Phil Goes Bollywood: Phil attends the 15th anniversary screening of DEVDAS at the Cinemark Century 20 Oakridge Mall - September 2, 2017

It's been way too long since I went and visited the magical world of Bollywood! What brought me back to this wonderful wonderland was that Fathom Events was having a special 15th anniversary screening of the critically acclaimed award winning film DEVDAS, which was originally released back in 2002. The opportunity to see this magnificent film on the big screen was something that I could not miss! So I headed on over to the Cinemark Century 20 Oakridge Mall where the Fathom Events screening was.

American Theatrical Poster (2002)

The film's official synopsis: The son of Zamindar Narayan Mukherjee, Devdas (Shahrukh Khan) was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He grew up in the lush village of Taj Sonapur, where he spent his childhood with his playmate Paro (Aishwarya Rai). They grew up sharing a special relationship. Oblivious of all the differences of status and background, a bond that would never break grew between them. Soon, Devdas is sent to London for his education. Years later Devdas returns. Devdas besotted by Paro's stunning beauty longs to marry her. But Devdas' father meets Paro's mother with condescending arrogance. It causes a rift between the families and even though Devdas tries to convince his father, his father doesn't relent. Paro then enters into a chaste marriage with a wealthy, much older man, Zamindar Bhuvan, while a shattered Devdas walks towards anguish, alcoholism and Chandramukhi (Madhuri Dixit), a stunning courtesan, who passionately loves him. Meanwhile, Paro, on the other hand, performs her worldly duties sincerely, but inside her, she can never forget Devdas. Strange was the fate of Devdas. Intensely loved by two women, who were never meant to be his. One whom he could never love and one whom he could never stop loving.

Over the years, I have only seen pieces of the film online or read about the film. I was totally unprepared how outstanding the film was! It truly does live up to its reputation as one of the very best Bollywood films of the modern age! From its colorful costumes, towering sets and musical numbers, every single frame of the movie is a beautiful cinematic masterpiece of epic proportions!

What makes it so amazing is the strong performances by its three leads. Shahrukh Khan is one of the finest actors in Bollywood today. His portrayal Devdas is relatable: he's an arrogant, spoiled and flawed individual who later realizes that he had taken the love of Paro for granted. His loss sends him straight to the bottom of a bottle as he tries to forget the ache of his broken heart. Aishwarya Rai is one of the most stunningly beautiful actresses to ever grace the silver screen! Her performance is wonderful to witness as her character is a strong, defiant and loving woman who wishes to be with her beloved Devdas. Last, but certainly not least, actress Madhuri Dixit's acting is just spectacular. We feel for her as she tries over and over again to win the heart of Devdas, only to have him reject her heart repeatedly. The musical number with both Rai and Dixit was one of the film's highlights for me. They both displayed amazing on-screen chemistry and reminded us that it doesn't matter where you come from, it's about who you are as a person and what lies within your heart.

The film was released to theaters in India on July 12, 2002 and instantaneously received praises from both critics and fans alike. It went on to win ten awards at the 2002 Filmfare Awards, five awards at both the 2002 National Awards and the 2003 Star Screen Awards. It was nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars in 2003 and that same year won a staggering sixteen awards at the 4th Annual IIFA Awards. It was also the highest grossing Bollywood film of 2002.

DEVDAS is one of my favorite Bollywood movies of all time!! This would be a great introduction for those who have never seen a Bollywood film before! With its high production values, grand directing, amazing songs and stellar acting, it's gone on to become a benchmark within the genre! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

DEVDAS is currently available on DVD and VOD from Eros International Pictures. To purchase a copy for yourself, and to learn more about Eros and their film library, visit their website at erosnow.com. To learn more about Fathom Events and their upcoming schedule, visit their website at www.fathomevents.com.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the show!

Phil sees LAKE NOWHERE from The Ravacon Collective/Ursidae Parade -September 1, 2017

I love horror films. You've probably heard me mention that on more than one occasion. Can you blame me? Having being raised on the Bay Are show Creature Features and the birth of VHS and video stores, there was a mountain of horror films that I had access to watch! Now in the 21st Century, we know have awesome streaming services that provides us the convenience to watch them anytime we want. Plus, it's another platform for young up and coming filmmakers to showcase their films. A perfect example of this indie spirit is the film I saw on Shudder entitled LAKE NOWHERE and it was totally awesome!

The film's official synopsis: From the vaults of the golden age of slasher films comes LAKE NOWHERE, a raucous, bloody romp which resurrects the thrill of gory midnight movies for an hour-long plunge into the depths of horror. Inspired by the dusty days of VHS, LAKE NOWHERE is preceded by original trailers & commercials, replicating the experience of watching a long lost bootleg tape. When a group of friends arrive at a desolate lakeside cabin, they are stalked and murdered by a Masked Maniac, whose lust for blood transcends our world. This age-old tale of senseless slaughter quickly spirals into the realm of supernatural horror and classic monster movies, as we learn the true power that lies within LAKE NOWHERE.

