NEW RAPID FIRE REVIEWS: January 28 - February 3, 2019

 MRMOVIEETC REVIEWS:

“When Angels Sleep” (2018)

I kind of want to slide this into the “Good Try” category. It’s not really bad, but not too great either. I want to say I liked it, but only in spurts. I don’t know; maybe I’m not the right audience for a plot that advances solely based on the increasingly stupid decisions made repetitiously by the characters in stressful or desperate situations. I can appreciate the attempt at realism there, but the two leads come off as reasonably intelligent people whom would eventually break the cycle.

At the same time, when the film does start to reach its suspenseful peak, it’s pretty gripping and effective. Watching German (Julian Villagran) slowly reach his breaking point knowing his freedom is on the line after a terrible car accident leaves a young woman dead, it starts to play with the audience’s psyche as to whether or not he’s going to something incredibly irrational, and if he does, is it justified?  I likely would have enjoyed the film more if said suspense lead to what looked like a satisfactory ending instead of what turned out to be.

I guess I can give it a casual recommendation.

“When Angels Sleep”: 6.5/10

“I Am Not A Serial Killer” (2016)

For a low-budget monster movie about an almost eighty-year-old Christopher Lloyd lumbering around a sleepy town killing people to rejuvenate his dying body, it’s not half-bad.

Do I need to continue? If that doesn’t sell you, I cannot imagine anything will.

Alright, well, if you need more, “I Am Not A Serial Killer” could actually be seen as two films with very different character arcs. Lloyd’s Bill Crowley character is interesting enough, sure, but he serves as more of a distraction/fascination for teenager John Wayne Cleaver (Max Records), whom spends a majority of the film trying to convince himself and everyone around him that he’s a sociopath capable of serial killing, and the results are a little cringeworthy. One cannot help but sympathize with him though as he’s clearly trying to reconcile a less-than-stellar childhood.

I’m not going to say this blew my mind or anything, though the gritty and faded cinematography gave it some extra charms where needed.

“I Am Not A Serial Killer”: 7.5/10

“Hunter Killer” (2018)

I enjoyed the Hell out of this.

No, seriously, I had a pretty good time!

To be clear, “Hunter Killer” is not a good film. Gary Oldman’s character could have been played by anybody with a face, Gerard Butler isn’t bad but that’s about it, and the CGI, especially underwater, is going to leave a lot of people wanting for better. However, once it quickly becomes obvious where the film is going and what it is going to be all about, there is an abundance of delicious 90s cheese in which to indulge.

“Red October” and “Crimson Tide” it is not, but then again, what exactly is? With brains fully turned off and a bowl of popcorn at close range, “Hunter Killer” can deliver some thrills.

“Hunter Killer”: 8/10

“First Man” (2018)

I had completely intended to do a full write up for Damien Chazelle’s latest attempt at Oscar gold in “First Man”; though, the more I thought about it, I just couldn’t think of a way to do it.

“First Man”, by default, has a big mountain to climb, because while it clocks in at just under two-and-a-half hours, there was clearly way more material that could been included to show the physical and emotional strife on Neil Armstrong leading up to his historical moon launch. Chazelle is much more interested in the drama on the ground than in the sky (though the scenes within the shuttle’s cockpit are stunning in a variety of ways), which isn’t a bad approach. The issue with that, again, is time constraints. All the tests leading up to the mission meant handfuls of fatalities for those that were supposedly close to Armstrong, but it all comes and goes so quickly, so there’s little chance for the audience to absorb it before moving on to the next thing.

Fortunately, towards the end when Neil is preparing for his departure, the dust is allowed to settle and Claire Foy finally gets a chance to shine as a wife that can barely tolerate being supportive any longer. Gosling is also at his best when he reminisces about his daughter whom died at a terribly young age due to a terminal disease, and Chazelle did a fantastic job of capturing those moments as the clear motivator for Armstrong’s reluctance to give up despite the odds.

I’m not going to say it’s my favorite Damien Chazelle film so far, but it is still a fine piece of filmmaking that shows he’s willing to take his craft into different genres and be successful at it.

“First Man”: 8/10

NEW REVIEW: "How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World" (2019)

MRMOVIEETC REVIEWS:

“How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” (2019)

“And out there, beyond the sunset, lies the home of the dragon, and I believe it is your destiny to one day find this hidden world, so that people and dragons will fight no more.”

Wow. What a year 2010 was for animation. After “Toy Story 3” confidently waltzed up on stage and brought to a close what was, at least then, arguably the best animated trilogy of all time, who would have ever predicted that DreamWorks had something so special waiting up their sleeve that we would be all sitting here again with the same baited breath almost a decade later?

