The Lego Batman Movie

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....The Lego Batman Movie!

Original image located here. Accessed 28th December 2018

I once declared that Mask of Phantasm was the greatest Batman ever made. Now however I may have reason to reconsider.

There's a lot to unpack here so let;s just fall onto bullet points:
- It's been a while since I last saw a movie that left me laughing out loud and laughing a lot.
- Anyone else find that Batman's a lot more fun when he's a jerk?
- Self referential gags aplenty here. Not that I'm complaining.
- I actually like this 'machine gun' style of jokes. True it may get exhausting to keep up but it's never dull.
- I know some Batman fans like to elevate their idol to a superhuman status. This Batman seems like the accumulation of such adulation but it doesn't seem like a good thing. Which makes this Batman even funnier.
- Funny thing: The LA DC movies are super serious but this animated effort is a lot more fun. And thus a better movie.

Bumblebee

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Bumblebee!

Original image located here. Accessed 21st December 2018

I've never really cared much for Bayformers but I have to admit that this was...... an improvement.

Yes, I'm finding it hard to believe myself. So lets cut to the chase and use dot points:
- This was unexpected: It had humour, heart and some touching moments. Unusual for this particular franchise and even more unusual in that they actually work
- Having a rockin' eighties soundtrack didn't hurt either
- Funny thing: When I originally saw the first Bayformers movie i was frustrated that there seemed to be more focus on the human characters than the Transformers themselves. Here, i have the opposite problem XD
- No way around it: Hailee Steinfeld carries a lot of this movie - so much so i want to see what happens next with this character
- Watching the end credits I noticed this movie was written by a woman, Christina Hodson. If this was a gamble then it clearly paid off
- Ultimately this seems a better movie than it ought to be. And after five attempts, they finally got it right. So what now?

Mortal Engines

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Mortal Engines!

Original image located here. Accessed 14th December 2018

I knew little about this movie going in. But it was only after I saw this movie that i became aware it's actually based on a series of children's fantasy books - I think the mention of Scholastic Publishing in the opening credits may have been a giveaway.

I have to admit that there is a lot of creativity at work here, there's some decent art direction and the opening scene is incredible. But in the end, the movie is a rather empty experience. Get past the flashy effects and, like a lot of other movies, there's not a lot else. The protagonists are dull, the commentary is on the nose and everything's running at a pace so rapid you'd think it was frightened that the audience will fall asleep.
Special mention however must go to Shrike. He is flat out the best character. He is the most interesting character having a level of tragedy and complexity that would've done Shakespeare proud. Why isn't the movie about him?

Isao Takahata and His Tale of the Princess Kaguya

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Isao Takahata and His Tale of the Princess Kaguya!

Original image located here. Accessed 7th December 2018

Well I saw The Tale of the Princess Kaguya last week (as well as The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness earlier this year) so seeing this was inevitable.
As mentioned last week, I'd always felt that Takahata tends to get overlooked by Ghibli fans so seeing this documentary, focusing on the man himself is welcome indeed. Much like the aforementioned The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness, we see the trials and tribulations going into making a movie at Ghibli and the approach the director takes - but in this case the approach is completely different from Miyazaki.

Thus we see Takahata pushing the envelope as to what animation could accomplish (largely to compensate for his inability to draw), a real trial and error approach to completing a task and facing down a monumental workload. And despite the frustrations caused, Takahata remains funny, passionate and a contrast from the Grumpy Old Man that Miyazaki has become known for in recent years.
I think some of the best moments in the movie come from seeing both Takahata and Miyazaki together and watching these two personalities bounce off each other. It looks natural and a delight to see two long-lasting friends and creative talents together and the bond they clearly have.
A bond that has sadly since been broken

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Kaguya-hime no Monogatari (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya)!

Original image located here. Accessed 30th November 2018

I've always had a soft spot for Isao Takahata. Whilst Hayao Miyazaki has become synonymous with Studio Ghibli, it unfortunately results in the other movies and filmmakers in that collective being given the shaft. Which is shame because a lot of said movies, are superb works, worthy of standing both on their own two feet and emerging out of the shadow of what Miyazaki's imagination can cook up. I mean Takahata is the co-founder of Ghibli so that must count for something right?
In any case, Takahata left this earthly plane earlier this year so now is a good time as any to visit his final movie.

Let me say this up front: It's going to be impossible to divorce this movie from the creator. It's going to be impossible to vie this movie as the accumulation of what Takahata's been doing over his career. It's going to be impossible to see this movie as a meditation from someone who felt his time was approaching.
So what is this movie then? It is perhaps the most beautiful movies I have ever seen, animated or otherwise, and easily capable of standing tall as one of Ghibli's strongest works (which is indeed saying something).
And I will even admit a particular poignancy to seeing the final credit of 'Directed by Isao Takahata' fading in before fading to black.

Deliverance

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Deliverance!

Original image located here. Accessed 23rd November 2018

Well that was enough to put me off going through the wilderness again.
But that, of course, was precisely the point.

It may look like an action movie but it's not: Its more of a thriller and, quite frankly, all the better for it. Packed with both suspense and a threatening mood which neither let up for a second, what i got the most out of this was a critical eye cast towards action/macho movies. And that is surely something that should be standout over 'squealing like a pig'
Also R.I.P Burt Reynolds.

Fahrenheit 11/9

And this week's Friday night movie has been....Fahrenheit 11/9!

Original image located here. Accessed 16th November 2018

It all began during my Uni days: i was flicking through the channels on TV when i stumbled across this guy called Michael Moore. I was fascinated by his humor, his anger and his stunts that always ended with him getting kicked out of some major place. In recent years, I thought he'd gone silent but no: Here we are with his latest celluloid rant.

