Phoenix Productions
New Release - A Quiet Place4/12/2018 I was incredibly worried about A Quiet Place at the time of its announcement. It is a horror film produced by Platinum Dunes (Michael Bay's production studio), which has, to my knowledge, never produced a truly good horror film. Not to mention, Michael Bay is credited as a producer. I definitely had my doubts. Then SXSW happened, and the film's ratings exploded. Critics called it the next Get Out. I was mystified. It was around this time that I also learned that John Krazinski directed this film, as his big-budget directorial debut of sorts. At this point, I had no clue what to expect. After seeing the film, I realize that I had absolutely nothing to worry about. Actually, my surprise shifted to the fact that we have received not one, but two Legendary-grade films in a single month, with a potential third (Avengers: Infinity War) on the horizon.
A Quiet Place takes its name seriously, as the film relies heavily on silence to produce its oppressive atmosphere. The motif works almost flawlessly for the film, creating such an atmosphere that even the slightest sound will make you jump. The score for the film, whenever it does pop in, is incredible, further escalating the heavy tension in the air. The acting, both by the children actors and by the adults (John Krazinski and Emily Blunt), is so good and convincing, and the character development is so deep, that you end up caring deeply for these characters without ever learning their names on-screen. The cinematography is impressive to say the least, capturing a post-apocalyptic landscape with Last of Us esque detail. The world building here gives Ready Player One a run for its money, setting up a desolate and dangerous environment, while implying so much more. The clever twists and turns of the film are not thrust suddenly upon the viewers, but rather slowly eased into the plot as the film goes on. The emotion is all there, and it even made us tear up a bit. Safe to say that The Strangers has officially moved aside in terms of my favorite horror film of all time. A Quiet Place is the new standard to which I will hold all horror films from here on out. A Legendary and Top-10 Favorite Film in every category. FINAL SCORE: LEGENDARY
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New Release - Ready Player One4/12/2018 I gave myself a significant amount of time to gather my thoughts on this one, as well as enough time for two screenings. My opinion did not change...in fact, my opinion actually improved upon second screening. Ready Player One is a master-class film for what it is. The whimsical and magical nature of the story portrayed is captured in some of the most beautiful visuals and effects ever put on screen, beaten only by Blade Runner 2049 and Blade Runner. The comedy of Ready Player One is akin to that of a Marvel film, which works incredibly well in this setting. The character development and the world building are spot-on, and really bring the Oasis to life. Acting and sound design are great as well. The film is nowhere near perfect, but it is a beautiful example of how the magic of the inner child can be channeled into something truly special. I am avoiding spoilers here specifically because I want everyone to go see this film. Now, the main complaint I see about this film is that it relies on nostalgia heavily. This isn't the case. It has many references and a lot of nostalgia, but it is used in the world building and most always has some sort of purpose. The nostalgia also adds to the charm of the Oasis in a way that generic replacements just can't do. The film is expertly crafted, essentially becoming "Willy Wonka, but with video games." And as simple a premise as that is, it captivated me from beginning to end. I originally doubted this film's potential, expecting around a 6 or 7 when first going to see it. I had no expectation of giving this film a Legendary rating, yet it has earned that, along with a spot on my Top 10 Favorite Films of All Time.
This one must be seen to be believed. Truly one of the biggest dark horse films I've ever come across, and among the best films I've seen in the last 5 years, at the very least. FINAL SCORE: LEGENDARY Oh, how the mighty have truly fallen. Prey at Night had all the potential to be a worthy successor to my personal favorite horror movie of all time, The Strangers (Rating 9). Unfortunately, the film makes a massive misstep in its story, as well as many technical issues and flaws. This includes one massive continuity error so egregious, it had my family and me believing that the story actually took a brilliant twist into Saw-esque cult territory out of nowhere. Alas, the film is not nearly as brilliant as that thought, even though the ending is ambiguous enough that such a thing is still possible. Anyways, onto the review. This will be structured slightly differently than other reviews, because I had incredibly conflicting feelings about each act of the film.
