Byzantium

Byzantium, the latest film from director Neil Jordan is absolutely genius. Byzantium is a pure work of art as it tells the story of two female vampires trying to make it in the world while running from the brotherhood that wishes them destroyed. Perfectly acted, marvelously shot, and excellently directed, (not to mention one amazing story) is the reason I am giving Byzantium four buckets of Killer Korn.






I am a fan of Neil Jordan, there, I proudly said it. If you know anything about movies or well written TV for that matter, you know why I am. Neil Jordan has brought us such incredible films like We're No Angels, The Crying Game, and The Brave One. He's recently brought us the underrated show, The Borgias to cable TV, a show I make it a point to never miss. Now don't get me wrong, Neil has had a few misses in his career, most notably his adaptation of Anne Rice's bestselling novel Interview With A Vampire. Then there was his heavy and tired Michael Collins, and the atrocious In Dreams. Even with those swings and misses, I still think Neil Jordan is an amazingly talented director and it's because of that opinion that I went to see Byzantium. Starring wide eyed Saoirse Ronan as Eleanor and the beautiful Gemma Aterton as sexy and saucy Clara. I do not regret seeing this movie at all. Based on the play by Moira Buffini, who also wrote the screenplay, Byzantium is a tale of two female vampires trying to scratch out a living while staying one step ahead of those that wish their destruction. This isn't your typical vampire tale though. This is something much grittier, something much more grounded in reality, it's something that made me see the whole living forever may not be such a cool thing after all.

Every vampire book I have read and every vampire film I have seen always glamorizes the lifestyle of the vampires. The blood drinkers usually have one amazing power after another. They can run really fast or have incredible strength. They can see really far or into the future, and other than the Twilight books, their biggest weakness is the sun and it's ultra violet rays. None of that is the case here, NONE of that. In Byzantium the vampires don't have any special power at all, the only thing they are blessed, or cursed with is the fact that they will live forever. In Byzantium, the vampires walk in sunlight just as easy as they step through the dark, they don't have fangs either. Yes, you read that right, the undead blood drinkers do NOT possess fangs, what they do possess seems to be far more lethal. They can, at will make their thumbnail grow into an incredibly sharp weapon that can slice open a wrist or puncture an artery in a neck either for draining or just killing. These vampires don't have super speed, super strength, or anything else of the sort. Really these vampires are just like humans, trying to survive in this harsh world using just their wits, cunning, lies, and secrets.

When the movie opens, Clara is stripping for cash, which pretty much illustrates that this is going to be far different a vampire tale than we're used to seeing. Watching vampires walk amongst humans with no real protection in this film was liberating, because it made them so vulnerable. The one thing they do have however is their ruthlessness. Both Clara and Eleanor kill with brutal and efficient ruthlessness. Clara craves attention and human contact, while Eleanor shuns it completely, that is until she meets Caleb Landry Jones who plays the innocent and sickly Frank. Eleanor wanders into a restaurant where Frank works, to play the piano. While Frank really wants to know more about this mysterious girl, Eleanor runs away and it's not until a fateful, and near fatal bike accident that the two somewhat come together. The scene where Eleanor picks up Franks blood drenched rag and sucks on it is as compelling as it is disturbing. Meanwhile, Clara has taken over a hotel run by Daniel Mays who plays the affable and naïve Noel. His mother used to run the Byzatium hotel but she recently died and Noel has basically allowed the place to fall on hard times. Clara becomes a pimp and the Byzantium becomes her brothel. All the while, Clara is trying to stay one step ahead of The Brotherhood, a collection of vampires that want her and Eleanor dead because women are not allowed to be vampires, and they are especially not allowed to create new vampires, like Clara did with Eleanor, who will be sixteen forever.

This movie is just so damn good that I could go on and on about it, like how the vampires are created. It's not done the way you think, it's done in a far more original way, with waterfalls of blood. It's visually stunning. Saoirse seems to have kept the contacts they gave her in that horrible movie The Host, and atones for her acting in that movie by being amazing here. Gemma is given an opportunity to truly act instead of just looking pretty, something she's been relegated to doing in her previous roles. She's deadly, sinister, and so deliciously dark that you almost forget how beautiful she is, which normally is damn hard to do. Scored beautifully by Javier Navarrete, the music is piano heavy, leaning towards classical, with subtle dark undertones. It's the perfect score for the images on the screen, and those images on the screen are at times breathtaking. Shot by cinematographer Sean Bobbitt, there are times when I thought, "That was done perfectly, couldn't have been done any better". This movie was spooky and stylish and moving all at the same time, and the ending was brilliant. I highly recommend Byantium if you love vampires, and even if you hate them, this is still a fantastic movie. So see it, and I'll see you at the theater.  

The Attack

The Attack, the newest film from director Ziad Doueiri is brilliant, wonderful, and heartbreaking. In this movie, there are no alternate realities, this film, about dualities, hatred, love, and lies is steeped in truth, and soaked in fear. It's a great story that asks the question, do you really, truly know someone, or do you just think or hope you do? It's because of this that I give The Attack three and a half buckets of Killer Korn.






