Monthly Archives: July 2015
Flash Movie Review: Self/less
I do not know if everyone feels it at the same time or if they have a sense of it at all. When one is able to experience that feeling of being invincible or powerful, it can be intoxicating. For me it happened when I worked with a personal trainer for a weightlifting regime. It was surreal for me because not only had I never felt comfortable in my own skin prior, I now was working out among my peers without judgements. The aerobic classes I taught took on a new level of intensity. Some time later a subtle reality check began to settle into my consciousness. I started to become aware of how my body was reacting to the high jumps and kicks, so I added more low impact options. At some point I started to notice any scratches or scrapes on my skin took longer to heal; it appeared as if my skin would not let go of these cuts, keeping the scab’s impressions on my less taut skin like shadows. As time went on I realized I could not lift the same amount of weights I used to, nor run as fast on the treadmill. Maybe because one of the fitness centers I taught at was affiliated with a hospital, but I accepted it as a part of the aging process. Seeing heart and stroke patients struggling along the track or on a weight machine kept things in perspective. Though I have to say there were times I thought it would be wonderful if we could trade-in our bodies for a fresh one. This science fiction film will show you one way it can be done. WITH disease consuming his body wealthy real estate tycoon Damian, played by Ben Kingsley (Shutter Island, Hugo), discovered there was a way he could beat the illness and continue to live. He could trade-in for a new body, but how would his mind handle it? The idea for this story offered a multitude of possibilities on where the story could go. With Ryan Reynolds (The Proposal, Buried) as a young Damian and Matthew Goode (The Imitation Game, Match Point) as Albright, I enjoyed the beginning of this mystery movie. Unfortunately the story took an odd turn and lost its way; I was not sure if this film wanted to be a love story, action movie or suspense thriller. It did not take long for me to lose interest and was able to figure out what was going to happen. Out of the cast I would have preferred more scenes with Ben, but I did enjoy watching Ryan as he tried to convince people of his true identity. At first glance this film looked like a fresh take on a the aging process, but it did not have much life to it.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: 5 Flights Up
Living amongst them daily I am not always conscious of their significance. It is when someone is over to my place and asks about something hanging up on a wall or sitting on a surface that I experience the memory associated to that particular item. To the average person my home looks like a hodgepodge of different pieces of art and objects; but to me, each one has a story about my life. There is a large woven basket that sits next to an easy chair that I bought from a little non-profit store in Charleston, South Carolina. All the items in the store were made by disadvantaged women from third world countries, who were trying to improve their lives my selling their wares. That alone was enough reason for me to buy something at the store; however, I wanted something to remind me about the fantastic road trip I was taking through the southern United States. On a coffee table sits a turquoise vase that was originally placed on layaway by someone I was dating some time ago. I called the store and paid for it, asking the salesperson to call the phone number on the receipt and tell them the vase was accidentally knocked off the shelf and broke into pieces. It was a few minutes after the store must have called them when they called me to complain about the store’s incompetency. I never let on I knew, keeping the vase for a couple of months, until I wrapped it up and gave it to them for the holidays. I was greeted with several words I cannot print here. So you see I love having all of the things around me and their memories. I do not know how I could ever part with them, just like the couple in this dramatic movie. AFTER many years living in their Brooklyn apartment with the great view Ruth and Alex Carver, played by Diane Keaton (Mad Money, The Family Stone) and Morgan Freeman (Now You See Me, Driving Miss Daisy), felt it was time to downsize and move to a place more conducive for an older couple. They soon discovered there were challenges to moving 40 years worth of stuff. I wished I would have enjoyed this film more because the two actors separately were wonderful, though I did not feel much chemistry between them. The script was lame; quite predictable and cliched; the two actors needed more depth to their characters. It was a shame because I enjoyed the flashback segments of a younger Ruth and Alex at the beginning of what would be their long term relationship. And obviously I appreciated the acknowledgement of one’s memories associated to inanimate items. Too bad the memory I have of this picture is not very good.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Amy
