Movie Review: "Tragedy Girls" (2017)

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Movie: "Tragedy Girls"

Director: Tyler MacIntyre
Year: 2017
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 38 minutes

Two narcissistic, social media-obsessed teens start a killing spree so they can exploit the tragedies to improve their online follower count.

"Real journalism is based on fact, not hashtags." (Image Source)

How far would you go to gain followers on Instagram or Twitter? "Tragedy Girls" is directed by Tyler MacIntyre, who has directed numerous short films as well as one other feature-length horror comedy called "Patchwork." MacIntyre also helped write the story along with Chris Lee Hill and Justin Olsen. The story is about two high school seniors named Sadie Cunningham (Brianna Hildebrand) and McKayla Hooper (Alexandra Shipp), who run a blog called TragedyGirls.com and all of the social media accounts that come with it. Their site is dedicated to covering real-life tragedies. To boost their online following, the girls decide to make some mischief of their own by going on a killing spree, which they plan to blame on an actual serial killer.

"If I'm gonna be murdered, I'm so happy it's you." (Image Source)

"Tragedy Girls" is a darkly comedic horror satire that takes aim at the modern social media-obsessed generation. It doesn't matter whether or not you are a decent person, all that matters is how many followers you have, how many clicks your site receives, and how many likes you get. The story runs with the idea that places like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat can lead to rampant narcissism and a disconnect from reality that can cause sociopathic tendencies. Both McKayla and Sadie are just that, narcissistic sociopaths, and having such characters as the protagonists can certainly be a non-starter for some viewers. Luckily, Hildebrand and Shipp are perfectly cast in this movie and we have a warped, twisted sense of humor. In many ways, this movie reminds us of "Heathers," but much more gory and horror-centric. Though some may not enjoy material like this, we actually found this movie to be very funny in a perverse sort of way. The two main characters are terrible people and are wholly unlikable, but that is sort of the point of a film like this. There are tons of revolting, obnoxious, self-obsessed, self-indulgent people who have YouTube channels or Instagram pages that glorify their atrocious actions, and "Tragedy Girls" and these characters are a reflection of where we have come as a society that values narcissism, scandal, and attention-whores. This movie holds a mirror up to our culture and takes it to a hyperbolic extreme, but that doesn't make what it's saying any less true.

"To make an omelet, you have to kill some ex-boyfriends." (Image Source)

We wound up really enjoying "Tragedy Girls," which offers something different than what we have come to expect from the horror genre as of late. This movie is gross and disturbing for more reasons than just its gore factor.

My Rating: 8/10
BigJ's Rating: 8/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.0/10
RT Rating: ~80%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

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Movie Review: "Mom and Dad" (2018)

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Movie: "Mom and Dad"

Director: Brian Taylor
Year: 2017
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 23 minutes

A strange phenomenon causes people's parental instincts to flip, turning their innate desire to protect their young into an insatiable urge to kill them.

"Oh no honey, it's okay, you never have to be afraid of me." (Image Source)

A movie about parents wanting to murder their children starring Nicolas Cage sounds fun as hell to us, but we can see why it might be a dealbreaker for other film lovers. "Mom and Dad" is written and directed by Brian Taylor, who is responsible for movies like "Crank," "Gamer," and "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance," none of which we enjoyed. The film stars Cage and Selma Blair as Brent and Kendall Ryan. The two of them might be parents now, but they were once foot-loose-and-fancy-free-fun-loving people until they became parents and their lives became dedicated to their children. Sure, their teenage daughter Carly (Anne Winters) is an ungrateful, self-centered, rude girl who steals from her parents, but hey, that's a teenager for you. Their son Josh (Zackary Arthur) is still in the "my parents are my best friends" phase, but he often causes accidental destruction with his childlike curiosity. Parents have a natural drive to protect their kids, this we know is true, but one day, a strange phenomenon causes this instinct to morph into a murderous and uncontrollable rage. Suddenly, parents everywhere are trying to murder their young left and right.

"Everybody's so crazy today!" (Image Source)

As we mentioned above, "Mom and Dad" is not going to be a film everyone will like and clamor to see. Some may gasp at the mere idea of a movie about parents murdering their children, especially one that handles the topic in such a satirical and darkly humorous way. This film is a pure warped fantasy about parents venting their frustrations with their often ungrateful children through taunting, torture, and homicide. It focuses on the fact that parents often sacrifice their own wants and dreams and social lives for the sake of their kids. They provide for them, they nurture them, they protect them, and yet mom and dad's precious little babies can still turn into disrespectful insufferable snots, even with all the love and coddling in the world.