Straight talk, I have a thing for Palestine-Israeli conflict films, much in the same way I have a thing for IRA-England conflict films. Maybe it's that I understand their genesis and can respect the dislike and mistrust the combatants have for each other, or maybe I just like seeing conflict  between other peoples as a kind of respite from dealing with the ones that take place here at home. I don't know honestly, but what I do know is that writer/director Ziad Doueiri delivers a poignant film and a far different take on the suicide bombing insanity than I have ever seen. When I saw the trailer I to myself that World War Z would be first but then I have to see The Attack, and that was the perfect order. Where WWZ's story was stupid at best, The Attack possessed an amazing story of love, friendship, loyalty, distrust, and betrayal. The trailer does mislead, but that's an easily forgivable sin because once the movie starts rolling, you get caught up in a relationship that for all intents and purposes is a genuine one, based on love and honesty. Then as we get deeper into it we come to find out that this is most certainly not the case.

Amin Jaafari, played brilliantly by the talented Ali Suliman is a prominent Arab surgeon who lives in Tel Aviv. He is highly respected, admired, and loved by all who know him. He is married to the lovely Siham Jaafari, played by the seductive Reymond Amsalem. She is also an Arab but neither Amin or Siham are practicing Muslims, Amin seems non-religious and Siham is a Christian. The movie starts off with a tender and loving goodbye between the couple.

"Amin...I love you so much," Siham says.
"The why are you crying?" Amin asks.
"I'm crying because every time I say goodbye to you, a part of me dies. You think I'm silly, don't you?" she asks
"Yes, but don't change, don't ever change." he answers.

The very next scene, we see Amin sitting in a crowded auditorium and he receives a phone call. He tells the person he can't talk right now and that he'll call them back and hangs up. He then receives an award for medicine that has never been presented to an Arab doctor in it's 41 year history, he is the first and he is most gracious in his speech. The following day, while Amin is having lunch with his fellow doctors, there's an explosion in the distance and the once serene hospital is suddenly a madhouse full of injured people and crying children.

After saving lives and helping people, Amin goes home only to be called back to the hospital, he is needed to identify a body. The Shin Bet (the Israeli FBI) believes it to be the body of Amin's wife, Siham. Amin knows it cannot possibly be her since he just said goodbye to her two days ago and saw her board a bus to go see her father. Down in the morgue, half a body is wheeled out in front of him and when he pulls back the sheet, it is his worse nightmare come true. The lifeless face staring back at him is his Siham. It's then that this movies intensity gets ratcheted up. The police detain him, lock him, question him, and psychologically torture him because they don't believe that he knew nothing of what his wife of ten plus years was planning. When he is eventually released, Amin becomes a man wracked with grief and countless questions. He misses the love of his life and refuses to believe that not only could she be a suicide bomber but that she would never purposefully hurt innocent children. He believes the bomb was already there, probably under her table which is why her wounds would suggest she was the possible suspect. All that changes when he reads a letter Siham sent him a day before the attack, it's that letter that changes everything.

Adapted from the international best selling novel of the same name by Yasmina Khadra, Ziad Doueiri and Joelle Touma crafted a smart, taut screenplay that not only entertains but educates as well. So much so that I am now interested in reading the book, to see if the movie was true to the source material. Shot by cinematographer Tommaso Fiorilli, The Attack is a mixture of shaky hand held cameras blended with a heavy does of steady-cam shots, the rural countryside of Palestine contrasts perfectly with the metropolitan bustle of Tel Aviv. It was nicely done, and what else was done well was the score by acclaimed composer Eric Neveux. The music was heartbreakingly poignant and the perfect accompaniment to the images on the screen. It was reminiscent of the music by Explosions In The Sky. If you know there music then you know the sound, lazy guitar playing beautiful and haunting melodies. I really don't think anyone could have done any better, honestly. The Attack ends as it begins, with the goodbye, only this time it's reversed with Amin crying and saying goodbye, as he lets his wife go telling her every time he does a piece of him dies. The Attack is an amazing movie and I highly recommend it, it will teach you something new, I guarantee it. See it, and I'll see you at the theater.

World War Z

World War Z, the latest film from director Marc Foster has me a tad confused. Part of me feels like my intelligence has been insulted for an hour and fifty-six minutes. The other part of me asks can you, should you try to apply intelligence when dealing with zombies? Perhaps not, I don't know. What I DO know, World War Z, while having some legitimately scary moments is overall a disappointing film which is why it only gets a bucket and a half of Killer Korn.





Okay, right from the start I am going to admit, I read the book, World War Z. In fact I was reading the brilliant Max Brooks book long before I heard Brad Pitt bought the rights to the book in order to bring the amazing story to the screen. After what I just saw, the only thing Pitt and his Plan B production company bought was the name of the book, because to me the only thing the movie and the book have in common (other than the title) is zombies. I would definitely recommend the book over the movie though the movie, while being completely absurd at times, didn't suck. I thought it was going to be atrocious due to the reports of costly overruns, massive re-shoots, and the entire last act needing to be rewritten. When you hear things like that, they usually don't bode well for the project. Director Marc Foster does an admirable job in pulling it all together, sadly though, what he was given to work with screenplay wise was a joke. It goes to that part of me feeling like my intelligence was insulted. In every other zombie related movie or TV show I have seen, zombies kill to eat. They're a mindless horde that kills and devours everything in their path. The zombies in World War Z are apparently the evolved dead.

