I See Bad Movies So You Don't Have To!
A weekly look at the movies, both past and present. The name of this blog comes from the fact that I stay until the credits have ended.
Ratings from Best to Worst:
1). I Would Pay to See it Again
2). Full Price
3). Bargain Matinee
4). Cable
5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again
My View: Captain Marvel (2019) PG-13 Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes and she will need that power when Earth is caught in the middle of a battle between two alien races. I absolutely love this movie! There is a wonderful and moving tribute to Stan Lee before the film starts, and he does make one last cameo in the film. Brie Larson is amazing in the role, and her character kicks major butt. There is a cat in the named Goose that will steal your heart. The action sequences are fun and well choreographed. The film starts a little slow but I liked that there is a quite big mystery on how Captain Marvel got her powers. There are some nice twists and turns to the plot that keeps you guessing. I loved the chemistry between Samuel L. Jackson, playing Fury and Larson. The film has a killer soundtrack from the 80s and 90s. This film features a very strong supporting cast, the best of the bunch is Lashana Lynch, who plays an Air Force pilot. This picture delivered everything I wanted and more. There are two bonus scenes in the credits, so make sure to stay all the way through the credits. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again Captain Marvel Website
Indiefest: The Invisibles (2017) In 1943, the Nazi’s declared that Berlin was ‘free of Jews.’ Little did they know that Jews still lived in the city. This is the story of four Jews who somehow hid, some in plain sight. This is a fascinating documentary that uses recreations, interviews and archival footage to tell the story of these people that stayed in Berlin and survived. Their stories are all varied on how they were able to hide for so long in a city that was hostile to them. The recreations are well done and really helpful in experiencing the terror that these people felt every day. It also shows you how many ordinary Germans helped them survive. My Rating: Full Price The Invisibles Website
In Case You Missed It (A movie just released on DVD/Blu-Ray): Creed II (2018) PG-13 With Rocky’s (Sylvester Stallone) help, newly crowned light heavyweight champion Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) faces off against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of the man that killed Adonis’ father. This is a disappointing film because the first Creed film was one of the best of that year. Sylvester Stallone co-wrote this film, and it has his heavy hand all over it. This feels more like a Rocky picture than a sequel to Creed. What is surprising is how good Dolph Lundgren is as Ivan Drago, the boxer who lost everything when Rocky beat him thirty years ago. Lundren makes Drago a real character who wants revenge through his son and it’s the best performance in the film. I just wish the movie wasn’t so over the top and was much too long. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Creed II Website
Forgotten Film: Short Term 12 (2013) R Grace (Brie Larson) works as a supervisor at a foster-care facility for at-risk teenagers. Her boyfriend, Mason (John Gallagher Jr.), works with her at the home. Grace’s world is changed when Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever), a troubled teenaged girl, enters the facility, and Grace sees herself in Jayden. Brie Larson gives one of the best performances of the year as the tough, but kind-hearted Grace. She is able to show, just in her eyes, all the pain and empathy that her character has. I also loved the scenes between Grace and Mason, as both actors bring a nice, comfortable chemistry that two people who have been together for awhile should exhibit. The supporting cast of kids are good, and Larson plays off of them with an ability to show us she has dealt with their problems before, possibly in her own life. This is a film that gives you hope for kids who are troubled, and there are people out there trying to help them and give them some sort of feeling of family, even if that family is not ordinary. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again Short Term 12 Website Weird Credits: From the credits of Captain Marvel: Prosthetic Makeup Artist Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Penguins (2019) A Disney documentary that centers on the story of Steve, a very clumsy Addie penguin, who is looking for a mate. The trailer just looks adorable. Penguins Website
Family Faire: Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) PG Ralph (John C. Reily), and his pal Venellope (Sarah Silverman) go on a search on the internet for a new joystick for Ralph’s game. If they don’t find the joystick, Ralph’s game will be turned off. I liked this film more than the first film, Wreck it Ralph. I think it’s funnier and has a better message than the first film. This film is all about friendship and putting other peoples needs and feelings in front of yours. I loved that they got a lot of the Disney princesses voices, like Kristen Bell and Ming Na to do their characters voices. The film is enjoyable for both kids and adults, though some adults may not get all the jokes, as some of them are aimed at the ‘YouTube’ generation. The film moves at a quick pace and is fun to watch. This is the perfect film for families to go out to see this holiday season. My Rating: Full Price
