Director: Danny Boyle
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels, Seth Rogen, Michael Stuhlbarg
Running Time: 122mins.
Universal Pictures

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

No one removes a limb nor falls in a pit beneath an Indian outhouse in Danny Boyle’s new awards-season biopic Steve Jobs, but I do suspect many people will accuse it of dragging the late Apple CEO through the mud. Working from a fast-paced script by Aaron Sorkin (aren’t they always?), the film pulls no punches when it comes to Jobs’ pseudo-Machiavellian pursuit of his Mac computer. Unlike Sorkin’s previous computer-minded outing, The Social Network, Steve Jobs feels even harsher for the span of time in which we’re tuning in. We stay with Mr. Jobs’s and his collateral damage, the loved ones and colleagues frequently left floundering in his wake, over the course of fourteen years and three epic product launches. It pits Jobs’s minor launch glitches against far greater interpersonal struggles and the suspense lies in what will finally warrant his attention. The small acting ensemble revolving around Michael Fassbender’s fierce portrayal of Jobs–including Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels and Michael Stuhlberg–ensures that it’s a fair fight. In this highly focused fashion, Boyle has delivered not the complete biography of Jobs, but an energetic strong impression of the man behind the curtain. And the iPod.

The three ‘acts’ that occupy the real-time action of Boyle’s film see Jobs as he successfully launches Macintosh, then outside of Apple with the disastrous NeXTCube and as the prodigal son returning with 1998’s iMac. To see the launches go off without a hitch is Jobs’s goal but through Boyle and Sorkin’s film, Steve’s launch is like a juggling act where more balls keep getting thrown into play. The major crisis with the first Macintosh is that Andy Hertzfeld (Stuhlbarg) can’t get the demo computer to say ‘hello.’ And Steve is much scarier than Yoda in the “there is no try” department. Hovering on the sidelines of the epic hello struggle is Joanna Hoffman (Winslet), Apple marketing guru and the only person able to wrangle Steve’s attention for any quantifiable amount of time. She doesn’t see why the computer must say hello, oh and also Steve should do something about his daughter and her mother waiting for Steve in the wings. The daughter he’s so publicly denied fathering, and half blames for his losing Time Magazine’s Man of the Year title. Priorities. Meanwhile Steve Wozniak (a deeply touching Rogen) just wants Steve Jobs to say thank you to the Apple 2 guys, an earlier model that the company thrived on. And for good measure, a stoic Jeff Daniels as exec John Scully steps in to remind Steve of his own parental issues (he was adopted) at exactly the wrong times.

These basic components are tossed in and out of focus over the course of the launches, with Boyle slyly throwing in the occasional additional flashbacks in time to further flesh out Steve’s relationships–especially with Wozniak and Scully. As a fiery Fassbender plays young Jobs, it’s easy to see how he sold his team of people on going on these technological ventures under his leadership. Important for us to see considering present-Jobs can so often be despicable. Jobs’s chief struggle in most of his interactions, whether he admits it or not, is with common human decency. Long-suffering Wozniak seeks only acknowledgment while Joanna is frequently going to bat on behalf of Jobs’s daughter Lisa since her mother (Katherine Waterston in a small but effective part) is drifting further away. In this core struggle, Winslet emerges as the film’s heart when its protagonist doesn’t have time for his. In Joanna, Winslet is both fearless and vulnerable. She knows Steve the best, she’s knows she’s too valuable to his enterprise to be cast off and she uses this to stand her ground. If audiences find it hard to root for Steve as he is ruthlessly scripted by Sorkin, they will definitely side with Joanna who only wants Steve to be a better person. It’s clever and Winslet is no doubt as awards-worthy as Fassbender is in this film.

Boyle and Sorkin shy away from actually showing their version of one of Jobs’s epic announcements–we have youtube for that–but at every juncture the Mac masses are omnipresent. We see stamping feet and full theater lobbies of faceless groupies which only serve to amplify Steve’s power in these spaces. While other realms of Jobs’s life were out of his control, at least at these launches every minute detail could be dictated by him. To situate the whole story around these launches is to show Jobs at his most intense. The resulting film is a vibrant, unsympathetic portrait of a man whose work continues to evolve how humans connect with each other whether or not he ever mastered that skill in his own life.

I saw Steve Jobs at this year’s New York Film Fest, the film receives its nationwide release on October 23rd.

Starring: Aubrey Peeples, Stefanie Scott and Hayley Kiyoko
Directed By: Jon M. Chu
Rated: PG
Running Time: 118 minutes
Universal Pictures

Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 Stars

I’m not the target audience for “Jem and the Holograms” and in fact, you may not be the target audience either. If you are under the age of 15, understand things like social media and Youtube, and like poppy rock music, then by all means go see “Jem and the Holograms”; you’ll love it. As for those hoping to relive their Generation X childhood or be reminded of those Saturday morning cartoon watching days in the late 1980’s, you’ll be disappointed.

“Jem and the Holograms” comes from director Jon M. Chu, who’s been stuck directing movies for niche audiences. Chu has two “Step Up” movies and a pair of Justin Bieber flicks under his belt and they aren’t necessarily fodder for the general populous. For those who are the clear target of Chu’s previous movies, they eat it up, but “Jem and the Holograms” is difficult. It seems to be caught between entertaining an audience with feelings of nostalgia and a millennial crowd that doesn’t have nostalgia yet.

Jerrica (Peeples) lives with her sister Kimber (Scott), two cousins and her Aunt Bailey (Molly Ringwald). Jerrica lost her father at a young age and only has fleeting memories left of him. She’s a shy, but talented girl who on a sporadic whim, records herself singing a tune she wrote. She immediately feels embarrassed that she threw on a wig along with thick pink eyeliner, and sang something personal under the moniker, Jem. She quickly asks the tech-savvy Kimber to delete it from their digital camera. Kimber secretly doesn’t.

Realizing Jerrica’s talent, Kimber uploads the video to Youtube. The acoustic, soulful song quickly garners millions of views, likes, and the attention of music industry leader, Erica Raymond (Juliette Lewis). In the digital age where there are no secrets; Raymond sees the marketability of a cultural mystery. Everyone wants to know who “Jem” is and Raymond is ready to market the hell out of that question.

