Michael B. Jordan talked to Empire about portraying the villainous Erik Killmonger in Black Panther.
“It took me to a dark place. Honestly, I can’t really go through all I went through to get into it because I want to keep that close to me. But it stuck with me afterwards. There’s a lot of physical moments and action sequences throughout this film that cause us to really challenge ourselves, and also fall deeper into character.”
Marvel Studios has a villain problem, and I don’t think anyone can argue against that. The few well excuted bad guys include Red Skull, Loki, and arguably Hela in Thor: Ragnarok. Thanos looks to shake up the scene in Avengers: Infinity War, however, only time will tell if Josh Brolin can deliver the performance fans desire. Jordan’s role as Killmonger has potential to give fans another memorable villain, given how talented the actor is, along with Ryan Coogler’s magnificent direction.
Black Panther releases in theaters on February 16, 2018. Are you looking forward to Marvel Studios’ next movie? Comment below, let us know.
Even Captain Planet and the Planeteers need a little help in improving the environment! Look, superhero-ing is a messy job and someone has to do it, but let’s be honest, our billionaire caped wonders aren’t really that ecological, which is apparent after a recent study performed by Stanford University Geologist Miles Traer.
Traer, a pop-scientist, brought forth his study at the most-recent American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting in which he explained that while superheroes are saving the world, they also might be destroying it at the same time.
It’s about carbon footprints and how we can use our combined knowledge, apply it to climate change, in hopes of helping resident superheroes be even better for the planet. The presentation was part of an ongoing series called, “Sci-Fi: Using Real Science to Explore Fictional Words”. They are meant to dive into issues in pop culture and entertainment as a means of opening the conversation about real-world scientific issues.
The study found that a handful of superheroes, namely Batman, Superman, Firebird, Flash, Oracle and Swamp Thing, all of the DCU, and Marvel’s Spider-Man, Iron Man and Jessica Jones, while all good at saving the day, were all superbad at leaving carbon footprints all over the place.
The worst offender, Oracle. Regardless if her servers ran on a combination of clean energy (nuclear, hydroelectric, solar, wind and geothermal), keeping them going would still dispel more than 1.3 billion pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
Her DC Comics counterparts, equally as bad. Flash, to run at the speed of light, would need to consume 59,863,610,416 calories-per-second, or the equivalent of a 12-foot tall hamburger, every week. That comes out to roughly 90 million pounds of carbon dioxide on an annual basis. Meanwhile, Batman, using the Batwing and Batmobile, would burn, in equivalence, the fossil fuel usage of 344 plane rides from New York to San Francisco.
“Plus Batman drives around a car that literally shoots fire out the back,” Traer says. “That has to be terrible for the environment.”
Traer, via his presentation, seeks to motivate people to start thinking about their own carbon footprints. Each of the nine superheroes he analyzed reflects some aspect of humans’ fossil fuel consumption. To further his point, Traer considers how his heroes might lessen their impact on the environment. For example, by opting a vegetarian lifestyle, Flash could reduce his emissions of carbon dioxide to just 3 million. If Bruce Wayne cut back on Batgear, he could instead pay for carbon offsets for large populations.
In a nut shell: If a masked vigilante, with way too much money in the bank, can redeem himself, then you can too!
Check out the complete story from the meeting via the Washington Post, HERE.
It’s Christmas, and it means one thing to Whovians: the Doctor Who Christmas Special. Since 2005 it has been an annual event, and it is usually one of the highest rated shows in the UK on Christmas Day. They have been thirteen specials of various quality, entertainment and bringing in some sort of Christmas element. So we at Monkeys Fighting Robots are ranking them all.
13. Last Christmas
Five words that can ruin a story are ‘it was all a dream.’ That was the case for the 2014 Christmas Special, capping off the worst season of the modern Doctor Who. The episode opens with Clara meeting Father Christmas, (Nick Frost) on top of her roof which leads to an adventure with The Doctor on Arctic base in the future plagued with creatures trap their victims in their dreams.
“Last Christmas” was apparently trying to do a Doctor Who version of Inception as The Doctor, Clara and the scientists in the base get trapped in dreams within dreams and trying to figure out what is real and fake. The episode ends with the reveal that the adventure in The North Pole was all a dream, undercutting any investment audience had with the story.
