When the Camera 7 Cinemas closed in the Pruneyard Campbell back in 2017, a piece of me died. This was my home away from home. Even before I started this blog, I practically lived there. I fully supported the Camera Cinemas for years. When it was announced that the theater was going to be closed for a complete remodel, I was hesitant. I knew that when it would reopen, it wasn't going to be the Camera 7 I knew and loved. When it did finally reopened as the Pruneyard Cinemas Dine-In, it felt like a slap in the face. The Camera Cinemas were now extinct, and all I have are the memories. But I was very curious about what it looked like. So, I finally broke down and went to see a movie there. Of course, the first movie I see there would be a horror film. Did you expect anything less of me? After work on Thursday, I went and saw THE NUN, the latest installment of THE CONJURING universe.
The film's official synopsis: When a young nun at a cloistered abbey in Romania takes her own
life, a priest with a haunted past and a novitiate on the threshold of
her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate. Together they
uncover the order's unholy secret. Risking not only their lives but
their faith and their very souls, they confront a malevolent force in
the form of the same demonic nun that first terrorized audiences in THE CONJURING 2, as the abbey becomes a horrific battleground between the
living and the damned.
The setting of the abbey gave the movie an eerie feel of atmosphere and dread. This was the perfect location to tell the story. It felt like a meld of a Hammer Horror film and a Lucio Fulci Italian movie. This was a my favorite part of this fright flick. The other was the acting.
Our heroine Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) brought that innocence and naiveté that helps our character to grow and become a stronger, powerful instrument of God. Farmiga was the perfect casting choice for bringing character development and depth. And in case you were wondering, yes, she is the younger sister of Academy Award nominee Vera Farmiga. Her on-screen chemistry with lead actor Demián Bichir as Father Burke were great, but it's the final showdown with the nun herself, Bonnie Aaron, that proves that she's got the acting chops to be a lead actress. Also, Bichir is one of the scariest freaking nun I've ever seen in a movie before!
Director Corin Hardy got his start making a series of video shorts before making his feature film debut with the 2015 indie horror flick THE HALLOW, which garnered decent reviews. Here, he looks like he takes command of the movie; combining chills, supernatural scares, and atmospheric dread. The only real complaint is the script, which falls into the laps of screenwriters Gary Dauberman and James Wan. I felt like the script needed to be more tightened up, better character arcs, not have the nun appear almost throughout the film, her backstory could've been more imaginative, and better dialogue because, in some scenes, they were a little cringe worthy. Seriously.
As I sit and write this review, the film has already garnered $228.7million worldwide! And the film's budget was only $22 million! Quite an impressive feat since it only came out on September 7th. This proves that there is an audience for these types of movies. The horror genre has a proven track record; that they can make a studio a lot of money on shoe-string budgets. We as fans want to see horror films, but make sure that there good horror films! And with the success of this movie, it proves that fans are still interested in THE CONJURING universe, so let's keep the fans happy here folks.
THE NUN is a supernatural fright film that will satisfy fans of the THE CONJURING universe! While not a perfect film, it was an entertaining, atmospheric, thrilling ghost story with some truly creepy scares that will chill you to the bone! 3 1/2 out of 5 stars! It's worth a look!
THE NUN is playing in theaters nationwide,
including at the Pruneyard Cinemas Dine-In here in the Bay Area. To view
showtimes, visit their website at www.pruneyardcinemas.com.
I recall seeing THE PURGE (the first film) at a special advance screening at the Cinemark Century 20 Oakridge way back in 2013. While I sincerely enjoyed it, I thought it would be a one-off film. Never did I imagine that it would become a horror franchise, and now a television mini series on the USA Network this fall. So this past 4th of July, Blumhouse and Universal Pictures released the latest chapter of the series. Or should I saw prequel. Yes my friends, I went and saw THE FIRST PURGE over at the Cinelux Almaden Café & Lounge.
The film's official synopsis: After the rise of a third political party,
the New Founding Fathers of America, an experiment is conducted, no laws
for 12 hours on Staten Island. No one must stay during the experiment
yet there is $5,000 for anyone who does.
