Bad Muffins

REVIEW: The Avengers

2012-07-26T03:08:00.002-07:00

Hate it or love it, The Avengers is a huge box office success. Here is a film which juggles six super heroes in such a way that many people thought not possible. I really don't understand why people thought this wasn't possible, as X-Men movies have been managing just fine but I suppose it is because the heroes in The Avengers are each grand enough for their own films; which besides Black Widow and Hawkeye, they each have.The real reason the film works lies in Joss Whedon's fantastic script which balances each super hero so well that the film actually feels like an Avengers film, and not just a movie with one or two super heroes dominating the film. In the X-Men franchise, for the most part Wolverine took center stage.

At 2 hours 22 minutes the film may seem long but the film goes by quickly. I can hardly remember there being a boring moment throughout the films duration. The film is action packed from start to finish. There is no disputing that this is pure Hollywood entertainment at its best. Sure some critics have criticized the film for not being The Dark Knight in terms of groundbreaking story, but does every film need to be; I think not.

The Avengers starts off with none of the super heroes united under one banner. They all seem to be aware of each others presence, but they want nothing to do with one another. That is until Loki(Tom Hiddleston) enters the picture. Loki travels to Germany to unleash all hell and successfully does so, until Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Steve Rogers(Chris Evans) show up and crash Loki's party. It is moments like this that all the fanboys have been waiting for. Iron Man and Captain America together fighting against Loki. There are plenty moments like this throughout the film. Directly after the duo aprehend Loki, Thor(Chris Hemsworth) appears and attempts to take Loki away from Iron Man and Captain America. His goal is to try and convince Loki away from his plans of world domination. What follows is an amazing display of action and special effects involving Thor, Iron Man and Captain America. Joss Whedon does a wonderful job at directing the action sequences. There are moments of shaky cam, but I always knew where the action was taking place in the film space. There is a moment in the above scene when Thor uses his control of Earth's electrical current against Iron Man. As a result of the force, Iron Man becomes super-charged and he is able to blast Thor off of him with a large blast. Small nuances like this are what separate a well written script from a mediocre one. A mediocre script might have simply had Iron Man blast Thor off of him. There are plenty of small moments like this throughout the entire duration.

The most exciting moment for me came when Bruce Banner(Mark Ruffalo) transforms into the Hulk for the first time. The Hulk finally emerges after he comes into line with Loki's master plan of turning all of the Avengers against one another. He is able to suppress his anger throughout all of the arguments, but the Hulk finally emerges when Loki's strike team damages the helicarrier, and begins to raid the ship. One of the blasts prompts Banner to become enraged and turn into the Hulk. At this point the film shifts into a horror film where the Hulk is the killer and Black Widow is the innocent girl in the woods. The tension is built nicely, but is released quickly. Here we proceed to watch as Hulk begins to terrorize the interior of the helicarrier, fighting everyone in his path, including Thor. The Thor battle is yet again another display of how well Joss knows these characters. As Hulk and Thor battle, Thor's hammer is dropped and the Hulk tries to pick it up, because no one can pick it up but Thor. Again as I've said before moments like this separate this film from a mediocre one. The entire Hulk sequence culminates in my absolute favorite moment in the entire film. The Hulk and Thor lead there battle to an area on the ship in which Hulk is exposed. A fighter jet flies alongside the helicarrier and begins to open fire on the Hulk. The bullets do nothing but irritate the Hulk. Finally the Hulk jumps on the jet and the jet begins to spin out of control. In a quick haste the pilot ejects, but the Hulk quickly grabs him before he is able to get away. He throws the pilot away,who still manages to parachute to safety, and the Hulk falls to the Earth below. In one of the best comical moments in the film, Bruce Banner is found by a janitor and asked if he is an alien. I'll save the punchline for the film.

The film resolves in the last 30 minutes or so in an all out war action set piece over, and in, the streets of Manhattan. If the damage caused in the film were to have happened in real life, the cost would be around 160 billion dollars, almost double Hurricane Katrina. The amount of devastation is truly unnerving. I wondered how many innocents died during this battle that we never see. The buildings that receive countless blasts and explosions could not all have been empty. I immediately think of something The Dark Knight where people are saved, but at what cost. When Gordon and Batman decide that Batman should take the blame for Dent's murders, the people of Gotham question the relevance of Batman. Maybe The Avengers 2 will address this. To be honest though, I could not have seen this film ending any other way. It was necessary, and gave everyone in the audience a real treat. It's great to sit back and watch some of your favorite super heroes do what they do best; Defeat evil.

The Avengers is the end of Phase One of Marvel's Cinematic Universe. Phase Two starts with Iron Man 3 and will climate with The Avengers 2. Here's to you Marvel, we wish you the best of luck. Keep making great comic book films.

4/4 Muffins

REVIEW: Blue Valentine

2012-07-26T02:43:00.002-07:00

Blue Valentine is a well directed and well acted film starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams(wife of the late Heath Ledger). It is said that the two actors improvised often on set. The thing that I found amazing was its been reported that director Derek Cianfrance hardly ever had more than one take on any given shot. Not only is it difficult as a filmmaker to be able to get perfect shots in one go, but it's incredibly difficult to make such a gripping film based on those shots. Sometimes the worst thing that can happen to a filmmaker is not getting enough coverage. Making such a film on limited coverage is almost as uncommon as non-yellow taxis.

Blue Valentine is told from two distinct timelines. One is from Dean(Gosling) and Cynthia(Williams) perspective before they were married. The other timeline takes place during their troubled six year marriage. The two time periods are cut between one another. Initially one might have a hard time distinguishing the two, other than the obvious age difference between the two actors(thanks to the help of great make-up). The other difference is the past is shot with 16mm film and the present is shot digitally.

Blue Valentine establishes the troubled marriage from the get go. While leaving one morning to work, Dean tells Cynthia to put her seat belt on, but Cynthia obnoxiously refuses to do so. The family dog also goes missing. The couple has a six year old child named Frankie. Dean and Frankie have a very strong relationship together. Dean enjoys acting like a six year old with her. Cynthia doesn't seem all that impressed with Dean's behavior, but Dean simply thinks he's being a good father.

The intercutting between the past and the present helps to better establish both characters. The cuts always seem to happen at just the right moments. For example when Cynthia meets Bobby in the grocery store, after years of not seeing him, it is apparent she has feelings toward the man. As the film plays out we find out, through a flashback, that Bobby and Cindy dated in high school. When she informs Dean she saw Bobby he clearly gets aggravated, but we don't know why. As the story further progresses, there is again another flashback where we actually are revealed that Bobby impregnated Cynthia with Frankie. Cianfrance reveals this just as the couple seemed to be at their most distant.

There was only one element that truly bothered me about this film. You could say it's the films major fault. Dean is clearly a loving husband and more importantly a loving father. After all that Dean has gone through with Cynthia, it just seems odd that Cynthia would simply get angry enough by simply seeing Bobby to want to leave Dean. Cynthia may be having an outside relationship with her boss, maybe not sexually but is clear something is fishy. Dean seems to know this but accepts it. The film doesn't make it seem like Dean truly did anything to deserve Cynthia's punishment at the end. It is apparent that he drinks frequently and works at a job that is not equal to his wife's in terms of pay, but he tells her he doesn't care about going anywhere in life since his wife and daughter are all he lives for. Goslings performance is so authentic that I believe Dean when he says this. In an age where loyalty seems to be portrayed in the media as deteriorating, it struck me as odd she would just be angry with him because he hasn't changed from the man she met six years prior. Blue Valentine doesn't establish the couples marriage problems. I felt in most circumstances throughout the film Cynthia was just overreacting. Maybe as a male viewer I simply do not understand the female psyche. Or maybe I am just as immature as Dean is, and share his beliefs. Maybe Cynthia wanted more out of Dean's relationship and she's not getting it. Not only does she view Bobby as a somewhat successful man but when she looks at her boss, another somewhat successful man, the combination must trigger something in Cynthia's head that makes Dean look like a bad person. Again in this day and age money shouldn't be everything but it sadly is. Dean's desire to be a good husband as well as a good father must be viewed as truly bad since he does not wish to propel himself in life. But maybe it is the simple fact that Dean doesn't try to be more than who he is, and that is what truly aches at Cynthia.

