Author: spacecortez

Film enthusiast and Indie film wannabe, lover of good books and well written film dialogues. I love Art.
film

Movie Pitch: Live Action “Up”

Posted on by spacecortez

Recently on an episode of MovieFights! by Screenjunkies on youtube, their guests were posed a very interesting hypothetical question. “Which Pixar movie should be made into a live action film?” One of the answers submitted was “Up”, the adventure bound tale of Carl Fredricksen, a disgruntled old man living alone in his home, and Russell, a young plucky boy scout full of optimism. Immediately I thought of several creative talents that I believe would make an incredibly entertaining adaption of the film while still maintaining a faithful rendition of the source material. Many of you know this film already, but mainly it’s about those two getting wrapped up in a whimsical international adventure in Fredricksen’s house as its hoisted by balloons through the sky. It’s one of Pixar’s greats and if it were adapted for live action you’d need to bring real talent to the table to successfully transfer the quality of this animated story to celluloid status.

Director: Steven Spielberg

Spielberg has the right kind of optimism in his directing style that would mesh well with his knack for adventures that can be viewed by anyone without pandering to children or adults. Obviously the man could adapt almost anything and have it be some sort of success but I believe his most filmic qualities play into making this adventure memorable and full of heart.

Writers: Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright

Both “Star Trek Beyond” and the cornetto trilogy by Edgar Wright (‘Shaun of the Dead’, ‘Hot Fuzz’, and ‘The World’s End’) prove that these two can imbue blockbuster flair with the intimacy of true character moments sparsed throughout their screenplays. I’m betting these two would make for quick witted quips and whimsical wordplay that fills you with wonder. They’re the right men for the job!

Cast

Carl Fredricksen: Mark Rylance

While Ed Asner’s voiceover work in the animated version was decidedly impeccable I doubt he would be as capable today at the age of 86 to pull off the performance, no harm meant however, the man is a legend. Mark Rylance, while a spry 56 years old, still has the look for an older gentleman and he hasn’t (since his scene stealing role in “Bridge of Spies”) had the opportunity to perform the curmudgeony role of Carl Fredricksen’s type, most of his performances paint him as likeable, he could have some fun with this one.

Russell: Julian Dennison

After his scene stealing turn as Ricky Baker in “Hunt for The Wilderpeople” Julian Dennison has proven his acting ability and outstanding charisma. Alongside Mark Rylance this could be another proving ground with a somewhat similar pairing as his previous outing, yes, but what a tantalizingly entertaining performance it would be.

Charles Muntz: Brad Pitt

Having the caliber of acting that Brad Pitt brings to the table could be the perfect dash of celebrity in this scenario. Muntz is a rich billionaire obsessed with finding the rare bird (Kevin) that follows our heroes around diligently. With the character being based on Howard Hughes and other classic americana adventurers Pitt could find merit and fun within this performance.

Voice of Dug the retriever: Paul F. Tompkins

Anyone that’s seen Netflix’s animated show “Bojack Horseman” can tell you that Paul F. Tompkins definitely has the voice of a golden retriever, because he plays one quite well in the form of Mister PeanutButter. I can’t think of a better voice work actor that could measure up for this sort of role than Mister Tompkins.

Kevin (the Bird) Noises: Bill Hader

This one is more of a fun suggestion really. If Kevin the bird came down to being voiced by a human instead of a sound design team producing the animal’s gutteral noises who better than Bill Hader to come in and record all kinds of ridiculous sounds for Kevin? He’s had multiple voiceover performances in the past and has proven to be another quality tool in any director’s bag of tricks when utilized, let the man crow and caw.

Those are my thoughts and musings on how I would organize a live adaption of the Pixar animated movie “Up”. Agree with my choices? Either way coment below or leave your own thoughts on the topic! As always, thanks for reading!

 

 

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Casting “Justice League Dark”

Posted on by spacecortez

Now that we know Doug Liman will be directing DC’s ‘Justice League Dark’ after Guillermo Del Toro departed from the production we can have some fun with casting the team. Also credit due to the popular youtube channnel ScreenJunkies for inspiring my own interpretation of this movie’s cast. Justice League Dark is a particularly fun comic dealing with, as the title implies, the darker side of the DCEU with the inclusion of possesion, demons, and the occasional trip to heaven and/or hell. This is the down and dirty side of DC that Batman, Superman, and Flash may dip their toes in from time to time, but are usually too busy defending the earth from galactic sized problems to deal with. Sometimes you just need a rag tag group of rejects that happen to be well versed in the dark arts.

Ryan Gosling as John Constantine

Okay, hear me out. Ryan Gosling has done an impeccable job removing himself from any rom/com stigma he may have had lingering around within the last five years and made quite the household name for himself. His range in acting ability is pretty incredible and since he seems so darn likeable in most pieces I believe Constantine would provide him with a unique acting challenge as the character is usually steeped in snarky cynical quips, self loathing tirades, or generally being disliked for his arrogant and selfish antihero antics.

Jackie Earle Haley as Boston Brand/Deadman

Not since Rorschach has there been a character more fitting for Jackie Earle Haley. Deadman is a ghost or spirit having the ability to possess others’ bodies amongst other tricks such as intangibility, invisibility, and flight. In his human life he was affluence and sin personified, he didn’t learn how to live until he died. Given these ghostly abilites by a hindu god named ‘Rama Kushna’ Brand had to solve his own murder and then went out to help mortals avoid the same mistakes he made in life. Stoic expressionism and the ability to express dry humor are both talents that Haley has in the bag and I believe he’d bring a unique edge to a character that still wants to hold onto the belief that he remains part of humanity.

Mahershala Ali as Dr. Alec Holland/Swamp Thing

With Netflix’s own ‘House of Cards’ and the upcoming ‘Luke Cage’ series Ali has shown great skill and flexibility in character work. I believe he could bring a compelling performance to the human nature of Swamp Thing because while Swamp Thing is nature bound, there is a human within the green figure that has to be pulled from. Swamp Thing is quite the compelling character in his own right and should receive an actor ready to take on the challenge that this character brings, Ali can do that and more.