A funny reference in retrospect was seeing Shona’s (Faye Marsay) Christmas to do list which included a “Thrones” marathon. Marsay later appeared in Game of Thrones as The Waif.
12. The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe
As the title suggests “The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe” is a homage to the C.S. Lewis children’s story The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In the episode, The Doctor helps a mother (Claire Skinner) and her children who have lost their husband/father during the War and somehow go through a time portal to a forest planet.
“The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe” is the most forgettable Christmas special. Its key selling point was the casting of Claire Skinner, famous for her role in the sitcom Outnumbered. She was solid enough in the lead role, and the episode had some beautiful scenery and costumes, but it is a mediocre offering.
11. The Runaway Bride
Your enjoyment of “The Runaway Bride” depends on your tolerates of Catherine Tate. The second Christmas adventures sees The Doctor meeting Donna Noble for the first time as a bride who somehow ended up in the TARDIS. It’s up to The Doctor to figure out why Donna ended up in his time machine and find out there is a great threat under the Thames Barrier.
“The Runaway Bride” was made at the height of Tate’s fame on her self-titled sketch show. It was a show that gave birth to the characters of the foul-mouthed Nan and Lauren, the schoolgirl, popularizing the catchphrase “Am I bovvered?” Tate played Donna broad and loud: the worst aspects of her comedy. Tate improved a lot when Donna Noble was reintroduced in the fourth season because the character was written to have more range. But “The Runaway Bride” was a bad introduction.
“The Runaway Bride” was an average Doctor Who story but it suffered from having to shoehorn in the Christmas elements like the robot Santa pilot fish and the villain’s spaceship being the Northern Star.
10. The Return of Doctor Mysterio After a yearlong absence Doctor Who returned in 2016 with a superhero Christmas adventure. In the episode, The Doctor meets a young boy and accidentally gives him superpowers. Years later The Doctor returns to New York and finds the boy has grown up to become the superhero known as The Ghost and together they have to stop a human scientist working with an alien who wants to take over the world: standard Doctor Who/superhero fare.
“The Return of Doctor Mysterio” was met with a mixed critical reception, but I personally enjoyed it as a pastiche of the superhero genre. The Ghost and his alter-ego are like Clark Kent and Superman: one is mild-mannered and unassuming, the other being a highly confidence projection. Besides from the parallels with Superman the episode makes references to other DC and Marvel heroes and as a whole “The Return of Doctor Mysterio” is a fun Doctor Who story.
9. Twice Upon a Time
“Twice Upon a Time” is the most recent Christmas special and Peter Capaldi’s last episode as the Twelve Doctor. “Twice Upon a Time” continues upon two Doctor Who episodes: the season 10 finale “The Doctor Fall” and the First Doctor “The Tenth Planet.”
After defeating the Cybermen in “The Doctor Fall” The Doctor lands on the South Pole and refuses to regenerate where meets his first iteration (David Bradley taking on Peter Harding’s role). It was the only other time The Doctor refuses to regenerate. Together they encounter a race from the distance future known as The Testimony and they make the Doctor an offer: if he returns a World War One officer (Mark Gatiss) to his point of death they would resurrect Bill Potts.
Compared to Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith’s final episodes Peter Capaldi’s was a low-key and thoughtful story. It is more a reflective episode as The Twelve Doctor questioned why The First Doctor did not want to regenerate and both must accept they have to change. While “The Doctor Falls” was a better sent off as The Twelve Doctor went down fighting his monologue about what the Doctor should have the necessary impact especially his final words: ‘be kind.’
The episode suffers from weak comedy between the Doctors, not help by the ‘comedic’ music, and as an episode, it is a middling Doctor Who offering.
8. The Next Doctor
“The Next Doctor” kicked off a collection of episodes known as The Specials, stories that acted as David Tennant’s final season. “The Next Doctor” sees the Tenth Doctor in London in 1851 and meets another man (David Morrisey) claiming to be The Doctor and the two team up to stop the Cyberman who are a threat to the city and the world.
Before “The Next Doctor” was broadcast the British press speculated that Morrisey was set to become the Eleventh Doctor and he would have been a solid choice to play the famous role. He was quirky, quick-witted and serious as a man with a tragedy in his past. It was also a great ‘what if’ scenario. It acts as a reinterpretation of Doctor Who with the Sonic Screwdriver being a regular screwdriver (but it still makes noise, which is sonic) and the TARDIS being a hot air balloon.
