For Crying Out Loud -- Reel It In
(a FB page/group)

Posted this on 12/26/17

Sorry for the length of this post. It is in between holidays and I have already been driven insane. Proof below (oh and read/sing this to the 12 Days of Christmas):

(1) sick (adult-age) child with a 99.9 degree temp and a runny nose

(2) "destroyed" kids' bedrooms

(3) empty bottles of juice, still in the fridge

(4) infected (see #1) blankets

(5) glittery vomited furballs (produced by felines not adult child)

(6) trashed towels (don't ask)

(7) petty complaining relatives

(8) versions of that same sad embarrassing story about visiting Santa

(9) lost gift cards

(10) missing ornaments (see #5)

(11) bulbs no longer blinking

(12) full trash bags

Bright  (2017)

A Netflix Movie

I really enjoyed the last 25 minutes. The last 25 minutes was better edited, improved dialogue, some humor and focus. Unfortunately this is a one hour 57 minute movie, so this movie was not an easy view. I wonder if there was a disconnect between the writer (Max Landis), the director (David Ayers) and the production company (Netflix). This move should have been filmed as a series with 8 - 10 episodes with the possibility of multiple seasons.

This movie has a good premise. Earth (although we only see LA)  is a different world while still very much like ours being violent, dirty, chaotic and immoral with touches of kindness and empathy. The actual inhabitants are much more varied. Bright takes place in Los Angeles.This world has 3 major classes: Elves compose the highest class. Elves are the richest, most privileged and politically powerful of all populations. Humans are the middle class living in decaying suburbs/urban areas. The Orcs are the lowest class. They are thought of as worthless brutes with no intelligence. The Orcs supported the wrong side in a revolution almost 2,000 years ago and are still being punished by society. This "wrong side" was lead by the Dark Lord.  Brights (usually Elves) are rare, even in the Elf community. These individuals can control magic wands capable of granting its user any wish. Currently there is an aberrant group of Elves, who called themselves Inferni. This splinter group wish to bring back the Dark Lord, kill all humanity and Orcs making this an all-magic Earth.

While there was great world building, the first 2/3 of the movie was constant unrelenting violence, frequent swearing and a wand that moved around more than at a relay race competition during the Olympics. While boring is probably not an applicable term, this repetition develops a story which is routine and expected. It makes the viewer become disengaged and impatient. Will Smith and Joel Edgerton are the two leads. Will Smith is the human cop and his Orc partner played by Joel Edgerton is new to the police force, both in his experience and his species. They were the only ones that encouraged me to keep watching. There was a major plot point that I guessed way in the beginning of this film, but that did not prevent me from enjoying that last 20 - 25 minutes.

I am a fan of science fiction and fantasy movies, so perhaps I was pre-sold. I would recommend this film, but with warning that one has to sit through a lot of repeated violence before being presented with an interesting movie with entertaining dialogue.
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It was work to get through the first 2/3. It was like a boring (pun intended) game with every move resulting in vivid, unrelenting violence. However, I felt that in the last 20 or so minutes everything seemed to work, the characters' interaction, dialogue, editing, plotting with even the welcome edition of some ironic humor. I agree with this review (Stoned Gremlin Productions - Midnight Screenings published 12/28/2017), this film should have been a 10-12 episode series with the possibility of a season 2.

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Bright, for the first 2/3, was a chore to watch. The brutal violence almost became boring with each repetition. However, in the last 25 minutes or so the characters, dialogue, insertion of some humor and even the editing seemed to work. My guess is that this was pitched as a 6+ episode series. For whatever reason the movie format was chosen, resulting in one huge mistake.

Twitter thoughts





12/21/17

I always respect John Campea's (YouTube channel) opinions irregardless as to them meshing or not with my own opinions. However hearing about some of the muck John has to sift through on his feed, makes me sad. It also confirms that with my lack of filter brain and clumsy keystroking, it is good that I do not post on Twitter.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

watched in 3D 12/15/2017 and 3D 12/16/2017

I saw this movie twice. There were plot elements and characters that I was not certain about.  On the second viewing my opinions coalesced into a review format. If The Force Awakens (episode 7) was a type of palate cleanser, then The Last Jedi (episode 8) is a focused yet new arrangement of the familiar.