Viggo Mortensen as Jason Blood/Etrigan the Demon

Jason Blood was originally a knight in King Arthur’s camelot that gets wrapped up in the supernatural as he becomes bound to Etrigan, a demon from hell that was summoned by Merlin. After Merlin, who by the way is half brothers with Etrigan, summons this demon and finds he cannot pull secrets from him the wizard binds him to the knight, making Jason Blood immortal. Years later Blood resurfaces as a demonologist in Gotham. Blood attempts to utilize his infernal power for good as Etrigan’s power is impressive for DC’s standards. Mortensen would likely have no interest in the part, but with the character’s background as a knight plagued by a demon’s transformative power, it would be fun seeing Viggo in chainmail again in flashbacks. That and this guy really gets into his character motivation and knows how to make this sort of character memorable.

Aubrey Plaza as Zatanna

Genetically gifted as a master sorceress by her father Zatanna is one of DC’s most powerful magic users who moonlights as an illusionist, just as her father did. Zatanna has a lot to give as a member of the occult oriented team and Aubrey Plaza has the wit and charm necessary for this role, I’d love to see what she could do with the material. She’s more than simply a romantic interest for the other characters (although she did have several romantic outings with both Constantine and Jason Blood throughout the comics continuity), Zatanna is incredibly powerful. Here’s a list of her abilities: pyrokinesis, cryokinesis, electrokinesis, hyrdokinesis, geokinesis, aerokinesis, photokinesis, umbrakinesis, telekinesis, telepathy, teleportation, dimensional travel, reality alteration, antipathy, deflection, chronokinesis, weather manipulation, eldritch blast, energy construct creation, energy transference, flight, force field, healing, phasing, size alteration, transformation, prestidigitation, hypnosis, advanced hand to hand combat, occultism, and multilingualism… whew, yeah, this should be a fun character with lots of potential!

So there you have it, sometimes the JLD has a different looking roster from time to time, occasionally including Frankenstein (yes the Frankenstein), but this is the current cast of characters that are believed to be in the movie. Lets all hope Warner Bros. and DC figure out what not to do since ‘Suicide Squad’ already acomplished that for most audiences, because this team up has the potential to do something special. I hope this all works out in the end, nobody enjoys talking about DCEU movies in a negative light, well, at least I don’t, I want these movies to be great! Agree with my choices? Have your own roster of actors for this movie? Comment below and let me know! Thanks for reading!

 

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Is 2016 the worst summer movie season yet? + year in review (so far)

Posted on by spacecortez

This has been a weird year for movies. Lest we not forget the political vomiting that’s taking place and poor ole Harambe, but when it concerns the cinema, whew, it’s been one for the books, and its still only September! I can only speak for the films I’ve seen, but for the ones I have not I can only go by general consensus or word of mouth. For example, I saw Batman V Superman, so I know the extent to which I was dissapointed, but I could have easily relied on the explosion of conversation surrounding the film as well. Rotten tomatoes score or not that movie earned (some) bank but built an uneasy foundation going into the summer for DC comics based movies.

After compiling the lineup below I realized I haven’t seen anywhere near the amount of movies I wanted to see this year, but eventually I’ll get around to most if not all on this list. It’s hard to keep up with the abundance of visual art that’s made each year, and I personally try not to berate any one production, because it’s a difficult thing making a movie. I know, just from small instances of my own personal efforts, that simply scheduling around people’s lives can be a headache in itself and that’s not considering budgets, daylight, special effects, line memorization, lighting, hell even lunch being delivered on time can make or break a day’s efforts sometimes. So, sometimes even simply finishing a film can be a feat. I get that. However it’s also important to hold Hollywood to quality storytelling as they have the infrastructure that independent filmmakers only dream of and consequentially the indie people have made better films, than the big studios, as far as 2016 is considered.

Some are calling this the worst summer movie season ever. I don’t know about that. While it was certainly a letdown at times (here’s looking at you Independence Day) this year did have its merits, in fact I would say there were far more quality films over the more discussed dissapointments. You just had to know where to look for them. Anyways, here’s a quick reminder of this years highs and lows at the theater (so far).

The Good

Deadpool: A

Who knew the merc with a mouth could be more bankable (in North America), and have a better story, than Batman and Superman combined? #Driveby

Captain America Civil War: A+

Just another AAA 10/10 notch under Marvel’s belt, everything about this film knocks it out of the park in a way that keeps reinventing the superhero genre while inserting powerfully emotional story threads.

Swiss Army Man: A

This is a beautiful film about a suicidal man teaching a dead man that life is worth living. Filled with slick editing and special effects this film combines profound questions about life, saddness, love, and farts. Just trust me, it works.

Hunt for the wilderpeople: A+

A joyous and at times somber film that keeps you laughing while doling out life lessons for the leads both young and old. This is a truly unique flick and definitely one of my new favorites! Plus Any film that utilizes New Zealand’s beautiful landscape is always a nice touch.

Star Trek Beyond: B+

Slowed down to a more true ‘Trek’ vibe and pace this third outing in the series is another welcomed adventure with great character work. I may personally disagree with the creative choice of incorporating shaky cam sequences, but it’s not too much to distract from the overall quality.

The Shallows: B

The second best shark attack film ever made. At a tight hour and twenty seven minutes this popcorn shark flick hits all the intense and unnerving moments that you’d expect, and want, out of the ‘Blake Lively versus a giant shark’ pitch.

Jungle Book: B

Visually impressive beyond a doubt this modern rendition of Mogli’s animal adventure is a pleasure to watch and worthwhile solely on the basis of Bill Murray as Baloo and Christopher Walken as King Louie.

Kubo and The Two Strings: B

A clever and impressive stop motion adventure full of heart and danger, this is Laika studios’ best effort yet! Plus Matthew McConaughey steals the show as Beetle #AlrightAlrightAlright

Kung Fu Panda 3: B

A fitting and entertaining sequel following Jack Black’s Po and friends on more Kung Fu adventures while learning life lessons along the way. The soundtrack also took a noticeable uptick from previous outings.

The Bad

Independence Day Resurgence: C-

While I personally enjoyed this popcorn disaster flick, it is by no means “good”. Bigger Aliens, more destruction, but a confused tone throughout make a mess of a good alien invasion series. Jeff Goldblum makes the watch worth it, but not much else.

