FEATURE: Halloween Countdown

With only a little over a week left until Halloween, it's time to start reviewing some horror flicks.  Beginning tomorrow, Tyler and I will be counting down the days to Halloween by reviewing a movie that falls into either the horror or suspense genre.  The movies that will be reviewed will be as old as Nosferatu and as recent as the modern adaptation of Carrie.  So lock your doors and windows and keep the lights on; it's almost time for Halloween!

Things to look forward to on the blog: Reviews for Captain Phillips, Machete Kills, and Escape Plan will be posted on the blog very soon!

NEWS: New Trailer Released for Disney's Frozen

This is definitely the week for new trailers to be released!  In amongst all the new footage for upcoming films, a new trailer for Disney's Frozen has now surfaced online.  You can check it out below:

The trailer for this film is great and it looks like Frozen will be a very promising film for Disney.  The film seems to do what Disney does best - mixing humor with serious heartwarming moments.  The only part of the trailer that irritated me, though, was the claim that Frozen will be "The Greatest Disney Animated Event Since The Lion King."  That's a pretty big claim, especially considering that it was just released today that the Lion King is the first musical on Broadway to hit one billion dollars.  And doesn't Disney hold their other animated movies as great successes?  There have been many great movies since The Lion King, the most recent probably being Tangled.  I think with the claim they've made, they've put a lot of pressure on themselves.  But we'll just have to wait and see if Frozen can live up to such high standards.

Frozen hits theaters November 27, 2013.

NEWS: New Footage Released for Catching Fire

The first television commercial for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was officially released last night. Even though it's only a minute long, it contains a lot of new footage and proves to be a rather emotional and effective commercial.  With one commercial, there are certainly more to come in the near future.  With only a little more than a month left until the release of the new film, promotions for the movie will be high. You can now view the TV spot below.

The song playing in the background is Coldplay's "Atlas," which was written specifically for the film.  It certainly adds to the tone of the upcoming film directed by Francis Lawrence.  What were your thoughts about the new footage?  Comment below!

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will hit theaters November 22, 2013.

NEWS: New Trailer for American Hustle Released

David O. Russell fans rejoice; another trailer for his latest film American Hustle has been released.  With a star-studded cast including Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jeremy Renner, American Hustle tells the story of a con artist and his partner in crime, who were forced to work with a federal agent to turn the tables on other cons, mobsters, and politicians - namely, the volatile mayor of impoverished Camden, New Jersey.

The latest trailer is posted below:

American Hustle hits theaters December 25, 2013.  What did you think of the trailer?  Will you be catching this new David O. Russell film this Holiday Season?  Comment below and let us know!

REVIEW: Don Jon

   Let me start by saying that Don Jon is completely different than the trailers portray it. It isn't just some dumb comedy about a couple friends who have sex with women and watch porn. It has a very deep message about life and love, and an even bigger theme about addiction. This may be one of my favorite movies of 2013. Before this, I enjoyed Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who will now be referred to as  "JGL" for the rest of this review) enough for his acting ability, but now I respect him for his writing and directing, as well.
   From simply watching the trailers for this, I figured it would be one of those stupid comedies that would follow someone with a "silly" problem like watching porn, only to conquer that and win the woman at the conclusion of the film. This is, actually, a well-written character piece where porn isn't just there for the sake of funny situations, but is a REAL thing Jon has to deal with in his daily life. Aside from his addiction, we also learn others things about this character through his actions, friends, family, and really interesting daily routine.

    This film tells the story of Jon (Known by his friends as "Don Jon"), played by JGL. There are only a few things that he cares about in life, which he tells us in the very beginning of the trailer, and the very beginning of the film. Go watch both. We follow Jon through his daily life, seeing what drives him. The fact that everything, from writing and directing, was done by JGL (along with being the star) very much creates an exceptionally strong character. It is very much a character film, following Jon, but also those around him, who are all played by some very funny, talented actors.

   First, we meet Jon's "boys." Boddy (Rob Brown) and Danny (Jeremy Luke) are a fun duo. They have Jon's back in the various clubs and bars they frequent. We have his family, which consists of his father (Tony Danza), his mother (Glenne Headley), and sister (Brie Larson), which are the stereotypical Italian-Jersey family. Each one of them has their own idea of what Jon should be doing with his life, and we understand why for every one of them by the end of the movie.

   Lastly, we meet the two woman encountered in the film. The ones encountered more than once, I mean. We have Barbara (Scarlett Johansson), the one Jon wants to win over. In doing so, Jon begins to sacrifice his entire lifestyle. Then, we have Esther (Julianna Moore), who is a fellow college student of Jon's. She slowly shares a bond with him and becomes a voice of reason when things are really bad.