Ok, so let me say this about the film. It is, without a doubt, the most ghetto ass horror film of the series!! And I don't mean "ghetto" because the movie takes place in the ghettos of Staten Island, nor because it's cast is mostly African Americans, or that it contains a hip hop/rap soundtrack. None of this means it's "ghetto." I'm calling it "ghetto" because it is one of the most lazy, disenchanting, hollow, horror film I have seen in a long time!! Now, let me explain my disposition. Given the political and social climate the country is currently in, I am completely shocked that the film doesn't address the issues that are plaguing America today. We are on the verge of a revolution, fighting against the tyranny of the Trump Regime. We are facing trade wars, alienating our closest allies, families being ripped apart, children being kept in cages, environmental polices being undone; this country is coming apart at the seams. Now, with the previous three installments, there was some form of political and social commentary, especially with PURGE: ANARCHY and PURGE: ELECTION YEAR. However, there wasn't any of that in this movie. None whatsoever!! How the hell do you make a PURGE movie and not have any commentary about the state of the country currently?!? To me, that is offensive! Whenever the country falls into despair or when it is under conservative control, horror films have been there to offer not only escapism, but comment on what is wrong with the world. From addressing racism in George Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD to commenting on AIDS in David Robert Mitchell's IT FOLLOWS, there has been a conscience voice within our films. Whether you agree with the filmmakers or not, you have to respect them for voicing their concerns and opinions! This movie doesn't have a voice!! And that pissed me off!! But wait, there's more!! The other reason I called it "ghetto" was that it offers nothing to the series, nor to its fans. Screenwriter James DeMonaco's script totally sucked shit; containing no real attributes to help make this movie relatable. The story was awful, there was no real character development and all of them were just basic stereotypes, and the story lacked any real sense of threat or danger. It's hard to believe that this is the same guy that wrote all the other PURGE films, but it felt like he only did this to get a paycheck. It showed in every single frame of the film!
Even more grotesque is director Gerard McMurray's set-ups and compositions, which looked unimaginative, sloppy and amateurish at best. Granted this is only his second feature length movie and his fourth film he's directed (he made two shorts prior to making features), it looked so damn bad that I was completely taken out of the movie almost right at the start. Of course, DeMonaco's lackluster script helped speed up my checking out. How McMurray got the job to direct is beyond me, but his style is still very green. Overall, THE FIRST PURGE is a total piece of shit, waste of my time type of movie!! I was so looking forward to watching this movie, only to regret my decision immediately after the opening credits!! That's how early I knew that this was going to suck, and how painful it was to sit through the whole damn thing!! So stick with the first three films, and just forget about seeing this in theaters!! But if you really want to see it, then just watch the trailer! 1 out of 5 stars!! It sucked shit!!
THE FIRST PURGEis playing in theaters nationwide,
including at the Cinelux Theaters here in the Bay Area. To view
showtimes, visit their website at www.cineluxtheatres.com.
When it was announced that a new TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE movie was in the works, I was very skeptical. The original 1974 film is a classic in not only the horror genre, but in the cinematic world as well. It spawned three sequels, a remake and prequel, and then finally a 3-D sequel in 2013 (which was the first film I saw that year). Then it was reported that it would be a prequel (another one?), taking its place as cannon to the late Tobe Hooper's original nightmare and TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D. Produced by Millennium Films and released by Lionsgate, LEATHERFACE attempts to shed new light on an iconic character.
Original Theatrical Poster (2017)
The film's official synopsis: In Texas, years before the events of THE TEXAS CHAIN
SAW MASSACRE, in the early days of the infamous Sawyer family, the
youngest child is sentenced to a mental hospital after a suspicious
incident leaves the sheriff's daughter dead. Ten years later, he kidnaps
a young nurse and escapes with three other inmates. Pursued by
authorities, including the deranged sheriff out to avenge his daughter’s
death, the Sawyer teen goes on a violent road trip from hell, molding
him into the monster now known as Leatherface.
