Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on June 7th, 2019
When it is revealed that a person who has touched the lives of many people turns out to be a fraud, what impact does that have on the people who were inspired? That is something that addressed in the semi-biographical film, J.T. Leroy. Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern star as Leroy and Laura Albert respectively. Albert is the true artist behind three best-selling novels, and Leroy is actually nothing more than a literary persona that she created. I know what you are thinking. If J.T. Leroy is not real, who is Stewart playing? That is one of the things that make this film so interesting. In order to sell the persona that she has been advertising for years, Albert convinces her sister-in-law to pose as Leroy in public. I’m not sure how getting a younger woman to go out in public posing as a boy fixes the problem, but as it turns out it worked for a period of time, as it is based on a true story where that is exactly what happened.
Laura Albert is an aging writier, who by her own omission spent her twenties waiting to be discovered. She has a unique voice and intriguing stories to share, but it is only after she takes on the persona of a fictional young man she names J.T. Leroy that her books get the attention that she craves. This goes on for years with the success of the novel, but she is forced to keep a low profile, only able to conduct phone interviews in order to keep her secret from being exposed. However, the demand from the public to see Leroy is ever growing, and the chances of Albert being able to keep up the façade as it is are dropping.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 5th, 2019
Witness the birth of -- actually make that rebirth of --one of the most popular action heroes in literature. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan has been a character of many jobs and many faces over the years. Baldwin, Ford, Pine, and Affleck have all stepped into the role of the man who has been a soldier, an analyst, an operative, and a president. What might appear as a clear advantage for this Amazon Prime streaming television show can be just as much a liability. When you throw in the Tom Clancy novels, comic books, and fan fiction, there is a ton of Jack Ryan history that pretty much gives us a story arc from his humble beginnings to extraordinary exploits and wearing the face of a few good performers. It's a tall order for the series and perhaps an even taller order for actor John Krasinski, who has created a nice little horror franchise with wife Emily Blunt on the side. I don't really have the time or energy to watch streaming shows and films. There's always a backlog here of discs that need to be , and I've created a rather comfortable viewing experience with my home theatre I call The Reel World. Our motto: Here there be monsters. So I have not had the opportunity to check out this show even though I've heard pretty solid things from my colleagues. Thanks to Paramount's production of the series and their release of the first season on Blu-ray, I've finally had my chance to see what all the talk's been about. Let's just say, I get it.
This series obviously has to update the character from his 1980's Cold War novel beginnings just as a couple of the films have had to. It's the current year, and Jack Ryan (Krasinski) is really just an analyst for the CIA. He checks financial transactions and has come upon some serious activity. He believes he has stumbled onto the biggest terrorist activity since 9/11. Now he has to convince his new team commander, James Greer, played by The Wire's own Bunk Wendell Pierce. Greer has recently been demoted, and his new post is really something of a censure for him, so he's not as receptive to Ryan's enthusiasm. It doesn't help that their first inadvertent meeting occurred on the streets with a bit of a near crash. Ryan goes over his head to freeze some bank accounts, and the resulting investigation puts the two uneasy coworkers in the field on the trail of a huge asset.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on June 5th, 2019
This is Oliva Wilde like you haven’t seen her before. Not only is she expanding in the world of screenwriting, but she sheds her previous typecasting as a vixen or seductress, becoming nearly unrecognizable. A Vigilante tackles the very large issue of domestic abuse, pulling back the curtain and showing the immense devastation that such acts leaves on the victim. Not only physically, but emotionally as well. It also shows empowerment, as Wilde embodies the role of Sadie, a woman who suffered horrific scars and devasting loss at the hands of the man who is supposed to love and protect her, her husband. Instead of letting what she has endured destroy her, she goes on the hunt, training in martial arts and learning to cover her tracks in order to fight for those who are unable to fight for themselves. The intensity in this film is palpable, and though there is not as much action or violence as I was expecting, this was one of the most powerful pieces of cinema that I have seen this year.
As I previously mentioned, Wilde plays Sadie, and when we meet her, she is preparing to encounter her next target. She changes her appearance to look frail and older, lulling her prey into a false sense of security. This is to her advantage, as when it comes to fighting, the element of surprise can make all the difference. Instead of killing the man, she forces him to sign over a hefty chunk of change to the victim of his abuse (i.e. his wife) and runs him out of town. It is clear that this man is not her first target, as she is very methodical and controlled. This opening sequence is rife with tension and drew me deeper into this world. This was a surprise for me, as I only saw the aftermath of what she did to him. My initial thoughts were that I felt cheated, but with more time to digest the film, I realized that this actually played better. By only showing me the aftermath, I was forced to use my imagination regarding the ordeal the man was forced to face. Based on what was left of his face, it’s very clear that he did not get off easy.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 4th, 2019
"Welcome to Benghazi."
It shouldn't matter what your politics might be. The events in Benghazi on September 11th, 2012 bring up some very important questions. Contrary to one 2016 presidential hopeful's declaration, it does make a difference. It did to the people who were there. It does for the families of the four who lost their lives. And it should make a difference to you. With such a political hotbed issue, you'll find that 13 Hours goes out of its way to avoid the political questions. Some might view this as an oversight, but I think it gives the film a greater sense of credibility and makes its impact on the audience to fill in their own political blanks.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 31st, 2019
"So much has happened. I don't know where to start. First it was all the school shootings. Then these WiFi scooters showed up. And now we know that Manbearpig is real and we could all be dead in a matter of years."
