Kubo & the Two Strings

I really enjoyed Kubo & the Two Strings!

Set in medieval Japan, little Kubo takes care of his ailing mother and performs street theatre in his tiny seaside town, using origami and playing a magical shamisen (Japanese 3-string guitar). That is, until he unwittingly unleashes the vengeful Moon King...

It's an animated tale that doesn't fit neatly into 1 genre. I prefer to think of it as a drama that doesn't take itself very seriously, with a bit of sorcery and action, happiness and sadness, hope and fear.

Its PG rating may give the impression that it's for younger viewers, but it isn't. This is NOT Kung Fu Panda: all slapsticky and light-hearted fun. It's a bit darkish and/or serious overall for the very young, IMHO.

As I stated, I really dug this movie. The voice-actors all do great jobs, though it took me a long time to figure out who they were (I didn't know and that was part of the fun, so I won't tell!). The one guy I recognized right off the bat had a very small role (boo!).

But the reason this is a Must-see is its animation. It just got nominated for this year's animation Oscar. And I will be very upset if it doesn't win! It's spectacular! The best I've seen at times - nuanced and very cleverly thematic!

Highly recommended

Yoga Hosers

Kevin Smith & Johnny Depp had so much fun with their daughters making Tusk that they decided to make an entire movie about the same characters. Yoga Hosers is the delightful result.

You don't need to see Tusk to see this. It stands on its own.

Yoga Hosers could be called Clerks: Canadian Reboot. It's aboot a couple of high school clerks, both named Colleen (Harley Quinn Smith & Lily-Rose Depp), working at a Winnipeg convenience store who stumble upon a nefarious plot to take over the world.

Ok, there's silliness - mostly in the plot. But there is so much fun in this I didn't mind!

Yes, it's a movie aboot teen girls, but it's still Kevin Smith's writing - witty & even acerbic at times. It has fun, sometimes at its own expense, mostly at Canada's expense. And these characters constantly saying "aboot" never gets old!

Be ready with your remote's Pause button, though. Everything written on the screen goes by way too fast to catch, but is well worth taking the time to see. Like the engraving on the goalie's statue in the park: "Only the Lord saved more." Others are funnier.

It's got a bunch of swearing (in a Kevin Smith movie??) but not enough to keep it rated PG-13.
Rent this if you have a sense of humor!

Fastball

 This is the perfect movie to give you your MLB second wind. It'll give you that extra spark - just in time for that late, long-shot wild card bid! (Shut up, Cubs fans!!) 2016's documentary Fastball.

Narrated by Kevin Costner, this is about just 1 aspect of the game - or actually, just 1 aspect of 1 of that part. Perhaps the most romantic notion of baseball, the overwhelming fastball, as you may have guessed by the title.

I was more than a little trepidacious going in, just based on the above. But I really enjoyed this!

It's mostly interviews (with tons of visual aids) - from mostly baseball legends and some current studs - of how they pitch, how fast they pitch, how hard it is to face it & try to hit it, plus a little science mixed in for good measure: Nolan Ryan, Goose, Bob Gibson, Verlander, George Brett, Ernie Banks, Tony Gwinn, Al Kaline...

It's historical and factual and you won't mind a bit. It may get dry every once in a while, but overall this is a homerun! A Game winner! Hit off Sandy Koufax!

The Darwin Awards

This isn't a "must see" but it is a cute little comedy nobody else has seen. 2006's The Darwin Awards.

It stars Joseph Fiennes as a former police detective who finds a better-suited calling in the insurance companies, figuring out who's most likely to accidentally off themselves by ludicrous accidents: i.e. who they shouldn't cover. Add Winona Ryder as the agent assigned to assist him. She's the Ying to his Yang.

The bad stuff: Funny subject and premise do not translate into a laugh-out-loud, roar-a-minute romp, sadly.

Also, if you've followed the actual Darwin Awards at all, as I have, there isn't anything new here. Pretty cool that it's based on fact, making it even funnier/more absurd, but I knew the outcomes far in advance.

