Review: ‘Sicario’ sizzles

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September 29, 2015

Finally … FINALLY … we now are into the meat of the movie season. After trudging through drivel week after week and sitting through such mind-numbing trash like The Boy Next Door, we get to tackle movies that are truly worth our time. Like Sicario. There are good movies and there are great movies. Sicario, directed by Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners), is a great film and the perfect movie to help usher in Oscar season.

From a score that is skin crawling and haunting, to sensational performances, to breathtaking cinematography (shot by the always brilliant Roger Deakins), Sicario is a roller coaster ride from start to finish. Moral ambiguity is the currency throughout, represented brilliantly in all characters (some more than others). Each character is brilliantly written, with hidden layers of depth, and it seems everyone (and I do mean everyone) has an agenda. We learn very quickly in Sicario, just because a person is wearing a badge doesn’t mean that they are a good guy.

From the very first moment Sicario begins, it’s clear nothing will be held back. It is a commendable decision, refreshing. While on a tactical mission with her team, FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) comes face to face with a literal house of horrors. We are witness to rotting carcasses after rotting carcasses hidden in every corner of this house. Just when you think it couldn’t get much worse, a member of her team falls victim to a booby trap and is blown to pieces. At that moment, Kate decides to join a special task force to bring down the kingpin responsible for it all, Fausto Alarcon. CIA team leader Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), along with a shadowy figure named Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro), lead Kate on a mission into the heart of cartel-controlled Mexico. From the start of this manhunt there is an immediate feeling Kate is in way over her head. This isn’t your typical by-the-books operation: this is a mission with an unclear objective. Do we even know who the bad guys are?

The entire picture is shrouded in mystery, cloaked in secrecy. Sicario is Spanish slang for hitman, and for a majority of the film we don’t know the Sicario in question. It didn’t matter, at least to me, as I was too enthralled in every moment to catch my breath and try and unpack the mystery. Sicario questions just how far the “good guys” are willing to go to get the “bad guys.” Are we willing to skirt federal laws in order to keep our country safe and secure in the long run? It’s a terrifying question, one Sicario attempts to answer.

Two aspects of this film stood out as brightly as the Las Vegas strip: Benecio Del Toro and The cinematography. Del Toro performance in Sicario is awe inspiring. His every movement, breath, motion, and gaze oozed ruthlessness. He commands each scene as if he’s in a spotlight on stage. You get this feeling everything that has transpired or will transpire is in some way a result of Del Toro’s character. Benicio’s performance is reminiscent of J.K. Simmons in Whiplash; Both are dominating performances, so riveting you just know they will be rewarded come Oscar season.

Deakins’ Cinematography in Sicario is on another level. The gunfight in the tunnels between America and Mexico is especially memorable. Director Denis Villeneuve creates such cutting edge action sequences, with quick shots between daytime and night vision, it effectively creates an immersive experience.

Movies like Sicario are masterclasses in filmmaking. The editing, the sound, the cinematography, and the performances all translate into a movie that will be considered one of the top 10 movies of 2015 by everyone (yes that means you). Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin are the anchors in an all star cast that makes this movie a can’t miss. Benecio Del Toro delivers a supporting performance that I feel is a lock for multiple nominations, and maybe even multiple wins for the veteran actor. Sicario really has kickstarted Oscar season.

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Review: ‘The Martian’ Astonishes

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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September 29, 2015

The Martian is, for lack of a better word, astonishing. From one moment to the next you’re gripping the armrest, just waiting to see what twist director Ridley Scott – working from Andy Weir’s tightly-wound novel – will throw at you next. There is a good chance you will leave the theater wanting to see it again.

The plot of The Martian is simple. American astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is separated from his crewmates in a violent storm on Mars and is left behind, presumed dead. However, he is very much alive and now he has to let Earth know it. It’s a tremendous problem, but Watney is the crew’s biologist and he thinks he’ll make it. His method is to solve the problem in front of him and then move on to the next one. He sums this up rather directly: “I’m going to have science the shit out of this.” As Watney, Damon nails the humor in Weir’s novel. The film is filled with a fantastic plot, realistic science, an awe-inspiring Martian surface, and stellar performances.