There is no specific time or date when it happens; it just comes to mind one day and you realize you have fewer than more years left to live. I believe everyone has their own method in coming to this realization. For me, it happened when I attended a surprise 50th birthday party some years ago. One of the guests at the party was giving the birthday person well wishes by saying, “May you live another 50 years.” I remember at the time being struck by that comment because if the wish came true then it would mean the birthday person would live to be 100 years old. Ever since that time I once in a while think about what my life would be like at double my current age. In my younger years I was more flexible, both figuratively and literally, probably not as much as an older me. I have also noticed I am not as often surprised by people and events like I used to be; maybe because the more experience one gains in life, the less chance there is of being surprised since you have seen most of it before. My drive to continue on comes from the dreams I maintain; there are so many things I still want to do in this lifetime. An example would be my writing; since I was a little kid I wanted to write and now many years later I finally found an outlet for it, reaching that dream. I am well aware how fortunate I have been to get to this point in my life; this unbelievable documentary only reaffirmed it. DIRECTOR Asif Kapadia (Far North, The Warrior) created a nearly seamless story about 5 time Grammy award winner, British singer songwriter Amy Winehouse. The first thing that amazed me about this movie was the amount of footage there was of Amy, from her as a young child all the way up to the end. She appeared to be so unassuming, just wanting to make her music, but her demons took hold of her. The scenes where the British paparazzi go after Amy were unreal; the amount of camera flashes going off created a white wall of light around her. I do not know how anyone could handle it. Her story was solidly told here; so even if you were not a fan of her type of music, you still could appreciate the life of this celebrated musician. The only complaint I had about this film festival nominee was the length of the story. I felt the movie was a bit long where some of the events seemed like they were being rehashed, maybe just in a different locale. A little more editing would have solved it. This was a tragic story about a brilliant artist that made me feel grateful for being alive to see it.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Gallows
Legend had it that one of the students who had worked on the auditorium’s fire curtain still haunted the theater. The story I heard was when the fire curtain was installed the students from the school’s art department were allowed to decorate the drab black colored curtain. As they were working on it something went wrong and the curtain came crashing down and crushed a boy to death. Ever since that time there had been unexplained things that took place around the theater, like lights turning on by themselves or hanging counterweights swinging back and forth in the still air. Every freshman in the school knew about this story by the time they first walked into the school building if not before. I have no idea how some of these stories started. During my time at the school, I never heard about odd events taking place. In fact, the only story that went around one year was about a teacher who had a prosthetic arm. She would always wear long sleeved blouses or jackets along with a white glove covering up the hand portion. Mean spirited students or one who may have failed her class, I am guessing, started telling a story about how her arm was attacked by a couple of birds who had flown through the open window of her classroom. The story evolved into the birds being a flock of woodpeckers who zeroed in on her wooden arm, trying to make a nesting place in it as she wildly swung her fake arm around her head. I am sure every school has a story; just look at this one. TWENTY years after a tragic accident took place during a staged performance; the theater department thought it was time to re-stage that fateful production. Not all ideas are good; maybe some things should be left alone. This horror suspense thriller used the found footage format as the story followed actors and friends Reese, Pfeifer, Ryan and Cassidy; played by relative newcomers Reese Mishler and Pfeifer Brown, Ryan Shoos (As Night Comes) and Cassidy Gifford (Adventures of Serial Buddies, God’s Not Dead). Not only was this a low budget production but it was somewhat of a lame idea for a story. I say this because I cannot imagine any school agreeing to relaunch a play that had such a tragic event take place during it. The script was filled with every horror film cliche, besides not being at all sophisticated since it was so predictable. On the plus side there were no gory or bloody scenes, the writers tried using suspense as the main vehicle to drive this picture. Too bad it failed for I could tell you stories about my high school experiences that were a lot scarier than this movie.
