Labor Day

                                                                     

            Few directors have had so much early success as Jason Reitman. From films like “Thank You for Smoking”, “Juno”, and “Up in The Air” Reitman is no stranger to movies people just plain enjoy. Maybe growing up the son of Ivan Reitman helped nurture his love of film, and taught him to make all kinds of movies, not to just hold out on projects trying to chase a “Ghostbusters” kind of success. Well it seems Jason has taken his dad’s advice and tried for something different, and unfortunately that is not a good thing for us.  “Labor Day” is no longer just a holiday known for barbecues, now it is the name of a movie that is like a bad hangover, the condition not the movie.

Adele (Kate Winslet) is not a very happy woman. Her husband Gerald (Clark Gregg) has left her and their son Henry (Gattlin Griffith) for his secretary.  Adele can no longer face the world for certain reasons, so Henry often runs life’s errands on his bike, except for that one time a month Adele ventures out into the world. It is on one such venture when their life changes and Henry is approached by a wounded man named Frank (Josh Brolin) who asks for a ride. Not having much choice Adele takes Frank back to her house, fearing for her and Henry’s life. Little did Adele know, but Frank didn't want to hurt anyone, all he really wanted to do is fix things around the house, teach her son how to play baseball, and teach them both how to make a pie to die for. Adele has been a shut in for so long having company is a good thing, even if the guy you have at your house is an escape prisoner. For one holiday weekend, Frank becomes the man that Adele needs, and the father that Hank deserves.

As is sat and watched “Labor Day” I didn't really know what to think of it. I mean on paper it has it all, good actors, and written and directed by a guy who is on a roll. The problem is one of balance, when you want to laugh at parts that should be dramatic, but just comes off wrong. The film takes place over the Labor Day weekend, and also uses flash backs to set up why exactly Frank is in prison.  If you are a fan of talking, this is not your kind of movie; I would call it the strong and quiet type, minus the strong. Everyone talks in short sentences and communicates via looks more than actual words, which doesn't work even with the voice over narration provided by Spider-man, I mean Tobey Maguire.  Even that comes off more “Wonder Years” and less “Shawshank Redemption”.  I wanted to get caught up in the romance of the story, but got distracted by its clumsiness.  So I have to say this one has to go in the ‘bomb’ column for Reitman much like his dad’s film “Father’s Day”.  Don’t remember that one?  That’s okay, you won’t remember this one either.

Brian Taylor 

What's on Redbox?--V/H/S 2

Last year the film “V/H/S” successfully blended the found footage genre with the horror anthology.  In no time at all the follow-up “V/H/S 2” has picked up the bloody ball, and ran with it, giving us a worthy sequel filled with gore, humor, and in the case of one short, sheer and utter insanity.

Tying the shorts together this time is a couple of young P.I.’s that work on catching unfaithful husbands ‘Cheaters’ style.  They go looking for a missing college kid and stumble across his crazy set up with TV’s a laptop and a bunch of V/H/S tapes.  This story that bookends the other caught-on-tape terror is better and more mysterious than the first “V/H/S” film of vandals going into a creepy house and filming it ‘set-up’.  It works better here, even if it is a little predictable.  What stand out this time though is the impressiveness of the four short films we get to see and the clarity of the footage.  Yeah it’s supposed to be video footage and it looks more like digital HD, but I can suspend disbelief if what they are showing me is worth it.  And they are.

The first involves a guy with a cyber-eye, who gets the Haley Joel Osment disease of “seeing dead people”.  It’s clever enough and you get some decent scares.  The second done by a couple of “The Blair Witch” guys utilizes a Go Pro camera mounted on a cyclist helmet whose ride in the woods turns into a zombie nightmare.  Again this is pretty well crafted, though the shakiness of the camera gave me bit of motion sickness.  The third and by far the best of film’s series so far was co-directed by Timo Tjahjanto and Gareth Evans (The Raid: Redemption) about a group of reporters who get access to a compound where the secretive Safe Haven cult is planning something completely unforeseen.  This one goes from creepy, intense, to horrifically awesome, to hilariously bat-shit insane.  All the stops are pulled out on this one, and made it impossible to top.  Which is why the last one, a sleep-over that turns into an abduction, though is a good idea and executed well enough loses some of its scariness and falls a little short.