I felt conflicted for several reasons after my viewing of the movie. While it's an unnecessary prequel, I really enjoyed the move as a whole. Directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury (INSIDE, LIVID, AMONG THE LIVING) have crafted a beautifully shot film; filling the screen with gorgeous landscapes in contrast with the ugliness of humanity along with violence and bloodshed. These two filmmakers made their name during the French Renaissance of Horror that took America by storm a decade ago, and they bring that same style to the legend of Leatherface and his deplorable clan. They do a tremendous job of creating a film that focuses on character development and story while injecting their trademarks of slow burn thrills and bloody gore.
LEATHERFACE Blu-Ray Cover
The cast is also outstanding and deserves a round of applause. Stephen Dorff's Sheriff Hal Hartman craves revenge on the Sawyer family for killing his daughter. (Fun fact: Hartman is the father of Burt Hartman from TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D) Dorff is the man you sympathize with but you also hate, and he's good at doing that. The iconic Lili Taylor portrays Verna Sawyer, mother of Leatherface and the matriarch of the Sawyer Clan. Taylor is one of my favorite underrated actresses today. Then we have the five young actors and actresses who really carry the movie. Sam Coleman (Bud), Sam Strike (Jackson), James Bloor (Ike), Vanessa Grasse (Lizzy), and Jessica Madsen (Clarice) all deserve praise for their performances and really bring something to their respective roles. They all are that damn good in the movie!
Now, let me reiterate what I stated earlier. I really enjoyed the film, however, it really is an unnecessary prequel. Another thing I wanted to address is something that I talked about in my original TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D. So now I'm supposed to ignore all of the other films and just pretend
they don't exist because this film is now being touted as cannon because it takes place before Hooper's original? Let me explain something to you all. By doing this, you are dismissing
and ignoring all of the contributions that these talented filmmakers did
for this franchise. In fact, by doing so, you are spitting on all their
hard work, their blood, sweat, and tears that they have put into the
legacy of Leatherface and his films. In my opinion, all these talented people that worked in front of and
behind the camera deserve more respect than this. Maybe I'm getting all
worked up for nothing. Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I feel
like we, the horror fans, and the TCM fans, are being insulted,
along with all those who made all the previous films that I mentioned.
But like I said, that's how I see it and that's how I feel about all of
this.
LEATHERFACE is an entertaining horror film, but it isn't really a horror film that we needed. As great the movie is, I feel like it should have been its own entity instead of being part of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE franchise. Hopefully fans will enjoy the movie, but I'm still waiting to see the further adventures of the infamous Sawyer Clan. 3 out of 5 stars! It's worth a look!
LEATHERFACE is currently available on both Blu-Ray and DVD from Lionsgate Fims. The film is also available on Digital HD, iTunes and VOD.
Was I one of the few who enjoyed PROMETHEUS? When I first saw the film back in 2012, I thought it was, "a visually stunning and haunting film that takes the ALIEN mythology
that Ridley Scott created decades ago and transforms it into something totally
new and different! It is a film that really explores our questions and
fears, and at the same time gives us some chills to terrify us with."I still stand by that statement five years later. Now, Scott has returned to theaters with the visually stunning ALIEN: COVENANT, a sequel that links the previously mentioned PROMETHEUS prequel to the ALIEN saga.
The film's official synopsis: The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the
far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted
paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a
threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape.
Filmmaker Ridley Scott returns to the director's chair had proves, without a shadow of doubt, that he is one of the greatest directors of all time. The film is absolutely gorgeous to look at. His set-ups, his compositions, his panning and tracking, his attention to detail, it contains all of his cinematic trademarks. The story, however, felt a little flat.
Now I try to make my reviews spoiler free as possible. This one might be a little difficult to explain fully since there might be some of you out there that haven't seen the film yet. So I'm gonna make this a generic as possible.
The first problem I had with the movie was the story itself. Picking up about 10 years after the events seen in PROMETHEUS, here we have a colony ship en route to a planet that is similar to Earth, but decide to alter their course to investigate a planet that is similar as well. Really? That's a bunch of crap. Why would you do that, especially if you have thousands of people asleep on board and the planet you're going to has been researched for years? No person would do that. Well, except these people.
