Maleficent

Distributor:         Walt Disney Studios

Year:                    2014

MPAA:                  PG

Content:               AC, V

Genres:                FAN/FAM/DRA

Technical:            2.40:1 (HD)

Runtime:              97 mins.

Country:               USA

Language:            English

Budget:                 $180M

 

CAST

Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Sam Riley, Brenton Thwaites, Kenneth Cranham & Hannah New

 

CREDITS

Director: Robert Stromberg; Screenwriter: Linda Woolverton; Producer: Joe Roth; Director Of Photography: Dean Semler; Production Designers: Gary Freeman & Dylan Cole; Editors: Chris Lebenzon & Richard Pearson; Costume Designer: Anna B. Sheppard; Music Composer: James Newton Howard

 

BRIEF SYNOPSIS

Maleficent is a young faerie who lives in the magical forest realm known as The Moors. She falls in love with human boy Stefan, but their respective kingdoms are at war. Years later, Maleficent (Jolie) defeats the forces of King Henry (Cranham)—to which he decrees that any man who can destroy Maleficent will earn his kingdom as prize. Ambitious and cunning, the grown Stefan (Copley) rendezvous with Maleficent under the pretense of courtship and drugs her. He steals her magical wings (without killing her) as proof of her death and eventually becomes King.

Enraged, Maleficent magically reworks the Moors into a kingdom of Darkness and converts a human man, Diaval (Riley), into a raven for nefarious purposes. The bird informs her that King Stefan has married Henry’s daughter Leila (New) and that they now have a daughter, Princess Aurora. At the christening, Maleficent appears and curses the child to everlasting sleep on her 16^th birthday by cutting herself on a spinning wheel. Only a kiss from Aurora’s true love will set her free. To protect his child, Stefan sends her into the woods with three pixies—pink Knotgrass (Stauntion), green Thistlewit (Temple) & blue Fittle (Mannville)—until the Princess turns 16.

Despite early distaste for the baby Aurora, Maleficent becomes quite fond of her as the years pass. Now almost 16, Aurora (Fanning) is a beautiful and vibrant young woman who thinks of Maleficent as her faerie godmother. She meets the strapping young Prince Phillip (Thwaites) and becomes smitten. Maleficent wants to revoke her curse—but cannot, as Destiny has a way of playing things out for the Princess, Maleficent and Stefan.

 

THE (mini) REVIEW

Directly based on the classic villainess of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty (1959), Maleficent is a big-budget, handsomely-produced endeavor that stumbles though a clunky narrative, some bad casting (Ms. Jolie aside) and dull direction courtesy of first time helmer and Oscar^®-winning VFX maven Robert Stromberg (back-to-back winner for James Cameron’s Avatar [2009] and Tim Buton’s Alice In Wonderland [2010]. I was expecting a spectacle of fantasy on par with the recent (and superior) Snow White & The Huntsman (2012)—directed with more panache by Rupert Sanders. Instead, we get what is essentially a rape drama cloaked in Disney brand melancholia. WTF? Did Lars von Trier kidnap the entire production?

Part of the blame lies in the ambivalent screenplay written by Disney veteran scribe Linda Woolverston (Beauty And The Beast, The Lion King, Alice In Wonderland)—which she adapted not only from the ’59 Disney classic, but also from Franco-Anglo “Sleeping Beauty” stories dating back to the 1600s. What is the point of building up Maleficent as a nasty character if you’re merely going to turn her character arc in a complete 180º turn towards syrupy benevolence? And the aforementioned rape drama (young Maleficent’s wings are clipped after she’s been roofied by her supposed love, Stefan) inserted into the story? Not very appropriate for a Disney family flick, wouldn’t you say?

The other part of the blame falls on director Robert Stromberg’s head. No offense, but VFX folks don’t always make good directors (though editors usually do)—and Maleficent is treated as one big VFX & marketing bonanza instead of a potentially terrifying and fulfilling fairy tale that seems to lurk just below the story’s surface. As I understand it, Stromberg received uncredited help from veteran director John Lee Hancock (2002’s The Rookie, 2004’s The Alamo, Saving Mr. Banks) and probably learned how to direct a big-budget movie in the process.

Regarding the cast, the lovely Angelina Jolie steals the movie as Maleficent—decked out in hot black leather and slinking her way through the role she was born to play. Yummy. The only thing missing was a black leather whip to complete the wicked ensemble…but then again, this is a Disney picture, right? The rest of the cast—with the exception of young Thwaites (vapid) and Copley (miscast)—turn in good performances, with Riley earning props as the half-man/half-raven lackey character with a conscious.

Production values for this $180 million (boxofficemojo.com) epic are top-shelf across the board—and really the movie’s saving grace. The entire production was shot at the famed Pinewood Studios near London, England—with exterior forest sequences lensed in the bucolic region of Buckinghamshire. Kudos must go to first-time production designers Gary Freeman (Art Director for Sunshine, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, 47 Ronin) & Dylan Cole (Concept Artist for Alice In Wonderland, TRON: Legacy, Oz The Great And Powerful) for creating the gorgeous sets (40 in all) and bringing the faerie kingdom The Moors to life.

Veteran Aussie cinematographer Dean Semler (Oscar^®-winner for Dances With Wolves; also lensed The Road Warrior, Waterworld, Apocalypto, 2012) furnishes the movie with a handsome HD-widescreen palette of deep blacks, earthy greens and the occasional candlelight orange—courtesy of the ARRI^® Alexa Plus camera system fitted with PANAVISION^® Primo^® lenses (giving the imagery a robust look). However, given the accolades I’ve just heaped on the cinematography, I am still disappointed that Semler and his director opted for the HD package instead of the tried-and-true 35mm film option. By shooting Maleficent on film, they would have captured the surreal/otherworldly schema of fairy tale movies—such as Alex Thomson’s masterful lensing of Excalibur (1981; dir: John Boorman) and Legend (1985; dir: Ridley Scott). But, as it stands with the HD process, at least those Primo lenses spiff up the proceedings in this movie.

I though that master make-up artist Rick Baker’s design of Maleficent’s features are terrific—and it should be, considering he’s won 7 Oscars^® (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000711/awards?ref_=nm_awd) over the years. The make-up complements Maleficent’s aforementioned hot leather visage courtesy of veteran costume designer Anna B. Sheppard (Schindler’s List, Inglorious Basterds, Captain America: The First Avenger), along with the other visual tropes of medieval/fantasy costumery.

Smooth editing by veteran cutters Chris Lebenzon (Top Gun, Batman Returns, Alice In Wonderland, Dark Shadows) & Richard Pearson (Bowfinger, Men In Black II, The Bourne Supremacy, Quantum Of Solace) compliment a robust score by prolific composer James Newton Howard (Pretty Woman, Waterworld, I Am Legend, The Hunger Games Saga).

It is apparent that the technical aspects of Maleficent far outweigh its narrative virtues—which is a darn shame. This movie could have become a modern masterpiece of fairy tale storytelling—dark, decisive and encapsulated with its own intrinsic grandeur. Instead, we are given a dark story that Disney and the filmmakers water down for mass consumption. I’m pretty sure that Maleficent herself would whip me for saying so (bedazzled in that hot black leather ensemble, of course). Yep, I can only hope…

 

 

 

IMDB:                    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1587310/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleficent_(film)

Official Site:          http://movies.disney.com/maleficent

A Million Ways To Die In The West

Distributor:            Universal Pictures

Year:                       2014

MPAA:                     R

Content:                 AC, AL, V

Genres:                  WES / COM

Technical:              2.35:1 (HD)

Runtime:                116 mins.

