My Day with Film (Monday, 12/19/16)

Monday, 12/19/16

Dear Diary,

I'm sorry that it's been a couple of days since I've written. 'Twas a busy weekend! I tried to keep up by tweeting and retweeting a lot of cool things I noticed online. I saw ROGUE ONE for a second time, yet it did not change my initial feelings towards the film as a whole. 

This morning, I finished this season's viewing of the perennial cult classic SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT. Based on the poster, you can probably guess what this movie is about. A traumatized young man dressed as Santa Claus goes on a Christmas Eve rampage across his town, snuffing out any and all semblances of naughtiness. SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT is most famous for the controversy surrounding it. Upon its release in 1984, no horror film had made a villain out of Santa Claus. That, combined with the film's graphic death scenes, prompted critics, politicians and concerned parents across the country to call for the film's swift ban, as well as the heads of both producer Ira Barmak and director Chuck Sellier, Jr. Among horror aficionados, SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT is most famous for containing one of the all-time great slasher movie deaths - a topless Linnea Quigley impaled on a mounted buck's antlers. Earlier this year, I picked up Anchor Bay's "30th Anniversary Edition" Blu-ray for an extremely low price. This is the complete uncut version of the film and is the only copy I've ever seen. Apparently, the master used for this Blu-ray disc was compiled from both an incomplete HD master and a VHS composite. At several moments, the "high-def" footage gives way to early-VHS-quality video. It's a bit jarring, and one could argue that it ruins the impact of one or two kills, but for me, it reinforces the film's low-budget charm. I can see why this is a cult classic, and just this year, it's become a fun guilty pleasure for me. Not recommended for children, the squeamish, or concerned mothers.

Industry news I saw today noted that ROGUE ONE made about $150 million in North America over the weekend. Worldwide cumulative estimates were just above $290 million. Perhaps unsurprisingly, COLLATERAL BEAUTY, the ensemble melodrama led by Will Smith, struggled to hit pay dirt. Read more about the weekend's box office totals at BoxOfficeMojo.com.

Speaking of ROGUE ONE, director Gareth Edwards spilled to Radio Times that he found some unused footage from A NEW HOPE that made it into the final cut of the new film. Industrial Light & Magic cleaned up the aging celluloid, and Edwards then used it hoping that eagle-eyed fans would appreciate it and that less discerning audiences wouldn't notice. I won't post spoilers for ROGUE ONE on this blog, so if you want to find out exactly which footage was used, read here.

We also got a couple of insanely awesome new teaser trailers today! These two sub-2-minute clips may have singlehandedly rescued me from my cynicism towards the just-passable trailers of the past several weeks, including THE MUMMY and WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES. 

First we got an all-new look at JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2, and it looks terrific. The last film was a pleasant surprise with franchise potential that nobody saw coming, and the sequel looks to build on that in a valuable way. I can't wait!

Then we got our very first look at BLADE RUNNER 2049! I was skeptical at the idea of a sequel to BLADE RUNNER, but once Warner Brothers confirmed all the talent involved, I grew more receptive to it. This teaser damns skepticism to hell and may just be the best of this year. It shows just enough to make us excited but not so much that any aspects of the plot are given away. I could watch it a million times.

As I wrote this post and finished some other work for the day, I put on Criterion's disc of Terence Malick's THE THIN RED LINE. This is one that's been sitting on my shelf for several months, and I finally got around to it. Such a magnificent film.

Lastly, I'm ending my day with a screening of the new sci-fi romance film PASSENGERS. Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt have been tearing it up on the press junket for this movie, so hopefully it lives up to the hype.

Until tomorrow, 

BC

"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" Review

It's here folks. It's finally here, which means 2016 can officially end. Rogue One is out there now, and all can be right with the world...

Rogue One represents the first of Disney's attempts to milk the traditional Star Wars timeline for everything it's worth, hence the subtitle "A Star Wars Story" rather than "Episode VII" or even "Episode III.V." As such, the film is also the first in the franchise to begin without an opening crawl. The audience in my screening was so confused when John Williams' classic theme wasn't the first thing they heard. Don't let that ruin the experience for you. Despite several dubious creative choices that may have completely collapsed a non-Star Wars film, Rogue One is still the movie that fans have been waiting nearly 35 years to see.