The other problem I had were the characters themselves. With the exception of Michael Fassbender's characters David and Walter, I didn't care about them. Not one person did I think to myself, "Oh I really like this man or woman." Nope, didn't give two shits about any of them. Again, Fassbender's dual roles were riveting! He was the only saving grace in the film.
It felt really rushed and didn't really take it's time to explain what was going on. Also, we were teased about what happened in the 10 years between PROMETHEUS and this film and, I have to say, it was very disappointing about what happened to Noomi Rapace's Elizabeth Shaw. I thought it was a cheat and wished the filmmakers would have come up with a better fate for her.
Character were boring, the plot lacked depth, the special effects weren't all that spectacular, everything was a step down from the previous film.
ALIEN: COVENANT is a sub par sequel as well as entry into the ALIEN franchise! I expected more from Ridley Scott and I was severely let down. How can he make a beautiful looking movie and not deliver anything else? Seriously, I have no freaking clue how this is possible! And the trailer looked so damn cool too! Once again I was tricked by Hollywood! 2 out of 5 stars! Maybe worth it as a rental when it comes out!
ALIEN: COVENANT is playing in theaters nationwide.
Check your local listings to see if it's playing at a theater near
you.
I saw DESPICABLE ME when it first came out back in 2010. It wasn't my favorite film but I did fall in love with those cute, little yellow minions. Apparently so did the rest of the world. Then DESPICABLE ME 2 came out and then the minion fandom really took off. There were toys, games, posters, rides, even a kids cereal! Soon it became clear that eventually Universal Pictures were going to release a minion movie to cash in on the popularity. And wouldn't you know it? They did release a minion movie entitled MINIONS. And it was a cute movie to watch too.
Theatrical Movie Poster (2015)
The film's official synopsis: Ever since the dawn of time, the Minions have lived to serve the most
despicable of masters. From T. Rex to Napoleon, the easily distracted
tribe has helped the biggest and the baddest of villains. Now, join
protective leader Kevin, teenage rebel Stuart and lovable little Bob on a
global road trip where they'll earn a shot to work for a new boss-the
world's first female super-villain-and try to save all of
Minionkind...from annihilation.
As with most kids movies, the plot is pretty straight forward and predicable but you know what? Who bloody cares! Why do I say this? Because it was a cute, sweet and funny movie that tickled my funny bone and me forget about life's problems for a while. Being an adult and parent, I have a lot to worry about stress over. There's work, bills that need to be paid, rent, car issues, groceries, laundry, etc. But when was the last time you indulged your inner child? Whenever I see a family film, I always like to stress that idea. Go ahead and just have fun watching a film that will make you laugh out loud with joy and care-free delight. After all, that's what being a child is all about.
The movie was directed by the combo of Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin, the later directed the DESPICABLE ME films. They keep the film light on its feet, the laughs frequent and the fun at full throttle. The script was written by one Brian Lynch, the man who wrote PUSS IN BOOTS, HOP and the upcoming Illumination Entertainment/Universal Pictures release THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS. Granted this isn't the best written story, but for the kids, they will eat it up. And I wouldn't be surprised if you and your family started quoting the movie as well. Plus, since the film takes place in 1968 (yup, this is a prequel), there's a lot of far out catchphrases to quote man.
Actress Sandra Bullock finally makes her villain debut as the infamous Scarlet Overkill who, along with her ultra groovy husband Herb (Jon Hamm),is in need of some henchmen to help her take over England. Bullock's portrayal of Scarlet is evil, nasty and hilariously entertaining to watch. She's just simply a cold-blooded monster that we get to laugh at. So she's a despicable villain that you'll love to hate. The great Michael Keaton and Allison Janney play funny villain couple Walter and Madge Nelson respectively, who pick-up our hitchhiking yellow friends and take them along to the super cool Villain-Con where they meet their new master.
Co-director Coffin provides the voices to out three favorite minions: Bob, Kevin and Stewart. They're cute, yellow, funny and lovable and are so mass marketed now that I'll make you sick. Seriously these guys are freaking everywhere. But that's OK cause that's Hollywood for you. But in all honesty, I really did enjoy the movie and all the wacky, crazy schenanigans these three get into. Kevin is the brave leader who must keep them together and focused on their mission of locating a super villain to work for. Stewart is the guitar playing, smooth talking ladies man who might love his bananas more. And then there's Bob. Yeah, I love Bob. He's my favorite minion just because he's so damn adorable! I just wanna pinch those fat cheeks of his and give him a whole barrel of bananas!!