At times, “Jem and the Holograms” is narratively confusing. It fluctuates between glossing over character building and expanding upon unnecessary plots. Honestly, the characters would be a lot more relatable or interesting if we knew more about them. It would also help if we knew the ballpark age of the girls. The quartet has no trouble dropping out of school to pursue a music contract without the consent of an adult or the input of their aunt, if they are in school. Sometimes it makes about as much sense as a Looney Tunes short. It’s one of those movies that you’re better off not applying logic to.

Chu’s direction feels lazy as he incorporates Youtube and Instagram videos to reflect the alleged tone of a scene or the feelings of our characters. There’s also a lot of cringe worthy scenes, including one where Jerrica glances too long at a naked, with nothing but a towel, manager by the name of Rio (Ryan Guzman), that’s in charge of watching the girls. It really becomes unsettling if you begin to wonder how old Jerrica is and how old Rio is since it looks like he wouldn’t be carded when ordering a beer at the bar. Like I said…you’re better off not thinking about it…or seeing this movie.

When “Jem and the Holograms” isn’t stumbling around at an embarrassing pace, there are some genuinely good moments. The music is pretty good considering the musicianship in this movie is a complete facade. Juliette Lewis chews enough scenery that I wondered if she was going to eat the screen. It also helps that it has a decent message about individualism and possibly teaches some of the younger viewers about unflinching acceptance for others who are just simply different. The only problem is that that message comes in by the end and doesn’t ring as loudly as the music.

Overall, “Jem and the Holograms” is a visually unoriginal mess that feels more like an insult to the TV show it’s based off than it does an honest reboot. Despite my trashing, it’s an alright movie for the young ones to see. And I’ll admit that the right eye, the right ideas, and the right director could have made a movie that’s worthy of regenerating interest in a 30 year old TV show. But it appears like the masterminds at Hasbro, who own Jem, realized the best way to cash in on old merchandise is a shiny new package without any fresh content.

Nick Robinson made the leap from the critically acclaimed indie Kings of Summer (2013) to starring in the number one movie of this past summer, Jurassic World. The smash hit features Robinson playing teenager Zach, one of the nephews of park operations manager Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard). Zach, along with his brother Gray (Ty Simpkins), are left to fend for themselves when Jurassic World is overrun by the escaped Indominus Rex. After a quick visit with promotional raptor “Zulu” on the show floor, Zach sat down with me at this year’s New York Comic Con to discuss making the blockbuster.

Lauren Damon: What were your favorite scenes to film?
Nick Robinson: I think my favorite scene to film–one of my favorite scenes to film just on like a practical side was the moment when we open the doors to the old visitors center. Just because that was so cool to see what they were able to think up…Like all the set decoration was like so specific and it was cool to see 22 years later what kind of damage had ensued in this place. And then also the scene where Gray and I are in the back of the veterinary unit and we have to fight off the raptors. That was really fun to shoot just because I felt like an action hero. The whole thing was shaking and we had to like roll a barrel off and stab ’em.

LD: The movie is twenty-two years old and you’re only twenty can you remember the first time you encountered the original? 
Robinson: I don’t know if I remember the exact first time that I encountered it but pretty young. I’d probably say–I remember like at least by like seven or eight having seen it a few times and it’s just a great film. Like all of Spielberg’s stuff, Amblin films, it’s just got real timeless qualities and you know as soon you’re getting into it you’re just going to see something good. You know, John Williams knows how to throw some notes together…it’s just a great movie-going experience.

LD: Did you spend a lot of Ty Simpkins when you guys were cast as these brothers?
Robinson: Yes we did. I think it was by design…From the first day we got to set to when the first day we actually shot it was like about a month and so Ty and I got to just hang out just without any pressures of a camera rolling, and we just got to know each other so that helped a lot.

If you could make a hybrid dinosaur, what kinds of animals would you throw in there?
Robinson: That’s a good question. Maybe a pterodactyl and a raptor with some like falcon and tiger thrown in there for good measure. Just make like the deadliest thing of all time.

When the sequel eventually gets made, how do you see your character fitting in?
Robinson: Maybe Zach goes into train under Owen [Chris Pratt’s character] to be a Navy SEAL and then you know he gets trapped in a love triangle [laughs] between someone and someone so we’ll see what happens. Just an idea…it’s brainstorming.

Working with Chris Pratt was there a lot of jokes being pulled?Robinson: Yes. Yes. That man is like a–he’s a machine, he’s got like an improv brain like nobody I’ve ever met before and he’s…It’s just you never know what is gonna happen. And every day it’s just really fun because he makes it that way. He kind of leads by example and so it was yeah, pretty fun.
Any examples you can share?
Robinson: Um…an appropriate example, I mean, he ate a bug one time. For twenty bucks he ate a bug. Yeah.
Who’s twenty bucks?
Robinson: Who’s twenty bucks? Uh, not mine!

Being we’re at Comic Con, are there any superheroes you’d ever like to play?
Robinson:  Maybe Iron-Man just because he’s got a bad ass suit and that would be fun…
Not Star Lord?
Robinson: Well okay I don’t wanna take that–That’s…that’s Chris. But yeah I’d probably say Iron-Man. This is my first time at Comic Con and I’ve seen a lot of the films killing it right now.

Jurassic World is available to own on blu-ray on October 20th.

Actors: Bill Bixby, Ray Waltson
Directors: John L. Greene (Creator)
Number of discs: 15
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
DVD Release Date: October 20, 2015
Run Time: 3000 minutes

Series: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

Sad to admit but my first exposure to “My Favorite Martian” was the 1996 feature film starring Christopher Lloyd and Jeff Daniels. After watching that I became aware of the much better original 1960s supernatural sitcom series. For the first time ever MPI is releasing the complete series of this show in a collector’s set and packed it full with hours of rare extras. This DVD set features all 107 complete, unedited, digitally remastered episodes from the show’s three seasons. If you are a fan of this series, this is an amazing collection and very reasonable priced as well (Running around $60.00 on Amazon).

