What/Why/How Review: Magic Mike XXL

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Denise

Magic Mike XXL onesheetSometimes all you wanna know is “what is this?”, “why should I see it?” and “how did you like it?” So? Here’s the dish on Magic Mike XXL!

Nutshell: If you’re reading this review?  You know you wanna see it.  And yes, it delivers. It’s not cin-e-mah, but who cares?  Gorgeous choreography and a game cast equal a fun, definitely Rated-R romp. Grade: A-

What: The sequel to Magic Mike (paging Captain Obvious), Magic Mike XXL is exactly what you’d expect from the title; bigger, brasher and definitely bawdier.  They heard the “needz moar dances stuff!!1!!” cries from ladies who saw the first film, and they give it to you.  The Kings of Tampa — with Mike (Channing Tatum) coming back to the fold after three years away — head to Myrtle Beach to participate in a stripper convention.  Seriously.  To paraphrase Jada Pinkett Smith’s character in this film, I hope you ladies are on birth control, because tonight’s gonna be serious.

Why: Because dancing!  Oh who am I kidding; folks who want to see this film are in it for the sexy.  And these guys are definitely sexy.  And they’re definitely up for throwing it in ladies faces…and I mean that literally.  But it’s all in good fun, and everyone in MMXXL is up for the goodtimes.  Also, the choreography is absolutely incredible.  Plus, the soundtrack is bonkers in the best way possible.  And who knew that Matt Bomer has such a lovely voice?  (Note: not all the songs in MMXXL are on this soundtrack; a finale number uses a very popular NIN song…  I’ve said too much.)

And then there’s the supporting cast, including Jada Pinkett Smith as Rome, an A-list DJ/club owner that has some serious swagger, along with some of the best lines in the film. (BTW, her character was written for a male actor, but she blew director Gregory Jacobs & Channing Tatum away.) Amber Heard as Zoe, a young woman who catches Mike’s eye.  Andie MacDowell plays Zoe’s mother Nancy, a woman who’s not afraid to be herself.  Michael Strahan as a stripper named Augustus, doing stuff you’ll never see on Live with Kelly and Michael.  Elizabeth Banks as Paris, a DJ who runs the stripper convention.  And one of my favorite comedians, Gabriel Iglesias as Tobias, who takes over for Matthew McConaughey (who bowed out due to scheduling conflicts) as the Kings’ DJ.  Boom.

How: What did I think?  What do you think?  It was a hoot, from start to finish. The women at the convention/clubs swarm over men like a wave of horny zombies.  The choreography is on-fuckin’-point (can’t emphasize enough how well done these scenes are.  Bravo, Alison Faulk and Teresa Espinosa, for your brilliant work.)

Yes, the dancing is hot.  But the funny, rude, believable bromance between the Kings is the real treat.  Another treat?  The obvious, in-your-face feminism in this film.  The ladies here are doing what they wanna do, be it making it rain, heading out to find themselves, praising other women, or just kicking back and drinking wine while sizing up the considerable…talent across the table from them.  Yeah, it’s definitely men who bring the sizzle in MMXXL, but don’t miss the grrl power in here too.

Posted in Movie Reviews, What/Why/How | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Movie Review — Terminator: Genisys

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Denise

Genisys Onesheet Arnold

I’m not sure whether to applaud or scratch my head at this newest entry in the Terminator mythos.  On the one hand, I love the 21st Century revamping.  Look; people have cell phones!  Tablets!  On the other hand, all the previous time-traveling/time-warps have left Genisys with a patchwork timeline that it has to scramble to connect to a coherent storyline.  It succeeds on a basic level, but viewers who long for the deeper pull of the original will leave the theater disappointed. Grade: B-

The Terminator films know how to show you a good time.  (Okay, maybe not Salvation.  But we’re all allowed a screw-up.)  Fun special effects, a time-travel mythology that doesn’t shy away from the problems it may cause, and even a touch of romance.  And let’s not forget “I’ll be back“!  But years after the original and it’s excellent sequel, the mythology is starting to trip up on its own particular string theory.  With so many connections, cross-connections, timeline revisits, Terminator Genisys has it’s work cut out for it trying to keep everything straight.  But it wisely decides to jettison Rise of the Machines and Salvation, instead focusing on Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese. Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Reviews | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: The Gallows!

