#and it has William fichtner!!!!!!

[sdwolfpup]

I truly don’t understand how fandom is not losing their mind over The Company You Keep. I TRULY DO NOT.

[allthingsobrien]

william fichtner’s voice is my sexuality

[reelvibes91]

Hypnotic Illusion: A Mediocre Mind-Bending Thriller with a Stellar Cast

Some movies get you there because they have a bankable star in the lead role. Hypnotic was one of those movies. It got me to watch it because Ben Affleck has been a staple of Hollywood for a while now. Some of his movies are hit and miss. Where does this one fall?

Detective Danny Rourke gets tipped off about a bank robbery and when he finds a picture of his missing daughter in the safe deposit box, he is sent on a wild goose chase where reality becomes distorted in pursuit of the truth.

Once again, Affleck turns in a great performance. Right from the opening frame of the movie, you can feel the pain his character is feeling, and that is enough to hook you. That is why Affleck is one of the most bankable stars working. He can take a subpar concept and elevate it, and help the viewer attach to it. Some of the ideas on display here work and some don't. Let's dive into why that is.

The concept is rushed. This movie clocks in under 2hrs and tries to build up the idea of mind control and reality distortion. It would have easily been better as a miniseries instead of trying to throw it all in our faces in such a short amount of time. With that being said, the visuals reminded me of inception at times when we started to question what was real and what wasn't. By no means is this film executed on the same level as Inception as it faulters a little bit in terms of execution. There is too much happening in a short amount of time. There are one too many twists instead of just allowing the story to progress organically.

When a film forces that one extra twist it is uncertain what the film is trying to accomplish. This one felt like that. Did it want to be a mind-bending thriller? Did it want to be a hard-hitting drama? Were they trying to lay the foundations for a franchise? All of those questions leave you pondering what could have been had they just focused on telling the story at hand. Sometimes movies can do too much and this is one of those occasions.

That is not the fault of the cast whatsoever as they all played their roles, respectively. We see a lot of familiar faces in this one. From Alice Braga to William Fichtner, Jeff Fahey, and JD Pardo. It is the fault of bad pacing and a script that tries to maximize the potential in the shortest amount of screen time. Sometimes, that works. Sometimes, it doesn't. This time, overall, it missed because nothing was memorable in a film that threw everything, including the kitchen sink at you.

[anarchic-miscellany]

"Armageddon" has, rightfully, been remembered as a very, very silly film, but I will defend the characterisation in the script: Each of the oil crew gets one or two lines to define them, and thus we actually kind of like them super early on, and have a ragtag bunch of guys whom you want to see live. It helps that they are played by some of the best, most reliable actors working today: 1. You have Colonel Sharpe, douchebag uptight military man. Who better to play him than William Fichtner? In the most William Fichtner part! I like that he has that little moment of "you guys aren't bad" where he backs down and doesn't shoot them on the moon. What a line to write... 2. "Chick", the loyal, reliable, supportive right hand man, just an all round good dude they give a wife and son to, you're like "Oh man, this motherfucker is DEAD" especially because he's played by Will Patton. But oddly? No! 3. Rockhound: "because I'm a genius, that's why!" acts like he's going to die on the mission, loses a bunch of money to a stripper named Molly Mounds (amazing name) and ends up going insane on the rock. Again survives. Love him, no notes, joint best character. Thank you, Steve Buscemi, as usual. 4. Speaking of the best character, Peter God-Damned Stormare plays "Lev Andropov", the late addition Russian cosmonaut, who is grouchy and Russian and kind of lovable. Will he betray them? No! He is accepted into this group of weirdo rednecks, no questions asked, after his ship explodes, and just sort of sticks around. He gets all of the best non-Rockhound lines ("Russian components? American components? ALL MADE IN TAIWAN!") and did I mention he's Peter Stormare? Love him. 5. Bruce Willis plays a grouchy old dad/leader/roughneck guy, you know, a Bruce Willis character. You know what you're getting with him, and the casting carries it all the way, he could do this part in his sleep. 6. Ben Affleck, oft unfairly maligned, here a solid pick, and has that funny story about being told to "shut the fuck up" by Michale Bay by questioning the stupidity of the plot. 7. Michael Clarke Duncan, always great, plays token black guy "Bear", and once again you're like: "Hmm, a 90s movie? With the big lovable guy who's an absolute sweetheart? Guess he'd better write a will!" But again: nope! Then we get to our "expendable" guys, and even there, they get one or two characteristics so that we know, when they die, a bit about them: There's the fat guy who loves his mother, the cowboy guy played by Owen Wilson, and the rough and tumble roughneck guy. I mean, a few rewrites and you could have these guys having a bit more banter and silliness in space (even if we get the alread incredible, 10/10, no notes line "Why does he have a gun in space?" from a despairing Chick) but yeah - as basic, quick, rapid fire introductions and archetypical characters go? Not bad.

[myevilmouse]

Tag Games!

@arizonapoppy tagged me....oh like months ago for the "people I want to know better" game. Thank you for the tag! I have a lot of fun doing these but life has been a bit nutty ❤️😘

Last Song? I was watching Dr. House with the hubby and they had this song.

Favourite colour? Lately it's orange!