Official Premise: Originally airing on CBS-TV from 1963 to 1966 (and debuting in the top 10 in its premiere season), MY FAVORITE MARTIAN marked the beginning of television’s fascination with fantasy-themed comedy series. It stars Bill Bixby (The Courtship Of Eddie’s Father, The Incredible Hulk) as newspaper reporter Tim O’Hara and Ray Walston (South Pacific, Fast Times at Ridgemont High) as the perfectly human-looking Martian whom Tim discovers and passes off as his Uncle Martin. Pamela Britton (TV’s Blondie) plays their snoopy landlady, Lorelei Brown.

This show was known for also bringing in many beloved TV actors to make guest appearances including Linda Evans, Marlo Thomas, Alan Hale Jr., Gavin MacLeod, Jamie Farr, Stafford Repp, Richard Deacon, Madge Blake, Bernie Kopell, Butch Patrick, Henry Gibson, Allan Melvin, Michael Constantine, Pat Priest, David White and Madge Redmond. The episodes are presented in 1:33:1 full frame with Dolby Digital mono. Simple yet the black and white of the episodes look great and the sound effects some through well.

Now on to the extras! There are some great special features included here. “Ray Walston on I’ve Got a Secret” features the actor on the game show sponsored by Dream Whip! There is a Ray Walston TV Commercial with him pitching aluminum. There is a collection of promo pics from the series as well as comic strip from dozens of pages from the funny pages. “The Reluctant Eye” is failed pilot starring Bobby Van, which was included since it was made by “Martian” producer Jack Chertok. “The Man in the Square Suit” is another sitcom episode starring Paul Dooley (The Electric Company & Breaking Away) in the lead.

“Soundtrack Music Album” includes dozens of track from the show’s score. Some of my favorites are watching the “Original Sponsors Spots” including ads for Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, Paper Mate Pens and Toni, the home perm! There are some Vintage Cast Interviews with Ray Waltson. “Behind the Scenes Home Movies” features the cast having fun at the Desilu Studios. There are some cool “Spaceship Miniature Test Footage” as well as an “Animation & Effects Reel”. Lastly “Let’s Talk to Lucy” is a vintage radio show with interviews from Bill Bixby and Ray Walston.

Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Charlie Hunnam, Jim Beaver
Running Time: 119 mins.
Legendary

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

If you’re looking for a getaway this Halloween season, you can probably do no better than the red oozing walls of Allerdale Hall. This ominous edifice nicknamed “Crimson Peak” for the bloody looking clay that stains the snowy terrain outside the mansion is the home of Guillermo Del Toro’s latest haunting tale. More beautiful than terrifying, Crimson Peak is a sumptuous Gothic romance that throws viewers neck deep into a storybook world from the unique director behind Pan’s Labyrinth. It takes a lot of time immersing us into his heroine’s world but our eyes are dazzled even as we wait for any real chills to kick in. Del Toro’s vision is suitably matched by his small cast of characters lead by a positively ferocious Jessica Chastain.

In 1901 Buffalo, New York, the young Edith Cushing (Wasikowska) is struggling with a misogynistic publisher to get her ghost story manuscript to print. He believes the lady needs a love story while she’s striving to be the next Mary Shelley. Edith herself is no stranger to real ghosts as her own cholera-stricken dead mother reappeared to her as a child. Into her bookish world sweeps the tall, dark and angsty Sir Thomas Sharpe from England (Hiddleston) seeking an investment from Edith’s father (Beaver). Apparently the ore deposits in the red clay of Crimson Peak are worth money if Thomas could just get investors to help him complete the machinery he needs to mine the place. Publicly humiliated by Edith’s father, Thomas turns his attentions on Edith herself, sweeping her off her feet with a waltz in front of all society and especially rankling her would-be suitor Allan (Hunnam). Conveniently Thomas’s are the only nearby arms Edith can run into when Edith’s father is mysteriously murdered soon after and it’s off to become Lady Sharpe she goes!

In England, Edith quickly realizes her father’s reservations regarding the Sharpes–Thomas shares his mansion only with severe sister Lucille (Chastain, back to her in a bit)–were not unfounded. Thomas is as terribly off as Mr.Cushing said, with a sinking house that would be optimistically listed as “a well ventilated fixer upper.” It’s got “character” in spades! Did I mention the walls bleed? Still Edith soldiers on because, well did I also mention tall, dark and angsty? Hiddleston wears that (and an array of Victorian era finery) well. Like, maybe-a-couple-ghosts-in-the-bathtub-isn’t-a-deal-breaker, well. The real delights in the move to Crimson Peak however are a tie between the cavernous home, with its creaky accompanying sound design and Lucille Sharpe.

As Lucille, in her restrictive gowns and with her deader than deadpan voice tone, Chastain sinks her teeth into the considerable scenery. Her grim presence looms over her brother and his bride in that fun Mrs. Danvers kind of way. Most of the best scenes are the ones with her and Thomas holding tense discussions in the shadows. Their formidable history simmers just below the surface and as in the best Gothic stories, reflects the decaying environment around them. She desperately clings to their status quo while he, with Edith now in the picture, seems to glimpse a change in the winds, but is it too late?

And that’s Crimson Peak’s best achievement really, the oppressive atmosphere that the very walls inflict on everyone. And fortunately for us, young Edith is so apt to explore. Her endless curiosity to seek out all the nooks and crannies of the home to learn their secrets go against all reasonable horror movie rules. She shouldn’t follow that noise, talk to the ghosts or poke that red goo with a stick and yet I too wanted to know everything about the place. The production design and costumes from Thomas E. Sanders and Kate Hawley, respectively, are simply to die for and go a long way in filling in the gaps that the story leaves out. For better or worse, I suspect the house itself warrants repeat viewings of Peak. As for the true horror moments, Del Toro certainly does not shy away from ghouls or gore, but set in Allerdale Hall, they’re more the norm than cause for shock. This is a classic Gothic romance being wholly embraced by everyone on screen.

Crimson Peak is now open and you can check out interview with Doug Jones, the actor behind many of Peak’s ghosts here.

