Ant-Man

My View:  Ant-Man (2015)  PG-13  Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is a car burglar who is hand-picked by Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to become Ant-Man.  Ant-Man can decrease in size but, also, can increase in strength. I enjoyed this film that is more in the vein of Guardians of the Galaxy with the amount of humor in it and the hero of the story who is dependent on his wits, rather than a superpower. I liked Rudd in the role, as he has a smart-ass quality to him, but not so much that you don’t like him. He plays off of both Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly (who plays the daughter of Dr. Pym), and there are some real sparks between Lilly and Rudd. Corey Stoll plays the villain well, bringing just enough menace to the role to make it enjoyable to watch. The action sequences are fast moving and exciting, with some creative scenes that make the film a blast to watch. Once again, I think you can save some money and see it in 2-D. There are two bonus scenes worth staying for; one after the first portion of credits and one at the very end of all the credits.    My Rating: Full Price   Ant-Man Website

My View:  Trainwreck (2015)  R  Amy (Amy Schumer) has spent her whole life thinking that monogamy was not for her. Then she met Aaron (Bill Hader), and her world changed.  I loved this romantic comedy with a twist. Usually, it’s the guy who is a cad and whose life is changed when he meets the girl. This film turns that idea on its ear as Amy Schumer plays a woman who doesn’t want commitment, and, in fact, she wants the guy to leave as soon as sex is over. Cuddling to Amy is like a death sentence, and spending the weekend together is her idea of hell. Then she meets Aaron and, against every fiber of her being, she starts falling for him. Hader is exceptional as the straight man in the film, and he and Schumer work well together on-screen. Lebron James is funny as himself, playing Aaron’s best friend. James delivers lines with a comedic touch that a lot of current comedians can’t do. John Cena is brilliant as Amy’s go-to sex partner who develops feelings for her. This is Schumer’s film, and she is outstanding in the role, and she dominates the screen with her staggering timing. This is a film that delivers from start to finish, making it breathtakingly funny and touching at the same time. That’s something you rarely see in today’s comedies.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    Trainwreck Website

Indiefest: Infinitely Polar Bear (2015)  R  A manic-depressive father (Mark Ruffalo) agrees to take full-time responsibility for his two daughters while his wife (Zoe Saldana) is out of town at business school.  It’s hard to make a successful film when your lead character is so erratic in his mood swings. I have always liked Ruffalo as an actor, but he struggles to find a voice in this film. Saldana isn’t given much to work with either, and her screen time is spent mostly being mad at Ruffalo’s character. What made this film watchable at times was the performances of Imogene Wolodarsky and Ashley Aufderheide, who play the couple’s two daughters. They lend both a vitality and somewhat stable presence to the film, counteracting Ruffalo’s over-the-top performance as the manic father. The film is based on the real-life childhood of director Maya Forbes, and I think this story was just a little too personal to work on the screen.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Infinitely Polar Bear Website

Indiefest:  Lila & Eve  (2015)  R  Two mothers (Jennifer Lopez, Viola Davis), distraught over the deaths of their children gunned down by a drive-by’s, decide to get their revenge when the authorities decide not to pursue the crimes. Viola Davis gives an impressive performance as the mother who is devastated by the death of her college-bound son. I wasn’t as impressed by Jennifer Lopez’s role as the tough as nails mom who becomes Davis’s mentor. I just felt never fully committed to the role. The film is an interesting look at how death affects people different ways and how grief can overcome even the most rational thoughts. The film takes a very strange turn near the end, which I did not like. Overall, the film is worth watching for Davis’s performance but the plot is somewhat lacking in reality.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Lila & Eve Website

Indiefest:  Do I Sound Gay? (2014)     Filmmaker David Thorpe attempts to change his voice and explore the stereotype of the “gay voice. This documentary is funny at times and maddening at other times, as Thorpe explores why gay men are so aware of how they sound in public. Thorpe interviews some notable gay icons such as Tim Gunn and George Takei about how they feel about how they sound. Thorpe makes this film a little too personal to be totally effective and enjoyable, but the film does move at a quick pace and keeps the subject matter interesting.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Do I Sound Gay? Website  

Forgotten Film: Crumb (1995)  R  Documentary about the legendary underground comic artist R. Crumb. Crumb is a rather strange guy whose comic books are equally bizarre and touching. It’s a haunting world where we see how deeply an artist feels for his work and makes it his lifeblood. It’s not a world you would want to live in, though, but it’s fascinating to visit.   My Rating: Full Price   Crumb Info   

Weird Credits: From the credits of Ant-Man: Musician; Oboe & Cor Anglais  

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Fantastic Four  (2015) I    want to see this superhero film not because of the subject matter (all the other Fantastic Four films have been pretty bad) but because of two of the lead actors, Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan. I think that Jordan and Teller are some of the best young actors working today.    Fantastic Four Website

Until Next Time!

