Your Movie Friend

Wednesday Stuff (Your Movie Friend Update and Plans)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Monday Stuff moves to Wednesday Stuff and other announcements about where Aaron has been for the past month.

This is the End (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:19:00 +0000

Seth Rogan and friends play themselves as the apocalypse happens around them. Here's the best thing, worst thing, and main thing about "This is the end".

TEXT OF VIDEO REVIEW:

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you crossed Superbad with Left Behind, have I got a movie for you.
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“This is the End” is an apocalyptic comedy starring Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Jonah Hill, and many of their friends dealing with what appears to be the rapture and the ongoing end of the world. The main twist here is that each of them is apparently playing themselves, or at least a somewhat fictionalized version of themselves, a conceit that actually works really well to ground the movie’s main point about self centeredness and delusion and the power of true self sacrifice. The movie follows our group of friends after all the “good” people are raptured and they try to figure out why they weren't and how to escape the demons and depravity of the burning Hollywood Hills.
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Though I’m tempted to say the humor is the best thing about “This is the End” because in a year full of unfunny comedies much of it was genuinely hilarious, I’m actually going to have to point to Jay Baruchel as the highlight. Baruchel is arguably the least known of the lead group of the self portrayed bunch (if you know him it’s from Disney’s live action Sorcerer's apprentice or maybe the voice of Hiccup in How to Train Your Dragon.) but right from the start his demeanor and relationship with Seth Rogen add an interesting credibility to what’s going on in the film. Interesting because the movie is obviously over the top satire, but he makes it feel so real. His performance gives the message of the satire just the stickiness it needs to land and stay with you after all the cringe humor and demon genitalia jokes have faded away. Speaking of which.
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The worst thing about the movie? It’s just too crude. Now, generally I wouldn't make a point of this in a movie done by the same guys who brought you Superbad and Pineapple Express. You kinda know what you are getting into when you see that Seth Rogen wrote a movie (by the way, He also directed this one with his writing partner Evan Goldberg, and acquitted himself quite nicely especially for a debut). But there is something about the setting of the depravity of the end of days that gave Rogen and Goldberg free reign to get as graphic and over the top as they saw fit. For the most part, an audience will forgive this for humor’s sake, but these moments of the film seemed the most unfunny and distracting parts of the story as a whole.
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The main thing about This is the End? It’s a genuinely funny satire with a surprising amount of heart and a clever premise that’s occasionally castrated by the need to wallow in it’s depravity. I give it a solid B-

Man of Steel (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Zach Snyder tries to bring Superman back into audience's good graces, does he succeed? Here's Aaron's best thing, worst, thing, and main thing about "Man of Steel"

Text of Review:

So far this year we’ve had the Tin Man, the Iron Man, and now the Man of Steel. Somewhere in a Hollywood office they are greenlighting the “Aluminum Man” script right now.
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“Man of Steel” is the latest reboot of the Superman story this time under the watchful eye of Christopher Nolan and the directing prowess of Zach Snyder. Though the movie centers around a grown Superman and his battle for the ages with main baddie General Zod, the movie focuses on enough of the backstory that it doubles as an origin story as well. This time mostly unknown Henry Cavill dons the red cape and is surrounded by actors like Russel Crowe and Kevin Costner as his two dads, and Amy Adams as Lois Lane. All of whom deliver very solid performances. Michael Shannon plays Zod a bit over the top but that could just be because I’m still remembering his scenery chewing in last year’s bike messenger movie “Premium Rush”.
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“Man of Steel” is an amazing movie. I promise I will land on my official Best thing, but I have to first mention in addition to the great performances, the score is incredible, and the themes of trust and choice are beautifully interwoven into the morality of the word in a very real and powerful way. I found myself genuinely moved many times by the way this story was told. But the real best thing? The visuals. Zach Snyder has officially locked in his ownership of the greatest visual director working today. The way he uses the camera is clever, confident, and clear despite being chaotic. His frenetic action scenes create the suspense and drama of bedlam while at the same time always giving the audience the visual information we need to not be confused. Though many might quote 300 or Watchmen as showing Zach could handle the action of Superman in a modern way, for me it was, the CG movie, The Legend of the Guardians the Owls of Gahool. Go ahead and laugh, but watch the flight scenes in that movie again and tell me they aren’t brilliant. That brilliance is on full display here right from the opening action on Superman’s home world of Krypton, 10 minutes of which may have been the most exhilarating 10 minutes I've spent in a movie theater since Dash ran on top of the water in The Incredibles.
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Man of Steel is a great movie, but it’s not a perfect movie. Even Superman has his kryptonite (speaking of which it’s the one part of Superman lore that was conspicuously absent from Man of steel, well mostly). The worst thing about the film was that it was just too dry. There were occasional moments of humor but they did very little to bring joy to what was often a dour experience. Cavill seems to play Superman as always on the verge of breaking down emotionally. It’s an understandable choice used to emphasize the weight that he carries (both literally and figuratively) through the movie but it makes the movie feel more self serious and down than it needs to. It also results in a superhero who feels in desperate need of a personality. It could just be my preferences at work, but I seem to lean towards the exuberant joy of a movie like The Avengers or Star Trek into Darkness instead. It’s not a major flaw and the positives more than make up for it but it was the one thing in the movie that left me wanting more.
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So what’s the main thing about Man of Steel? Despite a possible personality problem from our lead, It’s one of the most visually striking movies I’ve ever seen with a beautiful story and some powerful moments. I say it gets an A