Director: James Vanderbilt
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Robert Redford, Dennis Quaid, Elisabeth Moss, Topher Grace
Running Time: 121mins.
Sony Pictures Classics

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

It sets a high standard to go ahead and give a politically charged film a title like Truth but that’s exactly what James Vanderbilt, making his directorial debut, has done. I expect the film will be targeted by leftover George W Bush supporters as its protagonist says, “for asking the question” once again of GW’s National Guard service time but the fact is he still won out in the 2004 election despite this scandal and that result is not the concern of this film. Instead Vanderbilt delves into the high stakes of questioning extremely powerful people and more than once the dangers of confirmation bias by even the most experienced of journalists. Whatever your politics, this is an often compelling film that is driven by another strong performance from Cate Blanchett.

Based on her own memoir, Truth and Duty, the film tells the story of Mary Mapes (Blanchett) an ex-producer for on CBS’s “60 Minutes” whose career, along with famous newsman Dan Rather (Redford), was ended when they dug into the dodgy military record of President George W. Bush and whether or not strings were pulled to not only keep him out of the Vietnam war, but to also cover for his being AWOL from even his National Guard duties. On the eve of the 2004 presidential election, the story was make or break material whose impact relied on the timeliness at which it could be delivered to the public.
Working from her own memoir, it’s hard for the film to be anything but sympathetic to Mapes and Rather’s side. I don’t think Rather can feel too badly about this chapter of his life being played out large again when Robert Redford is portraying him. That said, Vanderbilt still manages time and again to highlight the flaws in Mapes relentless fight to get this story out. In order to make her deadline to air, she naysays concerns raised by some of the experts her own team has assembled which eventually comes right back around the bite her later. Once the story blows up and is challenged by Bush’s right-wing supporters in the media, the film picks up. More and more tiny technicalities rip apart Mapes’s reporting if not the actual truth about Bush’s service. Vanderbilt even wrings stress out of the nuances of Microsoft Word fonts, quite a feat outside of resumé creation.

Along the way, Cate Blanchett is electric to watch. In the beginning she is secure and untouchable in light of her success in breaking the news of atrocities at Abu Gharib and her close partnership with the iconic Rather. In Blanchett’s Mapes you can see why a network would bow to her command despite some doubts. It’s a performance that only gets more layered as Mapes weathers her attacks. At first keeping her defenses up and then slowly you see her gears start to shift from denials to justification, despair, and eventually to remounting up her full defenses against a harsh inquisition lead by a surprisingly intimidating Dermot Mulroney. Blanchett is capably supported by the likes of Dennis Quaid and Elisabeth Moss (I could have done without Topher Grace shouting a speech in the film’s later acts), but her charisma is only truly matched in the relatively small role Redford plays. Redford avoids impersonation of Dan Rather, but exudes the stoicism of the long-serving anchorman well and serves as a needed calm counterpoint in Mapes’s political storm.

Perhaps what’s most interesting about Truth is to see an internet-powered scandal from over a decade ago and how even in just this short span of time, news has evolved (or devolved? Depends who you ask). Twitter, among other outlets, wasn’t around yet and by that standard, I began to wonder if this story would have died in the ever-shuffling 24 hour news cycle or if it would have simply come to the same end results in days rather than months. And whether Rather could have better ‘survived’ an even more sped up timeline. In a film all about raising questions, I was satisfied to come away with still more.

Truth is on limited release from October 16th and will expand to more theaters later this month.

Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance and Alan Alda
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 2 hrs 21 mins
Touchstone Pictures

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

I was born in 1960. By the time I was old enough to understand the state of the world, President Kennedy had been assassinated and the Russians were the bad guys. I don’t think I ever had a genuine fear that one day my Cleveland neighborhood would just evaporate in a nuclear explosion but I do know that to the generation before me, the Cold War was very real.

1957. We are introduced to a man who spends the majority of his days painting. Occasionally he will journey to the local park, paints in hand, to take in the beauty of the day. He is also occasionally followed by various members of the United States government. This man is Rudolf Abel and he is a Russian spy.

The second collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Joel and Ethan Coen, who co-wrote the script with Matt Charman, “Bridge of Spies” jumps to the top of my “Best Film of the Year” list. Three-plus decades after “Bachelor Party,” Tom Hanks continues to add classic characters and performances to his resume’. Here he plays insurance litigator James Donovan, an attorney approached by the US government to represent Abel in his upcoming espionage trial. Donovan appreciates the fact that the US wants the trial to be transparent to the world…to show that Abel’s rights are not being violated. He doesn’t appreciate that he will soon be known as the guy defending the spy. Assured that things will be handled swiftly he remarks, “Great. Everyone will hate me, but at least I’ll lose.” Things get even more hectic when the U2 spy plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers is shot down over Russia and Powers is declared a spy.

Hanks’ performance is complimented by a star-making performance by Rylance, who in his native England is regarded as the greatest stage actor since Laurence Olivier. He is amazing here, his gentle manners and quiet demeanor lulling the audience into caring about him. The supporting cast is equally strong, from Alan Alda as Donovan’s boss at his law firm to Amy Ryan as Donovan’s supportive wife.

Visually the film is brilliant. Director Spielberg has recreated East Berlin in the early 1960s down to the razor wire on the wall. The mood is perfectly reflected in the screenplay by Charman and the Coens. Thomas Newman’s musical score also helps convey the feelings of the time. This is Spielberg’s 28th full length feature film since 1974. With the exception of “The Color Purple,” the previous 27 had been scored by John Williams. A short illness, and composing the score for the upcoming “Star Wars” film, prevented Williams from working on “Bridge of Spies.” Newman’s score is fine accompaniment to the story but I did, on occasion, catch myself wondering how Williams would have scored certain scenes.

As fall fades into the holiday season, “Bridge of Spies” has thrown down the first gauntlet in the season’s Oscar race.

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Starring: Jack Black, Dylan Minnette and Odeya Rush
Directed By: Rob Letterman
Rated: PG
Running Time: 103 minutes
Columbia Pictures

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

It’s difficult for me to talk about “Goosebumps” without talking about the popular book series that exploded in popularity in the 90’s, especially when I’m a product of the 90’s. Having owned over 20 books as a kid and reading through all of them, some of the multiple times, it’s safe to say I owe a lot of my current tastes in horror, sci-fi, and humor to those books. What R.L. Stine managed to do in that short lived series was spawn scares, laughs, morality, and even a hint of something sinister. He breathed creativity in the lives of thousands of children. While the movie is far from reinventing the “Goosebumps” wheel, it does respect its source material, and by doing so, spawns an entertaining funhouse flick.

