Sinister & Sinister 2

Sinster (2012)

As far as recent supernatural horror films go, this is one of the best of the bunch. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but has enough going for it regardless. Ethan Hawke is solid as the film’s protagonist, Ellison Oswalt, a true crime writer investigating the murders that previously occurred at the home him and his family have just moved inot. The film becomes more intriguing as it moves along as the mystery behind the murders slowly unravels. The Super 8 films featured throughout are unsettling and the ending really sticks with you because of the unexpected twist. Overall, it’s good work from writer/director Scott Derrickson.

Sinister 2 (2015)

A lot of hate for this one, but I personally enjoyed it. Yes, it has its flaws, but certainly not terrible like most are making it out to be. Deputy So & So (James Ransone) from the first film returns, although he’s not a deputy this time around. He’s given a major role and does a great job of stepping up to become the hero at the end. Shannyn Sossamon is good as the female lead whose twin sons are drawn into the cult led by Bughuul more or less. The only big flaws are that the last act of the film is rushed and it can be mean spirited at certain points. Otherwise, it’s not as bad as most are making it out to be.

Bruce Campbell’s Horror Film Festival Viewings

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to attend Bruce Campbell’s Horror Film Festival as part of the Chicago Wizard/Comic Con and see some horror flicks. Here are my brief thoughts on each of the flicks I saw:

The Green Inferno (2013)

Got to see a special advanced screening, which also included an introduction by writer/director Eli Roth and star Lorenza Izzo! Much influenced by the Italian cannibal films, it also has the perfect dose of dark humor that Roth is known for. You find yourself horrified and humored as the film is spot on with its critique of social justice warriors. Overall, it’s a lot of fun and right up there with Cabin Fever (2002) as Roth’s best work.

Turbo Kid (2015)

The ultimate 80’s throwback flick! It’s essentially a super gory post-apocalyptic film with romance that feels genuine and not hokey or forced. Also, Michael Ironside makes for one hell of a great antagonist!

Body (2015)

It’s a well-paced and well-acted film that starts off light hearted, but shifts gears about halfway through and becomes dark. There’s never a dull moment and it doesn’t fall into the trap of becoming predictable like a lot of modern day thrillers do. The three main actresses, Helen Rogers, Alexandra Turshen, and Lauren Molina are all great and have perfect chemistry and Larry Fessenden is solid too. It also happens to be set on Christmas, which will make it a required Christmas horror viewing here in the future.

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

It’s been out for a while and isn’t a new release, but it was shown at the festival and remains an awesome flick. It’s a smart horror comedy that addresses the issue of growing old and wanting to end on a high note as opposed to dying in an undignified manner. Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis are both phenomenal as Elvis and JFK respectively, who team up to take down the ancient mummy that is terrorizing their nursing home and give the little time they both have left some meaning. Bruce Campbell did a brief Q&A after the film and the universe proceeded to implode…at least for me.

Bunny the Killer Thing (2015)

A half man, half rabbit creature goes around killing people in Finland with his penis…yeah, that’s pretty much the entire film right there. You really have to see it to believe it.

Some Kind of Hate (2015)

It’s an okay slasher film with a strong premise that could’ve been so much better. It’s a little too dark for its own good, although there are some cool kills and gore effects. It also suffers from being the sort of horror film you’d only watch on Netflix by accidently stumbling upon it.

Synapse (2015)

Essentially, it’s a low budget mash up of Looper and Total Recall (the original, not the remake!). For what it is, the film’s decent enough and entertaining. Some of the cast & crew did a Q&A after the screening and it was both informative and inspiring to hear all the hell they had to put up with to make the film with practically no funds and limited time.

Sun Choke (2015)

It’s easily the most artsy film that was screened, and the film suffers because of it, unfortunately. It’s a lot similar to May, featuring a psychologically damaged female protagonist, which is cool, but because of the way they approach it, you only get a vague sense of story and narrative coherence and don’t find yourself sympathizing with her much at all. Had the film not taken that approach, it would’ve been so much better. On the plus side, it’s a well shot and edited film and features yet another great performance from Barbara Crampton.

The Gift (2015)

Joel Edgerton has previously demonstrated great acting talent and with this film, he demonstrates he can write and direct too. It’s a well-crafted, subversive, and downright creepy film.

Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall), a couple move to CA and become acquainted with Gordo (Joel Edgerton), a man from Simon’s past. Gordo’s frequent visits and gifts start to shake things up for the couple and uncover a dirty secret from Simon’s past.

