time director. The film was wildly popular taking in over $200 million on only a $4.5 million budget. As popular as the movie was the soundtrack was even more popular in the heyday of film soundtracks. It was a carefully crafted mix of classic tunes along with original music including Patrick Swayze singing 'She's Like the Wind'. The only Oscar attention 'Dirty Dancing' got was winning Best Original Song for "(I've Had) The Time of My Life".

The story is that of young Frances "Baby" Houseman journeying with her family presumably from the NYC area to Kellerman's, a summer resort in the Catskills in the summer of 1963. At Kellerman's there are the waitstaff, who are Ivy League blue bloods, and then there are the entertainment staff including dancers who are lower class townies. When a chance encounter leads Baby to one of the dancing staff's underground parties she begins a metamorphosis from a sheltered daddy's girl into a young woman coming into her own who lusts after lead dancer and resident "bad boy" Johnny Castle, played by Swayze. A daring abortion sideplot spurs our two leads into each others arms, and in classic romance fashion they do not get along at first, but soon they find themselves falling for one another as Baby learns to dance under the very watchful eyes, and guiding hands, of the experienced Johnny. Of course Daddy dear hates the coupling for various reasons, but as we all know "nobody puts baby in corner" and we get a rousing dance finale where all is revealed, forgiven and embraced with Johnny and Baby's final dance lift serving as a fitting exclamation point as the credits role.

I do not think 'Dirty Dancing' is a great film. Before I get slaughtered in the comments section I will say that I do understand people's fondness for it, and I myself, even have some nostalgic attraction to it. The film is very well cast especially the two leads despite famously being at odds for portions of the production. The script and production design evoke that summer getaway feel perfectly although despite some interesting choices, like the whole abortion thing, the script itself is somewhat simple and heavy handed. Baby says it at the beginning of movie how this time and place was brief, and it was ending. Kellerman's owner even lamented the end of an era as he foresaw these summer retreats fading, and as the setting of summer of 1963 would indicate that was indeed the last summer of popular innocence. Fall would see the assassination of JFK, and as the 60's would march on we get stuck further in the quagmire of Vietnam and racial unrest. That makes the story all the more poignant as one last summer of innocent frivolity before the real world would come crashing down shattering those endless summers. I enjoyed Grey's performance much more than Swayze. He is good to look at and an excellent dancer, but was meh channeling the bad boy with a heart of gold trope. Meanwhile Grey comes in as this quiet, sheltered unassuming girl, and you see her blossom throughout the movie expressed not only in her demeanor and attitude, but how she relates to her father and clearly embodied in her dress. The director and editor did an excellent job of balancing the two primary shooting locations seamlessly weaving together North Carolina and Virginia making it feel like upstate NY. On a recent trip to Lake Lure, I discovered that it was one of the primary shooting locations, and I even golfed on the course that is featured in a scene in the movie. They of course embrace their role in film history and flaunt it, but that trip is what prompted my own reveling in nostalgia re-watching 'Dirty Dancing' for the first time in decades. The film has some merit, but functions mainly on the gravitas of its two magnetic leads, and a perfectly executed soundtrack. Even with nostalgia running high I can only say 'Dirty Dancing' is a slightly better than average film even though it captivates the hearts of many.

Princess Mononoke (1997)

Princess Mononoke (1999, Hayao Miyazaki) Miyazakie & Ghibli at their best. Stunning fantasy animated achievement.

[10/10 · 19 May 2024]

Eric's Grade: A I am not sure this is the best comparision, but Studio Ghibli is, to some degree, the Disney of Japan. That comparison isn't really fair though as Ghibli and director Miyazaki produce more high concept, weighty, adult animation compared to the essentially childish films of Disney, but they are no less beloved by their target audience. Adult animation has gained in popularity in America in recent years, but in Japan it has always been a legitimate adult medium. Ghibli's features go back to 1984, and my first experience was 'My Neighbor Totoro' from 1988, but I saw 'Princess Mononoke' in a theater and adored it. It is easily on my favorite films of all time list. It was originally released in Japan in 1997, but did not see a U. S. release until 1999. This is also one of those films where I advocate for the dubbed version which is rare as typically seeing a foreign film in its original language is the best course of action. It is a legit cast of voice talent including Bully Crudup, Claire Danes, Minnie Driver and Billy Bob Thornton among others from a script adapted by Neil Gaiman. 'Princess Mononoke' is largely responsible for increasing Studio Ghibli's popularity in the United States which has continued to this day.

A demon that has consumed and perverted a large boar god attacks Prince Ashitaka's village. He is able to dispatch the demon but not before being cursed by the wretched thing as it marks and scalds his arm. The curse has given him superhuman strength but it will eventually ravage his body and kill him. He accepts dismissal from his village to go on a quest to discover what corrupted the boar god into a demon. The only clue he has is a lead ball. He will travel great distances and encounter different cultures as he seeks the source of the lead as well as the Spirit of the Forest who is an entity that may have the power to remove his curse. What he finds is a complex interconnected web of warring civilizations as well as the frontier of industrialization versus the sanctity of the forest. The spirits and animals of the forest try to keep the humans from destroying all they have. The humans, for their part, seem intent on expansion up to and including destroying the Spirit of the Forest at the behest of the Emperor. Ashitaka strives to walk a line between the disparate forces to try and make all see reason that humanity and forest must live in some kind of harmony or risk tipping a delicate balance that cannot be undone.

I feel like that gives the basics of what happens, but that is a gross oversimplification. Ashitaka is one of those truly mesmerizing protagonists. He is tasked to go out and "see with eyes unclouded by hate" while all he encounters are people and factions that are driven, by hate, and while it sounds almost like childish fancy he takes simple tasking seriously. Through that simple mantra he both infuriates and inspires those he comes across. The deft balance here is that, despite all sides committing heinous acts no one here is truly evil just like no one is truly benevolent. Ashitaka maintains the highest moral standing trying to get all of these opposing sides to calm down and live together in harmony. Of course destiny does not go that way. The forest and its denizens fight against industrialization yet continually lose ground whereas the industrialists have no qualms about destroying forest, animals or gods in the name of progress and profit, but it is a service done to their people to strive for both progress and profit. Princess Mononoke is a girl named San who has been raised by a Wolf god as a daughter and is Ashitaka's touchstone to interact with the forest and its dwellers. Through it all the Spirit of the Forest sort of exists as aloof observer not really taking sides even to defend his forest or its creatures until he is attacked and harmed in the film's climax. While this is clearly an environmental story I don't feel it browbeats the viewer with messaging. The Lady Eboshi runs the industrialized town, and while she does threaten the environment she is far from an evil character and in many ways she is a magnanimous force for good. That is part of the film's brilliance is that while Ashitaka has a very simple moral code there are not really clear delineations of good and evil. The animation is gorgeous as expected from a Miyazaki feature as well as his excellent directorial vision. This is historical fantasy tale that is exciting and engaging and thought provoking. I enjoy this film every time I get a chance to watch it, and to this day it is on a short list of my favorite movies of all time.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011, Rupert Wyatt) A good preamble, but is a lot of setup for a very brief payoff

[7/10 · 17 May 2024]

Eric's Grade: B I will admit that 'Planet of the Apes' as a franchise has never really grabbed me or been something I felt was vital viewing. The original, classic iteration of the franchise, had a five film run from 1968 to 1973. Then there was a pretty decent Tim Burton remake in 2001, and, most recently, a franchise reboot commenced with 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' as the first of four films to date. As of the writing of this I have never even seen the third film or reviewed any of them. The imminent release of 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' prompted me to rewatch and review the Apes films. The brand must be healthy with moviegoers as all 3 films have cleared at least $480 million in worldwide box office. 'Rise' stars James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow and Andy Serkis in one of his classic motion capture roles as the ape Caesar. The special effects heavy film got two Academy Award nominations for Visual Effects.

