The Reel World

By John Delia, Jr.

During the 1950’s, being a private investigator wasn’t always a safe and sure way to make a living. But it was a popular way to make some cash for returning soldiers or ex-police officers. During these times things were beginning to modernize, and the world was becoming more dependent on advancement in the skyline. With these changes, corruption and deceit became more evident, and private investigators became more popular. When Frank Minna’s (Bruce Willis) agency gets a chance to make some real money, things begin to get ugly fast. In his crew there is Lionel Essrog (Edward Norton), an orphan with Tourette's syndrome that Frank took under his wing when Lionel was 13; they have been friends ever since. Then there is Tony Vermonte (Bobby Cannavale), Gilbert Coney (Ethan Suplee), and Danny Fantl (Dallas Roberts). Frank has known these guys for many years and trusts them with helping to investigate the cases for his company.

"There's just more to it than picking the right color. It's the texture, the weight of the material. One wrong choice, it can destroy the look of the entire room."

Film rights can be a tricky and complicated issue. Sometimes these rights aren't quite clear and lead to popular titles never making it to the home video market, or at least suffering long delays as in the 1960's Batman television series situation. Often rights are held for certain periods of time and end up moving from holder to holder. That's been the case with the Terminator franchise. The result has been some sequels that pulled in different directions and failed to provide a nice linear history from film to film. Now those rights have reverted back to a favorable situation for the likes of James Cameron. The result is an attempt to get back to the original course of the first two films. Terminator: Dark Fate picks up from T2 and ignores any of the other films made since then. It's very much like the path taken by the new trilogy of Halloween films we got a taste of last year. There isn't any denying the fact that T2 was the best this franchise has had to offer. Something was always just a little bit off with the rest of the films. There's a texture to all of this that James Cameron has a unique eye for. And while he didn't direct this film, he created the story and produced the film. Like the new Halloween direction, this is also intended to be the first film in a new trilogy. The Terminator franchise appears to be back, and on track to please the legions of fans from the old to the new.

When it comes to Rob Zombie, his films are a bit hit-or-miss. Halloween and The Devils Rejects are his biggest commercial successes, but when he delivers films like Halloween 2, fans tend to be unforgiving.  Now we have 3 From Hell, the final chapter in his Firefly family saga that began way back with House of 1000 Corpses and followed up by The Devils Rejects.  While many fans have been excited about this third film, I’ve been on the fence wondering if this is really something I want to see.  The Devils Rejects is a dark and mean little film that delivers one of the most satisfying endings for a horror film. It’s so good I have my doubts that it could ever be topped.  But in Hollywood, if there is potential to make more money off a “franchise”, then there is going to be a sequel whether you want it or not.  It’s been 16 years since the franchise began. How does he wrap it up?  Well, buckle up, it’s a bit of a bumpy ride; that’s for sure.

The film opens up with the fallout from the massive showdown from The Devils Rejects as we saw Otis (Bill Moseley), Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie), and Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig) get taken down in a flurry of gunfire. We see them taken in to the hospital where by some miracle the three survive, and then the three are put on trial for their crimes.  There is definitely a Natural Born Killers vibe to the first third of the film as Zombie does a good job at showing how this trio of psychopaths would be treated like celebrities in the media and how they develop fans. Some people are willing to even believe the three are all innocent and are being framed by the government. Sadly, though, a lot of this is rushed to build up for a big prison break to set up another murder spree led by Otis.  Sure, it’s nice seeing Otis, and we get some bittersweet moments with Captain Spaulding (a shame this will be the last time we’ll see Sid Haig but his moments on screen are memorable none the less). But what doesn’t work is Baby.  I’ve always been a fan of Sheri Moon Zombie and felt fans were kind of hard on her performances in the past, but this time around there are some groan-worthy moments.  What’s worse is when you have her performing alongside Moseley, it’s impossible not to notice the talent gap.  Joining Otis and Baby on their escape and new spree of mayhem is Richard Brake, playing Winslow Foxworth Coltrane, who is Otis’s brother.  Brake is a welcomed addition to the cinematic family, but he’s obviously not in the same league of crazy that is Baby and Otis.

We take it for granted. Every day our lives depend on the flow of electricity to our homes, workplaces, entertainment venues, and hospitals. Living in Florida where you might brush the occasional hurricane, it's the thing I dread the most when a storm approaches. I don't worry so much about damage to my home as I do the inevitable five days without power. No AC. No television. No refrigeration for the food. We are so dependent that it's hard for me to comprehend that I grew up knowing people in my own family who lived before there was any electricity service at all. In another 70 years people will be saying the same thing about the internet. We all know Al Gore invented the internet. But who got us connected with this whole electric power grid? Like most things in a capitalistic society, there was fierce competition. Companies fought for the ability to bring electricity to your home. City by city, the contest endured until eventually the entire country could bask in the glaring glow of the world's first light bulbs. The Current War: The Director's Cut takes us inside that struggle to win that race. It's a compelling story, and even if it doesn't all ring quite true, it's an entertaining journey to the moment in time when everything changed.