Overall MINIONS gets my vote for Best Family Film of the Year!! It'll warm your heart while make you laugh out loud with action and adventure that only a minion could have! So grab the family together and see this movie! 4 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!
MINIONS is now available on both Blu-Ray and DVD at your local retailer. The movie is also available at your local Redbox as well as on Netflix and Video On Demand.
INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3
Starring: Stefanie Scott, Lin Shaye, Dermot Mulroney, Angus Sampson, Leigh Whannell, Michael Reid MacKay Screenwriters: Leigh Whannell
Cinematographer: Brian Pearson
Director: Leigh Whannell
Production Comapnies: Blumhouse Productions, Gramercy Pictures, Stage 6 Films, Entertainment One
Distributor: Focus Features, Gramercy Pictures, Sony Pictures
When I first saw INSIDIOUS back in 2010, I said to myself that this one of the best horror films I have seen in a long time and I bet this will become the next big franchise. Sure enough, the series has became a global phenomenon. INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2 was released back in 2013, which continued to attract acclaim, scares and profit for the franchise. And tonight it's time to examine the latest installment of the series. So let me tell you what I thought about INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3.
The film's official synopsis: A prequel set before the haunting of the Lambert family. After trying to connect with her dead mother, teenager Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott),
ask physic Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) to help her, she refuses due to negotiate
events in her childhood. Quinn starts noticing paranormal events happen
in her house. After a vicious attack from a demon her father goes back
and begs Elise Rainier to use her abilities to contact the other side in
hope to stop these attacks by this furious demon content for a body.
Theatrical Movie Poster (2015)
So as you just read, this sequel is actually a prequel to the series. We the audience are finally told how Elise became the powerful medium she is, the quarky team of Tucker and Specs and how they all came together. This smart and witty story comes courtesy of screenwriter Leigh Whannell, who penned the first two chapters of the series. He also reprises his role as Specs and as an added bonus, the film marks his directorial debut. Whannell takes over the reigns from James Wan, who was busy directing FURIOUS 7 (but stayed on as producer). Whannell had some big shoes to fill but manages to capture the spirit (no pun intended) of the first two films while making this film his own unique style, voice and vision. He accomplishes on creeping you out over and over again while expanding the mythology of the franchise's universe perfectly.
Both our leading ladies Lin Shaye and Stefanie Scott really do a phenomenal job with giving us strong female characters that evolve throughout the film. I don't know why this is so hard to do in most Hollywood films, but thanks to Whannell's script, the fans of the series are in for a very special treat. Shaye is simply outstanding as Elise and really gets to show off her acting ranges here. Stefanie Scott's performance is also top notch and gives us fans a new heroine to cheer on within the INSIDIOUS universe.
Overall, INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3 is a worthy entry in the series and fans will no doubt enjoy it from start to finish! While not as creepy as the previous films, it still delivers the goods and gives us great depth of characters, fantastic performances and makes you afraid of the dark. Definitely worth your time horror hounds! 4 out of 5 stars!! Recommended viewing!!
INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3 is currently available on both Blu-Ray and DVD at your local favorite retailer. The film is also available on Netflix and Redbox. Follow the film on Facebook and Twitter as well.
Happy 4th of July everybody!! So it's been a long time since I frequented the Camera Cinemas; San Jose's oldest independent theater chain. So today I decided to correct this by heading out to the Camera 7 in the Pruneyard Campbell to see MONSTERS UNIVERSITY, the latest film by the folks over at Disney/Pixar.
The film's official synopsis: Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and James P. Sullivan (John Goodman) are an inseparable pair, but that
wasn't always the case. From the moment these two mismatched monsters
met they couldn't stand each other. "Monsters University" unlocks the
door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the
best of friends.