In the grand scheme of things, Rogue One really serves no worthwhile narrative purpose to the franchise. It's a 2.5 hour movie about the team of rebels that stole the structural plans to the Death Star, as hinted at in the original film's opening crawl.

In truth, it's a 2.5-hour movie about the reason why the Death Star had but one structural flaw that could be exploited with a perfectly placed torpedo from an X-Wing. By the nature of this film attempting to fit into a pre-existing timeline, its stakes are diminished. We've been watching its "sequel" for 40 years; we know how the story of Rogue One ends.

Ironically, it's this film's final thirty minutes that are the most exciting.

Director Gareth Edwards (2014's Godzilla) stages some of the most harrowing set pieces that the franchise has ever seen. The confrontation between Rebel and Imperial forces on the beach planet Scarif has Saving Private Ryan vibes. The Stormtroopers still have terrible aim, but the violence manages to be visceral on a level not seen in a Star Wars movie before. I hesitate to say any more about it so as to avoid spoilers. I'll just say that Dunkirk may be the perfect trailer to show before this film.

To be completely honest, other than the stellar climax, the narrative has astonishingly little else going for it. The film's opening looks and feels like something out of a David Lean film, courtesy of Greig Fraser's franchise-best cinematography. For the following hour and a half, the film grinds almost to a complete halt. Star Wars hasn't been this dry since Hayden Christensen's monologue about sand in Attack of the Clones. There are some shootouts peppered here and there to try and spice things up, but it doesn't really matter when you have trouble finding a reason to care for many of the main characters. The only ones who saved it for me were Donnie Yen as the blind master Chirrut Imwe, Ben Mendelsohn as the villainous Imperial general Orson Krennic, and Alan Tudyk as K-2SO, a reprogrammed Imperial escort droid. Think of him as Chewbacca in droid form if Chewy could crack wise in English. Yen is the character with the strongest Force powers and thus the movie's greatest badass. Seeing his blind character walk through a no-man's-land of blaster fire and kick the crap out of Stormtroopers with his staff never gets old. As for Mendelsohn as Krennic, well, this is Ben Mendelsohn we're talking about. He's a worthy addition to the canon of Star Wars bad guys.

Speaking of which, yes, HE returns and, out of a couple appearances, has one of his coolest, most terrifying moments ever. The moment in question is easily one of the film's best sequences. Hopefully you'll recognize it when you see it.

I thought Felicity Jones and Diego Luna were an absolute bore. They lead the film as Jyn Erso and Captain Cassian Andor respectively. They have almost zero chemistry, and their dialogue, rarely ever spoken above a whisper, has all the urgency of drying paint.

Perhaps Rogue One's most egregious sin, however, is Edwards' decision to use CGI for a couple of important supporting characters so as to shoehorn their place into this quasi-"prequel" narrative. If this wasn't a Star Wars film, I would have walked out. It nearly turns Star Wars into Who Framed Roger Rabbit?  One character has far too much screen time while the other only makes a fleeting appearance. If you're a fan, you'll probably geek out for a second and then cringe. These characters look incomplete and totally unpolished, as though their scenes were re-shot and added to the finished product no earlier than a week before release. In the pantheon of Star Wars's kooky CG creations, I know where I'd rank them. I'll leave it to you, dear viewer, to decide which side of Jar Jar Binks to place them on.

In the end, Rogue One proves to be yet another journey to a galaxy far, far away that's worth taking. It's more in-sync with the original films than The Force Awakens and earns major points for being a distinctly original Star Wars narrative that still fits into the same timeline. Some of Edwards' creative decisions are dubious to the brink of catastrophe, but the film never totally crosses that line. If you were disappointed by Episode VII last year, and the word "prequels" makes you vomit in your mouth a little bit, then Rogue One may just be the Star Wars movie for you.

B

My Day with Film (Wednesday, 12/14/16)

Wednesday, 12/14/16


Dear Diary,

Since I last wrote, the first full trailer for Chris Nolan's DUNKIRK arrived online! It looks pretty awesome.

Is that Harry Styles I see in there? He actually looks like a human being! And Tom Hardy as an attack pilot?! Way cool. Allegedly, some IMAX screenings of ROGUE ONE around the country get to see the prologue of DUNKIRK projected from 70mm film. Unfortunately none of the theaters near me are lucky enough to have that. 