For as long as they’ve been around, DreamWorks Animation has never been able to shed its black sheep persona in the animated film industry. Often it has been awkward over last two decades watching DreamWorks trying to keep step with the genre golden child, Disney/Pixar, only to stumble short more often than not with well-intended films that lack the essentially pizzazz that the latter seems to nail on the head consistently. Nevertheless, as these things often go, when DreamWorks does create a spark that catches flame, it burns mightily. To date, the best and brightest of the sparks was 2010’s “How To Train Your Dragon”.

Make no mistake, “Shrek” was a landmark for its time, and both “Madagascar” and “Kung Fu Panda” have made for some infinity re-watchable trilogies; however, “Dragon” was the first real willingness by DreamWorks to bite the bullet and create this massively beautiful fantasy world that spawned one of the most delightful character dynamics in modern cinema – Hiccup and Toothless – that, to this day, Disney and other contemporaries have still yet to replicate. Thinking back to all the iconic cinema Disney and Pixar have created, that statement carries significantly noteworthy weight.

Now, after nine years and a highly successful sequel back in 2014, Hiccup, Toothless, and the rest of the gang come back for one final bow in “The Hidden World”. Taking place only one year after the events of “How To Train Your Dragon 2”, the villagers of Berk have begun sharing their island with a rapidly increasing population of dragons they’ve been saving from wave after wave of dragon trappers that still view them as a menace in need of being exterminated; most notably Grimmel the Grisly, the new film’s main antagonist with a scheme to capture and kill Toothless in order to complete his goal of eradicating every Night Fury off the face of the planet. Recognizing the relentless threat, Hiccup takes hold of his new duties as Berkian chief and decides that everybody should flee the island to find The Hidden World – a legendary dragon utopia hidden on the edge of the Earth where their beloved dragons can live and thrive in peace.

To further complicate things, Toothless discovers the existence of a Light Fury along the way – a pure white dragon with similar abilities as he – and he falls instantly smitten with her. Initially, Hiccup is all for this; that is, until he starts to notice just how lost he feels without Toothless around. Between that and dealing with Grimmel and his massive fleet hot on their tails at every turn, Hiccup finds himself in the ultimate predicament that will put everything he has learned and loved to the test.

I won’t say what or why, because that goes into full-on Spoiler territory. This also means that the juice that would normally enhance a review is going to have to stay relatively tight-lipped.

First, the Good:

Much in line with the two predecessors, the animation quality of “The Hidden World” is nothing short of flawless. After re-visiting the first two films shortly before going into this one, I was reminded once again of how particularly breathtaking the aerial shots were back then, and they are that much further refined here, with some ocean and forest designs appearing almost photo-realistic. The Hidden World itself is especially breathtaking. It’s been extremely popular in recent years for animators to flex their muscles and show off just how much color they can make explode off the screen, and “Hidden World” is no different. Thankfully, it does flex said muscles without crossing the line from tasteful into obnoxiousness. The details of the humans and dragons alike also became richer without sacrificing the cartoon softness and playfulness that has remained consistent up until this point.

The voice cast still proves that they are fully game for the material, with the returning talents of Jay Baruchel, America Ferrara, Kristen Wiig, and newcomer F. Murray Abraham bringing both a rich, dramatic depth and familiar signature comedy to their respective characters. While “Hidden World” is noticeably more serious in tone than the previous installments, it never truly loses step with what made the series so endearing to begin with in these areas.

Now, the Bad:

Alright, don’t worry; there was nothing outright BAD about “The Hidden World”. The biggest issues can really be reduced to Grimmel’s character. F. Murray Abraham does a really good job and breathes some entertaining and cynical life into the role, but the character is written essentially as an amalgamation of Pre-Dragon Converted Stoick the Vast and Drago Bludvist in terms of attitude and scheme. He does carry with him some pretty cool scorpion-like dragons that help him execute his plans, and the final battle is decent despite paling in comparison to the previous two films’ respective climaxes. Everything about Grimmel felt either too familiar or under-explored to make him standout in any interesting way where it really mattered.

It is also a little too bad that, after such an important introduction in the first sequel, Hiccup’s mother, Valka (Cate Blanchett), didn’t have anything to do in this film. Granted, yes, the primary focus of “Hidden World” is truly about the evolution of Hiccup’s and Toothless’s friendship - as it very well should be - although it would have been nice to see her influence as a parent be slightly more pronounced than it turned out to be.

Nevertheless, Writer and Director Dean DeBlois, whom has carried this series in both positions since the beginning, should be beyond proud of this near-masterpiece trilogy. Trust me, I want to talk about every turn and every emotion that “The Hidden World” raised out of me, and perhaps at some point I will do a full series overview, but until then, there’s not much more I can say. What I will say for now is that this is the ending the series deserved, and an ending that will undoubtedly and unashamedly leave bittersweet tears all over the laps of its fans.