This was a very pleasant surprise! The film is a love letter to the days when VHS, video stores and cable stations ruled the world. Aesthetically pleasing, the film's appeal is that it looks as if it was recorded off of TV. We see a fake beer commercial (Wolf White Beer) and a cool fake trailer for an Italian giallo movie (HARVEST MAN). And as an added bonus to make it feel more authentic, we can see what was recorded over during the film! Yup, who didn't re-record and reuse the same VHS tape over and over again! This sick guy used to do that all the damn time!

The film itself is, "all thriller, no filler!" Clocking in at a lean, mean 51 minutes, directors Christopher Phelps and Maxim Van Scoy capture the look and feel of classic 80's slasher movies perfectly. Forgoing the standard character development and origin story, the movie contains the very basic ingredients: sex, blood and awesome kills! The visuals, combines with the radical synth soundtrack, the viewer is instantly transported back to the heydays of the slasher and VHS craze!

Since the release of GRINDHOUSE back in 2007, there has been a plethora of retro-styled movies that hearken back to the days when 42nd Street ruled New York. Once the VCR came into the mix, people began frequenting their local mom & pop video stores to rent these things called VHS tapes and watched them in the privacy of their home. The movie reminds me those good 'ole days of renting movies with my brother every weekend.

LAKE NOWHERE is a fun loving tribute to 1980's slasher movies, VHS tapes and late night cable channels!! This movie deserves to be seen by more people! So go support independent cinema and buy this movie so you can watch it over and over again! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

LAKE NOWHERE is currently available on both Blu-Ray/DVD Combo and VOD. To purchase the movie as well as posters, visit the film's official website at www.welcometolakenowhere.com. The film is also streaming on Shudder. To view it, sign up on its website at www.shudder.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show! 

Phil sees GHOST IN THE SHELL from Paramount Pictures - August 17, 2017

In 1995, the anime film GHOST IN THE SHELL was released to theaters and home video to world wide acclaim. It was the most visually stunning and complex anime to be released at that time. It has gone on to become one of the greatest anime films of all time, often times being compared to AKIRA in some conversations. Based on the internationally acclaimed Japanese Manga, "The Ghost in the Shell," the anime eventually caught the attention of Hollywood. Last year it was announced that Paramount Pictures were planning a big budget live adaptation of the classic property. The end result is GHOST IN THE SHELL, which was released to theaters this past spring and yours truly finally got around to seeing it.

The film's official synopsis: In the near future, Major Motoko Kusanagi (Scarlett Johansson) is the first of her kind: A human saved from a terrible terrorist attack, who is cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world's most dangerous criminals. When terrorism reaches a new level that includes the ability to hack into people's minds and control them, Major Kusanagi is uniquely qualified to stop it. As she prepares to face a new enemy, Major Kusanagi discovers that she has been lied to: her life was not saved, it was stolen. She will stop at nothing to recover her past, find out who did this to her and stop them before they do it to others.

So......yeah, this film. While I thoroughly enjoyed the cinematography and the special effects were gorgeous, I felt that it was just another lifeless, bloated Hollywood shit show.

Now I love Scarlett Johansson and I think she's a talented actress, but I felt like she was miscast in the role. Her performance felt flat for me and she didn't show a lot of range as Motoko. Granted, she was the subject of enormous controversy due to her being cast as the lead instead of casting an Japanese actress, which there is some merit in it. The source material is all Japanese based; the manga, the anime, which is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential anime film of all time. The only Japanese actor in the film is the legendary actor Takeshi Kitano and he doesn't speak of word of English in the film! That's how badass he is!

Director Rubert Sanders' previous film was the 2012 SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, which I didn't like very much. Now he is a really good director; his set-ups and compositions are nice looking, his storytelling is fluid and smooth, but as to why he picks these type of film projects is beyond me. So far his resume includes three short films and two Hollywood duds. Seriously Rubert, find something more worth while to do with your time.

GHOST IN THE SHELL is another dull, boring, lifeless, soulless, typical Hollywood schlockbuster that's easy on the eyes but is unquestionably forgettable! Not even Johansson and her skin colored outfit can save this film from being another shitty attempt of another Hollywood remake of a beloved Japanese film! 2 out of 5 stars! It's a rental at best!

GHOST IN THE SHELL is currently playing in theaters nationwide. Check your local listings to see if it's playing at a theater near you.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends a special screening of TURN IT AROUND: THE STORY OF EAST BAY PUNK at the Camera 3 Cinemas - August 10, 2017

Guess who's back? That's right! After being away for over two years, I have come back home to San Jose! And what better way to celebrate my return than seeing a movie at my favorite theater: The Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! But this wasn't your ordinary film, oh no. This was a documentary about the East Bay Punk scene that would transform music history forever. So let me tell you all about TURN IT AROUND: THE STORY OF EAST BAY PUNK and why I loved it so much!