The good stuff: Like I said already, a cute comedy. Almost a Rom-com at times. Well written & directed by some guy I don't know (Finn Taylor), and well acted.

There is a great reason to rent this if you have the chance: the best duo-cameo ever. I won't spoil it for you. But I re-watched that scene 3 times, laughing!

He Never Died

I'm baa-aaaaack!!

Pardon the long hiatus, unforeseen technical difficulties (laptop dying a sudden, horrific death) ensued, but were recently conquered.

During this lull in computer time I've seen a couple movies worth blogging about. My favorite, by far, is this cheery, visually stunning, family-oriented romp, He Never Died.

Ok, the above description was true only in Opposite World.

This is a stark, violent, drab-looking dark comedy that is not for the squeamish... but still great fun! (If you're into that thing I like to call delightfully dark.)

It was written specifically for Henry Rollins (punk rock legend, spoken-word artist-extraordinaire, sometimes actor & all around great person). And they NAILED it! "They" being both Henry and writer/director Jason Krawczyk!

The plot is easy: Immortal guy shaken from his solitude by a knock on the door.

But it's soooooo much more.

If u have a stomach and a dry sense of humor rent this!! I loved it!!

Meru

THIS is a "Must See"!

2015's Meru is absolutely the best movie - documentary or not - I've seen in a long time!

Yes, it's a doc. About climbing a high-altitude peak in the Himalayas - the "Shark's Fin" peak of Meru, 20,700 feet - so diabolically steep and technical it had never been conquered.

The climbing itself is well shown (2 of the 3 climbers had cameras). There is a plethora of stunning views, and even more visual goodies that I won't spoil! (Even great on a tv-sized screen!)

Perhaps the greatest stroke of genius was to have Jon Krakauer (author of Into Thin Air and expert climber) help narrate, give context, and generally put the situation into layman's terms. Because of him you don't need to be a climber to appreciate this endeavor.

And appreciate you will! This is truly a remarkable story. I could gush and gush, but I don't want to give away the best parts. It is so much more than a simple climbing adventure!

It's rated R for some good solid cursing and "scenes of suspense". (Who knew the MPAA was that illustrative?)

Elementary (Season 1)

I've been considering blogging about the 1st season of Elementary since I watched it a few months ago. I finally decided to because I would like to know what others think of it. (Hint: this is where you light up my Comments section.)

I'd classify this as Good, not Great. It's not as good as BBC's Sherlock. (How could it be?) And Jonny Lee Miller is no Benedict Cumberbatch, (Again, DUH!) 

But it's worth watching. I'm wanting to re-watch a few episodes. 

Like BBC's, this is Sherlock Holmes set in modern times - New York, in this case. Probably because it's an American show. 

The rest of the cast is really good. Aidan Quinn and Jon Michael Hill play the cops, Gregson and Hill, very nicely.

But where Elementary really shines is it's female characters (and actors)! Lucy Liu is Dr. JOAN Watson - wonderful! And most of all, I love what they do with Natalie Dormer as Irene Adler! She's only in a few episodes, but definitely the best part of the season.

As I recall the cases were intriguing. Some, obviously more than others. 

So rent this and please let me know what you think!

Focus

If you're in the mood for a good caper movie rent 2015's Focus 

Will Smith plays a veteran con-man who suddenly gets week knees when a femme fatale he's had a past with suddenly shows up on his latest scam.

Good is the key word here:

Acting, plot, script, dialogue, pace, everything in this movie's all good.

Honestly, just a shade or 2 away from brilliance. 

But very enjoyable! 

Rent it!

Lambert & Stamp

I'll start by saying that The Who were one of my early favorite rock bands. They were my 1st ever live concert. 20th Anniversary of Tommy at Alpine Valley, Wis. 1989!

I payed attention almost exclusively to their music. The behind the scenes stuff was unknown and never interested me. (As almost all  my fave music is.)

Enter the 2014 documentary Lambert & Stamp. 