Zach (Minnette) and his mom have just recently moved to Greendale, Maryland. Both of them are escaping the hustle and bustle of New York, as well as an unspoken tragedy. Zach’s assimilation into school is difficult since his mom is the new vice principal and he seems generally disinterested in his new surroundings. The only thing to catch his interest in a sea of hormones is the mysterious Hannah (Rush) and her equal mysterious father, played by Jack Black. Zach develops a crush on Hannah, and at the same time, suspects that something menacing is going on next door.

Those suspicions grow as he hears screams next door. It even gets to the point that Hannah’s father refuses to acknowledge Hannah’s existence to other people. So while Zach’s mom chaperones a dance, he breaks into Hannah’s home. Inside he finds a book case with “Goosebumps” manuscripts. In fact, every “Goosebumps” manuscript. The typescripts are mysteriously locked up though. Zach quickly finds out why, as well as the fact that Hannah’s father is none other than the author of “Goosebumps”, R.L. Stine.

“Goosebumps” plays like “Night at the Museum” with monsters. All of Stine’s creations come to life and literally leap off the pages once the books are opened. Creatures, beasts, and mischief-makers spring to life and instantly, wreak havoc on the quiet rustic town of Greendale. Just like “Night of the Museum” did with group of oddballs, “Goosebumps” finds charm, laughs, and relatable warmth with its characters. The only thing burdening the legitimately good story within “Goosebumps” is the hectic pace at which it’s told and a lot of loose ends that never get resolved or explained.

Usually Jack Black would be chewing scenery and being raucous, but he manages to split up his best traits into various characters. He delivers a steady performance as Stine, who’s coping with the fact that he needs to deal with some inner demons. The side of Black that we’ve seen in “School of Rock” and “Tenacious D” are considerably mild, but still active in the voice work he provides for Stine’s monsters, Slappy the Ventriloquist Dummy and Invisible Boy.

As a result of reading too many “Goosebumps” books and watching too many “Twilight Zone” episodes, I spotted all of the movie’s twists. A lot of that can also be attributed to my critical nature before stepping in the theater. That’s because I was ready for my childhood memories to be trashed on for a quick buck, but thankfully I was wrong. The mix of writers, who’ve worked on everything from “The People vs. Larry Flynt” to “American Horror Story” managed to find the sweet spot that cradles nostalgia and nurtures originality.

What “Goosebumps” does really well though, is create a story that manages to wink at “Goosebumps” fans, but also spin a story that’s understandable for someone who knows nothing about the book series. Kids, actual children and those young at heart, who are looking for a fun scary movie they can sink their teeth into, are in for a real Halloween treat with “Goosebumps” If the creators behind this movie were looking to dust off the books and reboot the series, they’ve succeeded.

Doug Jones is one of the busiest performers in Hollywood, but he’s often hard to spot under creature makeup. In the Hellboy series he played Abe Sapien, while in Pan’s Labyrinth he played the alluring Faun and completely terrifying Pale Man (You remember the one…big bloody hands, eyeballs in the middle of them? Yeah. He’s actually a super nice guy!) Both these projects saw Jones collaborating with director Guillermo Del Toro, a successful pairing that will be returning to movie screens this Friday in the gothic horror romance, Crimson Peak. Jones will once again be deep under cover as two of Peak‘s resident haunts. The film is holding its NYC premiere today and I caught up with Doug this past weekend at New York Comic Con to discuss his ongoing collaboration with Del Toro and, seeing as it’s the Halloween season, the enduring appeal of the Disney classic Hocus Pocus in which Jones was the benevolent zombie, Billy Butcherson.

Lauren Damon: How many films have you done with Guillermo Del Toro?

Doug Jones: This is my fifth feature film with Guillermo Del Toro, Crimson Peak is, but I also am a recurring ancient vampire on his TV show, “The Strain”. Then there’s more in the works for other projects coming down next year too.

LD: What was your first project together?

DJ: Mimic. I worked a couple days doing reshoots as their long john bug creatures that took over the New York subway system. You know, as they do! [laughs] A big cockroach will do that. And then that was five years before–that was 1997–and then in 2002ish is when I got a call about Hellboy one. And that’s when our relationship was really cinched in. From working on that. And then he came back around to get me for Pan’s Labyrinth and then after that Hellboy 2, and then after that we had plans for me to be in The Hobbit when he was directing that but then he had to pull out. So I was gone too. Had plans for me in…that HP Lovecraft story, At The Mountain’s of Madness, then that ended up not happening either. So we had a couple near-misses, and then Crimson Peak came along and he threw me in there as couple of his ghost ladies. I’ll be the first ghost–I’m the mother ghost and the bathtub ghost. It’ll all make sense if you’ve seen it.

LD: Now when you see the part are called “Mother ghost” and “Bathtub ghost”, are you just like “What??”

DJ: It’ll make sense, I promise! [laughs] 

LD: Do either of these ghost have particular quirks that you can talk about?

DJ: Well first of all playing ladies was interesting. And the other lady ghosts are played by Javier Botet–another tall skinny guy from Spain. He was the mother–or Mama ghost– in Mama. And so between he and I, Guillermo likes tall skinny guys playing women, apparently! So we’re gonna do that.

LD: Now are these characters actually on set or added in post-production?

DJ: No I was on set, filmed it on set. They probably had CG people –like the visual effects people were on set to supervise a couple of moments because, as you saw in the trailers, the ghosts are kind of see-throughish. So we’re kind of like made out of vapor yet we were filmed practically on set.

LD: Speaking of tall skinny guys in the film, how was working with Tom Hiddleston?