As the film begins we find a weary Thomas Edison (Cumberbatch) with his family on a train after a visit to the president of the United States and J.P. Morgan (Macfadyen), where Edison was forced to plead for more financing for his dream to electrify the nation. Fresh off of his creation of a stable light bulb, it was important to get power to houses, or there was really no need to buy the bulbs. He has an idea of using direct current (DC) to distribute that power from a turbine electrical generation process of his invention. On the way home he had been invited to dinner at the home of industrialist George Westinghouse (Shannon). The family made elaborate preparations for the visit, which had been accepted. But Edison was tired and decided to skip the dinner and ordered the train to just blow by the welcoming committee at the station. In the film it would be the greatest mistake of his life. Slighted, Westinghouse decides to back a plane to use alternating current (AC) and directly compete with Edison for the contract in cities across the country. Edison is also somewhat undone by his arrogant dismissal of an employee who was trying to get him on the right track. That was Nikola Tesla (Hoult). Tesla would eventually join the Westinghouse group, and together they would form what would later be called General Electric.

When it comes to writer/director Robert Eggers, despite only directing The Witch, he’s currently one of the most divisive directors working today. Personally I loved The Witch and feel it’s one of the best horror films in the past decade, while others openly loathe the film and consider it a snooze-fest. Eggers has a style that really isn’t for everyone, but for those who are fans (myself included), he’s a breath of fresh air to the horror genre, though his style is very much a throwback to the times before computer graphics and his films rely heavily on atmosphere, where his stories take time to develop as he wants us to be like a fly on the wall as we watch his characters fall apart.  The Lighthouse is very much a claustrophobic character piece that will once again divide audiences, but one thing I believe we can all agree on: the performances of Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson are phenomenal and deserve all the recognition that will be coming their way.

When we meet Thomas (Dafoe) and Ephraim (Pattinson), they are being taken out to the lonely island where they will be serving their time tending to the lighthouse until their replacements arrive.  The beautiful black and white cinematography sets the tone for this film and gives it a timeless feel. This is one of the factors that makes this film work, because it could easily take place in the late 1800’s or even today (though obviously there would be better equipment if it were more modern). Thomas makes it clear right from the start he is the only one who will be tending to the light, while Ephraim is expected to tend to the rest of the duties. For a good portion of the film, we are with the men as they go about their grueling day-to-day routine, and we get to see the resentment grow in Ephraim towards Thomas.  Sure, there is the push and shove of masculinity as we see Thomas overtly trying to maintain his dominance while we’re seeing Ephraim slowly break down, and it’s in this where we see the film shift as it exploits Ephraim’s mental decline.

Here comes the second addition to this sequel weekend, as well as another welcome addition to the 31 Nights of Terror. Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to Zombieland, and it’s like we never left. True, ten years have passed since we last saw Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita, and Little Rock, and I was beginning to believe that the likelihood of a sequel was low given the rising profiles of each of the actors involved, but I can happily say that it is here, and it was worth the wait. When last we saw this makeshift family, they were leaving Pacific Playland amusement park after annihilating a zombie horde; romance was brewing between Columbus and Wichita, and Tallahassee finally got their hands on his beloved Twinkie. Had this been the last time we saw the group, I would have been content, but the unwritten law of Hollywood is to never let go of a profitable franchise. Now, this unwritten law can be both good and bad, as it could result in a film that is on par or better than its predecessor, or the result could be a product of the law of diminishing returns. Lucky for us, Zombieland: Double Tap is the former instead of the latter.

Double Tap picks up ten years after the events of the first film. The merry band is still together and has taken up residence in the White House of all places. Keeping their distances from other survivors, they have fallen into familiar patterns. This appears to sit well with everyone but Little Rock, who has now become a teenager and seeks a connection with people of her own age. Around the same time, Wichita begins to feel pressure in her relationship with Columbus, leading to the sister deciding to go off on their own. Both Tallahassee and Columbus are devasted by the lost of the two and handle it in their own fashion: Columbus pines, while Tallahassee provides no real comfort, deciding that it may be time to hit the road himself. It then they come across a distraction in the form of Madison (Zoey Deutch), a gorgeous albeit ditzy young woman who proves it does not take brains to survive the zombie apocalypse. She quickly annoys Tallahassee, but you can guess who is looking for a rebound.