1 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Minions
It is not as fun, fun being a relative term, when there is not an audience or one’s followers around to witness the act. More times than not the person picking on another person has a posse of buddies in tow to be their audience and witnesses when they go on the attack. I have seen it time and time again besides being on the receiving end; watching the bully walk away with their admiring subordinates following up the rear, sometimes punctuating the event with their own punch or kick. Now I know there are some followers who may not agree with their leader’s actions, but they choose to go along as a preventative measure to avoid being in a position where they could be the one that is on the receiving end. This logic can be applied on a global scale. How many times has the news shown a horrific act of violence? I have wondered what would happen if there was a moratorium on reporting such activities; would it have a dampening effect on those individuals or groups who seek out an audience for their actions. Speaking of audiences this recently happened here; a local news station reported on an attempted robbery that took place on public transportation. There was video from a security camera that was shown and the thing that struck me was how there were other passengers around who did nothing as the victim fought back against their attacker. Would they be considered human versions of the Minions? DESPONDENT over their lack of having an evil leader to follow; Kevin, Bob and Stuart head out in search of someone bad enough for them and the rest of their fellow Minions to follow. This animated comedy was geared towards the younger viewer; however, the soundtrack was done with the adult in mind. I thought the song choices were a great accompaniment to the terrific animation. Additionally the choice of actors such as Sandra Bullock (Gravity, The Blind Side) as Scarlett Overkill and Jon Hamm (The Town, Mad Men-TV) as her husband Herb were well equipped to handle their characters. After seeing for months the hilarious trailers, this film was a bit disappointing. The script did not provide enough punch to make this animated movie succeed. For example I thought Scarlett was not evil enough; she lacked the drama that someone in that position could have been yielding. I found myself getting bored halfway through the story since it seemed as if it was one stunt or comedy bit being repeated over and over. Maybe it was due too all the exposure the Minions have been getting the past several months, but this full length feature did not provide any excitement until closer to the end. There was an extra fun musical scene at the end of the credits.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Bound to Vengeance
I am afraid it is just like riding a bike; once you have mastered it you will never forget how to do it. Born from the hot sparks of anger and hurt, it can easily dominate all of your other emotions. No matter how expansive your mind may be, it will infiltrate and seize control of the areas that house logic and common sense. For reasons out of my control, I learned at an early age how to harness its energy and retaliate against my perceived enemies. There is that quote that goes,”Revenge is a dish best served cold,” which must explain why in my adult life I am so sensitive to cold temperatures. In middle school there was this kid who would pick on me whenever I was in his eyesight; from knocking my books out of my hand to punching me in the back, there was a variety of things he did to me. Once he was done I would plot these elaborate plans to get back at him. I am embarrassed to say this now but many of my plans involved drowning or fires because I wanted him to suffer before he would expire in my mind. You see I never acted on them, all but one stayed in my imagination. The only one I actually did, after a full week of daily abuse, was when I found thumbtacks in a similar color as the seats in our classroom; need I saw more? They say time heals old wounds and I found out in my adult life it was true. Believing in karma has helped me steer my energy to more positive behaviors, but I enjoyed saying hello to my old friend revenge in this horror thriller. HAVING been kidnapped and chained to the floor of a basement Eve, played by Tina Ivlev (The Devil’s in the Details, Death Clique-TV movie), spent her time plotting revenge against her kidnapper Phil, played by Richard Tyson (Kindergarten Cop, Black Hawk Down). I am guessing most people’s initial reaction to this movie will be similar to mine, regarding why Eve did not contact the police. Once I let go of that thought, I have to tell you I did not mind watching this film even with its bloody scenes. The character of Eve was strong enough to maintain my interest in the story. I really liked her tough stance because it was a switch from similar films of this nature. This was a low budget picture with a simple story that did not pretend to be anything else but a movie about revenge. It was so much better for me to just watch my old friend instead of acting out with it. Several scenes contained violence and blood in them.
