Scream Queens is a Hoot

Scream Queens might just be the surprise of the television season. Well, maybe not surprise, if you read reviews of the pilot season beforehand. I claim it is a surprise because it is so much more than the trailers suggest and definitely better than the way it was advertised. Set in a college sorority, these rich, stuck up girls are a story that's already been told. Emma Roberts' character Chanel Overlin, the queen bee, is the cruelest of them all yet she still maintains a ring of minions around her. Nothing new there. Even a killer who is on the loose on campus isn't what makes this show different. What really stands out about this show is the humor and the way it doesn't take itself too seriously. Everything is over dramatized and has a highly satirical, cartoonish tone. Creator of the Scream Queens, Ryan Murphy, explains the differences between this show and his other thriller American Horror Story. AHS tells a more serious story which is darker and sexualized. Scream Queens remains lighter and frequently laughable.




Not to mention Scream Queens is the voice of our modern college generation. Even though the dialogue may seem over the top at times, I can guarantee whatever you've heard on this show, you've probably heard a friend say. When they are not running from the killer, they talk about the same things you would find most college aged kids talk about. They do not try and dumb these characters down, but instead they reflect an inflated version of young adults today. In the pilot episode, superstar Ariana Grande guest plays a sorority girl who is murdered in her bedroom. Grande is not only texting the murderer as she stands in front of him, but then proceeds to live-tweet her death as it's happening. The laughable moments like that reflect who we are as a society and we can only choose to laugh at ourselves.

Overall, my goal is to spread the word on this comedy thriller and to urge at least the college aged demographic to check it out. With a star studded cast, it's impossible not to love. The actors and actresses we watched make a fool of themselves on Nick and Disney many years ago are now real actors who put on a great show. And if you weren't a fan of Jamie Lee Curtis beforehand, you will be.

Se7en

When I first saw Se7en, I was blown away by how dark the ominous the story had become. By the end, the plot and characters were so intense that it was truly captivating. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman pull off their best performances in this mystery thriller.

The story centers around Detectives Mills (Brad Pitt) and Somerset (Morgan Freeman) as they investigate a trail of murders. The crime scenes are always very strange and seem to resemble one of the seven deadly sins. With these clues, the detectives track down the real killer but he gets away in a gripping chase. Throughout the sequences, Mills and Somerset build on the relationship between one another and there are some heart warming moments to balance out the horrifying ones. Eventually, the killer reveals himself to the police covered in blood. Can the two detectives survive the killer's final trap? I won't spoil the ending but it is definitely worth watching and is considered a classic in shocking endings.

Kevin Spacey plays the murder and, in my opinion, it was his greatest role in a long time. He was calm, cool, and collected which made him absolutely terrifying whenever he had something to say. You'll really learn to hate this guy quickly, and Spacey does such a good job of achieving it. The twist was good upon itself, but Kevin Spacey definitely made in ten times better.    

I always end up watching this movie a few times a year to refresh myself in a deep and compelling narrative. However, I definitely won't recommend it to anyone with a weak stomach.    

Frequency

Frequency is a film about a police officer named John Sullivan who is down on his luck. His father, Frank, is dead, and he no longer has any zest for life. One night, after his girlfriend leaves him, he finds his father’s old police radio and turns it on. He begins messing with the signals, and somehow makes contact with his father exactly 30 years in the past, on the day before he died. Before the connection cuts out, John is able to shout out the circumstances that led to Frank's death. Frank is skeptical about the situation, and believes that he is being messed with, however, when the circumstances brought up in their conversation prove true, Frank believes and trusts John's words, escaping the fire to safety. Since John was able to warn Frank away from danger, his father's death never occurs. However, it is not without consequences. Since John and Frank were able to alter the past, life in which they know it suddenly changes. John's altered future is one in which his mother, in turn, has been murdered by a serial killer. Now John in the present and Frank in the past must communicate via radio to try to solve the mystery of the killer's identity and change the outcome again.

