Aladdin and the King of Thieves

And this week's Friday night movie has been....Aladdin and the King of Thieves!

Original image located here. Accessed 31st May 2019

It is indeed a given that the Disney sequels tend to be wretched and forgettable but for me, it was either this or the remake.

Okay serious now:
So this movie was intended to conclude both the movies and the TV series. And oh look! We have Robin Williams returning to voice the genie.
But for me, the real meat is, of course, the King of Thieves himself Cassim. He's fascinating character, he has the voice of John Rhys-Davies and the scenes where he is interacting, and bonding, with Aladdin were great. I heard Cassim has his fangirls and, it would appear, not without good reason.
Other than that, the animation tends to flip flop between terrible and imaginative, Jasmine gets sidelined, the genie hijacks the movie too often and some of the joke's don't work. I know the genie was based entirely around Williams' stand-up routine but here it comes across as 'too much of a good thing'.

Does this movie come across as soulless as Disney sequels are known for? Sometimes, but there are some good ideas and some interesting plot points. But such potential isn't truly realized.
It's not bad but could have been better

Won't You Be My Neighbor

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Won't You Be My Neighbor!

Original image located here. Accessed 24th May 2019

As someone of the non-US persuasion, Fred Rogers has been something of an enigma. I never saw his show, I never grasped his life lessons and he was never consistently there dispensing wisdom and guidance when needed. Yet it would seem more than a few people in the US grew up watching Fred and still hold him in high regard, So maybe this recent documentary may introduce me to someone new?

Of course it can.
Much like the man himself, this documentary is honest in it's approach, showing it's audience (in particular to outsiders like myself) who Fred was and his beliefs. We see his commitment to Children's television, his implacable sincerity, his challenge before Congress when they threatened to cut funding, and just how willing Fred was to push the boundaries of what could be said on a Children's television program.
But i think the greatest impression this documentary imparts is Fred's tireless message in being yourself and finding self-worth. And in an age where everyone is falling over themselves to say what you can't do and what you can't do, such a message still resonates more than ever. In fact it's not just a message for children - some adults may benefit from such reassurance as well.

Mary and Max

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Mary and Max!

Original image located here. Accessed 17th May 2019

Those who follow this series would know that i have a particular favoritism towards movies that aim to portray autism in a serious light. They are indeed rare and, as an Aspergian, welcoming.

Well firstly, the art direction is great and the dry humor is hilarious. Now with that out of the way, I have to say that this is so far the best representation of Aspergers Syndrome i have seen on celluloid. Not only does it portray the various aspects of it and explain how it effects the diagnosed, but it, more than anything, it shows the social awkwardness of being an Aspergian. It shows the disconnect from 'normal people' and an-all-too-human want to connect with other people.
And as for that last scene......I'm not crying YOU'RE CRYING!!!!!!!!!!

Willow

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

Original image located here. Accessed 10th May 2019

Said it once and I'll say it again: The eighties were a fertile ground for fantasy movies and, given the passage of time, sport a more grungy/fascinating look in a post-Lord of the Rings world. And with rumors circulating that Disney wants to do a sequel of this IP I guess now is a good time as any to take a gander at this movie.

Hooo boy has this movie not aged well. Okay, sure any degree of high fantasy in a movie is better than none and there are some interesting ideas at work. But the special effects are indeed dated and look hideous - moreso considering this is from Lucasfilm/Industrial Light and Magic, whose experience in special effects have been better both before and since.
But ultimately, who is this movie for? To me, one gets the feeling it was made for an older audience than children but at the same time, it does come across as being somewhat cringe-worthy/condescending for both teenagers and adults.
Not bad but not that great either

Avengers Endgame

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

Original image located here. Accessed 3rd May 2019

I think we all know the drill by now: Anyone who has seen this movie is being tight-lipped about it. So much so that they will come down on anyone who gives away plot details like a tonne of bricks. I've previously viewed that seeing a particular movie can seem like a secret handshake but this is another level entirely.

So in the spirit of this, let me say one thing: After eleven years and twenty-one movies i expected nothing less than a triumph - and that's exactly what i got

All Quiet on the Western Front

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....All Quiet on the Western Front!

Original image located here. Accessed 26th April 2019

Well yesterday was Anzac Day so of course I will watch a war movie. And you can't do better than the granddaddy of them all.

