Concert Review: Wizards of Winter “The Magic of Winter” – Syracuse, NY

“The Magic of Winter”
Wizards of Winter
Date: Sunday, December 27th 2015
Venue: The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater
Syracuse, NY

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

The Tri-State area based Wizard of Winter brought their own unique brand of holiday cheer to the Syracuse, NY area on December 27th as part of the group’s 2015 “Magic of Winter” tour. The night proved to be a great extension of the Christmas holiday as the night’s performance took you on a magical music adventure which made for a very enjoyable concert experience.

With this being the groups first time in Syracuse anticipation was certainly high as concert goers filled in the seats at the multi tiered Crouse Hinds Theater. The show began promptly at 8pm as the band kicked off their impressive 26 song performance with a song from their debut album “The Magic of Winter” titled “Flight of the Snow Angels”, a fitting opening number which set the stage perfectly for the rest of the night’s performance. Former Trans-Siberian Orchestra narrator Tony Gaynor would take the stage several times painting a vivid picture of the upcoming number which helped those in attendance sink deeper into the spirit of the night’s performance though, I personally found these moments (which also included a 15 minute intermission) to sort of halt the night’s momentum as it seemed like the band would no sooner start to get in a groove only to have it broken up by brief pieces of commentary. All of the members of the group put on stellar performances including several standout moments by former Trans-Siberian Orchestra vocalist Guy LeMonnier, Violin/Vocalist Natalia Niarezka and lead guitarist Fred Gorhau who blazed his way through intricate solo after solo without missing a beat. Songs such as “Ebeneezer” Savatage’s “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)”, “Season’s Lament” and the upbeat “Gales of December” sounded really great as they made their way into every nook and cranny of the theater prolonging the Christmas holiday just a touch longer.

As the night’s performance came to a close the Syracuse crowd seemed pleased with the show they had just witnessed. As the band left the stage the crowd thanked the performers with a heavy blanket of applause which the performers seemed very appreciative of. With such a good response from the groups Syracuse debut my hope is they continue to make stops in Orangeman country for many more holiday season to come.

Set List:
1.) Flight of the Snow Angels
2.) Magic of Winter
3.) Arctic Flyer
4.) Special Feeling
5.) First Snow (Trans-Siberian Orchestra cover)
6.) A Night of Reflection
7.) Sing Alleluia/ 3 Ships
8.) Once Long Ago
9.) 3 Kings
10.) Nutrocker (Electric Light Orchestra cover)
11.) Ebeneezer
12.) Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) (Savatage cover)
13.) March of the Metal Soldiers
14.) Season’s Lament
15.) Just Believe
16.) Gales of December
17.) Whoville
18.) Waken to the Sound
19.) Toys will be Toys
20.) The Journey
21.) Queen of the Winter Night (Trans-Siberian Orchestra cover)
22.) Electric Blue (Trans-Siberian Orchestra cover)
23.) Little Help (Joe Cocker cover)
24.) Spirit of Christmas
25.) Requiem (Trans-Siberian Orchestra cover)
26.) With One Voice

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Film Review “Ride Along 2”

Starring: Kevin Hart, Ice Cube, and Olivia Munn
Directed By: Tim Story
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 101 minutes
Universal Pictures

Our Score: 1 out of 5 stars

It was destined to happen. The first “Ride Along” made over $150 million on a meager 25 million dollar budget. So “Ride Along 2” seemed like a financial inevitability, especially with the recent star power behind Ice Cube’s name and the popularity of Kevin Hart at the box office. 2015 was the year of Hart and Cube helped put together the Oscar-nominated “Straight Outta Compton”. That’s enough praise, because now I’m going to talk about “Ride Along 2”, the laziest follow-up the duo could have done.

Ice Cube and Kevin Hart just can’t work well for a second straight time. Maybe they can’t find the right balance of chemistry or maybe everyone else involved was too busy seeing dollar signs. If you’re going to see “Ride Along 2”, you know the shtick and the comic routine, and by now it’s getting old. Hart plays Ben, a goofy, loveable guy that squeals a lot, is the butt of short jokes, and is about as useful as a Keystone cop. Then there’s Cube, who plays James, a rough edged, no games cop that merely reacts to Ben’s ineffectiveness. We’ve seen this before. It only gets worse.

Ben is no longer trying to be a cop, he is a cop; kind of. He’s in training, but still manages to bungle a sting operation and still applies random useless video game knowledge to real life scenarios. James still gets frustrated and still doesn’t believe Ben is a real cop. James hopes to bring down a drug Lord that’s supplying dealers in Atlanta with supplies; while once again, Ben hopes to tag along. James gets the idea of scaring Ben straight, or at the very least getting him to give up on his dream, by bringing him along to Miami to chase down a mysterious kingpin. I contemplated copying and pasting my review from two years ago since this is the regurgitated plotline of the first.

Overall, “Ride Along 2” isn’t insultingly bad, but it’s biggest problem is that it’s indolent. It never fixes the problems that were seen in the previous installment, nor does it try to do anything new. Not even the smallest of endeavors is seen in the 101 minute runtime. The appearance of Olivia Munn and Ken Jeong are much appreciated, especially Jeong who appears to be the only one who’s willing to have a fun with his bits. Munn simply appears as eye candy, another person who can physically hurt Ben and a love interest for James.