My View: Creed II (2018) PG-13 With Rocky’s (Sylvester Stallone) help, newly crowned light heavyweight champion Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) faces off against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of the man that killed Adonis’ father. This is a disappointing film because the first Creed film was one of the best of that year. Sylvester Stallone co-wrote this film, and it has his heavy hand all over it. This feels more like a Rocky picture than a sequel to Creed. What is surprising is how good Dolph Lundgren is as Ivan Drago, the boxer who lost everything when Rocky beat him thirty years ago. Lundren makes Drago a real character who wants revenge through his son and it’s the best performance in the film. I just wish the movie wasn’t so over the top and is much too long. My Rating: Bargain Matinee
In Case You Missed It (A movie just released on DVD/Blu-Ray):Dog Days (2018) PG A group of interconnected people in Los Angeles are brought together by the dogs that fill their lives with love and hope. This very bland movie has a few cute dogs in it, but that’s about it. The film is made up of a bunch of stories about people and their dogs. A morning TV hosts (Nina Dobrev) gets a new on-air partner, and their dogs get along better than they do. A husband (Rob Corddry) and wife (Eva Longoria) adopt a young girl who seems unhappy until a dog enters their life. All the stories are dull and lifeless, and worse yet, highly predictable. Go walk your own dog around the block rather than going to the theatre to see this film. My Rating: Cable Dog Days Website
Indiefest: Maria by Callas (2017) PG Documentary on the life and loves of the Greek-American opera singer Maria Callas. This is a celebration of a singer of extraordinary talent that wanted desperately to be a wife and mother but was driven by her mother and later her husband to concentrate on her career. If you are a fan of opera or great singing, this film is for you as there are some extraordinary clips of Maria singing. The whole movie is told through Maria herself as she was interviewed by the media on almost a constant basis. The film also looks at her private life, including her relationship with Aristotle Onassis, her great love who left her to marry Jacqueline Kennedy. It’s a sad tale about a woman who left us too soon but left a legacy of music to remember her by. My Rating: Full Price Maria by Callas Website
Indiefest: Chef Flynn (2018) Documentary about Flynn McGarry who started cooking gourmet meals at age 9, by 11 had a supper club in his home and age 19 has his own restaurant in NYC. Let me say up front that I am a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so the small portion fancy meals that Chef Flynn creates with tweezers is not my idea of a meal. Having said that, he is incredibly creative, and his food is beautiful to look at. His success (at 15 Chef Flynn is charging 160 dollars a head at pop-up restaurants around the world) comes at a price, as the intent trolls are continually attacking him but the good news is famous chefs think Chef Flynn is talented and his cooking is lauded by them. One thing that bothers me about this film is that it never explains how he and his mother can afford this lifestyle, especially in the early days when he wasn’t charging his friends and family for extremely exorbitant meals. If you are a foodie and love artful cooking, then Chef Flynn is worth checking out. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Chef Flynn Website
Forgotten Film:Drugstore Cowboy (1989) R Led by Bob (Matt Dillon) two couples travel from on seedy motel to another in search of drugs. Dillon gives one of the greatest performances of his life as he and his friends travel to find any drug that they can find or steal. While not a happy film it is worth seeing for Dillon’s performance and the interaction of the 4 characters who treat each other like they are family. My Rating: Full Price Drugstore Cowboy Info
Weird Credits: From the credits of Creed II: Contact Lens Painter
Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Mary Poppins Returns (2018) PG-13 Decades after her last visit, Mary (Emily Blunt) returns to help the Banks family through a difficult time in their lives. The trailer is amazing, and I will go see anything that Emily Blunt is in. Mary Poppins Returns Website