It’s great to see Bateman playing against type here. He’s always likeable in his comedic roles, but here he’s a scummy, arrogant, and basically a prick. You find yourself not liking him more and more as the film progresses and the truth is brought to light. Edgerton gives another fine performance as Gordo, a man you still find yourself feeling sorry for in spite of his creepy and odd behavior. Hall is also superb as Robyn, a victim of both her past problems and the truth that’s slowly exposing her husband’s true character.

I would like to go into the film further, but it’s a hard film to talk about without spoiling things. All I can further say is that it’s not a predictable, by the numbers thriller you’re used to seeing; it’s tense and unsettling, leaving you attentive until the very end.

True Detective Season 2

Season two of the anthology crime series just concluded and feelings towards it have been rather bitter. The majority loved season one, were praising the hell out of it and its creator, Nic Pizzolatto. Season two? Well, a lot weren’t happy. While it’s not on par with season one, it’s better than a lot are willing to give it credit for.

Season two is set in present day California, particularly the LA area with some great cinematography, particularly the various overhead shots of the vast freeway system. The opening credit sequence with T Bone Burnett’s musical theme sets the mood perfectly. The crime that drives the story & plot this season is the murder of corrupt city manager, Ben Caspere. It brings together three members of law enforcement: highway patrolman Paul Woodrugh (Taylor Kitsch), Vinci PD detective Ray Velcoro (Colin Farrell), and Ventura County sheriff Ani Bezzerides (Rachael McAdams). It also prompts criminal Frank Semyon (Vince Vaughn) to get involved due to his investment in a rail project overseen by Caspere.

There’s definitely a lot of brooding and introspection in the first few episodes and it can get tiresome, but the season really begins to hit its stride by the third episode. Like with the first season, the story has a lot of twists and turns, leaving you wondering what’s going to happen next. Yeah, it gets convoluted some, but thankfully not predictable. All of the main characters are well developed with their own issues. Paul is damaged war veteran who struggles with his closeted homosexuality and the fact that he’s going to have a child with his girlfriend. Ray’s a corrupt detective and struggles to maintain a good relationship with his son, who may not be his own because of his wife’s rape. Ani was raised in a free spirited lifestyle by her father and molested as a child by a man in his commune. Frank struggles to become a “legit” criminal and have a child with his wife, Jordan (Kelly Reilly). Episode four is when Paul, Ray, and Ani really come together, primarily after the violent and unexpected shootout that occurs. Episode five feels like a soft reboot as it picks up a few months after the horrifying ordeal, but it feels organic, not contrived. Episode six almost goes full on Lynch with the surreal aspect. Episode seven is tense and has one hell of a gut punch ending. The finale is gripping with a huge revelation and doesn’t wrap things up like you might expect it to.

The acting is great and Vaughn is quite the surprise as Frank. A lot complained that the show and the role didn’t “suit” him when he was cast, but he plays it well. Farrell nails his role and makes for a convincing fuck up who still wants to do right. McAdams makes Ani a strong, memorable female character and Kitsch demonstrates his dramatic range with his portrayal of Paul. The supporting cast is solid too, especially Fred Ward who plays Ray’s father.

As a whole, I liked this season and take it over any of the cookie cutter crime/police procedural shows that TV is oversaturated with. HBO continues to deliver and I'm hoping True Detective gets a third season.

Fantastic Four (2015)

Okay, so it’s not the worst superhero film ever made, nor is it as awful as its RT score indicates, but it’s still bad. Much like the girl I was hoping for a second date with recently, I ended up sorely disappointed.

Essentially, the film’s a reboot of the franchise after two awful previous films from a decade or so ago. The four consist of: Reed Richards (Miles Teller), a gifted young scientist, Sue Storm (Kate Mara), a gifted young female scientist, Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan), Sue’s brother, who’s not a gifted scientist, but who’s good at building stuff, and Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell), Reed’s friend who just kind of became his assistant (not a scientist either). They all gain their powers after teleporting to an alternate universe and things going wrong. Another guy working on the project, Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell) gets trapped in the alternate universe, becomes evil, and the four must stop him in like the last 10 minutes of the film (no joke).