That's true, but I suspect that when we are all dead and gone there will be two things we can count on continuing beyond the end of human civilization. The cockroaches will inherit the world, and they will all be watching South Park, the only television show still running. It's already been 22 years, and doesn't it feel like 50? I don't mean that in a mean way. I love South Park, but I'm starting to find it hard to remember what life was like without it. I'm convinced it will survive us all, and AI versions of Parker and Stone will be producing it until the planet is finally vaporized... and I'm not sure even that will stop this show.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on May 29th, 2019
Did you ever wonder what it would be like if on the many journeys Forrest Gump took, one of them involved him trying to solve a young boy’s disappearance and eventual murder? I didn’t think so. I’m not trying to be funny, but for the most part that is basically the gist of A Dark Place, where we see a young man who is on the spectrum become obsessed with solving a murder. It’s not that people who are on the spectrum can’t be highly intelligent and problem solvers, but this film takes things to another level, to where disability or not, no one could get away with what occurs in this film. Sure, there are movies that are about escaping reality, and one shouldn’t judge it for its realism, but when a film is attempting to be a slice of life in this small town that is devastated by the loss of a missing child, well, there comes a point where the audience should be allowed to call BS.
When we first meet Donny (Andrew Scott), he’s a trash collector in a small town. He’s a likeable guy, but we see early on that he’s on the spectrum and most likely has OCD amongst other things. The way Scott plays this character makes him very likeable from the start, and that’s important, because as the film plays out he does some questionable things, and it’s important to see that they are done with the best intentions. Along for the ride is his partner, Donna (Bronagh Waugh) who is doing her best to break through some of Donny’s emotional walls and quirks. The moments between Donny and Donna are some of the best moments in the film, and it doesn’t take long to see the potential relationship between the two. Unfortunately, Donny is still carrying a torch for the mother of his child. To be fair, this side story of Donny attempting to pursue a relationship with his ex really brings down the story and serves to do nothing but attempt to make us feel sorry for the guy when that’s not even necessary. The movie is 89 minutes; time is simply wasted as though it were padding.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 21st, 2019
"It's been five months since Hannah Baker killed herself. We never thought this trial would happen. We thought we could move on. But when I got called to testify, all of a sudden it made me realize we can't move on. Life is different now."
And that's pretty much the best way to sum up the second season of Netflix/CBS teenage drama 13 Reasons Why. The series started out as a novel in 2007. It didn't catch the world on fire and went largely unread until something appeared to cause the novel to pick up steam in 2011. It hit the New York Times Best Seller list and started to become a teen phenomenon around middle and high school campuses throughout the nation. If Harry Potter didn't provide enough proof that kids were still reading and doing it for their own enjoyment, this novel should do the job. There are no wizards or superheroes or distant alien worlds to explore here. The work is a very straightforward drama about some of the topics that real-world teens deal with every day. Nothing is really taboo here; from cyber-bullying to rape, it's all covered. It's even possible this particular work has saved a few lives over the years. Suicide is the number two cause of death among teenagers these days, and this teen drama doesn't shy away from the circumstances that might lead a young teen with their entire life ahead of them to a tragic and irrevocable decision.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on May 18th, 2019
"Legend says that when the ground quakes or lava spews from the earth, it's the dragons letting us know they're still here. Waiting for us to figure out how to get along. Yes, the world believes the dragons are gone, if they ever existed at all. But we Berkians, we know otherwise. And we'll guard this secret until the time comes when dragons can return in peace."
It is surreal to know less about a subject than your six-year-old daughter, but that was the case going into How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World. Aside from a knowledge of this franchise’s existence, I knew next to nothing about the films as a whole. My daughter, Nalyce, on the other hand, turned out to be a subject matter expert about the series as well as the television series, apparently. It was quite the role reversal having her explain to me significance of Hiccup and his dragon, Toothless. Also, it gave us something to bond over, which was further expanded upon thanks to the opportunity to take her with me to this screening. For me, I found the film to be a wholesome family experience and a satisfactory conclusion to a well-liked franchise, though I’m sure there remains the opportunity for expansion of the film’s universe. Nalyce was mesmerized by the Hidden World and the different species of dragons. All in all, it was a treat for the whole family.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 16th, 2019
Three-time widower Ben Cartwright (Greene) runs his famous Ponderosa Ranch with the aid of his three grown sons from three different mothers. There’s Little Joe (Landon), Adam (Roberts) and Hoss (Blocker). Set some time in the mid 1800’s, this long-running series followed the family’s many exploits. In the late 1950’s, westerns accounted for six of the top ten programs on TV. Only Gunsmoke had a longer run than Bonanza. From 1959 to 1973, Ben Cartwright and his boys rode across the small screen. Years later in syndication the series re-emerged as Ponderosa, and a handful of TV movies continued the tale into the 90’s.We never have grown tired of the genre that gave us such heroes as John Wayne and Clint Eastwood.
Unlike many of the 1960's Western television shows, Bonanza was all about the characters. You rarely saw a gunfight. There was often a bit of fisticuffs, but usually it ended with a lesson that violence never pays. The show prided itself on using the Western genre to deliver a family kind of show, and it's no surprise that series star Michael Landon would use many of the same kinds of stories and lessons on his own Little House On The Prairie. The Cartwrights are always helping widows, the wrongly accused, and the local Indian population. That help often lands them in hot water.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 14th, 2019
Hayao Miyazaki is an amazing Japanese animator and filmmaker. His films include Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, and Howl's Moving Castle among other legendary pictures. I can safely say I have enjoyed most of his films but unfortunately only owned a couple at the time of writing this review. That's why I was quite astonished when this collector's edition of Princess Mononoke came across my desk. I was ready to dive in with both feet and re-visit this movie that I had not seen since, well, almost twenty years ago.
In ancient times, the Land lay covered in forest. Here dwelt the spirits of nature from time immemorial.
