Open Roof Festival Movie - The Grand Seduction

Tonight Teena and I attended our second Open Roof Festival. It's held under the stars (and moon as you see) at 99 Sudbury Street.

Open Roof Festival is a not for profit, outdoor music and film festival providing Toronto with a summer experience like no other, highlighting independent filmmakers and artists from Canada and around the world. The Festival is a fun, unique experience that is more than just a party – its an evening of shared experiences. Of Toronto’s music and film scene. Of refreshments. And, of enjoying Toronto’s beautiful summer nights with friends. 

Open Roof Festival is an almost entirely volunteer-driven event and all profits raised are put forth in support of Canada’s independent film production and music communities.

Amsterdam Brewery was there selling beer and Cool City Oyster Yard was serving clams, oysters and something sweet.

 

 

 

 

Tomi Swick, a 2007 Juno Award Winner for New Artist of the Year, opened the festival with a half hour music set. His website says that Tomi has written a huge cache of emotionally charged rock songs and ballads. His influences run the gamut from James Taylor to Radiohead and Jeff Buckley to the Beatles. The thirteen songs he wrote for his debut, Stalled Out In the Doorway, tell honest tales of some of the harsh realities or relationships. His beautiful and lilting melodies sometimes belying the dark subject matter in many of his songs. I enjoyed his stuff. Afterwards the band packed up and trucked to Hamilton for another gig.

 

 

Tonight they were showing The Grand Seduction.

The only hope for the tiny outport of Tickle Head is a new Petrochemical plant, but in order to qualify for the bid they need to prove they have a resident doctor. When fate sends Dr. Paul Lewis (Kitsch) their way, unemployed fisherman, Murray French (Gleeson) mobilizes the town to do everything they can to convince the fast living, jazz loving, cricket playing doctor that their sleepy harbour is a paradise tailor-made just for him.

From the previews, I went in expecting  a quaint little movie. What I got was a really funny but heartwarming movie. Great script, great acting and shot in such a beautiful location (Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador).

If you think of some of the charming and funny movies like Waking Ned Devine, The Full Monty or  Cold Turkey, this is every bit as good and perhaps better.

Set in Newfoundland, it would be an enjoyable movie to watch no matter where you are from. An 8/10!

Open Roof Festival Movie - Bad Words

Teena and I had heard about the Open Roof Festival, but even though it has run for a few years, we have never gone.

Open Roof Festival is a not for profit, outdoor music and film festival providing Toronto with a summer experience like no other, highlighting independent filmmakers and artists from Canada and around the world. The Festival is a fun, unique experience that is more than just a party – its an evening of shared experiences. Of Toronto’s music and film scene. Of refreshments. And, of enjoying Toronto’s beautiful summer nights with friends. 

Open Roof Festival is an almost entirely volunteer-driven event and all profits raised are put forth in support of Canada’s independent film production and music communities.

The festival now is at 99 Sudbury Street, close to where we live, so tonight we bought tickets and headed over.

There was a good buzz about the place which I liked. They had wine, beer and food, all donated by corporate sponsors.

 

There was music beforehand. pHoenix Pagliacci, a hip hop artist from Toronto, performed. I wasn't too sure what to expect but enjoyed most of her songs, and really loved her energy and banter on stage. Well, not on stage but in front of us. It must have been weird for her to perform without a raised stage. The DJ has been around for 25 years but looks too young for that. I cannot remember her name though but she and pHoenix worked great together and had some good rapport.

 

 

Then it was time for the movie. It was a cool night and a big crowd.

Tonight's movie was Bad Words.

Jason Bateman makes his feature directorial debut with the subversive comedy Bad Words. Mr. Bateman stars as Guy Trilby, a 40-year-old who finds a loophole in the rules of The Golden Quill national spelling bee and decides to cause trouble by hijacking the competition. Contest officials, outraged parents, and overly ambitious 8th graders are no match for Guy, as he ruthlessly crushes their dreams of victory and fame. 

As a reporter (Kathryn Hahn of We're the Millers) attempts to discover his true motivation, Guy finds himself forging an unlikely alliance with a competitor: awkward 10-year-old Chaitanya (Rohan Chand of Homeland), who is completely unfazed by Guy's take-no-prisoners approach to life.

It was hilarious! I loved it as did the crowd. Bateman was funny, despite his character being a very unlikable jerk, but it was Chand who did the best job of making the movie work.