James Franco is Will Rodman, a scientist working at a lab that is doing drug testing on monkeys as they actively develop a drug designed to cure Alzheimer's. Will's interest in this cure is very personal as his father is deteriorating before his eyes. When a lab accident causes all the monkeys to be destroyed Will discovers a baby ape that he takes home not only to save it, but also the young chimp received the drug benefits from its mother in the womb so Will studies the newly dubbed Caesar as much as he raises him. The drug treatment passed from the mother to Caesar had left him gaining intelligence at a pronounced rate. When an inevitable clash happens on the homefront Will is forced to cede Caesar to authorities at a facility that houses monkeys. The intelligent Caesar feels abandoned by his people, and does not understand the new habitat he has been thrust into. He witnesses cruelty, and in the face of his seeming abandonment resolves to not only enable his new ape clan, but also free them.

While I am not sure if a franchise was the plan 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' is clearly just an opening chapter as apes first gain sentience, and instead of an all out war they are at first just seeking escape. The story setup is relatively basic, but carried out well. It takes a lot of suspension of disbelief to believe that Rodman could get away with all he does from taking an ape from a lab and raising it for years without issue to treating his own father with experimental drugs to keeping his dad at home in the face of a deteriorating Alzheimer's condition among other moral and ethical violations. He disregards so many principles in the first half of the movie that it is hard to believe he is not banned from his lab or in jail. Moving along though the setup is good and thorough and interesting, but it is kind of unfortunate that about ¾ of the movie go by before we get the apes finally getting agency and acting out on their own behalf. Instead this is very much an origin story with a lot of preamble and setup, and if you are aware that is the film you are getting it is very well done. Just don't walk in expecting an entire prototypical 'Planet of the Apes' movie. The special effects are great, and despite Franco's run amok scientist the acting here is very good. We even get poor Tom Felton playing another dick. It seems like the former Draco Malfoy cannot escape his Harry Potter roots even when jumping to another franchise. 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' is a very good movie despite a misleading title. Really the first one should have been 'Dawn' and the second one should have been 'Rise', but I digress. This is a worthwhile and vital step one on the apes' journey that is more of character drama than you would think for a big budget action film although it does save a big action sequence for the finale. 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' does a lot of heavy lifting to establish a base for the future of prolific franchise.

Sin City (2005)

Sin City (2005, Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller) Amazingly translated from page to screen! Stunning achievement!

[10/10 · 14 May 2024]

Eric's Grade: A Back when I was in college I developed a wish list of sorts of material I wished to see, or that if I were ever able, would adapt into a feature film. One of the top five was some sort of adaptation of Frank Miller's 'Sin City' comics. Darkly themed and heavily noir they reveled in the seedy underbelly of the fictional metropolis Basin City. Most are corrupt and the only heroes are outlaws and rogues, but even their moral code can be ambiguous. With boldly drawn black and white panels with strategic points of color 'Sin City' was peak creativity in comics as far as I was concerned. They wonderfully balanced a hard edged story with glorious art work. In 2005 maverick director Robert Rodriguez teamed with Frank Miller himself to bring 'Sin City' to the screen adapting a couple of the stories and weaving the stories into a fluid vignette format. The film features a mammoth ensemble cast including Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Benicio del Toro and Rosario Dawson among many others. Rodriguez did not actually list any screenwriting credit as we was hewing so close to the source material they just had "based on the comics by Frank Miller" in the credits. Also of note when the Directors Guild of America refused to allow Frank Miller to have a co-directing credit Rodriguez resigned from the Guild in order to allow the joint accreditation to move forward rather than leave Miller out.

Heroes in Basin City are hard to come by and include a disgraced ex-cop and a couple of local thugs whereas the antagonists are framed by what should be the good guys in society including the police, the parish and the politicians. The stories here focus on a couple of hard edged men trying to protect women who would be exploited and worse in this cesspool of a town. Stories here do not rhyme with happy endings which is in keeping with the noir aesthetic, and also makes the protagonists' sacrifices meaningful. In many cases, despite falling in the end, the women are either protected or avenged or both which makes for a melancholic happy ending. Those are the overriding themes and stories contained in 'Sin City'.

'Sin City' is truly a marvel of innovative film making. One might wonder if a director could really do justice to Frank Miller's source material, but this is like the pages of the comic book coming alive on the screen. Much of the film is a black and white computer generated landscape. The splashes of color are vibrant, stunning and meaningful dragged right from page. It is quite a stunning and well conceived technical achievement to behold. The action and script are a tad unrealistic, but that is par for the course for the comic which is going for over the top pulp. It is like film noir gone off the rails and on steroids. It is sexual, sensual and incredibly violent with some truly squeamish scenes of death and dismemberment, but somehow it feels slightly less impactful in the outlandish comic book style. It is violent, but that seems exactly how it should be in this place and in this movie. The stories are weaved together expertly and the cast is one of the most impressive ensembles assembled in recent memory. My college-aged nerd self geeks out over seeing this adapted and adapted properly, and my present self is nostalgic about it, but is still as much in love with the comics as ever. Rodriguez and Miller's 'Sin City' is stunning and a triumph in both form and function.

Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver (2024)

Rebel Moon: Part 2 - The Scargiver (2024, Zack Snyder) Visuals alone cannot disguise a basic and uninteresting sci fi clunker

[3/10 · 14 May 2024]

Eric's Grade: D This is the second film, or second part, of Zack Snyder's science fiction fantasy epic 'Rebel Moon'. It is subtitled 'The Scargiver' which is a silly Imperium nickname for the disgraced Kora played by Sofia Boutella. I suppose she scarred the galaxy with her "betrayal" although they never actually reference the derivation of the nickname. This follows directly after events of 'A Child of Fire' which was released on Netflix following a brief theatrical run in December 2023. Following a similar format 'The Scargiver' had a short run in theaters and then was released on Netflix in April 2024. Despite negative reviews and the understanding that 'Rebel Moon' was only a two part story, the end of part 2 would indicate there is more story to tell, and in fact new films are supposedly in development along with that an R-rated cut of 'Rebel Moon' that is supposed to be forthcoming. After the negative reception of both 'Rebel Moon' films we shall see if anything else in this Snyderverse sees the light of day.

At the close of 'A Child of Fire' the mean Admiral Noble is thought to be dead and the ragtag rebels have returned to the quiet farming moon of Veldt to heal and deliver the good news. Despite what they thought regarding Noble they receive word that a ship, a mighty dreadnought, is on its way so the villagers must harvest all the grain inhumanly quickly as well as learning how to stop a military force all in the span of 5 days. Normally impossible, however, with a montage all things can be accomplished and by the time the ship arrives the plucky settlers and their stalwart champions are ready to defend their home as well as the crops they have harvested. As the populace fights with the Imperium on the ground Kora makes her way to the ship above to not only bring it down but to confront, and end Noble's threat once and for all.

What is there to say? If you saw 'A Child of Fire' you are essentially in for 2 more hours of the same stuff. There is a lot of Zack Snyder slow motion choreographed action which even extends to slow motion harvesting for those invested in the art of farm labor. The story is that of the plucky band of upstarts holding their own against a larger imperial force. I still maintain the best thing about this movie and 'Rebel Moon' in general is Snyder's directorial sensibility. He knows how to shoot a movie and make it look stunning despite the subject matter. The problem remains, carrying over from the first movie, that the story as presented is just a derivative science fiction template. He fashions a narrative that has been told a bunch of times into a not very original or believable script. He never makes you feel for any of these characters least of all Kora who is supposed to be the main protagonist. It all feels like so much 'Star Wars' light, and it is vexing as Snyder is a film maker with a distinct amount of talent. If he could go out and get a truly original space opera style science fiction story with his visuals it could be one of the best movies of the year so to see him waste his talents on something that is just so subpar in the concept department is as disappointing as it is confusing.

House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

House of 1,000 Corpses (2003, Rob Zombie) Zombie's directorial debut shows promise but lacks originality and plays like an extended White Zombie video

[4/10 · 10 May 2024]

Eric's Grade: D+ 'House of 1,000 Corpses' is a dark horror film with comedic elements from noted musician Rob Zombie. 'Corpses' is his first foray into film writing and directing, but it would not be his last. He would follow 'Corpses' with a handful of similarly themed horror films using many of the same cast members as well as tackling a two film 'Halloween' reboot. The movie stars Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie, Chris Hardwick and Rainn Wilson. Zombie got the idea for 'Corpses' working on a haunted house attraction for Universal Studios. The studio ultimately refused to release the film due to its graphic nature, however, and Zombie eventually got the rights back and released the film through Lion's Gate Entertainment after editing it to ensure an R-rated cut. The movie was not very well received although it has developed a cult following over the years.