The science elements of the film are woven in seamlessly and don’t seem above the audiences head. The film handles the scientific jargon by having Watney explain what he’s doing to a video mission log. NASA consulted on the film and it’s quite evident.

The cinematography is stunning. Mars is shown as beautiful, majestic, and bleak. From one moment to the next we are witness to the Martian elements trying their best to kill Watney, and as an audience we see his pure will to survive at all costs. Scott also incorporates a cornucopia of shots and shots using a go pro which, when mixed together, put you center stage in this tale of ultimate survival. Scott’s and cinematographer Dariusz Wolski’s shot selections are masterful.

In reality, the key to this movie rested on the broad shoulders of Matt Damon. Some may argue that this movie is a collaborative effort due to the fantastic performances from an all star supporting cast (Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Sean Bean, Kristen Wiig, and Chiwetel Ejiofor) but in reality they are but notes in Damon’s symphony of brilliance. It’s important to note that a large portion of this movie does have just Damon on screen dealing with the emotional and physical tolls of being on Mars. He delivers an authentic performance of a man who at times comes to accept an inevitable fate, but is still determined to never give up. Even in the face of what seems to be unbeatable odds, Watney manage to mix in the humor. The Martian is truly a movie about the human spirit. Damon’s performance will draw the attention of Oscar voters, whether that translates into an inevitable nomination remains to be seen.

I challenge you to find a space exploration film as succinct as The Martian, one with the same range of emotion, fantastic visuals, stellar moments of acting brilliance, and a relatable plot-line that anyone can get behind. Too often these types of films will pull off some elements, but may miss a crucial one, causing it to fall just short. The Martian doesn’t miss, it is a masterful motion picture.

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Toonami Previews “Parasyte” English Dub Trailer

By

Logan Peterson

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September 29, 2015

The Adult Swim block, (Toonami) posted an english dubbed trailer of one of its upcoming shows, Parasyte. Parasyte premiere on Saturday, Oct 3rd at 1:00 a.m. EDT. The Toonami action/anime block starts every Saturday at 12:00 a.m. EDT.

Sentai Filmworks describes the story:

Unbeknownst to mankind the world is quietly being invaded. Alien beings known as “Parasytes” begin infiltrating humans one by one, burrowing into their brains to take complete control of both their bodies and their identities. With an insatiable hunger for human flesh these cold and calculating creatures mutate into grotesque monsters who feed on the unsuspecting when they’re not hiding behind the faces of everyday people. Only Shinichi Izumi, a lone high school boy, is aware of the terror lurking in plain sight. After one Parasyte’s attempt to take over his brain ends in failure, Shinichi’s right arm is instead possessed by this monster with a mind and an agenda all its own. As Shinichi and his unwanted cohabitant, “Migi,” struggle for dominance of his body, the alien infection continues to grow and so does the trail of bodies in its wake. Now Shinichi and Migi must become more than host and parasite if they hope to not only protect themselves, but Shinichi’s loved ones as well. As Shinichi and Migi’s symbiotic bond deepens, will Shinichi be able to hold on to his humanity, or will he evolve into something more than he ever imagined?

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‘Doctor Who’ Review: ‘The Witch’s Familiar’

By

Kieran Freemantle

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September 29, 2015

Last week, “The Magician’s Apprentice” ended with a huge cliffhanger, with the Doctor pointing a gun at a child after Clara and Missy are presumably killed by the Daleks. Now we have had the conclusion while also setting up the arc and threat for the season to come.

Clara awakes tied up and hanging upside down while Missy is sharpening a stick as Missy reveals how they survived the Dalek attack. Together they decide to go back into the capital city of the Dalek to help The Doctor who is being held captive by a dying Davros and his Dalek army.