I hate to say it, but I now reflect back on the first movie in a more gentle tone. If you haven’t seen the original, just ignore everything I just said and go about your merry life, not knowing about the trivial attempt at a sequel this movie was. But if you did see the original two years ago and enjoyed it to some extent, steer clear if this cash grab. Nearly everything in this movie is a rehash, except the salary for our leading stars.

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Film Review “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi”

Starring: John Krasinski, James Badge Dale and Pablo Schreiber
Directed by: Michael Bay
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hrs 24 mins
Paramount

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

There is a great sketch by Monty Python called “The Bookshop” where a man tries to buy books by authors with familiar names. But instead of Charles Dickens, he’s looking for Charles Dikkens (“Dickens with two k’s, the well-known Dutch author”). This sketch immediately came to mind as I watched “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi,” which is credited as being directed by “Transformers” helmer Michael Bay. Surely, I thought, it must be Michael Baye (the well-known Dutch filmmaker).

Libya. Since the death of Dictator Muammar Gaddafi, the country has been in turmoil. Rival groups infiltrated and raided the various weapons warehouses that Gaddafi had well stocked and the country has become the 21st Century version of the Wild West. In the town of Benghazi there is a compound that holds 26 members of the C.I.A. They put their safety in the hands of a small group of men, contracted by the US government. Things start going crazy when it’s learned that the US Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, will be visiting and staying at a nearby compound. The date is September 11, 2012.

Inspired by, and based on the stories of, several of the contractors that endured 13 hours of hell, “13 Hours” ranks with “Platoon” as a true depiction of what war really is. As the film begins we meet our heroes: Jack Silva (Krasinski), a real estate agent back for a much needed payday; Tyrone “Rone” Woods (Dale), a grizzled veteran of over a dozen missions hoping to make a better life for himself and Mark “Oz” Geist (Max Martini), a hulking man with a kind heart. With their fellow “brothers” they are prepared for anything and everything. Nothing is easy in Libya. Not going for a ride or taking a short walk. They share their duties with members of 17 Feb, an Islamist group that took up weapons after the fall of Gaddafi in hopes of saving their country. However, in a country where automatic weapons and rocket launchers have replaced vegetables at the outdoor market it’s hard to tell who your friend is and who your enemy is. Especially when your “friends” are “making $28.00 a day and have to bring their own bullets.”

Hats off to the cast. They were instructed by either their real-life counterparts or those that knew them and, like Bradley Cooper’s Chris Kyle in “American Sniper” or Mark Wahlberg’s Marcus Lutrell in “Lone Survivor,” they strive for realism in honoring the men they are playing. In fact one of the men, Glen “Bub” Doherty, was close friends with Brandon Webb, the sniper who trained both Kyle and Lutrell. There are no phony heroics here. War is scary as hell and the cast makes sure that mask of horror is front and center.

While the camaraderie of the men is the message of the film, it is the amazing 13-hour battle which is what you will remember. Each round of fighting, escalating and easing up, only to get steadily worse as the night goes on, is a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat moment. And kudos to director Bay for not making this a typical “Michael Bay” film. There are no shots of men walking in slow motion through a cloud or fog. In fact, there is very little use of slow motion here at all. Only when he cribs the “money shot” from “Pearl Harbor”, following a mortar shell from the sky and all the way down until it hits its target, does he seem to be going for a little flash. Bay also leaves out a lot of the unnecessary politics that still surround this event. If there is fault to be assigned, there is plenty to go around, and Bay allows you to make up your own mind as to who to point your finger at.

 

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Film Review “The Revenant”

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy and Will Poulter
Directed by: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hrs 36 mins
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

As a young man, I often accompanied my parents to the drive-in to see movies I probably wasn’t old enough to see. My dad was a big action and western fan, and my early film memories are filled with flickering images of John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Richard Harris, Sean Connery and others. I can remember attending a double feature of two Richard Harris films, “A Man Called Horse” and “Man in the Wilderness.” I remember very little about them but, since I learned that “The Revenant” tells the same story as “Man in the Wilderness” I thought I’d share.

The time is 1823. America is not even a half-century old. A fur trapping expedition, led by noted trapper Hugh Glass (DiCaprio) comes under attack by Native Americans. Many are injured and the group decides that it’s best to stow its furs, to retrieve later, and head back to their settlement. On the long journey back, Glass stumbles upon two bear cubs. Before he can react he is attacked by the mother and horribly mauled. Too badly injured to move, the leader of the expedition (Domhnall Gleeson – pretty much appearing in every film this holiday season, including “Brooklyn” and “Star Wars – Episode Seven: The Force Awakens”) entices two men, the grizzled John Fitzgerald (Hardy) and the young man, Jim Bridger (Poulter), to stay with Glass until he dies. The men are to give him a proper burial and then rejoin their group. For doing this they will each get a monetary bonus. Also staying behind is Glass’ son with his Native American wife, Hawk (Forrest Goodluck). Of course, one the group leaves those left in charge begin to panic about being in the woods alone in the dead of winter. Fitzgerald, whose head bears the scars of a scalping gone wrong, decides to hurry the process along. He convinces Bridger to abandon Glass in the woods, reasoning that he will soon die anyway. But Fitzgerald is unaware of what Glass told Hawk when the boy was younger: “As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight.”