Country:                 USA

Language:             English

Budget:                  $40M

 

 

CAST

Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Giovanni Ribisi, Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Silverman, Wes Studi, Rex Linn & Liam Neeson; cameos: Alex Borstein, Ralph Garman, Amick Byram, Dennis Haskins, Christopher Lloyd, Gilbert Gottfried, Ewan MacGregor, John Michael Higgins, Ryan Reynolds & Jamie Foxx

 

CREDITS

Director: Seth MacFarlane; Screenwriters: Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin & Wellesley Wild; Producers: Scott Stuber & Jason Clark; Director Of Photography: Michael Barrett; Production Designer: Stephen Lineweaver; Editor: Jeff Freeman; Costume Designer: Cindy Evans; Music Composer: Joel McNeely

 

BRIEF SYNOPSIS

1882: Old Stump, Arizona. The wild, Wild West is a dangerous place—especially for the milquetoast sheep farmer Albert Stark (MacFarlane)—who just lost his snooty girlfriend Louise (Seyfried)–after chickening out of a duel—to debonair mustache store proprietor Foy (Harris). Deciding to leave Old Stump for San Francisco, he is convinced to stay by his best friend Edward (Ribisi) and his prostitute girlfriend Ruth (Silverman)—who won’t sleep with Edward till they are properly married!

Elsewhere, dastardly bandit Clinch Leatherwood (Neeson) sends his beautiful wife Anna (Theron) into Old Stump while he and his goons hide out from the law. Albert ends up saving her life during a ballroom brawl—thus developing a friendship that eventually deepens. Especially when she (a crack shot) trains Albert to shoot guns when he challenges Foy to a duel in a misguided effort to win Louise back. Albert will need all the training he can get when Clinch finally rolls into town…

 

THE (mini) REVIEW

Family Guy über-meister Seth MacFarlane’s comedic western A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST is amusing, but ultimately fails to transcend classic genre movies like Ted Post’s Hang ‘Em High (1968) and Mel Brook’s masterpiece Blazing Saddles (1974). I bring those films up because—per MacFarlane (via the production notes)—those were among two movies that inspired he and his merry band of writers (Family Guy alumni Sulkin & Wild). Apparently, so did moustaches and songs about them (thanks, Stephen Foster!).

Saddled (excuse the pun) with a dormant genre (the Western—although it got a workout in last year’s entertaining-but-painful misfire The Tonto Movie—err, The Lone Ranger) and more clichés than a tumbleweed kegger, MILLION WAYS goes for broke in a pedestrian screenplay where most of the best jokes are shown in the freakin’ trailer! Sad, as he (and the others) is responsible for not only TV’s randy Family Guy, but also the hysterical Ted (2012). I give MacFarlane credit for trying to skewer this most American of genres—but Brooks did it better—as did director Burt Kennedy before him with the James Garner classics Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969) & Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971).

To be fair, MILLION WAYS has plenty of throwaway R-rated gags—and a terrific mid-movie dance number (thanks again, Stephen Foster!) and MacFarlane the director certainly knows where to place the camera—and how to get what he wants out of his game cast. I loved the stunning Charlize Theron—bringing moxie and empathy to her role. Neil Patrick Harris continues to amuse in his role as the fey Foy (tongue-twister anyone?) while Ribisi continues his quirky character shtick. He is abetted by comedienne Sarah Silverman—charmingly less annoying here than usual. The lovely Amanda Seyfried plays a rather unpleasant character—begging the question: why would the nice Albert want to stay with such a bitch?

And what can I say about Liam Neeson? Taking time out from shooting Eurotrash villains, the imposing Neeson gets to play a real bad guy (with a Northern Ireland accent, natch—research your Family Guy history to see why). Throw in plenty of great cameos—see above—and there is some hope left for a decent time-filler. MacFarlane’s one casting mistake: putting himself in the main role (shades of the multi-hyphenate Charles Chaplin, perhaps?). His smirking, self-aware, hipster, character pulls us out of the story proper, and thanks to that great voice of his—reminds me that Peter Griffith & Brian are still with us…even in the Old West!

Production values on this $40 million production (boxofficemojo.com) are solid across the board—and the movie’s equalizer. MILLION WAYS was produced in New Mexico and benefits from terrific (but surprisingly clean) genre sets courtesy of production designer Stephen J. Lineweaver (Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Jerry Maguire, Blades Of Glory, Ted) and old-school cowboy leather & old-style lace costumes by veteran designer Cindy Evans (Memento, Along Came Polly, Red Riding Hood, Savages). Smooth cutting is courtesy of veteran editor Jeff Freeman (The Craft, Cruel Intentions, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Ted)—though this comedy probably wears out its welcome after 100 minutes or so.  And I also enjoyed the rousing genre score by veteran composer Joel McNeely (Squanto: A Warrior’s Tale, Soldier, Virus).

MILLION WAYS was lensed digitally (via the Sony CineAlta PMW-F55 camera system) by veteran cinematographer Michael Barrett (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, You Don’t Mess With The Zohan, Zookeeper, Ted). The movie exhibits clean, HD-widescreen lensing that takes advantage of plenty of daytime exteriors (the Sun—ya beautiful key light, you…). My only problem here is that the filmmakers (who wanted to do an homage to the classic Westerns) chose to shoot digitally instead of on 35mm film. Why?

Film would have given this movie much more texture and (at the very least) have earned more accolades in the technical facets. Not convinced? Well, the two greatest non-Sergio Leone Westerns since John Ford hung up his spurs & megaphone (his last Western was 1964’s Cheyenne Autumn) are the aforementioned Blazing Saddles (1974) and the Kevin Jarre/Kurt Russell/George P. Cosmatos masterpiece Tombstone (1993). Know what they have in common? Both were filmed on 35mm film using the PANAVISION^® scope format; see how handsome those films came out? Exactly.

All told, MILLION WAYS falls a bit flat…earning amused groans and eye rolls instead of belly-busting guffaws. It’s amazing how farting cowboys and politically incorrect attitudes were funnier back in the 1970s than they are today. But then again, that other movie had Harvey Korman and company. Here, we’re left stroking our collective moustaches and wondering what could have been—wait, never mind that shit…here comes Mongo!!

 

 

 

 

IMDB:                    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2557490/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Million_Ways_to_Die_in_the_West

Official Site:          http://www.amillionways.com

 

Blended

Distributor:    Warner Bros.

Year:               2014

MPAA:             PG-13

Content:          AC, AL, V

Genres:           COM / ROM

Technical:       1.85:1 (HD)

Runtime:         117 mins.

Country:          USA

Language:       English

Budget:            $40M

 

 

CAST

Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Kevin Nealon, Terry Crews, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Bella Thorne, Joel McHale, Abdoulaye N’Gom, Jessica Lowe, Braxton Beckham, Emma Fuhrman, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Kyle Red Silverstein, Shaquille O’Neal & Dan Patrick

 

CREDITS

Director: Frank Coraci; Screenwriters: Ivan Menchell & Clare Sera; Producers: Mike Karz, Adam Sandler & Jack Giarraputo; Director Of Photography: Julio Macat; Production Designer: Perry Andelin Blake; Editor: Tom Costain; Costume Designer: Christine Wada; Music Composer: Rupert Gregson-Williams

 

BRIEF SYNOPSIS

After a terrible blind date, widower/father Jim Friedman (Sandler) and widow/mother Lauren Reynolds (Barrymore) vow to never speak again—until a chance opportunity to travel to South Africa for a family vacation throws the pair—along with his three daughters and her two sons—into a delightful and blending vacation that lions, tigers, ex-husbands (McHale), a horny American couple (Nealon & Lowe), a sage resort host (N’Gom), an overhyped resort singer (Crews) and Fate itself cannot get in the way of blossoming love.  Ah, the Circle of Life…

 

THE (mini) REVIEW

BLENDED may not be the greatest comedy—or even Adam Sandler comedy—but it sure tickles the funny bone. Maligned (a tad unfairly) by both the critics and movie-going public, the movie (comedic, goofy, heartfelt, well-produced) is nonetheless a pleasant surprise.

The uneven-but-amusing screenplay was written by former performance artists-turned-screenwriters Ivan Menchell & Clare Sera—and probably reworked by Sandler’s Happy Madison gang for public consumption. Directed with an eye for physical humor shtick (if not highbrow comedy) by fellow NYU-alum/Sandler chum Frank Coraci (The Wedding Singer, The Waterboy, Click), BLENDED rolls along with a large cast of mostly familiar faces and plenty of on-camera mugging—yes, I’m looking at you Terry Crews!

