A Return To Where Nobody Can Hear You Scream

A sun rises behind the miners, the halo of its light suppressed by the blanket of clouds. Their spacesuits spew air through helmet spouts, whale-like. They are in an environment they don’t belong in. Despite the warning signs, they’ll soon find something deep and dark in the ship that lies ahead on the horizon. This is how Ridley Scott’s Alien leads up to the events that will set in motion the rest of the movie, one of the greatest of all horrors.

The crew of the Nostromo receives a distress signal from an unknown planet. According to protocol, they must investigate. When one of the crew members returns with a creature attached to his face, the crew panics and leaves, not realizing they’ve given the Xenomorph, the most vicious animal in the galaxy, the perfect arena to hunt them in. It had been years since I had seen this movie and going in, expecting to be thrilled all over again, I found an uncommonly intelligent sci-fi movie, one that deals with the themes of man vs. technology, birth and rebirth, and survival at all costs.

What struck me at once was the wonderful production design. The Nostromo is split into two distinct sections: the incredibly high tech, clean, and sterile area with the master computer, and the dirty, dank, cavernous hull. The hull is covered in scrap metal, spare parts, and chains. The master computer room is filled with lights, panels, and screens. Both represent a challenge to the crew onboard. As stated, one of the main themes of this movie is man vs. technology, specifically technology that we have created for ourselves. Despite being called “Mother” by the crew, the master computer possess no sense of warmth or feeling, coldly responding with text to the prompts of Dallas (Tom Skerritt) and Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). Ash, the android on board, refuses to help pacify the alien, valuing its potential weaponization over the crew (“Crew is expendable”). It rang very true to me as we move forward into the future and continually create more and more technology to help make our lives easier. The challenge of facing cold and unfeeling technology leads directly into the idea that the crew is hard pressed to effectively combat the alien, the most efficient and effective predator in the known universe. Its lack of eyes, black exterior, and vicious attacks strike fear into the heart of the crew, especially as they slowly realize how outmatched they are. To quote Kyle Reese from The Terminator, “It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop... ever, until you are dead!” In some ways, one can see the stalking and unfeeling nature of the alien as an influence on Arnold’s Terminator just a short five years later.

With an enemy of this nature, a director has to establish a very palpable sense of tension, and this is where Ridley Scott’s direction truly shines. This is a very slow paced movie, full of tracking shots that move throughout the ship, giving the audience a grand sense of how massive and labyrinth-esque it truly is. What this really accomplishes, however, is to help with tension later on when the alien is stalking the crew. Since we have been acquainted with the ship, we know how massive it is and that the alien could be anywhere, hiding amongst the strewn extra parts and machinery of the massive hull. Since the crew is only equipped with paltry flamethrowers, a cattle prod, and a net, they stand no chance, which only adds to the wonderful sense of tension. The alien purposefully blends in with the machinery, right in line with its cold, predatory nature. While the build of tension is necessary, the release of that tension is equally as important. There are two genius moments of release in this film: when Kane, the crew member who will “birth” the alien appears to be fine after having the facehugger attached to him and at the end when Ripley destroys the ship. The audience is lead to believe in both instances that the worst is over and all will be well. Nope.

On a more human level, the acting across the board is incredibly strong. Sigourney Weaver and Yaphet Kotto shine as Ripley and Parker respectfully, while Ian Holmes brings an appropriately menacing and calculated nature to his portrayal of Ash. All of the characters are unique and feature small tics that make them endearing: interesting to say the least, considering that endearing characters aren’t usually a strength of Ridley Scott’s. We care about these people and feel their camaraderie before it all goes to hell, which makes it all the more frightening when we realize that there is nothing any of them can do to escape the alien that is coming after them. This is a truly amazing movie, one that I’m glad I revisited. It’s a master class in tension building and production design. It was described as “Jaws in space” by one of the script supervisors, and I can’t think of anything better to say about it. Not for kids, but an essential for fans of horrors, thrillers, and just movies in general.