Man of Steel (Just Walked Out the Door EXTENDED LIVE Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:30:00 +0000

Aaron and Jeremy disagree about how good the latest Superman movie "Man of Steel" is and debate is Zach Snyder is a good director or not.

The Internship (Just Walked Out the Door EXTENDED LIVE Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 22:00:00 +0000

Aaron and Jeremy discuss Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn's "The Internship" as well as the greatest on screen duos of all time.

After Earth (Just Walked Out the Door EXTENDED LIVE Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Fri, 31 May 2013 22:00:00 +0000

Aaron and Jeremy break down whether or not M Night can return to form with Will and Jaden Smith in their look at "After Earth". Also heated discussion on the challenge question for the week; Name the best M. Night movie.

Iron Man 3 (Just Walked out the Door EXTENDED Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Fri, 03 May 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Robert Downey Jr. is back as our favorite flying tin can in "Iron Man 3". How does Iron Man stack up to the previous two installments? This week's big challenge: Name the best RDJ movie ever made.

The 2013 Summer Seven (Most Anticipated Movies of the Summer)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Thu, 02 May 2013 23:07:00 +0000

May has arrived and though the weather in these parts more resembles winter right now, the weather at the cineplex is full on summer. With the release of Iron Man 3, summer 2013 kicks off in earnest, and won't let up until August. I've been doing the "Summer Seven" for several years now, highlighting in order the seven summer movies I am most anticipating, and this year is easily the most packed I can remember. Usually I have to leave one or two movies I'm excited about off the list, but this year I have an additional runner up seven that just didn't quite make the cut. World War Z, Great Gatsby, Fast and Furious 6, Much Ado About Nothing, The Lone Ranger, Despicable Me 2, and Elysium all have me excited and yet not a one of them could crack the "Summer Seven" this year. That might mean this could be one of the greatest summers for movies of all time, or it might just mean I'm getting a little too excited for movies that will eventually let me down. Either way, here are the seven movies that did make the list, in order, culminate with my most anticipated movie of Summer 2013.

Remember, it's not necessarily that I think these will be the best seven movies of the summer, but they are the seven I'm most looking forward to seeing.

7. The Wolverine - Hugh Jackman as Wolverine is the through line of the X-Men film universe and even though the movies have been hit or miss, and his X-Men Origins movie was largely on the miss side, I'm excited to see what tricks they might have up their sleeves. In my opinion, the X-Men franchise could be the greatest film franchise of all time if they play their cards right, so it will be very interesting to see what kind of hand we are being dealt with this one.

6. After Earth - Eventually M. Night Shymalan has to remember he can make great movies right? Truth be told, it's the subject matter (post apocalyptic earth) and Mr. Will Smith that have me most geeked to see what this is about. But if M. Night finds his touch again I will be so thrilled I might just forgive him for "The Last Airbender". Wait, just remembering that trauma again, never mind, no forgiveness available. Let's just start with atoning for "The Happening" and go from there.

5. Monsters U - I just find it harder to get excited about Pixar sequels (or prequels) than their originals. Still a Pixar movie is a Pixar movie and Monsters U does look like an interesting setting in which to revisit Mike and Sulley. The most interesting hurdle to jump for the team though may be how to replace what was essentially the heart and soul of the original, Boo. If Monsters U somehow manages to succeed without her I'll once again tip my cap to the greatest story tellers and filmakers working today.

4. Pacific Rim - Of the seven, this is the one I know the least about. I know there will be mechs and monsters and that they will be delivered by a director who is adept at stunning visuals. In the end, I guess that must be enough cause I cannot wait to see what is going on with this one.