“The Witch’s Familiar” is a much stronger entry than the previous episode. It’s what fans would want from Doctor Who, a grand epic of an adventure with The Doctor facing his greatest foes. Because the set up has been done in pervious installments, the follow-up was able to jump straight into the action. “The Magician’s Apprentice” was too bogged down with the series continuity, making the episode only one die-hard followers could get into. “The Witch’s Familiar” was less dense, more accessible, despite it being the second part of a two-parter. It was A two-pronged story, one of The Doctor and Davros having a battle of wits and the other being Missy and Clara going on a rescue.

One of the main criticisms of the last season was, it turned into Clara Oswald show and The Doctor was her companion. Though Jenna Coleman seems like she is a perfectly nice person and her Clara does have a cheek to her, her character is too understated and bland. For the rescue mission Missy takes the lead, and Clara is on the receiving end of the Time Lady’s actions. Their interactions raise a smile and Michelle Gomez excels once again, showing off her brilliant comedic timing, an intelligence and arrogance that can rival The Doctor and a ruthless and self-serving streak that makes her a truly Machiavellian character. Clara is still made out to be very intelligent because of her experience with The Doctor, but she’s not central to proceedings. Her big moment is a reference to the big reveal in her first Doctor Who appearance in “Asylum of the Daleks”.

The Doctor and Davros mental sparring is also a major part of this episode, both of them trying to outwit each other. Much of their conversations about the morality of their actions over the years and similarities between the two, like the rivalries between Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty, Batman and the Joker and Professor Xavier and Magneto. But while The Doctor and Davros have been battling for years, Davros’ attempts to seek forgiveness and feeling guilty rings hollow considering his creations are nothing but hate-filled war machines programmed to commit genocide. They are not a misguided attempt to try to do the right thing. The Doctor does get physical with Davros and we get the fun of seeing our hero in Davros’ chair pointing a laser cannon at the Daleks.

Hettie Macdonald returns to directing a Doctor Who episode for the first time since “Blink” and she transitions brilliantly from a horror themed mystery to a more grand sci-fi spectacular. The episode is full of epic moments like the Daleks floating over the capital of Skaro, having the choir based music. The reboot series does have amazing classical style music. This episode is a special-effects heavy episode having some big moments and Macdonald directs some wondrous moments, like when Davros is pulled out of his chair and just a torso with cybernetic entrails, Davros opening his real eyes and the sunrise of Skaro. Macdonald does get a moment to show her abilities with horror when Clara and Missy are in the Dalek sewers, covered in a half-live goo craving to be reborn.

This episode was the one setting up the arc for the series to come, continuing a storyline from “The Day of the Doctor” and “The Time of the Doctor,” which tells of an ancient prophecy that could make The Doctor face his greatest nightmare. It also contained some small bits of dialogue, side mentions, that can lead to other potential storylines. It will be exciting to see how Steven Moffat and the Doctor Who writers will proceed with this arc, whether it will be continually referred to or simply be left for the finale; it will probably be the latter.

“The Witch’s Familiar” is a big step up from the previous episode, a follow-up that has everything you want from Doctor Who, rife with drama, comedy and spectacle. Hopefully, there will be more of this to come from this new season.

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Ridley Scott Gives Some ‘Blade Runner’ Sequel Details

By

Matthew Sardo

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September 29, 2015

Ridley Scott is out promoting his latest film Martian, and the 78-year-old British filmmaker spoke with Yahoo! about the Blade Runner sequel, the possibility of more than one film, and admits that Deckard is a Replicant.

“Of course he’s a bloody Replicant!” said Scott.

According to Scott, Harrison Ford wasn’t too interested in a sequel to Blade Runner. He told Ford to read the script and after reading script Ford replied, “This is the best script I’ve ever had.”

When asked if there will be more than one sequel to Blade Runner, Scott gave a philosophical answer that could be interpreted as a yes.