Overall the Blue Valentine's excellent acting truly sell the story being told. It's this aspect that makes Blue Valentine a movie worth watching.

Note: Blue Valentine was originally rated NC-17. It is beyond me as to why. It was said to be because of an oral sex scene. So let me get this straight, females are allowed to perform oral sex on males in an R-rated films but not the other way around? In neither case do you actually see the act, but apparently it's worse if females receive then give it out. Well, that's the MPAA for you.

4/4 Muffins

REVIEW: Avatar Extended Edition

2012-07-24T21:58:00.003-07:00

What makes Avatar so great is not it's story, or it's action, but it's technical achievements. James Cameron pushed the envelope in terms of what 3-D can truly do, as well as special-effects. In the three years since Avatars released nothing has come close to matching what Cameron was able to pull off. It's breathtaking how a majority of the film does not even exist in the real world and never will. It is pure zeros and ones. The special-effects the Cameron uses are not to entirely used to render items like in the Transformers trilogy. Here, his special effects are designed to immerse you into the film. If one did not know about Avatar and you asked what parts are real and which aren't, I guarantee they could not tell the difference. To be honest, I cannot even tell myself.

Cameron is a great writer. His knowledge and execution of the classical Hollywood narrative is nearly unmatched by most film directors who still implement the formula. James of course, received criticism for his "copy paste" job of previous formulatic films such as Dances With Wolves and Pocahontas. However as Francis Ford Coppola says "Everyone steals from other people. It is in our nature. You just have to make it your own. Then someone will steal from you what you stole from someone else who stole from someone else et cetera et cetera". James made Avatar his own creation.

Avatar follows Jake Sully(Sam Worthington), a paraplegic Marine, who has been selected to replace his brother in the Avatar program. His brother died and since Jake has the same genetic makeup, Jake can use his Avatar. The Avatar is a 12 foot Na'vi. The Na'vi are a humanoid population that inhabit Pandora, a moon of the planet Polyphemus in the Alpha Centauri star system. The Avatar program's purpose is to initiate contact with the natives of Pandora and to interact and study them. Scientists run the Avatar program, or so they think. However the true reason is so the RDA Corporation can mine for unobtanium, a mineral worth it's weight in gold. The largest deposit just so happens to be under the homeland of the natives. While on Pandora Jake is contacted by Colonel Quaritch, the commanding officer on Pandora. He appeals to him as both a fellow Marine and someone with power to restore Jake's ability to walk. Initially Jake doesn't want to be on Pandora and accepts the Colonel's appeal to use the Avatar program in order to gain the Na'vi's favor in order to better manipulate them. Overtime his feelings change as he interacts with the Na'vi Chief's daughter, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). James Cameron truly knows how to make villains, and make the audience root against them. The original Terminator, T-1000, Cal from Titanic , Burke from Aliens, and now Colonel Quaritch.

The extended release adds 16 minutes of footage including an alternate opening on Earth. Other than that, a hunting scene and a few shots of creatures I didn't notice much of a difference between this and the theatrical version. The new opening immediately establishes Jake's character. Despite being disabled he still believes in helping those in need and who are abused. He also clearly has no respect for authority. To be fair, Earth itself was more interesting than the events that took place in the new opening. I can see why James cut this from the film as we are able to find out who Jake is as the film progresses instead of knowing from the first few minutes. The new hunting scene was nice. Not only did we see more of Pandora, it better established even further how much Jake has improve his use of the Avatar body. To be honest the scene doesn't feel missed but I can't find a legitimate reason why it was cut other than time or budget. According to James Cameron each new minute cost approximately $1 million to render out.

James Cameron wanted to film Avatar before Titanic, but he felt special-effects we're not quite caught up to his expectations. He made Titanic as he waited. Titanic became the most successful film of all time and so Fox wanted his next film as soon as possible. The special effects were still not ready and the world continued to wait. Cameron went and did a slew of documentaries and further developed new technology and finally in 2007, production of Avatar began.

I still remember when I watched this movie on opening day in IMAX 3-D. It was one of the greatest experiences in my cinematic life. I remember being transported to Pandora. I felt as though I was there, I felt the air flowing from the screen, the green bushes around me. I thought as though I could reach out and touch them all. Watching this film again on my HDTV, I did not have the same effect. This proves the fact that with our new age heading towards streaming devices like Netflix and iTunes on your phone, the theater experience is still essential to the movie watching process. It will be a sad day when we are forced to watch our films on handheld devices. I hope that I never live to see that day.

4/4 Muffins

Por El Amor A Mi Padre

2012-07-23T20:19:00.002-07:00

Synopsis: When Hector Villarreal, a wealthy business owner, passes away, he gives his entire fortune away to two individuals he never once met; His children. When Victoria Villarreal, the only daughter Hector raised, finds out she not only has other siblings, but that they are inheriting all of Hector's fortune, she becomes enraged and helps devise a plan to take back what she feels is rightfully hers.

Credits:
Writer/Director: Daniel Trujillo
Producers: Marlene Renteria & Daniel Trujillo
Director of Photography/Editor: Carlos Reveles

Starring:
Anaiza Romero as Victoria Villarreal
Jay Michael Allyn as Todd
Angela Hurtado as Margarita Villarreal
Derek Reed as Jim
Matthew Torres as Fernando Villarreal
Martha Romero as Consuela Villarreal

REVIEW: Rampart

2012-06-15T14:27:00.003-07:00

Is man inherently evil? That is one of the questions I had while watching Rampart. What could drive a man so far off the edge? Dave Brown (Woody Harrelson) is a Vietnam veteran. His "brother" Terry (Ben Foster), or as Dave calls him "the general", also served in Vietnam. However Dave clearly was not affected by the Vietnam experience. He clearly acts the way he does now without any influence from the Vietnam war. It would be interesting to see what he was like during high school.The General clear suffers from shell-shock as well as alcoholism.

The film captures Los Angeles very well. Thanks to the film's great cinematography, I could feel the hot L.A. summers flowing from the screen. The script written by director Oren Moverman and James Elroy is smart and feels well researched.

Rampart is based on the Rampart scandals of the late 90's. The story revolves around Dave Brown, a member of the LAPD. He is known amongst his fellow officers as "Date Rape" Dave because allegedly he murdered a known date rapist in order to serve him "street justice". One morning while on patrol another vehicle mistakenly crashes into his squad car. Dave exits the vehicle and walks towards the other vehicle. An unknown black male opens the door and slams Dave with it. The two have a short pursuit and Dave ends up tackling him to the floor. Dave proceeds to beat the man with a baton. Of course someone is around with a video camera and begins to record mid-beating.

Dave Brown and "the General".

The year is 1999, two years after the Rampart scandals began to surface so all the Los Angeles Police Department needs is another racist officer beating an unknown black male. The department wants Dave to leave but he never will because he argues he is only doing his job.

Initially Dave feels like the victim. He makes the case that he has only brought hurt to those who hurt others but yet his daughter proclaims that while that may be true on the streets, he has also hurt her and her family. Dave denies this. He does not view the world in the same fashion as the people around him do. Hurt can only be brought through physical violence in Dave's eyes. He fails to see the psychological implications of his actions. He has children by two sisters. The daughters are both sisters and first cousins. They all live in the same household because he feels as though he must keep the family unit together. It's as if Dave's character is from a different era. Hartshorn (Ned Beatty), a retired but still well connected police officer, proclaims "This isn't your dad's police force". If Dave were around then, he may have been rewarded for his street justice.

Some people argue that street justice is the only form of justice. They argue that our court systems are a joke and those of whom are put on trial never truly get rightful punishment. The film presents Dave in a way where you want to believe he is right, but that is until assistant District Attorney Joan Confrey(Sigourney Weaver) reveals the fate of one of Dave's victims. The date rapist may have deserved the punishment, however his wife and daughters did not. Again Dave fails to see the harm his actions truly do. The children were raised in foster homes and were sexually molested by their foster parents. The wife had such a major breakdown that she was placed in an asylum and ended up committing suicide with a dull razor blade.

By the end of Rampart I found this answer: Man is not inherently evil, but people like Dave Brown exist, a man who is inherently evil.