Brad plays Gerry Lane, a one time investigator for the UN. He quit that job to be a good dad to his two daughters, Sterling Jerins who plays Constance and Abigail Hargrove who plays Rachel. Gerry is also the dutiful and loving husband to his wife Karin Lane, played by The Killing's Mireille Enos. The movie opens with the kids invading their parents bedroom and requesting pancakes for breakfast. While they eat, the TV reporter starts talk about martial law and how things around the world in certain cities isn't looking all that well thanks to a viral breakout of some sort. On their way somewhere (destination unknown), the Lanes are driving through Philadelphia and all hell breaks loose. While Gerry is running though, he notices (with his amazing powers of observation) how long it took one man to turn from human to the undead, all while running away. They get stranded in Newark and Gerry pulls some old UN strings and arranges to get his family airlifted out of Newark but they have to get to the roof of an apartment building. They get trapped in the building while looking for a place to hide for the night, the zombies close in but luckily the Lanes are taken in by a frightened Latino family. Why they even opened the door is a mystery but oh well.

As the trailer shows, the Lanes make it off the roof and get taken to a UN ship 200 miles off the coast of NY and they're hard at work trying to coordinate things. Gerry's old boss Thierry, played by Fana Mokoena agrees to keep Gerry's family safe on the one condition per the Naval Commander, played by David Andrews. He has to go out into the field and try to find out exactly what is going on. Gerry is to accompany young Dr. Andrew Fassbach, played by Elyes Gabel. If he doesn't, he and his family would be transported back to Philadelphia and they would be on their own. Of course Gerry agrees and that's when the movie really begins. Now where I felt like my intelligence was insulted was during Gerry's trip to Israel. It's there where his amazing powers of observation strike again. He notices how the undead horde run right around certain people to get to others. He then makes an AMAZING leap, after a very interesting airplane sequence and crash (also in the trailer), where he figures that the zombies only want to bite into healthy people to continue to spread the pathogen. They, the undead, can somehow sense who has a fatal disease and who doesn't. Now if one has to die in order to become a zombie, wouldn't ones brain activity cease to function? I would think so, and yet these undead can sense who's already sick with cancer or some other fatal ailment, and who's not. WTF???? Which of the five writers thought THAT was a good idea?

Marc Foster was put in charge of this (reported) 190 million dollar budgeted film, though rumors have it north of 250 million, and it appears the bulk of the money went into the CG zombies. The CG work was extensive and I am sure the location shoots added heavily to the budget. It's too bad any one of the SIX production companies or Paramount didn't spend a little more to buy a better screenplay of the book. I like Marc Foster's work, I thoroughly enjoyed his Quantum of Solace, Monster Ball, and Stranger Than Fiction films. I didn't like his take on the Kite Runner, but he can't be blamed for that movie being bad, the book was so amazing. Same thing here, I don't really like WWZ but that's more than likely because the book just nailed it. Where the movie got it wrong, the book got it so right. It's a great looking film though, dark and frightening at times, light and comforting at others, and the color palette was easy on the eyes. Cinematographer Ben Seresin should be applauded for his contributions. What I did find a bit odd about this film was that the TV show The Walking Dead has more blood in it than this film. Scored by Marco Beltrami, the music is very forgettable. Seriously, I hardly even noticed it. If you liked the book then skip World War Z for it will sorely disappoint you. If you have NOT read the book and you have a thing for zombies, be prepared to be slightly disappointed. Unfortunately, if you're in either camp you are bound to be somewhat disappointed but hey, don't say I didn't warn you. I'll see you at the theater!

The Bling Ring

The Bling Ring, the latest film from acclaimed director Sofia Coppola is a bonafide head scratcher. While the performances were great and very convincing, I couldn't help but wonder what inspired Sofia to want to tackle this particular subject matter. Was she bored? Was there nothing on the horizon that captured her imagination better than this story? Was she shinning light on a world she knew all too well? Unknown, what is known though is this film felt like a supreme waste of time, and because of that, The Bling Ring gets a bucket of Killer Korn.





Okay, I am going to be completely honest with you right up front, I saw this movie more than twenty four hours ago, and I still don't get it. I mean I "get it", I just don't get it, you know what I mean? I would call myself a casual fan of Sofia Coppola's after seeing her films Lost In Translation and Marie Antoinette. I thought those films were impressive so I figured I would take in a viewing of her latest film, The Bling Ring. I had no idea, I mean, I never thought this particular thought would cross my mind in one of her films, but about halfway through this, I'm thinking this movie is a complete waste of time. Not just my time, but everyone else's time that was involved in making it. To be fair, I mulled this movie around in my brain for more than 24 hours, you know,  to get my thoughts on it right. I came up with two theories. Either this is Sofia's social commentary on the (rich) youth of today and their vapid existence and addiction to celebrity OR she had nothing better to do. I am really praying it was the latter.

The Bling Ring stars Emma Watson, Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Claire Julien, Taissa Farmiga, and Georgia Rock and they comprise the thieves that rip off celebrity's homes when those famous people are out of town. They know when the stars are out of town because everything those stars do is splashed all over the internet (have to keep that machine of celebrity grinding along). The only main adults in this film are Leslie Mann who plays a clueless parent, and Gavin Rossdale, the owner of a night club the kids frequent. The story, written by Sofia Coppola was based on the Vanity Fair article entitled The Suspect Wore Louboutins. The very least I can say is that article must have had a lasting and profound impact on Sofia. How else could this movie, with not ONE redeeming character, have gotten greenlit? It was made by her fathers studio, American Zeotrope so that may have something to do with it, but I doubt this film will break even, unless this is a story about lives that while I may know nothing about, may be familiar to many others.