Frequency is one of my favorite films of all time. It is a great piece, built around a realistic and caring father/son relationship and ordinary characters who are trying to accomplish extraordinary things in order to change the past. The movie has a lot of heart and you really learn to care about the characters and worry about what will become of them. I also very much admire the uniqueness of the plot. It is both interesting to contemplate the complexity behind it, as well as to watch. It is a little slow to take off, but once it gets going, there starts to be action at every turn. It is definitely one of those movies that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Akira

I first saw Akira over winter break last year in a movie theater near my home town. It had been over twenty-five years since its original debut in Japan but after seeing it for the first time, I understood why it is so critically acclaimed to this very day. Not only was the animation far ahead of its time, Akira revolutionized the genre and allowed more animation like it to be localized to a western audience, specifically the U.S.A.     

The story takes place in the year 2019, where the original Tokyo has been destroyed in nuclear war and has been rebuilt as Neo-Tokyo. The plot revolves around Shotaro Kaneda, the leader of a motorcycle gang, and Tetsuo Shima, his best friend. Throughout a series of strange events, Tetsuo is transferred to a top secret government facility where they run tests on him and discover that he has the potential to use unbelievable psychic powers. Consumed by his own incredible strength, Tetsuo goes on a rampage, destroying everything in his path. He learns about a being that is very similar to himself named Akira, who has been locked away by the government and goes on a mission to confront him. Meanwhile, Kaneda must try to talk sense into his friend before the entire city is destroyed again and millions of lives are lost.  

Akira pretty much set the standard for Japanese animation after its initial release in 1988. It is action packed, over the top, and a hell of a lot of fun. It is very bloody and violent which some people say distract from the complex story that is going on around it but I disagree. It might be because I have developed a strong stomach for gore over the years, but I thought the violent scenes, especially the most brutal ones, really complimented the movie overall as it is an epic animated science fiction thriller. The animation is still breathtaking to say the least. In a time where animators didn't have the luxuries of the advanced technology we have today, it is unbelievable how much work and dedication went into creating this movie. From intense fight scenes to serene pans of landscapes and environments, Akira really nails it in every sense of the word.    

Overall, Akira is a classic in Japanese animation and it's hard to think what animation would be like today if this masterpiece was never created to inspire thousands of animators working today.

Snowpiercer

Over the winter vacation, I was scrolling through Netflix and decided to watch Snowpiercer without any prior information to what the plot of it was or how it was received by critics and audiences. To say the least, I was pleasantly surprised to find a movie filled with gritty and captivating action sequences as well as an interesting plot and premise. Snowpiercer does a great job of keeping the story and action interesting and, as long as you don't take it to seriously, it is a lot of fun throughout the entire feature.

Snowpiercer takes place in a desolate future where the Earth has been frozen over due to a failed attempt to stop the effects of global warming. The surface is now completely uninhabitable and most of the world's population has been eradicated. The only surviving humans left on the planet now live on a train that is constantly moving and never stops under any circumstance. A man named Curtis (Chris Evans) lives in the back of the train with other survivors in harsh living conditions where they must work to survive. Meanwhile at the front sections of the train, wealthy aristocrats live lives of luxury and relaxation. Tired of the oppressive upper class, Curtis leads a revolt in order to take control of the train by fighting his way to the front and taking the engine room by force. 

It took me awhile to understand that the dialogue and circumstances of the movie were supposed to be over the top and ridiculous. That being said, it did take me a good twenty or so minutes into the film to actually start appreciating it for what it was. Once the plot and characters were established, the action started and thats when I really started enjoying it. Most of the characters are pretty one dimensional but there are moments that are very heartfelt and others that will make your stomach churn. The pacing is very good as the progression of the film is marked by the rebellion's advancement through different parts of the train. The ending was very unexpected and there wasn't a lot of clarity in where it was heading after the cliffhanger-esque sequence but I was able to look past it for all the fun I had while watching the entire movie. 

Since my first time watching, I have watched it again and it was great knowing what to expect and reliving all of the awesome fight scenes and emotionally gripping parts all over again. I highly recommend watching this movie if you enjoy science fiction and all of the ridiculousness that stems from the genre.     

   

The Babadook

"If it's in a word or it's in a book, you can never escape The Babadook"

The Babadook is a psychological thriller released late November in 2014. Directed by Jennifer Kent, this film follows a mother (Essie Davis) and her young boy (Noah Wiseman) as they are terrorized by a monster known as the Babadook. Essie Davis plays a single mother, named Amelia, who tragically lost her husband and is trying to raise her son as he begins displaying more and more sporadic behavior.