For anyone new to or unfamiliar with the Star Wars series, that individual should at least watch, The Force Awakens. The more movies in this series that is known to the viewer the deeper the enjoyment of this film will be.

This Rian Johnson directed movie did shred many super-fan theories. I define a super-fan as someone who is invested in all canon (encompassing multiple novels, animated series and all movies). While certain changes surprised me, it did not lower my opinion of The Last Jedi.

The score by John Williams helped define this movie as part of the Star Wars series. CGI and practical effects were well mixed which added to seeing these locations more vividly. There are several scenes (one involving an interplanetary Casablanca/Las Vegas) that I would either elongate or shorten. A couple of the scenes with the Porgs, briefly took me out of the movie. However, the Porgs were never Jar-Jar bad. Future filmmakers, never send the comic relief to the Senate (a Star Wars prequel reference), it hits too close to home to be amusing.

Imagine that The Last Jedi is renovated bridge, which takes the viewer from The Force Awakens to the future movie concluding this part of the Star Wars saga in episode 9. Enjoy it as a movie, not as doctrine.

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JOKE:
Snoke was actually a hologram designed and voiced by the Porg President who proclaimed perpetual power permeating and pulverizing people...and Wookies.
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Additional thoughts:

I liked this movie. However, I am only a fan of the films. People following the books, animated series and the movies did not appear to enjoy (at least per Rotten Tomatoes audience ratings and Twitter comments). This film was made as a bridge between episode 7 and episode 9. I agree that nothing gets resolved, but I can wait until episode 9 appears. There are a considerable amount of end of the year movies, both big budget and indie, in the theaters and on streaming services. We will all be fine, at least until the demise of Net Neutrality causes the higher streaming costs and our new movie overlord Disney (Pixar, Marvel, LucasFilm and Fox) starts their own streaming service or buys out the minority owners of HULU. I think that I see a pattern, we are the decimated Rebels and Kylo Ren (aka you know who) is going to raise all of our internet costs. Happy Holidays Everyone !
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Comment in response to a Jeremy Jahns YouTube video review published on 12/20/2017

Enjoying the insertion of irony and "eye of the beholder" stuff into this review. Ozymandias is a good poem to reference hubris. However, (ahem) I raise your Percy Bysshe Shelley sonnet with two speeches from The Tempest by Shakespeare, (1) Prospero: Act4-S1 which has "We are such stuff As dreams are...." and (2) Miranda: Act5-S1 which has "O brave new world That has such people...." .
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Thanks for delving into canon.  I liked Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but I recognize how some fans feel about the current themes and characters. What bothers me the most, is the fear that AngryJoe's hypothesis of LucasFilm (aka Disney) regarding the planning of only one Star Wars episode at a time. Harry Potter series was very successful, it was also planned meticulously from start to finish by its author, J.K. Rowling who had also power on movie decisions. My impression from news sources was that Kathleen Kennedy was dedicated to keeping the Star Wars series on the right path. I guess that we will find out for certain when Episode 9 premieres.

Net Neutrality

killed by the FCC 12/14/2017

Net neutrality was killed by a 3 -2 vote by FCC. Close right, with only 5 votes possible? Now think about the Supreme Court (in office for life) might be capable of with justices appointed in the next 2 - 3 years. Optimism is a difficult state of mind to maintain lately.

An episode of SJ News published on 12-14-2017:


https://youtu.be/E1_UvX1oiN4

Disney bought FOX

12/14/2017

thoughts:
well, I guess in the next year or two we will find out if, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely..." happens in the land of fantasy and imagination.  On a positive note, "Yub Nub" song lives (maybe).


Thoughts on animated movie, Ferdinand (2017)

I have only seen trailers on this movie.

