Trailer Alert: The Hundred Foot Journey

Since I was such a giant fan of his film Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, I am quite eager to see Lasse Hallstrom's latest opus, The Hundred Foot Journey. It looks like a lot of fun, plus there's the amazing Helen Mirren in the lead role, which is always a good thing. I like Lasse's eye, his movies are very pleasant to watch and this one looks to follow suit. Based on the bestselling book of the same name by Richard C. Morais, I really like the premise. And with boasting such producers as Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey, this movie is one I am sure will entertain from the first frame to the last. I'll see you on line.

MarkEricEntertainment

Trailer Alert: The Equalizer

Sadly this trailer does NOT enthuse. The Equalizer, directed by one of my favorite directors, Antoine Fuqua looks nothing like the Robert McCall I came to know on CBS all those years ago. It instead looks like Denzel Washington reprising his role from the Tony Scott remake Man on Fire awhile back. I am withholding judgment though, just because I didn't like the trailer does NOT mean I won't like the movie, and I will see the movie. It just feels like the casting is all wrong and this movie isn't in Antoine's wheelhouse. I feel that it would have been better directed by Luc Besson or someone with that type of vision and style. We'll see. I'll see you on line.

MarkEricEntertainment

Trailer Alert! Kingsman: The Secret Service

Kingsman: The Secret Service honestly looks like a lot of damn fun. It looks like a wild ride as the story follows a budding secret agent, almost like a humorous prequel to James Bond. The cast looks great, and it's written and directed by the talented Matthew Vaughn. Don't think Matt is talented? Check him out on IMDB.com and see what he's been involved in. I can't wait for this movie to drop because I truly think it will cater to that twelve year old boy in me and he can't wait to get in line for this.

MarkEricEntertainment

X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-Men: Days of Future Past, the latest movie from director Bryan Singer is the super hero movie I have been waiting for since The Dark Knight. Why is that you ask? Because it has everything you could possibly want in a movie of this genre and more. It's got great acting, great visuals, great music, and above all a great story. This is the second flawless movie I've seen this year, which is pretty amazing when you think about it, and because of that I am giving X-Men: Days of Future Past four buckets (with free refills) of Killer Korn.











X-Men: Days of Future Past is one of my all time favorite X-Men story lines. It's one I have never forgotten about even when adulthood grabbed me, held me upside down, and shook me until all my comics fell free. What stayed with me the most was the cover, it was the first time I had ever seen the word "slain" slapped across the face of ANY super hero.

So when I heard this was going to be the next X-Men plot, and that Bryan Singer was coming back to direct it, needless to say that little twelve year old boy that lives inside me was ecstatic. I wasn't sure if there was anything that could wash the bad taste in my mouth from that Brett Ratner X-Men: The Last Stand debacle, but if there was one person that could restore my faith, it was Singer. Let me tell you, the man exceeded any and all expectations I had going in and then some. 

Future Past the comic and the movie differ in many ways but the core story is there. The biggest difference is who goes back to the past. The movie gives a great reason why Logan goes and not Kitty Pryde. Logan/Wolverine is again played by the amazingly talented Hugh Jackman and he is the one man that can bridge the future to the past. Only he can really get the point across to Professor Xavier played by Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy that something needs to be done or every mutant and mutant sympathizer is imprisoned or murdered. Then Logan has to also convince Erik Lehnsherr aka Magneto played by Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender to fight along side them. His breakout of jail and scenes with Raven are worth the price of admission alone. I won't tell you why he was in jail, but the reason will definitely make you smile. 

The movie starts off with an incredible action sequence featuring the likes of future X-Men Bishop, Iceman, Kitty Pryde, Colossus, Blink and others squaring off against a horde of unbeatable Sentinels. The future mutant killing bots have the ability to adapt to their preys powers thanks to one mutant who is on the hunt for industrialist and scientist Bolivar Trask played by everyone's favorite, Peter Dinklage. The mutants and Bolivar are all after the one mutant who is the key to mutant eradication, Raven/Mystique played by Jennifer Lawrence. it soon becomes a race against time as Sentinel's close in on the future X-Men's position because they can't flee while Logan is back in the 70's trying to change the future.