Act 1 (out of 3) of Prey at Night is fairly mediocre at best. It starts out fantastically, drawing you back into the nostalgic rampage of the Strangers, with Dollface leading the charge. And when I mention nostalgia, I really mean it. This film structures everything in the style of old-school retro slashers. Even the opening title screen is absolutely a breath of fresh air in the over-saturated modern horror industry. The retro style really works in the film's favor. However, for reasons I will describe later, it also hurts it. Once the first kills take place, the film grinds to a slog, as it shoves the backstory of this average family down the viewers' throats. To be completely honest, I don't even really remember the characters' names, that's how forgettable they are. Far less compelling than Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman's performances in the original film, whose portrayals of Kristen and James are still some of my favorite horror victims. This opening act rides on the acting ability of the cast, which really doesn't hold up. Add to that some really funky issues with the cinematography, including some oddly out-of-focus shots, and the film really doesn't give a good first impression. The second act of Prey At Night makes up for that, with some (albeit predictable) old-school horror and killing. The film makes an effort to change the MO of the Strangers completely, as they begin the killing immediately. The cinematography, acting, and story all improve dramatically in this second act, to the point where the story itself feels very much worthy of being a sequel to the first film at this point. The cinematography reaches the highest quality of any horror movie I've ever seen for the remainder of this film. It's definitely no Blade Runner 2049 (Rating Legendary), but it's definitely up there. Pin-Up Girl and the Man in the Mask definitely deliver some scares here, but the Strangers seem to almost be too omniscient throughout the middle of this film. They are in all the right places at all the right times to propel the plot forward. Still, all in all, this second act is quite good. Then we get to the part of the film that royally pissed me off: the third act. The act where they fundamentally destroy the Strangers as horror villains. The act where they enter the realm of the almost-supernatural for no reason whatsoever. The act where they KILL THE STRANGERS. I won't lie, I honestly cared more for the Strangers than I did for the family in this film. But when Pin-Up Girl was knocked out by a golf club and stabbed repeatedly to death, I was shocked. Then Dollface gets unmasked and shotgunned. Then things get really messy. The Man in the Mask, along with his signature, apparently-invincible truck, survive an explosion, burning, and a shard of glass to the heart. This is where the almost-supernatural part kicks in. It's very clear that the film wanted the Man in the Mask to be a tribute to Jason Voorhees and other similar slashers with the tendency to be unkillable. However, here it just doesn't work since the last film established the Strangers as being purely human. Now for that continuity error I was talking about. The film makes you believe that the shard of glass did the Man in. The daughter, who survives along with her brother, is hailing a truck for help, when the Man attacks her one last time with an axe. Not only does she eat an axe blow to the shoulder and not get butchered, she manages to brush it off, climb into the truck, find a baseball bat, and knock the ever-loving crap out of the Man, snapping his neck. Now, in the scene with the glass, the Man's mask had burned partially, and all his body was burned. In the shot where he hits her with the axe, his body is not burned, and his mask is intact. However, in a close-up as the truck drives away, the mask is revealed to be burned. This continuity error had all of us believing that there were more than one set of Strangers, which would have been such a brilliant twist for this film. However, the story went with the stereotypical supernatural idea and an ambiguous ending that left me shaking my head in disappointment as I left the theater both times I saw the film. A real shame and missed opportunity. This film's score basically comes only from the impressive second act of the film. The first and third acts were just so weak in comparison, and they bring the film down tremendously. A real damn shame. FINAL SCORE: 5 New Release - Black Panther (SPOILERS)2/20/2018 Video Link: TBA