The main problem with this film is that there’s so much exposition and set-up. Sure, it helps us to get reacquainted with the characters again, but it’s overdone here. Also, the character development/backstory is super uneven. Reed and Ben are given a lot more backstory than Sue and Johnny. Reed and Ben becoming friends at a young age was an interesting idea, but the circumstances in which they became friends felt super contrived. They went to the same school? Ben’s family just so happens to own a junkyard, the very same one that Reed breaks into to steal a part for his teleporter, and Ben just happens to run across him that same night? What a coincidence! As for Sue and Johnny, we learn Sue was adopted by Johnny’s father, Frank Storm (Reg E. Cathey), and that’s really all there is, they never explain why she was adopted. As for Johnny, we’re given a brief scene that demonstrates he’s a bad boy, complete with a drag race in which he crashes and is later criticized by his father in such a clichéd matter. And as for Victor, he’s not given a lot of backstory or development either. He’s merely disgruntled and hesitantly agrees to come aboard to work on the project. Tim Blake Nelson also appears, reminding you that he was in a much better Marvel film, The Incredible Hulk years ago.

In addition to the lack of payoff for all the set-up, there isn’t any chemistry between any of these characters. It seems like they were attempting to build up Sue and Reed romantically, but it all felt so forced and awkward that it just didn’t work. Sue and Johnny don’t feel like brother and sister at all. Victor is an underdeveloped villain as I pointed out before, and Ben just feels like Reed’s buddy and not one who should’ve been brought into the equation at all. Because of the film’s running time (only like 100 mins), everything feels rushed before any good chemistry is allowed to spark.

As far as the tone goes, I like how it wasn’t cheesy and stupid like the previous two films, but the grounded and gritty nature of it didn’t quite work. It worked well when Nolan rebooted the Batman series, but these aren’t the kind of characters that it works for. They’re supposed to be colorful and fun, not downbeat and brooding. The film tried to have it both ways too with some humorous and lighter dialogue at certain points, but again, it felt forced and didn’t work.

While I give writer/director Josh Trank credit for trying to do something new with these characters, it feels very much like a failed experiment. A flawed film that explores only the origins of these characters and does nothing else just doesn’t cut it. Perhaps Trank was simply giving us a little taste and putting more into the sequel? Who knows if a sequel will happen now with poor critical reception and potentially poor box office returns, and quite frankly, who cares?

Trainwreck (2015)

The best comedy of 2015 (so far) and Judd Apatow’s best film since Knocked Up (2007) too. Funny People (2009) had a great premise and good talent attached, but it didn’t live up to its potential and was overlong. This is 40 (2012) felt too mean spirited and lacked the comedic spark of his earlier work. It’s great to see Apatow back in fine form and a film that demonstrates the strong comedic ability of Amy Schumer.

Schumer plays Amy, a woman who’s told from a young age by her father that monogamy isn’t possible (realistic to be exact). She takes it to heart and lives a hedonistic, commitment free lifestyle. When she starts to feel a romantic connection with the sports doctor she’s writing an article on, her outlook begins to change.

The cast is phenomenal and pretty much all the humor works. Amy Schumer plays her role so well and is like the female equivalent of a “bro”. Bill Hader is great yet again as the likeable doctor, Aaron that Amy begins to fall for.  The gorgeous Brie Larson is a great contrast to Amy as her younger sister, Kim, who’s married and becomes pregnant. This makes for some great humor as Amy takes every opportunity she can to mock and ridicule the lifestyle Kim has become a part of. John Cena is surprisingly hilarious as a boyfriend who was not meant to be for Amy. LeBron James shows off some impressive acting chops too, playing a fictional version of himself. Him and Hader have good chemistry. The poor health of Amy and Kim’s father serves as the dramatic center of the film and doesn’t feel forced or excessive. There’s also believable dramatic conflict with Amy and Aaron’s relationship. We’re left hoping as viewers that things will work out even though Amy’s personality and lifestyle is so resistant to it.

As a whole, it’s a great comedy that’s a fine return to form for Apatow and a promising start for Amy Schumer’s career in Hollywood.

Mission Impossible Franchise Ranked

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)

Damn great and the finest entry in the series. It has the best action, well written humor, great direction from Brad Bird and is a fun ride all the way through. The villain, Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist) isn’t particularly memorable and is just like one you’ve seen in previous spy films. He’s after nuclear launch codes and aims to start a nuclear war between Russia and the US. Besides that, there aren’t really other big flaws. Simon Pegg’s awesome in his expanded role, Jeremy Renner is a great new addition to the franchise, and not to mention that sequence they filmed at Burj Khalifa in Dubai—it’s exhilarating and really quite the spectacle. I wish I had seen it in IMAX.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)

Another damn fine entry in the series, I dug it. Christopher McQuarrie directs this time around and gives us more of what we’ve come to expect from the series. Like with the second film, it has a Bond feeling going for it and pulls it off so much better. Sean Harris is menacing and superb as Soloman Lane, the leader of the Syndicate, a criminal organization. Hunt’s objective is to prove it exists in order to save himself and the IMF as a whole. Rebecca Ferguson plays the female lead, Ilsa Faust quite well. She’s strong, well developed, and has been the best female character in the series thus far. Overall, it has the right balance of style & substance.