      There are some brilliant moments throughout this movie. My eyes were locked on the screen for, easily, the entire thing. It is very much "over-the-top," which works. All of the actors are very animated. You aren't just watching JGL, who seems to be stealing the spotlight. While it is deserved, Brown and Luke are just as "big." Danza and Headley has some very funny, small side moments with themselves and others. Every single time Larson was in view, I was laughing. You'll see why. Johansson is beautiful, of course, but more than that, is a very strong character. She isn't just there for the eye-candy. Moore is beautiful, but in a different way. She is the extreme opposite of her co-star, emotionally.
    The film is nice in the technical sense, as well. Visually, there is a lot of color, fast cuts, and it is constantly moving, not staying still for too long. Sound design is important, too. Blending with the soundtrack 100% (which includes "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark. Beat that). However, this isn't a perfect film. It has some problems. Halfway through, some of the characters seem to have changes that I didn't understand fully. They did things that they wouldn't have done an hour before. It's a sacrifice made for time, but also to make the film better. That being said, I liked the changes, but wish we would've seen them a little clearer.We HAD to see the growth in these characters. Otherwise, it is just another movie in the "Let's drink, sex, and fool around with our friends" genre. Or, boring, for short.

  
    Overall, though, this film is one of the better things in the theaters. Do I think it is an "Oscar" contender? No. Do I care about the "Oscars?" Not too much. I love this film for what it is. It is one of the best films I've seen in 2013, for sure. JGL is off to an amazing start, and I'd like to see him continue writing and directing. Hopefully, we'll see him continue to create more, equally entertaining movies. I wasn't a HUGE JGL fan before, but I am now.

RATING: 4.5/5

REVIEW: Take Shelter

A gigantic, unstoppable storm is on the horizon.  With its immense power, it can destroy and kill.  There's only one catch.  It's not really there - it's only in your mind.  This is the story Jeff Nichols tells in his 2011 film, Take Shelter.  For those of you that can remember, Nichols recently released the film Mud, which I reviewed at an earlier time.  I gave the film a rave review.  But as much as I loved Mud, I loved Take Shelter even more.  It's a film with heart and soul that's not afraid to enter a dark part of the human mind.

Take Shelter tells the story of Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon), an everyday blue-collar worker.  But there is something that makes him unique.  He's a paranoid schizophrenic, experiencing delusions and hallucinations.  He has nightmares that make it impossible to sleep, and he has a constant fear that a storm is on the horizon.  Keeping his condition a secret from his wife, Samantha (Jessica Chastain), and his deaf daughter, Hannah (Tova Stewart), he begins to expand on the storm shelter in the backyard in order to prepare for the storm.  But eventually, his schizophrenia begins to take over his life, and it puts his relationships with his wife, daughter, and friends in danger.

Nichols is clearly a talented director.  He makes movies that impact your opinions of the world and get under your skin.  His movies are just so real.  Take Shelter is no exception.  This film succeeds from an original idea, a good script, and phenomenal performances from Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain.

Not only is the idea of making a movie about paranoid schizophrenia unique, so is the way the story is told.  Not only do you know what Curtis is going through, you see it and hear it through his eyes and ears.  Like Curtis, you see the storm.  You see the motor-oil rain.  You hear the distant thunder.  It's up for you the viewer to decide if what your seeing is real or just another dream or hallucination.  Just like the character, you have a hard time distinguishing between fantasy and reality.  You are put into the shoes of a paranoid schizophrenic, and its quite the experience.

Not only did Nichols direct the film, he wrote it too.  The script is just as strong as his directing.  It's raw and real.  It's easy to follow and the story he lays out is simply spellbinding.  You fall into the world Nichols creates and you don't leave until the credits start rolling up.  Not only does he create a realistic world, he also creates a great set of characters.  While the words on the script make the characters, its the actors in this film that flesh them out.

Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain take this movie by the horns and ride it into success.  Shannon does a superb job of playing a paranoid schizophrenic whose main concern is his family.  You can see all of the emotional stress he's under in every shot of the movie.  He does a particularly great job in the scene where he warns members of the community of the impending storm.  He balances somewhere between a crazed madman and a concern family-man under a lot of stress - and it works well.  It's hard to rise to Shannon's performance, but Jessica Chastain does a fine job herself.  She masters a wide array of emotions.  Her performance as the wife carrying the weight of her deaf daughter and her schizophrenic husband on her shoulders is masterful.  I can't rave enough about these two performances these actors give in the film.