3.5/4 Muffins

REVIEW: The Raid: Redemption

2012-04-29T22:59:00.001-07:00

Here is a film that is being described by Rotten Tomatoes as "No frills and all thrills, The Raid: Redemption is an inventive action film expertly paced and edited for maximum entertainment". It currently sits at 83% Certified Fresh. It only proves that sometimes the Tomatometer is inaccurate. The Raid is all action and no story, but somehow manages to keep your attention, but is that a good thing?

A rookie cop's task force has been ordered to raid the fifteen story compound of a large drug lord. That is all I need to describe The Raid's plot because that is the entire plot. Really. The only added dimension is the action. Is that good thing? Well it depends on the type of movie goer you are. If you are looking for a film with heart or substance, then watch another film. The Raid lacks both. When the majority of the films credits are: Machete Man #1-4; Cop # 1-7; Drug Dealer #1-14; you should not expect much substance.
However if you are looking for a pure adrenaline rush, then you should definitely check The Raid out. At 101 minutes, it felt as though at least 70 minutes were straight action. Writer-director Gareth Evans did a fascinating job of keeping the fights fresh and new despite being limited on space. He is able to keep the action intelligible and I never found myself lost or confused, like I was during Safe House or The Hunger Games, where it felt like the director chose to drop the camera from the sky to film the action sequences.

The biggest problem about The Raid is there simply isn't anything to get attached to until the middle of the 2nd act. This is when you discover the rookie cop you have been following has a brother who is a member of the gang he is trying to take out. Up until this point the film's many scenes of violence exist strictly for the sake of violence. The scenes are not disturbing, just frustrating. Nothing felt justified. This was because until this moment you really had no one to root for.

However once I discovered about the cop's relationship I became involved. I soon cared about whether the cop lived or died. I had someone to root for. If this twist never occurred, the film would have been no better than The Vow.

There is a sequel as well as an American remake currently in the development. I hope the sequel retains the amazing action sequences but adds substance to the film, from the beginning and not when the film is almost over like in this film. As for the remake, I simply do not understand why there is one. The film was just made no more than a year ago. It is almost insulting for a remake to happen so soon. All I ask is that Jason Statham please not be apart of this remake.

THE RAID: REDEMPTION
Running Time 101 Minutes
Written and Directed by Gareth Evans
Staring Iko Uwais, Donny Alamsyah and Ray Sahetapy

3/4 Muffins.

REVIEW: The Cabin in the Woods

2012-04-29T22:02:00.002-07:00

In general originality is hard to come by in films. Originality is even harder to come by in films in the horror genre. Most horror films of late try to follow the path of Hostel. Extreme violence over actual horror and scares. Joss Whedon has said that this film is a love letter to the horror genre. In reality The Cabin in The Woods is actually a dissection of the horror genre. Joss and screenwriting partner Drew Goddard(director of Cloverfield)present the audience a traditional horror narrative. For those who have not seen the film but are reading this first, please be warned that major spoilers loom ahead.

I decided after the third Transformers that I wouldn't watch trailers anymore. The second Transformers planted the idea in my head but I thought to myself how would I find out about movies if I did not watch the trailers. It wasn't until the third film did I finally convince myself not to watch trailers. The problem with trailers now is they either A.) show you the entire plot, or B.) show you a film that is not what you end up watching in the movie theater, and not in a good way either. It is a negative representation of the film. Studios are not trying to keep secrets back but portray the best parts of the film on screen just to secure seats on opening weekend.

I felt rewarded that I saw The Cabin in the Woods trailer-free. Everything was fresh and exciting. Final warning major spoilers ahead. Let me start by saying that I never would have expected there to be unicorns in a horror movie, or male mermaids either, but here is a film where you get both. You also get an assortment of other horror devices; clowns, serpents, werewolves, zombies, etc.(The list truly goes on and on).

I mentioned earlier that this film was more of a dissection of the horror genre than an actual horror film itself. While the first 30 minutes or so do provide some intense moments and scares, the film radically changes once the survivors start to get picked off. And the film completely leaves the horror genre when only two survivors remain.

The film becomes a spoof by the time there are only two survivors remaining. When I say spoof I do not mean in tone of Naked Gun, but more like a how Scream was a satire of the horror genre. The individuals find out they have been placed in a game. The two men in the room signify Cabin in the Wood's writers. Writers sit down and craft a story based on circumstances. If the character begins to find out the truth the writer can simply create an obstacle with the character.

The many creatures are like the many weapons in the writers arsenal. Writer could decide for the film to be a monster film with serpents or large tarantulas, a Japanese horror film full of young possessed girls, or even a Chinese horror films full of "normal" human beings who do sick and twisted things. The writers are commentating on the fact that these horror films have now become pick and choose. If it is a Chinese horror film then that means people will be burned alive, as shown in the film. There is no more originality left.

The Cabin in the Woods surprised me, and I believe that is what ultimately won me over about the film. I was intrigued by how the film started and where it would take me. I am glad that the many twists took place throughout the film. If I had any gripes with the film it is the fact that Marty(Fran Hanz) didn't die when the audience was made to believe he did. It didn't feel as fulfilling as say when Christopher Nolan faked everyone out with the death Commissioner Gordan in The Dark Knight. In this film I didn't see a real reason to either bring him back or "kill" him in the first place. I feel like it would have been better if they would have chose one and stuck with it, either killed him permanently or never led the audience to believe he was dead. All in all this was a fantastic film full of thrills and kills. I would love to see more films like this.

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS
Running Time 95 minutes
Written by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard
Directed by Drew Goddard
Starring Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford and Chris Hemsworth

3.5/4 Muffins

Louie: Poker/Divorce Review

2012-04-29T15:03:00.001-07:00

In film school one of the first assignments we are told to do is to shoot a poker scene. The purpose is to practice the 180 degree line. In order to deliver an intelligible edit. The opening to this episode is a poker scene. However it is not how the scene is shot that is important or even the poker game itself. What's important is the conversation that takes place. What starts off as a couple of guys making jokes towards their gay friend, turns into a rather important and touching social commentary. To me this is always when Louis CK is at his funniest. Like the great George Carlin, Louis is able to pinpoint reality and creatively analyze our everyday life. All while being funny. He has his beliefs and he expresses them.

From time to time I will try and post the clips if I truly deserve them to be of importance. If you are taking the time to read this review please take the few minutes to watch the above mentioned clip below.

Louie's Poker Scene from Louis CK

The clip speaks for himself. It's a very thought out and well written scene that should allow people to think about what Louie is actually saying.

From here the episode turns into the second segment which details living with divorce and the single life. Louis goes on to search for the one that got a way, or should I say the one that told him to "whip it out". This segment is not as strong as the first segment but it has its moments. Seeing a child Louis is always funny.It is reminiscent of the childhood flashbacks in the George Lopez's show George Lopez, except way more obscene.

9/10 Muffins

Louie: Pilot Review

2012-04-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

My 8th grade English teacher would describe Louis CK as someone who is rude crude and unattractive. The great thing about Louis is he knows he is all of these things and embellishes it. I've seen three of Louis comedy specials and I have to say the man is talented. Really good comedians always impress me. I cannot understand how it is they come up with new material at the rate that they do. His new show Louie feels like somewhat of an autobiography of his life. The show is acted written directed and edited by Louis which is very odd. Odd because you typically wouldn't see this on a network. But supposedly FX wanted him so badly that they offered him 200,000 to basically do what he wanted, which apparently was a much lower sum then other networks offered him albeit without the creative control he now has.

His show is set up as two vignettes, or extended skits that are intercut with Louis stand up routines that usually intertwine with the skit.

In the pilot we see Louis take his children to a school field trip, accompanied by an incompetent school bus driver. It's a hilarious bit, especially if you have had experiences with such bus drivers in grade school like I did.

The second bit revolves around Louis trying to get back in the dating game after a divorce. As his brother points out now that Louis is free to pursue any girl he wants, there's no girl that will want an old 42 year old. For the moment this appears to be true as his date clearly doesn't see anything right about Louis. It makes me wonder how the two got set up in the first place.

Overall as a short 30 minute comedy show it is very funny and has promise to be a fulfilling and great show. Hell it's already been renewed for a third season so that means it must be doing well.I also want to point out that in future reviews that I will use Louie and Louis interchangeably, because let's face it, it's Louis CK.