9/10

The Visit Review

The Visit is the new film from director M. Night Shyamalan, a name that will conjure up many different reactions when mentioned. While the director has not had a "good" movie come out in quite some time, he is still a talented filmmaker, and this shows in this movie. The film revolves around two kids who are sent to spend a week with their grandparents, who they have never met before. The kids become worried when the grandparents start acting very strangely, leaving it up to the kids to investigate further.
    What sticks out most to me in this film is that it is actually pretty fun to watch. Instead of making profound statements or reaching further than he can grasp, Shyamalan focuses on a good idea with good characters and really plays around with them and the audience's expectations. What surprised me most about this movie is that it is very funny! The brother is a stand-out character, as he has many funny quips and moments in the film that feel real.
             Besides the moments of pure comedy that are present, there are also moments of very dark humor, such as an incredibly tense game of Yahtzee at the end of the movie that had me roaring. I give major props to a movie that can be just straight fun to watch, and that is where most of my enthusiasm for this movie comes from. It does have some jump scares, but what is different is that the film earns them by sustaining a chilling atmosphere instead of just using jumps to cheaply scare the audience. It is quite the creepy film, and it is something that is notable. Another notable element is that the film is shot using handheld cameras, leading to a documentary-esque feeling. This makes sense in the context of the story, as Shyamalan wants to make us feel as wary of the grandparents as the kids are, considering both the audience and the kids have never met them before. The Visit is a creepy little flick that is a lot of fun to watch and one that I would recommend to anybody who is looking for a good time. I wouldn't pay more than a matinee price for it but regardless, it is a very good movie, certainly the director's best in a long time!

The Visit gets a 7/10.

Magic Mike XXL Review

I had no idea. Absolutely no idea. Not a clue that buried beneath six packs and crazy dance moves was one of the year's most fun and thoughtful movies. Yepp, Magic Mike XXL was one of the best times I have had at the movies this year, and it was also one of the films that carried a palpable and great message for the crowd that it intended to draw in. In the film, Mike is living as a successful custom furniture maker. However, he reconnects with his fellow male entertainers from the first film and they hop on the road to travel to the entertainer convention and hopefully go out in a blaze of glory and beefcake. Above all, this movie is an absolute blast. Instead of going for the cautionary and serious drama of the first film, this one goes straight for the fun, turning up the crazy dancing and interactions between the guys. Much has been said about this film's lack of plot, and in a sense, it does lack many plot points. In that way, it is very similar to an old Scorsese movie like Raging Bull, where the film let the characters drive the movie rather than the plot. We are re-introduced to all the guys from the first film (Big Dick Richie, Tarzan, Ken, and Tito) and their interactions with each other and Mike lie at the heart of the movie. Along the road, we are introduced to many new characters, each played by a celebrity in a cameo. The two stand outs are Jada Pinkett Smith and Donald Glover, both bringing a phenomenal swagger to their roles and fitting right in with Mike's troupe. From all these wonderful characters and their interactions, the message of the film is conveyed loud and clear. This is a movie that revolves around saying goodbye to your previous self and embracing what makes you who you are. It believes in having the confidence in yourself to achieve what you want and not relying on past ideals that somebody had told you to embrace. It's quite interesting that such a positive and timely message comes from a movie about male strippers, but that is beside the point right now. Another very important message of the movie concerns the treatment of women as well. This is a movie that is all about making the women in your life happy. It really celebrates women as individuals and encourages men to listen to their loved ones and really listen to them instead of just looking at them as objects. Overall, Magic Mike XXL was simply a great movie, one I would never hesitate to watch again. Judge all you want, but I truly loved this movie. It was loads of fun and had a great sense of humor, mixed together with a great message. What more could you ask for?