“How To Train Your Dragon” has brought so much joy over the years, and this last installment shows how much it also meant to the filmmakers behind it. DreamWorks may turn out just as many misses as hits, but with this series, they may just have one of the biggest hits not likely to ever be rivaled.

“How To Dragon Your Dragon: The Hidden World”: 9/10

NEW REVIEW: "Make Way For Tomorrow" (1937)

MRMOVIESETC REVIEWS:

“Make Way For Tomorrow” (1937)

"I just want to tell you, it's been lovely, every bit of it, the whole fifty years. 

I'd sooner have been your wife, Bark, than anyone else on Earth."

As an undying fan of the Criterion Collection platform, one of my favorite things that the studio does - obviously outside of the physical media - are these little episodes that are shot inside the “Criterion Closet”. Other than being a torturous glimpse into Heaven on Earth, what the episodes consist of are various directors, screenwriters, producers, and actors that get invited into Criterion’s vault of inventory with full permission to take as many titles as desired.

I really, really HATE those people. Thank you for the cinematic blue balls, jerks.

In all seriousness, though, the great thing about this is seeing filmmakers get just as giddy as any other movie nerd about classic and contemporary film from some of the medium’s greatest minds. One such walkthrough that really caught my attention featured Phil Rosenthal, whom most would know as the creator of the “Everybody Loves Raymond” television series. After skimming through various titles, he came across a film called “Make Way For Tomorrow” which, up until that point, neither Phil nor I had previously heard about. It was when he inquired about it that a woman’s voice from behind the camera stated that it is “the saddest movie you’ll ever see.” Phil ultimately passed on it (not in the mood), but from the moment I heard that, I was hooked. Personally, I love and am fascinated by sad films. For one thing, it’s one of the few genres that can invoke such an emotion in a vast variety of ways; on the other hand, it helps me remember that I am not dead inside and/or have been filled with mechanical parts in my sleep.

Fair warning – this review may contain Minor Spoilers. The story of “Make Way For Tomorrow” plays it nakedly straight forward, though, so it doesn’t really have anything to hide.

Barkley (Victor Moore) and Lucy (Beulah Bondi) are a married couple in their Golden Years during the Great Depression. For a number of years now Barkley has been unable to work, and as a result, all of their savings are depleted and they can no longer pay for the family home. With nowhere else to go, the couple asks their four now fully adult children (a fifth lives across the country) if they can live with them on a temporary basis until Barkley can find steady employment again. Unfortunately, only one of them, Nellie (Minna Gombell), has enough room to house both mother and father, but she immediately passes off the hospitality due to the fear of her husband not being at all for the idea. It is then decided that the two will have to split up, with Lucy going with their son, George (Thomas Mitchell), and Barkley off with their daughter, Cora (Elisabeth Risdon), whom live about three hundred miles apart.

On Lucy’s side, the arrangement isn’t too bad at first. George seems to have a good deal of respect for his mother, and she is well-liked enough by his wife and teenage daughter. Once some friction starts to form between Lucy and her daughter-in-law, however, George caves rather easily and starts to casually assert that perhaps it would be in Lucy’s best interest to be with “friends her own age” at a retirement home up state – a scheme Lucy discovers but passes it off as her own idea to George since she does not want to be burden.

Barkley’s experience is a little different in that Cora is clearly not at all on board with his stay. She’s not brutal by any means, but when Barkley falls ill, her control freak nature comes out and it is none-too-pretty. She also seizes the opportunity to blame the brutal winter weather for her father falling sick and insists that he must move to a warmer climate – in California where Barkley’s daughter Addie lives.

Without a position to bargain, Barkley and Lucy pull strings so that can spend one afternoon together before Barkley’s train leaves town for cross country travel to last a stretch of time that is anybody’s guess.

I think what makes this film so brilliant and effective is how Director Leo McCarey kept the story as this present moment in time without deviating to expository backstory monologues or using flashbacks. The satisfaction of the journey comes from the no-frills screenplay and seeing the buried pain of separation on the faces of Barkley and Lucy whom no more want to be stuck apart in their children’s homes any more than the kids want them there. Then, he uses the current happenings of the Second and Third Act as a means of going back in time to really throw the sucker punch that the audience will see coming a mile away, but still stings nonetheless. There’s even a particularly potent moment where Lucy talks about how much happiness a person must truly be afforded during one’s lifetime, and it may not come at the same period as somebody else; yet, now being in their 70s and paying their dues, the viewer cannot help but feel like this should be their time and they’re being robbed of it. This is truly a moving screenplay that still resonates even over seventy years later.