DJ: Taller than I expected! Yeah when I met him, I was like “Oh my gosh!” But oh yeah, delightful. Now we only brushed by each other briefly in one scene, had a near-miss. But Mia Wasikowska was my main focus. Both my characters interacted with her almost exclusively. But someone asked me recently–because Tom Hiddleston has quite a following as you know…so you might appreciate this question–Someone asked me recently in an interview ‘What does Tom Hiddleston smell like?’ Isn’t that precious? And you wanna know! Cause when I met him, I hugged him hello, he’s a very sweet guy, he’s very very accommodating and very sweet. Now mind you, when I met him I was dressed and made up in a five hour makeup job as the Bathtub ghost, my face is covered with latex foam rubber so unfortunately he smelled like latex foam rubber…because everybody did that day to me.

LD: Now, have you seen the completed film?

DJ: I have not yet. I am gonna see it when you do. I was going to be coming back here to New York for the premiere [today] but…I’m filming Quiji part 2 out in LA so I have to be back for filming. So I’m like, ‘ahh! curses!’ Yeah.

LD: Now moving on, last month I was in Walt Disney World where their Halloween party is Hocus Pocus themed…

DJ: Isn’t that wonderful? I know, I saw a clip of that! Yes!

LD: Why do you think that film has caught on and has such life now?

DJ: I don’t know the whys, I’m just very happy that it does. That it has any life. I think…it’s family-friendly, that always sells, it’s Disney, that always sells, it’s Bette Midler, she always sells, right? And it’s—the witches are not glorified, it’s a good winning over evil story told with lots of humor, lots of visuals and it’s timeless. The styling of the film even, it still holds up today…so it can go on and on. I think it’s only grown in popularity over the years instead of fading like most movies do. So I’m very tickled pink about the home video market. I’m tickled pink about the ABC Family Channel running it multiple times every October and its become like the Wizard of Oz. It’s a sit down event film that the family gathers for so now our original fans are all grown up and have kids of their own. so the audience is only getting broader and broader every year. So I’m very happy. I did not expect that.

Crimson Peak opens this Friday, October 16th. You can read my review here.
Thanks to Doug for taking the time at NYCC to speak with me! 

Actors: Robin Williams, Gilbert Gottfried, Scott Weinger, Linda Larkin, Jonathan Freeman
Directors: Bill Perkins, John Musker, Ron Clements
Rated: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: October 13, 2015
Run Time: 90 minutes

Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 5 out of 5 stars

“Aladdin” was and will always be one of my all-time favorite Disney films. I saw this film in theaters with I was a kid and fell in love. I was also a huge fan of the Sega Genesis game and TV series growing up as well. There is just so much magic packed into this film. The music. The animation. Robin Williams. It is simply perfect. Watching this film definitely makes me miss Robin a lot! He was a comedy genius in his prime and luckily will never be forgotten! My favorite part of this film arriving on Blu-ray this year is that I am able to now introduce it to my 3 1/2 year old daughter, who has no become quite obsessed with it as well. So my job as a dad is done as far as I am concerned. This is a must own for any Disney fan, PERIOD!

Official Premise: Climb aboard for a magical carpet ride with nonstop laughs, action-packed adventure and Academy Award(R)-winning music that will make your heart soar (1992: Best Music, Original Song, “A Whole New World,” Original Score). Now for the first time ever, a whole new world of Disney’s ALADDIN is revealed in a whole new way on Blu-ray and Digital HD — with never-before-seen bonus! With the help of a hysterically funny, shape-shifting, 10,000-year-old Genie, street-smart commoner Aladdin and clever, confident Princess Jasmine join forces against the evil sorcerer Jafar to put an end to his plans to take over the kingdom!

Disney released this Diamond Edition as a combo pack with a Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD copies included. Let me tell you I was simply blown away with the animation in high definition. The colors are just unbelievable. Everything about this movie just shines in 1080p. I am glad they waited this long to release this film because it looks like they really gave this film some good loving. Same goes for Disney’s DTS Master Audio 7.1 track, which perfectly showcases the songs that we all know and love for all those years. Simply perfect. No other way to describe it, honestly.

The special are fantastic editions to this already wonderful Blu-ray. I absolutely loved watching “The Genie Outtakes”. Robin Williams bloopers with his famous character are magically. “Genie 101” features Scott Weinger (the voice of Aladdin) as the host discussing the character. “Ron & John: You Ain’t Never Had a Friend Like Me” features the two directors, John Musker & Ron Clements, talking about the film. “Aladdin: Creating Broadway Magic” focuses on the stage play with host Darren Criss. “Unboxing Aladdin” explores Easter eggs and hidden secrets with  Joey Bragg from Disney Channel’s Liv & Maddy. Lastly there are also ALL classic bonus from the original DVD releases. There are also some extras bonus extras included if you use Disney Movies Anywhere.

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon and Laura Dern
Directed By: Ramin Bahrani
Rated: R
Running Time: 112 minutes
Broad Green Pictures

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Rick Carver (Shannon) casually stares at the corpse of a man who has just committed suicide. His look of disgust isn’t because of the blood or gore he’s staring at, but how much it’s going to cost to clean it up. Carver is the embodiment of the greedy industrialist stereotype we’ve come to expect in movies, but there’s something more to Carver. He’s covetous in a very threatening way, but once that icy stare of his fades away, there’s an understandably human side to him.

Carver expertise is real estate. He’s found out every backhanded way to make money off the company he represents, the U.S. government, and the people he’s foreclosing on. He’s sadistically smart on how he handles himself in front of people he’s evicting. Everything he says is cold and calculated. Shannon brings an air of hostility to Carver without having to raise his voice. He also knows that what he does makes him hated. So he conceals a firearm, ready and willing to get it out if need be.

The latest person to cross an unfortunate path with Carver is Dennis Nash (Garfield). He’s a home builder by trade, but he’s without any homes to build in the Florida landscape. He lives in his childhood home with his mom, and his only son. Nash is the only legitimate revenue stream since his mom simply cuts hair out of their home. Nash is out of options, legally and financially. That’s when Carver comes knocking. Carver has an answer for all of Nash’s tears and angry outbursts as he has only two minutes to pack up everything and get out.