Surprisingly Future Past was written by the same person who wrote Last Stand, Simon Kinberg. By all accounts it appears Simon has become a far better writer (he's also a producer on this film so there was more at stake for him). The story for Future Past was meaty which is the primary reason this movie was so stirring and gripping. Those behind the Captain America, Amazing Spider Man, and Godzilla movies should take notes because they could learn a few things from Future Past. Mainly the notion that a quality, entertaining super hero movie can be made without lowering the bar, insulting the intelligence of its audience, or giving them something they've already seen a dozen times. The music by John Ottman was pitch perfect for this movie, and while I wasn't always a fan of his, this is the second score in succession by him that I have come to appreciate. The cinematography by Newton Thomas Sigel was overall impressive. He worked on the previous Singer X-Men movies so the look is consistent. 

I highly recommend X-Men: Days of Future Past. If like me you have an eleven, twelve, or thirteen year old inside of you, they will LOVE this movie. I'll see you at the theater (again).

MarkEricEntertainment

Godzilla

Godzilla, the latest film from director Gareth Edwards is a decent popcorn flick. It's a melodrama with intermittent thrills and action, thankfully though those thrills and action sequences can almost make you forgive Gareth for focusing on the melodrama so hard...almost. It's because of that, not to mention the massive plot holes (that I won't be divulging here), that I am giving Godzilla two and a half buckets of Killer Korn.












Much like the original black and white Godzilla movie, this remake/reboot, whatever slow plays Godzilla's arrival. Instead we get to follow some very uninteresting characters who at times looks like they would rather be doing something else. The only convincing performance in this film, outside of the monsters was Bryan Cranston who plays Joe Brody. Fifteen years ago he was the head engineer at a nuclear power plant that was experiencing tremors and sends his wife, scientist Sandra Brody, played by the wonderful Juliette Binoche down into the depths of the plant. Tragedy strikes the plant, and the town the plant was powering was deemed a quarantine zone. Fast forward to the present and Joe just can't seem to let the past go and convinces his son Ford Brody, played by the weak acting Aaron Taylor-Johnson to go back to their home in the quarantine area for data and sentimental reasons.

There really is no reason to mention any other human being in this movie, because there was nothing memorable about their presence in the film. Even the wonderful Ken Watanabe brought in a performance that was underwhelming as Dr. Ichiro Serizawa, the man who, with Joe's help pieces this whole thing together. Unlike the original movie, where they focused more on the monster and how to kill it, this movie focuses on the Brody family, which in my opinion was a huge mistake. That twelve year old boy inside me didn't give a damn about the humans in this movie when you have Godzilla duking it out with two other monsters in the middle of a city. I could care less if the family ever got pieced back together, show me the monsters!!!

Godzilla is Gareth's second feature length film, yes you read that correct. This was his second film and it was a pretty impressive one at that. His mistake though was not dancing with the girl he brought to the prom. The movie is called Godzilla, not The Brody's. It's too bad Gareth didn't recognize that fact. Maybe he should have had someone else take a look at the script penned by Max Borenstein to see if it could be livened up some. The visuals when the monsters were on the screen was EPIC! They make you forget or overlook the massive plot holes in the story. And when Godzilla let's loose with his full fury, you won't be able to resist smiling. The music by Andre Desplat was okay, somewhat forgetful, unlike Akira Ifukube's score for the original Godzilla. I can still hum that score, I can't say the same about Andre's and I just saw the film. All in all Godzilla is a romping good time, you'll just wish they gave you more Godzilla. I recommend it if you are a fan and skip it if you aren't, and I'll see you at the theater.

www.markericentertainment.com

Chef

Chef, the latest movie from writer/director Jon Favreau is a delightful tale about second chances of all kinds. It will make you laugh as well as make you think. Also, if you're a foodie, then this is the movie for you. I only have one criticism for this movie and it's a small one which is why I give Chef three and a half buckets of Killer Korn.