Sandler & Barrymore reteam for yet a third movie (very much in the Tracy-Hepburn vein) though I do find it interesting that—in the intertwining years between The Wedding Singer 1998), 50 First Dates (2004) and now BLENDED (2014)—both actors have matured and produced children of their own, thus giving their performances as parents a naturalistic sheen. Supporting cast members do what they’re paid to do.

Production values for this relatively inexpensive $40 million (boxofficemojo.com) movie are solid across the board. Stateside, BLENDED was shot in Georgia while the remaining majority of principal photography was lensed at the famed Sun City resort in South Africa (some may even still label it the “infamous” resort of Apartheid South Africa of yore—do your research on the internet for those answers or ask an old-timer like me who was around during those years).

However, under the guidance of veteran Happy Madison production designer Perry Andelin Blake (The Wedding Singer, The Waterboy, Click, Grown Ups), the Sun City mise-en-scène is lavish, inviting and pleasing to the eye. So is the HD photography (via the Arri Alexa XT camera system) of veteran Argentine cinematographer Julio Macat (Home Alone 1-3, Wedding Crashers, Pitch Perfect). I love the lensing dichotomy of Stateside (clean imagery; verdant color palette) vs. South Africa (still clean imagery; warm aurum & earth tone palettes).

Still not a fan of HD cinematography in narrative filmmaking—but I cannot complain about the hard work and results put into the movie by Macat and his crew. Finally, crisp editing by recent Sandler cutter Tom Costain and pleasant African-based score by recent Sandler composer Rupert Gregson-Williams (both of whom worked on Grown Ups, Just Go With It, Grown Ups 2) round out the technical facets.

All told, while BLENDED is no masterpiece of Preston Sturges comedy proportions, it is not the evil misfire that other critics have been labeling it (I’ll reserve that for the painful review of Sandler’s 2011 bomb Jack & Jill…ughhh). Still, it’s nice to see Sandler & Barrymore back together on the big screen, even if the wildlife gets in the way!

 

IMDB:                   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1086772/

Wikipedia:            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blended_(film)

Official Site:          http://www.blendedmovie.com

Million Dollar Arm

MPAA/ Content PG (AC)

Distributor  Walt Disney Pictures [2014]

Technical  2.35:1 35mm HD

Genres  DRA SPO BIO

Runtime  124 mins.

Cntry./Lang.  USA [English/ Hindi]

Budget $25M

 

 

CAST

Jon Hamm, Aasif Mandvi, Bill Paxton, Madhur Mittal, Suraj Sharma, Lake Bell, Pitobash, Darshan Jariwala, Tzi Ma & Alan Arkin

 

CREDITS 

Director: Craig Gillespie; Screenwriter: Tom McCarthy; Producers: Mark Ciardi, Gordon Gray & Joe Roth; Director Of Photography: Gyula Pados; Production Designer: Barry Robison; Editor: Tatiana S. Riegel; Costume Designer: Kristen Leigh Mann; Music Composer: A.R. Rahman

 

THE SYNOPSIS

Los Angeles, 2007: Sports über-agent J.B. Bernstein (Hamm) and his partner Ash Vasudevan (Mandvi) are struggling to launch their new agency but cannot attain new clients. Depressed one night, JB flips channels on TV and comes across a talent competition and a cricket game—when he is suddenly inspired to search for talent in India! With Ash on board, they convince wealthy investor Mr. Chang (Ma) to invest in their new concept: Million Dollar Arm.

JB heads to India to recruit a pair of young men to pitch for professional baseball teams. He is aided by the benignly avuncular Vivek (Jariwala), a local guide; enthusiastic young coach Amit Rohan (Tripathy); and cranky, retired pro scout Ray Poitevint (Arkin). Travelling across India, they scout thousands of young hopefuls and narrow the contestants down to two potentials: Rinku Singh (Sharma) and Dinesh Patel (Mittal)…young men who have no knowledge of baseball, but the heart to give it their all.

Back in L.A., Million Dollar Arm gains traction when famed USC pitching coach Dr. Tom House (Paxton) is hired to train the boys within a tight 3-month window. Having to take in Rinku, Dinesh & Amit (who is now their interpreter) into his home when they are booted out of their hotel, JB must learn to open his heart to the boys and see them as more than just clients. He gets some much-needed guidance from pretty resident doctor/tenant Brenda Fenwick (Bell) in both humility and romance. He’ll need it, as they face insurmountable odds at turning the two boys into professional baseball players.

 

THE CRITIQUE

Swiiiiiiing batter batter batter swiiiiiiing batter!! Sprinkled with a healthy dose of curry spice, MILLION DOLLAR ARM is a charming and gentle baseball fable based on true events. The Jerry Maguire (1996)-meets-Slumdog Millionaire (2008) hybrid is very much a Disney product (though originally set up at Sony’s Columbia Pictures) in execution & result—and that’s not a bad thing. It is safe, heartfelt and inspiring…and quite vanilla with a dash of cinnamon added!

Based on the amazing true story of sport agent J.B. Bernstein (who has represented sports icons Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith & Barry Bonds) and his creation & stewardship of a reality-TV show called Million Dollar Arm (with the help of his partners Ash Vasudevan & financier William Chang), the movie version does a good job of hewing close to many of the facts—courtesy of a straight-forward screenplay by fellow Jerseyite Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent, Win Win, Up). Per the production notes, the screenwriter actually spent two weeks in India doing the research on Bernstein’s MDA endeavors. Again, due diligence in capturing the real people and a taste of Indian culture goes a long way—though true dramatic conflict suffers in the process. For more on the reel vs. real conundrum, check out the MILLION DOLLAR ARM page at the History Vs. Hollywood website.

Directed with earnest proclivity by Craig Gillespie (Mr. Woodcock, Lars And The Real Girl, 2011’s Fright Night), it is indeed a well-oiled production. He is abetted by a solid cast led by Jon Hamm (a natural leading man), Asif Mandvi (amusing), Bill Paxton (taciturn but gentle), Lake Bell (brains & beauty) and the great Alan Arkin—playing the craggly, cranky mentor-type he can do in his sleep. Oh wait—he sleeps throughout half the picture!

The Indian cast is also on par, with nice turns by Mittal (heartfelt), Sharma (earnest), Tripathy (energetic) and Jariwala (charmingly benign). Per the production notes, Mittal and Sharma had no baseball experience—so they (just like their characters) were put through accelerated baseball training programs before production commenced. One of their first pitching coaches? The real Dinesh Patel himself.

Production values for this low/midrange, $25 million production (boxofficemojo.com) are actually top-shelf across the board. Principal photography began in India and lasted for three weeks as the crew traveled to different locations—up to and including the Mumbai metroplex and Agra—home to the Taj Mahal. Back in the USA, location shooting included Los Angeles, CA (where the majority of the movie takes place) as well as in Atlanta, GA—which stood in for most of the L.A. sequences in the 2^nd half of principal photography. Can’t beat that Georgia tax credit!

MILLION DOLLAR ARM exhibits a pleasant widescreen-lensing schema courtesy of veteran Hungarian cinematographer Gyula Pados (Basic Instinct 2, Evening, Predators, Metallica: Through The Never). Interestingly (and per American Cinematographer), the decision was made to shoot the Indian sequences on film via the Super 35mm format (using the ARRICAM Studio & ARRICAM Lite as well as the ARRI 235 & 435 camera packages) while the US-based sequences on HD digital via the ARRI Alexa XT & ARRI Studio XT camera packages. Metaphorically, it works—as the contrast in lensing formats mirrors the contrasts of nations/cultures/norms of India and the USA. The former lensing schema is realized by a palette of earthy browns and greens via 35mm film’s robust qualities while the latter’s delineated HD qualities showcase both the modern facets of the big city (Los Angeles) as well as the hard, business-like facets of the sports world and all that it entails.  At least that’s what I gleaned from the cinematography!