Making a horror short can be difficult where you have very little time to give as much information as you can in order to be immersed in the world you are creating and still manage to scare the pants off of your audience.  “V/H/S 2” does a pretty admirable job of both and compared to the countless throw-away B-movie horror found on the Redbox on a weekly basis, these great tales of terror that are worth seeking out.  And as I said as long as you can get over the “How did they get this footage, and why is it being filmed for so long?” these are really enjoyable bits of horror that left me craving a third and hopefully a fourth helping.

--Robert L. Castillo        

Flashback Corner--Dog Soldiers

          I can usually recall who I heard say “Watch this movie, it’s awesome.”  But I can’t for the life of me remember who told to me to check out “Dog Soldiers”.  I do remember I rented it from Hollywood Video back in 2002 and they only had one copy on the shelf for rent.  I watched it that night and was amazed that someone had actually made a really good werewolf movie and nobody had heard of it.  There are not many films that star my favorite movie monster and even less that end up doing everything right, from the transformation, to the gore, and most importantly that right amount of humor.

The film begins as a Scottish Highlands with the classic couple in the woods alone, as they are attacked (how could they not be) by an unseen beast.  It cuts to Cooper played by Kevin McKidd (Trainspotting) trying out for a spot on a Special Forces team, but is kicked out when he won’t shoot a dog.  After he is put back in his squad of British soldiers they all are in the middle of a training exercise that requires them to seek out another team.  When they find the other teams camp they see that they have been slaughtered.  The only survivor won’t tell them exactly what he saw and it doesn’t take long before they are attacked as well by a pack of werewolves.  They take refuge with a zoologist (that’s not suspicious) in a small house in the middle of nowhere.  They are surrounded and picked off as the creatures try to kill them all.

The cover of the Bluray/DVD makes comparisons to “Jaws” “Aliens” and “Predator” and that’s as true as it can be.  It references some of these classics and many others from “The Shinning”, “The Matrix” to “Wrath of Khan”.  But that’s just fanboy service.  What counts here is the werewolf action, and it’s pretty great considering they did it with such a low budget.  The gore of the kills and partial kills (there’s an intestine thing) is good enough and there’s plenty of it throughout.  The wolves are practical and you can tell, but it’s how they utilize them that makes it work, they do the “Jaws” approach, both to build tension and because they had some of the same issues as the ’75 classic, the creature didn’t always work.  And while the acting is not Oscar worthy, the script makes up the difference, just remember, they’re Scottish, so they may be a little hard to understand.  The storyline is basic in as much as “Aliens” and “Predator” were: bad monsters going after soldiers, soldiers die, and our hero may or may not make it.

It’s a really fun horror flick if you’re tired of all the “Underworld” and “Twilight” movies trying to tell us how werewolves are supposed to look like and act.  This is the good stuff, and while it doesn’t stray too far from its B-movie roots, director Neil Marshall treats “Dog Soldiers” with incredible passion for the subject matter.  As he does in his later films, like the claustrophobic ride “The Descent” and the hell-on-wheels and very underrated “Doomsday”, both of which I recommend as well if you like your horror with filled with gore, a touch of humor, and a lot of intensity.

--Robert L. Castillo         

Something Blu--Dark City

In 1999 everyone flipped out over “The Matrix”.  The story, the characters, the action, the still impressive bullet-time, it all was incredible and it was all well deserved.  The only thing that bummed me out then and even now is that a year earlier a film was released with a similar story, unique characters, maybe not as good action and instead of bullet-time, there was “tuning” and it remained unrecognized as an equal contributor to modern day science fiction.  “Dark City” was overshadowed by the still sailing “Titanic”, and was forgotten when the Wachowski’s gave us ‘the one’.  But looking at it now, director Alex Proyas brought to the screen a film that deserves to be acknowledged and remembered as a classic in sci-fi film history.

A man (Rufus Sewell) wakes up naked in a bathtub and without his memory, when he comes to find out that he’s John Murdoch he realizes he’s wanted for a murder he doesn’t remember committing, and feels that he doesn’t even have it in him to do such a thing.  He’s chased by creepy trench-coated bald pale men called “Strangers” with names like Mr. Hand, Mr. Quick, and Mr. Book.  Also on his tail is Inspector Bumstead (William Hurt) who is looking for a killer of women, but feels that things are not what they seem in his city.  Murdoch’s wife (Jennifer Connelly) is wondering where he is and why he has no memory of her.  Light is shined on all of their situations by the Strangers slave Dr. Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland) when he tells them that they are part of an experiment in human nature.  As Murdoch strives to remember who he is and who he was with the fragmented childhood memories of the elusive Shell Beach, he brings Bumstead and his wife into the fold to discover the truth of the Strangers and their mysterious intentions towards everyone in the dark city.