Also since writing yesterday, I saw that Alan Thicke died tragically at the age of 69. I heard he was out playing hockey with his son and had a heart attack. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and with anyone else who was close to him. I used to love GROWING PAINS. With only about two weeks left, it'd be cool if 2016 could spare the rest of the greats. 

In the gym earlier this afternoon, I heard "Shake Ya Tailfeather" from the BAD BOYS II soundtrack over the PA system. I nearly forgot how hard that song is. Instantaneously cranked my workout to the next level. 

Then after my workout I went to see OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY. Some of the antics rival PROJECT X from a couple of years ago, but overall it isn't quite as memorable. It would've been a hoot to see the all-star cast go totally off-the-wall to deliver something as gleefully unhinged as PROJECT X or the first HANGOVER. They come close but never quite get there. Perhaps the saddest thing of all is that the movie just isn't that funny. Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston, T.J. Miller, Olivia Munn, and Kate McKinnon have all delivered sidesplitting work in the past. I can't believe they couldn't push the envelope just a little bit more with this cast. There's a loose plot involving the Chicago branch of a data security company getting the sack unless they find a way to secure a big contract before everyone leaves for the holidays. So, they invite an important client (THE PEOPLE VS. O.J. SIMPSON's Courtney B. Vance) to their office Christmas party with the hope that he'll experience their culture firsthand and choose to work with them over the likes of Dell and Oracle. Holiday hijinks ensue. If you haven't seen this one yet, wait until next Christmas after it hits Redbox. 

I saw on Twitter today were that the nominees for this year's SAG (that's "Screen Actors Guild) Awards were announced. You can check the list out courtesy of Variety. The big surprises that everyone's buzzing about are Viggo Mortensen's well-deserved inclusion in the race for Best Actor race for his turn in CAPTAIN FANTASTIC and Emily Blunt's Best Actress nomination for THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN. Many are calling Blunt's nomination "the shock of the year" as she beat out the likes of ELLE's Isabelle Huppert and 20TH CENTURY WOMEN's Annette Bening who, up to this point, were two favorites to contend for the Oscar. I've yet to see ELLE or 20TH CENTURY WOMEN, but they can't be any worse than THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN. Blunt's performance is okay but certainly not worthy of any major awards.

Another big thing I saw was that the first trailer for BLADE RUNNER 2049 is imminent. It will run exactly 98 seconds (the significance of that number, I'm not sure) and could be online as early as Sunday or Monday. If you ask me, it'd be smart for Warner Brothers to piggyback on ROGUE ONE. Aside from DUNKIRK I'm unaware of any other major blockbuster teases for opening weekend. BLADE RUNNER appeals to the same general demographic as STAR WARS, so why not? Maybe the hype of everything mushed together - DUNKIRK, STAR WARS, AND BLADE RUNNER - would just be too much. We'll see.

The last two news stories I noticed were that ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK's Ruby Rose is in talks to join PITCH PERFECT 3, and DOCTOR STRANGE was the highest grossing film in America during the month of November, raking in an estimated $222 million. According to Box Office Mojo, Marvel's latest has earned just under $650 million worldwide so far.

I'm concluding my day with a very special digital IMAX 3D screening of ROGUE ONE. I couldn't be more stoked! I watched A NEW HOPE and part of THE FORCE AWAKENS last night because the hype was just too real. I also wanted the context and nuances of the original fresh in my mind before going into this one. Hopefully I'll get even more out of it that way. I wanted to play more STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT beforehand because there's new DLC that just came out, and I've played maybe five minutes of it. It's got maps and heroes inspired by the new film. Maybe I'll play a game or two after I get home. 

I will type up my full review and share it tomorrow so that anyone going to the first shows can be informed. I promise to be as spoiler-free as possible! 

Until tomorrow,

BC

My Day with Film (Tuesday, 12/13/16)

Tuesday, 12/13/16


Dear Diary,

The big news story of the day is that the embargo lifted on reviews for ROGUE ONE and COLLATERAL BEAUTY. Everyone around the internet is scrambling to either avoid spoilers or find out as much as they can before going in. Why on Earth would you do that??

I got some words down about Will Smith's latest which can be read here. Thoughts on ROGUE ONE will be coming this week after I see it. I should have something out in time for everyone planning to attend screenings over the weekend.