Sausage Party: C+

This isn’t necessarily a “bad” movie, but for what I expected (and this may be an issue of expectation vs reality of the film) it just didn’t really hold up for me. However there are clever bits hidden throughout about the nature of humanity, religion, and reality. If Hotdogs saying “Fuck” a whole lot is your thing then you’ll love it.

The Ugly

Batman VS Superman Dawn of Justice: D-

A complete misstep in the basic understanding of the two main characters here. While there are some fun visual things throughout the movie, like Batman in the warehouse, there are simply far too many failings (Martha/kryptonite spear/Jesse Eisenberg/Murderface Batman/No Smiles Superman) to merit this a success in the least.

Suicide Squad: D

1 & 1/2 acts and a thousand flashbacks mashed into one seriously confusing and muddled mess set to pop hits with the worst villain in ages, Suicide Squad is more entertaining than Batman V Superman at times, but not even Will Smith can save the DCEU, although he was the best part.

The Unwatched (For Now)

The Lobster: Want to see

I’ve heard great things about this one plus I love the concept of forced love under the threat of animal transformation.

Sing Street: Want to see

Consistently heard that this is one of the best, if not the very best, films of the year. Plus the trailers really sell those kids rocking the hits!

Green Room: Want to see

As one of Anton Yelchin’s last films I want to check it out since he was a great actor, but Patrick Stewart in a villainous role is also incredibly enticing!

10 Cloverfield Lane: Want to see

I personally love John Goodman in almost everything he’s done, plus the word of mouth about this film is excellence bar none so I’m pretty excited to check out how creepy Goodman can become when in a bomb shelter as friend or foe.

Hail, Caesar!: Want to see

I love the coen brothers’ films but I especially love when they work with George Clooney. The trailers sold me on the idea of a Golden Age hollywood kidnapping that becomes Josh Brolin’s problem. I’m in!

Warcraft: Want to see

Not everyone loved this film, and I’m not a World of Warcraft player but it looked fun and visually stunning, that and I admittedly have a fantasy genre weakness. More Magic and swords please!

The Witch: Want to see

I’m not the biggest horror fan around, but when a film in the genre seems to be universally loved I kinda want to know what all the buzz is about.

Zootopia: Want to see

The consensus is that this animated flick is clever as hell and highly watchable. That’s good enough for me!

The Nice Guys: Want to see

Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe paired together in a buddy crime flick set in 1970’s Los Angeles and its directed by Shane Black? I have no excuses, I should have seen this one.

Hell or High Water: Want to see

I like the actors involved here and it seems like an excellent robbery film scenario. It’s just nice to see Chris Pine in something besides outer space, although he’s a great Kirk nonetheless.

Finding Dory: Want to see

Finding Nemo was Pixar’s Lion King, and it seems they did one better than Disney by creating a follow-up that wasn’t direct to video material, kudos, I need to see this animated feat.

The BFG: Moderately interested

The actual story and trailers didn’t truly sell me on the film, but it IS Steven Speilberg we’re talking about here, i will see this one eventually.

X-Men Apocalpyse: Not interested

While Days of Future past was an excellent X-men Movie I’m just not all that interested in the first class crew out on their own, I didn’t love their first outing and it seems like they wasted both Apocalypse AND Oscar Isaac here. I’ll check it out eventually because of Michael Fassbender’s Magneto though, however I’m still not convinced when it comes to James McAvoy’s Professor X .

Jason Bourne: Not interested

I might be in the minority here but I just wasn’t a fan of the earlier Bourne movies, to each their own, but if this one is supposedly the worst of them all then why should I bother?

TMNT Out of The Shadows: Not interested

The first (new) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was abysmal (in my opinion) and this one did look to be a shade better, but they’re just not my turtles, sorry guys.

Ben-Hur: Actively avoiding

This seemed like a pointless remake to begin with and the reception has only grounded that belief further. I’m also not incredibly inclined towards Jesus flicks, I’m still miffed about the passion of the Christ if I’m being honest here (it’s not a movie).

Everybody wants some: Want to see

Richard Linklater is a unique voice in film today and I’ve enjoyed his other flicks so why not check this one out? It seems to be well received too!

The Neon Demon: Want to see

Besides Drive I’m not a gigantic Nicolas Winding Refn fan but this has been highly recomended to me by fellow film fans for the cinematography and use of color, so at some point curiosity will get the better of me and I’ll check this one out.

Zoolander 2: Actively avoiding

The first Zoolander is enertaining enough but I’ve heard that even people that loved the first one were dissapointed by this outing, so why spend the time if I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first one anyways?

Neighbors 2 Sorority Rising: Moderately interested

I have not seen the first neighbors so I should probably check that one out as well but I’ve heard nothing but good from both of these comedies and I’m always heartened when a solid comedy does well.

Now you see me 2: Not interested

I also missed the first Now you see me, so maybe I could give it a shot, I enjoy all of the talent involved, but I really have no interest in checking this out after all the “meh” this film received. Maybe on a rainy day.

The Legend of Tarzan: Not interested

This is one of those “Told a million times” stories that I honestly have no real interest in seeing. Christoph Waltz is always a delight onscreen but I fear this film has nothing else to offer.

Keanu: Want to see

Key and Peele are a fun comedic treat whenever they produce something it usually turns out great, plus the trailers sold me on the idea of this kitty caper, I just haven’t gotten around to it quite yet.

The Light between Oceans: Moderately interested

I recently saw a bit of an interview with the director Derek Cianfrance where he explains his filmaking process with this film and it honestly intrigued me enough to see how it ends up, plus Michael Fassbender is always good. Always.

Don’t Breathe: Moderately interested

Again, not a huge Horror fan, but the idea of a home invasion that is flipped on the intruders when the blind homeowner becomes the villain is delightfully creepy, plus Stephen Lang is excellent and its always nice to see him get more work.

Money Monster: Moderately interested

Directed by Jodie Foster and starring George Clooney in a timely thriller about the 1% and their greed seems like it could be an entertaining piece.