Smooth cutting by veteran editor Tatiana S. Riegel (The Million Dollar Hotel, Lars And The Real Girl, 2011’s Fright Night, Bad Words), dichotomous East/West production design by veteran Californian Barry Robison (October Sky, Hidalgo, Wedding Crashers, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), dichotomous East/West costume design by Kriston Leigh Mann (The Pacifier, Lars And The Real Girl, TV’s Parks And Recreation) and a handsome/dichotomous East/West score by veteran Indian composer A.R. Rahman (Oscar^®-winner for Slumdog Millionaire; also scored 127 Hours, Elizabeth: The Golden Age). Notice all the dichotomy MILLION DOLLAR ARM has to offer!!

THE BOTTOM LINE

With plenty of gentle charm and spirit, MILLION DOLLAR ARM is a feel-good movie that scores a base hit.  While it won’t earn the accolades reserved for the masterpiece baseball movies of yore, this one certainly merits a spot in the dugout.  It’s nice to see that a biographical movie based on real events hews closely to what really transpired—at least I won’t have to sit through the seventh-inning stretch (read: hokey TV documentary) on this one!  Heyyyy swiiiiiiing batttttttttter!!

 

 

 

IMDB:                    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1647668/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Million_Dollar_Arm

Official Site:          http://movies.disney.com/million-dollar-arm

Godzilla (2014)

MPAA/Content PG-13 (AC, AL, V)

Distributor Warner Bros. [2014]

Technical  2.35:1 HD

Genres  SCI THR

Runtime  123 mins.

Cntry./Lang. USA [English]

Budget   $160M

 

 

CAST

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen, Carson Bolde, Sally Hawkins, Juliette Binoche, David Strathairn, Richard T. Jones, Victor Rasuk & Patrick Sabongui

 

CREDITS 

Director: Gareth Edwards; Screenwriter: Max Borenstein; Producers: Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent & Brian Rogers; Director Of Photography: Seamus McGarvey; Production Designer: Owen Paterson; Editor: Bob Ducsay; Costume Designer: Sharen Davis; Music Composer: Alexandre Desplat

 

THE SYNOPSIS

1950s: The US military tests atomic bombs in the Pacific, known as Project Monarch. 1999: Project Monarch scientists Drs. Ishiro Serizawa (Watanabe) & Vivienne Graham (Hawkins) investigate a colossal MUTO (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism) skeleton in a collapsed Philippine mine, where two egg pods are discovered. One has hatched and something has crawled out of it, headed to the sea…

In Japan, increased seismic activities near the Janjira Nuclear Power Plant alarms nuclear physicist Dr. Joe Brody (Cranston) and his wife Dr. Sandra Brody (Binoche), who leave their young son Ford at school when a near-meltdown occurs. Sandra and her crew die while averting disaster and Joe is devastated—convinced that it was not earthquakes that caused this…

2014: An adult Ford (Taylor-Johnson) is a Navy Lieutenant (Bomb Disposal Unit) living in San Francisco with his nurse wife Elle (Olsen) and their young son Sam. He is called to Japan when his father is arrested for trespassing in the Janjira exclusion zone. To placate his conspiracy-prone father, Ford sneaks back into his old home with Joe to gather more data.

Joe’s suspicions of the 1999 seismic events are confirmed by Drs. Serizawa & Graham—who confess that they have captured/imprisoned a large male winged MUTO…which promptly escapes and destroys the facility, killing scores of people—including Joe. Ford joins Serizawa & Graham aboard the USS Saratoga—where they are briefed by Admiral William Stenz (Strathairn) that the MUTO is heading east to the USA, feeding on nuclear power sources for energy.

Turns out another MUTO is following it: Godzilla…an alpha predator lizard over 300ft. high! Project Monarch’s attempts to eradicate Godzilla in the 1950s atomic bomb tests forced the creature into the ocean depths. Godzilla has returned to eliminate the MUTOs—as a female has been discovered trashing Las Vegas. Apparently, the male & female MUTOs are in the mood for love—and only Godzilla can prevent that in a massive showdown in the City By The Bay…

 

THE CRITIQUE

Celebrating 60 years of cinematic mayhem, the popular and beloved Lizard King is back! And with all due respect to the late, great Jim Morrison, I’m referring (of course) to GODZILLA. Yep, he back and he’s bad—but in a good way! While I’m not a fan of reboots, this series certainly deserved it—especially after that disappointing 1998 version courtesy of director Roland Emmerich & producer Dean Devlin (Independence Day, Stargate)…ya know, where Ferris Bueller himself takes on ‘Zilla after skipping school.

As envisioned by newbie screenwriter Max Borenstein, this latest incarnation of the Toho Studios kaiju mainstay creates an aura of mystery and misdirection as Godzilla is mentioned in reverent tones—but does not appear on-screen for until 60 minutes or so into the movie. There have been some complaints by fans and critics regarding this, but I liken it to Bruce The Shark’s full-on entrance late into Jaws (1975) or the scary Xenomorph late Act II reveal in Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979). Granted, BTS broke down enough to cause headaches during the infamous production shoot, but old ‘Zilla (a total CGI creation) earns his way onto the screen with an anticipatory roar and a real sense of terror (more on the VFX later). The screenwriter also touches upon the timeless theme of Man Vs. Nature—and that mankind is truly not the alpha predator on Planet Earth. That honor goes to the Count Of Monte Disco…ME!! But I digress…

I’m glad that British director Gareth Edwards (Monsters) resisted the temptation to show his hand early into the proceedings. Restraint is a rare virtue in the Cinema of Today—but I for one enjoyed the build-up. Earning a shot at helming a big-budget Hollywood movie, Edwards proves that he has the talent to emulate the late, great king of disaster movies himself: Irwin Allen (producer of The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno & producer/director of The Swarm) while upping the ante on a global scale. Under Edwards’ auspices, GODZILLA is presented in a serious manner —thereby ensuring that ‘Zilla is taken verrrry seriously. It works.

His handling of the actors is as good as can be within the limited parameters of Borenstein’s script—this being one of its drawbacks. The human characters are basically reactionary beings to the kaiju mayhem occurring around them… unfortunately an occupational hazard for Shakespeare-minded thespians and fans of actor-first types of movies. Still, the assembled cast does a perfectly fine job of acting scared—with shout-outs going to Bryan Cranston (a terrific character actor), Ken Watanabe (another terrific actor) and one of my favorites: David Strathairn, as the pragmatic Navy Admiral surprisingly without a secret agenda or Gen. Jack D. Ripper tendencies. Lead actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson (of the Kick Ass movies) may not be the obvious choice for the action dude role (Mark Wahlberg comes to mind, though he’s busy helping the Transformers this summer), but I’ll give him a pass since he bulked up for the role.

Production values for this massive $160 million (boxofficemojo.com) motion picture endeavor are top-shelf across the board. Principal photography was done in Vancouver, Canada—which doubled for San Francisco and a few other locations in the movie. Location work was also done in Hawaii, Las Vegas, San Diego & Tokyo, Japan with extensive VFX doing the rest of the heavy lifting. It’s also worth noting that the US Army & Navy gave their full support for this production with the use of their vessels and manpower.

GODZILLA looks fantastic from a lensing aspect, courtesy of veteran Irish cinematographer Seamus McGarvey (The Hours, Sahara, World Trade Center, The Avengers). Though shot on HD video utilizing the workhorse ARRI^® Alexa Plus 4:3 camera system, McGarvey had the foresight to use PANAVISION^® C-Series lenses—older glasses that give movies the widescreen look of the ‘70s & ‘80s. This one looks like it was captured on film, accentuating reds, greens & blacks like those epics of yore. Very nicely done indeed!

Abetting the terrific lensing is slick editing by veteran cutter—and Miami’s own—Bob Ducsay (Stephen Sommers’ The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, Van Helsing & G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra); handsome production design by Australian native—and Wachowski Siblings favorite—Owen Paterson (The Matrix Trilogy, V For Vendetta, Speed Racer)–capturing the East-West aesthetics in perfect synergy; and a voluminous score by veteran French composer Alexandre Desplat (Syriana, The Queen, The King’s Speech, Argo) that combines bombastic score music with Japanese instruments and the use of the late Hungarian composer György Ligeti’s haunting Requiem (excerpt) during the exciting/terrifying HALO jump sequence that was also used in the movie’s fantastic trailer. Again, the little aspects that bump up the movie’s cachet.