Teena and I are looking forward to going to another Open Roof Festival event and highly recommend it. I also highly recommend this movie. Both are lots of fun!

Movie Review - Million Dollar Arm

This afternoon I was in the mood to see a movie and it came down to two choices, Godzilla or Million Dollar Arm. I'm hoping to see Godzilla with my son Ken, so Million Dollar Arm won out.

In a last ditch effort to save his career as a sports agent, JB Bernstein concocts a scheme to find baseball's next great pitcher. Hoping to find a young cricket pitcher he can turn into a major league baseball star, JB travels to India to produce a reality show competition called "Million Dollar Arm." 

He discovers Dinesh and Rinku, two 18 year old boys who have no idea about playing baseball, yet have a knack for throwing a fastball. As the boys learn the finer points of baseball - JB, with the help of his charming friend Brenda (Lake Bell) - learns valuable life lessons about teamwork, commitment and what it means to be a family.

I was expecting a decent movie but found myself really enjoying this. The first half is quite funny while Bernstein  is in India, but the movie becomes a little more serious when he returns back to the States with Dinesh and Rinku. In fact I laughed my butt off in places. Pitobash who plays Amit is hilarious. Although the ending is rather obvious, I was quite caught up in the second half of the story.

As always in these types of films, I enjoy the credits at the end where they show pictures of the real people and in this case we see Dinesh and Rinku both in pictures in India and the U.S. as well as clips of them pitching in action.

It's a good movie which I give a 7/10.

If your wondering about how the two did in real life after the film ends, I won't say but MLB did a story on them, plus an update from another source.  It's worth the read, but wait till after you see the movie.

Movie Review - Draft Day

Today I went to see Draft Day with Rick, Malcolm and Tom, all of us who are sports fans.

On the day of the NFL Draft, general manager Sonny Weaver (Costner) has the opportunity to rebuild his team when he trades for the number one pick. He must quickly decide what he's willing to sacrifice in pursuit of perfection as the lines between his personal and professional life become blurred on a life-changing day for a few hundred young men with dreams of playing in the NFL.

First thing. The writers try to bring a love story angle into this movie in a bid to draw woman to the theater but it really doesn't work.  If you're not a sports fan, you would hate this movie.

Second, the trade made to get the number one pick overall is so highly implausible that if any manager did it in real life he would be fired instantly and the fans would cheer the firing, not applaud the trade. I'm not giving anything away here as this all happens early in the film.

If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all, so here is some good stuff. There are some good comedic moments, some of the drama during the draft is done well and Griffin Newman does a great job as Rick, the intern. Also the backgrounds of the draft war rooms and the draft itself was done well.

Everything else...

I give it a 5/10, which I think my friends feel is too high. I can't believe that both IMDB and CinemaClock both give this a 7/10. In any case, wait 'til this movie comes on TV.

Movie Review - Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Tonight Ken and I saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 3D. I really had little interest in seeing it, but heard it was good from a few people, including Ken who has already seen it twice.

After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Marvel's 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' finds Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. 

Joining forces with the Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn. 

When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy-the Winter Soldier.

It was a very enjoyable and fun movie from beginning to end. I still find it amazing how great special effects are these days. A movie like this could not have been made ten years ago.

The plot had great twists and turns in it and I think Chris Evans makes a great Captain America.  As always with comic book movies, there are some holes in the plot and some scenes which are not scientifically possible but that is only if you over think it. Just take it all with a grain of salt, sit back and enjoy the film.

For me, the jury is still out on 3D. This movie is good as it did not play to the technology. I found Scarlett Johansson looked weird in some scenes due to the 3D effect. I would have rather seen this movie without the 3D, which can make my eyes rather tired, but the movie times did not allow that.

This is a movie worth seeing on the big screen and I give it a 7/10.

Movie Review - 300: Rise of an Empire

Last weekend was my birthday and my son Ken had to miss it due to work. That's not entirely a bad thing as instead, he took me out this afternoon for lunch and a movie, so my birthday celebrations continue!

It was my choice for the movie and I chose 300: Rise of an Empire. IMDB description of the movie is quite vague, so here is the one from CinemaClock Toronto:

Based on Frank Miller's latest graphic novel "Xerxes," and told in the breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster "300," this new chapter of the epic saga takes the action to a fresh battlefield -- on the sea -- as Greek general Themistokles attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war. 