Okay, yes, could these circumstances be considered extreme regardless of time period? Absolutely. A majority of grown offspring are not so narrow-sighted as to allow their parents to be harshly torn apart. Even if one were to play Devil’s Advocate and argue to the contrary, every generation is guilty of it at one point or another as a side effect of the imperfect human condition. In fact, that may be as good of an explanation as any as to how McCarey made this picture so sobering. We as human beings are often keenly aware of our shortcomings, and somehow we still let them happen for our perceived betterment.

Make no mistake, McCarey should get a lot of credit here for his craftsmanship, but he did have help. While both Victor Moore and Beulah Bondi were both excellent as the lead roles in the highest regard, I feel it was truly Bondi whom was the big star of the show here. The reason for that is Moore was around sixty years old when “Tomorrow” was released; Bondi was only in her late forties – something I did not know prior to this review and something I absolutely could not and did not guess while watching the film. Proper dues should go out to the makeup artists and costumer designers, of course, but Bondi sold her role so flawlessly that I’m still kind of amazed by it. Hell, this might be subtle proof that High Definition technology in modern film can be more of a curse than a blessing because a film these days can rarely pull off such a convincing age transformation.  

That’s really I can and should say about “Tomorrow” before leaving it off for you to see and experience on your own should you choose to do so. It’s so simple in its style, execution, and intentions, that it cannot help but be anything other than perfection. Maybe some could and would be willing to nitpick down to a cellular level to find a flaw or two – sometimes I am that person – but that’s not needed here. The film does its job incredibly well, and I for one am never going to forget it nor pass up many opportunities to see it again in the future.

“Make Way For Tomorrow”: 10/10

Phil Rosenthal’s Criterion Closet episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkS1CpXhv9c

NEW REVIEW: "Halloween" (2018)

MRMOVIESETC REVIEWS:

“Halloween” (2018)

"Ugh, I got peanut butter on my penis."

Alright, so let me see if I can get this straight:

2018’s “Halloween” is not a reboot, but in fact the new “Halloween II” that so happens to share the same name as the original film, and completely eliminates the timeline of every film in the series from “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” and beyond; well, maybe “Halloween IV” and beyond since “Witch” exists in the same (sort of) reality.

Ok, good so far.

In fact, that’s probably not the worst decision that could have been made creatively for the series as a whole with previous installments taking the eventual path into the wood chipper with “Resurrection”, and/or seemingly almost everybody hated Zombie’s “Halloween II”, so that head was cut off as well.

Here’s where my question comes in. “Halloween II 3.0” takes place forty years after the terrorism of Michael Myers on the sleepy town of Haddonfield one Halloween night. When all was said and done, Laurie Strode survived and Myers is apprehended to the loony bin – but when was he apprehended?  Michael Myers infamously escapes at the end of the original film, and at the end of “Halloween II” – the first one – Michael supposedly burns to his death.  Even if that latter detail wasn’t true, it would make more sense in terms of his capture that somehow didn’t happen but did anyway. Hell, would the unmasked Myers in this new film been that much creepier if he had some burns on his body? Perhaps, burns that were serious enough to have easily doomed any normal man, but not that pesky demon Myers? All I’m saying is that there feels like an opportunity was missed here by cutting off a little too much fat.

But I digress. “X-Men” isn’t keeping score anymore in the space-time continuum, so why should “Halloween”?

To fill in any remaining plot points, Laurie Strode returns after getting a second chance at life, and is now a paranoid, reclusive mother of estranged daughter, Karen Nelson (Judy Greer), and grandmother of Allyson Nelson (Andi Matichak). Mainly, Laurie’s only serving purpose in this film is to show that she’s completely badass with a gun in her hand, and warn everybody Michael will return someday, so, better be ready for that shit when it hits the fan. One day when a pair of murder podcasters, Expendable Tweddle Dee and Expendable Tweedle Dumb, visit Myers at the asylum after somehow getting a hold of his mask, the Shape snaps out of his stupor, escapes during a transit to another prison, and returns to Haddonfield to carve up some more babysitters and, big twist, teenagers not having sex.

Gosh, and here I thought Myers was some kind of abstinence crusader. What a disappointment.

In the end, what turns out creating the most exciting pop in this new installment is what everybody came to see anyway – “Myers v. Strode: The Rematch”. During her years of seclusion, not only has Laurie taught herself to be a sharpshooter, but she has additionally retrofit her home as a sort of fortress in order to establish a survival edge against the next inevitable Myers attack. At first it comes off kind of plain, although, as the climactic battle gets heated, there are some flashes of true creativity that are nothing less than satisfying. Honestly, some of the final scenes in this new “Halloween” are the best the series has looked in decades, which is an impressive feat being now the eleventh film in the brand.