Jurassic World

My View: Jurassic World (2015)  PG-13   It’s been twenty-two years since the fatal accidents at Jurassic Park. Now, the Island features a fully functioning dinosaur-themed park called, Jurassic World. The newness has worn off, and a fresh attraction is needed to re-spark interest. A new dinosaur has been created, one that is larger and deadlier than anything in the park. This isn’t going to go well. While not as magical or moving as Jurassic Park (1993), this still is a fun and exciting film. My biggest complaint about the movie is the character that Bryce Dallas Howard plays, a corporate shill who is so clueless, there is no way she could run a Taco Bell, much less a billion-dollar amusement park. Chris Pratt is brilliant as the outspoken animal behaviorist who is training Raptors to behave. The film is packed with action sequences, and I loved the ending scene. By the way, the film was not shot in 3-D, so save a few bucks and see it in 2-D.  My Rating: Full Price    Jurassic World Website

Indiefest:  Dark Star: H.R. Giger’s World (2014)    Surrealist painter H.R. Giger was the man behind the Oscar-winning visual creatures in the 1979 sci-fi hit “Alien.” But he is much more than that including his intricate, startling paintings and sculptures depicting a mixture of birth, life, death and sex. This is a fascinating documentary that mostly takes place during the last couple of years of the late artist’s life. As you would expect, he was a very strange guy who lived in a house filled with his artwork (some of which incorporated human skulls). There are a few quick scenes from the making of Alien (I would have liked more of those), but the film is really about Giger’s life and his relationships (he apparently had quite a few affairs with women). If you are at all interested in his artwork (which influenced many artists), this is the film for you.    My View: Full Price    Dark Star: H.R. Giger's World Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):   Pixels (2015)  PG-13   Aliens come to Earth and attack in the form of video game icons. The director of the film, Chris Columbus, hasn’t had a hit since the Harry Potter films, and this one stars two absolute “hams” - Adam Sandler and Kevin James.   Pixels Facebook Page

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blue Ray):  The Duff (2014) PG-13   Bianca (Mae Whitman) discovers that she has been labeled the DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) by her more popular friends. Now she enlists Wesley (Robbie Arnell) to help her reinvent herself. The film is another in a long line of teen romantic comedies. Mae Whitman is just the right amount of cute mixed in with a bit of nerdiness to make her character likable from the start. While not a remarkable film, it’s extremely watchable due to Whitman, and it makes a very cool “date night” movie.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Duff Website

Forgotten Film: The China Syndrome (1979)  PG   A reporter (Jane Fonda) and her cameraman (Michael Douglas) are doing a “fluff” piece on a nuclear power plant. While on a tour of the facility, they witness (and film) a near meltdown, only adverted due to the quick thinking of a plant engineer (Jack Lemmon). The engineer investigates why the plant almost went into meltdown and discovers a mess of problems at the plant and decides to go to the reporter with the story. Now, all their lives are in danger. There are many  movies made in the late 70s and early 80s that are dated and don’t hold up over time. This is one of the exceptions. Lemmon and Fonda are outstanding in their roles, and the tension builds throughout the film. It’s a film that is still relevant today and is expertly directed by James Bridges.   My Rating: Full Price   The China Syndrome Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Jurassic World: Practical Creature Effects

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Minions (2015)    The minions have been the best part of the Despicable Me pictures. This time they get their own movie, and it’s going to be so much fun.    Minions Website

Until Next Time!