Once the unexplained signal goes out over the airwaves and parents start flipping their shit, the story turns into utter chaos and pure mayhem from that point on. Very few actors do "chaos" as well as Nicolas Cage. Say what you will about him, but Goddess bless him and his spooky eyes, deranged facial expressions, and maniacal reactions. This is an instance where his over-the-top insane acting and expressions actually benefit the situation as opposed to feeling out of place. Much of what he does balances between creepy and hilarious. Selma Blair is the more straight-laced of the two parentals, but her change back and forth between concerned mother and vengeful psycho works well for us, and she and Cage work together very well on this project.

"That's why you always listen to your mother." (Image Source)

"Mom and Dad" is bloody, violent, and ridiculous. Yes, some will be offended by it right out the gate. That being said, we were not because we are apparently sick, twisted individuals. Despite not being parents, we actually sympathize with the parents and understand the message of this story, minus all of the murder and nth degree stuff. We found a lot of enjoyment in this battle of survival between parents and children and had a lot of fun watching it.

My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 5.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 75%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Movie Review: "Kodachrome" (2018)

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Movie: "Kodachrome"

Director: Mark Raso
Year: 2018
Rating: TV-MA
Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

A dying photographer, his nurse, and his estranged son embark on a road trip to a small town in Kansas to develop the photographer's last few rolls of Kodachrome film before they stop producing it forever.

"What's the point of having an artifact if you never see it with your own eyes?" (Image Source)

Does an insufferable human being need a little perspective and redemption? According to Mark Raso, the best way to do that is with a road trip, because there's nothing that will improve a relationship more than being stuck in a confined space with said person for hours on end. "Kodachrome" is directed by Mark Raso, who has one other feature film credit to his name, the 2014 indie movie "Copenhagen." It is written by Jonathan Tropper and is based on a New York Times article by A.G. Sulzberger. It stars Jason Sudeikis as Matt, a music producer working for an independent record label. Matt has just lost his biggest client and is on the verge of losing his job altogether. Just as he is trying to make a last ditch effort to save his career, a woman named Zoe (Elizabeth Olsen) shows up and tells him that his father Ben (Ed Harris) is dying. Ben is a renowned photographer and has a couple of rolls of Kodachrome film that need to be developed. The only place in the world that develops this type of film will no longer do so in a matter of days. Ben wants Matt to drive him there, but Matt hates his father and is reluctant to do so. Everything changes when Matt learns that his dad's manager can get him a meeting with a band that's on the verge of global stardom. Signing them to his label would mean saving his job. Against his better judgment, Matt agrees to go on the road trip with his dad and Zoe.

"You can tell a lot about someone's past by what they listen to." (Image Source)

"Kodachrome" has a fantastic cast featuring some stellar actors like Jason Sudeikis, Elizabeth Olsen, and the criminally underappreciated Ed Harris. If it weren't for their extraordinary talents, this movie would not be nearly as successful as it is. Sudeikis is mostly thought of as a comedian, which may lead people to (incorrectly) believe that this is a comedy when it is most certainly not. Sudeikis has shown that he has a knack for the dramatic as well. Though he is great in this movie, he showed his best dramatic acting chops in "Colossal," another film you should watch immediately. Ed Harris also gives an excellent performance as a combative old asshole who constantly does his best to make his son's life miserable. Elizabeth Olsen gets to play intermediary between these two stubborn men who constantly butt heads but are trying to repair in a week what took years to destroy. She, unfortunately, doesn't get much to do here, but she still kills it.

"You would have saved us all the trouble if you had just shot digital." (Image Source)

Overall, "Kodachrome" is a mostly formulaic road trip movie about redemption and understanding. It has an obvious forced romantic sub-plot that we saw coming the second the story began. One big problem with this movie is it fails to make the audience empathize with the character of Ben. He proves himself time and time again to unworthy of forgiveness and does nothing to earn salvation. The only reason we feel anything for him at all is that he's dying, which apparently means we have to care about the fact that he was a shitty, absent father who valued his work over his family. This makes it seem like his illness is little more than a cheap plot device to create unearned emotion. The inevitable redemption doesn't come organically at all. In fact, it seems to come out of nowhere. It only happens because the writer felt like it needed to happen because kids are supposed to forgive their parents on their deathbeds. Still, "Kodachrome" does have its moments of joy and humor, and as we said, the top-notch acting helps elevate an otherwise derivative story.