 The movie pits Themistokles against the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes, and Artemisia, vengeful commander of the Persian navy.

I really enjoyed 300 and looked forward to this sequel. Unfortunately I found the movie quite confusing with a very muddled plot. This movie, like 300, is based on actual historical events. The problem is that the sequel is really not a sequel but according to History vs Hollywood,  is a prequel, side sequel and sequel all rolled up into one.

The first sea battle in the movie takes place is Battle of Marathon which took place in 490 BC, 10 years before 300. The second battle in the movie takes place at the same that Battle of Thermopylae, the subject of 300, took place. The final battle takes place after the battle shown in 300. This is not well explained in Rise of an Empire. The battles themselves were confusing and I had a hard time telling who was who during them.

Finally, although the acting was good, the special effects, especially the 3D did not work well. You would think 3D would add to a movie like this, and it does in some places, but mostly was not well done. In fact in shots that had far away backgrounds, I found the 3D showed how the background was really a painting, something that blends in well with a regularly shot movie but not here.

If you must watch it, wait for it to come on TV. With HD TV, the effects will be the same or better, but nothing can fix the writing. A 4/10.

ken and I had a great time though and it was fun  seeing him. Thanks Ken! We should have gone to see Captain America instead!

Movie Review - "Anchorman : The Legend Continues"

This afternoon Teen and I went to see Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues with Will Ferrell. We enjoyed the first Anchorman movie even though it was uneven and a little dumb and with the bar set low, headed out to see the sequel.

With the '70s behind him, San Diego's top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), returns to the news desk in "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues." Also back for more are Ron's co-anchor and wife, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), weather man Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), man on the street Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and sports guy Champ Kind (David Koechner) -- all of whom won't make it easy to stay classy ... while taking New York's first 24-hour news channel by storm. 

What can I say? It's a dumb movie!


There is the odd chuckle and odd laugh but it really a terribly stupid movie. I have never thought that Will Ferrell was good enough to carry a movie himself. He is only good in small doses in supporting roles. This movie proves my point again.

If you want to see this, wait till it comes on TV. It's not worth seeing at the theater.

Movie Review - Gravity

It's been a long while since Teena and I went to a movie together. Today we headed out to see Gravity.

Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone - tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness.

This was the second time that I have seen a film in 3D. It was Teena's first. Although I think this can be a very gimmicky technology, it really works for this film. For Gravity, 3D gave me a feel for the action. Teena really enjoyed the 3D effect too. We both dodged bolts, a debris that seemed to be hurled directly at us.

Even if we did not see this in 3D, it is a great movie. I have not seen a movie this intense for quite some time. This is not a science fiction film but one set in today's world with today's technology. It was amazing how through the entire movie there was such detail paid to things floating in front and behind the action in the weightlessness of space. It just seemed so natural for Clooney or Bullock, to swipe away a pen or helmut that has just floated in their way.

Speaking of the actors, while George Clooney was good in this, Sandra Bullock was great. I think she could get an Oscar nomination for this.

It is a great movie to see and I give it a 9 out of 10! 

Movie Review - "Rush"

As exciting and dramatic as racing can be, there have only been a handful of good movies done about the sport. Le Mans with Steve McQueen, Grand Prix with James Garner was good but a little dated, and The Last American Hero with Jeff Bridges come to mind. IMDB lists Senna as the number one racing movie. I haven't yet seen it but it's on my list.

All real good movies.

Tonight I saw Rush with Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt and Daniel Bruhl as Niki Lauda.

Set against the sexy, glamorous golden age of Formula 1 racing in the 1970s, the film is based on the true story of a great sporting rivalry between handsome English playboy James Hunt (Hemsworth), and his methodical, brilliant opponent, Austrian driver Niki Lauda (Bruhl). The story follows their distinctly different personal styles on and off the track, their loves and the astonishing 1976 season in which both drivers were willing to risk everything to become world champion in a sport with no margin for error: if you make a mistake, you die.

I would put Rush at the top of the list for racing movies but the film has much more depth than just following the 1976 Formula One championship race. Much of the movie takes place behind the scenes, showing their private lives and their rivalry off the track.