Aspiring filmmakers Kit Lambert & Chris Stamp decide to manage an upcoming rock group, filming everything they can, in hopes of making both a successful band and an "in" into the movie industry. 

Complications eventually ensued.

But this is not Metallica: Some Kind of Monster: A 2 hour Jerry Springer show. No Verbal and/or physical fisticuffs on screen. 

This is the story of how The Who got started. There were some bad feelings later. But there is no question The Who wouldn't have been as successful without them - and it's fun to see why.

It's a big gray area. No one comes out smelling like a rose. But it's not all negative.

It's entertaining, interesting, and fun facts abound (Kit's influence on Pete's sound and song writing!)

Ex Machina

I could not recommend this sci-fi drama more: 2015's Ex Machina

It's about the winner of a huge corporation's in house sweepstakes, who finally gets to meet the elusive CEO and see whether or not he's actually created AI (artificial intelligence).

Let me digress to, perhaps, the creepy part of my opening sentence.Yes, it's a drama.With even less action than Blade Runner. No Michael Bay explosions. No John Woo super slo-mo bullets. No Lucas muppets. No Spielberg's kids on bmx bikes...

But that is exactly the point of this movie! It's talky and unravels slowly at first, then grows - bit by suspenseful bit into something a lot better than Scott, Bay, Woo, etc.

This is more Asimov. More a game of Chess rather than Asteroids! 

And it ROCKS!!

Tusk

An obscure Kevin Smith movie?? Not since Clerks, right?

Nope. Not many knew Tusk existed, including me. (And everyone knows how big a fan I am of Smith!) 

Well, I should say, I'm a huge Kevin Smith fan with exceptions. Mallrats, Jay & Silent Bob, and his horror movie, Red State, were not good, in my humble opinion. 

Which is why Smith's horror movie #2, right after Red State, didn't have much appeal to me when I finally did hear of it. 

I was wrong!

WOW! 
This is a very, very creepy movie! Hard to sit through without squirming. But isn't that what a horror movie is supposed to be?

It's about a podcaster who goes to Canada to do an interview and disappears. His friends search for him... Much more is involved, of course.

But the best part of this movie is it's alter-ego! 

After being totally creeped-out watching the movie, watch a couple of the short dvd extras (Making Of's) and you'll see/hear an idea that instantly changes this movie from 1 of the creepiest to 1 of the funniest!

I had to instantly watch it again, based on this new information. And it's hysterical! 
And I came along another Easter Egg hidden in the movie, also!

This is the best metamorphoses I've ever seen in a movie! 

Veronica Mars

The story of Veronica Mars is very cool!

It was a TV show for 3 seasons, starting in 2004. It achieved critical success but a very small, yet loyal audience. Turns out that this audience wasn't just loyal - they were rabid!

Not willing to let go, this small cult funded its movie through a kickstarter-type campaign. And in 2014 Veronica Mars: The Movie debuted.

Very loyal! Very cool!

Based on the idea that such dedication surely can't be misplaced, and on a recommendation from Sezduck (not in that order), I embarked on the journey...

And found it sucks. Just kidding. It's great! But I think it needs to be seen in order. Her story is very cool (see what I did there?):

Veronica (Kristen Bell), in Season 1, is a high school student in the town of Neptune, CA. Her best friend is killed so she uses skills gleaned from her father (ex-sheriff, now PI) to try to catch the murderer. Basically, she's Nancy Drew - in the 21st century using current technology. Lots more is involved, of course. Yes, it does get soap opera-esque here and there, but it also has lots of acerbic wit and gets dark. Dark! Season 1 ROCKS!! Must-see!!

Season 2 is a little more disjointed and soap opera-ish, but it still ROCKS!! In an effort to boost ratings they have some fun cameos. Kevin Smith plays a clerk (HA!) and Joss Whedon pays homage to Smith by playing a clerk (HA HA!!). I liked parts of 2 better than 1! As a whole, I'm not sure which I'd choose. Too close to call. Must-see!!