Nine Lives: Actively avoiding

Ha! This looked awful from the beginning, but if you really want a good opinion on why you should never see this check out Chris Stuckmann’s review of it on youtube, it’s glorious.

Pete’s Dragon: Not interested

To be fair I was never a fan of the original because I never saw it as a child so there’s no inherent nostalgia for me here, plus nothing in the trailers really sold me on it.

Gods of Egypt: Moderately interested

This is a train wreck I want to see. I know it’s bad. Terribly bad. But it looks entertainingly horrible, like laughing nonstop bad. It could be worth it if viewed as a comedy.

So that wraps it up for movies I have seen and those I have missed. If you have any thoughts or opinions please feel free to comment below. Let’s hope the fall has more promising films on the way. The ones I’m looking forward to are: Rogue One, Doctor Strange, Jack Reacher 2 Never go back, Godzilla Resurgence, In a valley of violence, Passengers, La la Land, & Rules don’t apply. Here’s to better films and brighter futures!

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Review: Suicide Squad or “DC’s Modern day B-movie”

Posted on by spacecortez

At the time of writing this article everyone that wants to see Suicide Squad, directed by David Ayer, either has or has made up their mind not to based on word-of-mouth and critical review. Because of this I will be spoiling several key points, you’ve been warned.

This latest movie marks another incredibly divisive entry into the DCEU after this year’s punchy slogfest that was Batman V Superman: Dawn of Darkness. My main issue with that film was that it seemed that the people behind-the-scenes didn’t really get the true nature of their two main characters. There was no hope in Superman whatsoever and Batman murdered everyone (I suspect a hidden skull shirt underneath that fresh new batsuit). This next iteration of page to screen comic movie in Suicide Squad actually does improve on that issue, but proves to muddy the waters on almost everything else. There is fun to be had in it though and I’d say it’s a more enjoyable experience than Batman V Superman, but it really, truly is a mess of a movie with clear studio intervention.

In the DCEU the wake of Superman’s presence is felt throughout all of its corners, most especially in paranoid shadowy agents like Amanda Waller. She urges the government to consider a drastic plan that involves utilizing captured villains to form a team to take on the greater threats that face humanity in this new world of Superheroes, because what if the next Superman decides to rip off the roof of the White House? (I assure you this squad couldn’t stop him if he wanted to do just that though) Thus begins the story, or rather the first half of the movie, which is purely flashbacks and introductions to the squad set to cheeky top ten pop songs or hits in lieu of a soundtrack to match the emotion of the movie, which drastically fluctuates across the runtime.

Deadshot

Will Smith’s presence in this movie is what makes it watchable. His skill in emoting, and making the deadly assassin worth rooting for, is the emotional hook of the story and really the only good motivation across the board for the team, besides not wanting to die. Deadshot’s through line comes in the form of him attempting to provide for his daughter. Plus he’s one of the few characters to get a scene with Batman involved. Truthfully this is one of the best performances from Smith in years, personally I just wish it had been in a better movie.

Harley Quinn

Margot Robbie is the other standout among the squad. Not only is her performance spot on with the nature of the character she injects moments of humanity into this classic case of stockholm syndrome that makes you believe there is more to the queen of crime without you just waiting around for Mista J to appear.

Captain Boomerang

Jai Courtney, and I really thought I wouldn’t be able to say this after “A Good Day to Die Hard”, is actually pretty damn entertaining here. Granted Captain Boomerang doesn’t do much in the film but his greaseball criminal antics make him worth watching, and yes, he even throws his boomerang once.

Diablo

Billed as the conscience of the squad, portrayed by Jay Hernandez, Diablo is one of the characters that was weakened by the size of the cast and the choppy mess of editing and direction. His backstory, once revealed, is dark and ripe for character work but its almost cast aside as soon as it is mentioned almost as if the producers read it and said “Oooo.. that’s too dark, we just had Batman V Superman shrouded in darkness we can’t have that again, cut that up and put some pop songs in there, lighten it up a bit Geez.” His death in the third act is set up for an emotional pull but the film hasn’t gotten us aquainted with Diablo all that much for the moment to mean anything and it isn’t lingered on or even acknowledged afterward.

Killer Croc

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s Croc was also fairly underused in the film. He’s almost mute the entire runtime save for several attempts at humor and for one specifically underwater portion of the mission near the end which was clearly tailor written for Killer Croc to have a reason to swim. It too is quickly passed by, only briefly mentioned “Oh yeah, Killer Croc, he can swim, lets have him swim.” Now if he had been as monstrous as he has been depicted in comics and animated Batman cartoons before he could have been a real powerhouse monster, but that must not have been in the budget. He has essentially no backstory either.

Slipknot

Guess who’s only in the movie for about twenty seconds and dumped at the viewers feet near the beginning of their mission? His only reason to exist in the movie is to confirm that Amanda Waller’s explosive threat is legitimate.

Katana

At about halfway through the movie Katana, Karen Fukuhara, is introduced as an associate of Rick Flagg, the defacto leader of the group. She, apparently, uses a sword that encapsulates the souls of those killed by it. The soul of her dead husband is also in that sword. Honestly throw the rest of this garbage out the window and give me that movie, that has a hook I’m actually interested in. We get nothing else from her except cool sword action when the inevitable faceless army comes into play.

Rick Flagg

Joel Kinnaman’s Army grunt Flagg is serviceable as the character that has to wrangle this rag tag team. He’s only truly there because of his love interest, June Moon. This is a manipulation by Waller as she plays her chess pieces to try and make this erratic group work. He has some shoddy lines here and there, but some actual emotional work in the third act.