Chef stars Jon Favreau as Carl Casper, a chef and a high end restaurant who is essentially bored from cooking the same food for restaurant owner Riva played by Dustin Hoffman for the past five years. He wants to try something new, something different, something off the menu when he gets word that one of the most influential food critics in LA, Ramsey Michel played by Oliver Platt will be dining at the restaurant. Riva nixes that idea using a very funny Rolling Stones analogy and the review was horrible. Carl's adorable son Percy played by Emjay Anthony introduces his father to twitter and all hell breaks loose. While it's not an original concept, an out of touch with technology parent being introduced to the current wave of social media by their precocious child, the writing is entertaining and the acting is well done.

John Leguizamo plays Martin, Carl's right hand man in the kitchen and vows to drop everything, whatever he's doing to work with Carl again when Carl's career hits a rough patch, and Martin does just that. Bobby Carnivale stars as Tony, Carl's sous chef who then becomes head chef, the funny thing about that is when we first meet Tony, he doesn't seem like the kind of guy any restaurateur would want anywhere near their kitchen. Scarlett Johnasson plays Molly, the host in Riva's restaurant, Sofia Vergara plays Carl's lovely and charming ex-wife Inez, who honestly has never looked better. Rounding out the cast is a hilarious appearance by Robert Downey Jr. who plays Marvin, Inez' ex husband. It was nice seeing Jon and Robert reunite, Robert more than likely just repaying a favor to Jon who directed Robert in the first two Iron Man movies.    

Now, my only criticism with Chef is at times this movie was really dark, I mean really dark. I don't know what went on with the lighting in certain points of this movie but most of the interior shots were in need of some serious light. Thankfully the writing and the acting was so good, it distracts you from the bad lighting. The cinematography by Kramer Morganthau more times that not is perfect. His shots of the food being prepared and then plated almost turned me into a foodie. The eclectic music from various artists gives Chef a truly funky feel and it's a soundtrack I highly recommend. Honestly, the lighting is this movie's only drawback. Other than that, Chef is a great movie, crafted to entertain as well as educate, and it let's you know that second chances are indeed possible. Go see it, and I'll see you at the theater.

www.markericentertainment.com

Belle

Belle, the latest film from director Amma Asante can be summed up with one word...exquisite. It is a beautiful, compelling, and romantic telling of the true story that played a pivotal role in abolishment of slavery in England. In my humble opinion, Belle is right now the best film of the year which is why I give it four buckets of Killer Korn.












When I first saw the trailer for Belle a few months ago I couldn't wait to see it, I was caught in it's net way back then. And unlike some other films where the trailer looks fascinating but the movie falls flat, Belle lived up to and exceeded expectations. This is a film that could have turned Dido Belle Lindsay easily into a caricature, but instead those responsible delivered a beautiful film on every level, and one that made you think. The cast was exceptional starting with Gugu Mbatha-Raw who plays Belle. I knew she was a beautiful woman, I had no idea she was equally as talented and if her performance is overlooked then that would truly be a crime. Playing Dido's father, Captain Sir John Lindsay is the talented Matthew Goode who finds Dido living in the slums and takes her from one extreme to another as he delivers her to his aunt and uncle, Emily Watson and Tom Wilkinson who play Lady and Lord Mansfield respectively. They are already in the care of another niece, Dido's cousin Elizabeth Murray played by Sarah Gadon.

Rounding out the cast is Penelope Wilton as Lady Mary Murray, Miranda Richardson as Lady Ashford, James Norton as Oliver Ashford, Tom Felton as his older brother James Ashford, and Sam Reid as John Davinier. For those that are unaware of this remarkable true story, Dido has been brought to live with her aristocratic aunt and uncle, her uncle who is the supreme court justice and is considered to be the second most powerful man in England next to the King. As Dido grows her uncle is eventually faced with the case of the Zong slave ship, where 142 slaves were thrown overboard and drowned. The slavers wanted the insurance company to pay for their losses and had the courts ruled in the favor of the slavers, it would have been business as usual but evidence was revealed to show that the slavers lied and Lord Mansfield had to choose either to potentially cripple England's economy by ruling for the insurers or keep that economical slave engine running by ruling for the slavers. In the midst of that, there is an beautiful, and heartwarming love brewing between Dido and John Davinier, who wanted to become a lawyer himself.