Currently watching? House Season 3 and more immediately this video from an old BBC broadcast to help with one of my classes 👀

Last movie? Oh my god I'm on a bit of a "must watch Jonathan Rhys Meyers movies" bender since I found like six I never heard of on Amazon Prime...and I think the last one was...Damascus Cover.

One of the reviews said everyone in it deserved a better script, including the cinematographer, and I agree. But what a cast, even has Jurgen Prochnow, another actor who is on my complete filmography list. Someday I will actually type the list...but there are way too many random actors on it...Mark, of course, but like...Michael Biehn, he's there, William Fichtner, Val Kilmer, Barry Pepper, oh it's a weird list.

Also has the distinction of being John Hurt's last performance, RIP.

Sweet/spicy/savoury? Hard call but I'm gonna go with sweet. Gimme that chocolate cake anytime over a delicious curry, I'm weak.

Relationship status? Found my soul mate and he's stuck with me for life

Current obsessions? Thucydides but not by choice.

Last thing you googled? "path of exile server crash" because my husband is playing the new league that just started like an hour ago and every time he goes into town it crashes...turns out this is a common problem, so while annoying, we were reassured by the results.

Selfie: This is a perfect image of me watching Return of the Jedi

Thanks for the distraction tonight @arizonapoppy Have um... an AU!Faramir in thanks :) let's pretend he's in some sort of Imperial Navy muwahah

[sloshed-cinema]

Hypnotic (2023)

It’s not a movie, it’s a labyrinth only Robert Rodriguez can pretend to untangle. Hypnotic’s world-building has all the energy of an elementary school playground game: “nuh-uh, you can’t do that because I’m more powerful because I said so!” The Division are a shadowy cabal seeking world domination through deception and control, playing out an entire faux noir in their weird studio backlot with rigged-up signs and golf carts. Of course, the film takes its sweet time revealing that, and chooses to let the other shoe drop at precisely the wrong point in its runtime. Ben Affleck gets the carpet pulled out from under him, his entire worldview changed in a late reveal. Oh, and there’s only half an hour left, time to get things going! Not that you would be able to tell from Affleck’s performance that he’s surprised or shocked or anything. Detective Danny Rourke goes through the entire film like he’s on Xanax, mostly dead to the world and bleary. Is that some sort of hard-boiled detective voice he’s putting on? Who’s to say. More twists make the movie better, so the final 15-odd minutes are just a switch-up a second, all of the hypnotics racing to fleece one another. Even the credits aren’t safe, a “shock” reveal at the last moment giving us one final thrill. Sweetie, I don’t think you’ll need to worry about making a sequel to this any time soon…

Visually speaking, this ain’t no Spy Kids. Sure, the visual effects are about as convincing as something from the early installments of that franchise, but at least those other Rodriguez films had some creativity to how they envisioned that heightened, crazy world. Here, when he really wants to trip us out, the best Rodriguez can do is serve “but we have Inception at home,” train cars streaming infinitely upward as the sky folds over on itself. The hypnotics’ power is a thrill to watch, Ben Affleck and William Fichtner staring silently at one another as the frame slightly warps Affleck’s face to make him look like the James Twin Peaks forehead memes. I was at the edge of my seat!

THE RULES

SIP

Someone says 'Rourke' or 'Division'.

Signs with dumb fonts.

A polaroid is produced.

BIG DRINK

Affleck looks at childhood pictures.

A lighter is flicked on.

Any time you just go "what!?"

[chillingcinemachronicles]

Top 5 Mind-Bending Sci-Fi Films on Netflix

Embark on an interstellar journey with the Top 5 Sci-Fi Movies that transport you to otherworldly realms. From mind-bending concepts to futuristic landscapes, these films redefine the boundaries of imagination. Explore the wonders of advanced technology, encounter extraterrestrial beings, and unravel the mysteries of the cosmos. Each cinematic gem in this list captivates with its unique blend of science, fiction, and awe-inspiring visuals, leaving an indelible mark on the sci-fi genre. Get ready for an escape into the unknown with these stellar adventures that push the boundaries of what’s possible.

5. Dune (2021)

A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence-a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential-only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

4. Okja (2017)

For 10 idyllic years, young Mija (An Seo Hyun) has been caretaker and constant companion to Okja-a massive animal and an even bigger friend-at her home in the mountains of South Korea. But that changes when a family-owned multinational conglomerate Mirando Corporation takes Okja for themselves and transports her to New York, where image obsessed and self-promoting CEO Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) has big plans for Mija’s dearest friend. With no particular plan but single-minded in intent, Mija sets out on a rescue mission, but her already daunting journey quickly becomes more complicated when she crosses paths with disparate groups of capitalists, demonstrators and consumers, each battling to control the fate of Okja…while all Mija wants to do is bring her friend home. Deftly blending genres, humor, poignancy and drama, Bong Joon Ho (Snowpiercer, The Host) begins with the gentlest of premises-the bond between man and animal-and ultimately creates a distinct and layered vision of the world that addresses the animal inside us all.

Lights, camera, VPNaction! Elevate your movie nights with NordVPN. 🎥🔒secure your connection and Download NordVPN . Click now to unlock global cinematic thrills!