The funny thing about this movie is that these kids were destined to be caught. It was almost like they were asking for it. They bragged to all their friends about whose house they broke into, who they robbed, what they stole, and then posted pics of them holding the stolen goods on facebook. They even had a lemonade stand like sale of some of the stolen goods right on the front lawn. I remember thinking (I know, I was doing more thinking than being entertained), these kids can't be THIS stupid, can they? Answer, YES! All the kids involved all do jail time for 1st degree home invasion and burglary, and they had to pay some pretty steep fines on top of that. Inspite of the jail time and the fines, the kids seemed unrepentant and even worried about if the people they robbed ever spoke their names. HUH?

The Bling Ring is about white privilege and excess, absentee parenting, and helicopter parenting to the maximum extent. It's a laughable, annoying, and sad film. It is definitely not one of Sofia's best films and she uses the same old tired trick she used on Marie Antoinette, there was practically no score. Ninety five percent of the music in the movie was brought to you courtesy of hip hop and pop tunes. The one saving grace of the film is the cinematography, the movie was shot brilliantly. Christopher Blauvelt and Harris Savides make this film tolerable to watch, which is saying a lot. I would skip The Bling Ring unless yu really care about some rich kids robbing richer kids. If that doesn't do it for you then I highly recommend you see something else, and I'll see you at the theater.  

Man Of Steel

Man Of Steel, the latest film from Zack Snyder is absolutely breathtaking in every way. It's the one movie, outside of Star Trek: Into Darkness that in my opinion not only lives up to the hype, but far exceeds it. It's a visual feast, an aural feast, and it possesses a storyline that you can truly sink your teeth into. Because it excels at all the phases of the game, Man Of Steel gets four huge buckets of Killer Korn (with extra butter).






Okay, let's face it, Zack Snyder's last few films did NOT live up to expectations. Maybe that's unfair to say but since I paid to see them, I think I have that right. Well, I didn't pay to see Sucker Punch and boy am I happy I passed on that crappy film. Nazis zombies and giant Samurai? Really Zack? Anyway, since I don't really do animated films, I didn't pay to see Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole. It could have been amazing, but amazing films reach the ears of those who have no interest and no one I knew raved about it, there was no "OMG Mark, you MUST see this film", so I passed. Maybe Zack set the bar too high with his gripping tale of the Spartans in his genre bending film 300, how else can anyone explain how his Watchmen film was dead on arrival? It had its moments sure, but overall it was a snoozer. I say all this to indicate, as nicely as I can that Zack needed a hit and big time. He wasn't in M. Night territory yet but one more box office dud could have had him sitting next to M. Night in that same row boat singing "merrily, merrily, merrily" as they faded into obscurity. Well Zack has nothing to worry about because Man Of Steel is a bonafide hit. No, seriously, the shit is amazing!

On my way to the theater I read the review of it in the NY Daily News and while I won't drop any names, I don't know what movie that person was watching. Calling it leaden and giving it only two stars makes me think they want it to fail. I did something I have done only once in my movie going history (and it's a long damn history), I applauded at the end. I NEVER DO THAT! Well, like I said, I did it once before at The Dark Knight but that was IT! This movie made me do it again. It was spot on from the story of Kal-El, played by Henry Cavill and his birth to his journey here on Earth. To his father Jor-El, played with true sincerity by Russell Crowe and his struggle, his mother Lara, played by Ayelet Zurer and her unconditional love for her husband and newborn son. It told of General Zod, played brilliantly by Michael Shannon and his desire to do whatever he could to keep Krypton alive, Lois Lane, played by Amy Adams and her intrepid, alpha female ways that gets her into serious trouble. Laurence Fishburne plays Perry White, editor in chief of The Daily Planet, Diane Lane beautifully plays Martha Kent, and Kevin Costner played Jonathan Kent (it's the best he's acted in years). Honorable mention goes out to Antje Traue who plays Faora-Ul, she is a supreme bad ass!

Written by David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan, they answer pretty much every question anyone has ever had about Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman could have ever possibly had. I know it answered mine. From everything like what was Clark like in school, how was he able to control his powers, was he almost driven crazy by them, how did the Kents help him through the madness, where did the fortress of solitude come from really, so forth and so on. This movie is like Richard Donner's Superman I and II, only hopped up on steroids. We learn that every child on Krypton is engineered for a purpose, they have no say so in what they do with their lives, which is why Jor and Lara had Kal the old fashioned way, so he could choose what to do with his life, so he could dream of becoming more than what he was bred and engineered to be and do. With Krypton about to implode due to them using up all their natural resources (timely much?), Jor and Lara send baby Kal to Earth, General Zod's coup fails and he and his henchmen are banished to the phantom zone for eternity but he vows to Lara that he will find Kal if it takes him forever to do it. When Krypton is destroyed, Zod and his men are freed and then all hell breaks loose.

Like I said, this movie is visually stunning. Everything from the costumes (James Acheson, Michael Wilkinson), set design (Ann Kuljian), production design (Alex McDowell) is done at the highest levels, not to mention the brilliant special effects and CGI work (by WETA and numerous other  companies). SOMEONE is winning an damn Oscar. And if none of the names I just listed do then I know one person who will at least get nominated, Hans Zimmer for his AMAZING score! Being a John Williams fan and loving what he did for the first two Superman movies, I though Hans had bitten off more than he could chew, let's face it, John DOES cast a rather large shadow, but Hans knocked this baby out of the park and didn't trot around the bases, he strutted. He had every right to do so too. The themes are brilliant, from Superman's theme to Zod's to Earth's, he nails it, my hat's off to him. OMG, you MUST see this film, there I said it. And whatever hang up you may have about seeing Hollywood blockbusters or not liking crowds, get over it and see Man Of Steel now, like right after you finish reading this. SEE IT! SEE IT! SEE IT! You will NOT be sorry and I'll see you on line because you can best believe I am seeing this puppy again.