Beautifully filmed and superbly acted, “The Revenant” is a true epic adventure about one mans will and desire that is literally being carried on the bear-chewed back of Leonardo DiCaprio. With so many outstanding performances behind him, including “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” “Gangs of New York” and “The Departed,” and a long future in front of him, I hesitate to call his work here the performance of his career. So I’ll call it the performance of his career SO FAR! Using very little words, DiCaprio manages to convey the pain and agony, both physical and spiritual, that Glass endures with just his eyes. It truly is, in my opinion, the best acting work turned in this past year by an actor. He is matched by Hardy, who also gives a career defining performance here.

With the snow-covered forests as his tapestry, director Inarritu, who won three Oscars last year as the co-writer, director and producer of “Birdman,” paints another masterpiece. The story flows as easily as the water moves down the Missouri river and the violent action on-screen is amplified by the white and pristine backgrounds. This is, in my opinion, the best film of 2015.

 

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Concert Review “Winter Warriors Tour” Rochester, NY

“Winter Warriors Tour”
Battlecross, Havok, Nekrogoblikon, Black Fast
Date: Monday, December 14, 2015
Venue: Montage Music Hall, Rochester, NY

Our Score:3 out of 5 stars

Metal Injection’s 2015 Winter Warriors tour made a stop at the Montage Music Hall in Rochester, NY as part of a brief 6 show run. The bill which featured Black Fast, Nekrogoblikon, Havok and Battlecross was certainly not one for the faint of heart as all 4 bands commanded the crowd’s attention before pummeling them with a barrage of bombastic sonic landscapes.

After a small spattering of local talent the main bills opener Black Fast would be first to take the stage. The 4 piece progressive thrash group hailing from St. Louis, Missouri did an impressive job with the short time they had as they did a great job loosening up the crowd with their set which was a mixture of older songs along with a couple from the group’s latest release “Terms of Surrender”.

Up next would be the group I was definitely most excited to check out. Los Angeles, CA natives Nekrogoblikon who up until now have been relatively scare here on the east coast made up for lost time as they shredded through a 30 minute set complete with several appearance by the bands mascot Mr. John Goblikon who assisted the band in working the crowd into a feverish frenzy. The band’s unique brand of mythical tinged metal rang through the venues walls as the band performed songs of their latest release “Heavy Meta” before closing out the set with an impressive rendition of the song “Powercore” which was complete with over the top synth and guitar work that easily made your head spin. Filling the difficult spot of performing after Nekrogoblikon on this night would be bestowed upon Century Media artist Havok. The band which formed in Denver, CO in 2004 mixed classic thrash elements with modern day accoutrements. The groups sound could be described as early Megadeth on speed as each of the bands 4 members are certainly no slouches at their respective instruments. Though lead vocalist/guitarists David Sanchez’s expletive filled rants became a bit tiresome as the bands set went on the group still did a solid job keeping the night’s energy level high.

Tour headliner Battlecross would close out the night in impressive fashion. Having just seen the band opening for GWAR in September I was anxious to see what the band from Detroit could do with a full length set. Needless to say I was not disappointed as the guys seem to only get better each time I see them. With the added time to their set the members of the band wasted no time going right for the throat. The set list was a solid blend of new and old as the band performed a variety of songs from its back catalog however the set lacked any material from the bands August 2015 release “Rise to Power”. Vocalist Kyle Gunther and company certainly appeared to be in top form despite being at the end of months and months of touring proving BattleCross can certainly bring it any place at any time. Though you can never be too sure of a Monday night club show the audience and bands alike seemed to enjoy the night’s festivities making this unseasonably warm night in Rochester, NY a good one for heavy music.

Battlecross Set List:
1.) Force Fed Lies
2.) My Vaccine
3.) Beast
4.) Ghost Alive
5.) Never Coming Back
6.) Flesh & Bone
7.) Get Over It
8.) Kaleb
9.) Push Pull Destroy

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Film Review “Daddy’s Home”

Starring: Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg
Directed by: Sean Anders
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hr 36 mins
Paramount

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

With 52% of all marriages in America ending in divorce, the plot of “Daddy’s Home” may resonate more than the filmmakers thought. Brad Whitaker (Ferrell) is a great guy. Volunteers to work with kids, donates his time coaching…he does all the things a great dad does. Except he has no children. A “mishap” earlier in life has made him unable to father a child. But his dream comes true when he marries the beautiful Sarah (Linda Cardenelli), who has two young children from her first marriage. Brad does his best to gain the kid’s love, often making their lunch and putting inspirational messages inside next to the PB&J sandwich. But the kids don’t thaw easily. Young son Dylan (Owen Vacarro) begins to warm but daughter Megan (Scarlett Estevez) is taking a little more time. She has begun including Brad in her “family” drawings, but unfortunately in each drawing he’s dead. Kids!