3. Elysium (2013)

Neill Blomkamp’s second film, Elysium, envisions a future where the Earth is dying and the rich and powerful live in luxury on the orbital space station Elysium. Matt Damon stars as Max Da Costa, an ex-criminal-turned-day laborer on Earth who is exposed to a fatal level of radiation. Since the cure for his condition can only be found on Elysium, Max accepts a risky job to attack Armadyne Corp CRO John Carlyle (William Fichtner).

What Max doesn’t know is that the info he stole from Carlyle’s head is proof that Defense Secretary Jessica Delacourt (Jodie Foster) is attempting to pull off a coup and assume control of Elysium. That’s why she sent a psychotic killer, Agent M. Kruger (Sharlto Copley), to retrieve the info at any cost.

2. The One (2001)]

Jet Li’s Gabe Law is the title character of The One … or is it Gabriel Yulaw? As a member of the Multiverse Authority, Gabriel had the bright idea of killing all of his other counterparts in the multiverse in the hope that this would give him god-like powers. Gabriel betrayed two of his colleagues, Evan Funsch (JasonStatham) and Harry Rodecker (Delroy Lindo), in pursuit of his mad plan. Now, Gabriel’s ambitions are close to being realized.

As the last living variant of Gabriel, Gabe is also gifted with extraordinary powers. And when Gabriel arrives in his universe to kill him, Gabe is the only one who can stand up to him.

1. Bird Box (2018)

t’s understandable if you get some Quiet Place vibes from Bird Box. Both are sci-fi horror movies that deal with monsters that directly connect with human senses. In this flick, the creatures can make anyone who sees them become insane with suicidal urges. Hence the constant blindfolds to keep the entities out. Sandra Bullock plays Malorie Hayes, a woman struggling to survive in this horrific new world, while flashbacks explore how she dealt with the end of life as she knew it. Not all of the moments land, but Bird Box has its share of real scares.

Lights, camera, VPNaction! Elevate your movie nights with NordVPN. 🎥🔒secure your connection and Download NordVPN . Click now to unlock global cinematic thrills!

[world-cinema-research]

Black Hawk Down by Eric Jin

              The film Black Hawk Down was shown to me when I was a teen by my older cousin. Because the film is based on a true story, I remember being drawn to this fact when I heard some of the backgrounds of the film. After watching the film, I realized that I really enjoyed the action, acting, cinematography, and sound editing of the film. I also enjoyed the way in which the film was fast-paced from the second act until the end of the film. Through this aspect, the viewer feels the pressure that the soldiers are feeling in needing to get out of the city as fast as they can to avoid the dangers of it. I could feel the tension in the film and the ending of the film also shows the lessons that need to be learned from intervening in certain areas around the world. Sadly, these lessons were ignored because years after the release of the film, America invaded Iraq.

              Based on the book titled, Black Hawk Down: a Story of Modern War, the film adapts the real-world battle in Mogadishu, Somalia, and the conflict the soldiers faced in the battle. The film was written by many contributors, including the author of the original book, but the screenwriting was credited to Ken Nolan. The conventional film, released by Sony Pictures with a budget of more than $90 million, was a success. The film is directed by legendary director and Oscar-winner, Ridley Scott. The film had a box office of over $170 million. The film relies on big named stars at the time as well as new and up-and-coming faces. For example, recognizable faces and names today include Eric Bana, Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Orlando Bloom, William Fichtner, Tom Sizemore, and Tom Hardy.

              When the film was released, there were some interesting decisions made by Sony Pictures and the producers. Firstly, the film was released on a limited basis in a small number of theatres in December of 2001 because they wanted to be able to make it to be considered for the Oscar season. However, the film would be released on a wider scale in January 2002. Film critics wrote favorable reviews of the film. Well-known critics like Roger Ebert gave the film good ratings because of its editing, sound, and directing. The film would eventually win two Oscars, one for film editing, and the other for sound editing. The film’s success is attributed to the timing of the release. Although the film was in development before the dark day of September 11th, 2001, the film benefited from being released a few months after one of the hardest days in American history. Audience members went to go watch the film because it showed American soldiers taking on a mission to fight against oppressive warlords. Soon after 9/11, Americans felt a great sense of patriotism and wanted to support the soldiers that were going to Afghanistan to fight against terrorism. The film subject of fighting on behalf of Americans helped bring audiences to the movie theaters.

              Since the release of the film, there have been bigger reflections on the film ranging from hatred towards the film and admiration for film. For example, there has been some criticism from the government of Somalia towards the depiction of Somalians in the film. No Somalian actors were used in the film, which the government argues does a bad job of representing them because Somalians do not behave in the way that they are portrayed in the film. They have also accused Americans of being racists because they misrepresented the events of the film, including some important moments such as when a warlord is captured. They argue that Americans came to invade and not to help as is argued in the film. Further, there are several inaccuracies present in the film from the book. One of the most important sections of the last ten minutes of the film was done creatively to make the escape of the soldiers from the city of Mogadishu more dramatic than it was.

              Overall, the historical aspects of the film have made it feel like it is taking away from the good feelings I had about the film. It is like the facts have taken away the movie magic that made me enjoy the film. After rewatching the film, I still enjoyed many of the battle scenes and the acting in the film. I still found myself laughing at some of the jokes in the film. I also had a different point of view during the first act of the film such as when the film shows the relationship between the soldiers and the mission, they are about to engage in. However, knowing that the film begins with a quote that is misattributed really throws me off. I no longer find myself enjoying the famous “Mogadishu Mile” that happens in the film because it is made up and not a real representation of where the nickname originates from.

