Newest Review is LIVE!!! Today, be civil to each other with The Nice Guys
Hello All,
Like most of the movies I review on here, I have anticipating this one greatly. For anyone who doesn’t know, some of director Shane Black’s previous films include Iron Man 3, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The latter of those films being another buddy comedy, and as I actually just found out he wrote the script for the first Lethal Weapon film. So this is clearly a type of film that he’s experienced with, but does his way of doing it still hold up in the modern era? Let’s find out together shall we?
Plot Summary - In 1977 Los Angeles, Private-Eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) must join forces with Enforcer Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) to solve the case of a missing girl named Amelia (Margaret Qualley). But what starts off simple, quickly devolves into a case more complicated than it seems.
Pros - What grabbed me first was the music, as the film has (obviously) a killer 70’s inspired soundtrack. The cast is great too, especially the chemistry between the leads. The play off of each other perfectly, especially since the script is really well written. The comedy and the timing are all on point, and the mystery itself actually evolves really well as you start going deeper into it. There’s also a few good dramatic moments thrown in as well, as we get to learn quite a lot about everyone involved. The look of the film also captures the bizarreness of the seventies quite well too. The action and chase scenes are also quite interesting and varied as well.
Cons - The film does have a couple of cliche moments, as well as maybe one or two jokes that fall a bit flat. Also, if you’re not expecting the dramatic moments they might throw you off just a touch at first.
Final Score - 10/10
I debated giving it a 9, but truthfully because the story is so much deeper than I originally thought it was going to be I just figured screw it full monty.
Next - The Angry Birds Movie: Dear god, just don’t let be too bad.
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Last Review is Here: I revealed which very popular film I loathe quite deeply.
Twitter Account isHere: You’ll get notices when the reviews are live as soon as I post them, plus any trailers, movie news, or updates on when I stream on Twitch. I’m always looking for new followers, and with more followers means more ways for you guys to contribute.
NEW!!! Suggestion Box isHere: Are you sick of gaps in my posts? Why not suggest a film or film series for me to watch? Suggestions will be completed in order received, and if you’d like to leave your name for a suggestion credit and anything you’d like me to promote (within reason) I’d be happy to do that too. This suggestion box will be a permanent fixture of the blog, as again I’d love any and all help you guys want to offer.
Twitch Channel isHere: I’ll admit, I don’t quite have a regular streaming schedule worked out, but if you follow either the Twitter account or the channel directly you will be notified whenever I go live. (Speaking of Which after I post this review I’ll be going live.)
Newest Review is LIVE!!!! Today I revisit outer space.
Hello All,
So since I started the new Suggestion Box (which is linked down below), I’ve decided to permanently switch to that instead of future polls. However, I’ve decided to do the films that were on there in order of total votes. Today I tackle the other half of the first place tie, by reviewing a critically revered film I absolutely fucking loathe. The choice of film for this, is 2014’s Interstellar. For anyone who has been here since that start of these, they might remember that was one of my earliest reviews, and that it did not fare well with me at the time. So for doing this I also took it as an opportunity for a possible fresh perspective. How did that turn out? Let’s find out together shall we?
Plot Summary - In a futuristic earth, the planet is dying, and former astronaut Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) gets recruited for a last ditch mission to save the human race.
Pros - Without out trying to repeat myself from the previous time, I basically do enjoy the look and feel of this film, as it does truly does capture the beauty of space with breathtaking imagery. There are some good personal moments in the film as well from the cast.
Cons - I cannot stress enough how much I hate this film’s pretentiousness. It’s Christopher Nolan trying to beat over the head with how important space is, yet the answer to how to solve the problem is basically love will find a way? The whole plot is Cooper basically jeopardizing the human race so he can see his kids again, and fucking up along the way into somehow pulling it off. It’s own ending raises too many goddamn questions too.
Final Score - (Previous: 4/10) (Now: 4/10)
My opinion of this film still stands, it’s a fucking waste of almost three hours. Maybe it’s just me, I never bought into the hype and it’s at it’s core a slow drama, which I’m fucking allergic too.
Next - Wide Release: The Nice Guys
Bad Movies I Love: A Million Ways to Die in the West
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Last Review is Here: I did a new type of blog post, an Editorial Special. Check it out here.
Twitter Account isHere: You’ll get notices when the reviews are live as soon as I post them, plus any trailers, movie news, or updates on when I stream on Twitch. I’m always looking for new followers, and with more followers means more ways for you guys to contribute.