9/10 muffins

REVIEW: American Reunion

2012-04-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

During American Reunion's credits there is a montage of all the actors as they appeared 13 years ago during American Pie. It's a sentimental piece for a movie that has such crude humor. If there ever was a reason to bring the cast back for one more film it only makes sense that it be a reunion movie. The film is chalk full of 90's nostalgia, as well as retaining the same 90's humor that was first introduced into the series 13 years ago.

The film is written and directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. The two wrote all three of the Harold and Kumar films as well as directed the second and third installments. Just as the last Harold and Kumar film failed to truly bring back the essence of the original installments, the same can be said for this installment. The absence of the original screenwriter Adam Herz is a shame. I just could not help myself but think something was missing from the film. However there are some laughs to be had from the film.

The film opens with a conventional American Pie bit, which is scene of order that quickly turns into one of disorder. Jim(Jason Biggs) and Michelle(Alyson Hannigan) now have a two year old son. The audience is led to believe that Jim and Michelle have a healthy sex-life, but the truth of the situation is quite on the contrary. Michelle is stuck making sure the baby is satisfied and Jim works on his laptop, all before bed. After putting the baby to bed, Michelle decides to take a soothing bath before she herself goes to bed. This gives Jim the perfect opportunity to seek self satisfaction. Again as I mentioned before this simple harmless act turns into a crazy chaotic scene that includes a lubed tube sock, the baby, and the shower head.

Ameircan Reunion is set thirteen years after the first film. A high school "Class of 1999" reunion has been announced. The original gang all contact each other and plan to meet up. Oz(Chris Klein) is now a television sportscaster, Kevin(Thomas Ian Nicholas) is now an architect, Finch's(Eddie Kaye Thomas) role will remain secret, and of course Steve Stifler(Seann William Scott) hasn't changed one bit and is now a temp at a firm. The film compromises of various bits that leads up to the actual reunion itself. These bits are a "house party" at Stiflers in which Jim's dad(Eugene Levy) joins in on the excitement and finds himself alone with Stifler's mom(Molly Creek). On a side note, it's been 13 years since the first film but yet Stifler's mom is still doing the same thing. That is sad. I do not mean sad as in lack of creativity either. As an actual human being, Stifler's mother is actually a sad individual. She is clearly an alcoholic who dresses in the same manner despite her age, and never seems to find a man worthy of her. But I digress, most of the film's funny bits can be found here(the film's trailer).

Stifler is the main driving force behind the film's comedy. What disappointed me was the lack of actual reunion there was. Many people from previous films are reduced to simple cameos. Some how MILF guy(John Cho), got his cameo role in previous films bumped up to an actual supporting role. I would attribute this to his Harold and Kumar partners Jon and Hayden. Even Neil Patrick Harris makes his way into this movie as a celebrity dance off host. To be fair, I laughed quite a few times throughout and I did feel the sense of nostalgia that the filmmakers tried to push upon the audience, from the references to the soundtrack. The film ends in a way that would suggest that the franchise is trying to be re-established. After four films as well as four spin off films, is there anything left that is worth sharing? Possibly.

AMERICAN REUNION
Running Time 113 Minutes
Written and Directed by John Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg
Staring Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott and Chris Klein

2.5/4 Muffins

REVIEW: Titanic 3D

2012-04-17T21:26:00.001-07:00

15 years ago Director James Cameron proclaimed he was the king of the world after winning both Best Director and Best Picture for his film Titanic. He received a lot of criticism for his arrogance, but hell if I just made Titanic I would feel the same way he did.

The last time I saw this film in its entirety I was only five years old. My mom wanted to see the film and took me along. I remember a few things about watching the movie. The nude scene, the entire final act and and the film's final moments.

I remember the nude scene because I was uncomfortable. I knew that being naked was "bad" so I remember not watching. The final act was "cool". I never really understood what was happening beyond the actual sinking. And then the ending; My mom told me when I saw the movie that I had asked her "how they put ship back together if it sank". She laughed and to be honest I don't remember what her answer was. That is just a testament to how convincing films can be, especially for those at such an young age. The best thing about that day was that I went swimming after. I thought nothing of the film because how could I truly appreciate it for what it was. Now fifteen years later, understanding everything that was on screen, at 3 hours 30 minutes(including the 15 minute intermission) this film is truly a masterpiece of epic proportions.

The film starts slow. We are introduced a present day expedition of the Titanic. These individuals are searching for the "Heart of the Ocean", an extremely valuable diamond that was once owned by King Louis XIV. We follow Rose Dawson Calvert(Gloria Stuart), a woman who is 101 and is a fictional survivor of the Titanic. Gloria managed to live to 100. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate paid for her retirement home expenses until the day she died. She received an Academy Award nomination for her role and rightly deserved it. Gloria fits the role well and I was convinced that this is what Rose would have looked like at 101 with her magic filled hazel eyes. The actual story of Titanic plays out as a large flashback. Older Rose narrates her life to the crew members who are searching amongst the wreckage. Kate Winslet plays younger Rose.

James Cameron's script makes one thing perfectly clear from the beginning. There was a clear line between the different Socio-Economic levels of those who were aboard the ship. What is funny is how little has changed in the last hundred years. People in high class still look down upon those who are less fortunate. The film is strikingly relavent especially when you take into consideration what is currently taking place in our current economy. One man embodies the "evil" of being apart of the upper class, Cal Hockley (Billy Zane). Cal is Roses' fiancee when the Titanic first set's sail. Rose doesn't appear to be all that interested in Cal as Roses' life essentially is controlled by Cal. She is a miserable wreck. This is until a romantic adventurer saves her life after a botched suicide attempt. Who saves her? Well none other than the teenage heartthrob Jack, played by real life teenage heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio.

With a worldwide gross of 2 billion, I would have to say that to discuss the plot is a waste of time. Most people have seen the film. If not, I believe you should watch it immediately. Kate Winslet has said that in the fifteen years since Titanic was released that the difference between Leo and herself is that during Titanic she was fat and he was skinny. Now the opposite is true. It's funny but true. Leonardo's career also exploded and he is now one of the most sought after actor in all of Hollywood. Kate Winslet also remains one of the strongest female actresses of my lifetime. James Cameron has only directed one other feature film since Titanic, a small hit named Avatar.

One of the greatest films to be captured on celluloid.

The film's 3D is well done. In part I believe that the theater I went to see the film was responsible for my well received 3D experience. I watched the film at Universal AMC 19 IMAX. The theater is right next to Universal Studios and as a result the theater does not lower the setting's on the projectors bulb in order to save money. The 3D image was brighter then your average theater. I worried that the film's final act would be dull since it takes place at night, but no the 3D worked well thanks to the brighter screen. James Cameron supposedly worked for 18 weeks on the conversion and I have to admit I can tell that a lot of work was put into the process. However no matter how long James worked to convert the film, it was not designed to be shot in 3D and will never be a 3D film. Sadly with Titanic's recent box office surge, the re-releasing of films in 3D will not stop. Above all my biggest complaint with 3D is the extra money I have to pay in order to watch the film.

The film's breathtaking final act is worth the price of admission all by itself. The film does have it's flaws and has many touches of Hollywood cheese sprinkled throughout, however the film is such a tour de force that these elements are easily overlooked. Those who want to criticize the film can easily do so, but the film is truly effective at suspending the audiences belief which allows for one of the greatest films to ever be captured on celluloid.

4/4 Muffins

REVIEW: A Separation

2012-04-17T17:49:00.008-07:00

The beauty of A Separation is how the elegantly the film is able to throw the audience into the world and culture of the characters on screen. Everything is fleshed out and detailed. I never once found myself lost or confused, despite a rather complex plot. Despite never visiting Iran or being apart of the culture, I felt like I understood everything. The story is so universal yet so personal to these people.

The plot is simple on the surface but becomes complex as the film plays out. A man and a woman who live in Iran are filing for a divorce. Neither partner wants the divorce but the wife, Simin(Leila Hatami), cannot bare to raise her daughter in the current conditions of Iran and wants to move. The husband, Nadar(Peyman Moaadi), does not want to move because he must remain in Iran to take care of his father who has Alzheimer's. Simin moves out until the divorce can be finalized and the daughter remains in the care of Nadar. Since Nadar works a majority of the day, he hires a caretaker to watch his father while he is gone. That is all I will say of the films plot as I said the film becomes rather complex. To be fair, the divorce is only a small piece to the film's puzzle.