In the mid 70's two couples are driving across country while developing book on odd roadside attractions. They stop at an out of the way gas station helmed by the murderous Captain Spaulding played by Haig. In his gas station he has also created a museum of killers. The tale of a local madman known as Dr. Satan intrigues the kids and they want to see a famous tree connected to it. Deeper into the country their car is sabotaged and they meet a gregarious and overly sexual Baby played by Moon who gets them all to her family's home. After some bizarre interactions it becomes clear that this is a family of killer sadists, and these young people are in real trouble. Can they fend off the depraved psycho killers or are they all destined to be tormented, tortured and killed by this backwoods murder clan? Since this is a Rob Zombie film you probably know where this is going.

The slasher elements are without a doubt depraved and horrific, but after 20 years while I wouldn't call the film tame it has instead been swept aside and somewhat forgotten due to the relative explosion in the horror genre during the past 20 years. Along with that there is a numbing to extreme horror violence that has occurred due to the marked increase in the level of horror violence. Despite being numbed to that horror now in 2003 that level and style of horror was still a new and striking concept. 'Saw' and 'Hostel' wouldn't be released until 2004 and 2005 respectively so this was really an ushering in of that torture porn mentality although 'House of 1,000 Corpses' never gained a wide audience like those films. The most striking thing about Zombie's first feature, and what really knocks the product down a few pegs, is how incredibly derivative it is. This is essentially a livened up version of 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' filmed through the eyes of a music video fever dream. It almost feels like an odd carnival ride so it is not super surprising to learn that is indeed what sparked the idea for the movie, but really? A murderous family of backwoods bumpkins slaughtering kids in rural Texas in the 1970s? I am sure it is meant as homage, but it feels like imitation. The only thing Zombie interjects is the frenetic, comedic intensity of his killer antagonists. They have an unsettling way of reveling in the violence, gore and mayhem they create with no moral link or concern of consequence. They just gleefully barrel down their deviant path not worried about much of anything except torturing the next poor soul to come along. It is violence and horror unleashed and free from consequence or moral quandary which may be the most disturbing part of the film. I would not consider a 'House of 1,000 Corpses' a good film, but it does show that Zombie does have some competence as a director if he can hone his stories into something more original to accompany his outlandish slasher violence.

Abigail (2024)

Abigail (2024 Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett) Some bloody fun and a few original twists, but overall a fairly predictable vampire tale

[6/10 · 6 May 2024]

Eric's Grade: C+ 'Abigail' is a horror film from the directors behind the most recent 'Scream' resurgence having directed the fifth and sixth installments of that franchise. Here they turn their attention to an interesting twist on the vampire story. Melissa Berrera and Dan Stevens star as part of a hired crew to kidnap a young girl for ransom, but things turn south when they realize the girl they kidnapped is actually a vampire and they have been duped and lead like lambs to the slaughter.

Apparently this movie is supposed to fit into Universal's monster-verse of films although not really connected to any other movie. Despite originally being titled 'Dracula's Daughter' this film does not have any reference to that original and most venerated of vampires. Instead Abigail could be the misbegotten daughter of any vampire which conjures up images of the eternally young and frustrated Kirsten Dunst vampire from 'Interview With the Vampire.' She is sort of that forever lost child destined to never see adulthood no matter how long she exists. There are also elements here that remind me a bit of 'The Usual Suspects' as the crew figures out how they were cobbled together for this suicide mission.

This movie comes across as an interesting combo of expected and unexpected. The initial setup is pretty straightforward and even when the crew first figure out what young Abigail is it all follows a fairly straight forward trajectory, but then as the scene turns into more chaos for our kidnappers the writers throw in a few twists and turns that keeps the action from become stale and predictable. This plays on some classic vampire tropes, and revels in the gore and violence inherent in films like this. There is also a good amount of pointed humor in the film although not enough that I would leverage this into the horror comedy genre. The actors here are decent, but they are all just kind of showing up. Nobody is really doing an amazing turn here although that is not to say they are doing a bad job. This winds up being a decent vampire flick. The cast is doing what they can and there is plenty of blood and gore albeit very much fantastical gore rather than hard edge realistic violence. It is not redefining the genre in any way, but is doing just enough to keep itself interesting as a mid level, non blockbuster horror film.

3 Body Problem (2024– )

3 Body Problem season 1 (2024, Netflix) High concept science fiction gets a stunning treatment from Netflix and creators Benioff and Weiss

[9/10 · 5 May 2024]

Eric's Grade: A- '3 Body Problem' is an American adaptation of the Chinese novel of the same name by Liu Cixin. The series was created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss of 'Game of Thrones' fame along with Alexander Woo. 'The Three Body Problem' is the first book of a trilogy called 'Remembrance of Earth's Past' all of which were highly acclaimed science fiction books. The novels deal begin during China's Cultural Revolution before getting into a first contact narrative along with some incredibly hard science fiction concepts. For the television show the primarily Chinese cast has been turned into an internationally flavored cast based mainly out of England which is a bit easier for western audiences to digest. This first season presupposes that there will be more seasons coming to develop the story as nothing is clearly resolved as the credits roll and there is still a vast amount of narrative ground to cover. Season 1 debuted on the Netflix streaming platform in March 2024 totaling 8 roughly hour long episodes.

During China's Cultural Revolution Ye Wenjie witnesses the death of her father before getting sent to a remote camp called Red Coast Base. There she discovers they are seeking extra terrestrial intelligence. She actually makes contact, but the resultant message is a warning, and it is left to her to decide to proceed at humanity's peril or abandon the effort. In the UK in present time we are introduced to a handful of young physicists who are friends, acquaintances and colleagues. Recently physics experiments have been going awry derailing high level scientific experimentation. In addition a large number of physicists have been bizarrely committing suicide. A couple of the friends receive a headset that is technologically advanced and places the wearer in an extremely lifelike simulation with no real stated mission other than to figure out stable versus chaotic eras on a planet in a multiple star system hence the 3 Body Problem of the title. As the layers of the onion are peeled away humanity pivots from the idea that this is all a great cosmic oddity to the idea that not only are aliens real, but they are on their way and are possibly here already. How will humanity deal with that knowledge and prepare for what's coming?

Liu Cixin's novels are incredibly high concept and deal with some pretty dense physics so I was fascinated to see how this adaptation would incorporate what is some pretty hefty science into an entertaining and digestible narrative. I think this show succeeds in an area where many may feel the novels lack a bit and that is in their characters. I remember less the characters from the books and more recall things that happened to specific characters. Part of that may be me getting muddled in a decent quantity of Chinese names that all sound very similar. Here greater care is taken to make each character important and have agency. Another change along those lines that works for the better, although perhaps a bit improbable, is to make many of the primary characters a group of friends. In the book all of these characters were disparate people for the most part, but it means a bit more as they struggle together, not only for humanity, but for one another. Most of the actors are unknowns with some notable exceptions including 'Game of Thrones' alums John Bradley and Liam Cunningham along with Jonathan Pryce and Bendict Wong. All involved do a very good job here. Not everything is explained, but it doesn't really need to be. This is an adaptation that can be enjoyed by fans of the book, but also the show doesn't weigh itself down with dense concepts and instead lets the camaraderie of the characters hold it up so that by the final episode you are invested as much in their fate as you are in the fate of humanity. I hope that '3 Body' secures more seasons and is allowed to tell its story in full because, if the first season is any indication, it could be a heck of a ride.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991, James Cameron) Iconic film that cements both Cameron and Arnold's legacy... One of thee perfect action films

[9/10 · 29 April 2024]

Eric's Grade: A James Cameron almost defies logic with his film making. 'Terminator 2' is a superlative in every sense of the word, and a modern classic in the science fiction action sphere of movies. It would be the crowning achievement for any writer/director. Cameron, however, seems to make nothing but classics. Sandwiched between Terminator films he did 'Aliens', and he would go on to do 'Titanic' and 'Avatar'. Not only is he an amazing storyteller, but he has consistently pushed the boundaries of what is capable on film with visual effects. With 'The Terminator' both Cameron and Schwarzenegger were in their film infancy. By the time 'Terminator 2' rolls around in 1991 Cameron had directed nothing but successes, and Schwarzenegger was a bona fide movie star doing mainly action hero roles. Thankfully Linda Hamilton also returns reprising her key role as Sarah Connor. Robert Patrick co-stars with newcomer Edward Furlong snagging the key role of John Connor. The movie would make $520 million at the box office becoming the highest grossing R-rated film of all time and the 13th highest ever to that point. 'Terminator 2' is widely considered one of the best science fiction movies of all time as well as one of the best sequels ever, and one of those rare sequels that surpasses the original film.