As I sat down to write my thoughts about COLLATERAL BEAUTY, I also thought about when I should review MANCHESTER BY THE SEA now that I've seen it. I don't think I'm going to on the blog, and here's why:

Full disclosure - I've had a bit of a hard time this year finding a steady job. I've been a college graduate for a year now, and I'm still trying to carve out a direction for myself going forward. If I could make a living writing about movies and podcasting all day, I'd do it in a heartbeat. That's part of what I hoped to accomplish with these daily diary entries. I believe, and other people around me have said (unless they're just being nice), that I have a unique perspective, and people have gravitated towards that. My audience, however big or small, is still an audience, and I love all of you for reading, listening to and supporting me over the past couple of years. I am going to continue writing as much as I can, but I need to buckle in and focus on starting a career. That said, I don't think I'll be reviewing anything aside from brand-new or early releases. That is, if I can have something available to you during the first weekend of release, I'll do it. Otherwise I'm going to focus my attention elsewhere.

The Reel Movies Podcast will continue, and I should have the last episode of 2016 out next week. I'm not giving up; just simply shifting priorities.

I will simply say that MANCHESTER BY THE SEA is magnificent and, I think, one of the finest American-made dramas of the past 20 years. Casey Affleck is as good as you've heard playing a man stuck in arrested development who suddenly finds himself as the guardian to his nephew after the boy's father dies. Michelle Williams has a small, relatively thankless role that doesn't blossom into anything particularly memorable until she confronts Affleck's character one last time before the ending. The kid, Lucas Hedges, deserves every "Breakout performance" award coming his way for his role as young Patrick. I'll probably have more to say on a future podcast episode, so stay tuned, or feel free to discuss with me on social media.

The next big thing I've seen today is a new poster for TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT, courtesy of Michael Bay and Paramount Pictures.

Apparently last week's trailer debut was one of the most successful of the social media era, garnering over 200 million views in under 7 days. It's pretty impressive that half of those views happened within the first 36 hours of the trailer's release.

It seems that as much as everyone loves to shit on Michael Bay and the TRANSFORMERS movies, the market for them is insatiable.


Until tomorrow,

BC

My Day with Film (Friday, 12/9/16)

Friday, 12/9/16

Dear Diary,

Almost all the feelings I've had towards cinema over the last two weeks have stemmed from movie trailers. There have been so many! I started the day, or rather ended it late last night, with the trailer for SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING.

This looks fun enough for a Marvel movie. The wingsuit finally makes its big screen debut, and Michael Keaton looks incredible as the Vulture! He may be Spider-Man's best movie villain yet. However, I was sucked out of the whole thing immediately when I saw Peter in class watching footage of the airport scene from CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR on YouTube. Who on earth was filming it??? Giant W.T.F. there. I'm also wary of the relationship Peter has with Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Past SPIDER-MAN films have been interesting character studies because they're as much about how a young man grapples with both his personal relationships and his call to a higher duty as they are about action scenes. The whole allure of Peter Parker / Spider-Man is that he's forced to navigate the trials of young adulthood without a father figure. This iteration of the character - especially based on what we've seen in Civil War - feels like its beholden to a babysitter. I appreciate that they've skewed age-appropriate with the new casting, but I don't know if I'm entirely sold just yet. I am looking forward to seeing the finished product for Keaton's Vulture, if nothing else.

Then as I checked into Twitter this morning, I watched part of a live stream featuring the cast of ROGUE ONE. I guess they held some sort of event and Q&A at Lucasfilm, and then stars Alan Tudyk & Riz Ahmed and director Gareth Edwards took a tour of the Industrial Light & Magic offices. It was so cool to see all the different props and artwork in the halls from previous ILM features!

Later I saw even more new movie trailers! Can you believe it?? We got the first full trailer for WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES today and without a stupid fucking 15-second teaser days beforehand too!!!!

I've enjoyed this PLANET OF THE APES prequel series so far, and there's no reason to think WAR will be any different. I'm fascinated by Woody Harrelson's presence as much as I am eager to see Andy Serkis evolve the character of Caesar even further.

I've written before about how much I hate those "teasers for the teasers." Just give me the full two minutes. Universal did it late last week with THE MUMMY, and they're at it again with the first reveal of the next FAST & FURIOUS movie.