Still, it has been a solid decade in-between films, and to see this one arrive as something remarkably average is a bit of a letdown. Sure, one could argue that the movie had some decent kills and that these hit a lot of the same nostalgic beats reminiscent of the original, and I could say that’s true to a degree; however, you can strike similar cords without practically repeating them like a Greatest Hits montage. I will say there was one such instance that could possibly be construed as a taunt from Myers in a “Hey, remember this?” type of fashion, though the film didn’t play it off like that so I could be completely wrong. Either way, the whole Myers murder spree comes off as completely soulless as if Director David Gordon Green cared more about Michael’s obligatory kill count of inconsequential characters to show the old man still has carving skills instead of creating any meaningful suspense to go with it. Suspense may not have ever been the strength of “Halloween” to begin with, but at least Carpenter and a few of the directors after him knew that it was important to create that critical sense of dread.

Again, most of this is shockingly cured by what becomes a pretty great Third Act. When Jamie Lee Curtis takes over full control of the spotlight in this final phase of the film, she proves once again why she always has been the true lifeblood of the series. I have no idea how much she was paid to get back on board, but she sold the part like she hasn’t lost a single step, and thankfully her character arc makes much more sense this time around instead of falling anticlimactically off a damn building.

Andi Matichak as Allyson was pretty good, too. I wish she had gotten some more development as the next Strode to carry the Michael-slaying torch in future sequels, but I suppose for the sake of hooking a hungry fan base after a long wait, keeping the next generation in the background, initially, makes a certain amount of sense.

Basically, that’s all I really have or need to say about “Halloween”. There’s some notable highlights to sustain just enough momentum moving forward for future installments, and Green does bring some eye-catching cinematography and slick pacing to an otherwise disposable first sixty or seventy minutes void of any fresh ideas. Maybe “Halloween III” had the right idea and it’s time for future filmmakers to do some exploring to get out of this creative corner.

I’m not sure really sure I can recommend this, though with such a big audience, “Halloween” is likely always going to have a home regardless. I won’t say I outright disliked it. I was only hoping for more.

“Halloween”: 6/10

TOP 10 FIRST-TIME WATCHED FILMS in 2018

Greetings, Film Fanatics!

I thought it would be fun to do one more Top 10 list before putting 2018 in the rearview mirror. Granted, the title sucks, but the premise here is that these are the Top 10 movies I saw for the first time during 2018 that were released prior to 2018.

I won’t get too in depth with these. Some of them I have already done a short or full review on, but if you want to see a review on any of these, give me a shout!

Here are the Top 10 First-Time Watched Films in 2018:

#10: “THE VANISHING” (1988)

Before the FilmStruck streaming service met its (*sob*) untimely demise, I managed to squeeze in “The Vanishing” – a film I’ve had my eye on for a while. Being in the Criterion library, and knowing nothing about it, I was more or less expecting an exceptionally well-crafted “whodunit” type of caper. The craftsmanship part was definitely true, but what I did not see coming was the story being told mostly from the point of view of the kidnapper; a kidnapper that’s also a family man and possibly sociopathic. Despite that, story still manages to string the audience along in wondering exactly what happened to the kidnapped wife of the main protagonist.

What’s not to love?

#9: “THE DEVIL’S CANDY” (2017)

A horror film that contains demon possession, a Metallica soundtrack, and some really badass paintings?

It’s on Netflix. Go watch it. Chop chop!

#8: “THE FLORIDA PROJECT” (2017)

Not only is this film depressing, but it’s made all the more depressing by having disappointment lurking around every corner just waiting to crush all the kids’ child-like wonders while Willem Dafoe secretly tries to play the hero; however, knowing deep down that he’s completely powerless.

You’re welcome.

Hey, at least the ending is about as beautifully poetic as you could get given the circumstances. And there's quite a bit of humor, so there's that.

#7: “FERDINAND” (2017)

Score another one for Blue Sky. It’s kind of too bad that the studio is currently relying on an “Ice Age” sequel every two years to keep a decent income coming in, because after this and “The Peanuts Movie”, I’m ready to be a believer.

#6: “THE INTOUCHABLES” (2011)

I didn’t even know until about two weeks ago that this was getting a remake by the title of “The Upside”. That being the case, I’m really glad I saw this original first so I can happily avoid “The Upside”. Even if it ends up being good, Kevin Hart could not touch Omar Sy’s performance, and frankly, I’m not sure Bryan Cranston is the right guy to play Phillipe either.

Long story short, give this movie a chance even if you don’t like subtitles. It’s funny and charming in all the right ways.