In closing, I must mention GODZILLA’s terrific VFX schema (collaborated by 9 different FX houses) including a CGI San Francisco and old ‘Zilla himself—created to stand over 300ft. high and packing some density. Looks like the Lizard King has been hitting McD’s for some late-night grub! Seriously, the monster FX easily equal those of the fantastic (though perhaps underrated) Guillermo Del Toro kaiju-fest Pacific Rim (2013)—where those monsters & robots were rendered to look and feel like real, towering beings. When ‘Zilla roars in the one, you will believe that he is real!!

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

The rebooted GODZILLA roars into the Cinema’s modern epoch in a classy, entertaining endeavor ripe with terrific VFX, handsome production values and a good cast who must overcome the fact that they are second-fodder to the Lizard King himself. Beats the 1998 version by many ‘Zilla strides!!

 

 

 

IMDB:                    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0831387/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godzilla_(2014_film)

Official Site:          http://www.godzillamovie.com

Neighbors (2014)

MPAA/Content R (AC, AL, N, V)

Distributor Universal Pics. [2014]

Technical 2.35:1 HD

Genre COM

Runtime 96 mins.

Cntry./Lang. USA [English]

Budget $18M

 

CAST

Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Dave Franco, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Ike Barinholtz, Carla Gallo, Hannibal Burress, Halston Sage, Jerrod Carmichael, Craig Roberts & Lisa Kudrow

 

CREDITS

Director: Nicholas Stoller; Screenwriters: Andrew Jay Cohen & Brendan O’Brien; Producers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg & James Weaver; Director Of Photography: Brandon Trost; Production Designer: Julie Berghoff; Editor: Zene Baker; Costume Designer: Leesa Evans; Music Composer: Michael Andrews

 

THE SYNOPSIS

First-time parents Mac (Rogen) and Kelly (Byrne) Radner have just bought a house on a quiet street and now moved in with their infant daughter, Stella. That means less partying with zany best friends Jimmy (Barinholtz) and ex-wife Paula (Gallo) and more focus on work, the baby and their new home.

One day, fraternity Delta Psi Beta moves into the house next door—led by the hunky, cunning Teddy Sanders (Efron) and his lieutenant Pete Regazolli (Franco), smart, handsome, questionable sexuality. These Deltas aspire to carry on their frat’s huge partying reputation by staging the greatest party ever. The first party is loud—so much so that Mac & Kelly go over to ask the kids to “keep it down”. This backfires when they are invited into the bacchanalia and have a blast.

However, the next party shatters the brief détente when Mac & Kelly call the cops on the Deltas. Teddy declares war on the Radners and the hazing/pranking begins. Flooding basements, genital topiary and exploding car seats are just a warm-up. After Mac & Kelly bring the matter to the flighty dean Carol Gladstone (Kudrow), they discover that the Deltas are one strike away from being expelled from the college and their charter revoked. The Radners then go on the offensive with help of Jimmy & Paula—and the final showdown involves plenty of booze, nudity and fireworks!

 

THE CRITIQUE

NEIGHBORS, an amusing but not perfect fraternity comedy, has the sad luck of following in the cinematic footsteps of the better fraternity comedies of yore: National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978), Revenge Of The Nerds (1984), the cultish Fraternity Vacation (1985), PCU (1994) and the more recent Old School (2003). The newest pledge to this celluloid fraternity has more chuckles than outright laughs. It’s too bad, because after watching the trailers for this one, I was expecting to be knocked out of my seat…like I was for another recent party movie Project X (2012). That one had the laughs and the energy to pull off a party movie made for little money and featuring an unknown cast.

The NEIGHBORS screenplay was written by newbie scribes Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brien—besties who (as they state in the production notes) have broken through the barrier of their 20s and are now in their early 30s and married, and missing the college life they had. Guys, you mean just had. You’re in your early 30s—which is like the new 20s!! Especially in this new day and age where the Millennials have barely left their homes at 30!

Hell, I’m in my early 40s—which, by the way, is now the new 30s—and I’m all giggity giggity giggity about being single again, with no kids of my own to worry about!! I’m just as sexed up as any frat boy—but with the pragmatic knowledge of how things work with women (dudes…a hint: they’re always right). Yup, a charming, handsome, witty, articulate, cultured, educated, acerbic, groovy film critic who’s available… (ladies…a hint: youssef@moonstarfilmreviews.com).  Yowsah!

But I digress…

What I find interesting about this screenplay is how the main character—envisioned for and played by Seth Rogen (only in his early 30s)—tries to divide the generational gap between the Radners and the Deltas. What, by 10 years?! Hah! What does that make me to the frat kids…Old Man Time? See where I’m going with this? In the aforementioned Animal House, the generational gap between the Authorities (the Dean, the police, the parents) and those Deltas (Baby Boomers in their early 20s) was distinct and absolute. Today, with things being the way they are, can you really tell the difference between 20-somethings and 30-somethings…aside from the fact that those in the latter probably shower more frequently?

Still, at least Cohen & O’Brien did get plenty of the norms & mores of fraternity life correct. Not that I am an expert—having never had the desire to be ass-whipped by some over-jocked monkey with a paddle—but having friends that did, I was able to attend plenty of frat parties. And let’s just say, for a non-drinking/non-smoking/non-druggy college boy, I had plenty of fun with my clothes on and off. But that’s for the epic biopic that I’ll make someday…

NEIGHBORS was helmed with genre precision by Judd Apatow collaborator/screenwriter (2005’s Fun With Dick And Jane, Yes Man, The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted)-turned-director Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him To The Greek)—a filmmaker known in the business as a stalwart improvisational director. And it shows—as the interaction between the actors (either protag or antag) feels naturalistic. Combined with the comfort that Stoller knows where the camera should go and how sequences should be edited—it is evident that this guy knows how to do his job.

Speaking of the actors, the aforementioned star Seth Rogen does a serviceable job playing the loveable schlub—basically the same he plays in most of his movies…though he was better in the superior This Is The End (2013). I was thinking, however, how different this movie might have turned out if someone more age-appropriate would play the role of husband & father…say Will Ferrell or Ben Stiller. Aussie actress Rose Byrne’s Kelly could have been a reactive shrill—however, in a smart move by the screenwriters & director—proves she’s a tough cookie with the mouth of a sailor and the temperament of a trucker. It was a pleasant surprise to see this lovely and talented actress slumming with the boys!

Another surprise is Zac Efron, as the calculating/cunning/hunky frat leader. Formerly a teen pin-up star, Efron has matured (surviving through his own crucible of drugs & alcohol) into a budding fine actor. His comedic timing is great and he works well with Dave (younger brother of James) Franco and McLovin’ himself, Christopher Mintz-Plasse—who is endowed with a monster, Dirk Diggler-ish (fake) penis after years of playing wimpy characters with an annoying voice. Co-stars Barinholtz & Gallo round out the casting with amusing to & fro between their characters.

Production values for this $18 million production (boxofficemojo.com) are slick enough to pass muster (what’d they spend the cash on…black lights and trainers for Zac Efron?). The entire movie was shot in Los Angeles and utilized two real houses —nice work by production designer Julie Berghoff (Saw, Dead Silence, The Conjuring), by the way.

NEIGHBORS was lensed in HD-widescreen (via the ARRI Alexa Plus 4:3 camera system) by veteran cinematographer Brendan Trost (Crank: High Voltage, Rob Zombie’s Halloween II, The Lords Of Salem, This Is The End)—who does a good job of creating dissimilar visual landscapes in the Radner home (comfortable hues) and the frat house (freaky party lighting schema). He is abetted by slick editing courtesy of regular Seth Rogen cutter Zene Baker (Observe And Report, 50/50, This Is The End).

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

Far from being the ultimate frat house/party movie, NEIGHBORS, still manages to entertain despite a simplistic script and some underdeveloped characterizations. While the movie is funny, I was expecting a more robust level of humor based on the trailer that exalted such promise. Still, Seth Rogen makes me laugh—as do air bag gags and topiary genitals.