The memories of the film for me were mostly based on little knowledge of the world around me such as not knowing that America has a deep military-industrial complex. I have changed a lot since I first saw the film. Today, I view many of the wars that America has engaged in as recently pointless. I view this conflict presented in the film as quite pointless as well. Nineteen soldiers died in the historical fight, yet nothing of value was achieved. Somalia is still a bad area and one event that became a big story was how cargo ships were being kidnapped by Somalian pirates. The film came at a time before the Iraq War, which historically became a mess as President Bush lied to the American people to justify the war. Recently, America had a hard time leaving Afghanistan with the government they overthrew, the Taliban, coming back into power. Filmmaking has changed in some ways as well because many film companies are focusing on telling superhero stories rather than true war stories. Although there are some movies that are recently coming out with a military story such as The Covenant, featuring Jake Gyllenhaal, not many big studios are making big-budget war movies frequently.

The film still communicates the concerns that Americans have when it comes to justice, protecting the innocent, and allowing warlords to commit genocide. One of the reasons why they justify American presence in the film is because the war in Somalia has led to famine and hunger, which has killed many Somalians. Americans will always be worried that if they do nothing, one day it may come to harm Americans or show bad people that their actions have no consequences. Americans have been proactive in engaging in military conflicts over the past few decades to stop a problem from growing and then one day leading to a terrorist attack. This is due to the fact that America had the opportunity to stop Osama Bin Laden before he planned the events of 9/11.

#black hawk down#review#war film

[tengomilpalabrasparati]

"Hypnotic"

Tenía muchas ganas de ver esta peli ya que el Trailer llamó mucho mi atención.

Alice Braga y William Fichtner son un buen reclamo y Ben Affleck no me disgusta aunque su sosez cada vez me irrita mas, una sosez que ha pasado de la vida real al cine.

Robert Rodriguez vuelve a escena en esta elegante, sofisticada y confusa producción con un Ben Affleck de mal humor.

"Hypnotic" es un thriller que promete por su producción, por su estilo a lo Memento o Análisis Final y termina por decepcionar con una trama incoherente en muchos aspectos.

Un guion que desmerece su buena calidad técnica y a su estrella.

Una producción excelente, cuidadísima en cada plano que, sin embargo, no logra encajar sus elementos porque el guion no termina de convencer.

Nos gustaba Robert Rodriguez, sobre todo con su elaborado sentido estético y sus ganas de volver a hacer “cine”, del de verdad y del que se queda en la retina, del que nos da buenos momentos y en el que cada escena tenía algo especial en lo estético, en su elaborada composición y su elegante estilo formal.

Hypnotic tiene algo de todo esto: es un thriller muy estético y cuidado, incluso sofisticado, pero la trama no está a la altura: no le da la oportunidad de disfrutar de la mejor ironía de Rodriguez en una peli que no quiere ser irónica en ningún momento (y podría) ni se da la oportunidad a sí misma.

Cumple con los parámetros de un buen thriller en cuanto a ritmo: está muy bien dirigida secuencia a secuencia, pero el conjunto se desmorona en un unos personajes que no acaban de trenzar una trama coherente. Tiene muy buenas ideas que no cuajan, tiene toda la estética e incluso el ritmo de montaje adecuado.

Alice Braga y Ben Affleck están bien, siempre a la altura, a Affleck le pega incluso el papel y lo hace con profesionalidad, pero no transmite entusiasmo alguno, no puede.

Porque, por lo que parece, es una película que no transmite entusiasmo y ve todo el esfuerzo estético malogrado en una trama que, simplemente, no convence.

Y sin trama, no hay thriller que funcione.

Decidido a encontrar a su hija desaparecida, el detective Danny Rourke (Ben Affleck) se ve inmerso en un laberinto mientras investiga una serie de asaltos a bancos que desafían la realidad y que le harán cuestionarse sobre todo y todos los que le rodean. Con la ayuda de Diana Cruz, una vidente superdotada, Rourke persigue y, al mismo tiempo, es perseguido por un espectro letal, el único hombre que él cree que tiene la clave para encontrar a su hija. Pero acabará descubriendo mucho más de lo que esperaba.

Interesante thriller que deja de ser interesante tras diez minutos. Un thriller que se pierde en la confusión de un guion que, sin saber dónde va, busca refugio en artificios para salvar una trama que no se sostiene 👎👎

[jessy-the-martian-girl]

What if:

Leon (or Luis) from any serennedy AU somehow (magic, Third Energy incident, alien technologies - whatever reason) ends up in any non-serennedy AU where Leon and Luis are just [very] good friends, happily married to the women they love and even already have children (or they're just married to their jobs and not interested in any kind of romance, period).

And vice versa: Leon (or Luis) from any non-serennedy AU ends up in any serennedy AU and is met with advances he's not ready for, or simply doesn't want to reciprocate (as since he has realized that he's not in Kansas anymore, he has his mind firmly set on returning to his Universe and doesn't want any connections with this new world).

But in the end everyone gets back to their respective places and they all have their "happily ever after". Or all of this hopping-between-universes turns out to be just a pretty vivid and realistic dream.