The only thing that I’ll give “The Matrix” over this, besides the effects and action is the characters, they are more flat in “Dark City” but that part of it may be attributed to the direction that they are supposed to be virtual blank slates that have been wiped too much.  Other than that I feel that it’s superior in concept, its focus, substance, and its resolution of the story in a final act which coincidently is not too dissimilar from that of the third “Matrix” film.  The script by Lem Dobbs, David Goyer, and director Proyas is methodical, patient, and the world building is stellar.  It also nails its tone like no other.  The set design which feels like a more gothic Gotham-type city where eras are blended together and it lends itself to that maze imagery used in the film.  The characters are all in search of something deeper, a way out and when the truth is revealed, new questions come to light as does the desire to be free.

If you’ve seen it before and loved it, you would do well to watch this director’s cut with the audio commentary by film critic Roger Ebert.  Now while I didn’t always agree with his take on certain films, his love for “Dark City” is completely evident as he waxes intellectual on a range of subjects revolving around the film and he believes as I do that this is a classic piece of cinema.  Like him or not the man knew his stuff and it’s worth a listen to give you a much deeper understanding of an already fantastic film.

The Blu-Ray transfer looks beautiful like it does with a lot of films.  Though some of the visual effects show their cracks but practically every shot of the city which was all filmed on sets and not with physical locations is brilliant to watch.  From the close-up on the actors faces and hands, the textures of the buildings, the amazing stark of the lighting, it all brings Proyas’s singular vision to life and it is worth experiencing again and again.

--Robert L. Castillo

Flashback Corner--Dreamscape

“I know what you’re afraid of Alex.”

 

          In 2010 Christopher Nolan gave us “Inception” and showed how dreams can affect the real world.  In the fall of 1984 Wes Craven’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street” showed us how you can die in your dreams.  But a few months earlier in the summer of ’84 B-movie director Joseph Ruben stepped up his game and showed us the possibilities that can occur when we sleep with “Dreamscape”.

Starring Dennis Quaid as a psychic who left the institute that helped him develop his power and now uses it to gamble and score with women.  His former mentor played by Max von Sydow brings him back to the institute to help with a secret government project run by the always villainous Christopher Plummer as Blair the man intent on using the dream-walkers abilities to help assassinate selected targets in their sleep.  The other villain of the piece is played by the creepy David Patrick Kelly who most remember as Luther in “The Warriors” where he uttered the immortal line “Warriors, come out to plaaayyy.”  He’s not in the film much but is memorable especially in the final nightmare showdown.  Kate Capshaw rounds out the cast as the love interest complete with the 80’s hair and shoulder pads.

This was one of those films that gained its cult following because of the amount of times it was run on basic cable in the 80’s.  Looking at it now I can see why it was overshadowed by the first appearance of Freddy Krueger, which focuses solely on the horror elements of dreams.  “Dreamscape” is kinda all over the place as far as tone.  The dreams run from the ordinary fear of falling from a skyscraper to the wacky cheating wife, all the way to the terrifying monster of a little boy’s nightmare.

It never fully commits to one particular genre.  And that is part of the charm of the film, you don’t get settled in to laughing or being scared, it’s just a fun and relatively short ride running just over an hour and a half.  The concept has that “Twilight Zone” appeal and I think, on its own is still really strong, assassinating political figures in their sleep?  It screams Cold War and it’s only covered briefly in the film but I think more could have been done with that particular storyline. The effects in the film rely heavily on the widely used green-screen process which became cheaper to do after 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back”.  Most TV commercials look better by comparison, but in the end whenever you got Dennis Quaid, spike-ended nunchucks, and snake monsters, you got a classic.

--Robert L. Castillo

   

Jack Ryan : Shadow Recruit

                                                         

                 There are some cinematic characters that defy needing the same actor to play them, names that come to mind are Bond, Batman, and Jack Ryan. Where Mr. Bond has had six different actors playing the role, the Jack Ryan series is trying to catch up with actor number four bringing the character to life. How did the new blood do? Well let me tell you.