In 'The Terminator' Arnold's T-800 cybernetic assassin was sent back to 1984 to kill the mother of a resistance leader before he was born. A lone man, Kyle Reese, was sent back to protect her and he managed to accomplish that goal destroying the Terminator but dying in the process. He actually winds up fathering John Connor in an interesting time loop quandary. Now a new Terminator has been sent back to the 1990's to attack John Connor as an adolescent. Instead of a human this time the resistance sends another Terminator back to find John and protect him. This protector just happens to be a T-800 which is the same model that was trying to kill Sarah in the first film. They must do battle against a T-1000 which is a technologically superior model made of a liquid metal. It is another race as the T-800 must first find John, then reunite him with his mother before they can attempt to take out a seemingly indestructible killer from the future. All of this is designed to avert Judgment Day when, in 1997, Skynet becomes aware and instigates nuclear Armageddon resulting in machines rising from the ashes as the dominant sentient creatures on earth.

Even over 30 years later the special effects here still seem fresh and vital. I remember 'The Terminator' suffering a bit in the visual effects department. The technology was just not up to the level of Cameron's vision, but by the 1990's that had changed. Not only was Cameron a more savvy film maker, but now he could really get creative with his visual effects. There might be some dating in the look, but it is light. The dating, if anywhere, extends to the solidly early 90's attitude that pervades the film. The screenplay is amazing especially for an action movie and the cast is stupendous. Arnold says very little, but does a lot with that limited vocabulary. Linda Hamilton's transformation is stunning from the carefree 80's waitress to this doomsday harbinger, and Furlong is a find as the young Connor. He has a raw genuineness, and embodies kids of that era. The liquid Terminator is beyond amazing and Cameron crafts continually interesting situations to put the two machines at odds. One of the most brilliant moments is Sarah first seeing the T-800. It harkens back to the first film, and as she is running for her life he extends his hand and says exactly what Reese said to her all those years ago, "Come with me if you want to live." It is absolutely perfect. This whole film is great from the start. The action commences and never really lets up. The weird little family unit created by John, Sarah, and the T-800 is surprisingly poignant which makes the ending all the more meaningful when John is confronted with the fact the T-800 cannot stay. This film is an action classic, and like many Cameron films, it sets the standard and surpasses even its own expectations.

Monkey Man (2024)

Monkey Man (2024, Dev Patel) Part John Wick with a splash of social commentary... fine enough, but nothing too original here

[6/10 · 27 April 2024]

Eric's Grade: B- 'Monkey Man' is an action thriller starring Dev Patel directed by Dev Patel, and is also co-written and co-produced by Patel. This is pretty much the all around Dev Patel show. Set in India the film features a number of Indian actors that will be unfamiliar to American audiences with the most familiar face, outside of Patel himself, being Sharlto Copley who has starred with Patel before in Neill Blomkamp movie 'Chappie'. Patel supposedly wanted Blomkamp to direct 'Monkey Man' but he passed and told Patel he should do it which is what wound up happening. 'Monkey Man' is Patel's directorial debut.

As a young boy Patel's character is told stories of Indian deity Hunuman from which he devises his Monkey Man persona. Police and political corruption lead to a raid on their village to clear out/kill the villagers so the land can be developed. In that raid the kid's mother is brutalized, mortally wounded and burned. The kid grows up with a festering rage against the police commander Rana, who carried out the attack, and the spiritual guru Baba Shakti who ordered it. As an adult Patel, who is never really named, works at an underground fight ring wearing a monkey mask. He sets a plan in place to get a job at a local VIP club and work his way close to Rana, who frequents it, so he can get a chance at revenge. His first attempt goes awry almost killing him. He finds himself at a temple comprised of hijra, who are a marginalized transgender community. With their aid he gains renewed purpose, and after convalescing and training time decides to take another motivated strike at the people he blames for his mother's death.

'Monkey Man' presents very much as an Indian 'John Wick', and I think that is very intentional. It does do a good job of embracing the aspects that make it original. Here Patel's character is not the unstoppable Boogeyman that Wick is. He is very fallible, and that is embodied in his first attempt at vengeance which is a colossal failure. This film also surprises with its inclusion of the hijra community. You do not expect to walk into a movie like this and have the action hero become a champion for such a community. Netflix had initially purchased this film, but did not expect the level of social commentary in the film, and so they wound up selling it and it eventually got picked up by Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions and Universal. I think the level of social commentary is very sedate, and focuses on practices in Indian society, so that should not be an issue with American viewers wanting to see this movie which, at its core, is still a straightforward 'John Wick' style action film with less guns. That is one of the more eyebrow raising parts of 'Monkey Man'. I realize our nameless hero does not roll around with heavy firepower, but in the final assault I don't even think he gets shot at which is weird considering the level of people he is going after. You would think they would have a SWAT team of personal bodyguards with automatic weapons ready to kill anything that comes near. It is also humorous that the hero goes through a very standard training montage, and now he is next level which is also emblematic that he is fighting with both renewed and higher purpose. This a completely watchable street fighter action film. Sure the hero unbelievably wades through a sea of bad guys including police, but that is exactly the film you are tuning in for, and the Indian setting injects some fresh differences into what could be a very stale genre. There are some lulls as this is not nonstop action but when the action does get rolling just sit back and enjoy the violence. (B-) 'Monkey Man' is an action thriller starring Dev Patel directed by Dev Patel, and is also co-written and co-produced by Patel. This is pretty much the all around Dev Patel show. Set in India the film features a number of Indian actors that will be unfamiliar to American audiences with the most familiar face, outside of Patel himself, being Sharlto Copley who has starred with Patel before in Neill Blomkamp movie 'Chappie'. Patel supposedly wanted Blomkamp to direct 'Monkey Man' but he passed and told Patel he should do it which is what wound up happening. 'Monkey Man' is Patel's directorial debut.

As a young boy Patel's character is told stories of Indian deity Hunuman from which he devises his Monkey Man persona. Police and political corruption lead to a raid on their village to clear out/kill the villagers so the land can be developed. In that raid the kid's mother is brutalized, mortally wounded and burned. The kid grows up with a festering rage against the police commander Rana, who carried out the attack, and the spiritual guru Baba Shakti who ordered it. As an adult Patel, who is never really named, works at an underground fight ring wearing a monkey mask. He sets a plan in place to get a job at a local VIP club and work his way close to Rana, who frequents it, so he can get a chance at revenge. His first attempt goes awry almost killing him. He finds himself at a temple comprised of hijra, who are a marginalized transgender community. With their aid he gains renewed purpose, and after convalescing and training time decides to take another motivated strike at the people he blames for his mother's death.

'Monkey Man' presents very much as an Indian 'John Wick', and I think that is very intentional. It does do a good job of embracing the aspects that make it original. Here Patel's character is not the unstoppable Boogeyman that Wick is. He is very fallible, and that is embodied in his first attempt at vengeance which is a colossal failure. This film also surprises with its inclusion of the hijra community. You do not expect to walk into a movie like this and have the action hero become a champion for such a community. Netflix had initially purchased this film, but did not expect the level of social commentary in the film, and so they wound up selling it and it eventually got picked up by Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions and Universal. I think the level of social commentary is very sedate, and focuses on practices in Indian society, so that should not be an issue with American viewers wanting to see this movie which, at its core, is still a straightforward 'John Wick' style action film with less guns. That is one of the more eyebrow raising parts of 'Monkey Man'. I realize our nameless hero does not roll around with heavy firepower, but in the final assault I don't even think he gets shot at which is weird considering the level of people he is going after. You would think they would have a SWAT team of personal bodyguards with automatic weapons ready to kill anything that comes near. It is also humorous that the hero goes through a very standard training montage, and now he is next level which is also emblematic that he is fighting with both renewed and higher purpose. This a completely watchable street fighter action film. Sure the hero unbelievably wades through a sea of bad guys including police, but that is exactly the film you are tuning in for, and the Indian setting injects some fresh differences into what could be a very stale genre. There are some lulls as this is not nonstop action but when the action does get rolling just sit back and enjoy the violence.