One of the strongest aspects of this movie is the symbolism behind the monster the Babadook and what he represents. The Babadook is a physical representation of grief and how, if one does not come to terms with grief, it will eat away at them. When I first watched the film it was difficult for me to pick up on this symbolism; however, at the end of the film there is a scene that make it very apparent. It is not until our main character Amelia accepts that the Babadook will never go away, or that grief will never go away, that the monster stops attacking her. Amelia is then seen feeding worms to the monster, or feeding into and acknowledging the grief she has for the loss of her husband, that she is able to move on with her life.

There are few aspects of this film that I have a problem with. The Babadook is introduced through a children's flip-book that is, one day, randomly found in the families basement. While having a basement leading to horror aspects in a film is incredibly cliché, the art design of this flip-book was amazing.

Every scene that contained this book left me feeling creeped out and uncomfortable. My only complaint is that the monster was not nearly as frightening as the monster in the book. The Babadook is merely a tall man in all black with some white face paint and silver contact lenses. Also the same effects used in all horror movies to create tension and panic are used in this film: quick cuts, shaky camera operation, and dark lighting.

Overall, while I did not find this film to be that frightening I did enjoy watching it. I think that it was well shot, well written and had strong underlying symbolism. If I had to give it a rating I would give it a 7/10 and would recommend giving it a chance.

The Sixth Sense is just so good!

I stumbled across  "The Sixth Sense" the other night, and with that being about the fifth time seeing it, it still managed to blow my mind. In case you haven't seen this thriller, (which I HIGHLY recommend you should) here is the plot in a nutshell...    A children's psychologist played by Bruce Willis, becomes heavily attached to one child's problem when the boy, (Haley Joel Osment) begins to claim that he sees "dead people" walking around his presence. During his case, the doctor's marriage begins to crumble, as he focuses too heavily on the child's issue.      

To begin the review, all I have to say is "woah," what an incredible ending. Every time the ending concludes, I just say to myself that it may very well be the best conclusion of any thriller to this day. It is simply moving and powerful, but words do not do it enough justice. I am obviously not going to spoil anything from the film, but the end of this film allows the viewer to see the plot from a completely different point of view, which is simply an incredible achievement by writer/director M. Night Shyamalan After the fifth viewing of this film, and also taking a lot of film classes I began to notice more aspects of plot development that really interest me. Something else that stood out to me was the fact that unlike its trailer, (that I watched after the movie) it portrays the film as a chilling thriller. BUT this movie is sort of a supernatural drama with a ton of emotional and heart-stopping scenes to support it. But I still refer to it as a great "thriller".       

I noticed that the film is also purposely very slow paced, which allows for plenty of time for the characters to mold and shape the subtle but important material at hand. Haley Joel Osment does a phenomenal job as the troubled child who is going through mysterious mishaps that no child should ever have to go through. Tough-guy, Bruce Willis even pulls off a fantastically solid performance, with an emotional side that we, the viewers, rarely see. But, the "twist ending" of the film raised it to a new level. My friends and I could not help but discuss the various intricacies of the plot which were The alterations of the plot through the captivating ending could not help but further my absolute appreciation for the film. With incredible acting, incredible film style, and an incredible score, The Sixth Sense is most-definitely one of my favorite thrillers of all time. Even though it may not be an all-out thriller, please believe me, you will definitely be startled in a lot of scenes, and sincerely moved in others. It is without a doubt, an impressive movie.      

Go watch it now, before someone ruins the ending!

I got it! I got it! I don't got it.

Tonight I've been able to knock another off another from my list-

All I have to say is that I love Mel Brooks even more than I already did (and that's a lot of love). 

This movie is a parody of about 10 Alfred Hitchock films- and each done so well that Hitchock himself loved it. Seriously- Brooks dedicated the movie to him at the beginning of the film. He also had a private screening for Hitchock and after the movie, he left without a word! Brooks thought that the film icon had hated it- but actually the complete opposite! Hitchock sent Brooks wine congratulating him on a job well done. Pretty sure that's one of the highest compliments anyone could ever get- ever.

High Anxiety is about Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke, a highly regarded Psychiatrist from the East coast and comes over to the West coast to run the:  

                                      

PsychoNeurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous. Here in the institute you meet Cloris Leachman as the very manly, pointy-breasted nurse and Harvey Korman as another doctor who was going to run the institute before Thorndyke arrived. Having been a HUGE Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein fan for years, it did my heart good seeing Frau Blucher and Hedley Lamarr get um... *ahem* kinky? Also, anytime I see Madeline Kahn in anything- I know it's going to be good.