Nash is a guy who’s made a lot of bad choices and good luck has stayed far away from him. So it’s very ominous when Carver offers Nash some cold hard cash to clean out a home. The hardworking skill that Nash displays impresses Carver. Carver formulates a plan in his head, which “99 Homes” slowly reveals. Carver’s motives are inherently selfish, but reasonable. So Carver offers Nash more and more jobs, and sadly, Nash believes he has finally came across the good fortune that’s alluded him for long Nash’s reasoning for working for the man who kicked him out of his home is clear, he wants to create a comfortable life for his son.

“99 Homes” is the best performance I’ve ever seen from Garfield and it’s equally matched by Shannon, who’s displayed this kind of acting prowess in the past. Shannon and Garfield masterfully display their characters true nature through body language and without uttering a single word. Laura Dern adds to the mix with her performance as Nash’s mom. There aren’t any other standouts in terms of acting in “99 Homes”, but being able to watch Garfield match the performance he did in the “Social Network” is refreshing after the unwanted Spiderman movies.

Writer and director, Ramin Bahrini, provides a riveting story, albeit one that feels a bit stale. I’m not saying that there aren’t people like Carver still lurking around, but this feels like a story that would be more interesting right after the 2008 house marketing crash. What Bahrini does do to keep “99 Homes” from simply being an outlet of social commentary, is pump up an engaging drama with relevant dialogue. While the housing market crash will inevitably be a thing of the past, “99 Homes” finds a more intriguing story in how the incorruptible can be corrupted and how the corrupted are looking for a little virtue to hang their hat on.

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Starring: Hugh Jackman and Levi Miller
Directed by: Joe Wright
Rated: PG
Running time: 1 hr 51 mins
Warner Bros

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

It’s a familiar theme in some films. Mother leaves newborn on a friendly doorstep hoping the people inside will give him/her a better life. Such is the case of young Peter, who is left outside a London orphanage in the sometime before World War II. Wrapped only in a blanket and wearing an odd-looking necklace, the baby is taken in.

Jump forward and we find a 12-year old Peter and his friends living in a cramped area, doing menial chores for the tyrannical Mother Barnabas (Kathy Burke). Among their chores is going up on the roof to clean out the gutters, which is a rather odd task to assign a child, especially with all of the air raids going on. While doing their daily tasks, Peter notices that the population of children is dwindling. He’s assured that the youngsters have been “furloughed” out…send to a safe place because of the war. However, he soon learns the truth when he and his fellow orphans are plucked out of their beds and carried away to…you know where!

Full of amazing effects and riding a fine, over-the-top performance by Hugh Jackman, “Pan” is sure to be a hit with the 12-14 crowd. All of the familiar characters are here: Smee (Adeel Akhtar), Tinkerbell and a certain Mr. James Hook (Garrett Hedlund), who quickly befriends Peter. This version of Neverland is full of young boys who like to have fun. For some odd reason they often break into song, including a rousing version of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” When on screen, Jackman gives a bravura performance. It’s almost as if he’s imagining he’s back on Broadway and he has to be “big” enough for the people in the back of the balcony to hear him.

The rest of the cast is equally energized. Young Miller gives Peter a certain youthful quality that’s often not shown in other films dealing with the same subject. Things get a little weird when Rooney Mara shows up as Tiger Lilly, who immediately strikes up a reciprocated flirtation with Hook. The fact that there should be a good 15-years between the two is glossed over. And before the protests begin, I think Mara did as fine a job here as any Native American actress would have!

Some of the grand battles are quite impressive, though I should warn people with kids under 12 that they may be a little overwhelmed, especially with the 3-D, which works to some success here, helping make “Pan” a fantastic adventure for kids.

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Writer/director Leslye Headland is best known for her work on the television series “Terriers” and her directorial debut, the film “Bachelorette.” She also adapted this past spring’s film, “About Last Night” from the original Tim Kazurinsky and Denise DeClue script. Her latest film, “Sleeping with Other People,” has earned nothing but great reviews since it played at the Sundance and Tribeca Film Festival. With the film getting ready to open nationally, Ms. Headland took the time to speak with me about it and what she has planned for the future.

Mike Smith: Where did you come up with the story for “Sleeping with Other People?” Is it based on somebody you knew?
Leslye Headland: Usually when I write I’m writing about a combination of things that are going on in my life. Usually it starts with a question I ask myself. My first film, “Bachelorette,” asked if women are still trying to get married. Is that still a goal we worry about? And is it a worthy goal? Is that something that we actually want or is it just something we’ve been pursuing for so long and so often that we’ve been told it’s something we deserve. But to take it to the ridiculous. On this film the question I was asking myself was, “Is it really possible to fall in love? To REALLY fall in love?” The way we long for. John Cassavetes said that we need love like we need food, water and air. We just don’t know how to get it. That’s really where it sprang from. Can we make a romance that’s very real and funny and touching and scary and stupid? All of the things that romantic relationships are.

MS: For lack of a better word, I found the film to be very “adult,” in the vein of “Bridesmaids” and “Trainwreck.” Yet, like those two films, though it’s “adult” it’s also very realistic. Is that something you strove to show? The “honesty” in how some relationships are?
LH: I guess so. What I really wanted to do was make sex less of a reward or a bodily function. It’s usually shown as one or the other. I wanted to portray sex accurately. It’s very weird. There’s always something going on between you and the person you’re having sex with. I wanted sex to actually be another character in the movie, not just a thing they were doing. I wanted to showcase the sex almost as set pieces. We choreographed and story-boarded those scenes almost as if they were dance numbers. There was a lot of thought put into how to represent sex within the movie. I think that was really the goal.