A hit or miss re-teaming of the stars of “The Other Guys,” “Daddy’s Home” survives on the chemistry between Ferrell and co-star Wahlberg, who plays Dusty, the kids birth father. When he comes to visit, astride a beautiful, gleaming motorcycle, Brad begins to feel intimidated. This doesn’t stop him, however, from allowing Dusty to stay in his house. Brad is the manager of a smooth jazz radio station, whose boss (Thomas Haden Church) is always sharing stories about his multiple marriages. When Dusty is hired to be the “voice” of the radio station (he records all of the station’s bumpers and promos) things get a little testy at home. But Brad doesn’t give up. With occasionally funny consequences.

Director Anders, who also co-wrote the script with John Morris and Brian Burns (they also collaborated on the original “Hot Tub Time Machine” and sequels “Horrible Bosses 2” and “Dumb and Dumber To,” proves himself skillful at setting up some major sight gags but when it’s just the cast intermingling the film begins to slow down. Ferrell and Wahlberg appear to be having fun, and a small role of former handyman/new house tenant Griff (Hannibal Buress) could have been expanded some as he had some of the best lines. All in all, when the kids are disappointed that “Star Wars” is sold out, you can have a little fun with them here.

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Film Review “Concussion”

Starring: Will Smith, Alec Baldwin and Albert Brooks
Directed by: Peter Landesman
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 2 hrs 3 mins
Paramount

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Growing up a teenager in the 70’s, the dominant football team was the Pittsburgh Steelers. They were stocked with hall of fame players, including Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, “Mean” Joe Greene and Jack Lambert. Another hall of famer was center Mike Webster. Webster was always a favorite of mine. A huge man who could seemingly take on the opposite teams entire defensive line if necessary. I liked the fact that he never wore a jersey with sleeves, the idea being that the opponent couldn’t grab them. Mike Webster died in September 2002. Little did he know that he would be remembered more for his death than for his playing.

Built on a solid performance by Will Smith, “Concussion” introduces us to Dr. Bennet Omalu (Smith), whose job is as a coroner for Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. When Mike Webster dies, it is Dr. Omalu who performs the autopsy. The Steelers quickly announce that Webster has died of a heart attack but Dr. Omalu has found something different. Irregularities in Webster’s brain, which the doctor named Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, best known as CTE. Dr. Omalu learned that, in the past six months of his life, Webster had lived in his truck under a Pittsburgh overpass. He suffered dementia and had attempted suicide multiple times. Dr. Omalu writes up his opinions and publishes them in 2005, estimating that players like Mike Webster get hit in the head in excess of 70,000 times in a career. At first, the NFL disregards the doctor’s opinion but, the next year, they ask that the paper be discarded, calling it “a failure” and “completely wrong.” David just work up Goliath, but like that fabled battle good must triumph.

As someone who played football and had his “bell rung” a couple of times, I was anxious to see how this story would be portrayed. The filmmaker (director Landesman also wrote the script) does a balanced job and the only reason one side of the issue looks better is because it is coming from a concern of caring, not of greed. Like the Big Tobacco Companies and the Asbestos Manufacturers, the truth has been out there, but kept hidden. The film allows you to make up your mind on where you stand.

I played football when I was a youngster, as did my son. Thankfully we were both much better in baseball and that is the sport we pursued in high school and beyond. Should I ever be blessed with a grandson, I hope he follows in our footsteps.

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Film Review “Point Break (2015)”

Starring: Edgar Ramirez, Luke Bracey and Ray Winstone
Directed By: Ericson Core
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 113 minutes
Warner Bros. Pictures

Our Score: 1 out of 5 stars

Kathryn Bigelow’s 1991 movie “Point Break” is far from being the “Die Hard” of the 90’s, but it certainly understood how to have fun with it’s silly premise of the FBI infiltrating some bank robbing surfer bros. Stylish, dumb edge of your seat action and entertaining are just a handful of the words I would use to describe Bigelow’s surprise hit. Dumb is the only word I would use to describe 2015’s “Point Break”.

Edgar Ramirez and Luke Bracey hope to conjure up the same absurd bromance that Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze displayed 14 years ago. Bracey plays Utah, who in this reimagining isn’t an all-star college quarterback, but is instead a dare devil motocross junkie who decides upon a career in the FBI after his best friend dies attempting one of his dangerous stunts. It’s there in the FBI that Utah, through a truly random hunch, figures out that some globetrotting crooks are actually attempting to complete eight death-defying stunts to achieve enlightenment.

Leading the group of criminal, extreme sport enthusiasts is Bodhi (Ramirez). He’s quite possibly the most infuriating character in recent movie history. He speaks about the destruction of Mother Earth while partying on a gas guzzling yacht in the middle of the ocean and using an abundance of other oil produced equipment to cheat death under the guise of achieving his own personal Nirvana. It’s both equally offensive to eco-warriors and anyone who follows the teachings of Buddha.