2 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Housemaid
I only began paying attention when the customer in front of me started to raise their voice at the sales clerk behind the counter. Trying not to appear nosy I pulled out my phone to check my emails as the customer’s tone of voice turned condescendingly darker. The poor employee was trying to maintain their non-confrontational demeanor; I am sure all of the company’s customer service training was being strained at the seams by this irate consumer. The thing that bothered me was the customer’s attitude. Let us be real here, the sales clerk did not manufacture the defective product, nor said anything accusatory towards the customer; so there was no reason to yell at her using derogatory remarks. Based on what the customer was wearing, it appeared as if they were wealthy. I know I should not judge a book by its cover but by the jewelry they were wearing and the way their clothing was cut, it looked like they did not shop at a dollar store. But this is the thing, I have known some people who were financially wealthy but no one would know it; they carried themselves without any airs and did not flash their money around. On the other hand I have seen some rich individuals who because they had a lot of money, they considered everyone who did not have as much money to be inferior. I find that type of thinking grotesque and do not want to have anything to do with such a person. I would be curious to hear how you feel about the family in this dramatic thriller. WEALTHY businessman Hoon Goh and his wife Hae-ra, played by Jung-Jae Lee ( New World, City of the Rising Sun) and Woo Seo (Paju, Glass Mask-TV), were expecting twin babies. This was why their maid Byunk-sik, played by Yeo-Jeong Yoon (In Another Country, A Good Lawyer’s Wife), was instructed to hire more help. She found Eun-yi Li, played by Do-yeon Jeon (Secret Sunshine, The Contact), to take care of the couple’s young daughter. This film festival winner had a beautiful style to it. I loved the angle shots and the look of this film. Despite being unfamiliar with the spoken language, I thought all the actors did quite well with their characters. Finding out this was a remake I would like to see how the two compare because this script had more good moments than not. However, there were some parts that were odd to me. This film was listed as a thriller but I would not go that far; it was more suspenseful to me. If I were to compare this picture to a conceited wealthy person I would say it had a rich look covering up a not so nice interior. Korean spoken with English subtitles.
2 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Big Game
As I made my way up the seldom used staircase to the attic I could hear the wood groaning under my feet. I rarely need to be up there where essentially it has turned into one large storage room. As I lifted the door open at the top of the stairs I began to take in air that had not moved in years. Walking through the clothes bins, one of them attracted my eye. Through its semiopaque lid I saw the outline of some animal. I opened the bin and lying on top was a sweater I used to wear years ago. It was purchased during a period of time where Nordic themed fashion was the rage. This copper colored sweater with the image of a large antlered stag across the front was something I thought was the coolest thing back then. Everyone back then was wearing sweaters with various images of animals in winter scenes splayed across their chest. If the sleeves had multicolored yarns woven partially up the sides, the sweater was extra cool. I started to remember those times where all of us appeared to have had more fun, less responsibilities and less news that horrified us like it does these days. As the sunlight falling in from the one small window at the front of the attic began to dim; I put back the sweater, found the item I was originally looking for and came downstairs. That was the last time I reveled in those type of memories of an easier carefree past until I saw this fun retro action film. AFTER surviving the crash of Air Force One in a remote area of Finland President William Alan Moore, played Samuel L. Jackson (The Avengers franchise, Reasonable Doubt), had to depend on 13 year old Oskari, played by Omni Tommila (Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, Last Cowboy Standing), who was in the middle of a village ritual to being considered a man. Time would not be an abundant commodity for either of them. This adventure film was a hoot to watch with its throwback style and story. I enjoyed seeing Samuel toning it down to play a more submissive type of character than he normally portrays. The cast which included Ray Stevens (The Book of Eli, Divergent franchise) as Morris and Felicity Huffman (Transamerica, Desperate Housewives-TV) as the CIA director all looked like they enjoyed playing their characters. The story was somewhat predictable and cheesy; but I think that was what the writers were trying to do to create this picture that reminded me of those action movies from the 1980s and 90s. This was a fun no-frills film that favored a class of movies from a distant past. Several scenes had spoken Finnish with English subtitles.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Magic Mike XXL