 

 

 

IMDB:                   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2004420/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neighbors_(2014_film)

Official Site:          http://www.neighbors-movie.com

A Haunted House 2

MPAA/Content  R (AC, SL, N, V)

Distributor Open Road [2014]

Technical  HD 1.85:1

Genres  COM HOR

Runtime  87 mins.

Cntry./Lang.  USA [English]

Budget  $4M

 

CAST

Marlon Wayans, Jaime Pressly, Essence Atkins, Gabriel Iglesias, Missi Pyle, Ashley Rickards, Affion Crockett, Steele Stebbins, Rick Overton, Hayes MacArthur, Dave Sheridan & Cedric the Entertainer

 

CREDITS

Director: Michael Tiddes; Screenwriters/Producers: Marlon Wayans & Rick Alvarez; Director Of Photography: David Ortkiese; Production Designer: Ermanno Di Fabio-Orsini; Editor: Tim Mirkovich; Costume Designer: Ariyela Wald-Cohain; Music Composer: Jesse Voccia

 

THE SYNOPSIS

One year after the terrifying incidents at the home he shared with his possessed girlfriend Kisha (Atkins), Malcolm (Wayans) has moved on—and in—with the lovely Megan, a single mother with daughter, Becky (Rickards) and son, Wyatt (Stebbins)—who has an invisible hoodlum friend named Tony…

Their new home comes complete with a friendly Chicano neighbor & landscaper, Miguel (Iglesias)—who becomes fast friends with Malcolm. So do the demons and ghosts that follow him from Part 1. Sure enough, Malcolm is afflicted by an evil doll named Ashley—whom he sodomizes; Tony and his ghost buddies amp up the paranormal activities while the video cameras roll; the here-to-fore dead Kisha returns (!) and Malcolm finds old film cans in the attic—which reveal some scary stuff. What to do?

Calls to his friend Professor Wilde (Overton) are a waste of time, as the learned man is continually thrown in jail for “Breaking Bad” during constant partying, orgies and drug binges. Desperate, Malcolm enlists the help of his friend, Father Doug (Cedric The Entertainer) and ghost mediums Ned (MacArthur) & Noreen (Pyle) to save Malcolm and his new family. Even his gangbanger cousin Ray-Ray (Crockett) swings on by with his posse—until the paranormal goo hits the fan!

 

THE CRITIQUE

As if 2013’s A Haunted House proved that the “Paranormal Activity” parodies already hit a nadir, then its ill-gotten sequel A HAUNTED HOUSE 2 thumbs its low-rent nose at the movie masses—by being really (really) bad—AND actually getting a theatrical release before heading to that late-night CINEMAX graveyard.

You have to hand it to co-writer/producer/star Marlon Wayans: the guy has some brass cojones for keeping the shtick going and for his willingness to do whatever it takes to wring out a laugh or two. As one of the writing team—the other being producer/scribe Rick Alvarez (A Haunted House)—the movie’s premise is a dull retread of A Haunted House’s dull retread of better horror movies including: the Paranormal Activity series (2009-present), The Possession (2012), Sinister (2012), The Conjuring (2013) and a few others thrown in for good measure.

The third instigator in this motley endeavor is director Michael Tiddes (A Haunted House) who allows his star to run around in shrill histrionic mode without applying the tranquilizer dart guns. While he gets mileage from a game cast (including Jaime Pressly, Hayes MacArthur, Missi Pyle, the amusing Gabriel Iglesias, Cedric The Entertainer and returning Affion Crockett—funny in a stereotypical “gangbanger” way), Tiddes is smart enough to not over-direct a project that relies more on the naturalism of modern, digital cinéma vérité—without actually being cinéma vérité.

Still, even with a game cast—and don’t forget the cameo by a frightened chicken (don’t ask)—A HAUNTED HOUSE 2 is already doomed to failure thanks to a pedestrian screenplay, shameless mugging by its star, a found footage horror sub-genre beaten to death by legitimate ventures and a low budget veneer. It’s sad to see how far these movies have fallen—even more so when you realize that Marlon Wayans was part of the movie series that kicked this whole horror parody cycle: Scary Movie (2000).

If you recall, that one was co-written, directed and produced by Marlon’s older brother Keenan—and the movie is a masterpiece of comedy-horror. In fact, that one and the lesser-but-still decent Scary Movie 2 (2001) were Wayans family affairs that showcased humor, good production values and the common sense when to call it a day (they stopped after Part 2, but others carried on the name in three successfully worsening sequels). What’s missing here is the steady hand of the other Wayanses (and how many of them are there…900?) to balance Marlon out creatively and actor-wise.

Shot in Los Angeles, production values on this tight $4 million (boxofficemojo.com) insult are at least decent. The HD-lensing (via the Sony CineAlta PMW-F55 camera system) was performed by TV cinematographer David Ortkiese—whose small-screen lensing style works well for the subject matter. He is abetted by a smooth cutting schema by rising editor Tim Mirkovich (The Messengers, The Devil Inside) and surprisingly good VFX by company unknown. Nice technical facts for a really dumb movie!

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

A HAUNTED HOUSE 2 proves that stupid movies can still get made even in today’s recession. The tired humor is amplified by writer/producer/star Marlon Wayans’ shrill histrionics—but I do admit that he can be funny…sometimes. This one gives up the ghost quickly, but a game cast goes along with the tomfoolery—so does a crazed chicken. Don’t ask.

 

 

IMDB:                    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2828996/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Haunted_House_2

Official Site:          http://ahauntedhouse2film.com

The Quiet Ones

 

MPAA/Content PG-13 [AC, AL, BN, V]

Distributor   Lionsgate [2014]

Technical  HD  1.85:1 1.37:1

Genre  HOR THR

Runtime   98 mins.

Country   UK

Budget  $??M

 

 

CAST

Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Erin Richards, Rory Fleck-Byrne & Olivia Cooke

 

CREDITS

Director: John Pogue; Screenwriters: Craig Rosenberg, Oren Moverman & John Pogue; based on a screenplay by Tom de Ville; Producers: James Gay-Rees, Simon Oakes, Tobin Armbrust, Steven Chester Prince & Ben Holden; Director Of Photography: Mátyás Erdély; Production Designer: Matthew Gant; Editor: Glenn Garland; Costume Designer: Camille Benda; Music Composer: Lucas Vidal

 

THE SYNOPSIS

The University of Oxford, 1974. Brilliant but arrogant parapsychology professor Dr. Joseph Coupland (Harris) enlists the aid of pupils Krissi (Richards) & boyfriend Harry (Fleck-Byrne) as well as audio-visual cameraman Brian (Claflin)—who is to document everything via 16mm film—to work on a special research project involving a disturbed young woman named Jane Harper (Cooke).

Coupland aims to “cure” her of her purported phantasmagorical possession using untested and potentially groundbreaking protocols. When the University shutters the program, Coupland and his colleagues relocate to a remote, dilapidated estate to continue Jane’s experiments—which include sleep deprivation, psychic evaluation and séances.

Eventually, Jane manifests a poltergeist she calls “Evey”. Then, the hoodoo really hits the fan as Evey makes it known that she is a very angry and violent manifestation. Brian falls for Jane and wants to help her—convinced that Coupland’s methods are hurting her. It all comes to a head one night when Evey goes on a paranormal rampage. No one is left unscathed as the blood runs and the walls burn…

 

THE CRITIQUE

Recalling the type of horror movies Hammer Films used to make between the 1950s-1970s, THE QUIET ONES is a genre movie that makes the noble attempt of creating horror out of spooky locations, bumps in the attic and that very English mannerism of drawing the suspense out until the final Act. Charming. But what may have worked in the days of yore—like the mesmerizing The Uninvited (1944) or the fantastic The Haunting (1963) or the eerie The Legend Of Hell House (1973) or the creepy Ghost Story (1981)—does not really translate to ghost movies of today.