The film is a prequel to MONSTERS, INC., which was a huge hit when it came out back in 2001. Now 12 years later, we get to know the origin of how one of the greatest monster duos of all time meet, and the obstacles they faced, like not being friends!
Crystal and Goodman return once again to their signature characters and they bring the funny like no other! However, in this film their friendship doesn't exist. Rather, they sincerely dislike one another. Gasp!! Mike and Sulley aren't friends?!? Stop the madness!! Well it's true, but that's we the fun lies. We see the roots of these soon-to-be-famous monsters.
In the film's prologue, we see little Mike with his classmates as they visit the historic Monsters, Inc. Here is where Mike decides to become a scarer when he grows up. So we see him study hard, practicing his scares, hitting the books, he is the ideal role model for the perfect student. On the other end of the spectrum is Sulley, who just coasts through school riding on the coattails of his legendary family's name. But it only gets him so far, especially when the very intimidating Dean Hardscrabble (Helen Mirren) threatens him with expulsion from the program, and soon from the university. However, she doesn't believe that Mike has what it takes to be in the program as well. Soon these two monsters, along with their new friends in their college fraternity, Oozma Kappa (the biggest group of losers in the whole school), must compete and win in the university's annual Scare Games (think HUNGER GAMES and that
Triwizard tournament in HARRY POTTER AND THE WIZARD'S GOBLET) in order to stay in school as well as in the scarer program.
The film's story is full of fun, laughs, and of course, hilarious monsters. But there is an underlined message to be found in the frames, and that message is to always believe in yourself. Even if your friends, or teachers, or your peers at work, if you believe in yourself, you cannot fail. The only way to fail is to doubt yourself. And I thinks that's a great message to covey to kids!!
The computer animation is just out of this world. Even though the film takes place in the monster world of Monstropolis, the rending of the college and the enviornment look so freaking realistic! The trees, the buildings, the grass, the cars and buses, the houses, everything in the film looks so damn real! Computer technology has grown so fast since the first film, it's hard to imagine just what the future holds for these two monsters. What will they looks like if Pixar decides to make a part three?
The theater was only showing the film in standard 2D. So I am making plans to see this film again but in 3D! Yup, I should be seeing this again real soon!
Overall MONSTERS UNIVERSITY is funny, entertaining, and heart warming film that the whole family will no doubt enjoy! Beat the heat and head out to your local theater and stay cool by watching this great movie! 4 out of 5 stars!! Recommended!!
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY is currently playing in both 2D and 3D in theaters nationwide, including the Camera
Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.
It's interesting to trace the career of director Sam Raimi. Here is a man that has directed some truly amazing and horrifying films. After all, we are talking about the man who directed the EVIL DEAD TRILOGY (THE EVIL DEAD, EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN and ARMY OF DARKNESS). After making some other films like DARKMAN, THE QUICK AND THE DEAD, and THE GIFT, he went on to helm THE SPIDER-MAN TRILOGY, which garnered him world wide acclaim. After the series ended, he returned to his horror roots with DRAG ME TO HELL. Now Raimi has returned to the big screen with his latest cinematic endeavour OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, a prequel to the Hollywood classic THE WIZARD OF OZ.
Multi-award winning actor James Franco portrays Oscar Diggs (his nickname is Oz), a shifty, shady, circus magician (a con artist if you will). After having am illicit affair with one of the carny girls, he's chased by the girl's Strongman husband. He escapes in a hot-air balloon, only to get swept up in a devastating tornado. When he awakens he discovers he's been transported to the wonderful, magical world of Oz. Upon arriving he meets the beautiful Theodora (the stunning Milla Kunas), who takes him to the emerald City where he meets her sister Evanora (the gorgeous Rachel Weisz). The two believe him to be a wizard prophesied to overthrow the Wicked Witch who killed the king of Oz. He's sent off on a mission to prove that he is the chosen one. He finds not the Wicked Witch, but the good witch Glinda (the beautiful Michelle Williams). Oz finally realizes that he's in way over his head, and confesses to Glenda that he's not the powerful wizard, but her faith in him propels him into become not only the great and powerful Wizard of Oz, but becoming a better person as a whole. But first, he must defeat both of the Wicked Witches.