Magic Mike XXL gets a 9/10

Trainwreck Review

Trainwreck is the new film from up and coming star Amy Schumer, who has become incredibly popular in the past year or so. It stars Schumer, Bill Hader, and a host of celebrities, including the surprisingly funny Lebron James and John Cena. It is also directed by Judd Apatow, making his first movie since 2012's This Is 40. In the film, the main character Amy, played by Schumer, is a pot smoking, heavy drinking magazine writer who was raised to believe that monogamy isn't realistic. This lifestyle is put to the test when she meets Aaron Conners, played by Hader, whom she falls for. This relationship challenges all that she has ever known, and it remains to be seen whether she can make it work. The film is totally the Amy Schumer show, as she wrote the film and her style is felt throughout the entire runtime. Sadly, I didn't find myself laughing as much as I wanted to. I haven't really seen much of her stuff outside of the film, but the material I had viewed didn't really do it for me. The movie didn't make me eager to seek out any more of her material either, which could be seen as a bad thing. Even though she isn't really my cup of tea, that didn't ruin the movie. Luckily, the supporting cast Schumer surrounded herself with are very funny people. Lebron, John Cena, and Bill Hader were all hilarious, and really injected the film with great timing and perfect delivery of their lines. However, since this is a Judd Apatow feature, the comedy co-exists with an emotional angle that is just as important. The problem with this, however, is that the movie feels very overstuffed and unfocused. The story was all over the place, with the focus being the story Amy is writing on Aaron one moment, and then abruptly shifting to Aaron's ability to perform at his job. If the script had been trimmed down and the focus redirected, I believe the film would be a lot stronger. Besides Schumer not really doing it for me, my biggest complaint is that the film is far too long. Clocking in at over two hours long, there were definitely useless scenes of banter between characters that could have been cut out. Overall, this movie wasn't horrible, but it wasn't as good as some of Apatow's other work and it didn't turn me onto to Schumer's style of comedy. It's worth the matinee price of a ticket. If you are a big fan of Schumer, I recommend that you see the movie, as she is the star of the show. If not, I would suggest seeing something else, like the surprisingly fantastic Magic Mike XXL.

Trainwreck gets a 6/10.

Ant-Man Review

                                

Well, here I am, eating my words. I posted a piece a few months back about how I was not excited for the new film Ant-Man because I was unhappy with all the creative decisions that were being made behind the scenes of the movie. Not only did the movie succeed in being a fun time, it succeed on standing out amongst the onslaught of superhero films that we have been subjected to in the cinema in the past few years. Not only is Ant-Man arguably better than Avengers: Age Of Ultron, it rivals some of the best that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had to offer in recent years. The film stars Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, and Evangeline Lily and is an introduction to the characters of Scott Lang and Hank Pym. Pym is the creator of the Ant-Man suit, which can shrink a man down to the size of the insect while increasing his strength. Lang, an ex-con trying to go straight, is recruited by Pym and his daughter Hope to pull off a heist that could have major implications for the world we live in. One of the reasons why I wasn't excited for this movie was because the original director Edgar Wright, director of such films as Hot Fuzz and Shaun Of The Dead, left the project, which had been a passion project of his. Wright is one of the more unique comedic directors working in the industry today and his direction and oddball script would have done wonders in terms of making the Cinematic Universe feel fresh and exciting again. Instead, he left the project and Peyton Reed, director of Bring It On, was brought on to helm the movie and Adam McKay, director/writer of The Other Guys, rewrote parts of Wright's script with star Paul Rudd. I am very happy that most of Wright's script remained in the final product, as there were sequences that could have very easily been featured in any of his other films. His mark on the film is undeniable. What sets the movie apart, however, is just how likable and relatable Paul Rudd is. He is very reminiscent of Chris Pratt in Guardians Of The Galaxy as the guy that you just want to root for. He has great comedic timing and fantastic chemistry with all the characters he interacts with on the screen. Michael Douglas is great as Lang's mentor Pym, Evangeline Lily is good as Pym's daughter, and, surprisingly, Michael Peña almost steals the show with his hilarious performance as one of Pym's thieving buddies. Another very notable aspect of the movie is the effects work of industry giants Industrial Light and Magic. The effects in the movie are flat out fantastic, as I continually was buying into the sequences where Lang shrinks down and interacts with the various ants that Pym has command of. The action sequences were genuinely fun and entertaining, with the camera constantly switching between Lang's shrunken point of view and the point of view of his various normal sized opponents. It was made even more fun by the fact that Lang is constantly shrinking and growing in size during these sequences, making for an unpredictable turn of events. One weak spot in the movie, sadly, lies in Corey Stoll's villain. It's not his performance that is the problem, it's that his character doesn't have unique motivations that we haven't seen in the Marvel movies yet. He exists purely to give Lang an adversary and is written fairly blandly. Stoll is a great actor and his presence elevated what could have easily been a worse villain played by another actor. I am very happy to admit that my initial impressions about the film were wrong. I had a blast watching Ant-Man and I think it is very much worth the price of admission, matinee if possible! It makes up for the disappointing Avengers: Age Of Ultron and introduces a great new hero into the Marvel canon. It's very easy to look at this hero and say "Wow, this is freaking stupid!" I know, the concept is inherently dumb, but so is a boy scout called Captain America. This is a superhero movie that is fun as hell, which is just about all we can ask for as cinema-goers. While the market is becoming over saturated with the superhero movies, it's the oddball ones like Ant-Man that keeps them feeling fresh and exciting. It's a great surprise and sure to be fun for the whole family!