Hemsworth was great as Hunt, but even better and deserving an Oscar nod was Daniel Bruhl as the humourless, dedicated, all work, no fun Lauda. It is his role that undergoes the most character development during the movie. Hunt and Lauda were definitely two polar opposites and Ron Howard captures that wonderfully.

Howard also does a fantastic job is highlighting the speed and danger of racing. Some angles in which he shoots the action are not what you expect and really help with the action.

You don't have to be a race fan to enjoy this movie. it's a great story all the way. I give it an 8.5 /10

The real Hunt and Lauda from back in the day!

Movie Review - "Elysium"

Tonight I went to see Elysium. According to the Oxford Dictionary, Elysium is "a place or state of perfect happiness". 

In the year 2159 two classes of people exist: the very wealthy who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Rhodes (Jodie Foster), a hard the government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium. That doesn't stop the people of Earth from trying to get in, by any means they can. 

When unlucky Max (Matt Damon) is backed into a corner, he agrees to take on a daunting mission that if successful will not only save his life, but could bring equality to these polarized worlds.

I enjoy apocalyptic movies and this one is set up very well. On earth everything is a shambles, one big polluted slum, while the giant space ring Elysium, floats in space and is so huge it can be seen from earth even during the day, taunting its citizens. Elysium has perfection for the rich, immaculate homes, pools, greenery and most importantly, medical machines that can mend or cure any ailment almost instantly, guaranteeing immortality.

Although the special effects show a wonderful Elysium, it is the gritty way that earth is portrayed that I really enjoyed. This was written and directed by Neill Blomkamp, who also did District 9, so think District 9 only more run down and helpless.

The acting was terrific but it is the story here that is great. It starts with two separate stories, Max's life on earth in Los Angeles, and Secretary Rhodes story on Elysium. Of course, they come together and it is well done.

Elysium has great action scenes, special effects, interesting settings, great acting and a great plot. It's a film worth seeing at the theater on the big screen. I give it an 8/10!

Movie Review - "2 Guns"

I am big Mark Wahlberg fan ... also a Denzel Washington fan.

To put them in a together in a comedy action movie 2 Guns means that automatically I would be there. So tonight Teena, our friend, Trish, and I headed to the theater to catch this flick.

A DEA agent and a naval intelligence officer find themselves on the run after a botched attempt to infiltrate a drug cartel. While fleeing, they learn the secret of their shaky alliance: Neither knew that the other was an undercover agent. 

2 Guns is fast paced, witty, funny, action-packed with a great twisting plot. Wahlberg and Washington work off each other well and have great chemistry together. I found the first 15 minutes or so a little confusing but then the film pulled it altogether.

This is another movie that should be seen on the big screen first. It's a big, noisy action flick which I give an 8/10.

To say anything else may give away spoilers.

Movie Review - "Red 2"

This evening Teena, I and our friend, Trish, went to see Red 2. I loved the original Red and was looking forward to this, hoping it could keep the pace, action, and humour of the first.

The retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device. To succeed, they'll need to survive an army of relentless assassins, ruthless terrorists and power-crazed government officials, all eager to get their hands on the next-generation weapon. The mission takes Frank and his motley crew to Paris, London and Moscow. Outgunned and outmanned, they have only their cunning wits, their old-school skills, and each other to rely on as they try to save the world and stay alive in the process. 

It didn't take long for the action and story to start. Frank and Sarah are retired and living the boring suburban life. Sarah wants to get back into some action and it isn't long until they are in the thick of it. 

Red 2 is a fast paced movie and, yes, it is filled with action and humour but not as much as the first. It would be almost impossible to match Red, but they do make a valiant effort.

I give it a 6 out of 10 and is worth seeing on the big screen.

Movie Review - World War Z

Today for a belated Father's Day, Ken took me to see World War Z and then out for lunch after. 

Ken had lent me the book a couple of years ago, which I surprisingly enjoyed. I had wondered when I heard it announced that they were going to make a movie out of it, how on earth they could do that.

The book is done as a study, looking back on the zombie war. How do you make a movie based on a study. Easy, take the premise of the book and ignore all the rest.

World War Z revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself.

This movie is very well done. The commercials look like the movie will be all action but it's not. There are suspenseful scenes, moments where the characters and huge epic scenes with thousands of zombies on the attack. I loved how there were scenes of zombies attacking and biting people, but not too many. Brad Pitt, of course, has some close up moments too, but not too many.