The strength of “The Next Doctor” was it acted as a continuation of the Series 2 finale where the Cybermen and Daleks were trapped in the void between universes. The Cybermen steal Dalek technology to escape. It also acted as a swashbuckling adventure with the Doctor arming himself with a cutlass to fight off two Cybermen and uses the blade as a means of escape.
Despite some wintery set dressing and a reference to Christmas Eve “The Next Doctor” was not really a Christmas episode.
7. Voyage of the Damned “Voyage of the Damned” is the first Christmas episode that is set in a surprisingly popular location for Doctor Who Christmas specials: interstellar cruise ships. “Voyage of the Damned” sees The Doctor on a space liner based on the Titanic, and he must stop the ship crashing into London. The episode featured the pint-sized Aussie pop-star Kylie Minogue, and she was a fun presence as a one-off companion – her best moments were standing on a box to kiss The Doctor and her character saving the day by driving a forklift into a cyborg. On the whole “Voyage of the Damned” is a decent Doctor Who story that has a solid amount of action and special effects.
6. The End of Time
“The End of Time” was a two-part special that capped off David Tennant’s run as the Tenth Doctor. In “The End of Time” the Doctor’s greatest nemesis, The Master (John Simm) is resurrected with the Doctor Who sci-fi-fantasy mumbo-jumbo and planned to be used by the billionaire Joshua Naismith (David Harewood). But The Master is someone who cannot be controlled. The specials also sees the return of Time Lords with the leader, Rassilon (Timothy Dalton) attempting to break out of the Time War lock.
Being a two-parter “The End of Time” was an epic end to David Tennant tenure as The Doctor, giving fans hope of a more permeant return of the Time Lords. He has an emotional send with his long goodbye, visiting all his previous companions and allies, even meeting Rose before she met him as The Ninth Doctor. It was a powerful moment when the Doctor says “I don’t want to go” before regenerating into Matt Smith, destructing the TARDIS in the process.
5. The Snowmen
Programme Name: Doctor Who – TX: n/a – Episode: n/a (No. n/a) – Embargoed for publication until: 27/11/2012 – Picture Shows: **STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:00:01 27th DECEMBER 2012** Clara (JENNA-LOUISE COLEMAN), The Doctor (MATT SMITH) – (C) BBC – Photographer: Adrian Rogers
“The Snowmen” is a unique Christmas special because it broadcast during a mid-series break. Following the events of “The Angels Take Manhattan” the Doctor has fallen into a deep depression after Amy and Rory get stuck in fixed time. However, he is forced back into action when he meets Clara, a Victorian governess who moonlights as a Cockney barmaid and the pair have to face a global threat in the form of intelligent snow.
“The Snowmen” marked Jenna Coleman’s second appearance as Clara, The Impossible Girl and this version of the character had plenty of spunk as she searched for the Doctor and showed she was an incredibly bright individual. The episode also provided the first appearance of the Paternoster Gang, featuring the Silurian Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh), her wife Jenny Flint (Catrin Stewart) and Sontaran butler Strax (Dan Starkey).
“The Snowmen” also saw Ian McKellen voice The Great Intelligence and Richard E. Grant as his human vassal who uses the intelligence snow as an army. It was a suitable villain for a story set at Christmas. “The Snowmen” was a surprisingly somber Christmas special and in retrospect shows why Clara was special.
4. The Christmas Invasion
“The Christmas Invasion” was the first Christmas special of the modern era and David Tennant’s first appearance as The Doctor. “The Christmas Invasion” does exactly what it says on the tin, showing an alien race invading Earth on Christmas Day and holds a third of the world hostage. However, the Doctor is incapacitated by his recent regeneration, so it’s up to the Doctor’s allies to try and stop the save the world.
“The Christmas Invasion” is a simple and entertaining Doctor Who story and shows how the Doctor’s allies and companions use all their experience in the Doctor’s absence: it gives them a chance to shine. When The Tenth Doctor was finally in action, he was quite a badass, getting into a saw fight with a warrior alien and showed he had a ruthless streak.
The episode also had some solid special effect, particularly model work when the Sycorax’s ship hovers over London and scatters the grass on many buildings, including the Gherkin.
3. A Christmas Carol
Set on a planet similar to Victorian England “A Christmas Carol” sees a space liner is stuck in an electrical storm. The Doctor is unable to land on the ship so goes to the source of the storm and discovers the only way to save the passengers and crew is to change the past of a bitter old man, Kazran Sardick (Michael Gambon).