My View: Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) PG-13 Story of one of the world’s greatest rock bands, Queen, led by their flamboyant lead singer Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek). I loved the concert scenes, especially the last 20 minutes which is from their legendary 1985 Live Aid appearance. This is probably the best I’ve seen in a film of four actors playing instruments, all for play with skill and conviction. I really enjoyed the first half of the film; it’s fun to see how they were formed and how they came up with their unique sound. What I didn’t like about the movie is that they mess with the timeline. For example, Freddy was diagnosed with Aids in 1987, but in the film he is diagnosed in 1985 before Live Aid, making that concert appearance more meaningful. I didn’t like how the made Freddy the party boy, and the other three members of the band come off like perfect husbands and fathers. I found that I didn’t enjoy the 2nd have of the film (except for that ending) when Freddie starts acting like a diva and breaks up the band. The 2nd half seems very long and isn’t much fun to watch. Unlike the rumors that were circulating this year, it does deal with Freddie being gay, but it’s pretty sanitized. If you are a fan of Queen like I am, you will enjoy the film, but you probably won’t think its a great movie, but you will enjoy the concert scenes. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Bohemia Rhapsody Website
Family Faire:The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018) PG Clara (Mackenzie Foy) is on a search for a key that will open a box her late mother gave her. When Clara searches for the key, the trail takes her to a magical, mysterious parallel world. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this film. The art direction, costumes, and hair design are fantastic in this film. The storyline moves along at a great pace and is fun to watch. It takes the basis of the Nutcracker story and makes it its own original story. There is an ode to the Nutcracker ballet with a fantasy sequence where some of the famous dance is performed. I immensely enjoyed the performance of Mackenzie Foy who plays Clara, the girl trying to find the key to open up her dead mother’s gift. My Rating: Full Price The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Website
Indiefest:Suspiria (2018) R A promising young dancer, Susie (Dakota Johnson) joins a world-renowned dance company. Susie soon learns that mysterious things are happening at the company and dancers have gone missing. This is a bizarre, weird, sometimes violent film that has plenty of nudity and a couple of extremely violent scenes, one early on in the film that is really hard to watch. There is quite a bit of modern dancing in this film, much more than in the original 1977 Suspiria. The film feels every bit of its 2 hours and twenty-minute length. This is very different than director Luca Guadagnino’s 2017 film Call Me By Your Name. There is a subplot about a highjacked plane that I don’t have any clue why it's in the film. The director tries to get too cute with strange camera angles, slow-motion scenes that don’t work and an ending that is very creepy. This is a horror movie that just isn’t scary. I did not enjoy this film, and I plan on never seeing it again. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again Suspiria Website
My View:Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) R Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) has made her living writing about celebrities. When she falls out of style and can’t get published, she begins to forges letters from deceased authors and playwrights. Melissa McCarthy gives a stunning performance of someone who is utterly unlikeable. In fact both her character and her best friend, Jack (played superbly by Richard E. Grant), a gay man who doesn’t seem to have a job or a home, are horrible people. McCarthy’s character thinks that she is the greatest writer in the world and that nobody realizes that. It makes Lee bitter and angry at the world. Jack gets by on his looks, which are rapidly fading as he ages, and by selling cocaine. The film is entertaining to watch as we wait for when it will all fall apart for Lee. You are not going to like these characters, but you are going to love the film and its performances. My Rating: Full Price Can You Ever Forgive Me? Website
Forgotten Film: Mary and Max (2009) This film is done in claymation, but it’s not for kids. It’s the tale of a 20-year friendship between two unlikely pen pals: Mary (voiced by Toni Collette) a lonely 8-year old girl from Australia and Max (voiced by Philip Seymour Hoffman), an obese, 44-year old New Yorker with Asperger Syndrome. It’s a beautiful story about friendship that is funny at times but can also be melancholy as it deals with topics like depression and isolation. This is a lovely film that will make you think and maybe shed a tear or two. My Rating: Full Price Mary and Max Info
Weird Credits: From the credits of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms: Hair Technician
Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Creed II (2018) With Rocky’s help, newly crowned light heavyweight champion Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) faces off against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of the man that killed Adonis’ father. I loved the first film, so I am hopeful that this will be good. I am a little worried because the writer/director of the first Creed film, Ryan Coogler, is not involved with this film. Creed II Website