Take Shelter is a phenomenal work of cinematic art.  Like Mud, it's a small film with a big heart.  But also like Mud, it has a slightly unsatisfying ending.  Like the ending of Inception, this movie ends with the audience just guessing as to what happens with the characters.  It's an ambiguous ending.  Generally, I don't like ambiguous endings.  But if done well, and if it makes sense for the story, then they work.  This is a case where the ending works, even if it doesn't satisfy.  Overall, Take Shelter is a great psychological drama-thriller that is well worth a watch.  You'll be captivated from beginning to end, and chances are you'll be thinking about the ending for some time after the credits finish rolling.

RATING: 5 / 5

This movie is rated R (some language) 

REVIEW: Gravity

Imagine having no oxygen.  You're breathing in nothing but CO2.  You feel lightheaded, but you still have to make it to a safety zone.  You're surrounded by space debris traveling thousands of miles per hour.  You only have a little amount of time.  This is just one of the many challenging situations that the characters are placed into during Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity.  Gravity is a psychological thriller like no other.  Alfonso brings the film a raw edge, and it succeeds due to its originality, its breathtaking visuals, and the spot-on acting from the stars.

The plot for Gravity is straight-forward.  It tells the story of bio-medical engineer Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) on her first space shuttle mission.  Accompanying her is space veteran Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), who is on his final space mission.  Together they are working on space shuttle Explorer when a shower of space debris from a Russian satellite test comes past the shuttle.  During the debris shower, Explorer is damaged, causing Stone to become separated from Kowalski.  Stone needs to find Kowalski, because together they need to find a way back to Earth.  Otherwise, they'll die in space, lost in an endless mass of black, never to be seen again.

This movie could have easily been a cheesy summer blockbuster.  But it's not.  Alfonso adds a raw edge and enough character development to save it from being a bad movie.

Watching Gravity is like re-experiencing cinema.  It's so unique and original that you'll have a hard time comparing it to another movie.  Yes, it is a space film.  And yes, space films have been made before.  But the way this story is told is so original.  Unlike other space movies, Gravity puts you right up with the stars.  You literally feel what the characters feel and experience the tension they feel in space.  There are even some sequences when you take on their point of view and see what they see, adding more suspense to the film.

As one might expect, though, the primary selling point of this film is its visual effects.  The visuals in this film are simply perfect.  I never once felt out of the scene.  Everything seemed so real, from the space explosions to the sunrise over the Earth.  Speaking of space explosions, the disasters in Gravity are flawless.  Not only do they look real, they sound real as well.  By that I mean, you see the explosions, but you can't hear them because you're in space, where sound ceases to exists.  This is a fact that many other space films seem to gloss over, but Alfonso sticks to the stark realism of outer space.  The only sounds in the film are Sandra Bullock's deep breathing inside her helmet and the music score.  Other than that, the only things you'll hear are the characters talking into their radios.

Without doubt, this movie is entirely character-driven.  The plot is pretty simple: survive.  The characters need to go from one destination to the next and only have a little amount of time to do it.  If the movie relied on plot alone, it would have been boring and suffered.  But Sandra Bullock and George Clooney manage to breathe life into Gravity.  The stars add depth to their characters and make you more invested in them.  You actually care if they survive or not.  This was not an easy task for the actors, particularly because you never really get to see their whole personalities and how they interact with other people.  Because the whole film takes place in outer space, we never get to see their families, their houses, or anything about their past.  We only hear about them.  And yet, you are drawn into Dr. Stone and Matt Kowalski.  But make no mistake, the posters may say the film stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, but Bullock is the real star of the film.  Gravity is told from her perspective, and so it is her story we follow.  Bullock nails the character and the range of emotions she goes through realizing she may die soon in the middle of nowhere.

Gravity could have easily been a flop, from its jarring opening to its even more jarring ending.  But once you see who directed the movie (Alfonso Cuaron, who directed the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) and who produced the movie (David Heyman, who produced all the Harry Potter films), you'll understand why the movie came out being so good.  Technically, its brilliant.  Visually, its stunning.  Dramatically, its intense.  And the acting is solid throughout.  If you're looking for a good, unique cinematic experience that pulls you into uncomfortable situations, then I highly recommend this movie.  If you experience vertigo, claustrophobia, or even a fear of open spaces, then this film probably isn't for you.  But from my perspective, Gravity is a must-see that I can see being nominated several times at the upcoming Academy Awards.

RATING: 4.5 / 5

This movie is rated PG-13 (intense perilous sequences, some disturbing images, and brief language)