Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on March 11th, 2016
Bad Robot in my eyes is simply the best at keeping things a secret. In this day and age to be able to surprise audiences is just about an impossible task. When the first Cloverfield trailer was released in 2007 in front of Transformers, it was a trailer that had us all guessing up until its release. In my opinion Cloverfield was one of the best found-footage films to come out, and was a grand achievement considering it was a monster film that had been pretty much been kept under wraps until its actual release. Bad Robot managed to surprise us again, releasing a trailer for 10 Cloverfield Lane that set the internet on fire with theories and hopes for this to be a long-awaited sequel. But is that what this really is?
What I want to go ahead and get out of the way is, if you’re hoping for spoilers, there will be none, other than to say if you are expecting a big-budget extravaganza filled with monsters destroying cities, this is not that film. Don’t waste your money on the big IMAX presentation, because you will feel cheated. Instead, what 10 Cloverfield Lane delivers is something more intimate than I would have expected, and it takes the thriller genre back to its basics.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on March 9th, 2016
Maybe it’s simply just a part of growing up, but when I listen to the radio and I hear what is topping the charts I just roll my eyes and wonder, “What is this crap I’m listening to?” We’ve all experienced this at some point, I’d imagine, and as I’ve gotten older my music tastes have seemed to move to before my time, as I’ve moved past my days of listening to strictly metal and rock that ruled the 90’s to now embracing the music of the 60’s and 70’s. I listen to the pop music that floods the airwaves now and hear “music” that lacks substance and meaning, as it is just noise to play on the dance floors of clubs. It’s here where I feel the series of documentaries Penelope Spheeris should conclude her saga of music over the decades.
In 1981 Penelope Spheeris came out with a documentary that captured the LA punk scene, a scene that was filled with such rebellious nature that for some it was the last stand against the corporations taking over our music. These young men and women are pretty much the unsung heroes of music; whether you’re a fan or not of punk, it has made its mark on music to this day, and it did so without flashy music videos and without the Twitter-verse; it did so as a unified force that wasn’t afraid to stand up to its oppressors.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on March 7th, 2016
Despite how the History Channel continues to churn out more reality shows, the upside of this is that the shows they put out happen to be pretty entertaining. When I first heard about Mountain Men, the first thing that came to mind was how dangerous was this show really going to get? Sure, you can have people hunting in the snow, but would the producers of the show really allow their crew to sit back and record the “cast” as they continue to face dangerous and deadly situations over and over? Well, the answer is yes, and the danger comes in various forms as the men of the show face off against Mother Nature in a blistering struggle for survival.
For those who may not be familiar with the show, it’s a pretty simple setup. A film crew basically follows these “mountain men” as they struggle to survive in live off the land in the wildernesses of Alaska, Montana, North Carolina and New Mexico. These are not guys who just live in a simple cabin in the middle of the woods; instead, these are the rare breed of man who survive on the food that they hunt and the pelts of fur that they can sell. For those of you animal lovers, this may not be the show for you, since the hunting and skinning of the animals is a pretty common occurrence here, and the camera doesn’t look away. If you can stomach some of these graphic images, the reward is some well-crafted storytelling of survival as well as some beautiful cinematography.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on March 2nd, 2016
When certain stories become public domain, you just have to expect that there will be a lot of people creating their own “unique” versions of the same tale all in the name of making a few bucks. When it comes to adaptations of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, I think we can all agree every attempt to tell the story has not been in the name of preserving the art. What I do find surprising: despite all the attempts to bring the story to the screen, there still isn’t a version that I can say is a perfect retelling of the tale, though each may have its pros, for the most part it just never seems to translate well.
In 2004 there was a TV mini-series that attempted to bring the classic horror story to life, and the one aspect that seemed to work best is that finally we get a relatively accurate adaption from the original source material. For those who have read the material, you know that there is much more to the story than its fantastical elements of the macabre. Staying true to the source material is one thing, but what really got to me about this take on the story is that it played out more as a Gothic love story and seemed to completely lose its horror element. This is kind of a problem considering Frankenstein is considered one of the most beloved horror stories of all time.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 28th, 2016
Life on the road as a comic always seemed like it would be the bachelors dream lifestyle: a new town every other night, getting to meet new people and see new sites while getting paid to tell jokes. Well, for the most part I still think it’s a pretty sweet deal, but in the new existential comedy Entertainment, we get a glimpse into what the road life would be if you just happened to be one of the worst comedians to take the stage. This slow, depressing look at The (unnamed) Comedian (Gregg Turkington) as he attempts to mend his relationship with his daughter doesn’t go for laughs but instead attempts to take an introspective look at its star, and just seems to go nowhere.
As we watch The Comedian in his life offstage, he’s your average guy who seems to be disappointed with his lot in life but seems to embrace the “art” of his craft. When we see The Comedian take the stage, we see a shift in demeanor as the quiet and meek man turns into crude and obnoxious comedian who stumbles his way through jokes and insults. It’s a very Andy-Kaufman-esque performance, only lacking the showmanship of his lounge lizard persona, and most importantly, the humor. What makes the character so frustrating is that it is obvious he’s no good, but yet he does nothing to attempt to improve upon his act, but instead he points the finger at the audience.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 28th, 2016
Here is an instance where there was so much promise going into this film, but because of its lack of restraint, it blew an opportunity to be a good film. The Midnight Man offers up a fun premise, a good cast, and high production values, but what plagues this film is a script that is filled with so much bad dialog you’ll wish you were watching a silent film. Quick lesson in screenwriting: don’t try to be Shane Black or Quentin Tarantino; they are a class of their own, and to try to copy them only shines a light on how bad your dialog really is. I’m being hard on this film, because had this film shown some restraint and kept the dialog simple, this could have been a really cool film.