The film's official synopsis: Narrated by Iggy Pop, Turn it Around: The Story of East Bay Punk spans over 30 years of the California Bay Area’s punk music history with a central focus on the emergence of Berkeley's inspiring 924 Gilman Street music collective. The film is the definitive telling of this vibrant story, drawing from a wide variety of voices, featuring exclusive interviews with and the music of the most famous and infamous rock and punk bands in history, including Green Day, Metallica, Rancid, Dead Kennedys, and over 100 more interviews with artists and musicians from California’s East Bay punk music scene.

The film was nostalgic for me. I was there when the events in the film were unfolding. I remember hanging out with my friends listening to Operation Ivy's album. I was a huge fan of Lookout! Records and their bands like The Mr. T Experience, Groovie Ghoulies, The Donnas and The Queers. The label was also the home of a little band called Green Day, who would bring the East Bay Sound to the mainstream with their 1994 major label debut "Dookie."

It was interesting to reflect and look back while I was watching the documentary. The first thing that popped in my head first was, "Holy crap I'm old! I remember when all this was brand new!" Then I was thinking of all the young college kids that were in the theater with me. To them this is a history lesson. For me, we didn't know that this was going to become as big as did. We were just a bunch of dumb kids looking for something to do with our time. Forming bands, playing shows, starting fanzines, nobody thought that we were going to make history. None of my punk friends thought that we were going to become anything. In hindsight, we were doing something special and the filmmakers captured that youthful D.I.Y. spirit that drove us in creating this extraordinary scene.

The documentary was produced and directed by Corbett Redford and co-written by Redford and Anthony Marchitiello. These two gentlemen did their homework as they dug deep to bring to light the roots of the East Bay Punk scene, the rise of 924 Gilman Street and how it all came to be. Interviewing those who were their like Tim Armstrong, Larry Livermore, Matt Freeman, Dave Edwardson, Michelle Gonzales, Kamala Parks and the guys from Green Day (who helped executive produce the film along with Pat Magnarella), the film is so in-depth that its total running time is an astounding 157 minutes! And to have the legendary Iggy Pop to narrate the film, that's a punk rock rocker's dream come true right there!

Taking it one step further, the archival footage was amazing! To witness Operation Ivy in their glory days, to see a young Frank Portman front the Mr. T Experience and to see those Green Day kids playing to a backyard party made me scream for joy! It was wonderful to see all of this still exist and to have it the film was the icing on the cake! I was so happy I was grinning from ear to ear!

TURN IT AROUND: THE STORY OF EAST BAY PUNK is a punk fueled, groundbreaking and informative documentary that captures a magical period of time in music history; a lesson for those who wish to create their own scene and do something for themselves. I feel privileged to have witnessed it all first hand. I reflect on that period as the greatest time of my life. This scene, this world I was living in was new and open and anything was possible! This is one documentary that the whole world needs to see! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

TURN IT AROUND: THE STORY OF EAST BAY PUNK is playing one more time at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose on Thursday, August 17th at 7:30pm. For tickets, visit the Camera 3's website at www.cameracinemas.com. To learn more about the film and to see if it will be playing at a theater near you, visit https://eastbaypunk.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees ALIEN: COVENANT from 20th Century Fox - June 28, 2017

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.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 in 3D from Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures - June 28, 2017

Marvel Studios took a gamble on GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY back in 2014. Sure, the trailer looked awesome, but it was based on a relatively obscure and not-too-well-known comic book. Comic geeks like me knew of its existence, but I was concerned that it was going to be a boxoffice bomb, even though Troma alumni James Gunn wrote and directed the film. Now I've been a fan of Gunn's since TROMEO & JULIET and he's gone on to become a big Hollywood big shot. But when the film became a huge gigantic hit, it took Gunn to a whole new level of stardom. Naturally, it was announced that he would be returning to do the sequel, I think fans breathed a collective sigh of relief. Three years later, I'm sitting in my local theater to watch GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 and I left feeling like I saw the best Marvel film ever!

The film's official synopsis: Set to the backdrop of 'Awesome Mixtape #2,' Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team's adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their new found family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill's true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes' aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.

Gunn takes these band of misfits and cranks the adventures up to 11! All the while expanding of the characters themselves as well. Chris Pratt's Peter Quill aka Starlord, who lost his mother to cancer as a child, finally meets his father Ego, portrayed by Hollywood legend Kurt Russell. We see the bonding between a father and his son, which is quite touching. Speaking of families, Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and her sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) try to work out their differences if they are to destroy their father Thanos. Drax (Dave Bautista) befriends Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) gets to know Peter's old friend and surrogate father figure Yondu (Michael Rooker). What Gunn has done with this film is focus on the theme of family, whether it's blood or friends that are your family. It's really refreshing to see this in a Marvel movie, where it's mostly just popcorn action and adventure fluff.