It's always a risk going back to a movie pre-New Hollywood - and perhaps an even greater one going back to a movie that sits on the cusp of the transitional period out of the silent era. This is because they tend be ruined by the ravager that is time.
Mind you, this movie was, in it's prime, banned in Germany, Austria, Italy, France and Australia - but you wouldn't think that now.

But that is not the case here. The anti-war message hits like a hammer, the performances are top-notch, the spectacle is astonishing (more so for a movie made in 1930) and the humanism is prominent. Special mention must go to the war scenes which are both realistic and horrific in equal amounts (perhaps the ultimate goal for any war movie) and that unforgettable conclusion. Indeed, it says a lot when an eighty-nine year old move still commands such power.

Shazam

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

Original image located here. Accessed 19th April 2019

Its no coincidence that I saw Big last week. After all, both movies are based around the same theme so seeing how each approach differs would be something to see right?
To be honest I wasn't looking forward to this movie as i though the trailer didn't look anything special - but somehow I've heard some good things about Shazam so i decided i would give it a shot. And sometimes, there is something to be said about being proven wrong.

So yeah this movie was a lot of fun. It was funny and definitely shows signs of a low budget being made the most out of. Indeed one gets the feeling that seeing as Shazam is a lesser tier DC hero, the makers of this movie just decided that, (much like Aquaman) they could whatever they wanted - and in this case this is some sly attempt to remake Big (note the homage) under the guise of a super hero movie.
Of particular note however are instances of particular poignancy that are indeed surprising and are pulled off well.

All in all, a great movie and a sign that DC are heading down the correct path after numerous misfires - Clearly the dour approach wasn't working out for them.
Yet it is a disappointment that this movie does a better job of being a Superman movie than any of the recent Superman movies

Big

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

Original image located here. Accessed 12th April 2019

I've always liked Tom Hanks as an actor and here he doesn't disappoint. Sure he might have won Oscars for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump but this is perhaps the best role I've seen him in. He really sells being a kid in an adult's body. Sure the rest of the movie is funny but Tom's performance is the pretty much the engine that is driving this movie.

On a personal note however, this movie did strike a chord with me, upon seeing this character. You see, I have spent the past eighteen years being an adult - or at least trying to be one. Seeing an adult acting solely on a childlike innocence does indeed remind me of me at times and the people I have met. The type of people who resemble adults but don't shy away from acting like kids (lets be honest here: Who wouldn't want to play Heart and Soul on a giant keyboard?).
In recent years I have gotten my act together and become more of an adult - even when other people may balk at such a prospect (hence the phrase "I can't adult today!"). Even if i may indulge in some youthful enthusiasms, at least I take comfort in the knowledge that I am no more winging adulthood than everyone else

Stan and Ollie

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Stan and Ollie!

Original image located here. Accessed 5th April 2019

Once again, I see John C Reilly in a biopic. The difference here however is whilst Walk Hard was a parody, this however is done serious.
I can't say I know a lot about about Laurel (Stan) and Hardy (Ollie) beyond their status as legendary comedians and Hardy's catchphrase ("This is another fine mess..."). But i was curious about this movie because I heard some good things about it.

And you know what? I'm glad I did.
As mentioned above, i know next to nothing of Laurel and Hardy's comedy routines but I was impressed to see this routines replicated. Even more impressive is that i found routines nearly a hundred years old really funny.

But ultimately, the weight of this movie lies on the shoulders of Steve Coogan and John C Reilly as they recreate Laurel and Hardy with freakish accuracy, you'd swear you were watching the real thing.
However the humour and and recreation does not hide that this is a bittersweet movie about a partnership that's at the end of the line. That sense of finality does hang throughout this movie and certainly gives it an emotional punch.

So yeah, great movie and one of the best I've seen so far this year (meaning Endgame has it's work cut out for it)

The Big Chill

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....The Big Chill!

Original image located here. Accessed 29th March 2019

It has often been said that revivals happen in chunks of twenty years. And as Grease is the 70's tribute to the 50s, here we have the 80's tribute to the 60's.

That being said, i kind of get the feeling this movie was made for baby-boomers: The kind of people who grew up in the idealistic era of the 60s only to left in disappointment by being in a more materialistic era. But of course, both eras mean little to me (in the case of the 80s I was a little kid for most of it) so i was left alienated, let alone bored, by this movie.