Make no mistake: the atmosphere and restraint of gore is the breath of fresh air prevalent in THE QUIET ONES, Hammer’s newest effort after its 2007 revival—following the scarier (and better) The Woman In Black (2012). This one takes its time to set up the story, characters and mood. Good…but it does so with a rather bland disposition.  Based (or more accurately, inspired) by true events, the movie was originally written by a former actor named Tom de Ville—who based his screenplay on “The Phillip Experiment” (a series of paranormal experiments performed in Toronto, Canada in the 1970s). The true events, though not remotely as violent as its screen progeny, were actually filmed and documented. To read about the experiments and the characters associate with it, click here.

Apparently, the producers felt that the screenplay was lacking, so Aussie scribe Craig Robertson (After The Sunset, The Uninvited [2009], 7500), NYC’s own Oren Moverman (writer/director of The Messenger & Rampart) and Yale University alum John Pogue (U.S. Marshals, The Skulls, Rollerball [2002], Ghost Ship) came in to write other drafts. What the latter two scribes came up with is not bad, as moving the story to England was probably a good idea. Adding that psychosexual triangle involving the patient, the cameraman and the professor surely spiced things up a bit—though the eventual PG-13 rating keeps it rather tame at best.

What dampens the screenplay’s chances of being a really great scare is the destructive third act, where it all goes to flames (literally) and the here-to-fore level-headed and scientific Professor descends into the mad scientist realm—perhaps possessed himself by the malevolent poltergeist? Not really made clear. Neither is the illogical assumption that Coupland’s students Krissi & Harry and Brian the cameraman have nothing else to do in their own lives—like, ya know, go to other classes (for the formers) and shoot audio/visual projects for his employer, the University (for the latter). But hey, I get it: hanging around a possessed scary chick sure has its allure. Believe me, I’ve been down that road before…

THE QUIET ONES is competently directed by the aforementioned John Pogue (Quarantine 2: Terminal)—who employs classic chills rather than gore (and minimal CGI FX) in an attempt to be present a different horror film. Sadly, the result (while commendable) is bland in execution. I bring this up only because recent ghost movies like The Conjuring (2013; directed by horror-meister James Wan) and Sinister (2012; directed by horror-meister Scott Derrickson) were better and scarier movies. The fact that they were also R-rated—as opposed to the PG-13—may explain why.

Let’s face it: horror movies should be R-rated, dammit! But I digress…

The cast does their part to tell the tale—with terrific veteran British actor Jared Harris (son of the late, great actor Richard Harris) leading the small cast of relative unknowns—although Brits Olivia Cooke & Sam Claflin have been getting Stateside exposure recently in A&E’s Bates Motel (Cooke) and the big screen’s The Hunger Games Saga (Claflin), respectively. The Welsh Richards (Open Grave) and Irish Fleck-Byrne (Vampire Academy) barely register beyond being photogenic poltergeist fodder.

Production values for this multi-million dollar affair are rock solid. No production budget has been reported as of yet, but I’ll guestimate that it came in at around $10 million. Regardless, the production makes great use of Oxford University and the surrounding English region of Oxfordshire. The rain and gloomy weather were free, by the way.

Credit the handsome HD-lensing to Hungarian cinematographer Mátyás Erdély (Delta, Miss Bala)—who manages to create strong images (via the ARRI^® ALEXA camera system) in both the high-key lighting schema as well as in the shadows of darkness. As I understand it, the 16mm film sequences were also lensed in HD—and then denigrated via special filters to give the found footage that film-like veneer. Solid. But one question: if you have actor Sam Claflin lugging around a real 16mm camera—why not use the equipment and really film these sequences on film?

Regardless, the found footage and HD movie footage come together seamlessly thanks to Rob Zombie’s regular cutter Glenn Garland (The Devil’s Rejects, the Halloween & Halloween II remakes, The Lords Of Salem). This much I can say: unlike other “found footage” horror movies—like The Blair Witch Project (1999), [REC] (2007), the Paranormal Activity series (2009-present)—THE QUIET ONES does not simply rely on the 16mm footage to tell the story. Garland and his director make a clear distinction between that 16mm footage and the diegetic lensing of the movie itself not only by the use of the aforementioned film filters, but by also (and correctly) shifting the movie’s aspect ratio from 1.85:1 (movie) to 1.37:1 (16mm footage) throughout—and without being overly-jarring in execution. Nicely done!

Production Designer Matthew Gant (an English craftsman known for British TV projects) does a great job for presenting the creepy, dilapidated estate where the main crux of the movie occurs, as does newbie Costume Designer Camille Benda for creating believable period costumes. Spaniard composer Lucas Vidal (The Raven [2012], Fast & Furious 6) creeps us out with an appropriately moody score.

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

THE QUIET ONES presents as an atmospheric yet bland horror entry from the revered & revamped Hammer Films entity. Retro chills accentuate strong production values and bucolic English setting, but ultimately falls short of true horror. You could say that this one doesn’t have a ghost of a chance of gliding itself into the top echelon of its horror sub-genre.

 

 

 

IMDB:                   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2235779/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Quiet_Ones_(2014_film)

Official Site:          http://www.thequietonesmovie.com

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa

MPAA/Content R [AC, SL, N, V]

Distributor  Paramount [2013]

Technical HD  1.85:1

Genre  COM

Runtime  92 mins.

Country  USA

Budget  $15M

 

CAST

Johnny Knoxville & Jackson Nicoll

 

CREDITS

Director: Jeff Tremaine; Screenwriters: Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze & Jeff Tremaine; Producers: Jeff Tremaine, Spike Jonze, Johnny Knoxville & Derek Freda; Directors Of Photography: Lance Bangs & Dimitry Elyashkevich; Production Designer: J.P. Blackmon; Editors: Seth Casriel, Matt Kosinski & Matthew Probst; Costume Designer: Lindsey Kear; Music Composers: Sam Spiegel & Koool G. Murder

 

THE SYNOPSIS

Irving Zisman (Knoxville) is an 86-year old codger mourning the recent death of his wife (cameoed by Catherine Keener). Thanks to his ne’er-do-well daughter—who’s heading to jail, like right now—Irving is suddenly saddled with a grandson he barely knows. Said child, 8-year old Billy (Nicoll), is precocious, inquisitive and a real potty mouth!

Per his daughter, Irving is to take Billy cross-country into the care of his father, a ne’er-do-well biker living in North Carolina. Irving reluctantly does so at first; but the codger and his grandson grow a bond over the many pranks & shenanigans that Irving pulls on unsuspecting people along the way.

Thanks to the male strippers, beauty pageant contestants, bikers and other average Joes, the impressionable Billy grows to love his grandpa. In the end, Irving decides to keep Billy and raise him instead of handing over to the idiot father. The pranks & shenanigans will go on forever…

 

THE CRITIQUE

Budgeted at a mere $15 million (boxofficemojo.com), JACKASS PRESENTS: BAD GRANDPA managed to rake in over $100 million in North America alone! Mind-boggling—but you’ve got to hand it to those Jackass boys: their shtick still gets laughs and airtime…or more accurately, theater bookings.

Why? Because we live in a society that indulges in schadenfreude and the opportunity to not only watch other people hurt themselves—but then have the gall to laugh at them and consider them fools in the first place. Well guess what: Johnny Knoxville and company aren’t the fools: we are! Know why? Because we keep forking over good money that could be spent on classy hookers, cheap drugs & high-quality cheeseburgers to watch these yahoos do what they do!! The only thing preventing us from fully internalizing these pseudo-snuff flicks is the luck and fortune that nobody has been killed doing these foolish stunts, pratfalls & gimmicks. But I digress…

JACKASS PRESENTS: BAD GRANDPA is dumb comedy, but I did laugh a few times. I give these clowns props for going in a new direction as Knoxville, Spike Jonze and co-writer/director Jeff Tremaine manage to go with a more narrative angle in this 4^th theatrical Jackass outing. Not that the screenplay is much to brag about—but then again (and mind-bogglingly more so) is the fact that Jonze can claim to have co-written this trashy bit ‘o fun the same year (2013) he’d go on to win the Best Original Screenplay Oscar^® for Her. Look, whatever gets Jonze laid…more power to him.