“A Christmas Carol” is inspired by the Charles Dickens novella of the same name and has The Doctor acting as The Ghost of Christmas Past, Amy Pond was Ghost of Christmas Present and the older version of Sardick being his own Ghost of Christmas Future. It was a solid reimagining of a classic Christmas tale, mixing the Christmas setting and the time traveling storytelling that Doctor Who is known for. This episode was special because was actually a Doctor Who Christmas story and not just a Doctor Who story set at Christmas.
It was considered a big coup for Doctor Who to cast Michael Gambon in the Ebenezer Scrooge role, and it gave classical singer Katherine Jenkins her first major acting role. Obviously, Gambon was intense in his role, and Jenkins was okay: her casting was really an excuse for her to sing.
“The Husbands of River Song” was the only Doctor Who episode that saw The Twelve Doctor and River Song together and beautifully ties up the relationship between The Doctor and his wife. In the episode, River does not recognize the Twelve Doctor as her time-traveling husband and is married to King Hydroflax (Greg Davies). The Doctor tags along as River plans a heist and knowing trouble follows wherever she goes.
“The Husbands of River Song” works as a conclusion to River Song storyline and how it links into her first appearance in “Silence in the Library.” It also had an emotional speech from River Song about how she loves The Doctor, but The Doctor doesn’t love her back with The Doctor revealing himself with the words ‘Hello sweetie.’
“The Husbands of River Song” combines the best aspects of Doctor Who, humor and emotion and it stands as one of Peter Capaldi’s best episodes. It is however a case of a Doctor Who story being set at Christmas rather than being a Christmas Doctor Who story.
1. The Time of the Doctor
Topping this list is “The Time of the Doctor”, Matt Smith’s final appearance as The Doctor and it would have acted a great end to Steven Moffat’s run if he had chosen to step down as showrunner at that point.
A message from Trenzalore has drawn all the Doctor’s enemies: The Daleks, Cybermen, Weeping Angels and the Silence. With the planet under threat from all these foes and held under siege by the Papal Mainframe (Church of Silence) the Doctor spends 300 hundred years protecting the town of Christmas. In the town is the last reminding crack from the TARDIS explosion in Season 5 and the Time Lords are trying to re-emerge into the universe but by doing so would restart the Time War.
“The Time of the Doctor” is a beautiful wrap of The Eleventh Doctor’s arc as he shows his devotion to protecting a town into old age and tied up all his storylines. It was also an action-packed episode as the Doctor fights off Daleks, Weeping Angels and Cybermen attempt to penetrate the Doctor’s defenses. There was an emotional ending because the Doctor sees Amy Pond before he peacefully regenerates in Peter Capaldi.
The Toys That Made Us is a four-part documentary series on Netflix that looks at four of the most famous toy lines in the world, delving into the drama and creativity behind it all. The documentary tackles Star Wars, Barbie, He-Man and GI Joe in a series that reveals the things that made these toys possible and the decisions throughout the decades that both harmed and helped the brand become more popular.
The Toys That Made Us sets up viewers with an intro that could not be more perfect. A cheerful, Saturday morning cartoon theme song plays over an animated intro sequence. The entire moment could put a smile on the dead with its joyful depiction of the things it is about to talk about. Toys bring joy, to kids anyway, parents maybe not-so-much, and this documentary loves the toys and everything about them.
Episode One: Star Wars
The series begins with one of the biggest toy franchises in the history of toy franchises. It puts a sobering point on just how important StarWars toys are with one simple face. StarWars movies have collectively earned roughly seven billion dollars while the toys have surpassed 14 billion. The StarWars toy empire began before the first movie even finished shooting and the process to get to today is truly riveting for fans who want to know about the many figures created for a galaxy far, far away.
Episode Two: Barbie
The unchallenged queen of the toy business. Barbie is almost 60 years old, but you’d never know it. This toy line, above all others, does such an amazing job of evolving along with the times and the new boys and girls who will use the slender plastic figures bring their imagination to life. The story behind Barbie is even more interesting. It’s littered with powerful egos, fraud, failure and cutthroat moves to stay on top.