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Denise

the gallows onesheetI’ve seen the trailer for this fright flick up on the big screen, and it looks like a lot of fun.  I’m kinda done with the shakycam thing, but this film’s “high school theater is haunted” story tugs at my high school Thespian-member superstitions.  And I’m digging the excellent “Smells Like Teen Spirit” cover (by Think Up Anger & Malia J) they use in the trailer.  So I’m in.  Are you?

Here’s the 411:

Twenty years after an accident during a small town high school play results in death, students at the school resurrect the failed stage production in a misguided attempt to honor the anniversary of the tragedy – but ultimately find out that some things are better left alone.

Peep the trailer:

Ready for a scare?  Read on… Continue reading →

Posted in Free Screenings, Trailers | Tagged , | Leave a comment

“I Am Chris Farley” trailer will bring out all your feels.

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Denise

Chris-FarleyNo question; Chris Farley was madly talented. Lorne Michales calls him “infuriatingly talented”. I was lucky enough to be on set for a dress rehersal of the Patrick Swayze SNL  that gave us the Chippendales skit.  And it was freakin’ awesome.  Yeah, I know I lucked out.

But as incredibly talented as Farley was, he was also driven by demons that ultimately took his life. And it still breaks my heart. So anyone with me when I see I Am Chris Farley will have to put up with my snuffling. I know this because I’m misty watching this trailer. Bonus?  This looks like an actual in-depth look at the performer, rather than some cobbled-together-for-a-buck hack piece.

I Am Chris Farley opened in Canada June 15th, 2015, and will premiere on SpikeTV August 10th. ‘Til then, give the trailer a look. I’ma be over here with a tissue.

Posted in Movie News, Trailers | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Documentary “Amy” shows a young Winehouse singing Happy Birthday

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Denise

Amy onesheet…and it’s incredible.  Even at that age, she was a major talent.  And apparently a sweet, saucy kid.

Here’s the synopsis for the doc:

The newest clip from Asif Kapadia’s highly anticipated film AMY is here!

Watch a 14-year old Amy Winehouse serenade her friend with a lovely rendition of “Happy Birthday” and get a glimpse of the girl behind the name in this incredible and eye-opening portrait.

I’ll have my review for Amy up when it hits B’more July 10th.  But for now, enjoy this clip!

Posted in Movie News | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Trainwreck — first pictures from the set!

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Denise

Judd Apatow has been hit-or-miss with me.  However, I love Amy Schumer.  (Tip: if you haven’t seen Inside Amy Schumer, get on that.) So I’m so down for Trainwreck, her first big-time, headliner of a film.  Here’s the 411 from the studio:

No contemporary filmmaker has chronicled the messy human experience with the eye and ear of a comedic cultural anthropologist like Judd Apatow. Hits as varied as those he’s directed, like Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and those he’s produced, like Superbad and Bridesmaids, are all unified by their honest, unflinching, comic look at how complicated it is to grow up in the modern world.

Apatow has also built a history of helping break distinctive new comedy voices into the mainstream, from Seth Rogen to Lena Dunham among many others. Now, in his fifth feature film as a director, Apatow again brings a portrait of an unforgettable character, and a portrayal by a breakout new comedy star, together in Trainwreck, written by and starring Amy Schumer (Inside Amy Schumer) as a woman who lives her life without apologies, even when maybe she should apologize.

Since she was a little girl, it’s been drilled into Amy’s (Schumer) head by her rascal of a dad (Colin Quinn) that monogamy isn’t realistic. Now a magazine writer, Amy lives by that credo—enjoying what she feels is an uninhibited life free from stifling, boring romantic commitment—but in actuality, she’s kind of in a rut. When she finds herself starting to fall for the subject of the new article she’s writing, a charming and successful sports doctor named Aaron Conners (Bill Hader), Amy starts to wonder if other grown-ups, including this guy who really seems to like her, might be on to something.

The comedy, from a script written by Schumer, co-stars Brie Larson, John Cena, Vanessa Bayer, Mike Birbiglia, Ezra Miller, Dave Attell, Tilda Swinton and LeBron James. Apatow produces Trainwreck through his Apatow Productions alongside Barry Mendel (Bridesmaids, This Is 40). http://www.trainwreckmovie.com

Are you up for it?  I know I am.  Check out the stills; Trainwreck opens July 17th.