Bigelow seemingly understood that a dumb action movie is inherently farcical, so she filled up her movie with enough action to push out those nagging logical thoughts, but this new reboot does the opposite. Director Ericson Core feels that an abundance of exposition is more interesting than the possible heists and fight choreography that our characters could subject themselves to. There’s way too much droll downtime between breathtaking shots of characters escaping death.

Kurt Wimmer, who also used “Total Recall” like toilet paper when remaking it, manages to do the same with “Point Break”. Maybe adaptations and remakes aren’t for Wimmer, who’s done a much better job penning original movies like “Law Abiding Citizen” and “Salt”. Wimmer writes his characters into too many corners, spinning them off into far too many loose ends. Wimmer sloppy adds a lot red herrings, such as the businessman who sponsors the crooks.

There’s certainly a level of dignity that Hollywood must hold itself to when remaking a movie that people consider a classic. “Point Break” is far from being an untouchable Holy Grail in cinema, but there’s no reason it should have been rebooted drug through the mud. Core and Wimmer are clearly more comfortable in their own playing field with their own characters. They seem nervous having to update a character by having him text emojis or being recognizable on Youtube. What made the original duo of Swayze and Reeves cool was action sequences they found themselves in, not their misguided philosophies on saving the planet.

This “Point Break” remake is a disaster that astonishingly arrives on the heels of nearly a dozen better Christmas day releases. “Point Break” lacks enough action to forget its most glaring flaws, and it lacks enough relatable characters to feel anything when conflict happens between an undercover FBI agent and a misguided thief. It’s a failure at nearly every level except its cinematography. It’s certainly pretty to look at, but it’s like unwrapping a neatly wrapped Christmas present only to find a lump of coal.

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Film Review “Youth”

Starring: Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel and Rachel Weisz
Directed By: Paolo Sorrentino
Rated: R
Running Time: 124 minutes
Fox Searchlight Pictures

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

We’re deep into Oscar season and we’re now being lured by plenty of potential prospects that have “pick me” written all over them. “Youth” has a highly regarded Italian director who has already won an Academy Award. It also features an aged, but at the top of their game, Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel. “Youth” also tackles the cumbersome talks about life, love, and some of the quirky things in between. On one hand, “Youth” is an audio, visual, and acting triumph, but on the other hand, “Youth” is a curious dud.

From the very opening, director Paolo Sorrentino establishes that “Youth” is a bizarre daydream that seemingly takes place in the real world. Fred Ballinger (Caine) and Mick Boyd (Keitel) are two rich, creative pals on an excursion to a Swiss spa. Boyd hopes to find the right amount of inspiration to polish off his latest movie script and withdrawn music composer Ballinger is looking to escape the suffocating demands of people who want him to come out of retirement and perform. There are very real discussions and very real people that intersect these two characters throughout their lavish vacation.

The main plot is diced up and evened out through visually surreal scenes. Some scenes are breathtaking while others haunt our mind, making us wonder what we’re supposed to feel and think. That’s a great thing though. I want to watch a movie that triggers emotions and makes me think about the topics it wants to discuss. But that flip that switched on in my head began to focus in on a lot of what makes “Youth” insufferable.

Ballinger and Boyd spend half their conversations reflecting on mistakes that have come and gone. It’s a universally tragic feeling to realize that as time slowly slips away, the past becomes blurry, but our future, death, becomes all too clear. It’s a difficult subject, that’s been tackled before and “Youth” does a good job reflecting on it, but at a resort filled with other elderly people, it seems slightly misogynistic to only view this wide ranging topic through such a narrow male lens.

The female characters in “Youth” are reduced to simplified stereotypes. Rachel Weisz plays Ballinger’s daughter who comes off as tearfully helpless because she doesn’t know how to handle her divorce. Jane Fonda, who actually adds to the dramatic heft on display, arrives for a brief cameo only to come off as bullheaded, childish, and finally, tearfully helpless. “Youth” then subjects us to a scene where a Miss Universe with heaving breasts walks into the steamy spa waters as Ballinger and Boyd longingly stare on.

Around the halfway point of “Youth”, I began to scrutinize Ballinger and Boyd’s topics of conversations. It seemed that their genuine expressions of remorse from the two came with a bitter price tag, talks of a swollen prostate gland and the disregard of other’s emotions. As much as I wanted to focus on the elegant conversations at hand, I began to feel that the emotions of these two were ultimately empty.

The existential questions of “Youth” are fascinating to ponder, but Sorrentino’s dour outlook seems to tell us that we shouldn’t bother. The lengthy nature of “Youth” seems to tell us that growing old is long, tedious, and filled with better memories than our current predicament. “Youth” left me thinking that all we have to look forward to later in life is what we’ve done with our existence, and the lives we’ve negatively impacted. While visually dazzling, “Youth” will not be a fond memory when I’ve entered my golden years.

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Film Review “Joy”

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro and Bradley Cooper
Directed By: David O. Russell
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 124 minutes
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

For many, including myself, Christmas represents that rare time of year that you visit family members on a much deserved day off of work. For some, the holidays are absolutely dreadful and for some the holidays are absolutely delightful. Since some of my relatives read my online movie reviews, I’ll bite my tongue on which category I fall in. But when you get together with your dysfunctional family, try and keep one thing in mind: It could be worse, but it can always be better. Take Joy Mangano’s (Lawrence) family for example.