Brad Pitt was excellent as Gerry Lane. His character has been through the wars and is not one to panic, but it was interesting to see Lane becoming somewhat frazzled as the movie goes on.

If you want to see this movie, see it on the big screen! Even if you have a big screen high def TV, go see it on the big screen. It is a very well balanced, excellent movie. I give it a 7.5 out of 10. Ken gave it an 8 out of 10.

This was my first 3D movie and found it a little gimmicky. One of the issues is that scenes are shot to capitalize of the 3D affect, with debris or bodies falling into the camera, which I found annoying. It would work better if they just told the story but have it told in 3D. Some of the effects were terrifi, but I would prefer seeing movies in what is now called Regular D.

Ken took me to Kelsey's afterwards for lunch, which was very good.

Thanks, Ken, for a terrific belated Father's Day (note he did want to do this last week but I couldn't. There were no decent movies I wanted to see last week anyway).

Movie Review - Star Trek Into Darkness

I have long been a fan of Star Trek, from the original series, Next Generation and the movies, although I have never seen The Final Frontier, hearing that it is extremely bad. One day I will have to watch it to make up my own mind about it.

When Star Trek was relaunched in 2009, it brought new actors, and new energy to the franchise while at the same time redoing the entire Star Trek universe. The characters were so well done and very true to the original series, it was hard not to get excited about the next one.

That next one opened this week. Star Trek Into Darkness is quite the ride.

When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

It is the characters and story which carry a movie and once again the actors here bring their characters alive and the story is so good. The movie is so well done, funny, sad, tense and totally action packed. There are a few surprises and twists along the way that I am glad I did not hear about ahead of time and surely will not give away here.

The special effects are so well done and I did not see it in 3D. As I have never seen a movie in 3D, I did not want the 3D effect to distract me from the story. I will be going back though to see it again in IMAX 3D format, in fact for a fleeting moment, I thought about just heading straight to the box office and buying a ticket for the next 3D showing. I've never seen the same movie, the same day, at a theater before...and no I didn't.

It`s definitely worth seeing and I give it a 9.5/10.

I can hardly wait for the next installment!

Movie Review - A Good Day to Die Hard

I think the original Die Hard movie was one of the best and most fun movies ever made and I am a fan of the franchise. Except for the third film of the series, Die Hard with a Vengeance which sucked, the Die Hard films have been fun to watch. So when the newest film, A Good Day to Die Hard, was announced, I knew that I would be there opening night.

And that was tonight!

Teena, I and our friend Trish were at the 7 PM show. We saw the movie in IMAX, which is an awesome way to see an action movie like this, but even more cool was that the theater is reserved seating, so when Trish bought the tickets on-line, she also reserved 3 seats together, so we didn't have to worry about getting there extra early for seating, knowing the theater would be sold out, which it was. Thanks Trish!

John McClane travels to Russia to help out his seemingly wayward son, Jack, only to discover that Jack is a CIA operative working to prevent a nuclear-weapons heist, causing the father and son to team up against underworld forces.

It was a fun, action packed, and loud movie. Of all the Die Hard movies, this is one which requires the movie goer to have the greatest stretch of belief in what is happening. That doesn't mean it's a bad movie. It is a fun movie which a few twists and turns.

Jai Courtney was excellent as John's son. I could really buy in that he was as tough as he was. Bruce Willis was his usual funny, tough, indestructible self. As is usual in the series, John McClane does not get along well with his family, and this is the underlying theme in this one. Jack is not fond of his father John and refuses to even call him Dad.

I would recommend this film to all action fans. It definitely is a movie to see on the big screen!

The order that I rate the films in the series is

Die Hard
Live Free or Die Hard
A Good Day to Die Hard
Die Hard 2 Die Harder

I won't even acknowledge #3 as part of this series although I should watch it again to see if my initial reaction to the movie stands.

They are talking about making a sixth final Die Hard movie. When they do, we'll be there opening night!

Movie Review - The Last Stand

When I saw the first preview for The Last Stand with Arnold Schwarzenegger, I knew I would be seeing it the first week it opened.

The leader of a drug cartel busts out of a courthouse and speeds to the Mexican border, where the only thing in his path is a sheriff and his inexperienced staff.

This is not just Arnold coming back to movies, but coming back in a big way! (Yes, I'm avoiding the obvious line!) In many ways, this is a typical Arnold movie, fast paced, funny, violent and a whole lot of fun!