Despite the films complexity I always knew what was going on. The film is so beautifully acted and directed that the film could have gone on for hours and I never would have complained once. Despite being in a foreign language I was easily able to follow the rapid fire dialogue, which never seemed to slow down. People say that the French language is one of the most elegant languages to speak, but I would have to say that the way these characters spoke Persian truly was hypnotizing.

It's interesting to note that this film was made for a measly 800,000 US dollars. It's amazing what can be done when time is taken to truly develop story and characters. If only Hollywood would take more time to develop these things instead of worrying about 3D or cheap special effects.

Despite being less then two hours in length, A Separation covers many different topics ranging from religion to sexual dominance in society. I haven't seen any of the other films that were nominated for Best Foreign Film for last years Oscars, but to be honest I do not think I need to. This deserved the honor and was easily one of the best films of 2011 period.

4/4 Muffins

REVIEW: The Artist

2012-04-13T13:03:00.000-07:00

The Artist is a throwback to films made during the Silent Era. I was going to write my review directly after watching the film a few months ago but I knew that the film had to resonate inside of me before I could be honest about what I watched. Or else the review would have easily been a negative one. To truly enjoy The Artist is a difficult task for those who do not have a passion for film. The film has been said to be a film for film lovers and to an extent it is true. However I do not need a silent film to tell me why I love movies. There is a reason why silent films are no longer made.

The film follows the story of George Valentin(Jean Dujardin), a silent film movie star. He is loved by everyone; his studio, his fans, and even the critics. After one of his new movie premieres, he bumps into an adoring fan, Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo). Peppy is an overlooked actress who wants to become the next star. George, being the kind soul he is decides to take a picture with Peppy. The innocent picture ends up in the newspaper, and Peppy is able to use this to land a job as an extra. As she continues to land gigs, she finally lands one that allows for her to act alongside George. It is a small dance sequence. George is love struck by this dance, however after the scene wraps, a huge bomb is dropped in George's lap. The head of the studio informs George about movies being made with synced sound. The "talkies" are now upon George. Initially George does not want to believe the hype of the talkies and dismisses those types of films as gimmicks.

Later that night George has a nightmare. This is the films best scene. Ironically it is also the films only scene with sound(not including the final moments). After a good half hour of no dialogue or sounds of any sort(besides score) the audience is finally given its first synced sounds. George panics as he can "hear" everything around him except for his own voice. From here the film plays out similar to the 1952 film Singin' In The Rain.

Jean is phenomenal as George Valentin. Without him, the film would not be anything special at all. He truly embodies the role perfectly, and is just like the actors from that era. I have been told that acting in silent films is the hardest of all types of acting due to the fact that everything must be conveyed through facial expressions and physical displays. George utters one line throughout the entire film, but his performance is great because of his ability to display his emotions. I never felt like I did not know what was going on in the characters mind despite the lack of dialogue. To be honest I wish George never said anything throughout the entire film. That way it would always remain a mystery as to what George actually sounded like. Jean's thick French accent stuck out like a sore thumb and felt out of place when he utters his final line.

There are many references to the films of old, from the opening title sequence to the way the film was presented in 22 FPS(Even though true silent films had even lower frame rates due to lack of soundtrack) and in the "Golden Ratio" of 1:33:1. The film was shot in color however and was converted to Black and White in post, however the film gets the feel correctly. I am just curious what audiences from the 20's would think of a film like this.

The film pays homage to a type of film that no longer exists, and there is a perfectly good reason for that. Very few people want to sit in a theater for 90 minutes and not hear people talk. It is very unnatural and to be quite honest, it does not allow for someone to get involved as deeply as a picture with sound. This film works for what is set out to do, but I just hope that Hollywood does not start producing more of these films. Hollywood needs to press forwards not backwards. That means get rid of 3D as well. Stop rebooting things that do not need reboots.

3.5/4 Muffins

An example of Jean's magic as George Valentin:

REVIEW: Act of Valor

2012-04-13T02:22:00.023-07:00

The action in this film is great. The use of real Navy Seals is effective for the action sequences because you become involved with the film in a way you normally wouldn't in a typical action film. The Seals portrayed are for the most part real Navy Seals, however they also are accompanied by trained actors. The moments when the real Seals interact with trained actors is where film suffers most.

The digital cinematography was one of the main reasons why I went to see this film(and the cool teaser trailer). A majority of the film's action sequences were shot with Canon's 5D Mark II. It's obvious when the 5D was used instead of a regular High Definition camera, but still it is a feat for a feature of this scale to use a camera like this for the majority of the film. It is a testament of how far filmmaking has truly come. 100 years ago guerrilla filmmaking of this style was practically non-existent. D.W. Griffith was just beginning to shoot his magnum opus Birth of A Nation. Now anyone with a cell phone can shoot and make movies.

Canon 5D Mark II in action.

The film has obviously been influenced by recent first person shooters like Call of Duty. What people fail to realize is the simple fact that these games have all been influenced by actual combat, so at the end of the day the influence is irrelevant. I only mention it because the film uses a large amount of "first person" sequences. Initially this effect is welcome because it's different. However the film abuses this effect and as a result it feels lazy and a distraction.

The film should have stayed as what it was initially designed as, a short recruiting tool for the Navy Seals. It is apparent that Directors Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh attempted to make up a realistic plot that would nicely coincide with the films staged but realistic action sequences. As a result the plot becomes noticeable and predictable. The plot becomes a vehicle for the Seals to be thrown into new action sequences, which is never a good thing.

Act of Valor suffers most during these sequences. In order for plot to progress there have to be moments of down time where the film can settle down, or else you have a mess like Transformers. In these scenes, the Navy Seals display that their main purpose in life is to fight not act. Certain serious acts play out comically because of the horrid acting. To be fair, these men fight and defend our country and as a result I do not expect them to be on the level of Robert De Niro, however I must be critical of everything on the screen. However there is one redeeming scene in which a commanding officer interrogates a high valued terror suspect. The scene is acted very well and supplied one of the best dramatic moments of the entire film.

Act of Valor is heavy on action and light on plot, even though it tries to be deep in both aspects. When the Seals are doing what they do best the film works well, however when Hollywood seeps in, the film ultimately falls flat on its face. Overall this film may work for the Call of Duty crowd but simply does not work well enough for me to wholeheartedly recommend.

2.5/4 Muffin

REVIEW: Project X

2012-03-29T21:08:00.036-07:00

When I first saw the trailer for Project X I will admit I was very eager to watch the film. The trailer just screamed "watch me". I am not the party type, but something about a wild night of partying culminating with a man torching the neighborhood just was intriguing to me. The film that I saw was definitely not what I had hopes for. What I watched was easily one of the worst films I have seen in 2012, if not the worst.

Throughout the entire film I debated whether this movie was the worst or The Devil Inside. Ultimately The Devil Inside won. That movies ending is so horrendous it easily trumps anything that has been released this year, and probably will be the worst of the year.

Like The Devil Inside I won't even bother to set this movie up. Watch the trailer and you have the entire movie. It's infuriating to see that 12 million dollars was wasted on this film. 12 million dollars could have been used for many filmmakers who actually want to make films. The only reason why this isn't getting a zero is because believe it it not I enjoyed three elements to this film. The character Costa(Oliver Cooper) actually made me chuckle a few times throughout the film. Out of the three leads, he is the only one who contributed something I enjoyed in the film. Thomas(Thomas Mann) was useless and so was J.B.(Jonathan Daniel Brown). Ever since Jonah Hill did Superbad it seems like every high school film has to cast a chubby fat kid with curls. Am I the only one who doesn't remember seeing people like that in high school? Actually as I was writing this review I found out that Jonathan Daniel Brown isn't entirely useless, considering he used to be a porn star. Yes the fat chubby kid who can't get the girls in the film, was actually a porn star. Now who would watch his porn is beyond me but it is true. Click here for the TMZ story.

The 2nd element that I enjoyed was a small scene involving Thomas' dog at the start of the party. The people at the party take a page right from the film Up. They tie the dog to a bunch of balloons and let the dog fly off. Where the party goers get so many balloons is never really shown, but who cares because the bit works. Unfortunately that was the films first and last funny moment.