Oh! Speaking about dreams! If anyone have seen that sweet movie with William Fichtner - Passion of mind (2000) - that would be an interesting idea to play with in this settings, too. Like, what would be the reality in the end: serennedy or not.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)

2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles marks the fifth time the heroes in a half shell appeared on the big screen. With this many strikes, I'm thinking it just can’t be done successfully. Certainly not as a live-action picture. This film’s characters are thin and uninteresting. Worse, there are so many of them they leave no room for any kind of clever plot. The attempts at humor fall flat and often make the film unintentionally creepy. Never mind the sometimes dodgy special effects. Combined together, they make Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles feel like a trip to the sewers.

Reporter April O’Neil (Megan Fox) witnesses a group of mysterious assailants fighting back against the Foot Clan, a gang of ninjas terrorizing New York. Michelangelo (voiced by Noel Fisher), Raphael (voiced by Alan Ritchson), Leonardo (voiced by Johnny Knoxville) and Donatello (voiced by Jeremy Howard) are mutated turtles who grew up beneath the city and were taught martial arts by their “father”, an equally mutated rat named Splinter (voiced by Tony Shalhoub). Only by working together can they thwart The Shredder (Tohoru Masamune) and his minions.

This film was doomed the moment executives decided to make it live-action. With all of the technology director Jonathan Liebesman had at his disposal, the heroes previously created via rubber suits in the '90s are now computer-generated 8-foot-tall masses of muscle that just don’t fit in the real world. I know the sewer-dwelling heroes have brought many people joy since their creation but let’s not kid ourselves. They were created to be ridiculous and by failing to embrace this, writers Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec and Evan Daugherty will have you rolling your eyes. It would be too cartoonish for the turtles to be randomly named after Italian Renaissance painters so April named them as a kid. She also gave them their love of pizza. It would be too silly for Splinter to have learned martial arts from a human master so instead, he picked up his techniques from dirty books he somehow knew how to read. The attempts to clean up and make the story more realistic don't work. We paid to go see a movie named Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We’re ready to suspend our disbelief and will gladly do so if the story is worth telling.

Even if you forgive the clumsy exposition, the characters are terribly written. All of the turtles are one-note. Raphael is angry and unwilling to follow the orders of his blue-bandanna-wearing brother, the one with the purple stuff is the nerdy one, and so on. If you didn't already know their names, you wouldn't bother to learn them. Then, we have Michaelangelo. Whenever he and April are on-screen together, he comments about how attractive she is. It’s supposed to be funny in a “he’s like a little kid crushing on the teacher” kind of way but you won’t laugh; instead, you’ll be scared we're about to witness a remake of Humanoids from the Deep. It isn’t just him; it’s also her useless co-star, played by Will Arnett. He’s 16 years older than she is. Seeing so many people slobbering at Megan Fox in this kind of movie makes you feel ill.

As bad as the heroes are, they're as complicated as a paper on astrophysics compared to the villains. The Shredder is a nothing of a character. He’s evil for evil’s sake, complete with a “let me kill my minions for kicks” attitude and an evil plan that makes NO SENSE. The only good decision made about the Turtles’ arch-enemy is to put him in an insanely futuristic suit of armor during the climax. Martial arts or not, there’s no way the character (who by my calculations, has to be at least 80) could stand a chance against the four giant, bullet-proof, radioactive reptiles with weapons. By making him a completely CG creation, it also helps make the carnage of their big fight somewhat believable.

I could go on and on about what doesn’t work in this film. Splinter’s creepy design and his unbelievable prehensible tail, the role William Fichtner’s Erick Sack’s plays in the story, the fact that draining a four-liter canister’s worth of blood from the turtles has no effect on them, April’s worthless reporting skills, the idea of an antidote to a virus that kills within minutes, the fact that - as a mutant - Splinter’s blood should contain the same mutagen as his children but for no explainable reason doesn’t, the fact that the turtles meant so much to April as a child she couldn’t even remember their names until she watched her own video diary, and the numerous plot holes throughout. Just about the only good thing about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a comedic scene during an elevator and a long chase down a mountainside that’s actually inspired. The rest is a big headache for anyone other than 12-year-olds who are hopped up on candy and soda. (June 4, 2021)

[movies-to-add-to-your-tbw]

Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Rating: PG-13

Director: Jonathan Liebesman

Cast: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Johnny Knoxville, Pete Ploszek, Jeremy Howard, Alan Ritchson, Noel Fisher, Tony Shalhoub, Danny Woodburn, Tohoru Masamune, Whoopi Goldberg, Minae Noji, Abby Elliott

Release year: 2014

Genres: comedy, adventure, action, science fiction

Blurb: Darkness has settled over New York City as Shredder and his evil Foot Clan have an iron grip on everything from the police to the politicians. The future is grim...until four unlikely outcast brothers rise from the sewers and discover their destiny as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Turtles must work with fearless reporter April O’Neil and her wisecracking cameraman Vern Fenwick to save the city and unravel Shredder’s diabolical plan.