The Enchantress/June Moon

Here’s one of the biggest problems with this movie. The Enchantress, Cara Delevingne, is one of the weakest villains in years. Her motivation is.. world domination? Almost everything about this character is a joke. She’s over sexualized. She basically just belly dances for the last half of her performance. She also ruins Amanda Waller’s plans easily right from the beginning thus setting up the squad’s very existence as the threat that has to be abolished. Her plan was to revive her brother kept by Waller, I suppose they were some sort of magical gods from an ancient Mayan-like society? After she frees him they have a small back and forth where she explains to him that Humans worship machines now, and that she will build a powerful machine to… rule with? Thus giving her the opportunity to have a giant beam of light reach up into the sky like we’ve seen a thousand times before, and to create a massive faceless army for Deadhot to shoot at and Harley Quinn to bash their noggins in with her baseball bat. What is the purpose of such a machine that has no moving parts, is powered by belly dance inspiring magic, and takes an incredibly long time to create with no visualization of progress being made on said “Machine”. Magic, I guess…

Amanda Waller

The real villain of the movie is portrayed quite well here by Viola Davis. I say real villain because while that might not have been the intention of the screenwriters, or the director, Amanda Waller plagues the villains..err heroes(?) far more than anything the Enchantress accomplishes. Amanda Waller is a cold and calculating agent of A.R.G.U.S., they’re like S.H.I.E.L.D. but with less cool spy stuff and more shady goverment dealings.

The Joker

You might be wondering why I mentioned the clown prince of crime last. That’s because he’s barely even in this movie at all. Jared Leto handily gives us a Joker with traits cherry picked from the late Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson, and Cesar Romero respectively, something new that feels familiar. Not bad, but certainly not the best Joker to grace the screen yet. Of course there was (supposedly) a large portion of Jared Leto’s performance that was cut from the film, and until we get more of him it’s really unfair to judge him until we see how he squares off against Ben Affleck’s Batman.

In the end we have a movie with some middling success, a few visually interesting action sequences, but nothing to make you really feel anything for any of these characters. It’s a classic example of throwing everything at a wall just to see what sticks. There is a battle waging across the film’s runtime for what tonal shift the filmmakers want the audience to feel, but they never decide between the two being both bright, and dark. There is a constant feeling that there is a good movie, maybe even two, hidden somewhere in this version we got. I highly suspect we will see another ‘ultimate edition’ of Suicide Squad to spring forth just as one did for Bats and Supes. But whereas that movie was already too long and initially a mess as well I’d actually be interested in an ultimate edition of this film, if only to sate my curiosities on Jared Leto’s Joker if his performance truly was that limited here.

Oh and as mentioned there were several Batman cameos that were fairly entertaining, seeing Batman punch Harley Quinn in the face underwater was truly pleasing. The Flash also showed up for the first well executed Superhero quip in the DCEU, so that’s saying something. At the risk of any kind of comments section retorts, I have to say, at least we have Marvel Studios, those guys know how to tell superhero stories, DC might yet make the best version of what they can do and surprise us all, but until then they are the definitive second fiddle to the house of ideas.

Final Score: 2/5

 

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Review: Hunt for the Wilderpeople or “New Zealand’s best Manhunt/Odd-couple Comedy set in Middle Earth yet”

Posted on by spacecortez

 

Taika Waititi is quickly becoming one of my favorite people in cinema. With last year’s gut busting and hilarious vampire comedy entry ‘What we do in the shadows’ showing a unique style of humor and wit I am pleased to say that his following film only expands that ability and originality. ‘Hunt for The Wilderpeople’ is a larger film than the mostly self contained Vampire slapstick, but that’s in the very nature of the story at hand, a young boy and his new foster parent bonding together through a footchase in “the bush” from New Zealand’s brass.

The story begins with the introduction of Ricky Baker, portrayed here with comedic skill and heart by Julian Dennison, a young city boy raised on rap and foster care as he arrives to his latest home in the countryside of New Zealand. Rima Te Wiata and Sam Neill (“Alan!”) portray Ricky’s new foster parents as Aunt Bella and Uncle Hec respectively. They’re met by Ricky’s handlers, the child care services officers Paula and Andy portrayed by Rachel House & Oscar Kightley. Between the five of them this is the core of the cast with others popping in and out of the story to compliment it as it careens along, like ‘Psycho Sam’ for example, but more about him later. Ricky quickly decides the country life is not for him and attempts to run away, resulting in several poor attempts at the arduous journey back to civilization. However as soon he begins to get acquainted with his new surroundings and family an event takes place that forces Ricky and Uncle Hec to head into “the bush”on the run from Paula, Andy, and other police forces as a manunt through the wilderness ensues.

What stood out to me the most in this film was its unwavering ability to mix violence, death, saddness and grief into a story that is mostly giggle inducing and silly in its own awkward, yet assuredly confident, way. This is most certainly one of the most original films I have seen in awhile, ‘Swiss Army Man’ notwithstanding. Everything from the pace to the score is an oddly beautiful creative decision. The story is chunked into ten chapters and an epilouge which helps to keep everything light and quick when dealing with the heavy material in small moments, this keeps the mood upbeat and from getting too downtrodden. The humor here is impeccable and the cinematography is leaps and bounds above what was on display in ‘What we do in the shadows’, but the real prize here is the character work that is done. All the actors did a fine job but the bulk of the accolades go to Sam Neill’s Uncle Hec and Julian Dennison’s Ricky Baker. I dare you to not adore Ricky’s childlike horror when he witnesses Aunt Bella kill a wild pig with her bare hands as he’s constantly trying to maintain his ganster bravado. Or to get the “Ricky Baker” birthday jingle out of your head while Uncle Hec deadpans apathy as Aunt Bella cheerily taps out the tune on a tiny plastic piano.

This film has a whimsical sense of humor and enough charm to melt any adventure loving cinephile’s heart. If you can find a showing of the film anywhere I strongly suggest giving it a watch, although I saw it at a film festival so showings may be hard to come by, but it is more than worth your time and money. Pyscho Sam, “a bushman.. man, or a bush?” alone is worth the price of admission just for his small yet memorable role of a crazy woodsman hiding from the government.

Final Score: 5/5

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Movie Pitch: Indiana Jones (5) and The Lost City of Atlantis

Posted on by spacecortez

Now that we know Steven Spielberg will be directing the fifth Indiana Jones with Harrison Ford returning as the titular treasure hunter we can have some fun speculating in the meantime. What follows is not just a movie pitch, but an idea that I believe would make for a strong entry in the adventure series. Obviously, not all will agree, and that’s okay. Lets just all dream of a better Indiana Jones sequel together.