The only other thing I enjoyed about this film was at the end of the party. The part in the trailer that enticed me to see the film in the first place turned out rather well. Too bad you have to sit through the entire film to get to that moment. Metallica's "Battery" is played throughout this riot sequence, which to me made the sequence stand out even further. It is not often in which you hear Metallica music being played in a movie, and when you do it is normally out of place. In this film it works. Speaking of Metallica, it's interesting to note that Quentin Tarantino actually reached out to Metallica to use some of their music to score his infamous "The House of Blue Leaves" fight sequence in Kill Bill. Not being familiar with Tarantino, Ulrich denied access to their music, typical Metallica.

This movie did not need to be "found footage" I do not know what I find to be more annoying, 3D films or "found footage" films. Being a "found footage" film adds nothing to this films story. It doesn't allow for the story to accomplish things it wouldn't normally be able to. The effect is to make you feel like a member of the party. While this didn't work for me it clearly worked for most of the audience the night I went to see the film. Please read this which briefly details exactly what I am talking about. The only reason why it was shot this was simply as a gimmick. It was most likely done this way to save WARNER BROS. a ton of money to produce the film.

I am glad I only spent 4 dollars to see the film, but to be honest I would have rather pirated the film. On second though, I wish I never saw the film(if you can call it that) at all.

0.5/4 Muffins

REVIEW: The Hunger Games

2012-03-28T23:27:00.003-07:00

The Hunger Games is a science fiction film that details a new society called Panem after what we know as North America collapsed. Panem was originally sectioned off into 13 Districts. After much oppression District 13 revolted against the Capitol, Panem's governing body. In the Process District 13 was completely destroyed. As a result of the revolution the Capitol instituted the Hunger Games, "as a remembrance for those who were lost." The games act as a control for the entire population, as well as a national televised event. Two individuals, a boy and a girl, are chosen from the remaining 12 Districts as "tributes" and are brought to fight one another until only one remains.

Director Gary Ross immediately establishes Katniss Everdeen(Jennifer Lawrence) and does so well. She hails from District 12. In the first scenes we find out that she is a natural leader, as she tends for both her mom and younger sister. She also appears to be very well trained with the Bow. From the looks of it she'd give John Rambo a run for his money. However that's essentially all the back story that is given because the Hunger Games selection process begins relatively soon in the film. From here we follow Katniss and her district partner Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) as they train and put on a show for people who live at the Capitol. Think of this like a Pre-Game show in which multiple interviews take place in order for the audience to get better aqcuainted with the contestants. The Hunger Games is a mix of reality television along with the gladiators of ancient Rome.

The actual games start at about the half way mark. To be honest this is where the film disappointed most. I thought The Hunger Games would truly shine during the actual games but I have to admit I was extremely disappointed on multiple levels. The production team stated that in order to preserve the book's violent aspects, the action scenes had to be shot in unique ways. I am sorry to say but unique should not mean: "shake the camera as violently as possible so the audience is not aware what exactly is taking place on screen". I wondered to myself if the Camera OP had Parkinson's disease. Despite me hating the method the director used to "showing pieces of the action" in such a frantic manner does in no way mean that I wanted the violence to be shown, even though it would have been more appropriate especially for the film's content. Violence can be effective when it is not shown at all. For example in Brian De Palma's Scarface Tony Montana's brother gets chainsawed, however we do not see any of it. Just reaction shots and tons of blood.

The film's first true action sequence was horrid as a result of this aforementioned method. It is sad because the moment had such a tremendous build up. This brings me up to my next and larger issue with he film: I simply did not care about any of the individuals involved in the games other than Kitness. I also cared slightly for Peeta. I am sure that the book did not have this problem, but maybe it did. I haven't read it. I would hope that the book would add more depth, but I honestly don't know. SPOILERS: When Rue(Amandla Sternberg) is killed, everyone around me was in tears. I was quite confused as I couldn't grasp how they could care enough about a character that hardly had any screen time. Maybe the audience members were familiar with the source material, which is why they felt this way, but this is unacceptable because what's on screen isn't a book but a film. You hardly know anything about the other characters and so when they die, their deaths have no impact on the overall story. The fact that they are children means nothing to me and is not enough to solidify a response. Just because they are children does not automatically mean I am concerned each time one dies.

The Tributes. Can you tell me all of their character names without looking it up? I didn't think so.

By the time the film ended I felt like it was incomplete. Maybe the other two films will leave me better satisfied. The film has so much potential to be much more than it actually was. Ultimately it seems that most people loved the film but I am one of the few who did not like it. Bad editing, horribly shot action sequences, and lack of character depth for the others involved in the games bring what was an otherwise very enjoyable film to an above average picture. With that being said, despite my criticisms, I cannot wait to see the next film in the series. Hell I would rather watch another installment of this instead of the new Twilight film any day.

2.5/4 Muffins

(Editor's Note: If you like The Hunger Games please go check out Battle Royale. The film is similar to The Hunger Games in content except it has deeper characters and better thought out action sequences that are shot well.)

REVIEW: Casa de Mi Padre

2012-03-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

The movie opens with a narrator telling the audience both that the film is in Spanish and to deal with it. Will Ferrell is Armando Alvarez. He is a failure in life and tries to live one with nature. His father loves his brother Raul Alvarez(Diego Luna) more than Armando, despite Raul's secret identity as a drug dealer. However the same cannot be said for Raul's fiancee, Sonia (Génesis Rodríguez). She is uncertain on whether or not Raul is right for her, especially after meeting Armando. If while reading you thought the plot sounded like a soap opera or a TV novella, then you are absolutely correct.

Casa de Mi Padre's plot is rather not important. Essentially it is a compilation of short skits that are held together by the same loose plot I mentioned before. Elements that range from Ferrell speaking the entire film in Spanish, to talking jaguars, constantly try to keep the film funny and entertaining. To be honest for the most part the bits work.

The film pays homage to 70's Spanish Western titles. It feels like the film could be shown as a potential opener to Tarantino's Grindhouse films. There are missing reels, horrendous effects, and even a moment when a special effects shot is interrupted by a long message from the 2nd Assistant Director. The message scrolls down the screen apologizing for the "greatest sequence ever shot" being "lost". Will Ferrell is the films star and most likely the only reason why you are watching the film. However it is easy to spot that gone is Ferrells great ability to improvise. As he stated countless times in numerous interviews he could not improv because he was more focused on saying his Spanish properly then anything else. Ferrells spanish gimmick does not work throughout the entire film because after the first few scenes it fades quickly and ultimately becomes a distraction.

My favorite bit in the entire movie happens late in the film. The shot is a classic move in most action films. It is a dolly in on the evil character that shows the audience how ruthless the character is or has become. However this film gets it "wrong". Normally when you move the camera close to someones face who is wearing glasses you do your best to avoid any possible reflections to avoid spotting crew members. The members of the crew purposely avoided this and so when the dolly occurs it reveals the entire set in the actor's glasses. Other memorable things to look out for in the film are frequent mannequins that are used as stand ins for actors, band members who do not actually play their instruments at all(the drummer does not even hit his snare), and during the massacre scene people who are supposed to be dead miraculously start moving.

Overall the film will make you laugh if you are familiar with the films it is paying "homage" to. But even at 84 minutes the film feels too long. This would have worked as a one hour soap opera special. All in all hats off to Will Ferrell for trying something as daring like this.

2.5/4 Muffins

REVIEW: Inception

2012-03-26T22:29:00.003-07:00

Christopher Nolan's Inception is hardcore science fiction done for mainstream audiences. If you understood the film upon first viewing I applaud you. The film is structured to be a massive undertaking that demands multiple viewings in order to truly grasp what is taking place. The premise is simple, however the film is anything but simple. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as a thief named Dominic Cobb. However Dominic is not your ordinary thief. He actually does not steal physical materials, instead he steals what is inside an individuals mind through their very own dreams.

Thrusting you straight into the dream world, Christopher Nolan immediately plants the idea of what the film is going to be about from the onset. The way he is able to juggle the multiple dreams is simply breathtaking. When the van finally begins to fall into the water below, what normally would last seconds, ends up taking up the last third of the film. Here is an example of what I am talking about. Someone actually edited the pieces of film together to play in "real-time". It's very interesting especially if you are a fan of the film.