  

Hercules

My View: Hercules (2014)  PG-13  The son of Zeus, the Greek demigod Hercules (Dwayne Johnson), has completed the “Twelve Labors” and his family has been murdered.  He is asked by the King of Thrace (John Hurt) to help defeat a tyrannical warlord. This is just a fun movie to watch. It’s an imaginative retelling of the Hercules story with lots of action and plenty of "Herc" heroics. The Rock is probably the only man who can pull this off and make it believable.  He shows some of that humor he is known for, and the storyline is filled with nice twists and turns. It’s not a great film, but it’s got a great cast including John Hurt, Rufus Sewell, Ian McShane and Joseph Fiennes.  I enjoyed the 3-D effects, so if you want to spend the extra bucks, I think you will not be disappointed.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee Hercules Website 

My View: Lucy (2014)  R  Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) is working as a drug mule for the mob. A drug she was carrying inside her body leaks and, as a result, it allows her to use more of her brain’s capacity. Now, she can get the revenge she has always wanted.  This movie gets dumber as Lucy gets smarter. Lucy (Johannson) is forced to be a drug mule, and the bag containing the drug ruptures in her body. The drug allows Lucy to use more of her brain, and she gains abilities and powers as the brain-use percentage grows. The first half of this film is a fun, action filled romp with Lucy kicking some major butt, but the second half of the film becomes bogged down into some sort of homage to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 film. A perfect example of the film’s wackiness: the scene of Lucy getting captured by a drug lord’s hoodlums are inter-cut with scenes of a cheetah hunting a gazelle. Weird! And not in a good way.  My Rating: Cable  Lucy Website

Indiefest: I Origins (2014)  R  Ian (Michael Pitt) is a doctor doing research in the lab with the help of his lab partner, Karen (Brit Marling). Ian is working on a study of the human eye and its evolution. After a brief encounter with an exotic young woman (Astrid Berges-Frisbey), he makes a stunning scientific discovery that may change the way we see science and evolution.  This isn’t a bad movie, it’s just very slow moving and the lead, Michael Pitt, doesn’t have the charisma for the role. I did like Brit Marling as Pitt’s lab assistant (she makes every film she is in better). I think some people will enjoy the film’s debate between spirituality and science, but it’s sort of a romance film and a mystery.  Ultimately, the film fails at both genres.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  I Origins Website

My View: And So it Goes (2014) PG-13  Oren (Michael Douglas) is a widower who is trying to make one more sale before he retires as one of the top are realtors, so he decides to sell his own house.  While trying to sell his house, he lives in an apartment complex he owns called, the Shangri-La. His life changes when his son (Austin Lysy), on his way to prison, drops his daughter (Sterling Jerins) in Oren’s lap. Now Oren is forced to care for his granddaughter and needs the help of his neighbor, Leah (Diane Keaton) to help.  This film tries really hard to tug at your heartstrings, but it fails mostly due to a badly written script. The biggest problem with this film is that the Michael Douglas character is truly unlikable. So why should we root for him? All I wanted to do was warn the Diane Keaton character to stay away from the mean old man. The kid, played by Sterling Jerins, has very little on-screen chemistry between either of the leads. The plot is predictable and slow moving. I wanted this film to be good, but it just sort of sits there.  My Rating: Cable  And So It Goes Website

Indiefest: Venus in Fur (2013)    Near the end of a long day of auditioning actresses for a new play, writer-director Thomas (Mathieu Amalric), is getting ready to leave his Paris theatre when a woman, Venda (Emmanuelle Seigner) comes into the theatre demanding an audition. Thomas reluctantly agrees and so starts an audition that will change each of their lives.  This intriguing film is a tour de force work of two actors who play off each other extremely well. Seigner is a knockout in the role of Venda, who is sexy and fun one moment but very scary and dominant in the next.  Amalric is almost a dead ringer for the director of the film, Roman Polanski, and does an impressive job of keeping up with Seigner. The film is constantly moving and never feels staged with a script that keeps you guessing. My Rating: Full Price  Venus in Fur Website

                                                            

Forgotten Film: Out of Sight (1998)  R  A career bank robber, Jack Foley (George Clooney), with the help of an old friend (Ving Rhames), breaks out of prison. During the escape, Foley has to kidnap a U.S. Marshall (Jennifer Lopez). After the successful escape, Foley lets the Marshall go, and now Foley, who is on his way to do one last heist, is pursued by the Marshal he kidnapped. This crime / comedy is a blast to watch. Clooney is perfect as the bank robber who charms all the ladies. This is the best work that Lopez has ever done, as she brings a great mix of sexy and determination to the role. This is one of those films you just don’t want to end.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Out of Sight Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Lucy: Additional city artist

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Frank (2014)  R A young man joins an eccentric pop band led by a musician who wears a Paper-Mache head twenty-four hours a day. Michael Fassbender in a weird role? Sounds like something he is perfect for.  Frank Website

Until Next Time!