I was indeed open to the possibility of this movie being a critique of revival movies in that showed the era of one's youth wasn't as good as people would like to think it was and/or the aforementioned disappointment with the difference of youth to adulthood but I never got that impression.
Still the soundtrack was pretty good

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story!

Original image located here. Accessed 22nd March 2019

I was interested in seeing this movie because it was sold to me as something of a contrast to Bohemian Rhapsody. Whereas a common complaint of Bohemian Rhapsody was that it adhered to the tried-and-tested tropes of the music bio-pic (often at the expense of the facts), Walk Hard however mocked said tropes, making them both stupid and hilarious at the same time. The ultimate irony is however that Walk Hard was a bomb whilst Bohemian Rhapsody raked in the cash.

Personally? I thought this was hilarious. The tropes are indeed all recognizable and are mercilessly mocked. Some of the cameos are a scream (the scene where Dewey meets the Beatles is one such moment), the personalities are similarly made fun of, the songs are great, and the contributions from real-life personalities are a hoot. Sure some of the jokes are incredibly stupid but it's my kind of silliness. But when the jokes do hit, they hit out of the park (witness the Bob Dylan parody and Dewey's multiple encounters with drugs through his drummer).
Plus it has Jack White (!) in scene-stealing form as Elvis (!!). Can't go wrong with that.

Captain Marvel

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

Original image located here. Accessed 15th March 2019

In a way i wasn't looking forward to this. Prior to this movie we've had a build up which can only be described as a PR disaster with this being talked up as feminist film and the subsequent hostility from the misogynist crowd. Personally, i didn't want to be talked down by a movie that's falling over backwards to prove how woke it is - I just want to see Carol Danvers kicking arse.

Thankfully, that's exactly what i got (the latter that is).
It may be adhering to the Marvel formula with the action, humor and special fx we've come to expect, but there are some excellent character moments throughout. Ben Mendolson is in top form, Samuel L Jackson appears to be relishing the chance to be a major player in an MCU movie but in the end, this is still Brie Larsen's show and she carries the movie with flair. The various Nineties references were great too.

Do i feel like this was going out of it's way to talk down to me, the white-cis-male/scum-of-the-earth? Personally, I never got that impression. Perhaps I have a thicker skin than I realise but somehow the idea of getting back up after being constantly knocked down is indeed a universal one.
Ultimately, this may be adhering to the Marvel formula but for a series that supposedly winding down, this movie certainly proves there's some gas left in the tank.

As a side note, as someone who is a nephew to a woman called Carol, i find some degree of amusement with Monica's declaration of 'Auntie Carol!'.

Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau!

Original image located here. Accessed 8th March 2019

A few weeks ago, i watched The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened? which chronicled a Superman movie that never got made. This time however we have a documentary on a movie that did get made - even if the finished product was nothing like what was originally envisioned. Seems that the potential of what of could've been is a remarkably effective selling point (Firefly anyone?)

I first saw The Island of Dr. Moreau went i was in high school. At the time I didn't think much of it but in the years since, I have learned about the horrors that went into the shoot that have grown to become the stuff of legend. When one considers instances of Richard Stanley (the original director /driving force) being sacked four days in, the replacement director showing little enthusiasm, Stanley sneaking back onto the set as an extra, actors behaving like children, sets being at the mercy of Mother Nature, extras having way too much time on their hand, a mutinous crew, and a three week shoot stretched out to six months, one would think they have a making of documentary to end all making of documentaries.

Based on what I already know, there is indeed some new information being presented here. Richard Stanley has a lot to say and he certainly come across as being a smart, if oddball, person. His original ideas are interesting, the conceptual artwork is impressive, and the journey to getting the film green-lit is engaging. But when the production starts and countless problems rear their head, then the flow of the narrative heads towards disastrous. There is no shortage of bad things said about Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer (who is, unsurprising, absent here) and there is certainly some horror stories related by the cast and crew. Not to mention a lot of frustration and lamentations on the loss of Richard Stanley on a project that, under his gaze, held a lot of potential.
But ultimately, the triumph of this documentary is that we have a making-of documentary that is more fascinating and engaging than it's parent movie XD