[power-chords]

There is a scene in S1E4 of Crime Story where Torello's team is trying to rattle a high-ranking mob boss by barging in on a poker game and shaking him down. To emphasize that they mean business — which is to say, in this case, not the ordinary course of business where somebody accepts a kickback to look the other way — one of the cops lights the pot on fire. "Money to Burn" is a common enough trope, but given Mann's affection for Saul Bellow and the context in which it occurs (Chicago criminals, the ill-gotten gains from an underworld poker game), it is, I believe, an homage to a passage in Humboldt's Gift where pugnacious gangster Rinaldo Cantabile drags mild-mannered Charlie Citrine atop an unfinished skyscraper to make a big show of folding up the debt he's owed, that Charlie has just paid him, into paper planes of legal tender. A less theatrical and comedic declaration of principle, though every bit as intimidating, is offered by Neil McCauley in Heat: "Forget the money." And Chris Nolan, Hollywood's Number One Mannboy, has the Joker crank this gesture up to an 11 in The Dark Knight after robbing a mob bank presided over by Van Z—I mean, uh, William Fichtner.

[rookie-critic]

Rookie Critic's Film Review Weekend Wrap-Up - Weeks of 5/8-5/14/2023 & 5/15-5/21/2023

My apologies for the review interruption over the past couple of weeks. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom came out and that has taken up all of my free time. HOWEVER, I have still be watching movies like normal, so here's a slightly condensed Weekend Wrap-Up for ya.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023, dir. Kelly Fremon Craig) This was wonderful. I already wrote a full review on it, so I won't gush any more about it here, but I have literally 0 complaints. Just a beautiful, fun, and heartfelt look at pre-adolescence and motherhood. A good time for all ages.

Score: 10/10

Only in theaters. You can read my full review of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. here.

Hypnotic (2023, dir. Robert Rodriguez) Robert Rodriguez sure knows how to write twists and turns in a plot. The directions that Hypnotic's story goes in were pleasantly unpredictable and exciting. Sadly, the film overall is very tonally uneven. It's got traces of Rodriguez's signature camp, but they're just that, traces. The movie as a whole tries to play itself a little more seriously than a plot this crazy requires, and it ends up overshooting the entertainment value into territory that feels a little disingenuous. Ben Affleck and William Fichtner, who really needs to be in more stuff, were both high points of the film, and the color correction on certain aspects of the movie felt really inspired. Rodriguez got the the look down to a T, I just don't think he quite stuck the landing.

Score: 6/10

Only in theaters.

BlackBerry (2023, dir. Matt Johnson) What an unexpected masterpiece of comedic historical dramatization, this was. The comedy was excellent, the acting was excellent, the stylizes cinematography was excellent. Everything about this film was engaging, fun, and satisfying. It's also, as a side-effect, incredibly informative. I haven't done the research into fact vs. fiction on this one, but if even half of the stuff that happened in this was true, what an absolute farce history of Research in Motion and the BlackBerry was, and I mean that in the most grateful, loving way possible. We wouldn't be where we are today without this little device, and as much of a clusterfuck as the history of it's existence seems to be, I'm glad we're here. This is easily one of the best things I've seen so far this year, and so far it seems to be flying severely under the radar. If you have a theater near you that's showing this, do yourself a favor and catch a screening of it and BUCKLE UP for a wild fun ride.

Score: 10/10

Only theaters. Plus, @prozdvoices was in it, which really makes it an 11/10.

Fool's Paradise (2023, dir. Charlie Day) I wanted this to be so great. I absolutely adore Charlie Day and when I heard he would be directing his first feature film with the cast that this movie has I got so excited. To its credit, the first half of the film is genuinely hilarious, an homage to Keaton/Chaplin-era physical comedy while exhibiting the beginnings of a biting satire on Hollywood, but somewhere in the middle of it all Day's script looses its footing and never really gets it back. The slapstick goes out the window, the comedy stops being funny and trades that in for bewildering, and the conclusion to it all ends up being wholly unsatisfying and, honestly, made the whole thing feel like a waste of time. If the second half had been anywhere near as good as the first, this would be a very different review, but it wasn't, so here we are. Better luck on the sophomore feature, Day.

Score: 4/10

Only in theaters.

Fast X (2023, dir. Louis Leterrier) I really don't understand the poor reviews this one is getting if other entries in this franchise have been well received. It's not without it's issues, as most of the FF films aren't, but it is still one helluva ride. I will say probably my biggest complaint with this one is that some of it just looks.... odd. Like the CG is whatever, I'm down with the shitty CG in these movies at this point, that's just part of the Fast & Furious charm, but there are shots that just look strange. I'm not really sure how to put it, like the foreground is at one FPS and the background is at another. Just very uncanny valley. It gives the film a look and feel to it that's unlike any of the other films, and in that way I wasn't a huge fan. That being said, the crazy car action is second-to-none and nearly non-stop, and the script handles the Family being split up for most of the film way better than past installments have with that same setup. This will most likely be my full-length come Wednesday, so I'll leave it there for now, but just know that, if you like this franchise, Fast X is going to give you everything you've come to love about it and expect from it.

Score: 7/10

Only in theaters.