Mission: Impossible III (2006)

Hard to believe this was J.J. Abrams first film as a director. His career has really progressed since then (Star Trek AND Star Wars!) and for the best because he’s talented. His entry in the franchise is solid for the most part. It definitely has the darkest tone and the best villain in the series, Owen Davian, who’s played so well by the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman. He’s been one of the few stand out villains in the series so far. The stakes are made high in the film for Ethan and his team because his wife, Julia (Michelle Monaghan) is kidnapped by Davian who demands the “rabbit’s foot”, a mysterious device. They don’t really explain what it is, and it’s essentially just a McGuffin to keep the plot moving. The only major downside is that some of the supporting actors aren’t used as well as they could have been. Laurence Fishburne is stuck playing, Brassel, the angry superior character type and Billy Crudup plays Musgrave, an IMF superior who’s so obviously a traitor and working with Davian the entire time. Simon Pegg is a stand out as tech genius Benji Dunn, who becomes part of Hunt’s team in the sequel. A pre-Breaking Bad Aaron Paul also shows up! It’s another tense and fun entry in the series.

Mission Impossible (1996)

A fun and suspenseful flick—it helps that they got Brian De Palma as director. He’s directed his share of classic thriller & suspense flicks, no doubt. This film got the series up and running quite well. Tom Cruise is great as Ethan Hunt, the agent who’s set up and made to look like a mole inside the IMF. He’s then forced to clear his name and set things right with his superiors. There are a lot of twist and turns as the film progresses, leaving you on the edge of your seat the entire time. It’s not as action packed as the sequels, but the climatic action sequence with the helicopter and the train is quite stunning and suspenseful. There’s also the sequence where they have to break into the CIA headquarters and steal important data, talk about impressive and a huge round of applause to the cast & crew for pulling it off in such suspenseful fashion. Overall, it’s everything an entertaining spy film should be.

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

A lot more action packed than the first largely because of the film’s director, John Woo and it feels like it’s trying too hard to emulate the James Bond franchise at times. It has all of Woo’s trademarks: gunfights, slow-motion, kinetic action, and of course, doves! It definitely boasts more style than substance as the story itself isn’t anything too great, but it’s an entertaining follow up. The opening title sequence with Ethan rock climbing is a thing of beauty and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Thandie Newton is solid (not to mention lovely) as Hunt’s love interest, Nyah, who was previously linked romantically with the film’s antagonist, Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott), a rouge IMF agent who has stolen a modified disease. It is a little unrealistic how fast she falls for Ethan, especially after he almost drives her off a cliff, but women love “bad boys” I guess. Ving Rhames returns too as tech genius Luther Stickell and is fun to watch as always. Overall, it’s a fun, albeit flawed flick with a mostly cool soundtrack.

Vacation Series Ranked

After 18 years, the Griswolds are back on the silver screen this summer with Vacation, another installment in the hit comedy series. Here’s how I rank the series (Christmas Vacation 2 excluded):

Vacation (1983)

Over 30 years later, it’s held up remarkably well. It’s funny, very quotable, and never has a dull moment. Chevy Chase is at his finest as Clark Griswold, the quintessential cinematic family man. He plays the role with genuine effort and heart in every single entry. It remains the best in the series.

Christmas Vacation (1989)

A sequel that manages to hit all the right notes and cues. It captures both the joy and the horror that Christmas can bring. It’s required viewing during the holiday season.

Vacation (2015)

A lot of hate for this one so far, but I really enjoyed it. It’s a sequel and quasi-reboot of sorts that shows a lot of respect and love for the original. You really get that nostalgic feeling from the beginning when “Holiday Road” plays over the opening credits. It takes advantage of its R rating with a lot of vulgar and raunchy humor, and most of it works. Ed Helms makes for a fine grown up Rusty Griswold. Also, the abundance of cameos is great.

European Vacation (1985)

I admit this one hasn’t held up the best, but I still enjoy it enough. It has funny moments here and there, especially the bits with Eric Idle.

Vegas Vacation (1997)

Really dumb, but not terrible nor do I dislike it. It mainly lacks the comedic energy and wit of the previous entries in the series.