Episode Three: He-Man
“I have the power!” To 80s kids, He-Man was a powerhouse of both toys and cartoons. And the story behind it all is even more interesting than you can imagine. Nearly everything about the existence of He-Man is debatable or happened through bluffs and gambits. As the documentary series claims, He-Man may not be as time-tested as the other toys examined, but for five years He-Man was an unstoppable, money-making force. He-Man also set the stage for toy lines used to push cartoons instead of the other way around.
Episode Four: GI Joe
The makers of this documentary series saved one of the most fascinating stories for last. GI Joe is decades old, much like Barbie, and has evolved time and time again to stay relevant. GI Joe peaked in the 80s, but the road to get there involved many players. One such involved party includes Marvel Comics and use of one medium to push another. GI Joe is the story of many minds coming together and each one adding something to the whole that made it work. There’s also a sobering moment with Larry Hama, the comic book writer who helped shape the real American heroes.
Almost two months ago DC Comics announced the publisher had signed Brian Michael Bendis to an exclusive contract, with no specific titles attached. Over the past month, the speculation on which book or books Bendis will work on has mounted.
On Christmas, the rumor mill heated up as a report came out that Bendis would take over Superman with the artistic team of Ivan Reis and Joe Prado, according to sources from the Brazilian comic convention via Bleeding Cool.
Superman would be bold, and DC Comics didn’t sign Bendis to not be bold.
The story is still in the rumor stage and Monkeys Fighting Robots will update the article with an official comment from DC Comics as soon as one becomes available.
Bendis has also been tweeting a ton of DC Comics art by José Luis García-López. Could a throwback book be in the works?
It’s unfortunate that most will remember Ridley Scott’s All The Money In The World for the gutsy decision to replace a scandal-ridden Kevin Spacey with another Oscar winner Christopher Plummer. Lost in all of this drama are fantastic performances by Plummer and Michelle Williams plus the type of direction that wins awards. Add in a masterfully crafted narrative, and the result is a highly engrossing thriller.
The storyline centers around the abduction of John Paul Getty’s (Plummer) grandson and the circumstances behind the reported ransom. Getty feels that he’s the real the victim and the kidnappers are just using Gail (Williams) the child’s mother only to fleece him. Rather than give the initial request of 17 million dollars for the child’s release, Getty brings his “fixer,” former CIA Operative Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg) to negotiate with the kidnappers. The kidnapping quickly takes a back seat to a battle of wills between Getty and Gail with Chase being stuck in the middle.
Williams plays her character perfectly. Behind closed doors, Gail is losing her mind. She’s frustrated by the perception that if you have the Getty name that it equals wealth. When dealing with Getty, she dials back these emotions because that approach won’t melt her former father in-law’s icy demeanor. This is the type of performance we are accustomed to seeing from the actress and indeed, more than makes up for her work in The Greatest Showman.
It’s hard to imagine another person playing Getty after Plummer’s performance. The makeup on Spacey’s face made him look like a creature from some far distant world. Plummer projects such a cold demeanor and ruthlessness that it’s hard not to despise the man. Even the glare he gives his youngest grandchildren as they write out responses to the mountain of requests for financial help would burn a hole through anyone. In any other year, Plummer would be the odds-on favorite to take home the Oscar, but the category of Supporting Actor is quite competitive this year.
Scott doesn’t appear to get in the way of his cast allowing their performances to take center stage.The only time where we see any semblance of the director’s imprint is evident is during some of the action sequences which had an American Gangster flair to them. David Scarpa skillfully adapts this story by allowing us glimpses inside the mind of Getty. For example, not only showcases the ruthlessness of Plummer’s character, but we also get a glimpse of how frugal he was. We are treated to a scene where Getty is washing his underwear and socks in the bathtub to avoid having to spend frivolously. This does provide a glimpse into why Getty might be resistant to paying a ransom because he views it as an expense that’s unnecessary (even if it is his family).
In the end, All The Money In The World indeed hasn’t received the same buildup as some of Scott’s other projects, but it could gain the most recognition of his storied career. The narrative is engrossing, the performances are fantastic, and the direction makes this release well worth the price of admission.
Production on both Avengers: Infinity War and the untitled Avengers 4 has been underway for quite some time and actors have begun to wrap up their filming as the year comes to a close. Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen both finished shooting earlier this week, with Jeremy Renner not far behind. Now another original Avenger has hung up their spandex, for who knows how long, Black Widow actress Scarlett Johannson has wrapped filming on both Avengers films.