                Jack Ryan (Chris Pine) is a smart guy, who has a certain talent.  He has a great mind to figure things out, so if you can problem-solve in a tense situation, you should join the C.I.A. And that’s exactly what Ryan does after he is recruited by Commander Harper (Kevin Costner). Ryan is assigned to analyze the financial sector for any suspicious transactions. When Ryan notices something fishy, he is made to go to Moscow, to dig deeper and find out what exactly is going on. While there, he meets Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth Branagh) who runs the company that Ryan is investigating and who pretty much has bad guy written all over him. Ryan does his thing and uncovers Cherevin’s plan, and attempts to do what every good spy does, save the world for impending disaster.

              I am not going to lie, I have always had a soft spot for the Jack Ryan movies.  Ever since 1990’s “The Hunt for Red October” I have been a fan. As much as I love the movies, I have never picked up any of the novels, which were written by the late Tom Clancy. So how do you follow names like Baldwin, Ford, and Affleck, well you get an actor who fits that mold, and with Chris Pine (Star Trek) they nailed it.  Pine showed he had what it takes to play a spy in 2012’s not so memorable film “This Means War”, where he used his spy powers for love.  Lucky for us, this time he is not trying to win the affection of a lady, but trying to save the country. But as good as Pine is as Ryan, it’s even more fun to see Kevin Costner being Kevin Costner again. Watching him play Commander Harper reminds me of how good he can be in roles that are more tailored for him.  Kenneth Branagh not only plays the villain in this movie, but also directs it as well and unlike in the film, he is not hell-bent in destroying the franchise.  He balances the action and character building very well, and keeps the story from David Koepp and Adam Cozad from going too far off-track.

This film doesn't add anything particularly new to the Ryan franchise, but more importantly for me it doesn't take anything away from it either. If you’re the type of person who likes a good thriller then you will appreciate this film. You won’t find many good choices at your local theater this weekend anyway, so why not see a film that gives you a great ride with the new Jack Ryan, and also happens to be entertaining.

Brian Taylor 

Ride Along

                                                                       

            Being the chosen one in anything can be a difficult situation for anyone. To be that person to be the next big thing can bring a lot of pressure. When it comes to movies the system is always trying to find someone to latch on to, the next comedy star, or the next action hero. Well when it comes to the next action hero, that hasn't worked out too well, just look at the names headlining action movies, they are the same ones from thirty years ago. Now comedy is trying not to get caught in the “old is new” format, and for the most part it has fared a lot better with the likes of Zach Galifianakis, and Melissa McCarthy.  The man of the hour is Kevin Hart. Don’t know who he is?  Don’t worry, with four movies coming out this year alone, you are about to know him very well.

        Hart’s stand up act is about as good as you get in that world, so the only next logical step is movies. The good news is, he pretty much plays that guy from his stand up in every movie. He is not trying to be dramatic and win an Oscar, at least not yet, he just wants to make you laugh. In “Ride Along” he plays the preverbal fish out of water, but only like Kevin Hart can play. Ben (Kevin Hart) is a wannabe cop. He is attempting to get into the police academy in order to impress his girlfriend Angela ( Tika Sumpter) and to be the man she deserves. Unfortunately he also needs to impress her brother James (Ice Cube), a cop who doesn't think very highly of Ben.  James invites Ben on a (surprise) ride along hoping to use the opportunity to scare Ben away, while Ben wants to show James he is good enough for his sister. What happens next is all kinds of hijinks and mayhem ensue and a whole lot of Kevin Hart being Kevin Hart.

      This film kind of has me torn, mainly because I like Kevin Hart the comedian; in the words of Ray Liotta from “Goodfellas” he is a “funny guy”. The problem is that the movie is not very funny. Of course it has some funny moments, most of which you can see in the trailer. After said parts, the story becomes predictable and well, not so funny. When you find a way to make Kevin Hart not funny, and Ice Cube act the whole time like he is mad at a bottle of beer, you have just made a lackluster movie.  This could have been funnier, or at least don’t show all of the gold during the trailer. I almost felt like this movie was made for a future weekend long broadcast on TNT, along with all the other PG-13 Ice Cube movies. Save yourself ten dollars and just watch the trailer, you get the whole movie in a nice two minute sum up, because this ride is a lot better when cut short.