The film is based on L. Frank Baum's Oz novels, as well as the 1939 Hollywood film, but with slight differences. Remember that THE WIZARD OF OZ is a MGM film and this film comes courtesy of Walt Disney, so they couldn't have things too similar. The cowardly lion is just that; a lion. A real looking lion, not a man in a costume like previously portrayed by the great Bert Lahr. Glenda's costume is different than in the previous incarnation, but her means of travel, the cool bubble, is left intact. Oh, and don't bother looking for the famous ruby slippers in the film, for those are not in the book, but rather created for the 1939 film. The Emerald City looks almost the same, and the famed yellow brick road is there as well, just slightly different. However it does of the traditional black and white 4x3 formant intro.
Like the Hollywood classic, it's filled with cool characters that people will recognize, like the Munchkins in Munchkin Land. Plus there's new characters like China Girl (voiced by Joey King), and for the record, she's called that because she's made out of China, not the actual country of China. We also see Miss King early in the film as the crippled girl who asks Oz to heal her legs. Another new character is the winged monkey
Finley (Zach Braff). Now Finely isn't like the evil winged monkeys from THE WIZARD OF OZ. He's more like Oz's faithful servant. Braff also portrays Oz's assistant Frank in Kansas. Both of these characters were my favorite because they brought both a breathe of fresh air to the film as well as humor and pathos.
Now as for the film itself.....well....OK hear me out. So about twenty minutes into the film, after Oz meets Theodora and Evanora and they mistake him as the prophesied wizard who would save the Land of Oz, I suddenly realized that this was a remake of ARMY OF DARKNESS! For those of you who may have never heard of or seen the film (shame on you if you haven't) ARMY OF DARKNESS was the third installment of Raimi's EVIL DEAD TRILOGY, which came out back in January of 1993. So let me tell you the plot of ARMY: When a man named Ash (Bruce Campbell) is time-warped to medieval times, he is soon revealed to be the prophesied savior
who can quest for the Necronomicon, a book which can dispel the evil, so he can return home.Yeah, noticed the similarities yet people?!? We have a prophesied hero who comes from the sky, lands in a different world, forced to go on a quest that will save the land from evil. Whoa!! Is your mind blown yet?!? All that was missing from this movie was the catchphrases that Campbell spouted in ARMY! I was ready to hear James Franco say, "Groovy" or "Yo, she bitch!" or "Hail to the king baby!" If Franco would've said "Boomstick," I would have totally lost it! So this begs the question: did Sam Raimi realize that he was remaking his own film while making this film?!? Like they say in the Tootsie Roll commercials, "The world may never know."
So in the end, I liked OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL when it was called ARMY OF DARKNESS. The film relays on way too much CGI, had a weak story with uninteresting characters. It's nothing more of a pale remake of a cult classic. The only saving graces was Joey King and Zach Braff. Not even the beauty of Milla Kunas, Rachel Weisz, and Michelle Williams could've saved this film from sucking. 2 out of 5 stars. This film is a rental at best.
OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL is currently playing in both 2-D and 3-D in theaters nationwide,
including at the Cinelux Theaters here in the Bay Area. To view
showtimes, visit their website at www.cineluxtheatres.com.
Welcome back to Phil's Massive Movie Binge Weekend! So for the fifth and final film I saw on Saturday was the new DreamWorks Animation film PUSS IN BOOTS 3D. Now it is only fitting that I started out the day watching an Antonio Banderas film, that I should end my day watching an Antonio Banderas film. Boy this guy gets around, doesn't he folks?
Theatrical Movie Poster (2011)
The film is a spinoff prequel to the SHREK franchise and it follows the our furry, little friend on his adventures before his first appearance in SHREK 2. Accompanied by his sidekicks, his old childhood friend Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and tough and street smart Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), Puss is pitted against Jack and Jill (Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris), two murderous outlaws who discover an ancient, magical power (the famed magic beans) which could threaten the entire world. A power that Humpty Dumpty will stop at nothing to possess, even if it means betraying his old friend Puss.