Well, well ... it would appear that this weekend is the weekend of sequels with two movies worthy of 31 Nights of Terror. First is the return of Angelina Jolie as Maleficent. When we last saw the Mistress of Evil (which also happens to be the title for the sequel) she was more of a hero rather than villain. However, the sequel sees her return to her previous status as the feared fairy that ruled the Moors. How quickly people forget her contributions. Though not traditionally scary, the film features plenty of magic and carnage courtesy of Jolie. Additionally, the film features the return of Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, and Harris Dickson as Aurora, Diaval, and Prince Philip. With the addition of Chiwetel Ejofor and Ed Skrein, as well as Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingrith, Philip’s mother, who gives Maleficent a run for her money for the title of Mistress of Evil.

In the five years that have passed since then the original film, Aurora has continued to reign as Queen of the Moors and is beloved by her subjects, and especially by Prince Phillip who works up the courage to propose marriage. Aurora accepts, but then comes the hard part: telling their parents. For Phillip the difficulty comes from her mother, who feels that their people have a right to pillage the Moors and worries about losing her son to Aurora, who rules the land she would like to acquire. For Aurora, the difficulty is much more challenging, as she has the unfortunate task of telling her Godmother, the protector of the Moors, Maleficent. Though initially apprehensive about the idea, Maleficent grants her permission. However, this is only the beginning of their troubles.

It may be similar to other sci-fi films of its kind, but Gemini Man tips the scale with action and storyline.  The CGI is incredible, and the re-aging of Will Smith amazing in this assassin vs. clone movie that will knock your socks off. Oh, and the answer is yes, Will Smith plays both parts with seamless detail. A crack shot and assassin for a US government special ops, Henry Brogan (Will Smith) has set himself up on a hill readying himself to kill someone in a fast moving train.  As the train passes by he makes the kill shot, but it almost puts a bullet in a child nearby.  Deciding to retire, he tells his boss that it’s time because there’s a good chance he’ll botch the next job.

In a small out-of-the-way village in the United States, Brogan makes his first day of retirement a chance to do some fishing.  Going to the pier he meets Danny (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), the person in charge of boat rentals. His keen sense for trouble and his ability to identify when someone is not who they say they are leads Brogan to believe he’s being set up.  With the help of Danny he escapes the hit, and the two go on the run looking for answers.

“They're creepy and they're kooky, Mysterious and spooky, They're altogether ooky, The Addams Family.”

That is for those who read my Addams Family Double Feature post regarding the Addams Family theme song. Of course that is merely the first verse of the song. Have no fear, as the animated film features the full version. It must be kismet, as I had the privilege of reviewing the animated film so soon after reviewing the double feature, though I suspect that this was by design. It is also kismet that this film comes in time to be part our 31 Nights of Terror. Though this cartoon does not fit the traditional view of what a horror film is, I would argue that the subject matter is more than enough to grant it entry. Featuring a lighter tone than its subject material, this incarnation is an enjoyable experience that can be shared with the whole family, which was my experience as I was able to bring my daughter to the film with me, and I’m happy to say it got her stamp of approval.

“Art is dangerous.”  It’s a quote that has been passed around over the decades, and it’s something I tend to agree with.  Over the weeks building up to the release of the film, there seems to be a manufactured panic about what could happen when Joker releases onto the big screen.  In Aurora, Colorado, they’ve elected to not show the film as a way to not trigger local residents who were involved in the 2012 shooting. This I can understand, considering the shooter did indeed dress as the Joker when he committed his act of violence.  As for other parts of the US, the local police and military have been placed on high alert, all because people are worried about the gun violence and how it may motivate deranged fans to go on shooting sprees.  This obviously is not what the studios or filmmakers ever intended, but it is unfortunately a sign of the times that we are living in.  No one should have to fear going to the movies. The theater for many is the place for audiences to escape for two hours and forget the troubles and the horrors of the real world, and my hope is audiences will be able to do so without violent incidents.

To be fair, Joker isn’t the first film to have the spotlight thrust upon it due to its violence, nor will it be the last. A part of me wonders if the controversy was even manufactured to create more buzz for the film. After all, scaring audiences has always been a powerful tool in marketing, when you look back at the films of William Castle and Roger Corman.  For some of their films, audiences would have to sign waivers to ensure the studio wouldn’t be at fault if anything were to happen to audience members while watching the film, while having ambulances parked outside the movie house.  Is it a stretch to believe the studios would do this? Maybe.  But is it possible, considering how the box office is underperforming, that people will attempt to create buzz for the film?  And then there are the political motivations, attempting to use a film in the fight for control.  So many possibilities, so much controversy, and still as I write this the film hasn’t even been released to the masses for them to judge for themselves.