Another day, another remake, and the latest film to have this happen to them is none other than the 1982 classic scare-fest "Poltergeist." Produced by Steven Spielberg, directed by Tobe Hooper, and starring the likes of Craig T. Nelson and the late Heather O'Rourke, the original film set the standard for modern day horror films despite the effects being a bit outdated today. It's a bit odd that filmmakers would chose to remake the film that modernized the horror movies of today, but "Monster House" director Gil Kenan and producer Sam Raimi have done just that, with Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Jared Harris filling some of the shoes worn by the previous actors. Even though this remake was unnecessary to do considering the original's iconic status, I will admit that I had fun watching "Poltergeist." There are a bunch of unintentionally hilarious things in the film, particularly in the predictable jump scares and the obvious 3D effects which, if you see this in 2D, are a lot funnier in my opinion. However, there were also moments that were genuinely creepy and well directed overall. "Poltergeist" isn't one of the best remakes of all time, but it is a mindlessly entertaining movie that I would recommend if you want to have a couple of laughs with some friends.
The first and only word that came to my mind when the credits of the latest indie dramady "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" began rolling was "wow." Seriously, wow: what a movie. This film took Sundance by storm back in January, grabbing both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for a Dramatic film. This is the third year in a row where a film has taken home both of these awards at the festival, with "Fruitvale Station" and Oscar winner "Whiplash" being the previous recipients. The film, based off of screenwriter Jesse Andrews' novel of the same name, tells the story of Greg Gaines. Greg's goal for his senior year is to blend in with the crowd and be as anonymous as humanly possible. He has one friend in the form of Earl who he shoots short parodies of classic films with, but he doesn't classify him as a "friend," but rather a "business partner." Greg's life suddenly takes a turn into the unknown when his mom forces him to spend time with Rachel, an acquaintance of Greg's whom he hasn't spoken to since Kindergarten, who has just been diagnosed with leukemia.
Right off the bat, it's easy to compare the cancer story this has to last year's "The Fault in Our Stars." Not to mention, the trailer doesn't do the film any favors in looking pretty different than that. This isn't a love story about a boy and a girl falling in love thanks to an illness that will take one or both of them away. Greg even says this himself via narration. Rather, this is a story of survival, whether it's high school, leukemia, or anything in between. It's in this story where the film really strives past cliches and becomes something, unique, witty, and surprisingly realistic. Personally speaking, I was hooked into this from the first second in, and it held me all the way until its poignant and emotional end.
Thomas Mann is no stranger to the silver screen, having been in films such as the mediocre "Project X" and the overlooked "Beautiful Creatures." Playing Greg, Mann manages to make this character into his own and, in turn, delivers a funny, relatable, and impressively deep performance that really helps to hold the film's quirkiness together. Olivia Cooke sports a flawless American accent playing Rachel, "the Dying Girl." Not to mention, she is also the light that keeps this film shining, in my opinion. In every scene she's in, Cooke has this radiant glow of energy piercing off of her, as well as this adorable charm to her that is really hard to resist. It's this adorable quality that really brought the emotional and heartbreaking elements of the film home for me, as well as solidifying that it wasn't just any "teen cancer drama" movie. As great as these two are, and as great as the supporting cast (including the likes of comedian Nick Offerman, "The Walking Dead's" Jon Bernthal, and SNL alum Molly Shannon) is, none of them compare to how sidesplittingly hysterical and absolutely incredible RJ Cyler's performance as Earl is.
If you haven't heard of Cyler before, you're not alone: this is his first time acting in a movie. Taking that into account, his comedic timing and his delivery of lines as Earl is absolutely incredible. What makes Cyler so great, aside from delivering during some incredibly powerful moments of drama, is that he makes some black stereotypes, one particularly talking about two certain parts on the female body, extremely funny. Even though he is considered to be a supporting character compared to Mann's Greg and Cooke's Rachel, Earl is a fully fleshed out person who has a great story arc that compliments everything else going on in the film. Hopefully we'll be able to see more of him in the future, because he's clearly proven himself worthy with this film.
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon has only directed one other film before this, and that was in the form of 2014's little-seen remake of the horror film "The Town That Dreaded Sundown." Talk about a 180 degree flip from one film to another. This man delivers on directing some of the best shot and most well executed scenes I've seen all year. It's clear from the film that Rejon was heavily inspired by Wes Anderson as the style of this film is very quirky, offbeat, and often extremely funny. That can also be attributed to Jesse Andrews' expertly written screenplay, which knows how to be downright hilarious and extremely heartfelt in the best ways. Seriously, this film has both some of the funniest and some of the most powerful moments of 2015 thus far. I can't imagine really anyone not being emotionally invested with these characters and the situations they get in to. Not to mention, this film is FILLED with movie references that cinephiles will really swoon over. This is the type of film that I believe can and will be loved by just about everyone who goes to see it.
"Me and Earl" is a film with soul and passion and love behind it, which is easy to tell within the first five minutes of it. Every character has their purpose to the story fulfilled, and throughout the 105 minute duration of the film we get to know, love, care for, and empathize with teenagers who are dealing with the pressures of education, the future, and friendship along with the fact that one of them is slowly dying from cancer. Even through all of their drama, there is light shined upon them in the form of absurdly hilarious scenarios and some of the wittiest dialogue I've heard in 2015. It's a very offbeat movie, but if you can get take a chance with "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl," then I guarantee you won't regret seeing it. As someone who loved "The Fault in Our Stars," this is infinitely better than that, and as a whole is truly one of the best films you will see all summer, maybe even all year. There's a reason why this movie won the top prizes at Sundance, and that's because, for lack of a better term, it's freaking amazing!