My Rating: 7/10
BigJ's Rating: 6/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.8/10
RT Rating: 72%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

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Movie Review: "The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter" (2018)

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Movie: "The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter"

Director: Jody Hill
Year: 2009
Rating: TV-14
Running Time: 1 hour, 23 minutes

A divorced father with a hunting show takes his son on a hunting trip to kill his first deer as a way to bond and as a right of passage into manhood.

"I've seen the best, and I've killed the best." (Image Source)

Nothing says "bonding" like a father-son hunting trip, roughing it in the wilderness, sleeping under the stars with the cool mountain air breezing by your face, and the blood of a freshly slaughtered deer on your boots. "The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter" is directed by Jody Hill, who has directed other films such as "The Foot Fist Way" and "Observe and Report." The story revolves around a deer hunter named Buck Ferguson (Josh Brolin), who has his own self-produced hunting show where he hunts whitetail deer all around the world. Buck's latest episode is a special one. He is going to take his 12-year-old son Jaden (Montana Jordan) on an excursion to kill his first deer. Buck also sees this trip as an opportunity to bond with his young son, who he doesn't get to see very much since he and his wife were divorced two years earlier.

"I bet you by the time this trip is over you're gonna have blood all over your boots." (Image Source)

When "The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter" starts out, it appears as if it's going to be a bit of a spoof on the hunting shows you may find on CMT (Country Music Television) or the Outdoor Channel. It feels like the whole movie is going to be a tongue-in-cheek comedy...until it isn't. There is some tonal unevenness where that somewhat goofy, mocking style is supplanted with a more earnest and heartfelt family drama as Buck and his son try to connect until the off-beat humor comes swinging back around with full force. The humorous elements are a little dark and subversive at first. There are times when a scene with a heartfelt moment occurs as a set-up to a gag, while others are meant to be truthful and moving. These constant tonal shifts can be jarring. That being said, we do think the acting in this film is shockingly good. Josh Brolin does a fantastic job as Buck Ferguson as he plays a salt of the earth type of guy who is juxtaposed well with Montana Jordan's more generation-Z lover of all things technological. Their relationship is (one that we hope is not) super typical, but that's what makes their dynamic interesting. Danny McBride is also in the film as Buck's cameraman and friend Don. Even McBride is more tolerable here than he usually is. He still offers up his crass style of humor, but it is dialed way back and trickles in from time to time rather than pouring in like an uncapped fire hydrant like in any of his other projects.

"I like my whiskey American, just like my cheese." (Image Source)

There are many genuinely funny moments during "The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter" that made us laugh quite a bit. Despite its tonal problems, we think we laughed enough to say this Netflix original is worth checking out.

My Rating: 6.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 6/10
IMDB's Rating: ~5.5/10
RT Rating: ~31%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

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Movie Review: "Eighth Grade" (2018)

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Movie: "Eighth Grade"

Director: Bo Burnham
Year: 2018
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 33 minutes

A socially awkward teen tries to navigate her last week of 8th grade, prepares for high school, and reflects on what a disaster middle school has been for her.

Movie Review: "Blade of the Immortal" (2017)

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Movie: "Blade of the Immortal" / "Mugen no jûnin"

Director: Takashi Miike
Year: 2017
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes

An immortal Samurai becomes the bodyguard of a young girl who seeks vengeance against the man who killed her father.

"You're lucky you can die." (Image Source)

After seeing "Blade of the Immortal," one question lingered in our heads as the credits rolled: how many characters were killed over the course of the movie? Because the answer is most assuredly a lot. Director Takashi Miike is no stranger to violence with past offerings like "Audition," "Ichi the Killer," and "13 Assassins." This movie serves as his 100th feature film, so he had to make it a good one. It stars Takuya Kimura as Manji, a Samurai who received the curse of immortality after defeating 100 opponents single-handedly after one of them killed his 'sister.' A little while later, a young swordsman named Anotsu Kagehisa (Sôta Fukushi) has a dream of bringing all the dojos in Edo under his command and training style. When a dojo does not join willingly, he and his Ittō-ryū take it by force. When Anotsu kills the father of a young girl named Rin Asano (Hana Sugisaki), she seeks out Manji to help her get revenge. He agrees to help her because she bears a striking resemblance to his slain 'sister.' Now, Manji will defend her at any cost and kill any Ittō-ryū that attempts to do her harm.