The look and feel of Belle, the world created on the screen was immersive. You felt like you were there as the candles were snuffed out, the wooden floors creaked, and the gentlemen came calling for Elizabeth. No one came for Belle except one but she chose to break the engagement due to his family issues with her complexion. The cinematography by Ben Smithard was exceptional and the score by Rachel Portman was pure perfection. Belle was practically flawless, from the performances to the pace to the costumes and I highly recommend it, for it is the best film of the year...thus far. I'll see you at the theater.  

www.markericentertainment.com

The Amazing Spider Man 2

The Amazing Spider Man 2, the latest film by director Marc Webb is a slight improvement over his first Spider Man film, but not by much. Much like the first one did nothing for me, this one didn't deliver either. I wasn't wow'd nor was I impressed by anything I saw on the screen. Because of that I give The Amazing Spider Man 2 one lone bucket of Killer Korn.













If you've been a reader of my blog then you know all about that little twelve year old boy that sometimes inhabits this body and comes out when there's a movie that excites him, or comes out when a movie can coax him away from his comic books and video games. Well The Amazing Spider Man 2 didn't excite that twelve year old boy, but I thought it might entice him to come out and play for a little while. Was I ever wrong about that! The Amazing Spider man 2, and I'm sure I'll be in the minority on this much like Captain America 2, was for the lack of a better word, boring. There wasn't a thing exciting, riveting, or amazing (see what I did there?) about this movie. Once again Peter Parker is played by the charming Andrew Garfield, Gwen Stacy by his real love life interest Emma Stone, and Sally Field is again aunt May. This time around they are joined by Oscar award winner Jamie Foxx who plays Max/Electro, Dane DeHaan who plays Harry Osbourne/Green Goblin, and Paul Giamatti as Aleksei Sytsevich/Rhino.

While the premise in this movie is nowhere near as ludicrous in the previous movie, this movie belonged in the teen angst section of your local video store. Peter struggles with dating Gwen and not dating Gwen because he's haunted by images of her father who died in the first movie, but not before telling Peter/Spiderman to leave his daughter alone. While he struggles with this, Harry Osbourne returns home to from boarding school just in time to watch his father die from some hereditary disease that he and Peter's dad was supposedly seeking a cure for. That totally goes against the story line of the first movie, but whatevvs, right? Who cares about that, and hey, who remembers the first film anyway. One of the biggest problems with this movie is that it takes forever for the action to start. The Green Goblin and The Rhino don't make an appearance until the end and of course the Black man does all the heavy lifting only to eventually (and always) be the first to die. BOOOORING!

The Amazing Spider Man 2 bored the hell out of my twelve year old self and he couldn't wait to get back to his comics and video games, which were far more interesting than anything he saw on the screen. The best part of the movie was the end (ironically) as Spidey tries to save Gwen (if you aren't up on that story line I won't ruin it for you). The other problem with this movie is that there was nothing new. Counting Sam Raimi's movies, in twelve years there's been FIVE Spider Man movies. I don't know about anyone else but I am burnt out on Spidey. He can't do anything I haven't already seen and oh great, they just announced Spider Man 3 dropping in 2016. I think I'll leave the twelve year old alone when that hits and I'll see you at the theater.

www.markericentertainment.com

The Lunchbox

The Lunchbox, the first full length feature film from writer/director Ritesh Batra is a movie that sheds light on a somewhat unknown aspect of Indian culture, the complicated lunch delivery system. It's a heartwarming tale surrounded by that system and how every now and then, getting the wrong lunch can be a good thing. I enjoyed The Lunchbox and I feel it's earned three buckets of Killer Korn.











First off I have to ask, is every woman in India beautiful? I know they all aren't but the ones in the film and television industry are absolutely stunning and the female lead in The Lunchbox is no exception. Nimrat Kaur plays the lonely housewife Ila, whose marriage is going nowhere fast, so on the advice of her auntie voice from the apartment above, she decides to spice up her husbands lunch. Doing so in the hopes that the food reignites his passion for her. Her husband returns home to his wife and daughter and doesn't even look at her, yet the tiffin box that held his lunch came back completely empty. She has no idea that her food was delivered to the wrong address and eaten by a widower on the verge of retirement. Saajan Fernandes, played by one of my favorite actors Irrfan Kahn is a man that seems content to just fade into the background and let life pass him by, until he eats Ila's food.