Black Panther is a testament to a tired and worn-out formula having new and vibrant life breathed into it. This review will not specifically cover any controversial topics revolving around the film, although you can't talk about it without at least mentioning them. The cinematography in BP is definitely at and even above Marvel's high standards. It's no Blade Runner 2049 (Rating Legendary), but it definitely holds its own in the visual effects and camera work front. The score and Kendrick Lamar soundtrack blended together brilliantly to capture the subculture around BP's intended audience, as well as deliver that signature Marvel goodness. There is a lot to like here. Marvel has the tendency to meet the fundamentals of filmmaking with flying colors. I would classify the fundamentals here about equal with the also excellent Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Rating 10), Captain America: Winter Soldier (Rating 9), and Spider-Man Homecoming (Rating 10). The acting in BP is by far the best in the MCU (although Homecoming's really, really close by), with incredible performances out of...well, everyone. Michael B. Jordan plays a surprisingly strong, yet simple villain in Eric Killmonger, whose motivations and plan are simple yet certain. For the role he is given here, he executes it with the same mastery that made him an amazing lead in Creed (Rating 10). Marvel's tendency towards weak villains seems to be coming to an end. Chadwick Boseman, reprising his role from Captain America: Civil War (Rating 8), is awesome here. But the acting is so on-point from everyone in the cast that he actually gets overtaken by many of the supporting characters, such as Lupita Nyong'o's Nakia, Danai Gurira's Okoye, and Letitia Wright's Shuri. The film's action and setpieces are a beauty to behold. As formulaic as the film may be, it still manages to keep me satisfied and enjoying every moment of it. All that being said, there are some weaknesses in the film that keep it from that coveted rating of 10. The two halves of the film feel almost as if they have completely different directors. The first half really captures the emotion and conflict of the film, but has a disconnect from the second half, which enters traditional Marvel battle territory, with a much more Wakandan vibe. There are very few plot holes that I spotted on first watch, but they are definitely there. Also, the pacing felt very erratic throughout the film, speeding up and slowing down on a dime. This isn't a turn-off for me personally, but it is worth mentioning. While Killmonger's character is fantastic in the role he is given, he could still have been fleshed out far more, and used for far more than just a single movie. In addition, while it is obvious where the end-credits sequence with Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier) lies in the MCU timeline, it creates a disconnect from the rest of the film, which occurs a week after the events of Civil War. Overall, Black Panther rises above the rest of the MCU, and superhero movies in general, to take its throne alongside the other rulers of the MCU: Winter Soldier and Homecoming. Black Panther is my second-favorite MCU film, just behind Homecoming and surprisingly barely overtaking Winter Soldier. Neither film is an easy one to compete with, yet Black Panther does so effortlessly. It is a must-see, especially as a triumph for the black subculture that the film very clearly caters towards. This is very much a Black Lives Matter movie, and in my opinion, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, in this instance, it is absolutely amazing. FINAL RATING: 9 Video Link: TBA
The Cloverfield Paradox came out of absolutely nowhere...sort of like its plot. A majority of the movie will leave general audiences and critics alike scratching their heads. It has many a plot hole, and many disconnects that make this film very, VERY hard to watch if you are not a fan of previous Cloverfield films. In addition, the climax of the film feels very rushed once it hits, and the final scene is highly derivative of other sci-fi/horror films (I will use the recent film Life for my primary example here). That being said... Cloverfield Paradox is a good film. Definitely not perfect - not in fundamentals, not in coherence, not in anything. But what Paradox lacks in technical prowess, it makes up for in concept, design, intrigue, and acting. The characters of Paradox develop really well for the most part. The main cast is strong, with an incredible performance out of Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who plays astronaut Ava Hamilton, a technician aboard the Cloverfield space station. The crew also includes Chris O'Dowd, who provides some much-needed comic relief to this grim story, Daniel Bruhl of Captain America: Civil War fame, and John Ortiz, who never misses a beat the whole film. The concept of the film is incredibly fascinating: Earth is facing a global energy shortage. The aforementioned Cloverfield space station is outfitted with a device called the Shepherd particle accelerator, which