"How many have died now in your quest for revenge?" (Image Source)

"Blade of the Immortal" is adapted by Tetsuya Oishi and is based on the Manga of the same name by Hiroaki Samura. Takashi Miike does a fantastic job of capturing the visual aesthetic of a live-action Manga in nearly every way. Despite its overabundance of bloody violence, this is a beautiful film from a visual standpoint. Many of the characters, especially Manji and the Ittō-ryū assassins, often have features and mannerisms you may find in an anime. Manji has many facial scars from battles past, and he and Anotsu's assassins share a hairdo that is often closely associated with Manga and Japanese animation. The story is a simple tale of revenge that looks at the endless cycle of death that revenge brings. Even though it does look at things like death and honor, it doesn't stop any of the characters from participating in the massacre that perpetuates this cycle. One cannot deny that the fight sequences are thrilling and provide a heart-pumping good time for the viewer. This is also a movie about Manji, who is cursed with immortality, finding a purpose once again in his life, a purpose he thought he lost when his 'sister' was murdered. There is a touching bond between Rin and Manji that helps the audience get invested on an emotional level. This story can also be surprisingly humorous as Manji sometimes needs to retrieve his lost limbs and makes witty cracks about how his wounds are mere scratches.

"Sorry, I got blood on it." (Image Source)

"Blade of the Immortal" is an amazingly fun movie loaded with action and emotion. Each piece of the puzzle comes together to create a cohesive, excellently edited, intricate, crisply written, excellent foreign film. It kept us engaged through its entire 2 hour and 20-minute runtime.

My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 85%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

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Movie Review: "Leave No Trace" (2018)

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Movie: "Leave No Trace"

Director: Debra Granik
Year: 2018
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 49 minutes

When a veteran named Will, who is suffering from PTSD, and his daughter Tom are found living in a national park, social services picks them up and relocates them to a more traditional home. Tom welcomes a more stable lifestyle, while Will has trouble adjusting to his new environment and may not be able to handle it.

Movie Review: "1945" (2018)

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Movie: "1945"

Director: Ferenc Török
Year: 2018
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 31 minutes

A small Hungarian village is getting ready for the son of the town clerk's wedding. A couple strangers show up in town the same day, which plunges the townspeople into chaos. Their arrival also causes rampant paranoia and speculation about why they are there.

Movie Review: "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" (2018)

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Movie: "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again"

Director: Ol Parker
Year: 2018
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 54 minutes

As a memorial to her mother, Sophie has renovated her mom's hotel, renamed the Hotel Bella Donna, and plans to reopen it after holding an opening night party, all while she learns about the summer her mother met her fathers.

Movie Review: "Sorry to Bother You" (2018)

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Movie: "Sorry to Bother You"

Director: Boots Riley
Year: 2018
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

A telemarketer discovers a technique that propels him to the top of the telemarketing game where he enters a world of money and moral corruption.

Movie Review: "Sicario: Day of the Soldado" (2018)

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Movie: "Sicario: Day of the Soldado"

Director: Stefano Sollima
Year: 2018
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 2 minutes

When the government classifies drug cartels as terrorist organizations, it gives the green light to a secret mission meant to start a war between the two biggest cartels in Mexico by kidnapping the daughter of one of the cartel leaders and blaming on their rival. Things don't go as smoothly as expected.

Movie Review: "Whitney" (2018)

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Movie: "Whitney"

Director: Kevin Macdonald
Year: 2018
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 0 minutes

The life story of singing sensation Whitney Houston.

Movie Review: "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot" (2018)

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Movie: "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot"

Director: Gus Van Sant
Year: 2018
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 53 minutes

A cartoonist struggles to overcome his alcoholism after a drunk driving accident left him paralyzed.

Movie Review: "Logan's Run" (1976)

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Movie: "Logan's Run"

Director: Michael Anderson
Year: 1976
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 59 minutes

In a future utopian society that thrives on balance, people live purely for pleasure. There is just one catch: you have to die when you are 30. You either give up your life willingly at 'Carrousel,' or you run and are hunted down by those who are dubbed 'Sandmen.' When a Sandman named Logan decides to run, it may change his society forever.