The Purge

The Purge, the latest film from writer/director James DeMonaco is one hell of a blown opportunity to really make a great movie that really makes a profound statement. Here was a chance for James to lift himself into rarified air, to ascend to heights he himself probably never dreamed possible when he first realized he wanted to be a director. Instead we get this crap! This movie is so predictable it's painful, which in turn makes it incredibly laughable and for that, The Purge gets a half a bucket of Killer Korn.





I love a good story, I really do. To me, there's not anything as magical as a good story. A good story can lift spirits, frighten the hell out of you, raise the hairs on the backs of necks, and cause flesh to get all goosebumply. The ONLY thing better than a good story is it's parent, the good premise. The premise is where the good story comes from, it's what breathes life into that good story for without it, that story is an empty shell. I saw this movie based on the premise that I heard writer/director James DeMonaco give in an interview. Honestly, I had NO desire, ZERO inclination to see this movie when it came out, but I saw that interview and thought, "MY GOD! Now THAT'S a premise!" I thought this movie could be one huge social commentary on the state of mankind and how we treat each other, hell how we just look at each other even. I was really curious how this sort of story could be told, I wondered if they got it right, I wondered if they had the balls big enough to tell the truth. Sadly I was disappointed at every damn turn, and as it turns out, Mr. DeMonaco has very small balls.

If you don't already know, The Purge is about one night in the year where all crime, including murder is legal. Because of this night, brought to us by The New Founding Fathers, America is thriving. Crime is at an all time low and unemployment is as well. America, that glittering house on the hill is flourishing, thanks to the purge. Basically what the purge is all about is killing off those that are perceived to be drains on the American economy. Those people on any kind of public assistance are the prime targets, basically the poor Black, brown, and white people of this nation. Now instead of bringing to us a movie that mirrors or could possibly mirror our future, instead of shinning the light on what is or could be the scary truth, instead of saying what so many people think and feel about poor Black, brown, and white people, we get this glossy piece of schlock. Ethan Hawke plays James Sandin, a security salesman who's sold all the houses in his gated community the same security package that's protecting his house. Lena Headey plays Mary Sandin, James' stay at home wife. Adelaide Kane plays their daughter Zoe Sandin, and Max Burkholder plays their son Charlie Sandin.

James has family all squared away for the purge, locking the family in tight in their mansion thanks to their state of the art security system. You know though, there is some unease with their youngest child, Charlie. He wants to know why his parents don't go out and kill someone. He's told that they don't feel the need to let out that animal within them and that's the end of it. That is until all Charlie sees a Black man running for his life on the video monitors, screaming and crying for help. Charlie, being the good egg he is, goes against his parents wishes (of course) and unlocks the system. He then runs to the front door and tells the Black man to hurry up and get in the house before his father re-arms the system and the gates shut again. He barely makes it but once he's in, all hell breaks loose and all bets are off. With the help of a distraction from Zoe's boyfriend, the stranger slips away into the house. Suddenly there is a knock on the door and it's a collection of well off white kids donning masks. They are all looking for the homeless scum that they know went into the Sandins house. The Sandins are given an ultimatum, turn the Black "homeless pig" over and they won't kill everybody in the house by the time their equipment and reinforcements get there. If that doesn't happen, they tear down the gates and slay everyone inside. They then cut the power and wait. The family then goes on the hunt, in their darkened house for this wanted/unwanted intruder. They find him, tie him up, and then and ONLY then do the inner struggles ensue.

I swear, had The Purge been done right, it could have had people talking about it for the next ten years, "Hey, have you seen The Purge?" "No, but I hear it's a classic." "You have no idea." Instead this is a disposable film that caters to that most simplest of human pleasures, watching violence happen to someone else for a buck. This film will more or less be used as a tax write off for the studio. Ethan Hawke must have wanted to do something grittier than playing Jesse in the After trilogy and Lena Headey must have been bored after filming the third season of Game of Thrones, for why else would such talent like that agree to be in such crap like this, unless the check was too large to turn down? This movie is billed as a horror/thriller/sci-fi (it takes place in 2022) and they only part of that that's correct is the sci-fi part. Remove horror/thriller and replace it with "comedy" and that would be more accurate. For a movie that could have been the most remembered of the summer of 2013, what could have been considered a classic and a cautionary tale is nothing more than a joke and definitely worth skipping. See something else and let's hope Mr. DeMonaco grows a bigger set of balls. I'll see you at the theater.

The Kings of Summer

The Kings of Summer, the latest film by first time feature film director Jordan Vogt-Roberts is a fun filled coming of age story with rebellion, independence, and teenage angst. It will undoubtedly make you laugh, it will also break your heart, and if you're anything like me, it will take you for a trip down memory lane. Because of that, The Kings of Summer gets three buckets of Killer Korn. 