Mistaking it for the food that comes from the restaurant that he places his order with, he congratulates the restaurant, who's food is actually going to Ila's husband. When Ila realizes her husband is not getting her food she includes a small note in the lunch and the correspondence between the two lonely souls begins. Ila now has someone she can confide in other than her hilarious auntie from up above, and Saajan can dispense the wisdom he has acquired in life to someone who actually appreciates it. The humor in The Lunchbox comes from Saajan's eventual replacement, Shaikh who is played exuberantly by Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Shaikh is so appreciative to be training under Saajan that he begins to annoy the older gentleman, but through his correspondence with Ila, Saajan begins to open up to Shaikh and even begins to share his delicious lunches with him.

The Lunchbox is a wonderfully charming film filled with longing, loss, and love. The performances are exceptional and while you may hope for a better ending on screen, in your imagination you can conjure up the ending you want, which I thought was brilliant. There's not much in the way of being impressed by the look of the film. Crowded, cluttered, and cramped are the adjectives that come to mind, but it's that that makes you wonder how more mistakes by the Dabbawalas, the lunch delivery men don't occur, or do they? There is a very funny scene where one of the Dabbawalas is arguing with Ila about their delivery system and he states a man from Harvard came and said their system is perfect so they couldn't have delivered the lunch to the wrong person, because Harvard and the King both vouch for them. The music by Max Richter is subtle which is the perfect touch for this film, a film that practically needs no music. I highly recommend The Lunchbox, it is worth seeing, just make sure you see it on a full stomach and I'll see you at the theater.

www.markericentertainment.com

  

Bad Words

Bad Words, the first film directed by Jason Bateman is an interesting one. In the hands of a more accomplished director this film could have been something special, in the hands of Jason, it was...meh. A few first time director mistakes somewhat muted my enjoyment of an interesting premise, but because that premise is so gripping and funny, I give Bad Words two and a half buckets of Killer Korn.












Who knew Jason Bateman could be so good at playing a dick? I sure didn't but in Bad Words, his directorial debut, that's exactly what he plays. And he does it with panache. Jason plays Guy Trilby, a bitter, disgruntled, proof reader who through the motions of crushing children's hopes and pissing off a horde of parents as he makes his way through them like a hot knife through blah blah blah. He is a man that finds a loophole in the rule book, exploits it, and decides to participate in a regional spelling bee in Ohio that would send the winner to the national spelling bee. He is unrepentant, unremoresful, and vicious in his attempt to beat out kids who have worked so hard and studied so much to get to where they are. Needless to say the parents want him drawn and quartered.

Guy makes it to the national spelling bee, the first one to be televised across the country so the man in charge, Dr. Bowman played by the seasoned Phillip Baker Hall wants everything to go perfectly. Guy throws a huge monkey wrench into that program every chance he gets which prompts Bowman to apply pressure to the president of the spelling bee, Dr. Bernice Deagan, played hilariously by the incomparable Allison Janney to get rid of Guy. She does something not exactly above board to make that happen but nothing can derail the freight train that is Guy. The man is on a mission and all this is being observed by Jenny Widgeon, play by the hilarious Kathryn Hahn, a reporter from a local paper that's financing this escapade for the exclusive story (the sex scene between Guy and Jenny...priceless). The heart of this story comes in the form of one of Guy's competitors, little Chaitanya Chopra, played by the charming and talented Rohan Chand. Because Chai's dad has an odd way of trying to toughen his son up, Guy eventually warms up to the kid and takes him under his wing. The ending of the movie, where you find out Guy's reasons for wanting to win the spelling bee, and the development of his friendship with Chai is definitely rewarding.