The thing that continuously works for me is the films editing. Each time I watch the film, I fail to understand how this film did not get an Academy Award Nomination for Editing. The films structure combined with the content and length make me wonder how something like 127 Hours could receive a nomination but this film could not. It blows my mind how Nolan was able to come up with the concepts he did in this film. Everything breathes complexity and there do not seem to be any noticeable plot holes.

It's hard to say more about this film that hasn't already been said by countless other reviews, so why try to one up anyone else. Instead I'll leave you with one of my favorite fight scenes ever put on celluloid, along with how they pulled it off.

4/4 Muffins

REVIEW: The Vow

2012-03-26T21:56:00.002-07:00

The most surprising element to Michael Sucsy’s The Vow is the ending isn’t happy. After watching Channing Tatum try and win back Paige(Rachel McAdams) for 104 minutes, I wanted him to get her back. Instead Michael attempts to place the film in reality, in order to separate it from films like Dear John or The Last Song. However this film is exactly like those above mentioned and was marketed that way, and as a result suffers horrendously for trying to be a film it cannot be.

The plot is very straightforward. Channing Tatum and Paige meet in the parking lot of a DMV. Two years later the couple get married. After an evening at the movies, the two drive home and are rear-ended by a dump truck. Channing is okay but Paige’s short term memory has been lost. She wakes up and forgets about Channing. The rest of the film Tatum attempts to regain her memory. On a side note the inciting incident for this film looks horrid. The CGI crash is so awful that it actually took me out of the seriousness of the scene and I found myself laughing in the theater.

This film is based on a true story, but that adds little to the film. My biggest problem with the film is I just didn’t care about what was taking place. This film is very reminiscent of the superior 50 First Dates. Both females lose their short term memory. They both lose their memory due to auto incidents. The leading men both try to win the girl’s heart. However the two films differ in the simple fact that 50 First Dates succeeds in what it set out to be, which was a romantic comedy.

Hmm the first picture looks mighty similar to this.

This film however tries to be a romantic dramedy and fails horribly. The Vow attempts to be realistic about the Paige's memory loss with all of the repercussions, but the film resorts to small PG-13 gags that would never fit in reality. If the film wanted to be serious, then it shouldn’t hold back. When Steve McQueen set out to make Shame he did not try to make a Hollywood film that deals with the psychological problems of sexual addiction. He wanted a realistic portrayal of what it is like to have a sexual addiction, including all of its pitfalls. Director Michael tones down the reality but setting up unbelievable melodramatic elements to the film which ultimately draw the entire film down.

I’ll admit the film held my attention for its duration. However as I mentioned early, the fact that the film didn’t end happy was truly disappointing. I wanted the two to end up back together. For those who have seen the film, I do not accept the ending that they presented as happy either. SPOILERS: the film ends with Channing Tatum and Paige going out again, however it ends that way. There is no definite resolution or guarantee that the couple reunites together. It is implied, but after spending time with these characters that I have been forced to care about, I do not want an implication. I need an absolute. The film cops out and ends with stating that the real life couple fell in love again and they have two kids together despite the girl never remembering what happened. What does it matter what happened to their real life counter-parts? These are characters in the movie, not the actual people. If you want me to take what you present as non-fiction then you need to take a no-non-sense approach. To be honest I couldn’t even recommend this movie as a sweet date movie. I would rather go bowling.

(Editor's note: If you wonder why throughout the review why I referred to Channing Tatum by his name instead of his as Leo Collins, his character name, it is because I saw no acting from Channing this entire movie. He simply was himself for the duration.)

1 ½ Muffins.

REVIEW: The Woman in Black

2012-03-26T20:41:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to watch this film without looking at Daniel Radcliffe and not think of Harry Potter. It’s nice to see him putting himself in a role that is completely unlike anything he did in the Potter franchise however. There are moments when this film works well as a haunted house horror film, however the simple truth is there are not enough of these moments to truly be scary.

Daniel Radcliffe plays Arthur Kipps a lawyer who has been commissioned to settle a ownership dispute for an old abandoned mansion. Apparently the mansion has supernatural entities, like most old mansions apparently do. I suppose that spirits do not like to occupy section 8 housing. The plot manages to get deeper but that is not crucial to what the film is really about. Like Insidious, this film is a haunted house film. Unlike Insidious however, this film fails to bring beginning to end scares. The Woman in Black tries to blend drama and Horror. When the film is allowed to be horrifying, it works relatively well. Despite this, the film lacks in the dramatic department. Nonetheless the film is still well made. It doesn’t dumb down the film for American audiences.

Are Bratz going to be this scary in 100 years?

By the time the film reaches the ending, you want more from the film, but the film prevents it. the ending is actually the best part of the film. It is an interesting and effective way that displays the afterlife. This film will work for some in it’s entirety, but for me it only worked when it focused on what the film set out to do, scare the audience.

2/4 muffins.

REVIEW: John Carter

2012-03-24T10:52:00.002-07:00

It's a shame that John Carter did not end up being Disney's Avatar. All of the controversy surrounding the films monumental loss is truly something that is causing people to stay away from the film. It's a horrible stigma that I wish would go away. I felt that the film was going to be good based on the publicity going into the theater. However this is not how I felt leaving.

The film begins with John Carter's death(Trust me not a spoiler). In his will, all of his possessions are to be given to his nephew Edgar Burroughs. The most important of all the materials is John Carter's journal, of which it is explicitly is written that no one is allowed to lay eyes on it but Edgar. Edgar proceeds to read from the journal and the audience is immediately thrown into John's past., where we stay for the majority of the film. John Carter spends his life searching for gold. After a long expedition he returns to a certain Arizona town's saloon in order to resupply. The bartender tells Carter that he cannot supply him any longer because he hasn't paid the money promised. Tensions boil but before anything can occur, Colonel Powell(Bryan Crantson) and his Calvary show up to the saloon. Powell needs Carter's help fighting the Apaches but he refuses and as a result John is taken to jail. What follows is actually a clever and excellent way to introduce Carter's determination. He attempts to escape multiple times and ultimately finally does so. Upon his escape he reaches a cave, and mistakenly kills a man with a medallion. He grabs hold of the medallion as the cloaked man utters his last dying words then John carter teleports to Mars. Oh, I forgot to mention this film actually takes place not too long after the Civil War. What follows after John's arrival on Mars I'll leave for you to find out, but as I said before the film is entertaining and is very good.

John Carter brings to mind the aforementioned Avatar, as well as other Sci-Fi films like Star Wars. However what I never knew prior to this film being produced was that John Carter is actually from a series of books that were written almost 100 years ago. Cameron and Lucas drew their influences from the John Carter series and I can see why. Just from this one film alone, which is supposed to be the first book entitled "Princess from Mars", the universe that John occupies is extremely dense and just screams for a franchise to be made, which would I would love to see.

I never saw one trailer for the film, which I am grateful for because everything in the film was a surprise. From Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston small but important role to the design of the creatures that inhabit Mars. The one thing I noticed is that it feels like at moments it tries to keep everything simple but at other times it feels like the director is speaking to those of whom are familiar with the text. I honestly think this is a good thing as the movie does not unnecessarily get dumbed down. However there were a few times where I found myself to be lost(mostly due to the onslaught of new names), especially in the beginning. The movie is definitely something that would be rewarding to watch twice.

Thankfully I chose to skip the 3D presentation of this film. If I would have watched the film in 3D the films bright beautiful landscapes and scenery would have been darkened and completely ruined. The film's surprising amount of violence was a welcome addition. There were moments when I felt like the film could have been an R had the director decided to make the blood of certain creatures red instead of blue.

All in all I found myself enjoying the film from start to finish. I do not think the film is for everyone, just like Star Wars isn't, but I am happy to admit it is a guilty pleasure. It's just sad that the film has been getting so much bad press. All that means to me is that there won't be any more John Carter films, which is honestly a shame. I highly recommend this film and it was actually worth every penny I spent.

3.5/4 Muffins

SHHH! It Happens

2012-03-19T21:51:00.000-07:00

A short film detailing an unfortunate true-to-life mishap of an El Camino Compton Center student.

This was a project that was done for my Film/Video 32ab class. The class was broken up into groups. Each group was responsible for conceiving an idea, assigning crew, casting the film, shooing and editing the finished film in one hour.