Grady (Will Kemp) is the guy people use when things are about to get messy and you need to have your problem eliminated quickly. He’s the perfect hitman because of a special gift that he has the ability to not feel pain; the sense of touch means absolutely nothing to him. Because of his superhuman threshold against the sense of feeling, it has given him bravado that borderline makes him a reckless individual, but still he gets results.
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on February 26th, 2016
Ever since Michael Mann came along, the bar has been set when it comes to making gritty heist films. Sure, films have come close in reaching the ranks of Thief and Heat, but close isn’t enough to put films over the top. When the trailers came along for Triple 9, it was a film that I immediately had my eye on and was curious what director John Hilcoat (The Road and Lawless) would do with the material. The result is just about the most corrupt cop film to come out in ages and a gritty crime drama full of double-crosses that’ll have you questioning who are the good guys in a sea of so many bad ones. Is this a modern masterpiece or simply a slick action film? Well, to be fair, it’s somewhere in the middle. Strap on your bulletproof vest and grab and extra clip, because Triple 9 throws you in the thick of the action.
In the heart of Atlanta, Georgia, the film opens up with a fun little bank heist that doesn’t go as planned once one of the robbers gets greedy and makes a grab for cash. For those who have seen the trailer, it’s this cash grab that is responsible for the dye pack explosion that forces the robbers to create a new escape route of their own. Right off the bat the film was feeling a bit familiar, as I couldn’t help but think about Heat. But thankfully the film takes an unsuspecting turn once it is revealed that members of this heist crew are cops.
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on February 20th, 2016
After Robert Eggers received best director out of Sundance, The Witch became a film that went on my radar. Following the release of the trailer to the film, I was hooked; its startling yet beautiful imagery was enough to get my attention. As buzz built around the film as it continued to awe audiences in various festivals, my anticipation for this film was getting out of control. Could a film really be this great? Is it possible to make a film that still shocks and terrifies audiences? By the time I found myself getting to this screening, The Witch now was a film that unfairly had something to prove to me; I poked the bear and dared this film to blow me away. As the lights dimmed and the film played out, I came away with more than I asked for.
The film transports us to New England in the 1630’s. What is important to keep in mind is the time period; this is a time when scientific reason had no place, and the settlers of the time were ruled by their faith. The land that surrounded the villages was mostly untouched, and in the darkness, evil was believed to lurk. Robert Eggers beautifully captures the time period here, everything from the sets, the costumes, to even the Old English dialect used by the characters is authentic and helps immerse us into this time. One of my few nitpicks with the film is that the language is so authentic I had trouble with some of the dialog, as did others around me, and perhaps subtitles could have been used, but I’m afraid it would have taken me out of this world created for us.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 19th, 2016
Ever since Narc and Training Day became critical and financial successes, it seems everyone has tried to follow the formula of corrupt cops and their partners trying to do the right thing. Factor in the society outlook on dirty cops; Badge of Honor at first glance would appear to be a sure-fire hit. Unfortunately, it’s a misfire that never seemed to have much of a chance. When we first meet Jessica (Mena Suvari), she is a beat cop who is called in with her partner checking in \on a domestic disturbance report. Things get out of hand, and her partner overreacts with extreme force and beats a suspect. The story jumps ahead, and we now see Jessica working for internal affairs. It’s her first case that the film wraps around in a sadly predictable way. Two narcotics officers, Mike (Jesse Bradford) and David (Lochlyn Munro) move in on a bust that goes bad, and in the process an innocent teenager is killed. David seems well-intentioned when he tries to help cover it up for his partner, but things quickly get out of hand.
Even with Suvari as one of the leads, it’s unfortunate we don’t get to see more of her and the life she leads outside of being a cop. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Suvari in a solid leading role, and for the screen time she has here she does a great job at selling the part of being a cop who can handle her own. It’s this execution of the role that has me wishing there was more of her, because everything else just seemed like we’ve seen it all before.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 18th, 2016
I was a little hesitant with picking up this film. I wasn’t sure if a film about a grandmother spending the day raising money to pay for her granddaughter’s abortion was a film I could find the humor in. Well, I’m glad I took a chance on this film; not only does this film have so many layers beneath its overall plot, but it never once attempts to have an agenda towards its audience. Considering the potentially heavy subject matter, the film instead keeps its attention on what matters most, the people who come in and out of our lives whether they are friends or family; in the end it’s how we treat them that make us who we are.
Elle (Lily Tomlin) is about as feminist as they come; she’s a proud lesbian who is independent and at one time was a successful poet who wrote about feminist themes. When we first meet her, it is in the middle of her and her girlfriend calling it quits. Like any breakup, it’s ugly and filled with emotion. Despite the tough exterior we see Elle trying to hold up, we know it is all an act, and we understand she is still hurt after the loss of her true love of 30-plus years.