NEW!!! Suggestion Box isHere: Like I said above, any future reviews like these, I’d love for them to be suggestions from you guys. Suggestions will be completed in order received, and if you’d like to leave your name for a suggestion credit and anything you’d like me to promote (within reason) I’d be happy to do that too. This suggestion box will be a permanent fixture of the blog, as again I’d love any and all help you guys want to offer.
Twitch Channel isHere: I’ll admit, I don’t quite have a regular streaming schedule worked out, but if you follow either the Twitter account or the channel directly you will be notified whenever I go live.
Until next time, I’ll see you folks at the movies.
Newest Review is LIVE!!! People, today all I want to present to you is a slice of raw honesty.
Hello All,
It’s a little after midnight at the time I write this. I’m sitting here, currently completely furious, and annoyed at myself. See, I decided today to not go see Sing Street, simply because the timing was not as good for it as I had hoped. Not wanting to feel like this week had gone to waste before Thursday, I decided rather late in the evening to tackle the 2014 comedy Neighbors with a friend of mine. After some co-ordination, we managed to get it started and we were just hoping for a decent comedy to kill some time with.
11:30 minutes in, we had to turn it off. This was after three previous start and stop attempts, because of how much this “movie” is just so painfully unfunny.
Neighbors, is a complete piece of shit, that I can guarantee you right now, even if I had a gun to my head, I’d let the man shoot me instead of ever trying to watch this shit again.
I don’t know if I have to be stoned or drunk, or both to make this funny, but I can guarantee it’d be a worse hangover the next morning than waking up in a foreign country, naked, and without a passport.
From the very first minute of this movie, our protagonists are EXTREMELY dislikeful because they are attempting to have sex in front of their infant daughter. Now, I will give them the benefit of the doubt in thinking that they didn’t mean to do it, and that it was a spontaneous decision, and her being there was an afterthought. Somehow, that makes it worse. Now, I can’t comment on the sex lives of married couples, as I suffer from chronic singleness, but I’m so damn sure that anyone with a fucking brain would at least move the kid to another room for a couple of minutes at least. Keep in mind this is the first scene of the movie, where most movies would use this as an attempt to make your characters likeable. I just thought they were creepy and gross.
Next, they go outside as Seth Rogen heads on to work, and they see a gay couple touring the house next door, and he makes a fabulous joke. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA NOT FUNNY! That shit got old when people were doing it when I was in High School. I’m not saying you can’t make jokes about gay people but Jesus Christ at least bring some cleverness and creativity to the mix.
Then there’s the scene where he’s at work, and they for what feels like an eternity, Rogen and his buddy hint that they’re going to go smoke weed outside and, MOTHERFUCKING SHOCKER, they do just that. I know right? Seth Rogen smokes pot? WHAT A FUCKING CRAZY AND BIZARRE NOTION! They then proceed to joke about getting older, which is ironic, because most of these jokes are fucking ancient. Then, *gaps* the boss comes outside, and Rogen has to eat the joint. Fuck off.
Next, it’s later that night, and one of their friends calls them up and says that she wants to go out to a rave. So what’s the parents reaction to this? Bring the baby with them of course. The best way to describe the reaction to this is as follows: “Are you people fucking mental?”. I’m quoting my friend (we’ll call her Cass) who offered to watch it with me, and was more than glad to turn it off when I basically threw in the towel.
The final nail in the coffin, was when the frat showed up. When the parents all of a sudden start giving a shit about properly taking care of their kid and making sure the frat next door keeps the noise down at night. What’s their plan? Dress like them, bring the kid over, and offer them pot.
One of the many reviewers I watch is a group from Austin Texas. They said something once about adults who try to act cool that I’m going to link below, because it sums up my feelings about these parents in this fucking movie perfectly.
People, I’ve seen my fair share of bad comedies in my time. Hell, the only two movies I gave a 0 to were comedies. But people, a 0 is not good enough for this movie, so here’s what we are going to do.
Since Neighbors is guilty of the following offences:
Unlikeable Main Protagonists
Jokes so old you can see the copyright from the year 1000 on them
The scatter brained pacing
The jarring tonal shifts.
Ike Barinholtz, because fuck MadTv in it’s stupid face.
For clearly being a terribly re-written follow up to Knocked Up that misses the point of Knocked Up completely.