Okay, so:

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writer: *Not George Lucas

Cast: Harrison Ford, Shia Labeouf (patience), Daniel Day-Lewis, Chris Hemsworth & Mark Rylance

Plot:

It’s 1963 and Shia Lebouf’s Mutt from “Kingdom of The Crystal Skull” is on the trail of a South American war monger (Daniel Day-Lewis) that’s been manipulating villages into mind controlled slaves. Rumor has it the ruthless leader of the violent gang was seen with an artifact that allows for such a transformation over mind and body. Mutt tracks the gang but gets too close, seen, and caught. The man-in-charge leaves no prisoners and sends Mutt’s corpse back to the closest inhabited town to ward off any other would-be pursuers.

We find Dr. Jones examining a recently discovered temple in Central America when he receives word of Mutt’s demise. With Marion back stateside, bed ridden with a worsening case of alzheimer’s, Indy swears to find out the truth behind his son’s death. He leaves for South America with his most recent collegue, Samuel Kern, (Mark Rylance) an expert in diseases of the mind and tribal languages along with his steadfast assistant Kel Worth (Chris Hemsworth).

From there the group follows the trail of the band of criminals as they weave further into the jungle. Indy and company slowly piece together what they are after upon spotting them. It is not immediately revealed that Daniel Day Lewis’s character is a former Nazi, that comes later, but what they do figure out is that Lewis and his gang of miscreants are after the Lost City of Atlantis.. but why? To revive the catatonic body of Adolf Hitler that they have been hiding in secret all these years, of course. It turns out he was wounded upon their exit of Germany, the body that the allies found in the bunker was obviously an illusion to throw the allied governments off their trail.

The elite team of escaped Nazis want to raise Atlantis out of the depths because of the rumored healing properties and psyche warping abilities surrounding the small continent-city. I’d honestly love them to succeed until they get to the altar where Hitler is woken and placed in the device, only to have his face melt off similarly to the scene in “Raiders of The Lost Ark”, because who doesn’t want to see Hitler get his face melted off?

There’s a lot in play that could be changed or altered, but I believe there is a solid idea in there for a compelling return, and end, to the Indiana Jones film series.

Filmmaking ideas:

This film will need a lot of underwater shots. Who knows, maybe this will be what excites Spielberg the most, a new filmmaking challenge. He could even have James Cameron on as an advisor with his groundbreaking work in the waves.

I would almost entirely stick to on location shots, props, and huge sets as much as possible. Indiana Jones lived in the first half of the 20th century, and that was a far more palpable and tactile world than the one we live in now. At least in the romantic sense.

Mutt lives?

I feel like this could go either way. It would likely just be seen as fan service and a darker turn for the series so maybe killing the character off wouldn’t be the best bet. I wouldn’t want the character to go down the same path as Indiana Jones however, he should have his own story. I’d also be interested to see what Shia Labeouf himself would like to do with the character, with the amount of hate this movie (somewhat unfairly in my opinion but I recognize I’m in the minority on that one) received I doubt he would want to return unless it was worth his while. Maybe he’s thought of a tasteful way to end his character, or maybe he just wants an off screen death and nothing to do with the production. Although why anyone would want to turn down any amount of work with Steven Spielberg is beyond me.

Location of Atlantis

Originally I thought it could be fun to play with the myth of the Bermuda Triangle. The lost city’s docile effects on nature being the turbulent storms that the area is known for.. and mind warping, which could explain all the downed ships and planes over the years. However if we’re going with a more reality based concept Atlantis was probably located far closer to the “western world” at the time, Greece, Rome, etc. Although certain accounts only cite that it is “Far off in the Atlantic Ocean” and that it was “larger than Ancient Libya and Asia Minor combined”

Artifact that draws them to Atlantis

My Atlantis lore is a little rusty at best but all we really need is a good Macguffin, all of Indy’s stories have a solid one. Of course the screenwriters could simply make something up entirely that has no basis in lore, but if there was a viable object in particular that would be nice.

Casting

Obviously getting Daniel Day-Lewis for an Indiana Jones movie, especially as a Nazi on a quest to revive the Führer, would be difficult to say the least. Let’s be honest though, he’s won three academy awards for best actor, the man has absolutely nothing to prove. If he wanted to pursue a roll in one of cinema’s classic series and bring an unprecedented level of gravitas to a potentially generic role otherwise, why not? He’d probably have a great deal of fun in the process as well, but who am I to say? I’d simply just love to see him do it, especially after his scene stealing role in “Gangs of New York”.

I chose to add Mark Rylance to the crew because Spielberg loves to work with his regulars and adding Rylance to the series couldn’t hurt for the level of acting he would bring as well. Plus He’d be another knowledgable character to aide in the search for Atlantis.

Chris Hemsworth as Rylance’s assistant/personal body guard would add a youthful charisma to the team. He’s also entirely capable of acting as the tough and foreboding muscle, or a sort of “thief with a heart of gold” type. Plus somebody has to be able to throw a solid punch around besides Indy, and even he’s getting up there.

Thanks for taking the time to read and (hopefully enjoy) my musings on what I think would be a fun take on ending the Indiana Jones series now that we know we’ll be getting another one anyways. What would you like to see in the next/last Indiana Jones film? Let me know in the comments!

 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantis

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Review: Swiss Army Man, or “Undead Harry Potter farts a lot; Paul Dano talks to him about it”

Posted on by spacecortez

Are you sitting around wondering what to do with yourself? Have some time to kill but are tired of the same old thing at the box office? The answer you’re looking for is “Swiss Army Man”. Co-directors and writers Daniel Scheinert and Dan Kwan, both presented here simply as “Daniels”, have created something truly unique. This is by far the most original film I have seen in ages. It’s quirky nature may not be for everyone, but I suggest checking out if only for the fact that you’ve never seen anything quite like this before.