"Outside? There's nothing outside." (Image Source)

What would you sacrifice to live in pure pleasure? According to "Logan's Run," people would be willing to give up a lot for utopia. This film is directed by Michael Anderson, who has directed other projects like "Around the World in 80 Days," "Orca," and "Millenium." It is written by David Zelag Goodman and is based on the novel of the same name by William F. Nolan and George Clayton. In the distant future long after the last great war, the remaining population now lives in a domed society where people are hedonistic, and everything they need is provided by the government. Their civilization is perfectly balanced. In order to maintain that balance, people are not allowed to live past the age of 30, which means both BigJ and I would be peaced out of this bitch by now. Most citizens give their lives up willingly in a ritual called Carrousel. Those who choose to run and are hunted down by law enforcers known as Sandmen and are promptly terminated. When a Sandman named Logan (Michael York) is sent on a secret mission to find a runner sanctuary, he begins his run and becomes hunted by his fellow Sandmen, but his experience may change his ideas of their society and their civilization forever.

"One is terminated, one is born. Simple, logical, perfect." (Image Source)

It's so fun to see what the idea of the future was for those who lived in the 70's. It is always so kitschy. "Logan's Run" isn't exactly the most classic sci-fi film of its era, but you can plainly see its influence on many modern films with similar themes, most notably Kurt Wimmer's "Equilibrium" and Micahel Bay's "The Island." When this movie came out in 1976, the effects and set designs were probably in line with what you got from most movies of this genre. Of course, "Star Wars" would come out a year later and change the idea of what people thought was possible for sci-fi and fantasy flicks. Like most "soft sci-fi" movies, "Logan's Run" deals with social and moral questions in a futuristic setting with high-tech doodads everywhere. The society found in this story is essentially a form of Eugenics and extreme communism. People live in relative peace and exist for pure pleasure, but in order for this lifestyle to work long-term, things must remain balanced, so there are just a few teeny tiny trade-offs. The population must be controlled. All forms of reproduction are regulated through the government, and on top of that, healthcare and elderly support are difficult, so people must sacrifice their own lives at the ripe ol' age of 30. There is also an interesting element of indoctrination where the population has been taught to believe they will be "renewed" if they sacrifice themselves. It's the same way radical religious groups and cults are brainwashed to commit mass suicide or carry out suicide attacks. The alternative here is to escape the dome and be forced to fend for yourself in the wild after having everything handed to you your entire life.

"No Sandman ever ran." (Image Source)

There is probably a metaphor for children leaving the comforts of their home in exchange for personal freedom, or maybe its simply an exploration of the difference between a capitalist democracy and authoritarian communism. Either way, we think there is enough in "Logan's Run" to keep you engaged with the story, its themes, and production values despite being a bit dated and a little cheesy.

My Rating: 7/10
BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 68%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

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Movie Review: "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" (2018)

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Movie: "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation"

Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Year: 2018
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 37 minutes

Mavis takes Drac and all their monster friends and family on a surprise cruise after Drac tells her he is overworked. In reality, he is just lonely and is looking for someone to "zing" with to fill the void in his life. On the cruise, Drac thinks he has made a romantic connection with a woman named Ericka, though she may have some secrets that could put a damper on their relationship.

Movie Review: "Mamma Mia!" (2008)

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Movie: "Mamma Mia!"

Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Year: 2008
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 48 minutes

A young woman who is about to be married invites three men to her wedding, each of whom may be her father.

"Typical, isn't it? You wait 20 years for a dad and then three come along at once." (Image Source)

We sure as hell hope you like the band ABBA because if you don't, you're not going to have an enjoyable time watching "Mamma Mia!" This musical is directed by Phyllida Lloyd, who only has one other theatrical film credit to her name in "The Iron Lady." The screenplay is written by Catherine Johnson, who adapted it from her own stage play. It stars Amanda Seyfried as Sophie, a 20-year-old young woman who is about to get married to her fiance Sky (Dominic Cooper). She wants to have her father walk her down the aisle, but there's just one problem: she doesn't know who her dad is. Sophie finds her mom's old diary that was written during the summer she was conceived and learns her father might be one of three men, Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Bill (Stellan Skarsgård), or Harry (Colin Firth). Since she doesn't know which person is her dad, Sophie invites all three of them to her wedding, hoping she will know instinctively who it is when she sees him. When Sophie's mom Donna (Meryl Streep) finds out all of her ex-lovers are at her daughter's wedding, it adds extra stress she was not expecting and leaves her in a frantic state, and what else is there to do when you're stressed but to SING AND DANCE!!!!!!!!!!