For this movie to be someone's first foray into making feature films, Jordan Vogt-Roberts is definitely on the right track. When I saw the trailer the first time for this movie, I thought it reminded me of the classic movies The Goonies and Stand By Me. I ask you, who doesn't love those movies? The Goonies and Stand By Me were adventures undertaken by best friends, both were movies starring some really talented kids at the time. While their adventures were far different than The Kings of Summer, it struck a similar chord within me. The Kings of Summer brought me back to the times I spent with my friends doing all sorts of things and staying as late as possible and while we never went as far to build our own house, we did do some off the wall, slightly dangerous stuff, but who didn't in their youth? This is a story of three young men who have had enough of dealing with what they deem as emotionally abusive parents and they want out. Jo, played by Nick Robinson seems to be in constant battle with his father Frank, played with a great dryness by Nick Offerman. Jo and Frank lost the glue that held them and their household together when Jo's mother died a few years ago. With Jo's sister Heather, played by Allison Brie living some four hours away, Jo and Frank live like two strangers who don't really like each other much. Jo's best friend Patrick, played by Gabriel Basso has it even worse. He wishes his parents were more like Frank. His mother Mrs. Keenan, played by the hilarious Megan Mullally and his father Mr. Keenan, played by Marc Evan Jackson are helicopter parents, and it's their hovering that literally gives Patrick hives.

Jo is in love with Kelly, played by Erin Moriarty and she seems to like him too, but she's dating Paul, played by Nathan Keyes. He's a senior and Jo is just a sophomore so Jo doesn't really stand a chance with Kelly even though she seems to really like him. It's a ruse though, women...sigh. Anyway, the real star of this movie though, the one kid that makes this all work and brings an absolute amazing performance to the screen is Moises Arias who plays the enigmatic Biaggio. He is my favorite character and he will be yours too. He's got most of the best lines and some of the best scenes, the kid steals this movie. Jo, Patrick, and Biaggio go to a party where high schoolers drink to excess, During that party a neighbor adjacent to the area the kids are partying on tells them to vacate and shoots off his gun, scattering everybody. Jo and Biaggio are walking home and come upon a clearing somewhere in the woods and it gives Jo a sudden flash of inspiration that seems almost divine. He then goes about his adventure of becoming an independent man, something his father seems to want to keep him from becoming. Jo recruits Patrick who initially balks at the idea until one overbearing encounter with his parents induces him to jump into Jo's plans with both feet. Biaggio just goes along for the ride.

Jo, Patrick, and Biaggio then set off to acquire the materials they need to build their "house" in that clearing. While you don't really know how much time passes as they clear the clearing of all the undergrowth and build their "house", they get it done and move in. They pledge to each other that they will kill their own food, and to not tell another living soul about their haven. That is until they find a Boston Market not to far from their location and Jo can't keep from telling Kelly about where he is. Especially since his father Frank and Patrick's parents have taken to the airwaves looking for information on their missing children. There are a few very funny encounters with the police and the adults in this movie as well. Meanwhile out in the woods, everything is working like clockwork until Kelly and some friends arrive. Then suddenly the harmony is fractured, hearts are broken, drama ensues, and friendships are tested.

The Kings of Summer is a charming movie with some great dialogue and even better performances. Written by Chris Galletta, a one time staff writer for David Letterman nails it in only his first attempt at writing a film. Cinematographer Ross Riege captures the world of a seventeen year old kid perfectly and his framing of the woods is shot in almost a dreamlike state. Couple that with the inventive and quirky music by Ryan Miller and you have a very good movie. If you need a good laugh, then see this movie. If you want to take a trip down memory lane, then see this movie. If you want to see something with heart, then definitely see The Kings of Summer, and I'll see you at the theater.

The East

The East, the latest film from director Zal Batmanglij is a smart, timely, and creepy look inside the world of eco-terrorists/anarchists. This movie is has the power to frighten and educate as it runs through fictional events the group The East undertakes, like they could happen, and surprisingly a part of you may wish they did happen. Because of this, I give
The East three buckets of Killer Korn.






The East stars Brit Marling, who is just marginally talented in my opinion. If she were anyone other than who she is, she would probably never get any work which is why she's written three of the movies she's been in. There is nothing wrong with hiring yourself but what that says is no one else would have you. The last time I saw Brit was in Arbitrage with Richard Gere and he blew her off the screen, I forgot she was even in it. She was also in The Robert Redford dreadful picture The Company You Keep and I think she was Shia's potential love interest. What I'm saying is that she will not impress with her acting abilities. Her face is emotionless and her eyes are (for lack of a better word) dead, and she's that way in everything I've seen her in. However, her questionable skills serves her perfectly in this film, in the role of Jane/Sarah. Jane is an ambitious and rabid investigator for the investigation firm Hiller-Brood who is hoping for a chance to shine. Once a potential FBI agent, Jane chose to get a job in the private sector of investigations and she hopes to get the latest undercover assignment that's come up. She's got a car, a condo, a soft, submissive, passionless boyfriend, and a job she loves, she has it all.