I give Neighbors the very first….
Disqualification from Review!
I gave it the good old college try (terrible pun very intended), but I just can’t bring myself to watch it all the way through.
This will not become a regular trend. This is an emergency situation, get out of jail free card, that I only ever intend to use for the films where I want to give it an honest review, but for the life of me cannot even physically put myself through it. People, this movie is on autopilot and it’s crashing into the mountains. I have sat through terrible movies, and have only walked out on three in my entire film watching history. I’ve watched bad movies at home, and have never once in recent memory gone and hit the close window button as fast as I did with this, and I wasn’t even the one who had to close it.
Will I go see the Sequel? It’s a maybe. Out of the three new movies I know for sure are opening near me, the sequel is at the bottom of that list, and who knows?
I will take this opportunity to apologize to Cass, and to make it up to her for attempting to watch this movie with me, I’d like to present her most recent musical piece: Her Orchestral cover of the Overwatch Theme.
Next: The Nice Guys - Thursday Night Review, and holy shit I cannot wait to see this movie.
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Last Review is Here: It’s about Monsters…...sort of……….
Twitter Account isHere: You’ll get notices when the reviews are live as soon as I post them, plus any trailers, movie news, or updates on when I stream on Twitch. I’m always looking for new followers, and with more followers means more ways for you guys to contribute.
NEW!!! Suggestion Box isHere: Are you sick of gaps in my posts? Why not suggest a film or film series for me to watch? Suggestions will be completed in order received, and if you’d like to leave your name for a suggestion credit and anything you’d like me to promote (within reason) I’d be happy to do that too. This suggestion box will be a permanent fixture of the blog, as again I’d love any and all help you guys want to offer.
Twitch Channel isHere: I’ll admit, I don’t quite have a regular streaming schedule worked out, but if you follow either the Twitter account or the channel directly you will be notified whenever I go live.
NEWEST REVIEW IS LIVE!! Let's go count some cash today with Money Monster
Hello All,
I apologize for the lack of posts this week. It’s been slow around here and you could see how much running around I’ve had to do, I honestly think I could make the roadrunner envious. We are getting close to summer movie season though, and having seen an example of the release schedule for next week, it’s going to be a good week. However, we are stuck in the here and now of this week, and in wide release around me is Money Monster. I’ve been seeing the trailers for this one for a while, and even though the reviews were non existent until today, I had hope that maybe we could have an interesting thriller on our hands in the meantime. Did we get that type of film? Let’s find out together shall we?
Plot Summary - Lee Gates (George Clooney) is the host of Money Monster, a financial analysis and stock trading show. However, when irate viewer Kyle Budwell (Jack O’Connell) storms into a live showing and straps a bomb to Lee, his director Patty (Julia Roberts) must help him unravel a financial mystery at the centre of the whole situation.
Pros - The cast is solid, especially O’Connell who basically steals the show in my mind. The story manages to keep itself interesting and intense, and probably features one of the best verbal assaults on a character I have heard in a really long time. Jodie Foster manages to do well in the director’s chair, offering a really steady an interesting look on a premise that’s been explored quite a lot recently, in that it’s willing to go in on a more personal story than most. It’s also quite an interesting journey to see evolve and unfold in somewhat real time. It also avoids going into deeply preachy territory about the subject at hand while also avoiding sounding cynical.
Cons - The ending you can kind of see coming from a mile away, and when you find out who the bad guy is, they do their best to try and paint them that way by throwing every damn cliche they can at them and they basically become a cartoon villain minus the twirly mustache.
Final Score - 8/10
It’s a great thriller that if you don’t mind the thud like ending, then I can easily recommend this.
Next - Sing Street: That’ll probably be on Monday since I will be out on the town that day anyways. Although at some point this week, I’ve decided to give you all an insight into my thinking by making my ranking scale public. I’ve had some questions recently about it, so I figure why not?
I want to take this moment and say thanks to all of you for all your support so far with me and this blog. I have ideas on how to keep this going but it will only keep going with your help. So please take a moment to go through these links, and even if you only choose one thing to check out it helps me so much.
Links:
Last Review is Here: I did a double review of 2 completely different movies. That’s twice the review for you guys, so check it out.
Twitter Account is Here: You’ll get notices when the reviews are live as soon as I post them, plus any trailers, movie news, or updates on when I stream on Twitch. I’m always looking for new followers, and with more followers means more ways for you guys to contribute.