The Zone of Interest (2023)

The Zone of Interest (2023, Jonathan Glazer) Haunting in its spartan examination of the evil in humanity

[8/10 · 26 April 2024]

Eric's Grade: B+ 'The Zone of Interest' is a historical drama from writer/director Jonathan Glazer from the 2014 novel of the same name by Martin Amis. It stars Christian Friedel and Sandra Huller as Rudolph Hoss and his wife Hedwig. It essentially tells the story of Hoss during WWII who was serving as the commandant of Auschwitz concentration camp. The term "Zone of Interest" is a reference to an area around the camp that was used by the Nazis as homes and quarters for those SS who adminstered the camp. Hoss, his wife and five children live on an idyllic estate with beautiful grounds in luxury, however, just over the garden wall looms one of the most notorious locations of death and human misery that has existed in recorded history. While the children play and the wife hosts parties in the background you hear tortured screams and gunshots. You see furnace chimneys belching smoke and smoke from trains as they move across the back of the frame. The viewers' imaginations do not have to flex too much to conjure all the atrocity occurring mere yards away. The wife, Hedwig, casually accepts possessions that have been seized from incarcerated Jews. The children gleefully count gold teeth at night. Hoss casually discusses the construction of a more efficient crematorium as if he was discussing adding a porch onto his house. When Hoss gets a transfer Hedwig successfully lobbies to be allowed to stay in residence with the children which seems absolutely bonkers. An odd juxtaposed scene at the end flashes to the modern day Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum where crews are cleaning amidst the jarring installations, before flashing back to a shaken Hoss alone in a hallway as if the echoes of all those ghosts call to him. 'The Zone of Interest' was one of the best reviewed films of 2023 and received Grand Prix at Cannes as well as 5 Academy Award nominations winning two for Sound and Best International Feature.

Glazer has only made four films over 23 years, but they are quite varied and focus on differing, but dark subject matter. With 'The Zone of Interest' he has talked about demystifying the Nazis, and putting a human face on these people who are thought of to be historically evil. It almost would be easier to see them as epic beasts. It is weirder to think of them as actual people for how can people so easily disregard the atrocities occurring mere steps away, and lead a life of splendor. The sheer callousness is both numbing and infuriating. Interestingly the book used a fictionalized version of Hoss and his wife, but for the film Glazer wanted to use the actual historical figures as the characters. The film is very minimalist using very geometric, meticulously composed shots. It is light on music using very naturalistic sound as well as letting the background of the concentration camp serve as score to some degree. That is really the gimmick here, and I do not mean to belittle it by calling it a gimmick, but if you lift the estate and place it anywhere and give the family all the same actions set amidst a different purpose such as farming this just becomes a mundane slice of life story. It is the concept that all of this mundane existence is nestled against the walls of a concentration camp where the father oversees the extermination of an entire race of humans that makes the entire film almost a philosophical quandary for your mind to explore, ponder and wander through contemplating evil and intent. 'The Zone of Interest' is not dynamic and actively avoids showing anything actually happening at the concentration camp, and these people and the whole film are that much more haunting for the very specific way the film is presented and shot.

A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

A Fistful of Dollars (1964, Sergio Leone) Eastwood and Leone's first team up is a better indicator of things to come rather than a great movie in its own right

[6/10 · 25 April 2024]

Eric's Grade: B- 'A Fistful of Dollars' was not the first film for either director Sergio Leone or actor Clint Eastwood, but it would be the first of a collaboration that would enable both men to become icons in the film industry. 'Fistful' is a spaghetti western, the first in the stylized "Man with No Name" trilogy featuring Eastwood in the lead role in each film as a mysterious gunslinging stranger. 'A Fistful of Dollars' was released in Italy in 1964, but did not debut in America until 1967 due to a legal dispute with Japanese production company Toho. 'A Fistful of Dollars' is a thinly veiled western ripoff of Kurosawa's film 'Yojimbo' and resulted in a lawsuit being filed. The film was shot on a shoestring budget in Spain with the whole thing filmed as a silent movie and the dialogue and sound effects dubbed in later. It also features music from Ennio Morricone who's distinctive work did a lot to set the tone and mood in his collaborations with Leone. When finally released in the United States this would serve to start Eastwood on a path to stardom, and also do a lot to define the sort of silent, macho man that almost all of his film roles would embody from The Man with No Name to Dirty Harry.

Eastwood plays a gun toting drifter who meanders into a dusty U. S./Mexican border town that is dominated by two warring families who both smuggle goods across the border. The town seems to be essentially made up of only these two families along with a barkeep and an undertaker. There seems to be a tenuous understanding between the families, but violence bubbles beneath the surface. Eastwood's "Joe" exploits that and uses his quick tongue and gunfighting skills to play both families off of one another causing violence to erupt. What starts as a way to earn a buck turns more personal when he saves a woman being kept against her will and away from her family which earns the enmity of the Rojos. He also discovers the Rojos have stolen a significant amount of gold from the Mexican Army. He deviates from staying outside their familial politics and pays for it which almost costs him his life, but as we know "Joe" will not be kept down for long and when he returns it will be with a vengeful wrath.

'A Fistful of Dollars' by itself is not a very good movie even though it does a lot of good things. Leone's directing along with Morricone's score and Eastwood's casual, diffident portrayal all combine to elevate this into something a bit more than the basic spaghetti western that it is. It is almost as if all of these neophyte masters stumble around learning through this production how to hone their craft. All of the elements really solidify only two years later when 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' becomes an iconic pillar of the western genre. Even the oddly stilted dubbing which could be offputting becomes an endearing part of the film's time capsule quality. While the plot is silly it has a gritty, sultry feel almost like the town itself embodied in Leone's very specific directorial style. Eastwood, even in this first role, settles comfortably into being the antihero with a rye wit and quick gun. 'A Fistful of Dollars' may not be a great film, but it points the way toward greatness and the glory to come for not only Eastwood, but Leone and Morricone as well.

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022, Guillermo del Toro & Mark Gustafson)

[8/10 · 23 April 2024]

Eric's Grade: B+ I am by no means a Pinocchio aficionado or purist so walking into this I only had the barest template of the story in my mind as I have never read the source material which is an 1883 novel by Carlo Colladi, and it has been at least 2 decades, probably more, since I have seen the Disney animated classic. 'Pinocchio' had long been a passion project for del Toro, and although the film was announced as early as 2008 it languished for years with no studios willing to finance it until it was finally acquired by Netflix in 2018. It is a stop-motion animated movie co-directed by Mark Gustafson with a screenplay co-written by del Toro and Patrick McHale. 'Pinocchio' garnered critical acclaim and won the Best Animated Feature award at the Academy Awards.

'Pinocchio' tells a familiar if slightly skewed version of the classic Pinnochio tale. The setting is Fascist Italy between WWI and WWII as Mussolini holds power and sway over the country. Geppetto loses his son to an errant bomb dropped in WWI. He mourns and descends into drunkeness and despair. Years later, out of that despair, he carves a puppet made from the tree planted at Carlo's grave, and a wood sprite brings it to life assigning a cricket who lives in the wood to be his conscience and guide. 'Pinocchio' is essentially a newborn and lacks understanding and self control eventually frustrating the old Geppetto. He sends him off to school but Pinocchio gets waylaid by malign forces in the form of Count Volpe and his circus. Pinocchio is seen as a tool by Volpe and then the Fascists, but he keeps striding forward trying to do right in his new existence as well as right by his father who at first cannot see Pinocchio as a replacement for his son, but eventually learns to love Pinocchio for who he is apart from his boy.