"'I've done the big white wedding, and believe me, it doesn't always end in happy ever after." (Image Source)

You may know what we're going to say about this film. "Mamma Mia!" has a lot of problems from both a narrative standpoint and from a technical one. The whole concept is absurdly over-the-top and borders on a bonkers, ridiculous territory. The era in which the movie takes place is not entirely clear. If it is meant to take place in the late 2000's, it means Sam (Brosnan) dressed like a hippie well into the 80's. If it takes place in the 80's or early 90's, it sure as shit doesn't look like it (especially given that his wig/outfit combo came from Party City). Given when the music was penned by ABBA, it's not surprising that the time frame is murky at best. There are far too many jump cuts. Some scenes are too dark while others are too brightly lit. Some pieces of the story don't fit together and feel rushed...BUT MERYL STREEP SINGS AND EVERYONE DANCES!!

"You always knew how to make an entrance." (Image Source)

That being said, we're not going to deny that we sort of love "Mamma Mia!" We thought we weren't huge fans of ABBA, but we actually really enjoy the music! There are only a couple of songs that we never get into, but there are far more hits than misses here. Sure, Pierce Brosnan isn't the best singer in the world, but everyone else props him up and makes us forget how bad he is. Give the guy a break, people! He just wanted to work with Meryl effing Streep, and who wouldn't?! This movie also manages to have a lot of laughs, mainly from the "spontaneous" Harry (Firth), the free-spirited Bill (Skarsgård), as well Rosie (Julie Walters) and Tanya (Christine Baranski). We like each of the characters (minus Sophie and her constant whining, even though Seyfried can carry a tune), and we like all of the actors who play them. We love this musical despite that it's a jumbled hodgepodge. Watching this movie provides for a lot of joyous fun despite its glaring flaws. We smile, sing, and dance our way through its runtime every damn time we watch it.

My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 54%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

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Movie Review: "Skyscraper" (2018)

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Movie: "Skyscraper"

Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Year: 2018
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 42 minutes

Former FBI agent Will Sawyer is hired to assess the security of the world's brand new tallest skyscraper known as The Pearl. When mercenaries seize control of the building and set it on fire, Will's family gets trapped inside. Now, he must face off against armed criminals and navigate a burning skyscraper to save them.

Movie Review: "Boundaries" (2018)

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Movie: "Boundaries"

Director: Shana Feste
Year: 2018
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 44 minutes

A woman with abandonment issues and her teenage son, who has recently been expelled from school, are forced to take her pot-dealing geriatric father on a road trip to move in with her sister in Los Angeles after he was kicked out of his retirement home.

Movie Review: "Shimmer Lake" (2017)

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Movie: "Shimmer Lake"

Director: Oren Uziel
Year: 2017
Rating: TV-MA
Running Time: 1 hour, 23 minutes

A small town sheriff investigates a bank robbery, which has led to a string of murders. 

"Man, Zeke. This is a real mess." (Image Source)

"Shimmer Lake" is the directorial debut of writer/director Oren Uziel. It is a darkly comedic crime thriller mystery where the twist isn't so much at the end of the story but at the beginning. Because of this, the film is told in reverse, starting with the events on the Friday following a bank robbery and working its way back to the day the actual crime occurred earlier in the week. We have seen this technique before, most notably in the film "Memento," though this is slightly more rudimentary than that. It stars Benjamin Walker as Zeke Sikes, a small town sheriff who has spent the last few days investigating a bank robbery and a series of murders that happened because of the fallout of the crime. Zeke's brother Andy (Rainn Wilson), a one-time criminal prosecutor and now, is a prime suspect in the robbery and murders. It may seem weird for a sheriff to be investigating his brother, but it's a small town where everyone knows everyone. Also in the film are Wyatt Russell, Adam Pally, John Michael Higgins, Rob Corddry, Mark Rendall, Ron Livingston, and Stephanie Sigman, who are all either involved in the crime or are the people investigating it.