in theory should provide unlimited energy. However, the quantum entanglement required to work with such a device (according to what I gathered from the film...I'm not a science person so apologies if I completely misinterpreted that) leads pundits to predict a cataclysm called the "Cloverfield Paradox" - basically, the Shepherd causes our dimension to collide with another, unleashing absolute chaos upon both dimensions. This ends up becoming a reality, as the station is transported to an alternate reality, and the creature from the original Cloverfield is unleashed upon the original dimension (We'll call the first dimension Earth-1, and the other one Earth-2, for reference). The premise of the film is exceptional in my personal opinion. Multiverses have been explored before (particularly in major films like Interstellar), but this take on the concept is definitely an original one. The tie-ins to the original film are also interesting, although the film still doesn't fully connect to 10 Cloverfield Lane. Now, the film is very cliche and derivative of other sci-fi films. There are many elements of Alien, Event Horizon, and more here. However, the film's cast keeps these in the background. The big draw of films like Paradox and Lane is how the films make you question the connections between them and the rest of the franchise. They are films solely made to invoke questions, and they do that job very well. As far as the fundamentals of filmmaking go, however, the film falls short. Cinematography is incredibly inconsistent, with some shots appearing to be from a handheld camera and an inexperienced operator. Other shots appear almost as if they should be in theatrical big-name releases because of how well they are done. The contrast between the first scene and the second is jarring to say the least. The score of the film is absolutely superb, although still derivative of other sci-fi/horror films. The plot feels very fast-paced in some segments, with some setpieces feeling very disconnected from the rest of the story. For all its flaws, the film was very enjoyable to watch, and is definitely superior, in my personal opinion, to its vomit-inducing found-footage predecessor. However, it falls quite short of the very-good 10 Cloverfield Lane in terms of quality. This can be attributed to the issues the film had in production and with the transfer from Paramount to Netflix. It is a good film. Not great, but not bad either. Definitely above average, especially compared to its very average first installment, and to other similar movies. FINAL SCORE: 6 [NO VIDEO]
The Last Jedi has had a LOT of controversy. It has plot holes. It messes with Star Wars lore and canon a lot. It changes certain characters fundamentally. But...does that make it a bad movie? Absolutely not. The Last Jedi is, by far, the most innovative Star Wars film movie to date. It was the most enjoyable Star Wars film to me personally because of its impressive cinematography, fun play on the Star Wars formula, and beautiful fight scenes and plot twists. Many don't like these twists because "they break canon." However, I beg to differ. As a longtime Star Wars fan, I've looked through much of the Extended Universe and Legends. Fatal Alliance, for instance, completely nullifies the complaints about Leia's bridge destruction scene, as it was done there as well. One "plot hole," gone. Snoke's death? That one makes perfect sense to me. There's what Rian Johnson himself has said about it- that it deepens Kylo Ren's character arc and allows him to become more of a villain in the future than Vader or Sidious ever could. However, there is also a theory that Snoke is Vitiate from The Old Republic, or a being similar to Vitiate. Bottom line: the movie actually didn't break canon or mess things up that much. Even the Canto Bight casino sequence, while overstaying its welcome for sure, has its place. And no, the movie isn't specifically catering to social justice warriors. None of that matters. The movie can tell its story how it is created to. And in my opinion, the story presented, while flawed, is incredible and believable. It also adds tremendously to the Star Wars mythos, and allows the Force to really come into its own (especially after that midichlorians debacle). The movie is, in my personal opinion, the best Star Wars movie to date. It breaks the formula, tells its own story (and a darn good one, at that), and allows the franchise to grow as a whole. Great cinematography, insane plot twists, and an overall phenomenal story that the standard "fanboy" will have trouble understanding, especially with their own fan theory clouding their judgment and not allowing a truly great movie to shine where it should. FINAL SCORE: 10 Author
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