In terms of direction, Tremaine has helmed all of these movies—so, while the Auteur Theory concept does not apply here (at all), familiarity will surely breed…familiarity…with the material and his star. Knoxville (playing a version of his own grandfather, but randier) gets credit for having mastered the art of making himself the center of focus—though he is given a run for his money by this Nicoll kid, holding his own on-screen.

Production values for this video-fest are what is expected for this type of flick—lensed in locations as varied as Ohio and North Carolina. No information was provided as to the type of cameras used to shoot this HD movie, but I’m sure that they were high-end prosumer models. Still, resident Jackass cinematographers Lance Bangs & Dimitry Elyashkevich get the job done in regular fashion. They are abetted by a comedic editing schema courtesy of resident Jackass cutters Seth Casriel, Matt Kosinski & Matthew Probst.

Most telling is that JACKASS PRESENTS: BAD GRANDPA is the first movie in the series to be nominated for an Oscar^®. What? Incredulous, you say? It’s true. The nomination was given for Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling courtesy of veteran artisan and Jackass resident Steve Prouty—who has also done makeup work in movies such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006), Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End (2007) & Thor (2011).

I must say that Johnny Knoxville’s makeup and transformation into the elderly Irving Zisman is the movie’s high point. Did we need to see his (assumedly) made up genitals too? That’s where you can make up your own mind. Get it? Make up? I am too damned funny. So are some of the moments in this flick—but let’s face it: this one’s a dud.  Still, I did laugh a few times.

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

If you’re into the whole Jackass phenomena, then JACKASS PRESENTS: BAD GRANDPA is right up your sado-masochistic alley. If not, then indulge your schadenfreude tendencies anyway—because this doesn’t get any better than a lovely kick to the genitals or a pleasant root canal (minus the anesthesia, of course). Still, I did laugh a few times.

 

 

 

IMDB:                    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3063516/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackass_Presents:_Bad_Grandpa

Official Site:          http://www.jackassmovie.com

Last Vegas

MPAA/Content  PG-13 [AC, AL, MV]

Distributor  CBS Films [2013]

Technical  HD  2.35:1

Genres  COM DRA

Runtime 104 mins.

Country  USA

Budget  $28M

 

CAST

Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline, Mary Steenburgen, Jerry Ferrara, Romany Malco, Roger Bart, Joanna Gleason, Michael Ealy & Bre Blair; cameos by 50 Cent & Redfoo

 

CREDITS

Director: Jon Turteltaub; Screenwriters: Dan Fogelman; Producers: Amy Baer, Joseph Drake & Lawrence Mark; Director Of Photography: David Hennings; Production Designer: David J. Bomba; Editor: David Rennie; Costume Designer: Dayna Pink; Music Composer: Mark Mothersbaugh

 

THE SYNOPSIS

Brooklyn, NY; the 1950s.  Billy, Paddy, Archie & Sam are rambunctious kids and best friends known as The Flatbush Four.  Modern day: spread across the country with lives of their own, The Flatbush Four are no more.

Billy (Douglas) is a successful Malibu lawyer who proposes to his young girlfriend Lisa (Blair).  Retired blue collar Paddy (De Niro) is a cranky widower who refuses to leave his Brooklyn home.  Twice-divorced retired Air Force man Archie (Freeman), recovering from a mild stroke, lives with his overprotective son and his family in Englewood, NJ.  Accountant Sam (Kline) and his wife Miriam (Gleason) live in a retirement community in Naples, Florida—though Sam really hates it.

Billy calls Archie and Sam to announce the news—and the men decide to celebrate in Las Vegas as gift to Billy for his lifelong generosity to them.  They trick Paddy into coming—as he stopped talking to Billy years ago for not coming to his wife’s funeral.  After some bickering, a cease-fire is declared and they head off to their modest hotel—which is closed for renovations.

Billy has his assistant book them into the luxurious ARIA—which Archie pays for after winning $100k at the blackjack tables!  A penthouse suite and personal host Lonnie (Malco) are given to the guys and their Vegas vacation begins.  Along the way, they befriend a drag queen performer named Maurice (Bart) and a former tax attorney-turned-lounge singer named Diana (Steenburgen)—who takes a liking to both Paddy and Billy.

The Flatbush Four’s swanky penthouse pad becomes Ground Zero for Vegas partying, where the men reconnect; Paddy pimp-slaps a young turk (Ferrrara) into indentured servitude; Lonnie comes to respect his elder charges; Archie parties like there’s no tomorrow while Sam puts the moves on hot young chicks (after Miriam encourages him pre-trip, of course).  Paddy and Billy’s problems will get resolved too.  But will Billy go through his wedding to the much younger Lisa—or is Diana the one for him?

 

THE CRITIQUE

LAST VEGAS, an amusing—but harmless—Baby Boomer comedy, wants to be the raunchier Hangover Series’ granduncle…but merely comes off as raunchy-lite (and please hold the salt).  If anything, the movie can at least boast that all five of its principal actors are Oscar^®-winners.  That’s something, right?

Written by Dan Fogelberg (Cars, Fred Claus, The Guilt Trip), the screenplay manages to project (just about) every human emotion while maintaining a feckless, status quo veneer.  The comedy is about four aging Baby Boomers who make one last go of the new/young/modern Vegas—it has heart…but where are its balls?  Writing a more ribald tale to secure an R-rating would have made this movie more fun and rowdy.

And yes: a re-imagining of The Hangover (2009) for the Post-WWII crowd may not have been original—but it would have had the balls needed to pull it off.  Remember, Baby Boomers can still lay claim to the greatest bachelor party movie of the 20^th Century: Bachelor Party (1984).  Now that was a funny, funny movie.

At least LAST VEGAS is helmed with a sure hand by veteran director Jon Turteltaub (3 Ninjas, Phenomenon, Instinct, The Kid, National Treasure series)—whose movies I rather enjoy.  His work may not stand out—screaming AUTEUR! AUTEUR! AUTEUR! from the top of the Luxor pyramid—but being a steady hand amidst this distinguished cast cannot hurt either.  Under Turteltaub’s stewardship, the movie exhibits gloss, class and heart.

The game cast gives the characters some energy and individuality.  I am a fan of each actor’s talents & filmographies and can say that each has their moment or two during the course of this movie.  Any limitations in characterization (and there are some) are purely based on how they were written.  I must say that the standouts in this one (aside from the gold-bling cast) are Roger Bart (as a drag queen) and young Jerry Ferrara—holding his own against De Niro and company.

Production values for this modestly-budgeted $28 million movie are solid across the board.  LAST VEGAS was shot in and around Las Vegas (of course) & Atlanta, GA—which stood in for Brooklyn, NY; Englewood, NJ; Naples, FL; and (amazingly) Malibu, CA.  Kudos to veteran Production Designer David J. Bomba (Secondhand Lions, Walk The Line, Race To Witch Mountain) for also recreating the ARIA Resort & Casino interiors including the centerpiece SkySuite penthouse room where the boys stay.

LAST VEGAS features glossy HD-widescreen lensing by veteran cinematographer David Hennings (Blue Crush, You Again, Horrible Bosses)—capturing the colorful Vegas settings using the versatile ARRI^® ALEXA camera system.  The camerawork is abetted by a smooth cutting schema courtesy of veteran editor David Rennie (The Kid, Race To Witch Mountain, You Again, 22 Jump Street) and music by DEVO’s own Mark Mothersbaugh (Rushmore, The Life Aquatic With Steven Zissou, 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street).

 

THE BOTTOM LINE 

Playing very much like The Hangover Series’ randy-but-cuddly-but-toothless granduncle, LAST VEGAS entertains yet fails to live up to the advertising hype.  Still, the game cast, solid technical facets and seductive Vegas setting sell themselves very easily.  I can proudly say that this is a Sin City movie that even my mother can watch…when she gets back from Atlantic City, that is.

 

 

 

 

IMDB:                    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1204975/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Vegas

Official Site:          http://www.lastvegasmovie.com