NEW!!! Suggestion Box is Here: Are you sick of gaps in my posts? Why not suggest a film or film series for me to watch? Suggestions will be completed in order received, and if you’d like to leave your name for a suggestion credit and anything you’d like me to promote (within reason) I’d be happy to do that too. This suggestion box will be a permanent fixture of the blog, as again I’d love any and all help you guys want to offer.
Twitch Channel is Here: I’ll admit, I don’t quite have a regular streaming schedule worked out, but if you follow either the Twitter account or the channel directly you will be notified whenever I go live.
Thank you all again so much, and I hope you get yourselves excited for the summer blockbuster season.
Newest Review is LIVE!!!!!Another Double Review for you all.
Hello All,
I’ve had a very long day, so I’m going to keep this intro short and get sort of straight to the point. So let’s do that now shall we?
A Hologram for the King Review
Plot Summary - Salesman Alan Clay (Tom Hanks) travels to Saudi Arabia in order to sell a holographic meeting system to the king. While there, he travels around meeting various citizens and getting to know the culture, while reinvigorating his own life.
Pros - Truthfully, this is a classic Tom Hanks type of feel good movie. The cast is good, the story is good, and the film is also really well made.
Cons - It is a touch on the sentimental side, and the story does kind of wander from place to place a bit.
Final Score - 9/10
It’s not going to break too much ground in terms of filmmaking, but it is a well told and heartfelt film.
Green Room
Plot Summary - After a punk band finds themselves playing at a neo nazi bar in the woods, the accidentally get caught up in a murder scheme, and are forced to stay in the bar’s green room by it’s menacing owner Darcy Banker (Patrick Stewart).
Pros - It is really cool to see Patrick Stewart as a villain, as he and the rest of the cast do a really good job with the premise. The film is tight, suspenseful, well told, and it’s incredibly interesting to watch the situation and evolve and grow with the chaos. It’s a really good looking film too, as it takes place over the night and through the barely lit club. It also makes the smart choice to avoid jump scares altogether and forces you to watch and get involved with the situation at hand.
Cons - If you’re looking for a straight up scare fest, you’re barking up the wrong tree. The film also didn’t quite grip me with suspense as much as I would’ve hoped, but it never lost my interest.
Final Score - 8/10
It’s a definite watch, even if you just want to see Patrick Stewart be amazing.
Next - Money Monster if there’s a showing nearby. Other wise it’ll probably be a spontaneous review of a dvd or something.
Last Review is Here: It’s for the film that I can easily say at the time of writing this is the new front runner for my favorite of the year.
We have hit 10 followers on Twitter! Which means I have made an online suggestion box for people to contribute ideas to the 25 follower poll! You can find that at this link: http://freesuggestionbox.com/pub/qynwasd please read the rules, any violations of those rules will be disregarded. If you would like to follow the Twitter account, you can do that here: https://twitter.com/RyansMovieBlog
I just want to sort of describe to you my mindset right now. If you just want to get to the review, feel free to skip this part, I’ll mark where to start reading below. If you wish to keep reading, feel free to do so. I think ever since Amazing Spiderman 2 let me down, I decided to take solace in the MCU as my source of comfort. While I didn’t watch too much of the other superhero shows except for Spiderman as a kid, I really got into Marvel after I started playing a tabletop game known as Heroclix. Since most of you won’t know what I’m talking about, in short it’s game where you play with tabletop figurines and you make them fight, but more complicated. It was there that my interest in Marvel sparked and that was roughly a few years after the MCU had started. When I had to stop playing Heroclix, I focused more on the movies. When Sony let me down with Spiderman, like I said before, I turned entirely to the MCU. When they announced that not only would the third Captain America film be an adaptation of arguably one of the most memorable comic book storylines, but that they even managed to free Spiderman from Sony’s grasps, I basically anticipated this more than any other film. Sure I did focus on the ones drawing closer, but this one always stayed in my mind, and man was I excited. As I type this, I’m wearing my Spiderman “snapback” hat (god I hate that word), My Spiderman classic costume T-Shirt, and my Captain America Shield Carrier Bag covered in buttons, that’s basically my long distance identification marker I’ve had it for so long, is sitting downstairs as that’s also my work bag. I basically counted the minutes all day in my mind at work waiting to be finished so I can get myself ready for it, and with memories of Batman V Superman creeping up my conscience, I went into the theatre, sat down, and braced myself.