It's pretty hard for sequels to live up to their predecessors, yet "Pitch Perfect 2" does that and then some. The first film was a surprise smash back in 2012, being a blend of "Glee," "Mean Girls," and even a bit of "South Park" in terms of shocking humor. Screenwriter Kay Cannon returns for this film, while director Jason Moore serves as only a producer this time. In Moore's place is none other than actress Elizabeth Banks making her directorial debut. (Not counting the short segment she did in the awful "Movie 43.") Everyone from the first film, including Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson, return to reprise their roles and are joined by some new faces, including Hailee Steinfeld from "True Grit." The story of this film is something of a hybrid between "High School Musical 3" and "Rocky IV" in which the Bardon Bellas must redeem themselves after a stunt involving the president when they travel to compete in the world championship for Acapella groups, their main competition there being German group Das Sound Machine. Meanwhile, the Bellas are getting ready to graduate from college and move on with their lives, some quicker than others.
Aside from, let's face it, executing the basic plot from the first film all over again, a lot of the film is pretty fresh and new. For example, we have Hailee Steinfeld's Emily starting college with the goal of becoming a Bella just like her mother once was. Emily also aspires to become a singer one day, having even written a couple of songs that may or may not have any relevance to the climax of the film. Two other subplots, one involving Kendrick's Beca trying to make her way into the music industry to move on with her life and another involving a romance blossoming between Wilson's Fat Amy and Adam Devine's Boomer, are also into the film and add lots of comedic opportunities for the cast members. These three stories are what kept the film interesting and entertaining for me, and complimented the superb covers that the characters in the film performed.
The first "Pitch Perfect" felt so organic and fresh when it first came out, and this one captures the same feelings I had towards it. In fact, I actually prefer this film to the original, which is saying something. Some of the jokes may fall flat and other characters aren't given as much development as they probably should have, but at the end of the day, I really enjoyed myself during "Pitch Perfect 2." I enjoyed this so much that I went to see it for a second time recently to re-experience the fun I had with it. There may be smarter, more visually pleasing, and better acted movies out now, but this is just so much fun and pretty irresistible that it's hard not to enjoy yourself during it. The music is catchy, the cast is committed, and the story has a nice flow to it, making "Pitch Perfect 2" a success in my book. If the same magic can be recreated a third time around, then consider me more than excited to see a "Pitch Perfect 3!"
My excitement for "Mad Max: Fury Road" was very unusual compared to the anticipation I had towards most other films coming out this year. While many summer films like "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Jurassic World" were on more people's radars, this film was always the must see movie of the summer, and even the year for quite a while, for me. Ever since the original teaser trailer for the film premiered at Comic Con last year, my anticipation for this flick was through the roof and couldn't be topped by anything. Well, except for the new "Star Wars" movie coming out in December. It's hard for films to meet or exceed my expectations when I make them so high, like I did with this film, and unfortunately "Fury Road" didn't quite meet the expectations I had for it. Before you look at the rating I gave the film and then reread that last sentence, let me assure you that the "disappointment" I have with this film is minimal.
There are only two things I had problems with in this film, and they didn't really take away from my overall enjoyment of it. The first thing that irked me was that the film's editing is pretty questionable at times. There are several moments that are incredibly well-edited, but at the same time nearly every single scene ends with a fade to black. Doing this once or twice is fine, but to do it after nearly every action sequence gets tiresome. The other thing that bugged me with the film was that the character of Max isn't a fully fleshed out individual. Throughout the movie we're shown glimpses into Max's psychological torments from his past, and yet we're never given a full explanation about why he's so caught up in all of it, how long ago it happened, and other things of that sort. Some may consider these nitpicks, but they're just the things that took me out of fully loving the hell out of this film.
Having said my negatives, it's hard to deny how wickedly awesome everything else in the movie is. Director/writer George Miller has made a simple, stylish, and brutal action movie that acts like a "Fast & Furious" movie if it took place in a gritty, post-apocalyptic Australia. The fact that most of the action is done practically is truly astonishing considering we live in the day and age of CGI explosions and destruction. Even when the visuals are computer generated, they look absolutely marvelous and incredibly realistic. Tom Hardy, Nicholas Hoult, and Charlize Theron deliver their A-game and show in their performances that they're having an absolute ball making this flick.
The 3D is pretty worthless, though, aside from a "pop out" gag that happens during the film's climax, but overall this is a must see on the big screen. If you can see this on the biggest screen around you, preferably in the cheaper 2D format, and you go with a bunch of friends, I guarantee you'll have a fun time watching this movie. I don't necessarily have much of an urge to go see this one again, though, but if the opportunity presents itself, I definitely will. "Mad Max: Fury Road" is a bold, action-packed, and insanely awesome 2 hour car chase sequence that always keeps your attention and tells its simplistic story in a stylistic and fresh manner. Is this the best film I've seen so far this year? No. Is it one of the most exhilarating movies I've seen so far this year? Absolutely.
Man, this is an underwhelmingly boring film. I'm not even going to sugar coat this, rather just get into it. "Results" is a film that played at this year's Sundance Film Festival and stars a bunch of recognizable faces, including Guy Pearce and Cobie Smulders. The movie pretty much revolves around a fitness center, specifically two people who work there and a guy who joins their program. Romance and shenanigans ensue, but honestly, I never felt fully invested in what was going on. Sure the acting was fine, but as a whole the movie is a simple concept that didn't have much depth to it. Guy Pearce is a lot of fun to watch here, and there are some moments where I chuckled I will admit. Unfortunately, I never got interested in what was being presented, and wasn't focused on everything happening. This film is like a special kind of food: some will like it, others won't. I happen to be on the side of the spectrum that didn't care for this movie. If you do, that's awesome. Me? Well, it wasn't my cup of tea.