#5: “THE FAULT IN OUR STARS” (2014)

Okay, fine, I’ll admit I was one of those people that immediately wrote this off back in 2014 as nothing more than Kleenex bait for the Hallmark crowd so they’d have an excuse to go home and guilt trip their significant others about whatever. Instead, I can now happily say that this is one of the best romantic dramedies I’ve seen in ages, and it makes me feel even worse for a decent actress like Shailene Woodley getting roped into that “Divergent” fiasco.

P.S., I may have gotten a little emotional during this film because I saw it after “Baby Driver”.

“If you can outrun Kevin Spacey, you can outrun cancer goddammit. You can’t die, Baby!”

#4: “LE SILENCE DE LA MER” (1949)

Never once did I consider the possibility that I could ever feel sympathy towards a Nazi – and now I have felt sympathy towards a Nazi.

What’s even more shocking is how the film managed this whilst only taking place 99% of the time in a single room where the Nazi is doing all the talking. Seriously, though, watching the transformation from braggadocious asshole to art-loving man that realizes he’s made one hell of a mistake, yet is still screwed because he’s sworn his allegiance to the Reich was quite the cinematic experience. It’s a slow burner, but wow, was it worthwhile.

#3: “BEFORE I WAKE” (2016)

Yes, I know it was released on Netflix in 2018, but after going through the shuffle and getting screened in 2016, that was the year I ultimately used. Either way, Netflix better release this on blu-ray, because it blew any and all expectations out of the sky. It’s scary, it’s touching, and I hope it finds the audience it deserves after the production hell it went through.

#2: “BIRD BOY: THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN” (2015)

HO-LY SHIT.

There was neither sunshine nor rainbow to be found. It has violence, suicidal-like depression, drug-use, racism, and murder - most of these things involving teenagers – and I loved every damn second of it. Being an animation nerd, I loved that aspect too, but the story was so relentless and brutal; yet, somehow, it still lights a fire of hope in the audience that the protagonists might just succeed in their endeavors.

This film might be one of my new favorite things, ever.

#1: “GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES” (1988)

I know, I know – I just called myself an animation nerd, and yet it took me this long to see “Grave of the Fireflies”. Epic fail on my part.

Be that as it may, would it help to know that this film tore my heart out of my chest and curb-stomped it to death? No, really, this movie completely and utterly CRUSHED me. I’m talking a lump in my throat the size of a baseball. I guess I can partially thank parenthood for that, but even if I weren’t one in real life, “Fireflies” still probably would have killed me. To see this young boy try so hard to survive and fail, mainly due to his pride, is almost too much to swallow.

It may take a while before I can watch that one again. No matter how long that takes, I will never be able to forget this film. It is truly that powerful.

I hope you enjoyed this list! I may have a few random ones throughout the year, but for the most part, I'm looking forward to another great year of film!

TOP 10 FILMS of 2018 (#5-#1)

Here we go! My Top 5 films of 2018.

The only major film that I can think of at the moment that I did not see and would have maybe had a chance at this list was “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse”. I do hope to get around to it soon, but as for the end of the year, it just wasn’t in the cards.

Oh well.

Alright, without further ado, here are the Top 5 films:

#5: “FIRST REFORMED”

Question for you, Paul Schrader:

Where in the Hell did this come from??

Make no mistake, Schrader, as a screenwriter, has had his name attached to some excellent films in the past thirty years or so; however, his directing filmography has been a bit sketchy at best, including some of Nicolas Cage’s recent direct-to-video fare. I don’t know if Paul was saving this for a rainy day, or if a light turned on, but to go from a directing lull to making of the darkest and sobering dramas of the year, along with one of Ethan Hawke’s best performances since “Lord of War”, is nothing short of stunning.

Suicide, alcoholism, crisis of faith, and church motives beneath the veil only scratch the surface on what it is an otherwise smaller picture consisting mainly with only Hawke and Amanda Seyfried as Pastor Ernst Toller and Mary Mensana, respectively; one drinking his way right to the abyss, ironically, and the other as a pregnant and newly single mother that is the only beacon of light in his life.

It’s definitely one of those character dramas you might not want to save for a rainy day, but it is quietly engaging just the same. I loved it.

#4: “EIGHTH GRADE”

This might just be my formerly introverted middle school self that related to every damn beat of this movie talking – but wow, this film was really fucking good! Actually, I’d say it is the closest thing to perfection any film has been this last year, and the only film that I gave a perfect score.

There’s really nothing fancy or over-the-top about it, and maybe that’s why it works so well. It would seem that Bo Burnham wanted to tell an honest and earnest story about a bumbling and stumbling teenage girl with a heart as big as the Eighth Grade finding personal enlightenment through her awkward social struggles with classmates, and her struggles at home being raised by a single father whom is clearly unprepared to help her walk through this time despite his sincerest efforts.