Brian Taylor 

Seven Sequels Sure to Score

Every year I tell myself I am not going to write about the excessive amount of sequels that come out every year.  But with over 20 sequels coming soon to a theater near you, some involving superheroes, dragons, and possibly Dinobots, I simply couldn’t resist.  The truth is I always hope to see the next film that will creep its way into the pantheon of follow-ups like “T2”, “Spider-man 2”, “Aliens”, or “Wrath of Kahn”.  This year’s second, third, and even fifth parts in the franchise are almost sure to win with the masses and there are a few others that I hope will surprise.

 

Captain America: Winter Soldier-- April 4th

After “Iron Man” my favorite Marvel movie is “Captain America: The First Avenger”.  Director Joe Johnston was completely in his element as he was in “The Rocketeer”, making Cap a true hero for the ages.  The trailer for “Winter Soldier” looks promising, and the comic book storyline is great, I just hope the new directors, the brothers Russo know how to handle this hero post “Avengers” where Cap was given very little to do.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2—May 2nd

I didn’t think too much of the Spider-Man reboot two years ago.  Though there were things to like about it, with Garfield’s portrayal of Peter Parker, and making Spidey more spider-like.  But its origin paled in comparison to Rami’s 2002 version.  This sequel seems to do what it took other films three tries to do, villain overload.  That is almost a sure-fire way to kill a franchise.

X-Men: Days of Future Past—May 23rd

Speaking of the killing of a franchise, Fox did a number on the X-Men in a way Magneto never could have with the knock down of “X-Men: The Last Stand” and the kick’em when they’re down “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”.  But with the resurgence of superheroes and the return to form with “X-Men: First Class” and last years “The Wolverine” the X-Men are rising like the Dark Phoenix.  And with the daddy of the franchise, Bryan Singer returning behind the camera with a classic storyline in tow this one has ‘epic’ written all over it.

How to Train Your Dragon 2—June 13th

The magnificence that was the original “How to Train Your Dragon” and with the same team returning for this one, I expect greatness once again with even more brilliant flying/action sequences.  The story feels more ambitious but that’s the formula for animated sequels. If you don’t up the stakes what is there to care about?

Transformers: Age of Extinction—June 27th

Michael Bay sorta redeemed himself in his last Transformers film “The Dark of the Moon” at least on an action standpoint.  The robot stuff was way more interesting than the human drama, if you could call it that.  This time they dropped LaBeouf and picked up Mark Wahlberg, which may or may not be the best of signs.  But they’ll make their money, either at the box office or on the toy shelves.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1—November 21st

This one could go one of two ways: either better than the previous as they have been, or struggle trying to stretch one book into two movies.  But with the end in sight, the action and body count will rise as Katniss and company take on the Capitol in a fight to the end, well more like cliffhanger ‘end’ until next year’s finale in Mockingjay Part 2.

The Hobbit: There and Back Again—December 17^th

After the all talk of the first Hobbit film and the all action of the second Hobbit, here’s hoping that Peter Jackson can find the balance in the final installment of a not-as-great-trilogy as the original “Lord of the Rings”.  But I will settle for a larger-than-life battle to end all battles ending when the five armies come to play.  And they still need to take care of the whole Smaug thing.  It already sounds over-stuffed, either way I will be there opening day.

Whether or not any of these will be better or any good at all it matters little, the fact is they will make serious bank. The other sequels that I hope will do better than their predecessors are filled with fast cars, crazy apes, and gun-toting bad-asses such as Chris Pine, John Brolin, and of course Channing Tatum.

 Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, 22 Jump St., Fast and Furious 7, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Sin City: A Dame to Kill for.

--Robert L. Castillo

The Legend of Hercules

                                                                       

Original ideas can be hard to come by in Hollywood. When something hits big, there can be a mad dash to release so many imitations that it’s scary. For example when Harry Potter became the blockbuster we all knew it would be, every studio tried to find the next young adult property that would make them money.  To this day they are still trying to re-capture that magic, so to speak.  The other thing studios love doing is rehashing timeless characters, because you can never have enough films about Dracula or Snow White. A once go-to character used to be Hercules, now he belongs more in the realm of the Syfy original movie, but Hollywood has decided to give him the “300” treatment in “The Legend of Hercules”.