FAST 8 is officially titled THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS, and the full trailer will be available online sometime this coming Sunday. This is just another absurd superhero franchise anymore, but I've had a blast with the past few entries. I enjoyed some of the "behind-the-scenes" clips that the cast posted on Instagram during filming. Based on those alone, I'm excited to see what's in store for us next April.

In other news, /Film shared an insider report saying that James Franco has a role in the upcoming ALIEN: COVENANT. The report is a bit spoilery, so I'll leave you to explore further if you wish.

Warner Brothers officially announced the Blu-ray release of Ben Affleck's recent thriller THE ACCOUNTANT. It streets on January 10th.

I enjoyed this movie as much as anybody, but the superlatives they picked are just absurd. How can an acting performance be "action-packed?" That's literally impossible. The story has to be "action-packed." Stupid. Maybe I'm just irritated that Warner didn't contact The Reel for my superlative. A kid can dream.

I watched GANGSTER SQUAD this afternoon. I think it's massively underrated and that it features Sean Penn's best performance in over a decade. I'm sure I'm the only one on the planet who thinks so, but that's fine. I actually saw GANGSTER SQUAD for the first time in the theater as a double bill with ZERO DARK THIRTY. Guess which one I had more fun with?

I reviewed LA LA LAND today, so be sure to check that out!

Lastly, I've got plans to go see Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals tonight which has been drawing lots of critical acclaim. I also reserved HELL OR HIGH WATER and MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES at Redbox. That reminds me, I need to go pick them up!

Until tomorrow,

BC

My Day with Film (Wednesday, 12/7/16)

Wednesday, 12/7/16


Dear Diary,

After midnight last night (technically today!) I watched Michael Dougherty's KRAMPUS. I'm convinced that it is a new holiday classic. At least it will be in my house. I love the mythology of its story, as well as Dougherty's creative vision and use of practical visual effects in order to realize that vision. Also, the film features one of the best opening credits scenes of all time. If CHRISTMAS VACATION and GREMLINS are near and dear to your heart, KRAMPUS is for you.

Later, when I woke up in the morning and scrolled through my social feeds, I found two new "teasers for the teasers." These are those 10-20 second clips of a movie trailer you usually see promoted in your Instagram or Twitter feed. In the past week, we've had "teasers for the teasers" for THE MUMMY, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 and TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT. Today, we got 'em for SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING and the BAYWATCH reboot. Full trailers for these anticipated blockbusters are coming tomorrow. Perhaps it's no surprise that SPIDER-MAN looks pretty awesome, and BAYWATCH looks like a trainwreck in the making. Decide for yourself.

I'm not sure where I stand on the whole "teaser for the teaser" thing. It's a neat ploy to build hype on social media, but at the same time, nothing beats seeing the full two and a half minutes in a movie theater for the first time. How cool was it when J.J. Abrams shocked us all in January with the trailer for 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE? You didn't see it on YouTube first; you had to go watch 13 HOURS in the theater on Thursday night. Call me old fashioned, but I think that's awesome.

Later in the afternoon, I had to swing by Target to pick up some working Christmas lights, but I found APOCALYPSE NOW on Blu-ray for $4. I nearly had a stroke when I saw that price. It has both the theatrical and "Redux" versions, as well as a separate disc full of bonus features. Both cuts of the film are on and off streaming services constantly, but APOCALYPSE NOW is one of those movies that demands consistency and quality in terms of home viewing. It deserves a place on your shelf no matter what. If you ask me, at $4, that's one of the finest deals you can get as a cinephile.

I saw that a remake of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is in the works at Warner Brothers, and they've announced Greg Berlanti as director. Berlanti is known for his work as a producer and showrunner for DC's television universe consisting of Arrow, The Flash and Supergirl. Might be interesting.

Tonight I asked some friends when we'll be seeing OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY and ROGUE ONE. One of my buddies is out of town, so OCP may be out. We'll see.

I also saw Will Smith's new film COLLATERAL BEAUTY. Be on the lookout for my full review next week. I'm reviewing LA LA LAND very soon as well. Stay tuned to my Facebook and Twitter pages.

Lastly, I'm thinking THE REVENANT for tonight's at-home viewing.


Until tomorrow,

BC