Season 3 is very disjointed, sometimes hard to keep up with the details, but I still looked forward to seeing that Netflix envelope in my mailbox. Still good! Worth watching!

The Movie: 10 years go by for the characters, 7 years for fans but only 2 days for me! I was really expecting something to knock my socks off and didn't get it. Looking back, and watching it again, I realized that my sights were set way too high (and maybe lack of sleep had a part). But it's still Veronica! It's still good! Maybe better than Season 3?

So, thanks for the suggestion, Sezduck! Best stuff I've seen in a while!

Inequality for All

I'd consider this documentary a must-see no matter what part of the political spectrum you see yourself on - Left, Right, somewhere in the middle, or even on the fringe.

Inequality for All, 2013, is Robert Reich making a plea to America: please, decrease the wage inequality - the drastic amount more that the top money makers profit as apposed to the "working class".

This isn't "Class Warfare." It's simple economics. Societies run better when the Middle Class earns a comfortable wage. The MC spends most of the money in the market and thus keeps the system going.

There's plenty of proof. Lots of graphs and stats (perhaps a little too many, in spots?), and historical evidence to back up the claims. And they interview Conservatives and Liberals alike. Fox News and Jon Stewart's Daily Show make numerous cameos. 

Unfortunately, when you (meaning me) agree so much with a documentary it's hard to say anything more about it. (I'll) Let the movie speak for itself! 

Broadway Idiot

In 2004 the band Green Day released an album called American Idiot, a rock opera (a la The Who's Tommy) that went platinum. It's a scathing indictment of post-9/11 America. If you already know this and like(d) it rent Broadway Idiot! Now! 

If you didn't know and/or like the album you may still like this documentary. It does explain the concept.

The album inspired a Broadway musical. And this movie is the transition from album to Broadway hit.

This movie is rated R for bad language throughout - songs especially. But my fave is on opening night: "What the *^#& is Donald Trump doing here?!" 

Me - being a casual fan of the band, and a little more eager fan of this album, and a tiny bit theater geek - loved this movie! It made me wish I had seen the theatrical production when it was in town.

As much as I liked the album, I (just from what was shown in this documentary) like the stage version better. A) it points out, subtly, how great an album it is: Lyrically, they didn't change a thing. Musically, they just enhanced what was already there by adding voices - strings, chorus, piano, female vocals, etc. And what was on the album was good enough to go to Broadway with just a little tweaking.  B) The added story lines to turn the album into a musical. I think it works much better following 3 protagonists (plus a couple very necessary, very good lesser characters) rather than just 1. 

It also pointed out a big limitation in (pop) punk rock. All I felt from their album was the rage and angst. The stage version made me feel a lot more. 

But it also made me appreciate the album more at the same time. 

Defendor

Here's an alternative to all the millions of superhero movies out there: 2009's Defendor.

Woody Harrelson plays a man who believes his mission in life is to fight crime - dawn a superhero's uniform to take out the city's evil villain. A crooked cop stand in his way. But he makes headway when he befriends a young prostitute. 

I was expecting a dark comedy (like Kick-Ass - highly recommended!). But it's more of a drama with a few very funny moments. 

The entire cast is great. Writer-director, Peter Stebbings is good in both roles. 

It's not a 5-star movie, But I'd recommend it. 

I rarely like sequels better than their originals, but Red 2 is one of the few! I was on the fence about even seeing 2, based on the first.

What's better than that? You don't even need to watch the first Red to follow this cool little espionage romp.

It's about an ex-CIA agent (Bruce Willis) - having marital issues with his civilian wife (Mary-Louise Parker) - who's forced out of retirement to retrieve a missing nuclear device.

Red 2 is funny. The cast is amazing: Willis, Parker, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, & more. And the action is good. 

My biggest problem with the 1st Red was it's action. It's one thing to make a funny espionage and/or action flick. Just don't make light of the action scenes, in my opinion. (Not even the "best shot in the world" can shoot out an incoming RPG with a handgun, Red! I get it, it's supposed to be funny, but come on.) 