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie - (2022, dir. Andy Suriano & Ant Ward) This was watched as part of my college friend group's movie nights at the request of a friend whose birthday was coming up. I've never seen the show and don't really know anything about it past what I've been told by said friend and just my general TMNT knowledge (although this iteration of the heroes in a half-shell is very different than what most people would be used to). It was genuinely wonderful. The animation was spectacularly breathtaking (seriously, I can't hype up how gorgeously animated this film is), and the story, as Days of Future Past-y as it was, felt very fresh. The personalities of the Turtles are different from the original, but it's all a very welcome change. Raphael and Leonardo are practically flipped, with Raph taking on the "big brother" role that's normally occupied by Leo and Leo taking on the "aloof and antagonistic" role that's normally occupied by Raph. Donatello is more or less the same, a genius idiosyncratic inventor, but in this version he canonically has autism, which is represented well and the laughs that come from his character are never at the expense of his disorder. Similarly, Michelangelo is basically the same as his original counterpart (even moreso than Donnie), but in this story he canonically has ADHD. All of their clashing personality types meld together so well, and the chemistry between them is even more infectious, I would say, than the original versions of the characters. They could not have nailed what makes the central four brothers work, while also giving audiences a entirely new central four at the same time, than they did. As far as the villain of the film goes, the way the Kraang (who are depicted here as an entire race of creatures) are represented here is truly unsettling and almost in a Cronenberg/Lynch vein that I absolutely loved. RotTMNT: The Movie drops in you into its world, doesn't mince words, and gets you out of there in a cool 86 minutes, and it was a stellar time. I will, without question, be checking out the show as a result. If you're the kind of TMNT fan that's receptive and open to different takes on this world and these characters, then you'll love this.

Score: 8/10

Currently streaming on Netflix.

STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023, dir. Davis Guggenheim) This has got to be one of the most unique and intriguing documentaries I've ever seen. The way Fox's story is told here is stunning, using a mix of modern narration, dramatic re-enactment, and archival footage (acting as both legitimate archival footage and as a narrative device at separate times) to accent and highlight the actor's life in the most poignant, striking way possible. Fox himself has such an electric personality it's hard not to fall in love with him over the course of the film's 95 minutes (that is, of course, if you weren't already in love him before). I read somewhere that there's nothing particularly revelatory about STILL, but I beg to differ. I'll admit, showing the portrait of a man's life who had it all, had taken the world by storm and was running away with it, only to be knocked down in his prime by something wholly out of control isn't anything too new. However, what makes STILL work, and what sets it apart, is that the story doesn't stop there. Fox refuses to give up. He's not fooling himself at the reality of his situation with Parkinson's, but he remains hopeful, he remains vivid, and he remains electric. Fox refuses to quit, to back down from his life, and is actively maintaining any control he can still have over it. It's inspiring and heartbreaking all at the same time, one never replacing the other, both coexisting in every moment, and that's not a particularly easy thing to pull off. I was quite taken by this, and urge all with access to check it out.

Score: 10/10

Currently streaming on Apple TV+.

[average-guy-reviews]

Hypnotic (2023)

"Determined to find his missing daughter, Detective Danny Rourke finds himself spiraling down a rabbit hole while investigating a series of reality-bending crimes. Aided by Diana Cruz, a gifted psychic, Rourke simultaneously pursues and is pursued by a lethal specter, the one man he believes holds the key to finding the girl."

For the first time in a very long time I went into a film, almost completely, blind. I hadn't seen any trailers and, until Odeon announced a limitless member viewing, I don't even think I'd heard of it. Before the viewing I checked out Google for the poster and the précis at the top of this, but that was all I knew. I think this was absolutely the best way to go into this movie.

I'm going to have to be very careful with what I say because I always try to avoid spoilers, and that could be difficult. Please bear with me. The film is categorised as a thriller/mystery and to that I say yeah, thats pretty accurate. This was, for me, a real rollercoaster ride. When I saw that it was directed by Robert Rodriguez the style, and stylised action, suddenly made so much more sense. Rodriguez presents us with a world just a little different to our own, and does it in such a way that we still recognise a lot of what we see. It also means that the differences, such as they are, keep us in the story rather than pull us out. He is a skilled director that has made some iconic films. Whether this one will be looked at the same as El Mariachi and Sin City is doubtful, but it's definitely an addition to his catalogue that he should be very happy with.

The three main characters are Danny Rourke, played by Ben Affleck, Diana Cruz (Alice Braga) and Dellrayne (William Fichtner). Now I'll hold my hands up and admit I'm not Affleck's biggest fan. He's never really grabbed me during most of his films though I've never really disliked his films. That may have changed with Hypnotic. Here he plays a weary, psychologically disturbed, cop who is trying to find his daughter and he nails it. Throughout the film he handles the layers of his character with ease. I found myself rooting for him against odds that were stacked heavily against him. Bravo Ben, you may just have won me over.

I have seen Alice Braga in a number of films. I always enjoy her when she's on screen and here, yet again, she was a net positive to the film. I can honestly add her to the list of people that if I see they're in a film I know I'll probably enjoy it. William Fichtner has one of those instantly recognisable faces, and as soon as I saw him on screen I knew he would be the antagonist to Affleck's protagonist. He plays a villain/bad guy like he was moulded to it his entire career and he was suitably creepy and villainous here.