Living in Joy’s tiny New York home is her loving, caring, and always encouraging grandmother, Mimi (Dianne Ladd). Mimi has always been in Joy’s life, inspiring her to do better and keep that flame of creativity going. Then there are Joy’s two children, a girl and a boy, that she sees that same flame in. Joy holds that trio near and dear to her heart, and couldn’t see life without them. That living situation would be ideal, but her home is filled out with others.

Despite a bitter divorce, her parents are under the same roof. Her mom, Terry (Virginia Madsen) sits in the bed like a vegetable, watching soap operas all day. Her father, Rudy (DeNiro) recently got dumped and is living in the basement with Joy’s ex-husband, Tony (Edgar Ramirez). Those three she could easily live without, considering all three find something new to argue about every day. No matter how strong Joy’s mental and emotional fortitude is the living conditions are obscenely stressful.

What makes Joy strong-willed in her home of horror is her mind. She has a knack for crafting and creating things that come to her mind on the fly. Even at an early age she displayed a creative curiosity, but it was quickly ignored by her parent’s divorced and then buried when her loser husband entered the pictured. Despite being a charming gentleman, he makes for a lazy father and an even more slothful participant in the American workforce. Because of that, Joy attempts to hold up her home on her meager salary at an airline company. Through sheer chance, she comes up with an idea for the Miracle Mop.

In the most unlikely of stories, David O. Russell has found a mix of holiday sentimentality and his own brand of awkward humor in the true life story of Mangano, a multi-millionaire entrepreneur. How much of “Joy” is true? Probably about as much as Russell’s last movie, “American Hustle”. Liberties with facts have to be taken and you have to craft something around Lawrence’s Oscar winning abilities. How else could you sell the story of the inventor behind a QVC goldmine to a major motion picture company?

The highlight of “Joy” is watching Lawrence at work. At this point in her career, it’s safe to say that anything she does (besides her cameo in “Dumb and Dumber To”) is going to be thespianism pay dirt. It’s a little tiresome to see Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro once again having to ham it up in a Russell movie, but their sight is welcome and their performances match the eccentric and quirky characters they play. The real gem of the movie Isabella Rossellini, who plays a woman that helps finance and guide Mangano.

By the time “Joy” wraps up, it loses a lot of its emotion because it slowly becomes a commercial for QVC; as long as you’re willing to believe that QVC and other home shopping networks are the good guys in corporate America who support and nurture entrepreneurship. Lawrence doesn’t quite sell that idea, but she helps sell “Joy” as a thoughtful holiday flick. So if you’re looking for an escape or even a way to spend time with your family on Christmas, bring a little “Joy” into your life.

 

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: film, joy, review

Film Review “The Hateful Eight”

Starring: Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Jason Leigh
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Rated: R
Running time: 3 hrs 8 mins (includes Overture and Intermission)
The Weinstein Company

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

One thing (of many) that I love about Quentin Tarantino is that he knows the history of film. Not only the films themselves but how they were presented. For “The Hateful Eight” he has harkened back to the old days of “Road Shows,” when films would open in only a few cities in the country, before opening wide later. These presentations were events, featuring reserved seats and program guides, and when they began patrons would pay a quarter to see them when the normal price to see a film was a dime. “Gone With The Wind,” “Oklahoma,” “Ben Hur,” “The Alamo,” “The Sound of Music” and “Patton” were some of the films that opened this way. Now, four decades since the last “roadshow” film (“The Man of La Mancha”), the big event is back with “The Hateful Eight.”

A stagecoach makes its way through the snow, containing John Ruth (Russell) and fellow passenger Daisy Domergue (Leigh). As their driver, O.B. (James Parks, son of longtime Tarantino ensemble member Michael) tries to beat the blizzard closing in on them they are flagged down by a mysterious man on the side of the road who asks, “got room for one more?” Ruth is skeptical. His nickname is “the Hangman” and Daisy is his prisoner. Soon John Ruth, Daisy Domergue and the mystery man find themselves stranded at a stagecoach stop called Minnie’s Haberdashery along with five other people. These are the hateful eight!

If anyone can hold your attention for three hours with a film whose story takes place in one room it’s Tarantino. His way with dialogue has no equal. Neither do the performances of his cast. Russell, whose mustache and facial hair have him resembling Yosemite Sam, is gruff and no-nonsense. The mystery man, Major Marquis Warren (Jackson) is also a bounty hunter, though he claims to have no knowledge of the healthy reward being offered for Daisy. They also make the acquaintance of Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), who claims to be the new sheriff in town. Waiting for them inside are Bob “the Mexican” (Demian Bichar), Oswaldo Mobrey (Tim Roth), Joe Gage (Michael Madsen) and former (the wrong side) Civil War General Sandford Smithers (Bruce Dern). Each has a story, as well as a story to tell, and it is here that we meet and begin to understand who is who.