 

Posted in Movie News | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Baltimore: Celebrate Batman Day with Snyder, Tynion, Pak, and Tomasi

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Denise

BaltimoreComicCon_logo_nodateY’know what? I’ma let this press release speak for itself. Because BATMAN DAY Y’ALL. And what a fantastic lineup. Man, I hope there’ll be a special Batman Day panel…I’ll be front-n-center for that.

Celebrate Batman Day with Snyder, Tynion, Pak, and Tomasi in Baltimore
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – June 25, 2015 – Come celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Dark Knight on Batman Day, Saturday, September 26th, at the Baltimore Comic-Con! VIP and General Admission Tickets are on sale for the 2015 event, taking place the weekend of September 25-27, 2015 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Baltimore Comic-Con is ecstatic to announce Batman creators Scott Snyder, James Tynion, Greg Pak, and Peter Tomasi.

Scott Snyder began writing DC’s Batman in Detective Comics upon signing exclusively with the publisher, and has continued working with the character ever since. He has written for Batman, numerous one-shots and limited series like Batman: Futures End and Batman: Gates of Gotham, launched Talon, spinning out of the “Court of Owls” arc, and is currently writing the new Batman Eternal. He has also worked on Swamp Thing, The New 52, and Superman Unchained. In 2011, he received Harvey and Eisner Awards for Best New Series for his work on American Vampire, the 2012 Eagle Award for Best Writer, the 2012 Stan Lee Award for Best Writer and Man of the Year, and another Eisner Award in 2014 for Best Limited Series on The Wake. Outside of DC, Snyder has contributed to Wytches and Severed from Image Comics and Marvel Comics’ Iron Man Noir.

James Tynion IV got his start writing back-up stories in the DC Comics’ New 52 Batman title with his former teacher, Scott Snyder. He has published multiple titles under the DC banner, including numerous Batman series like Red Hood and the Outlaws and Batman and Robin, and the DC New 52 title, Talon. He is writer on BOOM! Studios’s The Woods, UFOlogy, and Memetic, and on DC’s Batman Eternal weekly series.

Comics writer (and Rhodes Scholar) Greg Pak has been responsible for much-lauded runs on titles like Marvel’s Incredible Hulk (“Planet Hulk” and “World War Hulk”), Incredible Hercules, X-Men: Magneto Testament, and Red Skull, Dynamite Entertainment’s Battlestar Galactica, Valiant’s Eternal Warrior, and Aspen’s Dead Man’s Run. He has been named Wizard Magazine’s Breakout Talent of the Year, and his stories and characters have won numerous publication accolades as well. You can read Pak’s latest work on Marvel’s Storm, DC Comics’ Action Comics and Superman/Batman, and Dynamite Entertainment’s Turok, Dinosaur Hunter.

Peter Tomasi is a writer and editor best known for his work at DC Comics. He began his career in 1993, editing such titles as Green Lantern, the Batman titles, Aquaman, Hawkman, and JSA before being promoted to Senior Editor in 2003. In 2007, Tomasi decided to move from editing to writing full-time and, in 2010, took over writing Batman and Robin with issue #20. Since the launch of the New 52, Tomasi helmed the new volumes of both Batman and Robin and Green Lantern Corps. His recent work can be found on DC’s Batman: Arkham Knight and Batman and Frankenstein.
“We are so pleased to be able to host these talented creators to celebrate Batman Day,” said Marc Nathan, promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. “Batman fans are so fortunate to get to interact with all of these creators in one place, and we’re proud to host them.”
Posted in Comics & Graphic Novels, Convention-al | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Movie Review: Max

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Denise

Max onesheet

Nutshell: Max pulls all the right heartstrings.  Kids coming together, family bonding, and a freakin’ beautiful dog that has his own hero’s journey to deal with.  What’s not to love?  Well, the cookie-cutter plot, maybe.  But if you don’t shed a tear sometime during this film, you’re dead inside.  Grade: B

Did you know that the military uses dogs as part of their ground troops?  Maybe, if you’ve heard of Rin Tin Tin.  Max the pup may not have gone on to fame and fortune, but Max, the “whiff of a true story” film ties together films like American Sniper, E.T. and Hachi to form a family-friendly, tear-jerker of a film that has a feel-good ending.  Let the Fourth of July cash registers ring!