Ant-Man gets a score of 8/10

Terminator Genisys Review

Hey, folks! Hope you are all doing well. This is my admittedly late review of the new Terminator film. Terminator Genisys, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, and Jason Clarke is the fifth film in the Terminator franchise. It also serves as a sequel/reboot to the earlier films. Quite frankly, I really don't have much to say about this. My initial reaction to the trailer was somewhat mixed, as it literally gave away the biggest plot twist of the entire film. It looked like just another boring reboot that Hollywood was churning out to make some quick money. Much to my surprise, this movie was not a complete mess! The action was fairly well directed, the performances weren't horrible, and the effects were very well done. Frankly, this is just one of those movies where you turn your brain off and just ride along with the proceedings. It is nowhere near as good as the first two movies, even shamelessly re-shooting sequences shot for shot from the first one. However, it isn't a complete train wreck, which is kind of saying something for a reboot of a series that has two films that stand among the greatest action movies ever made. If you are in the mood for something entertaining or love the Terminator series, this is definitely worth the price of a matinee ticket. I just got back from summer camp so it will be a little bit until I can get back in the groove and review more recent films. I am very much looking forward to Minions and the new Amy Winehouse documentary.

Terminator Genisys gets a 6/10.

Inside Out Review

Inside Out is the new movie from Pixar Animation Studios, after a one year break in 2014. This was one of the most anticipated movies of the year for me, one that I have followed during a good portion of its development. I am so joyful to report that this is not only Pixar's best outing since Toy Story 3, it is one of their best movies they have ever released. Seriously. As somebody who literally has grown up with Pixar (Toy Story was the first movie I ever watched), I feel incredibly comfortable saying this is one of their best movies. I rank this alongside the first Toy Story and The Incredibles as some of the best work they have ever done. The runtime absolutely flew by and it reached the point where the theater melted away, leaving us with these wonderful characters and an amazing story. In the movie, the emotions Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust run Riley's mind. Riley is an eleven year old girl who has just moved and has to adjust to her new home and setting. This may sound fairly typical, but we are shown this story from such a unique angle that it feels fresh and exciting. While I won't spoil any details, I'll say that there are two plots happening at the same time. We have Riley adjusting, as well as Joy and Sadness trying to work together and make it back to the center of Riley's mind. What is so interesting about this set up is that it creates a system of cause and effect for the character. We literally see her emotions at play, guiding her through the tumultuous time in her life, responding to events appropriately. It makes sense that Joy would have a hard time existing in her mind during this period in Riley's life, with Sadness growing into a more prominent role. What is also beautiful is just how well this film pulls the heartstrings. It really does confront the pain of growing up, but in such a humane way that it is easily understandable for people of all ages. It really speaks to the audience and helps us to understand just what is going on in our head sometimes. Above all, it distinctly makes the point that it is ok to feel the way you do sometimes. There has to be a balance between all of the emotions running around in your head, as too much of one or too little of the other usually is detrimental. Beyond how it generates the feels, this movie is also hysterical. Since it features the talents of five great comedians, all impeccably cast, working with a wonderful script, the laughs come fast and often. Joy (Amy Poehler) is appropriately bouncy and energetic, Fear (Bill Hader) is meek and concerned, Sadness (Phyllis Smith) is bleak and blue, and Disgust (Mindy Kaling) is sassy and sarcastic. The standouts, for me, were Sadness and Anger, played by Lewis Black. Phyllis Smith did a lovely job voicing this character that could easily have been seen as just a downer by everybody. Instead, she brings a human quality to the voice work, making Sadness eventually seem like an essential part of the team. Lewis Black absolutely nails it though. His delivery is just so perfect that he truly embodies the character. To sum it all up, this movie is simply wonderful. It is one of the best, original ideas that has been seen in the past few months, and a fantastic breath of fresh air from the endless sequels and reboots we are seeing these days. Pixar has done amazing work again, and it feels so great to have them make movies like this again. This movie will be one of the best you view this year, guaranteed. It is just such a great feeling to actually feel for a movie again, to actually care about what is happening to the characters on the screen. It is one of the best movies of the year, alongside Mad Max, and it should  be nominated for Best Picture comes Oscar season. The lovely and hilarious Inside Out gets a 9.5/10.