So many direct spoofs from his movies are so well done that you had to know that Brooks watched Hitchocks films on repeat- like for example...

The shower scene from Psycho. We all know how it goes down in Psycho, but in High Anxiety, Brook's character has been asking the bellhop to get him a copy of the newspaper since he got to the hotel. The bellhop, not being the nicest/sane guy in town, rolls up the newspaper and stabs Brooks's with it and leaves. Instead of the usual blood we would have seen, instead we see the ink go down the drain and Brooks looks like he's dead but then blurts out "He's not getting a tip". If it wasn't for the fact my room mate has been asleep for almost two hours, I would have laughed so hard out loud. 

(Even the opening scene where Thorndyke goes through the airport seemed so hilarious once you put it in context- just watching everyone's face as the plane goes for the landing and then you see Brooks- Lordy that's the exact look my mom gets whenever we're on a plane...)

Due to this movie, I know understand why my parents always joke about the drapes (seeing as my dad is a psychologist) and when ever I say I'm getting anxious, my dad will always sing "Hiiiigh Anggggg-sietyyyy". And I got that it was from the movie but I thought he was just being a dad but nope. Mel Brooks takes a jab at Frank Sinatra while he's at it... Ahhh... Mel Brooks...

If you are either an Alfred Hitchcock fan, Mel Brooks fan, thriller fanatic, or a comedy enthusiast, High Anxiety is probably one of the best films you could see. So if you want to hear Mel Brooks sing or just get a brief idea of the movie, watch the video I have at the bottom- It's of the movie's theme.

                                       

Skyfall: Homage to the Bond classics

This weekend I saw the latest addition to the Bond legacy, Skyfall.  This film was able to appeal to the current generation's "action movie go-er" while still paying homage to the classic Bond spy movies.  Regardless of the movies attempt to have a more realistic plot/take than some of the old Bond movies the director took special care to not over step his bounds and preserving many aspects of the older films.

First off James Bond/ Agent 007 kept his name as did "Mom" and eventually Agent Moneypenny, along with several other characters. The preservation of names, regardless of how silly they seem now, directly points out the commitment to maintaining the tradition of "Bond."

Throughout the movie old plot points from previous Bond films were brought up such as exploding pens and ejector seats.  These moments of brief dialogue were directly for those who knew the old movies and allows the audience into the mind of the writer/director of the film saying, "No this is not a remake of the old Bond movies but instead another chapter in the legacy." Such comments pass right over the heads of people who don't know the movies, but add another dimension to those who have been following Bond from the beginning.

The film even went as far as to reintroduce the spy car the original James Bond used in the past films.
Recognition of the creators of Skyfall to address the fact that the film industry has changed and that the plots of action films today differ from those in the past allow them to change the story/character accordingly to still preserve Bond as an admirable, suave, and all around "cool"character.  The idea of an exploding pen would be better suited for a comedy than a serious action film is the perfect example of this.  However the fact that Skyfall incorporated and worked so hard to bring back elements of the old movies in the best way they could added an entirely new dimension to the film.  In my opinion the new Skyfall movie did the Bond series justice and through its homages to the classics of the past appeased many fans who may have been apprehensive about re-igniting the Bond legacy and tradition.

Fall Preview: Argo, Moonrise Kingdom, Seven Psychopaths, Looper

Must See Movies For This Fall:
The following is a review of several movies coming out this Fall that already have buzz both with general audiences and critics.

Argo:
The declassified story of a CIA operative who has to infiltrate a hostile Iran in order to save six Americans seeking refuge in the house of a Canadian ambassador. The film is based off of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, which adds to the intensity of this political thriller.

Moonrise Kingdom:
This film is going to be a serious awards contender because of it's trueness to film form and cinema photography.  The plot is a classic style love story of a young boy and girl who meet, run away together, and fall in love.  However the spin on this movie is that both are begin chased by a ragtag team of campers and camp councilors.  The director Wes Anderson has been on a hot streak with his films and this film seems to continue his run.