This version of the classic tale incorporates many elements from the original story, but also clearly puts its own slant on things mainly in moving the setting to the politically charged Fascist era of Italy's history. The story does not feel shoehorned in though and instead feels right at home being told against that backdrop. The direction and animation here are exquisite and it is mind boggling to think of the painstaking detail that goes into creating a stop-motion feature such as this. The character designs slant a bit more fantastical which is right in the del Toro wheelhouse. The cricket does not bare much resemblence to the Jiminy character most of us know, and Pinocchio himself is more of a roughly hewn puppet as opposed to the finally crafted epitome of a little boy that is the more classic rendering of the character. He works really well in this form though as he feels unfinished so is his personality unfinished and seeking experience and approval. The film does have some darkness, but essentially maintains that youthful optimism of the Pinocchio character even through all the darkness of death, impending war and the Fasicst mandates on the populace. 'Pinocchio' is not really a story I adore or gravitate toward so I just find the narrative okay, but it is hard not to watch and marvel at the sheer creativity and animated visual feast that del Toro and his production team built here, and the story, while familiar, is also original enough to give del Toro and company credit for their achievement there as well.

The Crow (1994)

The Crow (1994, Alex Proyas) Lee's tragic death only compounds the dark subject matter in this 90's grunge/goth classic

[8/10 · 21 April 2024]

Eric's Grade: B+ It is hard to address the original version of 'The Crow' without acknowledging the tragic death of star Brandon Lee killed by a prop gun during filming. Upon his death Paramount ultimately opted out of distributing the film, and Miramax subsequently picked up it and accomplished the rewrites and reshoots necessary to work around Lee's death. It is all the more eerie that the story involves a man coming back from the dead to avenge his slain fiance and himself. 'The Crow' is directed by Alex Proyas starring Brandon Lee, who is Bruce Lee's kid. The movie is based on a comic by the same name created by James O'Barr who used it to unleash frustration over his fiance's death at the hands of a drunk driver. The film was a success making $94 million dollars and subsequently attaining a cult status. Three sequels would follow over the years and a remake is slated for release in 2024.

Set in Detroit under constant rain and darkness the night before Halloween, known as Devil's Night, has become a cloak for crime and arson on a grand, coordinated scale. A young woman named Shelly is assaulted, raped and left dying as her boyfriend Eric Draven, played by Lee, is thrown to death from the window of their apartment. A year later Draven's grave is visited not only by adolescent friend Sarah who still mourns the loss of Shelly and Eric, but a raven that results in Eric rising from the grave with supernatural abilities, and a wrath to destroy those who caused Shelley harm. The balance of the picture is Draven picking off this gang of hooligans in a myriad of ways until he works his way to the boss, known as Top Dollar, played by Michael Wincott. Along the way Eric is also aided by a veteran cop who is also a friend of Sarah's played by Ernie Hudson. Fueled by love and vengeance Eric will not stop until he is no more or all those deemed responsible have suffered and perished.

Considering Brandon Lee's untimely death it is surprising that 'The Crow' ever managed to see the light of day especially considering its dark subject matter. While the movie does not exactly revel in violence or even have that much blood violence frames everything that this movie is. It is also kept very dark with respect to its lighting and story structure. This has a very brooding emo/goth/grunge feel, and it seems right at home in 1994, but given that the movie itself feels almost otherworldly in a timeless fashion. About the only thing that feels dated is Draven brandishing his guitar everywhere he goes. The setting is Detroit, but it could have just as easily been Gotham or some other fictional darkened urban sprawl. I am surprised that there were not more fighting sequences. Had this film been made today or even just a few years later following 'The Matrix', and especially with Bruce Lee's kid, there would have been more than a few martial arts sequences. They eschew action sequences like that, however, and hew closer to the supernatural prowess and power of the character. Brandon Lee is an inspired choice for the lead and does a great job as the tortured Draven not to mention he looks great in the iconic Crow makeup. 'The Crow' has attainted cult film status, but is a decent movie outright, and even holds up well to rewatching. It is an eerie experience watching the deceased Lee embody a vigilante from beyond the grave, but the film leans into its dark, gritty nature and flourishes in that niche environment.

Piranha (1978)

Piranha (1978, Joe Dante) Downright silly "horror" capitalizing on 'Jaws' is so laughably bad it can be enjoyed as a horrible movie

[1/10 · 19 April 2024]

Eric's Grade: F This late 1970's horror flick is essentially a trash low budget enterprise designed mainly to capitalize on the success of 'Jaws' which is proof that Hollywood is pretty much the same as it has ever been. There is actually some talent behind the camera despite the low quality final product with Joe Dante directing and John Sayles writing the screenplay. Dante would never achieve great heights, but would produce some good films in the 80's and 90's most notably 'Gremlins' and 'The 'Burbs'. Sayles would go on to be an independent film maker who produced more than a few critically acclaimed films such as 'Matewan' and 'Eight Men Out'. 'Piranha' would be his first writing credit. The film stars Bradford Dillman and Heather Menzies with character actor Kevin McCarthy probably being the most recognizable face in the movie. While it may be easy to dismiss the film is is noteworthy that they did produce the film with only a $600,000 budget which severely limited what the production could achieve. Keeping that in mind it was a box office success although it is difficult not to be on such a small budget.

A backpacking couple sneak into an abandoned military compound and decide to take a dip in a pool they find. They are attacked and killed, however, from something lurking under the surface. Later a skiptracer named Maggie has been employed to find the teens and she teams a local, gruff backwoods man named Paul to aid her. They discover the military facility where Maggie drains the pool finding the skeletons of the young people. Little does she know she has released dangerous Piranha from a defunct Vietnam War project into the environment. With the help of an eccentric scientist found still living on the base Maggie and Paul must attempt to find and kill the fish before they can do too much damage. In their path of destruction is a summer camp and a bustling resort with the next stop being the ocean and world domination. Okay, well maybe not world domination, but it is a thought, and their evil little fish brains have only one thing on their mind; Chewing through anything in their path!

Without too much beating around the bush this movie is empirically bad. The actors are cheesy hams, but don't really have much to work with as the whole story concept and script are not that great to begin with. The idea that they could chase down and do anything about these fish once they hit the environment is laughably preposterous. It is funny to think pretty much everything is actually caused by the movie's protagonists as it is Maggie who release the fish into public waterways, and then to top it off they supposedly kill them by dumping industrial waste into the water so they just caused another catastrophe. The real shame of this film is the piss poor budget which leads to minimal special effects, and when making a film where you are trying to show people getting ravaged by killer fish that becomes something of a problem. There a few scenes of what seems like stock sequences of piranha that are just used in a loop but we never really see any up close and we get zero graphic fish on flesh sequences so it becomes a ridiculous enterprise of people just jerking and twitching in the water, and it is left to the viewers' imagination as to the scene playing out underneath the surface. As bad as this film is I do feel it fits into a perfect niche for a cult classic. It is the kind of film you gather some friends and throw it on while you develop a drinking game around it. This is the kind of film you do not take too seriously, and just revel in the fact that it is completely awful.

The Terminator (1984)

The Terminator (1984, James Cameron) Stellar dystopian vision aids in launching a franchise, a director and a movie star

[8/10 · 8 April 2024]

Eric's Grade: A- Back in 1984 James Cameron was still an untested neophyte director and Arnold was that bodybuilder with the unwieldy name. While 'The Terminator' wasn't a smash it did overachieve as well as serve as something of a launching pad that would signal the dawning of a prominent career for both director and star. While never envisioned as a franchise 7 years later a sequel would be released that would cement 'Terminator' as one of Hollywood's indelible action franchises. With only 'Piranha II: the Spawning' to his credit Cameron would concoct the idea of 'The Terminator' from a fever dream, and sell the idea with the caveat that only he would be allowed to direct it. Originally Schwarzenegger was eyed for the role of Reese, the movie's protagonist, however, Cameron disdained that idea, but after meeting with him realized Arnold would make an excellent Terminator which seems like a no brainer now. Linda Hamilton also wound up as an inspired choice for Sarah Connor, and while she would do other things, this is the role that would define her career. 'The Terminator' only made $78 million worldwide, but it did so with only a $6 million dollar budget and being released in October which back in 1984 wasn't a prime release date for movies. While it would take a while to rev up this movie did launch a franchise that would spawn 5 sequels to date raking in over $2 billion in worldwide box office.