     Well even though no one and I mean no one was clamoring for it, we are lucky enough to get two Hercules movies this year, ok, I’ll wait a second for you to take that in. The first offering is “The Legend of Hercules” staring Kellan Lutz as Hercules. Kellan you may recall was one of the Cullen’s from the Twilight series, (see there’s the YA connection) and while he doesn’t sparkle like in those films, he still has that same look in his eyes. Everyone knows the story of Hercules, or least has heard the name. Hercules is the son of Zeus, who was born to help end the rule of his step-father, King Amphitryon (Scott Adkins). Hercules does not know the identity of his real father and only finds out when he is being sent to control a rebellion. Betrayed, Hercules returns to his father’s kingdom, to claim the throne and his forbidden love, Hebe (Gaia Weiss).

    Director Renny Harlin pulled out all the tricks he learned from watching “300”, like men screaming, and of course lots of slow motion fighting.  There are quite a few times in fact that I think he was just trying to make “300” again. Renny Harlin has been called a hack, and it shows here more now than ever. I always try and find something good about a film, because I understand a lot of people’s hard work went into making this, but I just can’t bring myself to find anything positive worth mentioning. There is something about this character that makes it hard to make a good film about in our day and age. To me the only good adaption was the TV series, oh and maybe “The Three Stooges Meet Hercules”. Let’s hold out hope that our second offering of Hercules staring The Rock will be better than this current one, because let’s face it, it can’t get any worse than this.  Oh, wait, the next one is directed by Brett Ratner… sigh.

Brian Taylor 

Lone Survivor

                                                                           

             Some of the most epic films over time have dealt with the subject of war. Not just the destruction that war brings, but the triumph and tragedy of the men involved. Greatness is often bestowed onto men who claim victory, and we honor those who have fallen. In the early days of film, it wasn't about realism as much as it was about the characters that were on the front lines. Today it seems to be about trying to immerse you into the world of war, so you can witness firsthand what it is like. “Saving Private Ryan” was one of the first films to do this and many have followed since then, but none will make you feel like this film does.

          “Lone Survivor” is about a failed 2005 mission “Operation Red Wings” to kill or capture notorious Taliban leader Ahmad Shahd. A Navy Seal team consisting of four men was sent to scout ahead for the mission. The team was lead by Mike Murphy (Taylor Kitsch) and also included Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg), Danny Dietz (Emile Hirsch), and Matt Axelson (Ben Foster). What was supposed to be a mission against a small group of men, turned into a battle with a small army, and a war of survival.

        When a filmmaker makes something out of a passion instead of a paycheck, it really shows in the final product. Director Peter Berg (The Kingdom), who also wrote the screenplay, made this film for the soldiers who did not come home from that mission. And not just for them, but for all those who have fought for our country. From the opening credits of footage of boot camp, to the end where the actors played second fiddle to the real stars of the film. You will be in awe as you witness the intensity and brutality of what these men went through, and what they fought for.
        I will be the first to admit, I did not have high expectations for this movie after I saw the first trailer. But as I sat there and watched the story unfold, I could not take my eyes off the screen and afterwards I could not think of anything but the courage each one of those men displayed. “Lone Survivor” is one of those movies that does not shy away from the truth and does not candy coat what really happened in those hills.  Like any movie they take creative license with the material, but it doesn't take away the fact that this is a very good movie, and one that you will want to encourage your friends and family to see. My hat goes off to Mr. Berg, and everyone in involved in the making of this film, they have made a fantastic movie, and one that not only deserves to be seen, but deserves to be remembered.

Brian Taylor
 

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

                                                           

                When it comes to horror movies in Hollywood they pretty much follow the same formula. I’m not talking about the method of instilling fear in you, but the way they always manage to run a franchise into the ground. It seems so many horror franchises start out as the next chosen one in the genre, but once they put a number 4 or 5 at the end of the film’s title it seems the soul of the original dies as gruesome a death as a Jason or Freddy victim. The question is can you blame them?  In the world of box office grosses, horror movies are so cheap to make, that most times it’s a sure thing to make money and in some cases lots of it.  The perfect example of this can be seen in last year’s “The Conjuring” which was made for 20 million dollars went on to make over 300 million at the box office.  So what else do you expect?