Johannsson’s stunt double Heidi Moneymaker posted a thank you message on Instagram, thanking her partner in crime for a wonderful year of shooting. You can check out the post below:
I know what you’re thinking, “Is Black Widow going to die because she wrapped filming early?”. That is not what that means. As fun as it is to speculate, there is really no way of knowing who will make it out alive against Thanos. So sit back, relax and just wait for May to get here.
As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos. A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment – the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.
The cast includes Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Sebastian Stan, Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Pom Klementieff, and Josh Brolin as Thanos.
There are plenty of film festivals in the world but few that curate a selection as good as the Miami Jewish Film Festival (MJFF). Think about that statement. MJFF will feature 62 films, all of which come from a host of filmmaking talent from all over the world. Out of thousands of possible pictures, the people behind MJFF carefully select all these proverbial needles in haystacks. It’s no small task.
“This year’s Miami Jewish Film Festival program is monumental in the breadth of talent breaking through in each of the beautifully rich, distinct, and emotional stories that transcend geographical boundaries” – Igor Shteyrenberg, Executive Director of the Miami Jewish Film Festival
What are some of the films to flicker on the silver screen starting this year? The festival kicks off with Itzhak. The documentary film centers on the life of legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman. Directed by Alison Chernick (The Jeff Koons Show, Matthew Barney No Restraint), Itzhak is one of many films this year that centers around music.
Between January 11th and January 25th, MJFF will feature other films such as:
• Samuel Maoz’s Foxtrot, an award-winning film is about a man and his wife coping with grief after learning that their son died in the line of duty. Foxtrot is the director’s third feature following Lebanon and TotalEclipse.
• Lisa Ades’ GI Jews: Jewish Americans in World War II. The first documentary to tell the story of the Jewish men and women who fought in the war. It features interviews with Mel Brooks and narrated by Jeffrey Tambor.
• Howard L. Weiner’s The Last Poker Game featuring legendary Oscar-winning actor Martin Landau’s final onscreen performance. The comedy is set in a nursing home and the unlikely friendship that forms.
• Menno Meyjes’ The Hero (De Held), a Dutch crime film from the Oscar-nominated writer of The Color Purple. Meyjes also co-wrote Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade! The Hero tells the story of a woman who learns a hidden truth about her father after his passing.
• Arnaud Desplechin’s Ismael’s Ghosts starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and Marion Cotillard. The story is about a filmmaker whose life goes into a tailspin by the return of his wife, who disappeared 20 years ago and whom he thought dead.
The Jewish Film Festival performs another impressive feat by hosting its selection at ten different cinemas across the city. One such event will include the debut of an After Hours Presentation of the classic animated feature, Fantastic Planet. Along with the featurewill be a live score performed by synthwave artist Mystvries.
To “discover and develop independent artists,” The Miami Jewish Film Festival, along with Film Movement, a renowned US Distributor, join together for a short film competition. The winner takes home a cash prize and receives a distribution contract.
“It is during uncertain and tumultuous times like these that we most need artists and storytellers, and this year’s program is a testament to the unending capacity of film to move us, impact our lives, and even provide much-needed escapism.” – Igor Shteyrenberg
No cinephile should go without a trip to the Miami Jewish Film Festival. Film is a language which transcends barriers. The MJFF prepares to put that truth on display. A host of films will show the diversity of culture, the beauty of life, the horrors we sometimes face, and the struggles that great men and women must overcome to reach a dream. Like music, movies connect the world in a powerful way.
MJFF starts January 11th! Check out the Miami Jewish Film Festival here.
Whoever put together the trailer for director Michael Gracey’s The Greatest Showman should be commended. Anyone who was to take two minutes and twenty-three seconds and watch it online would come off thinking the film is fun, full of amazing songs, and a compelling narrative as well. However, looks can be deceiving. While the musical numbers in The Greatest Showman are at times terrific, it can’t overcome a tale that’s far from cohesive and muddles from one number to the next. It’s unbelievable that a movie which looks so good could be such a dud.
The film centers around the rise of P.T Barnum (Hugh Jackman) who rises from being the poor son of a tailor to one of the more talked about men in high society. Barnum has a vision of a variety show full of performers from all walks of life that celebrates talent and their diversity as well. Charity (Michelle Williams) comes from a family that is well off and gives it all up for a life with Barnum. Barnum can only get so far with his new business venture, but he seeks to change that when Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron) comes on as a financial partner. That’s when their dreams begin to explode.