Okay, so, in short, this movie is about a suicidal guy teaching a dead man that life is beautiful. I know, but trust me, it gets weirder. The film opens with Paul Dano’s character Hank about to hang himself as he’s stranded on a small island. Right before he does so he spots Daniel Radcliffe’s, or Manny as Hank later dubs him, dead body washed up on shore. He investigates the corpse and finds it to be full of flatulence. From there Hank rides Manny away from the island like a jet-ski, powered solely by Manny’s farts. Now, if at this point you’re asking why I would recommend such a film, I would say to you that this film is almost indescribable. It doesn’t necessarily sound “fresh” on paper. However what Daniels achieved in this film is the weirdest, and oddly most heartfelt, combination of what could be considered trash, or low brow art, and elevating it, or mixing it with high class art.

Hank and Manny reach the mainland and try to reach society throughout the rest of the film. The hook is when Hank begins to talk to Manny a la Tom Hanks and Wilson in “Castaway”, and Manny begins to talk back. From there Hank begins to teach Manny, who actually is dead-yet also alive.. sort of, about life, people, and how the world works. Manny has no memories of his past life and he’s almost alien like in his understanding of how things work. He constantly asks questions and points out the illogical tendencies of human social acts, like how if you want to talk to a girl, you should just talk to her. Hank soon finds that Manny may be dead but his body has even more odd abilities as the story unfolds. I won’t go further into all of the details as I find it best to seek out the story here for yourselves mostly because to elaborate further would ruin the surprise.

This film is a standout for me because all of the weird pieces come together with a unique voice that hasn’t been heard until now. The writing is solid, the cinematography nicely shot, and the acting by both Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano is superb. This film has heart, saddness, truth, and a pretty cool soundtrack that matches the film’s wild changes in tone and sensation. It also has erection jokes, good use of body humor, and a whimsical spirit that defies the mainstream love of grit and darkness. The film rejects the stifled society norms of what is acceptable and what kinds of story that can be told. This film is deeper than it has any right to be, and that’s amazing in itself. Not to mention the elaborate practical effects that showcase the Daniels’ skill for original and entertaining sequences onscreen.

Personally I adored this film, it may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it unapologetically is what it is, and it’s okay with that. Be warned though, just because Daniel Radcliffe is in this doesn’t mean it’s for all ages. I doubt children would be okay with seeing a dead, farting, Harry Potter being dragged through the dirt by Paul Dano.

Final Score: 4.5/5

Check out this interview with Daniels

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Movie Pitch: Tree Loop

Posted on by spacecortez

Genre: Quirky Comedy/Drama/part Sci-Fi

Director: Wes Anderson or Taika Waititi

Writer: Simon Pegg or Joss Whedon

Actors: Elijah Wood, Charlie Day, Zach Galifianakis etc

 

Charlie Day & Elijah Wood both work as Park Rangers in a giant Yellowstone-like National Park. Charlie Day is the opposite of everything Elijah Wood’s character stands for. The chaos to his order. Zach Galifianakis as the head of the Forest Rangers. Charlie Day is the veteran and Elijah Wood is the rookie being trained. Starts as a sort of “Day in the life of” scenario following Elijah on his first day of training at the Park. Charlie is a bit deshoveled and irritable,  he isn’t as devoted to the idea of the park as Elijah is.

They are sent to investigate an anomaly with a gigantic redwood tree in the forest. Elijah believes that Charlie doesn’t know what he’s doing and thus has no respect for him, which leads to him digging further into the anamoly with the tree. The tree’s identification is unknown to the public as it is the oldest known tree in the world. Elijah falls into a hole deep in the roots… the tree is one of the few spots on the planet that are in direct contact with the flow of the universe. This is a thread of connection between dimensions.

The rest of the story follows  Elijah’s character as he tries to find a way back to his dimension, but he never finds it. He can only enter the tree and fall into other different dimensions, there seems to be no rewind, or discernible path, between them. From here we can have fun with repeating the actors as slightly different versions of their characters in each dimension, sometimes they don’t even recognize or know Elijah’s character. He also has a doppelganger in each new dimension, but he doesn’t think of this right away. He eventually stumbles upon a dimension in which he happens to be an artist and finds peace in this new life. The message of the movie is that life is what you make of it, you may not have been born into royalty or fame and fortune, but sometimes you have to make the best of your situation. Elijah ends up impersonating himself and taking over this life and making the best of it.

I would peg the humor of the film as not exactly slapstick or modern humor, but rather just a weird ambiance with an embrace of the unknown and whimsy. Trippy and existential with lots of practical effects, I feel like a lot could be done with the premise and that a lot could be said with the ideas at hand. Personally I’m at a point where I’d like more unexpected turns being taken in films. Unpredictability is something I adore when I encounter it in films and keeping a fresh take on big ideas could be worthwhile!

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Review: Independence Day Resurgence or “We’re gonna need a bigger planet”

Posted on by spacecortez

The sequel to 1996’s biggest blockbuster has arrived. The question at hand is, ‘yeah, but is it any good?’ That answer takes a bit of unraveling. The first “Independence Day” is a fun and cheesy sci-fi romp that doesn’t necessarily age well, but it knew what it was, namely brash and bold in its own certainty of itself. This film doesn’t quite hold to that charming confidence, but it does have some aspects that really do shine through.

This film starts off slow. Slow compared to the first film that is. I didn’t have that immediate sensation of dread like the first film with the alien spaceships invading right off the bat. Be that as it may it kind of makes sense now that this film’s universe has been dramatically altered from our own with the advancements that the alien technology has brought. Which while this is actually a pretty fun idea, it does separate the audience from the immersion that the first one had just by the very nature of the fact that aliens were invading our planet, this version of earth is very similar to ours, its just not quite ours. However once the invasion begins the film doesn’t really drop its pace which is both welcome and necessary in this sort of movie.