If you paid attention to the running time you’ll see that the film runs in excess of three hours. This includes the Overture (a title card flashed on screen while the musical score plays) and an Intermission, which is just exactly what it sounds like. This divides the story and, more importantly, the film. Where the first half seems a little forced, the second half is pure Tarantino gold. Back in January 2014, the script to “The Hateful Eight” was leaked to the public, so angering Tarantino that he vowed to never make the film. Eventually cooler heads prevailed but the first half of the film seems almost unfinished, as if the draft of the script Tarantino used wasn’t completed fully. Both halves are propelled by another excellent group of ensemble actors. Russell, who never seems to blink, is cold and no-nonsense. Leigh is filthy and disgusting. Jackson is smooth and cool. Goggins is braggadocio. And the four who are there to greet them? Quiet and calculating. Of course, this is Tarantino, so nothing is ever exactly as it seems.

Technically the film is almost perfect. The opening sequences in the snow covered mountains are breathtaking. The film is slated to play in 70 mm in selected cities starting this Friday, and I can only imagine how it will look in that format. That being said, the majority of the film takes place indoors so I’m not sure how much of a difference the 70 mm format will make. The film is almost over-the-top bloody and, like “Django Unchained” before it, there are multiple uses of the “N” word, so be prepared for an adult evening out. And an entertaining one.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: film, hateful, Hateful 8, Quentin Tarantino, review

Film Review “The Big Short”

Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Christian Bale
Directed by: Adam McKay
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hrs 16 mins
Paramount Pictures

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

They said it could never happen. That any financial institution could do so poorly that it could affect the world. But that is what happened in 2008 when the housing industry imploded. Thousands of people lost money and even thousands more lost their homes. Yet, even in the toughest times, a fortuitous group of investors bucked the odds. Such is the story of “The Big Short.”

The year is 2005. We meet Dr. Michael Burry (Bale). Burry is not your typical money guy. He spends days in his office, sans shoes, and is more apt to have a pair of drumsticks in his hands then a prospectus. However, his uncanny ability to read upcoming trends in stocks and banking has made him a valuable asset to his firm, where he is given carte blanche to invest the firm’s money as he sees fit. And he’s seen fit to invest $1.3 billion in home mortgages. Rather, in home mortgages that will fail. Is he a genius? Or did he just blow a lot of people’s college fund?

Smartly written and skillfully directed, “The Big Short” is the last film you’d expect to see from Adam McKay, best known for his long association with Will Ferrell. But McKay delivers here in spades. He is helped by an amazing script, based on the book by Michael Lewis and co-written by McKay and Charles Randolph. Here we are introduced to the key players, headlined by Bale, Carell, Gosling, Brad Pitt and others. The dialogue is sharp (“who the hell doesn’t pay their mortgage?” one character asks early on) and the actors are up to the challenge. Characters sometime break the fourth wall to explain things and the film also contains some very funny cameos who also keep the audience up to the minute on the events unfolding. As the film progresses we learn more about the characters and what motivates them. Each has a reason they’ve arrived at the same conclusion and no two are the same.

To say any more would equate to “spoiling” the film so I’ll leave you with this: make an investment in “The Big Short”…it’s a sure thing!

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Film Review “Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens”

Starring: Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega
Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 2 hrs 16 mins
Walt Disney Pictures

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

38 years ago…in a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas introduced the world to what would become one of the most beloved film series in the history of Hollywood – “Star Wars.” In the ensuing years we’ve seen two sequels (well received) and three prequels (not as much). As the most anticipated film release that I can remember in some time, “The Force Awakens” has some big shoes to fill. And fill them it does.

As the film begins, the opening credit crawl tells us that Luke Skywalker has vanished. We are then introduced to three very different characters. Ace pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Issac), with his droid B-88, may have a piece to the puzzle that is the missing Jedi. Finn (Boyega) is a storm trooper who, during battle, has a “what the hell am I doing here” moment. And Rey (Ridley) is a scrap collector looking out for herself. They have nothing in common yet they have everything in common. It is their stories that fuel the film.

As someone who grew up with the films, they were an important part of my youth and I won’t deny that I was skeptical about another film, especially after the middle-of-the-road quality of Episodes One-Three. But I needn’t have worried. What director J.J. Abrams, who so successfully returned the “Star Trek” series to prominence, has created, along with co-writers Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt, is an adventure that you will want to take again and again. New characters take their place alongside familiar faces and if you don’t get misty eyed the first time Han Solo (Ford) shows up you probably have the heart of a gundar!

Technically the film is amazing. The one problem many fans had with the prequels was that the computerized special effects looked too perfect. Here, with a blend of practical effects and CGI, the universe is back in balance. Abrams utilizes these effects to move the story along smoothly. Those new to the series can enjoy this film without seeing any of the previous films but for those who have, Abrams and company have included a couple nods to the original films that will surely have you smiling, among them the fact that the imperial storm troopers are still HORRIBLE shots! I just caught you smiling, didn’t I?