Written by first time scribe Andrew Dodge, Bad Words is searing in its humor and balanced by its heart. My issues with the movie on a whole is the look and the pacing. Bad Words looked like it was filmed by someone who forgot to take the filters off the lens. It was dark and muddy at times when it should have been bright and colorful. The music by the amazing Rolfe Kent is perfect, it matches Guy's moods and attitude perfectly so well done to you Mr. Kent. Bad Words is not a must see, but if you do see I have no doubt that you will be entertained like I was. I'll see you at the theater.

www.markericentertainment.com

Locke

Locke, the latest film from writer/director Steven Knight was a HUGE, no wait, that's not big enough, how about MONUMENTAL disappointment? Yeah, that about sums up this God awful waste of time. Anytime the trailer is better than the actual film, you know you as a director have created the stinker of the year. Thus far that dubious title belongs to this atrociously stupid film and for that I give Locke NO Korn (and barely any kernels).











This review will not be long because this movie is THAT BAD! It makes no sense, well that's not true, it does make sense, you as the audience however just don't give a damn about halfway through. I was tempted to walk out myself and had I not paid for my ticket, I would have. The only thing this movie has going for it is the man who plays Ivan Locke and that is the incredibly talented Tom Hardy. Because I am a Hardy fan, and the trailer was so interesting, I couldn't wait to lay eyes on this one man show. The fuckers got me. I blame Tom for reading the script and still agreeing to be in this movie. He must have either had nothing better to do, or he and director Steven Knight must be the best of friends (or Steven has naked pictures with Tom and barnyard animals in compromising positions and threatened to release them). That's the only explanation I could come up with as to why Tom agreed to play Locke, a steady, pretty much boring family man with a steady, pretty much boring job who makes one mistake, and because of his dead dad, chooses to throw EVERYTHING away.

Do NOT see Locke, enjoy the highly entertaining trailer below and let that be as close as you come to seeing this movie, and I'll see you at the theater.

www.markericentertainment.com

Hank and Asha

Hank and Asha, the film debut from writer/director James E. Duff is a wonderful look at how relationships can take shape in today's world. It's reminiscent of Before Sunrise, and just as that movie spawned two more films, hopefully Hank and Asha will do the same. I didn't want the movie to end and because of that I give Hank and Asha three and a half buckets of Killer Korn.













Hank and Asha starts off out of the blue, with Asha, played by the truly beautiful Mahira Kakkar sending Hank a video message after seeing his film at a film festival in Prague. She was impressed by his work and were he at the film festival, she would have invited him out for coffee afterward, but since he was back in NYC, she tracked down his contact information and sent him a video. She swore she wasn't stalking him, that she was a student filmmaker in Prague studying film and was curious about him, and his process. Hank, played charmingly by Andrew Pastides, being the gentleman sent her a video message back and so began their interplay. Asha through multiple videos told Hank all about herself and her love for film, about her imagination, her hopes, and her dreams. She also told him about her culture and what her life may be like in the coming years.

Hank returned the favor, sending Asha videos of him at work, in his super tiny NY apartment, him out on the town in different bars and eateries, he allows Asha into his world. He tells her how he got to where he is, how he ran like hell from the small town where he was from where he was expected to run the family business and how that was the last thing he wanted to do. Eventually the two fall for each other and have the desire to want to meet and they decide on Paris after Asha extols the beauty of Prague but how it still doesn't measure up to Paris. With her being on a seriously strict budget, Hank sends her a plane ticket to Paris to meet him. Sadly that's when the trouble starts. Asha tells Hank something that he pretends doesn't crush him and he continues to act as if everything is fine, that they can meet in Paris as friends, nothing more. But as Hanks videos become more biting and somewhat vitriolic, Asha has a change of heart.

Hank and Aasha was so lovely that I didn't want it to end, and that's a film with just two people in the cast for the most part and not a lick of music. Hank plays Asha a song but that's it. I didn't mind that one bit because the writing was simply superb. Written by James E. Duff and Julia Morrison, the dialogue was fantastic, heartwarming, and inviting. The characters don't just open up to each other but to the viewer as well, and when things go south, you feel their pain. The movie was left open for a follow up and I seriously hope one is coming. I would love to see more, hear more, know more about these characters and if you get the chance to see Hank and Asha, I'm sure you will too. I'll see you at the theater.

www.markericentertainment.com