In the distant future an advanced weapons system gains awareness and realizes quickly all humans are liabilities. It commences a nuclear holocaust and creates machines designed to hunt and destroy humanity. In the wreckage of the old civilization a freedom fighter named John Connor rises to power and galvanizes the human resistance. To fight this threat the machines send a Terminator, a machine that looks human, to the past in order to kill Connor's mother before he is born. The humans send back a lone human, Kyle Reese, played by Michael Biehn to find and safeguard her. The Terminator shows up and leaves a path of destruction leading to Connor. Reese must find her and convince this very average person that she is the mother of the future, and protect her from an unstoppable killing machine.

Conceived initially as a horror movie 'The Terminator' eventually lands somewhere on the dystopian thriller spectrum although there are some pretty intense scenes that would pass for body horror in 1984. This is a brilliant film and only the first step for Cameron toward becoming one of the most famous directors of all time. Schwarzenegger had done 'Conan the Barbarian' and initially didn't think very highly of 'The Terminator'. While he was starting to break into leading man roles he was still a year away from making Commando which would be his first action hero lead which would come to epitomize much of his career through the 80's and 90's as he would deftly balance his career between action hero roles and family friendly comedies. Looking back on it though there doesn't seem to be a more brilliant choice for The Terminator than him. His bulk and stilted, accented English make him perfect for a machine as human. The special effects, while I am sure were decent at the time, feel very dated now which is just about my only qualm about the film. Cameron actually had the idea for the liquid Terminator that would famously debut in the sequel as far back as this, but did not put it into the story based on the technology limitations. The stop motion used in certain scenes with the Terminator is very noticeable and made me think of 'Jason and the Argonauts' from 1963. The scenes set in the future not great either as they were clearly how a 1980's person envisioned a dystopian future rather than an actual emblematic future. Part of this subpar look I am sure is budget based as well as they probably did all they could with limited means. All that aside what the film lacks in special effects and production design is made up in Cameron's smart, tense script. Reese is both believable and crazy, and Hamilton is Sarah Connor in a way that few people embody a movie character. It is interesting to see her her as still the relatively carefree young woman knowing how she evolves into a purposeful doomsday prepping matriarch for humanity's savior. 'The Terminator' on its own is quite a good movie, but it is almost more noteworthy as a preamble for 'T2: Judgement Day' which is its iconic sequel and easily the far better movie, but still 'T2' cannot exist in a vacuum, and 'The Terminator' serves a vital function as the first chapter of one of Hollywood's most iconic franchises not to mention serving to springboard the burgeoning careers of both James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Sunset Boulevard (1950, Billy Wilder) Classic Hollywood cinema remains one of the most insightful and best acted films about Hollywood ever

[9/10 · 8 April 2024]

Eric's Grade: A- 'Sunset Boulevard' is 1950 film noir drama from director Billy Wilder starring William Holden and Gloria Swanson. The film is widely regarded as one of the best American films ever made. It was nominated for 11 Academy Awards including nominations in all four acting categories. It won 3 Oscars including one for its Screenplay. It lost best picture to 'All About Eve'. It ranked 12th on AFI's inaugural list of the 100 Best American Films in 1998, and it landed at 16 when the list was revisited 10 years later.

The plot of 'Sunset Boulevard' surrounds a Hollywood writer named Joe Gillis, played by Holden, who is down on his luck just scraping by staying one step ahead of the repo men. One day as they give chase he gets a flat tire and hides in a sprawling decrepit mansion on Sunset. It turns out it is occupied by silent screen legend Norma Desmond, played by Swanson, and her devoted butler Max. Norma nominally employs Gillis to clean up a script she has concocted in order to launch her big screen comeback. Gillis knows she is a little bit crazy and the job is a fool's errand, but being at his wit's end he ascents. Through her wealth Norma exerts influence on Joe turning him into a kept man, and when he balks she threatens herself with bodily harm for which Joe shoulders the blame. Eventually Joe starts working secretly on a writing project with a script reader named Betty who is eager to become a writer. When the jealous Norma discovers this she is disconsolate and enraged and lashes out as Joe tries to leave killing him. Norma truly departs sanity after that as the famous final scenes play out where she is being marched to jail yet she thinks she is back on set with Cecil B. DeMille directing her glorious return to stardom.

I am almost positive I saw 'Sunset Boulevard' back when I was a younger man in college. Many of the plot points have stuck with me throughout the years. I am not sure how meta films ever got circa 1950, but 'Sunset Boulevard' is an amazing slice of art imitating life. Norma Desmond is basically a fictionalized version of Gloria Swanson who was a silent screen star that got pushed aside with the advent of talking pictures as well as her advancing age. Then there is the butler Max who is actually real life director Erich von Stroheim who directed Swanson in some of her silent films. Sunset had long been a street associated with movies, and like Norma Desmond many bygone silent era stars had lavish properties on the boulevard. The script developed from a thought about how those fabled actors were getting along with Hollywood in its current state. Wilder not only delivers a smart, snappy script along with Charles Brackett, but his direction employs an excellent film noir sensibility including the iconic opening with Joe Gillis dead in the pool functioning as the narrator of his own tragic story shot from underneath looking back out the surface of the pool. Cecil B. DeMille even shows up as himself in a cameo along with Hedda Hopper and even Buster Keaton. It is a fascinating look at the studio system at the height of its glory looking back on the bygone era of silent cinema, and you can continue to draw parallels even to modern day on the workings of Hollywood. As we plow into the 21st century the recent covid pandemic and rise of streaming services threaten to derail a new era of the Hollywood studio system. Everything in this production from the direction and script to the acting, music and cinematography are iconic, and have an established place on the landscape of Hollywood history. After watching it again 'Sunset Boulevard' is easily on my short list for one the best films of that classic Hollywood pre-1970 period. This is a wonderful film for lovers of classic cinema as well as an extremely intuitive take on Hollywood at that time that still seems relevant in its messaging to this day.

Napoleon (2023)

Napoleon (2023, Ridley Scott) Sweeping in scope, but story is confused and chaotic and does not really give you a sense of Napoleon

[4/10 · 8 April 2024]

Eric's Grade: D+ When I think of Ridley Scott I think we tend to think of him in more grandiose terms than he deserves due to a few key early successes. Thanks to his breakout film 'Alien' followed by the cult smash 'Blade Runner' and even 'Thelma and Louise' he proved himself both a critical and commercial talent which culminated in 2000 with the Oscar for Best Picture for 'Gladiator'. He does have immense skill and there are a decent number of hits on his resume, but if you really stop and look at his career, however, it is marred by more large scale misses than hits especially in the last 20 years. The concept of a Napoleon film matched with Scott would seem like a match made in awards heaven yet upon the release of Scott's 'Napoleon' in November 2023 what you heard most was crickets as nobody was chirping about this picture at all. It did not receive anything in the way of critical acclaim and only managed 3 Academy Award nominations in craft categories. Joaquin Phoenix stars alongside Vanessa Kirby with a script by David Scarpa. It made $221 million at the box office but, despite that sounding like a good number, it only just cleared the upper end of its reported budget so it cannot really be considered a financial success.

Phoenix stars as the famed historical figure Napoleon Bonaparte. The narrative starts as the Revolution in France picks up steam illustrated by the public execution of Marie Antoinette. We see Napoleon rise to power through strategic military victories and savvy political moves. We see him marry Josephine played by Vanessa Kirby. Their relationship is tumultuous and childless which causes Napoleon eventually to abandon her although we are lead to believe that it was her he truly longed for to the end of his days. We see his match with Marie Louise of Austria, but despite her bearing him a son, we never see her in the movie again. We see his rise in French leadership eventually becoming First Consul and then being crowned Emperor as he famously and audaciously takes the crown and places it on his own head. We see his hubris and folly in lashing out at Russia which gets him exiled from which he famously returns for the Hundred Days as he runs around with power and armies once more before being ultimately defeated by the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo resulting in a second banishment to St. Helena where he would ultimately die.