Red 2 takes it's action a lot more seriously. There's some good martial arts in this one. And there's only one instance that I said, "Eh, that's NOT gonna happen." But it was kinda a fun stunt anyway, and I overlooked the impossibility rather easily.

Rent Red 2 for some fun!

Gravity

In a radical departure from this blog's mission statement I'm recommending a movie that's in theaters right now. And you need to see it NOW. You'll read why... 

It's called Gravity (2013). And it makes the most out of a minimalist plot: survival in outer space for astronauts after a catastrophic accident. For those of you who can't watch sci-fi without a big-named franchise attached (Bug, Sezduck), replace "catastrophic accident" with "nefarious Klingon attack" in your mind.

The cast is even more minimalist, but excellent. Sandra Bullock is very good as the Mission Specialist (there for her technical expertise; not a "real" astronaut). But George Clooney nails it! He plays the veteran astronaut perfectly! Ed Harris lends his voice to Houston's Mission Control (kinda sorta reprising his role from Apollo 13). 

Gravity's soundtrack is good (not perfect) - wonderfully non-existent in large chunks. And rightfully so.

It's not the best movie ever. And it won't ever be mistaken for a documentary. But...

See this now! Before it leaves the theater! And splurge for the 3-D!! I won't say it's the best visual effects ever (honestly, I was expecting a little more early in the film), but really good. And, probably the best 3-D movie I've seen. The reason why: they use it to tell a story - not to be just something kinda cool to look at.

A Hijacking

 Here's a good Danish movie.  A Hijacking (2012) is about a Danish cargo ship that's taken by African pirates.

If you're looking for "Die Hard VIII: Vengeance On The High Seas" this is not your movie.

This is a slow-developing (at first), highly-suspenseful drama - more concerned with humanity than bullet-ridden bad buys. Thank you, Denmark!

The acting is great. It seemed more like a documentary than fiction. But I really liked its use of subtitles and different languages. These may seem like a trivial things, but writer/director Tobias Lindholm uses these better than any movie I've ever seen before.

I, personally, would've made a couple different choices than Lindholm did later in the film. But it really is a personal, suspenseful drama worth renting!

Room 237

Did you like Stanley Kubrik's 1980 masterpiece The Shining? 

Yes: Watch Room 237! 
It's OK: Watch Room 237!
No: Skip the rest of this review. (And re-rent The Shining!)
Never Seen It: Rent it now! (Then goto step 1)

Room 237 offers an insight into The Shining's hidden meaning. (If it has one.) 

It has a disclaimer at the beginning (and on the poster) distancing itself from Kubrik, Kubrik's family and the studio. This may not be what the director had intended. Or did he?

This documentary is a fascinating look into its possible interpretations, reading between the lines, of a brilliant movie from a brilliant director.

What I loved about this movie is that it actually shows what the pontificator is talking about. Arrows point to t-shirts, posters, they enlarge stuff, etc.

And I love that, as in The Shining, things are never as simple as you'd like.

The beautiful part is I actually know the answer. I'd tell you the real meaning - and it may or may not be in Room 237 - but I'll keep you guessing for a while.

Now You See Me

This is yet another movie that I will recommend with a caveat: 2013's Now You See Me.

 It's got a stellar cast - Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg (Both seen in Zombieland, wonderful movie - see my review!), Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman (in lesser roles) and lesser-known good character actors like Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco (younger brother of James).

It's about 4 solo magicians who come together to do a Robin Hood routine - steal from the rich, give to the poor. Except it isn't an illusion. Pursued by the FBI, Interpol and a guy who makes a living by exposing how magicians' tricks are done, there is a lot of tension, and even a car chase. 

The only caveat is that it is a bit more intense than its PG-13 rating. Personally, I would have given it an R for 2 scenes - 1 early, 1 late. And I am not super squeamish. 

But if you can get past the 1st shock (CRAPPY intro to one of the 4), a treat is in store for you. A real thriller.

I gave it 3.5 stars.