Much like Krasinski with “A Quiet Place”, one would have thought that Burnham has been directing films for years with how clean he maintains the pace and doesn’t add a bunch of unnecessary fluff. Additionally, and far be it for me to predict the future, but if this is how Elsie Fisher is going to kick things off (voicing Agnes in “Despicable Me” does not really count), she’s going to have one hell of a career. Fingers crossed.

#3: “BLACKkKLANSMAN”

Whether good, great, or not-so-great, there’s no doubt that a Spike Lee film/’joint” is going to take audiences for a ride. One-part dark comedy and one-part gripping drama, “BlacKkKlansman” might now be one of my favorites in his impressive filmography. I mean, staunch racism in 1970s Colorado shouldn’t have made me smile as much as it did, and yet here I am.

Let’s be honest, only the courage and experience of Spike Lee could make a film like this work as much as it did; not to mention the fact that despite the near five decades of separation, it’s eerie how timely and on-the-nose the narrative compares to 2018’s socio-political landscape. Trust me, the final scenes alone will sober any open-minded person up like a steel-toed boot to the groin.

I also have to say how amused I was with how much some of John David Washington’s mannerisms are so dead-on like his father’s. He’s got some big shoes to fill as far as acting goes, yet he showed some decent chops here. Also, his chemistry with Adam Driver proved to be critical and seamless.

Speaking of Driver, the more I see him in films like this and “Logan Lucky”, despite having the same straight-faced style as, say, Ryan Gosling, the less I like his work as Kylo Ren. That may or may not be his fault; I just can’t help but think it.

But I digress. Go see this movie if you’ve yet to do so!

#2: “WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?”

I smile, for what a brilliant human being Fred Rogers was for multiple generations of children.

I weep, for since his departure from this world, the void he created still feels chillingly empty.

Ok, perhaps that’s a bit dramatic. I have no doubt that there are many individuals all over the world with similar saint-like pedigrees whom do not have the benefit of a television show to spread some positive light in this rotting cesspool. Hell, maybe that’s for the best since most major studios cannot help but screw things up any more; I mean, look no further than the Discovery and History channel for examples. Fucking Christ.

Anyway, I could have watched this as a ten-hour miniseries and been just as happy and nostalgic for one of my favorite programs as a kid. Nonetheless, this ninety-minute documentary does a fine job of spanning the entirety of Roger’s career, up to and including one of his final appearances after the 9/11 attacks. The film also made sure to hit most of the highest notes of his career, and some of the lower ones as well. For a man that appeared so confident in himself on screen, it was fascinating and a bit heartbreaking to see him be not always like that off the stage. Just like he was for many people, he too needed a strong support system to help get through some of the world’s negativity.

There’s bound to be a mixture of both sad and happy tears for a majority of the film’s viewers, and I imagine if Fred were here to see that, he’d tell us that both are okay.

And finally, MrMovieETC’s favorite film of 2018 is:

…

…

…

…

#1: “SEARCHING”

There have been many films that I liked and some films that I loved this year, and sure, some that may be deeper, more significant, or artistic, but there is only one that entertained me at every turn so much that I wanted to watch it again the very next day – perhaps even again the day after that – and that film is “Searching”.

Holy crap. Not only was this directed by yet another feature length first-timer and somebody young enough to still be considered a kid in the professional world (Aneesh Chaganty is only 27), but said kid at some point decided to himself that he is going take what other filmmakers have tried to do with social media and “found footage” and kick all their asses by writing one of the year’s best screenplays around the gimmick. Literally, there are only a tiny handful of scenes shot that are not either on a webcam, cell phone, security camera, or computer screen. It is really kind of absurd how, during the entirety of the film, the mind wants to keep objecting and think there’s no good reason this should work, but goddamn it, it’s working like a dream.

Outside of the excellent directing and editing, a lot of the film’s success needs to be credited to John Cho as the widowed father of the missing girl. The idea alone of Cho acting as panicked and suspenseful as he does knowing it is being seen through the lens mostly of handheld cameras is an accomplishment that should not go unnoticed. Well, when it comes to awards, that’s exactly what is going to happen, but what are ya gonna do?

I’m sure there are many people that feel other films easily should rank above this, but from a pure entertainment standpoint, I had to put “Searching” in the top spot. Hell, I loved this film so much and thought it to be so good, I have absolutely no doubt that a god awful sequel will be out in no more than two years. That’s how you know you’ve got a winner.

Thank you very much for reading! I have one more list to go through that I wanted to do for fun. I hope you check it out!

TOP 5 MOST DISAPPOINTING FILMS of 2018

Greetings, Film Fanatics!

Once again, that time of the year has come when all the Christmas claustrophobia has been put back in boxes for another season passed, and cinema geeks around the world burn through respective 2018 watch lists in order to find out which titles will be crowned the best of that year.