Going after President Trump would indeed be an easy target but somehow Moore makes it interesting. Highlights included:
- The opening which shows the Hillary supporters on election night thinking they've won - only to be hit with the result which makes it painful to watch.
- The debacle that was the Bernie Sanders campaign
- Moore's own meeting with Trump
- A comparison with 1930s Germany that actually make sense
- The horrors of the water system in Flint Michigan
- And the rising up of youth to take a stand for themselves.

I may know little of US politics (but then again, my country isn't doing that much better) but this was an eye opener to say the least.
Still, imagine what would happen if Michael Moore didn't have something to get angry about

Bohemian Rhapsody

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Bohemian Rhapsody!

Original image located here. Accessed 9th November 2018

I tend to approach biopics with caution: On one hand, for any filmmaker attempting one, they have a responsibility to meet as they are drawing from history and people will take the final product as gospel (not to mention the people online who will whinge about each and every inaccuracy). But on the other hand, the finished product must still adhere to a proper storytelling structure and see some numbers in the audience.
It's a tricky balancing act that few can pull off. So can the current darling of cinema pull it off?

Weeeeeeelllllllllllll....................uuuuuuuummmmmmmmm.......
Let me say this: I love me some Queen and their story may be a gold mine to make into a movie but I can't help feeling that said story is shown here in a sanitized light. Everything moves at an abrupt pace, there are some timing issues (Freddie appeared to have such a busy day on the day of Live Aid), and some glaring inaccuracies.
Not a bad movie - there are indeed some mindbogglingly accurate performances - but somehow I felt this could've been more.......

Zootopia

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Zootopia!

Original image located here. Accessed 2nd November 2018

As is often the case with this series, I took the long road to getting to my destination...

....But it was worth it!

Well there isn't a lot I can say about this movie: It was hilarious and was never once boring. Great dialogue, a compelling lead and a some decent wisdom being imparted about being yourself and never settling for complacency.
Granted I'm not sold on this whole 'surprise villain' that seems to be Disney's flavor of the month but other than that, this was indeed a gem in the Disney canon.
Okay sure that canon is full of gems but this one is one of the brightest!

Slumber Party Massacre

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....The Slumber Party Massacre!

Original image located here. Accessed 26th October 2018

I may have said this before but let's be clear: Slasher movies aren't my favorite movie genre. My reasons are varied but chief among them are a) their misogynist nature and b) the fact that they tend to be populated by idiots who subsequently get hacked to death (granted that may be precisely the point but still...).
However I may be kinder to slasher movies that parody the genre and mock a lot of the familiar tropes. And that's what made me aware of this movie. That and the fact that this is a slasher movie written by a woman and produced/directed by a woman. So perhaps a different perspective may result in a different movie?

Well there are some solid moments of tension, some decent parody scenes and a truly chilling performance from the guy playing the baddie. But in the end it's not enough to distinguish it from the other slasher movies out there. As a result, I'm still not sold on the slasher genre.
Easy come, easy go?

Army of Darkness

Last night I saw Army of Darkness.

Original image located here. Accessed 22nd October 2018

This isn't the first time I've seen this movie - which subsequently disqualifies it as a candidate for the Friday Night Movie. But when i first saw this movie it was my first exposure to the Evil Dead franchise - which in turn left me wondering what the hell is going on. Still, I have since seen it's predecessors, so revisiting this film would make for an even playing field, right?

Make no mistake, this is the silliest of the trilogy - to a point where it no longer has any resemblance to a horror movie. It also is the point where Ash's character solidifies into a sarcastic anti-hero he is best known for - but I've seen him, over the course of two movies, arrive to that point in time and yeah, I'd probably get quite irate too.
I spoke previously about how I'm confused as to how to react to such a horror/comedy hybrid but that doesn't seem to be the case here: Army of Darkness is clearly a comedy but for me, such an clear sense of identity comes at the cost of my interest. Still it was funny to me to see Patrica Tallman in it (wow, Lyta Alexander really let herself go!)

Evil Dead 2

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Evil Dead 2!

Original image located here. Accessed 19th October 2018

Well i was warned that the silliness will continue....

I once heard a theory that proposed that: 'Sequels are remakes with bigger budgets'. And you could certainly make a case for that here.
It's >an improvement over it;s predecessor with more humor, more special effects and more fast camera work that makes me wonder if Sonic the Hedgehog was hired to shoot the movie.
But I still find the combination of comedy and horror a strange one: There are times when I am confused as to whether I should be put off or roaring with laughter.
Also, this is clearly the point in the series where Ash makes his mark as an anti-hero: the kind that has been replicated countless times over since (Duke Nukem anyone?). But because of this replication, the original subsequently seems to lack the impact he originally had.
Still this is the strongest of the series so far. Which now brings us to Army of Darkness.....

The Evil Dead

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....The Evil Dead!

Original image located here. Accessed 12th October 2018

Well i once told myself that I would have to watch the Evil Dead trilogy - and in correct chronological order - so October seems a good time as any.

As is my understanding the Evil Dead movies have a reputation of combining humor and horror. That however doesn't appear to be the case here. This? Well, it's bloody. And it does come across as being a triumph of movie making on the cheap. And it's bloody. And it has some decent atmosphere. And it's bloody. And it boasts horrific but inventive special effects. And it's bloody. And it apparently rewrote the rulebook for slashers. Oh and did i mention it's bloody?
But in the terms of being a horror and humor hybrid, it's less of a humorous movie and more disturbing - particularly through the lens of thirty odd years of age.
Tucker and Dale Vs Evil it ain't.....

Still if a horror movie is meant to challenge an audience in a discomforting manner, well this movie succeeded at that end.