Max, a Belgian Malinois (aka “that dog looks like a German Shepherd”) trained as a Military working dog, is devastated when his human handler Kyle Wincott dies during a firefight in Afghanistan.  Back in the State, Kyle’s family is similarly devastated.  But Max isn’t taking the loss well, and the Marines may have to put the pup down.  So the Wincotts take in Max…whose military skills prove to be helpful in protecting Kyle’s brother Justin from bad guys. Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Movie Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Denise

me and earl and

Nutshell: there’s a reason why Me & Earl is scooping up awards; it’s a touching but not sappy look at youth, illness and the bonds of friendship.  Come for the cool way director Gomez-Rejon imagines the story, stay for the top-notch performances.  Plus Nick Offerman as a hippie dad is priceless. Grade: A

Can something be strange, refreshing and a gut punch at the same time?  Because this is it folks.  Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (which I’ll shorten to Me & Earl because I’m incredibly lazy) takes a young girl’s Stage 4 diagnosis and instead of making that the story of the film, ties it into friendship, family, and yes, growing up.

Greg (Thomas Mann) has prided himself on spending the last 8 years being socially invisible.  By maintaining a casual, distant acquaintanceship with everyone in school, he’s been able to avoid the pitfalls of high school feuds.  He’s also avoided real connections with other people.  The only person he’s spent any time with is his “coworker” Earl (RJ Cyler), a kid with an eye for film-making and a penchant for riffing on the classics.  For example: Rashomon = MonoRash.  There’s also Pooping Tom, The 2:48pm Cowboy, A Sockwork Orange, Eyes Wide Butt, and so many others that if there was ever a marathon of these films, I’d pay to see ’em.  And yes, this film is film nerd’s heaven.  Greg and Earl are the kind of kids — talent-wise at least — that we all wish we’d been as teenagers.  As opposed to simply sitting in the second bedroom re-watching The Seventh Seal.  (Just me?) Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Reviews | Tagged , | Leave a comment

What/Why/How Review: Mortdecai

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Denise

Mortdecai onesheetSometimes all you want to know is “what is this?”, “why should I see it?” and “how’d you like it?” So here’s the lowdown on Mortdecai!

What:  An idiot that somehow has incredible luck as a nowhere-near-legal art dealer/smuggler/cad, Mortdecai tries to find the whereabouts of a painting that just may be the key to riches, riches, riches!  Good thing too, as he’s going broke.  Don’t tell his wife.

Why:  If you like films so incredibly stupid that they come right round to being funny, this is definitely your cup of champagne.  As Morty’s wife Johanna, Gwyneth Paltrow gets to riff on the “ice queen” personal she often gets pegged with.  Paul Bettany plays the usual Kato-esque figure with some definite twists.  Ewan McGregor and Olivia Munn practically chew the scenery as Johanna’s jealous ex Martland and wealthy socialite Georgina.  Watching these folks having a whole lot of fun is itself a whole lot of fun.  Of course, a few beers — or glasses of the bubbly? — is highly encouraged for folks who need to loosen up before laughing out loud.

How: I loved this film.  It’s the kind of film that gives absolutely zero if you like it or not.  It’s doing its thing, and you can either come along for the ride or not.  And you really should.  The cast is obviously having a great time, and the jokes are so deadpan and off-kilter it’s as if James Bond and Benny Hill decided to write a screenplay.  Yep, this has a straight-up British humor vibe, so I understand why a lot of American critics didn’t like it.  Then again, I hated the obvious pandering and pointless over-the-top “humor” in the Pink Panther films, so we’ll just have to agree to disagree.  Mortdecai is stupid funny, with a heavy emphasis on stupid.  The cast all work together well, and obviously love digging into the quips and gags that are strewn about for them to play with.  Watch it now, and when it becomes a cult hit — and it will — you can dust off your best foppy Mortdecai pompousness and say you saw it when everyone hated it.  Morty would approve, I’m sure.

[NOTE: I received a gift-pack of Mortdecai swag when the film opened in theaters earlier this year.  That didn’t have any influence on my review, though the t-shirt is pretty sweet.]

Posted in DVD Reviews, Movie Reviews, What/Why/How | Tagged , | Leave a comment