3. Man of Steel - Speaking of visual directors, I'm pumped to see what Zach Snyder does with such time honored material especially under the tutelage of Chris "brain bender" Nolan. The problem is I'm not sure if "Dark Knighting" the son of Krypton will actually be a good thing. I miss the days when we focused on the superhero part of superheros more than the alter ego part. If they focus more on Clark Kent than Superman, not only will I end up craving more super powers, I will probably have to make some sort of, "They should have called it, Man with Glasses" joke. Even so, I can't wait.

2. Iron Man 3 - Marvel owns summer these days, and the big guy in the can comes out to play solo for the third time. Let's face it, all they have to do is have a halfway decent story, some cool visual effects, and a partially menacing villian and Robert Downey Jr. will do the rest.

1. Star Trek: Into Darkness - So much to be excited about; JJ Abrams, an incredible cast, Benedict Cumberbatch, and the wonderful characters of the Star Trek universe. Though I know many eyes will be on this to continue to evaluate how JJ will do taking over the Star Wars universe. I'm content to just get another great Star Trek movie, and I'm pretty confident that's exactly what we are getting.

Mud (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Wed, 01 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Matthew McConaughey stars as a desperate man needing the help of two kids to reach the woman he loves. Is "Mud" a worthy pursuit?

Pain and Gain (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:30:00 +0000

Michael Bay, Muscles, and Mayhem. It's more than just alliteration, it's "Pain and Gain". But does the end product work out?

The Place Beyond the Pines (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:30:00 +0000

Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper could make a great one two punch in "The Place Beyond The Pines", but is the movie itself a knockout?

Oblivion (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Tom Cruise seems to play a similar character in almost all his films, and the Sci-Fi adventure "Oblivion" is no different. But is that a bad thing?

Matrix (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:30:00 +0000

14 years later "The Matrix" remains one of the most respected Sci-Fi films of all time. Does it continue to earn that cred? See how far the rabbit hole goes in Round 6 of Geekvolution's Who Reviews the Reviewers contest.

Other finalist's reviews:

RockManLP's Matrix Reloaded Review

SuperHeroEnthusiast's Matrix Revolutions Review

Ginger & Rosa (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:30:00 +0000

A story about truth, selfishness, and what it's like to be an adolescent girl growing up in war threatened England. Yeah, it's an art film. But is it good?

Monday Stuff (Friends Reunion?, further thoughts on 42, and more!)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:03:00 +0000

Thoughts on the possible Friends reunion, answering your question on racism and the movie 42, and a look ahead to the reviews for the week. It's Monday Stuff!

Oblivion (Just Walked Out the Door EXTENDED Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 23:24:00 +0000

Aaron and Jeremy just saw "Oblivion". Here are there first thoughts on the film with some discussion of Sci-Fi homages, Tom Cruise as an actor, and their favorite Sci-Fi movie inventions.

Trance (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:30:00 +0000

Danny Boyle has a way of telling amazing stories with bold and sometimes controversial visuals. But when you look deeper does "Trance" actually hold up?

Scary Movie 5 (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

There is a scarcity of true parody films these days. Maybe that's a good thing. Some thoughts on "Scary Movie 5"

42 (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:30:00 +0000

With all the built in emotion and pathos of the true story of Jackie Robinson is it possible "42" pushes it too far?

Emperor (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Tommy Lee Jones and Matthew Fox team up to tell the story of the end of WWII in Japan and the Japanese Emperor. The story seems interesting enough, but is the movie?

Monday Stuff (Arrested Development, Finding Dory, and More!)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 23:00:00 +0000

This week on a special cooking dinner edition of Monday Stuff, some thoughts on lowering expectations for the new Arrested Development season, answering a question on "Finding Dory", and a look at the reviews for the week.

Jurassic Park 3D (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

20 years ago Steven Spielberg put dinosaurs on the big screen and awed audiences. Can 3D and Imax add anything to this experience?

42 (Just Walked Out the Door EXTENDED Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 23:07:00 +0000

Aaron and Jeremy discuss racism, melodrama, Harrison Ford, and baseball in their live immediate reactions to the new movie 42. Also this week's challenge, can you name a baseball movie better than the two they pick?

Evil Dead (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

The original "Evil Dead" pushed the blood and gore to the limit, the new one takes it even further. But is there anything buried under the guts and entrails?

Tyler Perry's Temptation (Movie Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Dicer) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:30:00 +0000

Tyler Perry's latest takes a look at infidelity and consequence. But what exactly is "Temptation" telling us, and does it tell us well?