Lets get the easy stuff out of the way now. Jeff Goldblum is great here and is one of the best parts of the film, in fact he and the other returning characters from the first film help to instill that 90’s sense of fun that you’ve been looking for. Throughout the runtime Jeff Goldblum is having a great time and getting even weirder with his character, he’s a joy to watch onscreen again. However, the rest of the cast has some issues. Jesse Usher in particular was simply a poor shoe-in to replace the void left by Will Smith’s captain Steven Hiller. We all knew we’d feel the loss of his presence in the sequel, but when the character that is supposedly his son happens to not only be uncharismatic but also noticeably bad at acting, we notice that lack of charisma that much more. His lines aren’t exactly Oscar worthy to begin with but he doesn’t do much with what he’s given. Liam Hemsworth is serviceable here and does a fine job with his material but never really becomes a fan favorite, he’s just there to fly ships and shoot aliens, and he does a pretty good job at it. Judd Hirsch on the other hand.. he probably should have just been a cameo at best, his arc was the least essential by far and just distracted from the rest of the film. I have to take the time to mention Deobia Oparei’s character here, he’s an African warlord that hunted down aliens after a ship landed in central Africa during the first film. He’s got a little bit of that 90’s inspired characterization of what an African warlord would look like and act like, it wasn’t too overdone, but almost. Anyways, his inclusion was honestly pretty cool, his backstory of hunting down aliens and killing them with dual machetes would be one intense story, fan fiction anyone?

Then there’s Bill Pullman and Brent Spiner. Bill Pullman has an interesting arc here, but it never quite reaches the heights that you want it to. There is no fist pumping moment of rousing integrity and grit here.When the first film had that unbeatable speech it would assuredly be hard to top, but how they handled a certain moment in this film speaks to the unique issue that this film has. Bill Pullman’s former president Whitmore has a scene in a hangar where he begins to give a speech meant to inspire, and at first it does, but all of a sudden, it just ends. Wait.. why? His best line is also undercut by the sense that the film doesn’t know what to do with itself. Pullman’s Whitmore meets a giant alien face to face and proclaims “On behalf of the people of Earth, happy Fourth of July!” That line should have been exciting and quotable until the end of time, but the way the film handled it leaves the audience with a whimper when it should have easily been a bang!

This is a film where some actors and ideas are meshed within the world that the first film inhabited while the rest of the film and actors are in this new world where blockbusters are now grim and dour. Long gone are the quips of the past or that sense of fun. In fact Brent Spiner’s character, Dr. Brakish Okun, is the one that embodies the spirit of the first film the most! He was just a side character we all thought died in the first film, but he really nails the inherent cheese and knowing charm that is missed in the rest of this film. This is captured perfectly after he wakes from his twenty year coma and finds out we have integrated the alien technology and giddily exclaims, “We have alien guns now?!” with wide eyes and accompanying grin. The film would have benefited greatly by including more of that.

 

The things I enjoyed most in this film where some of the world building that came with the advancement of time and technology. The giant mothership clasping to Earth’s side like an enormous tic was just the right amount of ridiculous “The Ship is landing in the Atlantic ocean!” “Which part?” “All of it!” That, that’s just great, exactly the right amount of cheese for me personally. They also give a reason as to why the aliens are invading and the scale of their galactic threat. I personally quite enjoyed that there were reasons behind the alien’s actions now, I don’t believe the first film touched on that and I approve. There’s also a lot more alien action in this one, you see them up close and they have more of a physical threat in this installment. My absolute favorite moment of the entire film however was a quick nod to the White House moment from the first film. Of course they rebuilt the capitol building, and as soon as I saw it I expected something. Just know that it pays off in a short comedic beat. More charm like that and the film could have been much greater.

 

The film ends with a pretty direct tie in to another sequel and at this point I would see it. This installment didn’t do enough to tarnish the franchise for me and it got enough right that I found myself enjoying more than not. They just need to connect with the spirit of the original more than copycatting the more current blockbuster tropes.

Final Score: 3/5

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Review: The Shallows, or “Jaws Junior”

Posted on by spacecortez

*Warning, there will be mild spoilers near the end*

Ah Summer, with its arrival come longer sunny days, time spent vacationing with family and friends, maybe a road trip… and of course, sharks. Aptly released right before Discovery Channel’s famed Shark Week “The Shallows” is a taut and fun popcorn thriller that is very self aware of its own content and audience. The film opens with Blake Lively as Nancy seeking out an off-the-beaten-path beach in Mexico that her mother had visted years ago when she was pregnant with Nancy. Once found she thanks her native chauffeur and is off to surf the secluded waves. After meeting two locals that know the area for its reliably good waves Nancy surfs in the sun and enjoys herself. This is where the film feels more like a music video than thriller for a short but noticeable amount of time. As she goes out for one last ride for the day Nancy is finally encountered with the large predator lurking in her midst.

From the moment the shark is introduced until the resolution there is a palpable amount of tension throughout this one location, one character, film. We are told only what we need to know about Nancy before the encounter as she is ripped from her board and dragged into a cloud of red saltwater. She’s reliable, a former med student that didn’t finish her degree, and that she’s mourning the loss of her mother and has estranged feelings towards her father over that course of events.  After Nancy breaks the surface and is aware of the danger she is in, she furiously paddles and thrashs towards the closest thing to get her out of the water, a floating whale carcass. This begins the shark’s behavior of relentless pursuit as it lies in wait and strikes at it’s most opportune times. From there Nancy ends up clamboring to a jutting rock that only lies above the water during low tide.

Now, whenever a shark movie comes out, the immediate reaction is to compare whatever it is with the king of all shark movies, “Jaws”. This movie is certainly no “Jaws”, but it is probably the best shark thriller to come out since Spielberg’s classic. The shark itself in “The Shallows” is a fine cinematic adaption of the real thing, it’s overly aggressive, threatening beyond doubt, and well, he’s no small fry. The shark is entirely CGI but it’s done so well that you can hardly tell that it’s not actually about to rip Blake Lively in half.

The movie does a wonderful job of setting the audience up to believe, or hope, that she will be saved by the handful of people she encounters during her traumatic event. Instead of giving up at every loss of faith in humanity when she is let down by them she figures out another solution to her problems. Ironically she is failed by men at every turn until she ultimately tricks the shark into its own demise, I won’t reveal how, because that would ruin the surprise. In the end it is a child that finds the washed up go-pro camera that Nancy had recorded her goodbyes into, while also capturing footage of the shark, that sends the child running off to retrieve help.

Ultimately if you are urging for a thriller in the surf and sand, “The Shallows” is fairly servicable to those efforts. The tension is kept high once it gets rolling, and its a fun way to spend an hour and a half. If you enjoy monster flicks, this one will probably satisfy.

 

Final Score: 4/5

 

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