That is, she thinks she has it all. Her little soft world is blown apart when she gets the assignment to go undercover and investigate the group known as The East. Her boss Sharon, played by the lovely Patricia Clarkson sends her in as Sarah, a runaway. She slowly makes inroads into that world through other runaways, homeless teens, and vagabonds until one incident where she steps in the way of a potential beating of one of the kids. Eventually she's brought to The East which is headed by Benji, played by Alexander Skarsgard and he is everything Jill's boyfriend back home isn't. He is intensely passionate, driven, compassionate, and a leader. She is drawn to him right away. Also in the group is Izzy, played with pure ferociousness by Ellen Page. She's second in command but you get the impression that Benji does nothing without Izzy's say so. There's also Doc who has a heartbreaking reason as to why he's part of the group, played by Toby Kebbell, the Iraq war veteran Thumbs, played by Aldis Hodge, super hacker Tess, played by Danielle McDonald, and lovable Luca, played by Shiloh Fernandez.

In the beginning of the movie, the group strikes at the home of the CEO of an oil company whose company just dumped fifteen million barrels of crude oil into the ocean. The East feels he needs to feel some of that pain so they break into his home and fill his central air and heating vents with oil. Oil pours out of every vent in the house, from the smallest to the largest as the east brings the oil spill home to the man they feel was responsible. It's that "jam" that puts them on the map and gets Jill sent in as Sarah. Sarah finds her way into the group in a particularly uncomfortable and somewhat disgusting way (especially if you can't abide by dumpster diving for food). She gets recruited into the groups next "jam" when Sarah runs off one of the members after they find her spying on the groups nocturnal woodland activities with her Blackberry. She takes the role and accompanies three of the members through the front door of a corporate pharmaceutical company which makes the "wonder drug" Diloxin. Other members get in through the back door posing as wait staff. The group knows the side effects well thanks to Doc, who was a real doctor until a fateful trip to Africa. The group poisons all who attend by slipping Diloxin into the champagne. Weeks later, the spokeswoman for the company is exhibiting the same side effects that killed someone close to Doc so the group views that "jam" as a success. The other "jams" are just as equally compelling.

The acting in The East is compelling, especially from Ellen Page. She is the fire in this movie and she carries it well. The production design is "homeless chic" and you get the sense that everyone involved in the movie felt strongly about the story they were telling. And for this being just his third film as a director, Zal Batmanglij did an exceptional job. This movie could have deteriorated into the cliché and given us the "obvious" ending, which we almost see coming thanks to one very unintentional comedic moment, but it doesn't. Instead, the movie stays true to it's core and that makes watching it a rewarding experience, even if Brit Marling can't really act. The music by Halli Cauthery and Harry Gregson-Williams was pitch perfect. Poignant enough at times without being to schmaltzy and just intense enough at others to drive the point home. It walked that fine line and it was a job well done. If you're looking for a smart film that isn't going to let you down or defy the laws of physics then I highly recommend The East, and I'll see you at the theater.

Now You See Me

Now You See Me, the latest film from director Louis Leterrier is a hokey, cornball, big budgeted summer popcorn flick that amazingly entertains. It's a great story with a lot of heart but sadly it's saddled with some truly annoying and badly acted performances. Because of that, Now You See Me gets two buckets of Killer Korn.



Okay, I was going to start this blog off talking about the director and his past films. I was going to go into detail about the looks of his films and his work with certain cinematographers, but I scrapped all that and chose to go a different route. I am not a fan of Louis Leterrier's films, there I said it. His first feature length film was The Transporter with Jason Statham and I thought it was a waste of money. Then he did Unleashed and that was his first time teaming up with Morgan Freeman, which surprised me. Since I like Mr. Freeman, I saw it and thought that was also a waste of time. Then he did The Incredible Hulk with Edward Norton and that was a decent movie. Not bad, not good but it was better than Ang Lee's Hulk movie. Louis' Hulk was a story with both heart and outlandish nonsense, but because it was decent, I decided to check out his remake of Clash of the Titans. His Titans remake was again, a decent movie. Saddled with really horrible 3D effects that has been deemed by Louis himself as a cash grab, Clash nevertheless was neither great or atrocious (though the studio chose not go back to him to do the sequel to Clash, Wrath of the Titans). Now the one thing I noticed about Louis films, they all have two things in common, a story with heart coupled with something that keeps the film from being a really good film. Now You See Me keeps that streak alive for Louis.

This time though, it's the really bad acting which surprises me. The cast is chock full of people who are seen as being really talented. Jesse Eisenberg (from the social network) plays J. Daniel Atlas, Woody Harrelson plays Merritt McKinney, Isla Fisher plays Henley Reeves, Melanie Laurent plays Alma Dray, and Dave Franco (from Warm Bodies and James Franco's younger brother) plays Jack Wilder. Then there's Michael Caine who plays Arthur Tressler, Morgan Freeman who plays Thaddeus Bradley, and Mark Ruffalo who plays Dylan Rhodes. In my opinion, that is one impressive casting coup. The problem is they are all very, very annoying. They all overact, all of them except Morgan Freeman, he just walks through the movie until the very end, then he decides to chase the Oscar. The story is a timely one and a cool revenge fantasy, sadly it's in a movie with unnecessary CG and atrociously annoying performances.

Four magicians all get a card with an address and a time to be at that address. That of course opens the floor up for the witty banter between rivals and ex-partners. They label themselves the four horsemen and they make a name for themselves and get themselves a show in Vegas (something every magician pines for obviously), financially backed by Michael Caine's character Arthur Tressler. During their show in Vegas it appears they rob a bank in Paris using an audience member. The Feds and Interpol get involved and rush in to arrest the Four Horsemen, but since they didn't keep a dime of the money they couldn't be charged with a crime. The following show, in New Orleans has them turn the tables on Arthur and he wants them taken down and destroyed, that's where Morgan Freeman's Thaddeus Bradley comes in. He debunks magicians and reveals their tricks and agrees to take down the Horsemen. It's only towards the end does he put it all together and realizes that he, like Tressler is a target.