The film stays in the same tradition as with the SHREK films: the film takes place obviously in the fairytale world, and its inhabitants are all based on characters that have been with us since childhood, but with a twist of course. Jack and Jill, once beloved, are now despised as they are our villains. Humpty was our klutzy friend who became an omelet in the original nursery rhyme is now a brilliant inventor and mastermind behind their quest for the legendary magic beans. With Puss, we get to learn his backstory: orphaned and adopted by his "mother," befriending Humpty, his fallout with his egghead friend and the ramifications of why he is an outlaw. Pretty heavy stuff for a children's film, but it's a very funny and entertaining film! And the 3D effect really makes the fun even more fun!
Galifianakis is marvelous as the voice of Humpty, and Miss Salma Hayek is purrr-fect in her role as Miss Kitty Softpaws, who has the softest paws in the land. This enables her to rob her victims blind. As I stated earlier, Banderas is the star of the film, reprising his role as Puss and once again does a fantastic job!
PUSS IN BOOTS is a hilarious, action packed, swashbuckling fun ride film for the whole family to enjoy! So for this holiday season, go see the best fun you'll have while sitting still! Trust me, or else Puss in Boots will make go see the film.
PUSS IN BOOTS is playing in theaters nationwide, including at the Camera Cinemas. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com
So as I stated in my review of the movie THOR last month, Marvel Studios is releasing three films based on their widely popular comic book series this summer. The first was the previously mentioned THOR, which was a huge success last month. Now their second film of their Summer Blockbuster Trilogy is released. While still feeling the power from the God of Thunder, I was very excited about their next film X-MEN: FIRST CLASS. Upon seeing it this past weekend, the film proved to me that Marvel Studios was going to have a very profitable summer.
The film is set in 1963. Before they were known as Professor X and Magneto respectively (and before they became arch enemies), they were Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), two mutants from two totally different backgrounds who unite to stop a common evil. The evil is named Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), who worked for the Nazis at their concentration camps (who also killed Erik's mother right before his eyes). Erik seeks revenge, while Charles offers him a different path in life. While both the United States and Russia are racing to the island of Cuba, preparing to launch World War III, they soon learn that Shaw, along with his cohorts Emma Frost (January Jones), Riptide (Alex Gonzales), and Azazel (Jason Flemyng) are responsible for the Cuban Missile Crisis, and he plans on ruling the world where mutants are the only survivors. Charles and Erik, with the help of CIA Agent Moira MacTaggat (Rose Byrne), assemble the very first incarnation of the X-Men: Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Havok (Lucas Till), and Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones). Now the fate of humanity lies in the hands of the children of the atom.
This was a phenomenal film and the perfect springboard to relaunch the franchise. For those who have never seen any of the previous films, wait and see this film before hand. This is the film that should've been made in the first place. Kudos to the entire cast for creating deep, flawed, arrogant, and courageous characters that all evolve throughout the film, which moves the story forward. As I have stated several times before, this is very important in all action films. Without out realistic characters, you don't have anyone to cheer and boo for. And without them, the film goes nowhere and we, the audience, are bored for the next two hours.
With this in mind, all the screenwriters deserve a round of applause for writing a fantastic script. One of those writers is none other than Bryan Singer, co-writer and director of the first two X-MEN movies. And speaking of talented filmmakers, Matthew Vaughn (who helped co-write the screenplay and directed this film) did the impossible: getting the X-Men franchise back on track. The man who directed only three films prior (LAYER CAKE, STARDUST, and KICK ASS) does a fantastic job of directing the first class of X-men on the first mission in saving the world from the grips of atomic annihilation. Also, as a added bonus, look for uncredited cameos by Hugh (Wolverine) Jackman and Rebecca (Mystique) Romijn.
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS is the perfect summer action film, filled with larger than life characters that will make you stand up and shout. With the release of this film, Marvel Studios is now 2-0 for this summer so far. Next month we will see the release of one the most treasured comic characters in the Marvel Universe. Until then enjoy watching this film over and over again. If you're a mutant, just make sure you save some popcorn for us all.
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS is now playing everywhere nationwide, including at the Cinelux Theaters here in the South Bay. To view showtimes, visit their website at http://www.cineluxtheatres.com/