I am not a French historian, and while knowing the name Napoleon and some famous events surrounding him I was never completely clear regarding his place on the French historical landscape. I have heard of Josephine and Waterloo and St. Helena etc..., but was Napoleon good or bad or other. Where did he gain power and when did he lose it? I was rather excited to see this play out in film format because Napoleon is one of those pillars of modern history that has seemed to elude adaptation onto the silver screen. Watching Scott's 'Napoleon' I think I see why so many people avoided him and his reign. French history at the point of the Revolution and beyond is something of a chaotic jumble. Even attempting to track a list of French leaders via simple Google search is problematic. This film, instead of concentrating on a small period of Napoleon's existence, instead speeds through almost 3 hours in a mad dash to touch on every highlight of his military and political existence. The pace feels rabid and disjointed. While the actors are chewing scenery I never felt like any of them were connected to their roles. I think Phoenix is flat out miscast as Napoleon. For being one of the famous pairs in history there is no real chemistry between Napoleon and Josephine here. Along those lines for Napoleon being one of history's famous conquerors I never got the sense here on why anything he did launched him into leadership like it did. We did not really see a brilliant tactician at work, or really see him win many decisive battles. It feels like a lot of what he is and what he did is skimmed over in order to get through all the material. In the end he comes off like a petulant adolescent that enjoyed leading his army to ruin. The production design and costuming are very good here evident in that those are two categories at the Academy Awards 'Napoleon' received nominations for. I am sure a strong script could craft a story about Napoleon's existence or a slice of it, but Ridley Scott's 'Napoleon' is chaotic scramble that seems unconcerned about actually communicating a coherent narrative. This film does not do Napoleon or Scott any favors, and as the credits role I can't say I understand who or what Napoleon was any better than I did prior to viewing this film.

Sinister (I) (2012)

Sinister (2012, Scott Derrickson) Extremely creepy in look and feel, but 'Sinister' suffers from a few plot contrivances

[7/10 · 8 April 2024]

Eric's Grade: B- 'Sinister' is a 2012 supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson from a script co-written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill. The film stars Ethan Hawke as a struggling, but noted true crime writer. By 2012 Derrickson had pretty much established himself as bankable horror director, however, after a big budget remake of 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' fell flat it took 4 years for him to make 'Sinister'. It was a financial success making over $87 million on a budget of only $3 million which is a hallmark of horror, and why it continues to be a very successful genre. Derrickson would go on to direct a sequel in 2015.

We commence by seeing a group of people, presumably a family, hung at the same time from a tree on 1970's era Super 8 film stock. True crime writer Ellison Oswalt moves into the house where that crime occured. Apparently he has developed a reputation for doing this which does not sit well with the local constabulary. He will move into a town where a true crime style killing has occurred and conduct his own investigation which can lead to discoveries locals do not like. In this case a family was hung and the youngest child went missing. His wife and children are used to Ellison moving them to towns where these tragedies occur, but they are unaware that this time he has moved them into the actual house which, surprise surprise, causes static when discovered. While settling in Oswalt discovers a box of Super 8 home movies in the attic. While watching them Oswalt realizes that not only does one of the films seem to record the crime he is investigating, but each of the home movies is a snuff film that displays a family murder that has occurred over the past 30 years. While he has qualms he uses clues in the films and aid of a local sympathetic deputy to conduct a more thorough investigation. What starts as a true crime investigation gets darker and takes a supernatural turn which frays Ellison's nerves more and more. He is loathe to give up as he craves the professional validation of another blockbuster book, but eventually it becomes too much to handle, but by the time he caves will it be too late for him and his family?

Derrickson's directorial work here is very good and he takes an interesting if somewhat basic premise, and injects a lot of tense thrills into the movie. The look and feel of the film is very spooky and haunting which is part of its appeal. I do enjoy the overall aesthetic of this film and the setup of this true crime writer investigating an unsolved family murder, and stumbling onto a supernatural serial killer is quite intriguing. Where this movie loses me is in a lot of the weird, horror plot contrivances. So this guy stumbles onto a box of home movies in the attic. Okay, I buy that. He watches them and sees graphic snuff films displaying unsolved murders. I know he is a true crime author who wants a bestseller, but I am am fairly confidant it is illegal to withhold that evidence from the cops. Perhaps crazier is it seems clear the only way those home movies get where they are is by the killer putting them there, but neither the author nor the deputy take this into consideration. Oswalt seems ridiculously oblivious to the very real danger he is putting his family in by staying. He uses the deputy to dig into these cases, but all the deputy tells him are things a simple 5 minute Google search would uncover. There are standard jump scares as well as an "expert" who shows up to give the classic info dump regarding the supernatural entity in question. Also the pattern of killing that the story lays out is too easy to discern yet of course the author almost willingly never sees the connection until it is too late which is silly. When the killers are finally revealed I am not sure if it is intended to be a shock, but by the time the viewer sees the "extended cuts" it seems obvious what is going on therefore not really too much of a shock or surprise. There are just a bunch of issues like that where the characters just plow boldly forward in the face of very queer uncertainty. The direction and the overall creepiness of this film do a lot to hold it up and make me think well of it plot holes be damned, and to be fair in most horror films they almost require plot holes to subsist. The idea of watching a supernatural killer dispatch families on grainy home movies is going to be disturbing no matter what. Derrickson certainly knows how to construct this film to keep the tension dialed up to max which is always good in a horror film like this. Standard professorial info dump aside I do like how this supernatural entity goes largely unexplained and stays mainly on the periphery adding to his menace. There are glaring plot points bringing this down, but there is also excellent scares and visuals and acting holding this up. 'Sinister' may have its flaws, but it is still a heck of a good scary movie, and if you like a bit of supernatural horror it should not be missed.

Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time (2021)

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 - Thrice Upon a Time (2021, Hideaki Anno) Philosophy of the movie still eludes, but this provides a fitting conclusion

[7/10 · 2 April 2024]

Eric's Grade: B 'Thrice Upon a Time' is the fourth and final film in the 'Rebuild of Evangelion' series which is a retelling of the 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' television series. The first three films were released in Japan originally in 2007, 2009 and 2012. 'Thrice' would take almost ten years to complete for various reasons. It would suffer delays due to many issues, but a lot stemming from creator Anno's financial woes as well as his battles with depression. The oft delayed 'Thrice Upon a Time' was finally released in Japan in 2021. It received a tremendous response becoming the second highest grossing film of 2021 in Japan. The film landed on some critics' best of lists which is what caused me to start down the road of watching these films in the first place.

The story essentially continues right where the previous film left off. Asuka, Rei and Shinji are hiking through remains of Tokyo-3 and find solace, comfort and friends for a time at a village of survivors who have developed a solid community just trying to survive in these hectic times. Unlike the other films which are very quick moving and action packed 'Thrice' spends a good bit of time with our three Evangelion pilots just recovering and existing in this community. Asuka is still continuously frustrated with Shinji. Shinji is despondent and listless following the death of friend, co-pilot, angel(?) Kawaoru from the previous film. There is a lot of this film that would seem to meditate on a sense of self from a depressive state which would seem to coincide with what Anno was feeling in real life. Rei dies, or more like expires which exacerbates Shinji's emotional state, but ultimately it spurs him to leave with Asuka when the ship Wunder comes to pick her up. The latter portion of the film has the Wunder track, follow and ultimately confront Gendo, Shinji's father and one of the creator's of this huge mess, in a battle for the existence of Earth and reality. This portion, while visually stunning, is more than a bit surreal with a lot of exposition on the lore of these organizations, what is going on with the planet and more importantly Gendo's intent. In the end father and son confront each other in an anti-realty dimension where Shinji is finally able to give Gendo some closure as all this has been spurred over his anguish over the loss of his wife. Shinji is utimately able to use a final lance to reset the world without Evangelions resulting in a Neon Genesis.

To say this series and this film can be a tad inaccessible is not a stretch. I am not even sure of all the concepts it is trying to dig into. More than likely quite a bit of its internal meaning flew right over my head. The film has the same brilliant anime style that was evident in previous films. I was at least half able to follow the story and was thoroughly entertained by what I did understand. This final volume does serve to wrap up the existing story so at least there are no bizarre dangling plot points even if understanding the overall product is a bit more of a chore. While I didn't really get it I can see why this film and the series would develop a following, and 'Thrice Upon a Time' serves as a fitting conclusion to Anno's 'Rebuild of Evangelion' series.