Seven Psychopaths:
The story of a man who becomes wrapped up in the crime industry after accidentally kidnapping a dog belonging to gangster.  This star studded cast includes Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Abbie Cornish, Sam Rockwell, Olga Kurylenko, and Tom Waits.  This dark comedy has such a solid cast and such an interesting plot it will be interesting to see how general audiences react to this new take on comedy.

 Looper:
This film so going to be a psychological thriller/action flick to remember.  Staring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt this movie has the star power and script to be a box office power house.  The story of a future mob that sends enemies into the past (our present) to be executed and eliminated is a fresh new idea with a lot of potential.  Such an interesting concept is sure to insight many plot twists and turns that will surely bring about a lot of buzz.

Psychological Thriller: "Donnie Darko" v. "The Butterfly Effect"

Recently I watched the films “Donnie Darko” by Richard Kelly and “The Butterfly Effect” by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber back to back.  Both of these films are categorized as psychological thrillers and both films have many similarities in their plots. Both films played with the time space continuum, both films had characters who have supernatural experiences/powers, and both films featured a troubled protagonist you follow through it all.  Despite these films similarities at the end I found that I disliked “Donnie Darko” but loved “The Butterfly Effect,” and I had to ask myself, “Why?”

            “Donnie Darko” is the story of a teenager named Donnie Darko who hallucinates and sees a demonic bunny named Frank.  The bunny will put Donnie in a trancelike state and Donnie will do his bidding.  One day Frank makes Donnie sleepwalk out of his house, saving his life as a jet turbine that falls from the sky and crashes into his room.  As the story goes on Donnie feels like he owes the bunny for saving his life and his hallucinations get progressively worse until he feels as though he has discovered time travel.  In the end Donnie uses his “new found knowledge” to alter the past (I don’t want to ruin the ending so I wont get too specific).   However at the end of the movie I felt disappointed and almost annoyed.

As I mulled the movie over in my head I began to realize why I found the story so disinteresting.  When the plot is broken down the entire film is based off a hallucination bunny saving Donnie from a mysterious airplane turbine.  Although the airplane turbine was eventually explained it was still too far fetched of a conclusion to be satisfying. I feel that although it was well filmed, directed, edited and shot but the fact of the matter was the plot was not cohesive or believable enough for me.  I feel as though if the central event of the film was more realistic then I would have been able to get more into the movie. 

Inversely, this idea that the script and plot are central to the film is a main reason why I enjoyed “The Butterfly Effect” so much.  Although the central plot point of this film is about a young man named Evan Treborn has a supernatural power to travel into his past it was so well set up and well developed that this seemingly far fetched idea became believable. The teleportation of Evan back in time in order to save his future and the futures of those he loved was beautifully executed.   The ability of the film to catch the audience up to the “new present,” transforming years into only seconds was amazing. However what really impressed me was the preservation of cause and effect in the film and the realism of the outcomes, or new futures, that were created though Evan’s travels into the past.  The writer/filmmakers also had an understanding of their audience.  This is apparent when the filmmakers play into everyone’s worst fear that the protagonist Evan is in fact insane and that he has been imagining his flashbacks the whole thing.

I feel as though these movies stand as prime examples for what good writing can do as well as the determents of having an unbelievable storyline.  In the genre of “psychological thriller” the plot is imperative to the success of the film in the eyes of the viewer.  In my opinion if things do not come full circle and there is no clear/or realistic revolution, especially for this genre of film, the film will not satisfy the viewer.  It goes to show that, for the most part, even if you shoot a beautiful film if the script/storyline are not compelling or believable then in the end the audience will not be satisfied.

Drive

One movie I had been waiting to see since before the summer was the new Ryan Gosling thriller "Drive". It all stared when this clip came out in May and I had been obsessed with the scene ever since. for starters the cinematography is beautiful and provides an air of mystery around Goslings character.

A trailer soon followed and getting updates on the movie became a daily activity for me.

The movie left little to be desired for me and I give it a full two thumbs up. The music was brilliant and gave the film that retro late 1970's Steve McQueen feel. The chase scenes are a thing of beauty and make a film about a stunt driver seem as real as can be. While some may find Gosling's character hard to connect to, I think that is the point. He is a driver and very little more. He doesn't seem to have any connection to anyone accept a handyman who brought him in as a teenager and nurtured him into his adult years, and a next door neighbor with whom he has a fledging romance. If you're into thrillers and stunts that will make your mouth water, this movie is a must see for you.