            Well if you are the Paramount Studios, you release another “Paranormal Activity” and watch it print money.  The previous “Paranormal” films were all connected with a pair of sisters who went through some horrific nights, both as children and adults. This film does not involve that family, but instead switches to a teenager named Jesse (Andrew Jacobs), who just graduated from High School. Jesse lives in an apartment complex with his father and grandmother. He’s just a normal guy who hangs out with his friends Hector (Jorge Diaz) and Marisol (Gabrielle Walsh) as they spend the days not doing much. When they stumble upon the death of Jesse’s downstairs neighbor, this is where things are supposed to get really scary.  While trying to unlock this mystery, Jesse discovers a weird mark on his arm, and he starts to change. What happens next?  Who cares?

          Part of me wants to tell you the whole story, only because I don’t want you to waste your money. This is not a very good film at all. I know most of the “Paranormal” films were not very good, but at least they did found inventive ways to scare you or at least creep you out in some way.  In “The Marked Ones”, the only fear induced is realizing you wasted an hour and a half of your time. In 2007 when Oren Peli made “Paranormal Activity” for something like twenty dollars, and it was original. The film brought something new to the horror film genre and started a new way to make movies. That new way was cheap and efficient found footage horror movies. Well seven years and so many movies later, it is not so fresh anymore, in fact it is just plan tired.  I think the studios need to take a break, or find a way to do something different with it, but I know they won’t. As the old saying goes “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it”. “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones” will make a huge profit, and the series will keep going and going, at least until there is no more money to be made. Just like a professorial athlete who hung on for too long and becomes a shell of their once great self, this series is past its prime. In the world of found footage horror movies, this one is better left lost.  Until the next one that is.

Brian Taylor

Men of Iron and Steel

          One thing that I’ve noticed reviewing movies over the years, is when you see anywhere from 60 to 100 movies in one year you have a tendency to get very critical of the films you see.  Sometimes if something isn’t “Citizen Kane” you can tend to put it in the class of 'bad' movie.  This can be unfair to movies that have a much different agenda than  trying to be on AFI’s top films of all time. Some just look to entertain you for a couple of hours, or to share an escape of reality with a group of strangers in the dark.  Ok, that sounded better in my head, but you get the idea.  There’s something about watching films together in a group or with someone who feels the same way about movies, and the movie-going experience as you do.

It’s as though I sometimes find myself looking more for the silent connections with who I see the movie with rather than the movie itself.  A shared moment with someone who is seeing what I’m seeing for the first time.  Or in the case of “Return of the Jedi” in 1983 with my cousin on Christmas day watching the film together for the third time.  I live for those occasions where I can share a movie with someone, and this year I was able have those moments several times with my children.

There were the usual movies I took them to where it was solely to entertain them, movies like “Epic”, Monsters Univeristy”, “Smurfs” and “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2”.  Then there were the two great animated films of the year in “Turbo” and “Frozen” where both my children and I were transported to someplace special, and most importantly, together.

I can remember standing in line for an hour with my dad to see “Rocky IV” at the Northwest Theater in 1985.  The anticipation and eventual joy of watching Rocky Balboa beat the giant Russian, and afterwards my dad taking me to Montgomery Wards to get the official “Rocky IV” t-shirt.  That was pretty much a whole day spent together that started with the sharing of a movie, and what was created was a memory that will be with me forever.   

My two favorite movie-going experiences this year involved me seeing “Iron Man 3” and “Man of Steel” with my son.  Growing up loving comic books and all things superhero, now almost 40 years later sharing with my son the origin of the last son of Kyrpton and the further adventures of his favorite Avenger, these are the reasons I love going to the movies now.  To see the wonder in his eyes when he sees Superman take flight for the first time, or when Tony Stark’s 42 Iron Men come to the rescue.  It’s the look I’m sure I had when Darth Vader saved Luke, or when Michael Keaton uttered the immortal words “I’m Batman”.  These are the moments I look for now as a father, I want my kids to have their Star Wars moments, or seeing a future Disney classic that will eventually live in the DVD player for weeks and weeks after it's bought, because it’s worth seeing over and over again.

It’s not something that many people understand, I mean they are just movies, it’s all fiction and none of it is real.  And yeah they’re predictable storylines with guys in silly capes and red boots, but there is something amazing about what we share, and it’s rarely able to be put into words, but it is real and it is important.  To me it’s essential to a young life and the life of a family that it continues, both now and for the generations to come.

--Robert L. Castillo