So now let's talk about the one character that has captured America's heart. The one Marvel character that has now become the most popular character in the MCU. Yes my friend's I'm talking about Baby Groot. OMG he's soooooooooooo freaking cute!! I want a Groot for myself!! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeekkk!!!! OK, now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's continue, shall we?

The special effects were awesome, the 3D conversion was excellent and heightened the movie going experience and had solid character development, great story, plenty of laughs and introduced some interesting new character while setting up future MCU storylines. And yes, there are five post credit scenes so stay and watch them all, especially the scene with Hollywood heavyweight Sylvester Stallone, which got me very excited to see what's to come.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 has the distinction of being better than the first film and really entertains the hell out of you!! Seriously, if go see this movie and you're not happy afterwards, then I would suggest seeing a shrink. This was a blast to watch from beginning to end! And if it's playing in 3D, then see that on the big screen! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 is playing in both 2D and 3D in theaters nationwide. Check your local listings to see if it's playing at a theater near you.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil's Horror Watch: OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL (2016) from Universal Pictures - May 1, 2017

OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL Blu-Ray

OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL
Starring: Elizabeth Reaser, Annalise Basso, Lulu Wilson, Henry Thomas
Written by Mike Flanagan Jeff Howard
Based on characters created by Juliet Snowden & Stiles White
Cinematography by Michael Fimognari
Edited by Mike Flanagan
Produced by Michael Bay, Jason Blum, Stephen Davis, Andrew Form, Bradley Fuller, Brian Goldner
Directed by Mike Flanagan
Production Companies: Hasbro Studios, Platinum Dunes, Allspark Pictures, Blumhouse Productions
Released by Universal Pictures

I'm going to be straight up honest with you my faithful readers: I didn't really care for the 2014 film OUIJA. I found it predicable, tedious and, quite frankly, not very scary at all. The only thing that was scary was the $12 bucks I paid to see this clunker! So I was very shocked and surprised when Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures were teaming up again to make a sequel. But then the story changed. Now it was going to be a prequel, set in Los Angeles 1967. OK, that sounds kinda interesting. But when they announced that Mike Flanagan, the man behind the films ABSENTIA, OCULUS and the fan favorite HUSH, my ears perked up and now I was very much interested! The end result is that OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL surpassed beyond my expectations and blows the first film away.

The film's official synopsis: It was never just a game. Inviting audiences again into the lore of the spirit board, OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL tells a terrifying new tale as the follow-up to 2014’s sleeper hit that opened at number one. In 1967 Los Angeles, a widowed mother and her two daughters add a new stunt to bolster their séance scam business and unwittingly invite authentic evil into their home. When the youngest daughter is overtaken by the merciless spirit, this small family confronts unthinkable fears to save her and send her possessor back to the other side.

Original Theatrical Poster (2016)

Director Mike Flanagan is one of the most talented filmmakers within the genre as of today. He first burst onto the scene with the indie fright film ABSENTIA in 2011. But it was his next film, the creepy 2013 OCULUS that really put him on the map. The film became a huge hit and signaled that there was a new voice in the horror world. Then in 2016, he had three movies coming out: the slasher thriller HUSH, the supernatural fantasy horror film BEFORE I AWAKE and then finally today's movie. Flanagan has such a clear and distinctive vision that it deserves the acclaim his movies have been receiving. Also, he not only directs, but he also co-writes his films and edits them as well. How many other filmmakers can you name that is this involved in their work. Hands down, this man is one of my favorite new directors!

Actresses Elizabeth Reaser (Alice Zander), Annalise Basso (Lina Zander) and Lulu Wilson (Doris Zander) have amazing on-screen chemistry with one another. The family dynamic is funny and feels so realistic. All three ladies bring add so much depth to their respective characters that it's truly outstanding! Special shout outs to both Basso and Wilson, who go above and above the call of duty. Their performances are exceptionally scary and freaking incredible. When little Lulu plays with the Ouija board and then becomes processed, she becomes one of the most scariest kids ever captured on film! Yeah, she's that creepy! And then poor Lina, who unfortunately ends up on the losing end of it all. Oh, by the way, sit through the credits because there is a bonus scene that ties this film to the original and it's amazing!

OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL is one of the best Hollywood horror films to come out in a very long time! It's scary, it's relentless, it's sole purpose is to both entertain you while scaring the shit out of you!! And this movie accomplishes both in spades!! If you're looking for an excellent horror film to watch tonight, then you should definitely watch this one tonight!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL available on both Blu-Ray and DVD at your local retailer. The movie is also available on iTunes, Video On Demand, digital download and Netflix.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!