As for me, I like to start this annual project with the five films I had reasonably high hopes for that fell various degrees of short. These are not what I found to be the worst films of 2018, because those lists in my opinion are all too simple; whereas a list like this carries a certain negatively emotional weight.

Now, with that out of the way, let's dig in:

5. "SUPER TROOPERS 2"

Did I say "reasonably high hopes"? Oops. Honest mistake, right?

There was really no reason at all to believe that "Super Troopers 2" was going to come remotely close to the guilty pleasure greatness that is the now seventeen-year-old original. That being the case, my standards for this sequel were actually rather low, and it still didn't clear the bar. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed nearly all the Broken Lizard productions up until this point, but the characters, and the shtick they carry with them, are not deep enough to carry multiple stories. These guys have proven that they have a comedic prowess to be reckoned with, so to see rehashes of the same jokes from the first film be the only ones that stick in this sequel is really all the proof needed to show that this wasn't going to work. I can certainly understand the temptation with "Super Troopers" putting Broken Lizard on the map and all, but it might be in their best interest to keep moving forward with new material.

4. "YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE"

Oh yeah, this is going to be a fun one.

Yes, you read this correctly. Sacrifice me to the Dark Lord Cthulhu, because not only did I dislike this movie, it nearly pissed me off to "Killing of a Sacred Deer" levels. Sorry, not sorry - fuck this movie.

Look, there's a reason why this is on the "Disappointments" list. I absolutely agree that it has an attention-grabbing story with some gritty cinematography. I respect Joaquin's performance in it, even if it's a far cry from his best work. Unfortunately, outside of those few check boxes, I'm left with the same questions and grievances that "Sacred Deer" left me to choke on: What is the fascination with these mechanical characters and using some of the most god awful hipster scores in modern cinema?

"Alright, hear me out on this one. Joaquin Phoenix is driving alone down this sunny, isolated highway, right? What if, to give accent to this scene, we create an ambiance of what a breaking down dishwasher would sound like if it were getting fucked by a ride on lawn mower? No, trust me! They did the same thing for an hospital escalator scene in 'Sacred Deer'. It's going to be genius!"

I guess it worked. I clearly still remember it.

I tried, I really did. I tried to block out all the noise and get invested in borderline sociopath-esque character drama, but I failed. I don't know why A24 Productions is jerking off so hard to this stuff, and maybe I never will. I've seen this on a lot of Top 10 lists this year already, so at least it has its fans.

3. "THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS"

On the surface, this would look like a film that should fall in the same spectrum as "Super Troopers 2" as far as expectations go; however, the truth is that I held the two pretty far apart. "Happytime Murders" is a comedy that should have fucking worked, and I'm kind of upset that it did not. See, there's two forms of "Brainless comedy" - one is the good kind, such as "Super Troopers", that has really no good right to exist but it touches all the finer points of escapism; the other kind, contrarily, is the mindset that it requires no brain power to make effective comedy. Guess which one "Happytime" belongs in.

Puppets cursing like sailors is not in itself a joke, or at least a joke that can carry an entire film. There were a handful of moments in here that showed potential, but merely only showing it is not going to get the job done.

I ranted enough about this back in my original review. I don't need to do it again here.

Dammit, this should have been good.

2. "RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET"

Yeah, I'm really bummed to have this on the list at all, no less towards the top (or bottom). A lot of what I loved about "Wreck-It Ralph" was sadly not to be found in this sequel. I guess in some way that makes sense seeing as there was really nothing to build off of, so to create a second story, it's going to have to take some new directions - it's just that most of those directions weren't very good. To be painfully honest, the only areas of the film I outright enjoyed were the first half of the Second Act when Vanellope plays in Slaughter Race, and most of the Third Act when the conflicts of Ralph and Vanellope come to a head.

I spoke of this once already in the past, so I won't repeat it all, but the whole "Viral Video" aspect really turned me off, and no matter how many times I watch this in the future (I want to give it at least one or two more), I cannot picture that ever turning my perspective favorably. It felt much more like pandering to a young audience rather than something that would have made sense for Ralph as a character.

Well, at least "Mary Poppins Returns" was good. Would have sucked for Disney to end the year on a low note.

1. "THE NUN"

...

...

Yep.

It's boring. Oodles of wasted potential. Still a bit baffled by all of that seeing as this came from the same filmmaking team as "The Hallow" a few years ago. I don't particular want to talk about this any more than I have already.

So...

When does "Conjuring 3" come out again?



This has been my TOP 5 MOST DISAPPOINTING FILMS of 2018.

Thank you so much for reading! Looking forward to a great 2019!