I get mixed emotions when I see advertisements for upcoming shows or concerts headlined by artists who are in the twilight of their careers. There are some artists who are still vibrant and continue to make contributions to their art; just take a look at Tony Bennett who is traveling with Lady Gaga in sold out concerts. However, there are some artists I have seen where I wonder what is the motivation that keeps them plugging along; is it due to financial reasons, the need for people’s continued adulation or maybe the fear of retirement. I hope this is not coming across as judgmental but I do have an issue when someone says they are retiring but then a few years later decide to come out of it for a world tour. I tend to see it as a money grab. Maybe because I take people for their word I react this way; however, if they would have said they are retiring from touring but may do a concert once in a while it would sit better with me. Looking at my fitness level as I age I wonder how I will be in my cycle class when I get older. If I could not keep up with my classes I would want to step down from teaching and become instead a participant. Of course when the time comes for me to retire I hope to end on a hight note with a packed class as we go on one last intense fun ride. This is why I was able to understand what the male entertainers wanted to accomplish in this musical sequel. THREE years has passed and Mike, played by Channing Tatum (Foxcatcher, Dear John), has finally seen his dream come true with the start of his custom furniture business. But when his old dance troupe buddies wanted to get together one last time for a contest, would Mike be willing to don his thong one last time? The difference between this sequel and the first film was like night and day. Where the original was fun with solid dancing routines and acting ability from Matthew McConaughey; this movie came off as a crass knockoff. The cast of men such as Joe Manganiello (Sabotage, True Blood-TV) as Big Dick Richie and Matt Bomer (The Normal Heart-TV, In Time) as Ken were joined by Jada Pinkett Smith (Reign Over Me, Matrix franchise) as Rome who was ridiculous because of the script. What surprised me the most was how bad the dancing was this time; it was uninspired with tired stripper pole moves. I will say this did not stop some of the people in the audience from hooting and hollering during several scenes. As for me this group should have quit while they were ahead.
1 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Terminator Genisys
There is one individual I still have heated debates with that rarely end in mutual agreement. That person would be me; I am my own harshest critic. I doubt I am totally alone in this regard. There are times where I have gone back and forth about something before acting upon it. I have to look at the pluses and minuses for each option available to me; this is why it has been hard for me to immediately reply yes when someone asks me if I want to do something. The time where I really beat myself up is when I react quickly before thinking things out. This past weekend I was out with a group of people. There was a lot of people coming and going where someone in one group knew someone in another, so there was a lot of introductions going on. Two people unfamiliar to me joined our group. Things went at a pleasant pace with laughter and jokes. At the end of the evening these two individuals started saying their goodbyes to everyone. There was something about one of them that looked familiar to me and before I could drop my filter in place to process my thoughts before uttering them, I said something to them I intended to be a compliment. The look on their face told me it was not received that way. I wanted to kick myself for even saying anything; I should have kept quiet. At least I only beat myself up mentally, nothing like what was done in this science fiction adventure. GROWN-UP resistance leader John Connor, played by Jason Clarke (The Great Gatsby, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), had a plan to save his mother Sarah, played by Emilia Clark (Game of Thrones-TV, Dom Hemingway). He would send Kyle Reese, played by Jai Courtney (Divergent franchise, The Water Diviner), back in time to protect her. However Kyle was not prepared for what he found when he got there. This addition to the earlier Terminator films was all about the special effects. An older Arnold Schwarzenegger (Escape Plan, The Expendables franchise) played the Guardian and in what was to be an epic scene had to fight his younger self. Sound confusing doesn’t it; well do not worry you are not alone. The script became tedious as it kept using time jumping for an excuse to move the story along. It made me lose interest in this picture. Since Arnold could not do all the action stunts, his character had to use parody for comic relief. In an odd way I felt the writers were counting on viewers to be nostalgic about the story, so they spent less time thinking things through before writing them down. They could have used my mulling over abilities. There was an extra scene in the middle of the ending credits.
2 1/3 stars
moviejoltz 