I pitched the concept and Directed the piece. I will neither confirm nor deny that this film was based from personal experiences, but I will say that Compton Center needs to get doors for their bathroom stalls...and toilet paper for the stalls with doors! Enjoy.

REVIEW: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

2012-03-19T21:24:00.060-07:00

I was only seven years old when I first watched The Phantom Menace in the theaters. I remember loving the action, enjoying Jar Jar Binks, and being deathly afraid of Darth Maul. As I grew up I started to disassociate myself with the prequel films, as it seems most people did. As I re-watched the films over the years I found Jar Jar Binks to be a worthless character and I felt The Phantom Menace was weak compared to the films before it. It has been 13 years since I last saw the film in the movie theater. 13 years later the film resonated something inside of me. I felt my childhood flash before my eyes.

To put it simply, I was a fool to dismiss this film and fall in line with the opinions of so called "Star Wars fans". This film may not be A New Hope or The Empire Strikes back, be why should it be? It is supposed to be the first movie in the saga introducing key elements to the overall structure of the six films and it effectively does so. So what that Jar Jar Binks is in the film? When you actually think about his actual on screen presence he only occupies a small space of the entire film. This film has all the elements of the original trilogy except it adds more depth. When George Lucas decided to explain the Force by the way of midi-chlorians it was met with major backlash. Growing up I understood the argument and completely agreed, but after viewing the film again so many years later, I feel that people were being irrational. Why is George Lucas being condemned for explaining things. To me his use for the explanation of the Force is very well done. Lucas is able to answer many lingering questions fans had. The problem lies in the answer he gives. However this problem is only for the fans. After viewing the film this time I realized that Star Wars is not for me or for you, it's for George Lucas. This is his movie and he can do is he wishes. While I may not support him 100%, this is still his film. If he wants Jar Jar Binks in it then you can have Jar Jar Binks in it.

Yes people, he becomes Darth Vader. Deal with it.

While we are on the topic of criticisms, let's get something straight, there is no reason why this film needed to be released in 3D. Compared to most post-3D films, this one ranks among the best, however this conversion suffers something all 3D films suffer from. 3D films are automatically darker due to the polaroid glasses, but when you combine that with most theaters not projecting bright enough causes the darkness to truly destroy the projected images. One of the magical elements of the Star War's universe is it is full bright colorful environments, however they are completely lost once the 3D comes into play. I'm sure Titanic will be the same way. It just puzzles me why films that were not shot in 3D, with no intent to be shown in 3D are now being converted. It's all for money. It's only a matter of time before they re-release the Harry Potter films or every other blockbuster franchise out there. It is sad to be honest.

The action in this film is still spectacular, and so is the pod race. I never realized how intense the pod race actually was until I experienced it again inside the movie theater. The pod racers rip and roar throughout the theaters surround sound speakers. It felt like watching NASCAR on the big screen. Speaking of new things Lucas brought to the Star Wars franchise, Lucas brought complex and unique light saber duels to the saga. Go back and watch your favorite Star Wars films of the original trilogy, and see how lacking in technique the light saber duels are. The argument of course is in the original trilogy, the light saber duels had story behind them with less action. And in the prequel trilogies the action was heavy but there was no story behind it. How could this be so? When Qui-Gon Jinn(Liam Neeson) gets killed by Darth Maul I was heavily involved. It was like losing Ben Kenobi in A New Hope. Everything Lucas did had a purpose. Even an Anakin stumbling upon the shield generator in the final space battle.

I could go on and on about how after so many years I finally defend this film but I won't. To put it simply, Star Wars: Episode One - The Phantom Menace is a film that deserves the Star Wars moniker despite what most people believe.

3.5/4 Muffins

Prometheus: Big Things Have Small Beginnings

2012-03-17T21:29:00.047-07:00

Today was an amazing day for people looking forward to Ridley Scott's Prometheus. First we were treated with a 1 minute IMAX teaser trailer. Then we got another piece of information from the Viral Campaign. The biggest piece today however was the reveal of full length trailer. I will discuss all of this after the jump.

The trailer is quite good and actually sent chills down my arms. Not many trailers have done that. It's quite epic and looks to be like Ridley will have a great return into the Sci-Fi genre. To be honest there are so many elements in this trailer that I could write a whole breakdown of it, which I may do in the coming days. The below IMAX trailer also gives more information pertaining to the film. What's exciting to me is the films great cast. Idris Elba, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce and even Charilze Theron just to name a few. What's great about these trailers is they show you things, but do not spoil plot. Even the full theatrical trailer acts much like a teaser trailer, which to me are the best trailers. Too many trailers now a days simply give the whole story for the trailer and leave the audience with no surprises.

At first I will admit I was a bit disappointed finding out what I did today. It is not because the information was bad, I just rather would have like to find out what I did in theaters instead of three months before hand. So for those of whom would like to remain as spoiler free as possible, stop reading here. However if you do not mind then below is the second video where the spoiler comes.

Michael Fassbender plays David, an android. Personally as I mentioned before I would have rather not known this detail, but I guess it's something that is not supposed to be a secret like Ash was in Alien, or it wouldn't be in the viral campaign. What's interesting to note is the film takes place in 2085 according to writer Damon Lindelof. The TED video that I posted earlier took place in 2023. Ridley confirmed that Guy Pearce, who plays Peter Weyland, will be in the film. I am curious as to what exactly his role will be and to what extent he will be involved in the films plot since that puts his age at least over 80 years old.

I'll leave everyone with this(click for a larger image). My question is what exactly is it?:

REVIEW: Cloverfield

2012-03-06T16:12:00.002-08:00

Cloverfield works both as a found footage film, and even more as a monster film. It's a fresh take on the monster film genre and it is completely welcome. The first time I watched the film I remember hating it. It was the first time I had ever seen a found footage film. I didn't appreciate what this approach was doing to the filmmaking process. It was not until I watched Diary of the Dead and then the original Paranormal Activity did I truly understand what the genre was. I later revisited the film after seeing Paranormal Activity and was completely astonished by how great Cloverfield actually is.

The film opens with on April 27th and follows the lives of Rob and Beth. They seem to have a cute relationship based on these first few minutes. Abruptly the film cuts to May 22nd. This is because this footage has been found as is and has been recorded over. It's an interesting how only four years have passed and taped recording for personal use is almost all but obsolete. Now the film would have been saved on a hard drive and the footage would never be structured this way. May22nd is Rob's going away party. Apparently during this past month Rob and Beth had a falling out which caused Rob to easily take a job in Japan. The next fifteen minutes or so we follow Hud, Rob's best friend, as he records farewell's for Rob. This is until there is an apparent earthquake in New York, momentarily cutting the power to the apartment building. When the power is restored the local news station reports that there is a capsized vessel in the harbor. Curious, everyone at the party travels to the top of the roof for a better look.

Up until this point if you have never heard of the film then what happens next will come as a surprise. At the top of the building a large explosion occurs off in the distance. This seemingly random event causes panic and evacuation of the party. On the city streets the pedestrians are in a panic when all of a sudden the head of the Statue of Liberty rolls down the street.In the moments that follow this evoke memories of September 11th. Director Matt Reeves is wise to show the realities of a situation like this but not try and recreate 9/11. The scene is effect and is chilling.

What works the best about this film is the lack of explanations. The director of photography does a nice job making the film look like it as shot hand held in the moment while still keeping the film looking cinematic.However this also happens to be my biggest gripe with the film. In certain situations that the film presents, a normal human being would not have the courage or the audacity to continue filming. For example after a series of events, the group ends up in an empty subway tunnel. They decide to travel down the subway tracks, and are ambushed by fleas(that come from the monster). As everyone is attacked Hud still manages to record the action taking place, even when he is attacked himself. I know that if I was being chased by creatures that were unknown to the world previously to this incident, I would not be thinking about recording.

Luckily films like Cloverfield only come around every so often. The film is a roller coaster from start to finish which is fantastic. There are talks of a sequel to this film, but I really would rather not see one be made. Personally too many movies have unwarranted sequels. Not every movie can be like the Toy Story franchise or The Dark Knight. However if one is made, it would be interesting to see what is made since the monster in Cloverfield survived the final bombing. What's more interesting is the monster is only a baby.

3.5/4 Muffins