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Film Review “In the Heart of the Sea”

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker and Cillian Murphy
Directed By: Ron Howard
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 121 minutes
Warner Bros. Pictures

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

I’m sure like most American children who enter the public education system, there came a point in your schooling that you had to read or were told you need to read “Moby Dick”. It’s a tale of revenge, obsession, and camaraderie, but one I barely remember. I’m actually not certain if I’ve read it or if I’ve ever watched the myriad of movies that have been created in its wake. I guess you could say that’s a same since it’s considered an American literary classic. After watching Ron Howard’s “In the Heart of the Sea” I can easily say it’s a shame it’s not going to be a classic.

What immediately separates “In the Heart of the Sea” from other “Moby Dick” tales is that Howard’s film is about the events that inspired Herman Melville’s novel. So say goodbye to the insane Captain Ahab, the curious Ishmael and the stoic Queequeg, and welcome your new narrator, Thomas Nickerson. The story is framed by the aged and rustic Nickerson, played by Brendan Gleeson (and Tom Holland in the past). Nickerson recounts the tale of the whaling ship, Essex, to the aspiring author, Melville (Ben Whishaw).

Despite being from the viewpoint of the young cabin boy, we recount much of the past through the life of Owen Chase (Hemsworth). He’s a young, but experienced whaler who’s attempting to establish the Chase name and put the failed farming past of his father behind him. He’s the first officer of the Essex, but may as well be the leader. Chase scowls behind Captain George Pollard Jr. (Walker), but Pollard scowls back, fearing that Chase’s presence is a threat to his young career as Captain.

The crew of the Essex sails off to warmer seas to find whale oil riches, but come up dry. While recharging and metaphorically refueling in a small South American village on the west coast of the continent, they hear rumors of a treasure trove of whales. There are two problems with this hearsay. The aquatic gold mine is thousands of miles away from land, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The other problem is a disturbing tale about a massive whale with a thirst for man’s blood and an axe to grind.

“In the Heart of the Sea” is one part historical events, one part embellished action sequences, and one part that can only be described as the Donner Party meets the Uruguayan Rugby team. Each part, in its own regard, is very interesting pieces to the cinematic puzzle, but Howard can seem to put them together. It’s a three act tale that handles different themes and tones, but the transitions between them feel unnatural and glaringly bad.

“In the Heart of the Sea” finds entertainment when it relies on the strength of its actors and captures the feeling of isolation amongst the crisp, calm sea. Our character’s plight is diminished by Nickerson’s interjections and Meville’s follow-up questions to the story at hand. As for the monstrous whale that always becomes the focal point of these movies, it’s well handled. It’s a classic man vs. nature, without nature running amok and becoming too unbelievable. In a sea of movies hoping to become Oscar contenders, Howard’s latest movie can only compete at the JV level.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: film, heart, review, sea

Film Review “Victor Frankenstein”

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy and Jessica Brown Findlay
Directed By: Paul McGuigan
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 109 minutes
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 Stars

As I type this, we are 24 hours away from a marathon of Thanksgiving food, watching the Detroit Tigers lose, and tolerating relatives we rarely see. The last thing that feels remotely like the holidays is a movie about Frankenstein and his monster. But “Victor Frankenstein”, seemingly scared off by the month prior and all the competition, is out before the holidays to bore audiences instead of terrifying them.

It’s disheartening to see good actors in subpar movies and “Victor Frankenstein” has roped in Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy. Radcliffe plays Igor, who in this retelling is a hunchback because of a enlarged cyst and works in the circus because of his deformity. He has a bizarre and natural knack for medicine and human anatomy. How the picked on “creature” at a circus learns to pop a broken collarbone back into place is beyond me.

This unnatural habit is viewed by Frankenstein, played by a scene chewing James McAvoy. This version of Frankenstein is more like a young kid who had way too much fun making disfigured monsters in his little sister’s Easy-Bake Oven than a mad scientist. While Frankenstein attends school and plots out bringing the dead back to life, Igor, who does not attend school or intends to raise the dead, consistently corrects biological and neurological mistakes that the alleged science student makes.

Stumbling into the picture and further complicating matters is an overzealous, literally and metaphorically, detective and an old crush that Igor has. The eye candy of “Victor Frankenstein” is supposed to spark some humanity in Igor’s character, but it bogs down the pace of the movie instead. As for the detective, he constantly twirls a necklace cross in between his fingers, delivering Sunday sermons when he condemns Frankenstein. It’s the movie’s attempt at stating morals on science, life, religion, and the lines in the sand drawn between them.

But what the writers and director of “Victor Frankenstein” don’t understand is that every theme and bit of morality is in Frankenstein and the inevitable monster he creates. The monster in this doesn’t appear until the end and the big twist on the monster is lame, no matter how much scenery McAvoy chews up and spits at the audience. The values and ethics of the movie are too jumbled for anyone to feel any sympathy.

Much like Mary Shelley’s monster that was created in 1818, this possible reboot is just as cold and lifeless. The reimagining, the retelling, and re-anything needs to stop in Hollywood. “Victor Frankenstein” feels like “Sherlock Holmes” met “Dracula Untold” and couldn’t decide on how to balance the stupid and action in the movie. If you’re looking for a way to punish your relatives for their company this holiday, look no further than “Victor Frankenstein”.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: film, frankenstein, review, victor
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