20th century Fox is listed as one of the production companies on Ferdinand. Disney bought Fox (not news and sports divisions). Children and parents will be disappointed by this Ferdinand movie. Kids will clamor to see another movie, parents acquiesce. Where will they go? Most likely to see or re-see Coco, a Pixar/Disney movie resulting in increased profits for one of our new corporate overlords. Conspiracy solved?

Edward VIII The Nazi King
(BBC)

seen on Netflix 12/13/17

For the information that this documentary presents, I would give a rating of 5 stars, however the individuals interviewed (although real participants or were close to real participants) made this documentary drag. The soundtrack added to the ponderous and dour tone. I came to this documentary after watching season 2 of The Crown (very good btw). I was fascinated how close England came to having a sovereign who believed in and admired Hitler. It is probably addressed in some historical text, but how did a disgraced former monarch know so much about certain aspects of  England's war effort?  It would have been interesting had the documentary gone there and explored those implications. However, as a general political/monarchy overview of the England of the early twentieth century, this documentary is a good starting point.

Holidays


an 8 episode anthology

watched on Netflix 12/12/2017


Looking for quirky holiday movies and found this (8 episode) anthology. As half stars are not allowed on this service and it IS the holiday season, I upped my review from 2 1/2 stars to 3. While all 8 stories share a gory/horror theme, not all are as well written or even filmed. (1) Valentine's Day - bad dialogue, bad acting with a very predicable conclusion. (2) St. Patrick's Day - started very good and continued that way (acting, dialogue and cinematography), but the final 5-6 minutes totally lost cohesion and melted away. (3) Easter - started well, but then just ended abruptly without a decent payoff. (4) Mother's Day - started bad (too new age-y and burning man in a very cliched way) with an ending (last few seconds) that was intriguing but way too brief. (5) Father's Day - good, however had that horrible trope of the lead leaving their cell phone in their car that paired with an ending that was very abrupt seemed like the writers left the script off, one day too early. (6) Halloween - the Canadian accent and main characters (one is a daughter of the writer/director) gave this away to me, it was funny though. (7) Christmas - while Seth Green's acting makes everything better, the premise on this episode is so tired and over-used along with a very predictable conclusion gives this one low marks. (8) New Years - While I did see where this episode was going, it was the best one, funny, gory, full of horror and yet a satisfactory conclusion.


Looking for quirky holiday movies and found this (8 episode) anthology on Netflix. While all 8 stories share a gory/horror theme, not all are as well written or even filmed. (1) Valentine's Day - bad dialogue, bad acting with a very predicable conclusion. (2) St. Patrick's Day - started very good and continued that way (acting, dialogue and cinematography), but the final 5-6 minutes totally lost cohesion and melted away. (3) Easter - started well, but then just ended abruptly without a decent payoff. (4) Mother's Day - started bad (too new age-y and burning man in a very cliched way) with an ending (last few seconds) that was intriguing but way too brief. (5) Father's Day - good, however had that horrible trope of the lead leaving their cell phone in their car that paired with an ending that was very abrupt seemed like the writers left the script off, one day too early. (6) Halloween - the Canadian accent and main characters (one is a daughter of the writer/director) gave this away to me, it was funny though. (7) Christmas - while Seth Green's acting makes everything better, the premise on this episode is so tired and over-used along with a very predictable conclusion gives this one low marks. (8) New Years - While I did see where this episode was going, it was the best one, funny, gory, full of horror and yet a satisfactory conclusion.

The Disaster Artist

(2017)

I did laugh frequently during The Disaster Artist.  In an interview made around the time of the book release, Greg Sestero seemed far more self-aware and intelligent than his movie persona. I have (sort of) seen The Room. The "sort of" 10-15 minute segments. Maybe I could sustain one full uninterrupted viewing if I were to attend one of those fan (throwing those spoons) events.



Good review Brad and Allison. Especially pointing out that "so bad it's good" movies do entertain so do have value. I laughed through a lot of The Disaster Artist (did not read the book and have only watched The Room in 10-15 min increments). I enjoyed the side by side extras. Although I did not recognize it at the time of viewing the movie, I enjoyed Tommy Wiseau's cameo.