Listen: Everyone else is, so why not? I love to work. The French say “Work to live,” and I live to work. I’m very lucky to have a job that I adore. All my kids do the same thing. Some of it’s trying, but it’s like being in professional sport. It’s so competitive [that] you better keep bouncing the ball. You can’t rest,” said Scott.

The interviewer, Jordan Zakarin tried to get Scott to reveal the time-frame for the sequel.

It was 2017, so coming back it’ll be 2047, roughly. As young as you can play Ryan Gosling. He’s 34, but he looks 27 when he’s doing his push-ups. So maybe 2050,” said Scott.

As the executive producer of the film Scott will have final cut.

Blade Runner 2 will be directed by Denis Villeneuve, with screenplay by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, and stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford.

Production for Blade Runner 2 is scheduled for 2016.

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‘Ant-Man’ Original Wasp Concept Art

By

Matthew Sardo

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September 29, 2015

Andy Park, the visual development supervisor for Marvel Studios released some concept art of the original Wasp from Ant-Man on his Twitter feed.

At the end of the film Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) is given a prototype of the Wasp suit and is presumed to carry on her mother’s tradition. Audiences will probably get the first glimpse of the new Wasp in Avenger: Infinity War Part 1 coming out on May 4, 2018.

Park has also worked on Avengers, Captain America: Civil War, and is currently working on Guardians of the Galaxy 2.

This is another concept design pass I did of Wasp for Ant-Man before doing the final. Too much fun! #Wasp #AntMan pic.twitter.com/CVYUEgdDuo

— Andy Park (@andyparkart) September 28, 2015

I had SOOO much fun doing designs of the original Wasp for the Ant-Man film. Here's one I did. #AntMan #wasp #marvel pic.twitter.com/quUUsRg37C

— Andy Park (@andyparkart) September 22, 2015

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Revisiting Brian De Palma’s Strange, Meandering ‘Mission to Mars’

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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September 29, 2015

The last time a movie told the story of an American astronaut stranded on Mars, things didn’t turn out as well as they apparently have with Ridley Scott’s The Martian. Brian De Palma’s Mission to Mars is his strangest, most outlying film in a career filled to the brim with outlying directorial choices. De Palma is one of my favorite directors because he does take chances, and they sometimes don’t work; but even so, Mission to Mars manages to stand out from even his most bizarre choices.

Not that Mission to Mars is traditionally a “weird” movie. It tries to be weird, no doubt, as it is loaded with the typical De Palma homages and rife with attempts to shine a light on existentialism. No, this film is not dense in that way, it’s just… odd. The structure is off, the action scenes unintentionally (or intentionally?) languorous, the performances wooden and detached. I may have an explanation for those performances, but the rest is fundamentally inexplicable.

The story takes place in some sort of familiar near future (they have futuristic cars and such), and begins with a Norman Rockwell-esque NASA backyard barbecue shot in De Palma’s familiar, drifting single-take. It’s the same sort of bravura opening De Palma used in Snake Eyes and within films like Dressed to Kill and Carlito’s Way. Only this one is more utilitarian, introducing our main characters and doing very little to propel any action or build substance. The conversations between Woody Blake (Tim Robbins), his astronaut wife Terri (Connie Neilsen), Luke Graham (Don Cheadle), Phil (Jerry O’Connell) and Jim McConnell (a noticeably adrift and confounded Gary Sinise), are aimless and forgettable, and the drifting POV camera somehow grinds the gears eve further. It is a strange opening for what is intended to be an epic space opera.

Fast forward to Don Cheadle’s Luke Graham being stranded on Mars after a dust storm kills the rest of his crew and he ends up nowhere to be seen. This pushes Woody, Terri, Jim, and Phil into action to try and reduce him. And the plot is underway… sort of. Again, De Palma seems to eschew his typical crazed energy and feverish editing in lieu of long, drawn-out scenes that go absolutely nowhere. Even a sequence during the trip where a microscopic meteor punctures some holes in the hull, causing the cabin pressure and artificial atmosphere to dissipate rapidly, is handled by actors who seem to think they have all the time in the world. There is no urgency, no proper dread. The suspense is surprisingly lackluster from one of the masters of suspense, a Hitchcock disciple nonetheless.