Despite this release being a massive dud, some parts of the film do standout. Seamus McGarvey’s cinematography was fantastic. McGarvey captures the brilliance of each musical number while still showcasing the vibrancy of the audience. Ellen Mirojnick’s costume design is imaginative and captures the spectacle of this period. Nathan Crowley’s production design comes to the forefront during any number of musical numbers. Crowley gives this universe a very classic look and makes use of warm colors when he designed the circus set. However, just because something looks good or sounds right, that doesn’t mean the film is.
All that Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon had to do was just develop a narrative that connected each of these numbers and at points matched the emotional honesty of the musical numbers. Instead, we are treated with a storyline that doesn’t connect and meanders from Barnum’s need to prove the world wrong to him begging Carlyle to join his business venture. It’s as if they felt the songs will make up for any details they raced through when in fact it just left me baffled. La La Land had dominant musical numbers, but the narrative was well thought out and compelling. The Greatest Showman relies on the musical numbers to provide an emotional core, and that’s a recipe for disaster.
Had the story stayed away from being about Barnum’s redemption and been more about acceptance, this review would have taken a different tone entirely. Lettie Lutz plays the breaded lady and should have had a more prominent role than what she was relegated to. Her tale was one of being shunned by society and gaining confidence after being hired by Barnum. Focusing on her character and other members of the show seems like such a no-brainer, but alas they didn’t. Why?
Instead, this tale ignores the obvious and focuses on the trivial parts of this fascinating figure. The result is a film that raises your expectations but will leave you seeking a refund. Probably not the type of show worth subjecting yourself to.
Alexander Payne’s latest film, Downsizing, is undoubtedly a departure from his previous projects. While Election is a brilliantly written look at politics and Sideways offers a unique perspective on relationships, Downsizing is a muddled mess bordering on being unwatchable. If anything this movie is the perfect example of why even the best casts can’t save a poorly developed concept. The single idea of a shrinking world to help the environment has all the makings of a good film. However, Downsizing wavers back and forth between being a comedy, satire, and a film attempting to make social commentary. The problem is none of it done well. Compounding matters, Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig are lifeless on the screen which brings what little momentum builds to a screeching halt.
The narrative centers around a scientific breakthrough allowing people to be shrunk from six feet tall to around five inches. In this new tiny world, life appears to be more comfortable, it seems to be environmentally friendly, and personal wealth explodes. Paul (Damon) and Audrey (Wiig) see this and decide they want to part of this new world. However, things don’t go according to plan. Audrey backs out leaving Paul living in a world that’s entirely foreign to him. Could this experience lead to an awakening?
Payne and screenwriter Jim Taylor have managed to take a great concept and transform it into something blaise and forgettable. The movie is an interconnected series of events that have no flow while all are seemingly trying to tackle some version of a social issue. Just when it seemed Payne and Taylor were to make a statement, he’d move on. It was as if they didn’t have the guts to make any comment so why not just say nothing. Rather than seize the moment and build our narrative around environmental issues, why not just rely on sight gags. It’s annoying and weak. Speaking of weak, Damon’s performance didn’t do this film any favors either.
In theory, the audience should have been empathetic towards Paul (Damon). The reality is he does nothing to endear himself to the audience. Remember, this is a guy who gave up everything to go into a world so they could have a better life and was abandoned. Damon’s performance is absent from any heart. Some might point the finger at the horrifically crafted narrative but someone of Damon’s caliber should have given at least a decent performance. Christoph Waltz pulled it off.
Waltz plays one of Paul’s neighbors in this new five-inch world and manages to hold his own in spite of the terrible script. Instead of being dazzled by Waltz’s talent, many of us in the theater were puzzled as to why he was even in the film. His whole character could have been cut from the film, and the narrative wouldn’t have missed a beat.
The sets were drab and unappealing. The scenes over the wall were primarily in a massive apartment complex and what’s with only minorities being on the other side of the wall? While certainly there had to be others who lived in that enormous building. Payne’s trying to show us the pitfalls of a class system, and it seems rushed. Hong Chau’s character is meant to hammer this point home, but all she does is muddy up an already cloudy storyline.
One wonders what Damon’s next project will be after two projects fell well short of expectations. Can’t get much worse than Downsizing for the Oscar winner.