I sit here now, having seen it, and I guess the question is: Was it all worth it? Let’s find out together shall we?
Review Starts Here (Spoiler Free. I’ll try and give basic descriptions.)
Plot Summary - When the new Avengers roster led by Captain America (Chris Evans) accidentally ends up destroying a Wakandan embassy during a mission, the United States government tells them that the U.N. is demanding that the Avengers sign a new accord that will see them governed and held accountable by a U.N. panel. While the team becomes divided on the issue, another attack occurs which brings the on the run Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) back into the picture. When the government task force aided by Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) decides to bring him in, Captain America decides to fight back.
Pros - Where to start? The cast brings it their all as they always do, as we even manage to develop some story lines for some of the newer characters. Everyone gets their fair share of screen time, good scenes, dialogue, and especially the one liners. The fight scenes between the characters are phenomenal, as again everyone gets in their fair share and we even get some really good reveals from the characters. The plot is solid, and keeps you guessing, and Daniel Bruhl as Zemo is amazing, and can almost give Loki a run for his money in the planning department. The pacing is well done, the look of the film is great, everything about this to me feels so on point for what a comic book movie should be. It even manages to raise questions about accountability versus restriction, and no one side of the issue gets painted as the singular bad guy. I should also state here that there are 2 end credit scenes, stay through all the credits.
Cons - Some might be disappointed at the length some of characters get in the film, but I feel that for the length they were there, they all had their moments to shine. If you’re expecting a one for one straight adaptation of the comic book storyline, you might be a little annoyed with some of the tweaking that they did to the story.
Final Score - 10/10
For me though, words can't properly express just how much I love this movie. I can easily say it’s now the frontrunner for my personal favorite of the year.
Next: Remember that double feature that was my other alternative? I’m hoping to squeeze that in Friday. If not then hopefully Monday.
Last Review is Here: It was a movie about a man who might get turned into a Lobster. I’ll just leave it at that.
Twitter Account is Here: https://twitter.com/RyansMovieBlog Thanks to everyone who has followed so far. When we hit 25 followers I will open a new review poll for you all to vote for. Think of it as a chance to make me suffer. I open for review suggestions at 10 followers, and at 15 I reveal the choices.
NEWEST REVIEW IS LIVE! Today, it's not a rock, but it is just The Lobster..
Hello All,
When I was a kid, my dad introduced me to Monty Python. It was through them that I first learned what absurdist comedy was, and truthfully I still think to this day that they were the greatest comedy troupe I’ve ever seen. I bring this up because nowadays, at least in my experience, it’s really hard to find absurdist comedy films that are not afraid to go the distance with the premise. In theory it’s because they run the risk of alienating people who aren’t a fan of that kind of comedy, and that it won’t do much business at all. So when I saw The Lobster pop on my radar quite some time ago, reading about it’s concept I was immediately intrigued. So when I found out it was playing nearby I jumped on the opportunity and made my way over to go see it. So was the wait worth it? Let’s find out together shall we?
Plot Summary - In a dystopic future, any residents of a city who are single, are taken to a hotel on the outskirts of town, and are given 45 days to find a romantic partner. If they fail in this task, they are turned into an animal of their choosing and are released into the wild. In the film we follow David (Colin Firth), a man whose wife has just left him, and so he now finds himself navigating through other guests at the Hotel in his quest to find love.
Pros - The film is pure absurdist comedy, as it pokes fun at every aspect of relationships and even being alone. It is really hard to explain without potentially going into spoilers, but the film does a really close job of capturing that Monty Python level of hilarious bizarreness. What I can say is that it’s beautifully
Cons - Like I said, if you don’t like this type of comedy then you won’t like this film. Everything line is also delivered very bluntly for extra effect, so if that also bothers you, avoid it. They also don’t really go into to many of the rules of who qualifies, preferring to leave you to think about it. It also has an ambiguous ending.
Final Score - 9/10
It’s not quite the home run that I was hoping for, but it’s at least one of the funniest films I’ve seen in a really long time.
Next - It’ll either be a double tomorrow, or Civil War Thursday.
Last Review is Here: I tackled a different comedy involving animals.
I am 1 more Twitter follower away from allowing suggestions for the 25 follower review. If you or anyone you know are looking for more twitter, I am available for following.