MS: You’ve put together a great cast. I’m just outside Kansas City and we see Jason Sudeikis’ mom at screenings often. I was really impressed with Adam Scott. This is really a change-of-pace role for him. Did you have him in mind when you were writing? Do you write your characters with certain actors in mind?
LH: I don’t write the part FOR the actors, but I do have ideas on who and how I’d like the role played. I wrote the part of Jake for Jason. I do write them with the hope that a specific actor will do them. I ask them if they would be interested. I mentioned the film to Jason before I started writing and he said that it sounded interesting. We hung out some and talked about romance. We talked about our own personal feelings. He’s obviously found love. He fell in love with Olivia and they have a child now. (NOTE: Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde are the proud parents of a little boy named Otis). I’ve settled down now with my partner. So we pretty much just sat down and talked about our dating years. Getting back to your first question, it never even occurred to me to cast Adam Scott. I mean I love him and he’s one of my favorite actors but it just never occurred to me. I mean, the character is just so evil, and Adam is just so nice. But I also think it takes an actor that good to BE that bad. He and Allie (Alison Brie) had worked together on something and he saw the script. He asked me if I had cast the role and I told him I hadn’t. “Would you like to play it? I’d love you to play it.” He said he really wanted to play a bad guy. And that’s why we had him grow the mustache. We really wanted him to be unrecognizable.

MS: The film has already won raves and awards, including from both the Sundance and Tribeca Film Festivals. Does that help you in preparing for your next film?
LH: Oh yeah! It’s funny, I’m just finishing up my next script now and we’re going to be going out with it soon. I hope it does. My next script is in a totally different genre’. It’s a thriller. I appreciate the accolades but I wonder if it will make the next film hard to sell just because it’s NOT a comedy (laughs). It will be interesting to see what happens. I hope it goes smoothly. I’ll keep you updated!

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Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Alison Brie and Adam Scott
Directed by: Leslye Headland
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 41 mins
IFC Films

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

It’s what everybody wants. True love. To find someone and stay with them forever. That’s what Jake (Sudeikis) wants. Or so he says. However, he has a problem. Whenever he finds what he says he’s looking for he gets a little antsy. In the pantsy. Jake is a serial cheater. Enter Lainey (Brie). Or should I say re-enter Lainey. It’s been over a decade since she and Jake met cute at a party and lost their virginity to each other. Like Jake, she’s been looking for love. She thought she found it with her gynecologist (Scott, in rare dramatic form). But he’s getting married. What is a girl (and guy) to do?

Like “Bridesmaids” and “Trainwreck” before it, “Sleeping with Other People” is a sometimes raunchy comedy that occasionally tries too hard to shock. When it’s not trying to top itself it’s a modern-day “When Harry Met Sally,” once again trying to see if men and women can truly be friends with no benefits.

The cast does it’s best to keep the film moving. Sudeikis is his likable self, with just a touch of sarcasm. He’s like Ryan Reynolds, if Ryan Reynolds was your next door neighbor. Brie is the bravest of the cast, having to take off the blinders and charge headlong into a role that, if played any differently, would not be likable at all. I mention that Adam Scott is in “rare” dramatic form but I should mention that I saw this film over a month ago. Since then he’s turned in another fine performance in “Black Mass,” proving himself to be quite a skilled actor.

The screenplay, by director Headland, has some fine moments when it gets past the sexual politics and situations. I will say that I will never look at a Snapple bottle the same way again! However, the finer moments outweigh the cringe-worthy ones so I recommend you give it a try.

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Starring: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benicio Del Toro
Directed By: Denis Villeneuve
Rated: R
Running Time: 121 minutes
Lionsgate

Our Score: 5 out 5 Stars

From the first gunshot to the final frame, “Sicario” takes hold of that trepidation in the pit of your stomach and doesn’t let go. At times, it shakes that anxiety in your guts violently. At other times, it merely plays with it like a kitten. “Sicario” is a two hour intense ride through the battlegrounds of the Mexican Drug War. “Sicario” is merciless and unflinching in its perspective of the drug trafficking currently taking place at the United States southern border.

The film opens with Kate (Blunt), leading a mixed group of federal agents and local police in the raid of an Arizona home. What these law enforcements agents are looking for horrifically becomes clear once they discover the bodies of people in the walls of the home. It’s stated halfway through the film, and it’s actually a sad real fact, but raids like this are becoming more common without any end in sight. If anything, they’ve only gotten worse. Kate’s work is professional, clean, and by-the-books.

Her work attracts the attention of Matt (Brolin). He doesn’t seem important since he’s the only one in a meeting of law enforcement leaders and officials wearing civilian clothes. Matt wants Kate for a special assignment into the heart of Mexico, but he won’t reveal too much to her. Matt is clearly scheming and things are even more ominous for Kate as the stoic Alejandro (Del Toro) enters the picture. His arrival is unquestioned and without introduction, leaving Kate deeper in the dark. Along with Kate, we follow foreshadowing breadcrumbs cautiously, because just like her, we know there cannot be a good outcome.

Once everything comes to fruition and everything is revealed, it’s a fairly basic story. But with the right cast, the right direction, the perfect balances of themes, and blending all those together is what makes “Sicario” one of the best movies of the year. The exciting bliss we watch in “Sicario” comes down to director Denis Villeneuve. Without Villeneuve’s vision or his willingness to mold and shape “Sicario” into something more we would have been left with a run-of-the-mill action movie. Instead, Villeneuve has put together a slick, chilling thriller.

Just like in “Prisoners” and “Enemy,” Villeneuve is becoming a master of dread. Villeneuve harnesses a dense soundtrack, echoing our fears about what’s ahead, and buries it under unsettling close-up. Villeneuve has an eye for gorgeous establishing shots and has a keen instinct about what puts us on the edge of our seat. “Sicario” cleverly unnerves us as we closely follow characters that are armed to the teeth and ready to fire off some deadly shots.

Del Toro, Blunt, Brolin, and everyone else is spot on. Del Toro, like he usually does every once and awhile, reminds us why he’s an Oscar winner. Just his icy cold stare speaks miles about what kind of man Alejandro is. Blunt perfectly encapsulates Kate’s lone wolf strength at the beginning, but nurtures that slow grip of fear that inevitably paralyzes Kate. Meanwhile, Brolin handles Matt like an average Joe who has every little detail plotted out behind his childish quips.

The final thing that makes “Sicario” undeniably good is the ethical questions it asks. They’re proposed in a very unique way. “Sicario” bluntly states the first part of the question while letting the viewer ponder what the second half is. You may not know you were asked a question once the movie is over because you’ll still be frozen in its grasps. But once you leave the theater, you’ll definitely have something to ponder. And if history is any indication, along with Kate’s story, you won’t like the answer to that question.