Overall this is a great film. I really enjoyed it. It has solid action scenes, some extreme violence and a few scenes of gory stuff and it all blends together into a pretty damn good Robert Rodriguez movie. Now I don't normally mention other critics scores in my reviews, but when I came out of the screening I looked on Google. I saw scores that ranged from 35% up to 5.7/10. I haven't read any othwr reviews and I'm not going to. Instead I'm going to give it a really solid 8.5/10, with a recommendation to go see it when it's released in the UK on the 26th May.

[filmcritiqueexplorer]

Black Hawk Down by Eric Jin

              The film Black Hawk Down was shown to me when I was a teen with my older cousin. Because the film is based on a true story, I remember being drawn to this fact when I heard some of the backgrounds of the film. After watching the film, I realized that I really enjoyed the action, acting, cinematography, and sound editing of the film. I also enjoyed the way in which the film was fast-paced from the second act until the end of the film. Through this aspect, the viewer feels the pressure that the soldiers are feeling in needing to get out of the city as fast as they can to avoid the dangers of it. I could feel the tension in the film and the ending of the film also shows the lessons that need to be learned from intervening in certain areas around the world. Sadly, these lessons were ignored because years after the release of the film, America invaded Iraq.

              Based on the book titled, Black Hawk Down: a Story of Modern War, the film adapts the real-world battle in Mogadishu, Somalia, and the conflict the soldiers faced in the battle. The film was written by many contributors, including the author of the original book, but the screenwriting was credited to Ken Nolan. The conventional film, released by Sony Pictures with a budget of more than $90 million, was a success. The film is directed by legendary director and Oscar-winner, Ridley Scott. The film had a box office of over $170 million. The film relies on big named stars at the time as well as new and up-and-coming faces. For example, recognizable faces and names today include Eric Bana, Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Orlando Bloom, William Fichtner, Tom Sizemore, and Tom Hardy.

              When the film was released, there were some interesting decisions made by Sony Pictures and the producers. Firstly, the film was released on a limited basis in a small number of theatres in December of 2001 because they wanted to be able to make it to be considered for the Oscar season. However, the film would be released on a wider scale in January 2002. Film critics wrote favorable reviews of the film. Well-known critics like Roger Ebert gave the film good ratings because of its editing, sound, and directing. The film would eventually win two Oscars, one for film editing, and the other for sound editing. The film’s success is attributed to the timing of the release. Although the film was in development before the dark day of September 11th, 2001, the film benefited from being released a few months after one of the hardest days in American history. Audience members went to go watch the film because it showed American soldiers taking on a mission to fight against oppressive warlords. Soon after 9/11, Americans felt a great sense of patriotism and wanted to support the soldiers that were going to Afghanistan to fight against terrorism. The film subject of fighting on behalf of Americans helped bring audiences to the movie theaters.

              Since the release of the film, there have been bigger reflections on the film ranging from hatred towards the film and admiration for film. For example, there has been some criticism from the government of Somalia towards the depiction of Somalians in the film. No Somalian actors were used in the film, which the government argues does a bad job of representing them because Somalians do not behave in the way that they are portrayed in the film. They have also accused Americans of being racists because they misrepresented the events of the film, including some important moments such as when a warlord is captured. They argue that Americans came to invade and not to help as is argued in the film. Further, there are several inaccuracies present in the film from the book. One of the most important sections of the last ten minutes of the film was done creatively to make the escape of the soldiers from the city of Mogadishu more dramatic than it was.

              Overall, the historical aspects of the film have made it feel like it is taking away from the good feelings I had about the film. It is like the facts have taken away the movie magic that made me enjoy the film. After rewatching the film, I still enjoyed many of the battle scenes and the acting in the film. I still found myself laughing at some of the jokes in the film. I also had a different point of view during the first act of the film such as when the film shows the relationship between the soldiers and the mission, they are about to engage in. However, knowing that the film begins with a quote that is misattributed really throws me off. I no longer find myself enjoying the famous “Mogadishu Mile” that happens in the film because it is made up and not a real representation of where the nickname originates from.

The memories of the film for me were mostly based on little knowledge of the world around me such as not knowing that America has a deep military-industrial complex. I have changed a lot since I first saw the film. Today, I view many of the wars that America has engaged in as recently pointless. I view this conflict presented in the film as quite pointless as well. Nineteen soldiers died in the historical fight, yet nothing of value was achieved. Somalia is still a bad area and one event that became a big story was how cargo ships were being kidnapped by Somalian pirates. The film came at a time before the Iraq War, which historically became a mess as President Bush lied to the American people to justify the war. Recently, America had a hard time leaving Afghanistan with the government they overthrew, the Taliban, coming back into power. Filmmaking has changed in some ways as well because many film companies are focusing on telling superhero stories rather than true war stories. Although there are some movies that are recently coming out with a military story such as The Covenant, featuring Jake Gyllenhaal, not many big studios are making big-budget war movies frequently.

The film still communicates the concerns that Americans have when it comes to justice, protecting the innocent, and allowing warlords to commit genocide. One of the reasons why they justify American presence in the film is because the war in Somalia has led to famine and hunger, which has killed many Somalians. Americans will always be worried that if they do nothing, one day it may come to harm Americans or show bad people that their actions have no consequences. Americans have been proactive in engaging in military conflicts over the past few decades to stop a problem from growing and then one day leading to a terrorist attack. This is due to the fact that America had the opportunity to stop Osama Bin Laden before he planned the events of 9/11.