Then, we get to the Red Planet, which looks glorious. It’s really the only thing that works the way it was intended. It is here De Palma employs homages to 2001, only his story is better served with 2010 sensibilities. The astronauts discover aliens have left behind a sort of blueprint, indicating they were the creators of all things in the universe… or something (so this picture manages to tie into two separate Scott space adventures). We see an incredibly 2000’s CGI montage of life evolving on the planet – including wooly mammoths transitioning right into Bison. Who knew? The entire alien encounter, intended to inspire awe, is a head-scratcher without some form of introspective existentialism necessary to make any of it compelling. Not to mention the fact the alien being represented in these final moments appear to be drawn and put together by eighth graders.

It’s clear what De Palma is trying with Mission to Mars, but his methods are confounding. His invasive camera backs off too far this time, making it feel less like a De Palma production more than anything else in his catalogue. Perhaps the wooden performances from Robbins on down are his attempt to “Kubrick up” the actors. Their detachment feels like the sort of far off performance ol’ Stan would employ on the regular. Only here, the majestic visuals and compelling story is absent. Without any driving force behind the events, these intentionally stilted performances are all wrong. Especially Sinise, who seems confused he’s even in the film from time to time. It’s almost as if he’s in the audience, watching this strange and languid story unfold in front of his eyes.

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New Insane ‘The Flash’ Season 2 Poster

By

Matthew Sardo

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September 29, 2015

What new powers will Barry Allen realize he has in season two of The Flash?

“In the second episode Barry discovers a new aspect of his powers involving lighting, and it’s very, very cool and I’m excited about it,” said Grant Grant Gustin.

The Man Who Saved Central City
Picking up months after the Singularity attacked Central City, Barry is still struggling to forgive himself for Eddie’s death. Concerned about putting his friends in danger, Barry has pushed everyone away and has chosen to protect the city on his own. When a meta-human named Atom Smasher attacks the city, Iris tells Barry that he needs to let his friends help him protect the citizens of Central City. Meanwhile, Cisco helps Joe with his Meta Task Force

The Flash returns to the CW on October 6.

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Zoom Is Bigger and Badder In New ‘The Flash’ Season 2 Promo

By

Matthew Sardo

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September 29, 2015

The second season of The Flash premieres on October 6 and the CW network released the latest promo which highlights Jay Garrett, the Flash from another universe and the evil that is Zoom.

This will be an interesting season for the series as they introduce alternate universes and different incarnations of characters. Will DC Comics’ complicated universe be too much for the casual fan?

The Cosmic Treadmill was introduced in season one, in the comics Barry uses the treadmill to traveled the different universes. Will Cisco upgrade the treadmill in the show and let Barry take a jog in Season 2? Do you think the series should try an introduce the Crime Syndicate of America?

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New Trailer for Leonardo DiCaprio’s ‘The Revenant’

By

Matthew Sardo

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September 29, 2015

20th Century Fox released the second trailer for Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Revenant Tuesday morning.

Inspired by true events, The Revenant is an immersive and visceral cinematic experience capturing one man’s epic adventure of survival and the extraordinary power of the human spirit. In an expedition of the uncharted American wilderness, legendary explorer Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is brutally attacked by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team. In a quest to survive, Glass endures unimaginable grief as well as the betrayal of his confidant John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy). Guided by sheer will and the love of his family, Glass must navigate a vicious winter in a relentless pursuit to live and find redemption. The Revenant is directed and co-written by renowned filmmaker, Academy Award® winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Birdman, Babel).

The Revenant will be in theaters on Christmas Day.

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