This is only the sixth movie by Louis Leterrier and he definitely has a long way to go before he becomes a master storyteller with the moving image. He IS on his way to the point though, that much I can safely say, his trajectory is headed in the right direction. He just needs to learn that age old adage, "less is more". There is way too much in this film that didn't have to be in this film, but when you're busy taking from so many other films like Ocean's Eleven for one, I guess one can tend to overdo it. Shot in New York City impressed me and using the 5 Pointz building in Queens made me smile. If you are a fan of graffiti art then you know all about 5 Pointz, some of the greatest graffiti artists have left their amazing works on those walls throughout the years. Sadly it won't be around much longer so for it to be immortalized in this movie was a lovely tribute. The soundtrack by hit or miss specialist Bryan Tyler is all HIT! The music is perfect for the story and the images. It's big, brash, showy, and sly which is perfect for a movie based around magic.

If you don't mind bad acting, unnecessary special effects, and magic in your movies, then Now You See Me just may entertain you. It's a nice alternative from Star Trek and bad car movies anyway. Check it out and I'll see you at the theater.

After Earth

After Earth, the latest film by M. Night Shyamalan is a disappointing and unfulfilling way to spend an hour and forty minutes of your life. After Earth is neither entertaining or charming and those are the two traits ANY movie needs to have to be successful at the box office. I don't know if the producers just thought having Will Smith in the movie meant they didn't have to make a better film, that people would see it regardless as to whether the film was good. If that was their thought process, they missed the mark big time. Because of that I give After Earth one and a half buckets of Killer Korn.





This may finally be the deathknell for director and one time wunderkind M. Night Shyamalan. The man who brought us the amazing The Sixth Sense was believed to be the next Spielberg at one point. What an insult to Steven. After Sixth Sense, every movie afterwards was progressively worse and he lost me as a fan with his truly sorry 2002 Signs starring Mel Gibson ("Swing away Merill"). His career was on its deathbed after his atrocious 2010 release The Last Airbender, but for some reason Will and his team came knocking on his door an offered him a chance to breathe life back into his directing life and I have no idea why. Were they hoping he could recapture the magic that was Sixth Sense? Did they think all those other movies that he directed that were horrible were just him going through a slump? They will have to answer those questions once people see this waste of time, unless I can dissuade you not to go and wait for bootleg video. Seriously, it's not even worth being bought from the store.

After Earth stars Will Smith as Gen. Cypher Raige and his son Jaiden Smith who plays Kitai Raige, Cypher's son. Cypher is the kind of military father, hardly home, always off world training new Rangers and leaving his family to fend for themselves. He's a very "by the book" kind of man and of course his son is more intuitive and instinctual so there's the first conflict of personalities, the two have nothing in common. Kitai wants very much to be a Ranger but isn't "by the book" enough and doesn't get promoted. The glue that holds these two polar opposite characters together, and the only warmth in this cold, dead fish of a movie is provided by the lovely Sophie Okenedo who plays Faia Raige, Cypher's wife and Kitai's mother. She is sorely needed in this movie and sadly her screen time is maybe 8 minutes long. Cypher is returning home only to ship out again to deliver an Ursa to a cadet training facility. An Ursa is a big, ugly, and blind beast that was unleashed on man after we relocated off of earth to Nova Prime. While the Ursa cannot see man, they can smell our fear and they track us off that pheromone we excrete when we are scared. The only way to beat the Ursa is to not be afraid, hence the training Ursa.

Ship gets hit by an "asteroid storm" (WTF?), yawn. Ship go down in pieces, yawn. Only two survivors confirmed, yawn. And the distress beacon is in the other part of the ship that might as well be on the other side of the planet, and only Kitai can retrieve it since dad is, of course, mortally wounded, YAWN! Honestly, this movie is told in the trailer. Watch the trailer enough times and you have the movie. There are some serious story telling issues and plot holes in this movie that you could drive a truck through. The only emotional content is when, in typical M. Night style, he recounts in painstakingly slow steps the death of Kitai's sister Senshi Raige played by Zoe Kravitz. She dies at the hands of an Ursa, and her death is the reason father and son have this disconnect. Father is mad at son for not protecting his sister and son is mad at father for being off world and not being there to keep them safe. Let's not ask how the damn creature made it into their hi-rise apartment all those stories up from the surface, let's just ignore that fact.

I honestly think M. Night, who wrote this screenplay by the way, needs to go back to film school. His techniques are tired and his passion seems to have vanished. He relies far too heavily on CG and his story telling is just off. There is really something missing in After Earth, something BIG and I am still trying to figure out what that is and I may never know...sigh. Could it be that there are NO surprises in this film? Anyway, the score is flaccid and I am really losing patience for James Newton Howard. Much like M. Night was supposed to be the next Spielberg, James was supposed to be the next John Williams, what an insult to John. His music is too soft, for the lack of a better word and it always strikes me as this score could have been the music he did for the last film he did. Nothing sounds project specific from him. The sets look like rejects from John Carter and the cinematography is only impressive when CG is involved. Look, skip After Earth like you should have skipped Fast & Furious and find something else to spend an hour and forty minutes of your life on, you won't regret it, I assure you and I'll see you at the theater.