In the most selfless of twitviews I can give, don’t see this movie. Unless cookie cutter plots and predictable endings are your thing. I can only hope Mr. Ryan Reynolds rebounds next year with Deadpool as he is capable of so much more. Unfortunately, this film does not push any boundaries or show a hint of imagination. I would suggest staying home and watching The Island (2005) heck, even Paul Blart 2 may be a suitable replacement if going to the movies is in the plans for this weekend.
A heartbreaking look at an incredible talent. Must-see. Grade: A
What: A documentary about the famous — and infamous — singer Amy Winehouse, chronicling her rise to fame, her fall from grace, and her tragic death.
Why: Loved her music? Intrigued by her all-too-public flameout? Fascinated by the whole “27 Club” thing? Then Amy is the documentary for you. It’s unflinching, gut-wrenching and pulls no punches. Warning: however jaded you may be going in, you’d better bring tissues. You’re gonna need ’em.
How: I loved it, if you couldn’t tell from the grade above. Director Asif Kapadia doesn’t grab your shoulders and shake you with his ideas. Instead, he lets footage taken before, during and after Amy’s rise to fame allow you to make up your own mind. And more than likely you’ll come to the conclusion most viewers have come to; Winehouse was given no help when she needed it most, and instead was used as a fame-stepladder-cum-gravy-train by almost everyone who was closest to her. Props to Yasiin Bey (called Mos Def in the documentary, as that was what he went by when he knew Winehouse), Mark Ronson, and Salaam Remi for trying to stand up and help her when she was down. Sadly, with the malestrom around her, it wasn’t enough. This film clocks in at just over two hours, yet the time flies by. The story is that powerful.
A great concept hung up (heh) by a hackneyed use of “found-footage” film. Can we all agree that this “new, exciting” style is long past its sell-by date? Grade: C
What: On October 29th, 1993, a high school put on a production of “The Gallows”. But a set malfunction — yep, those gallows — causes the death of a cast member. Cut to October 28th, 2013, where the school decides to revisit this play. Why? Because they’re masochists. Why care about something that happened in ’13? Why indeed.
Why: Are you already amping up for Halloween, and in desperate need of a fear fix at the multiplex? Well, if you’re not too picky — and don’t need to care about the victim list in a horror film — this could fit the bill. A few creepy moments thanks to quality cinematography and effects keeps The Gallows from really dropping the ball. Plus, there’s a ton of sub-par horror garbage on Netflix lately, so hit up this film if you’re really jonesing for a fright.
How: An intriguing premise, but too muddled and enamored of its “found footage” format to really work. Perhaps that’s due to two directors — Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing– helming the film. That’d explain the lack of cohesion and disjointed feel of the plot. But that’s not the only problem here. There’s too much suspension of disbelief required to really dig into the horror that The Gallows tries to trot out. A school would be allowed to perform a play that caused the death of a student years before? Sure, because the school board and neighborhood folks would be fine with that. A high school where unknown folks can wander in to sit and watch the kids for hours? Of course, not creepy at all, and totally acceptable in this day and age. But most of all; drama class is MANDATORY? Um, as much as I’d love that, there’s no way in hell that’d fly. The Gallows doesn’t bother to flesh out any backstory beyond “wanna see how that kid died?”, so gaping holes in plot and characterization soon become the only thing to focus on.
The actors deliver decent performances, but they’re really only tasked with running around and screaming a lot. There’s no character development beyond “he has a crush on her”, “she’s his girlfriend”, “he’s a douche”. Screenwriters Cluff and Lofing (double duty!) write characters so boring, empty and vapid that there’s no reason to care about any of them, so much like the audience, these kids don’t have anything to sink into. When these characters start dying, it’s just one step closer to the film being over, rather than any true terror. The bright spots in this film are Edd Lukas’ cinematography and the makeup FX by Rachel Jenkins and Michael Needham, which go a long way toward making this film look a whole lot better than it has any right to.
The scariest part of the film was the end, where there was just enough of a BOOGABOOGA scare to hint at a sequel, if this film makes any kind of money. Brrr, now that’s scary.
So in Ted 2, we find our main character Ted in quite the predic…..wait a second…..who cares! Did Ted smoke pot, get into fights, and do lines with Flash again? Yes, yes, and yes. If you are a fan of the first, you won’t hate the second, but you won’t love it either!
Sometimes all you want to know is “what is this?”, “why should I see it?” and “how did you like it?” So, here it is: the lowdown on Max!
What: Max is a film about a military working dog (named Max, obviously.) When Max’s handler Kyle dies during a firefight in Afghanistan, Max becomes uncontrollable…except for the immediate bond he has with his handler’s brother Justin.
Why: You like doggies? Happy-ending movies? Kids that feel like real kids rather than movie cliches? Or maybe you’re looking for a 4th of July film that you can bring your whole family to. Max will hook you up.
How: Gotta say that Max tugged all the right heartstrings for me. The wartime scenes felt real, and though the back-home scenes felt a little too movie-of-the-week, it still worked. You’ll see the happy ending coming from a mile away, but director Boaz Yakin manages to keep the thriller pace once the bad guys show up and threaten Max’s new life with Justin. Best part of the film? Getting introduced to Mia Xitlali, who plays Justin’s “Dog Whisperer” friend Carmen. (Though I could have done without the misogyny leveled at her by her cousin Chuy. Can we get past the Latino machismo stereotypes already?)
Grade: B
How do you know that ‘time heals all wounds?’ I’ll tell you. It’s because the last 14 year lull between Jurassic flicks have actually made me forget the 2nd and 3rd film ever even existed. Even watching the promos for JWorld, my mind bridged from the original to this latest installment, and it flowed beautifully. This is a summer movie. Just enough thrills, shock, kissy-face and dino action to keep you riveted!
Lovers of the first will relish in this installment
TwitReview – Dwayne Johnson stars in San Andreas – don’t throw a rock at The Rock! Intense sequences, lots of action, amazing effects! Oh, a damn good movie too!! Grade 4 out of 5.
TwittReview – Tomorrowland is a truly fun, family friendly science fiction movie. George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson star! Grade: 4 out of 5 stars.
Another weekend in the books and two big movies were released. The much awaited sequel, Pitch Perfect 2 had a large weekend while the long awaited George Miller Mad Max franchise released the newest iteration Mad Max: Fury Road. And those Avengers are still playing strong to large crowds.
This upcoming weekend sees the release of George Cloney in Disney’s Tomorrow Land while going against the remake version of Poltergeist.
-Alex
A sweet film about a scared lady who never aged past 29. Decades later she finds true love, but will she go for it? Kinda soppy (as you’d expect), but all in good romantic-fantasy fun. Beautiful set design and costuming, and touching performances from Blake Lively, Ellen Burstyn, and Harrison Ford. Grade: B+