"Surprise is for the ill-prepared." (Image Source)

We knew nothing about this movie going into it. We just saw that it was one of the latest Netflix original films to be released on their service. Netflix-distributed movies have been hit or miss for us, but we always hope for the best, especially when it comes to oddball stuff like "Shimmer Lake." We are fans of dark comedies and crime comedies, so this one seemed right up our ally. This type of dark humor isn't for everyone, but it is for us. We ended up enjoying this movie quite a bit. It isn't the type of comedy that is outrageous or raucous with jokes and scenes that are roll on the floor funny. The laughs come from an intriguing story, its tongue-in-cheek banter, and a subtle wit that will make you chuckle throughout its runtime, even if it's stuff you shouldn't always be laughing about. This is a movie that doesn't have to rely on comedy entirely since the audience is also pulled in by the actual plot, the characters, and its mystery aspect. Benjamin Walker plays a charming good ol' boy type and gets in his fair share of quippy lines, but he is actually one of the few non-comedians in the film. He and the rest of the cast do a great job in their respective roles, particularly Rainn Wilson.

"I'm giving this town a bath." (Image Source)

As we go backward in time, we get more and more clues as to how it all began, which is perfectly revealing to how it ended, picking up steam as it goes along its story. In the end, "Shimmer Lake" has solid performances, a great premise, and is successful as both a mystery and as a dark comedy.

My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 56%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

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Movie Review: "Chappaquiddick" (2018)

Image Source

Movie: "Chappaquiddick"

Director: John Curran
Year: 2018
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 46 minutes

The story of Senator Edward Kennedy's 1969 Chappaquiddick scandal after an incident that left a female campaign staffer dead in his car at the bottom of a pond after an automobile accident. 

"Teddy, call your mom first. Don't let her find out about another family tragedy from the news." (Image Source)

So, what you're saying is that wealthy politicians use their power and influence to keep themselves out of trouble??....noooooooooooooooooooooooo way! ShOcKiNg! "Chappaquiddick" is directed by John Curran, who has directed films like the "The Painted Veil" and "We Don't Live Here Anymore." It is written by Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan and is the first feature film writing credit for both of them. The movie tells the true story of Sen. Edward 'Ted' Kennedy (Jason Clarke) and the events just prior to and following his widely publicized automobile accident on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, an incident which left a female campaign staffer dead. It also covers the efforts of Kennedy and his staff to use their connections to contain the scandal as best they could and to keep Edward out of jail.

"I think my chance to define my legacy died with Mary Jo." (Image Source)

Anybody who has any knowledge of the car accident at Chappaquiddick will find little to nothing intriguing about this story. It is basically a rehash of the official account of what happened that fateful night in 1969. There is only minor speculating if more could have been done to save Mary Jo Kopechne (Kate Mara) and whether or not Kennedy held more fault for the incident than what he accepted. The main focus of the film is on the aftermath of the collision and Kennedy's use of his family's political connections to make sure he faced the smallest punishment possible for a woman's literal vehicular manslaughter. It should come as no shock that wealthy and powerful celebrities and politicians use their connections and clout to get special treatment. Since most of us know that Kennedy served in the U.S. Senate until his death in 2009, there was never a question if he would face any repercussions for his actions. Because of this, the crux of the story involves watching Kennedy's staffers try to contain something that we know was successfully contained decades ago.

"This isn't about opportunity. It's about integrity." (Image Source)

"Chappaquiddick" is neither an indictment nor an exoneration of Ted Kennedy and his actions. It doesn't present any new evidence and never bothers to speculate about rumors or conspiracies. It can be commended because it attempts to stick to the official public facts of the case, but that doesn't exactly make for an exciting movie and can easily be ripped apart by people on both sides of the aisle. You'd probably get more out of reading the Wikipedia page for the Chappaquiddick incident than you would watching "Chappaquiddick" itself. Don't get us wrong, it is a well-shot movie from a technical aspect, and the actors do a decent job with what they have been given on the page. Still, we found ourselves questioning why this movie was made as the credits rolled. It can be rather dull at times. It acts as little more than a reenactment of an easily obtainable set of court documents and statements that Ted himself made post-crash. We're not really sure what the point of this movie was. But hey, at least we got to see Ed Helms and Jim Gaffigan running around in their skivvies under the cover of darkness...that's gotta be a plus for someone out there.

My Rating: 4.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 4.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~6.6/10
RT Rating: ~80%
Do we recommend this movie: No.

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