Yes, and Arnold does have his usual great lines,throughout the movie and the audience ate them all up. Johnny Knoxville was terrific too as a bit of a nut helping out the sheriff  and I enjoyed Luis Guzman as the reluctant deputy. No movie like this can be any good without a decent villain and Eduardo Noriega as fugitive on the fly Gabriel, was delightfully cool and evil.

One thing I enjoyed about the movie is that Arnold does acknowledge his age, but can still pack a punch!

Saying any more may give away the plot. I can only say that I give this an 8/10 and would place it in my favorite top 5 Arnold movies.

Welcome back Arnie!

Movie Review - Flight

Today Teena, Ken and I saw Flight with Denzel Washington at the Silver City theater in Ancaster.

Whip Whitaker, a seasoned airline pilot miraculously crash-lands his plane after a mid-air catastrophe, saving nearly every soul on board. After the crash, Whip is hailed as a hero, but as more is learned, more questions than answers arise as to who or what was really at fault, and what really happened on that plane?

The movie starts off fast with the plane crash occurring in the first half hour. The flight and crash were very realistically done and had me on the edge of my seat. Whip, excellently played by Denzel Washington, had been drinking and doing some coke before taking off on the plane for a short, less than an hour flight to Atlanta. It was mechanical problems which cause the plane to crash and Whip makes amazing moves that save most of the passengers.

I am not giving away anything the ads don't already show.

The rest of the movie involves how he copes with his life and drinking afterwards and the investigation into the crash.

It is a very good movie but I found it a touch long. The opening half hour is riveting. I give it a 7 out of 10.

Movie Review - Seven Psychopaths

Tonight Teena, Trish, and I saw Seven Psychopaths.

A struggling screenwriter (Colin Farrell) who inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends (Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell) kidnap a gangster's (Woody Harrelson) beloved Shih Tzu Bonny(played by Bonny).

Going in I had heard that it was a bizarre movie but knew little about it except what is written above. That really is all you want to know.

The movie is very bizarre, with many twists and turns and sometimes a little confusing. There is lots of humour in this film. I found myself laughing, then shocked and always taken in by the plots and subplots.

I really do not want to say more as I wouldn't want to spoil anything. Many people, even trailers for movies, are ready to give away the plot or twist. I will not.

I will only say that I really enjoyed Seven Psychopaths, that it is well worth seeing and look for Christopher Walken to get a Best Supporting Actor Nomination.

I give it a 7 out of 10!

 

Trish, Teena and I

On the Big Screen: Singing in the Rain!

When I was growing up and not yet old enough to work, I made money mowing lawns and sometimes babysitting for the couple across the road, usually at New Years. It seemed every New Years back then, there would be a station, one of only four we got at the time,  showing Singing in the Rain.

I enjoyed the movie then and was quite excited when I saw the Scotiabank Theatre was showing it on the big screen. I told Teena about it and she asked, "How many times have you already seen this?" Well, I've seen the 1952 classic a few dozen times but never in its original format on the big screen! She did not share my enthusiasm for this film so I headed out to see it on my own.

 That was a week and a half ago. I got there a half hour early and the picture was SOLD OUT! Instead I saw Total Recall, an excellent movie, yet it wasn't sold out. I found the picture was playing today so bought my ticket more than a week in advance to ensure I would not be disappointed yet again.

Good thing I did as it was sold out AGAIN!

This 1952 MGM picture is the American musical that consistently ranks among the 10 best movies ever made. It's not only a great song-and-dance piece starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and a sprightly Debbie Reynolds; it's also an affectionately funny insider spoof about the film industry's uneasy transition from silent pictures to "talkies." Kelly plays debonair star Don Lockwood, whose leading lady Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) has a screechy voice hilariously ill-suited to the new technology (and her glamorous screen image). Among the musical highlights: O'Connor's knockout "Make 'Em Laugh"; the big "Broadway Melody" production number; and, best of all, that charming little title ditty in which Kelly makes movie magic on a drenched set with nothing but a few puddles, a lamppost, and an umbrella. 

I haven't seen it in a couple of years and forgot how corny much of it is. The story line is rather thin with lots of singing and dancing put in almost as filler. The whole beginning where Don Lockwood tells his life's story is a little long and again an excuse to sing and dance but once past this point and into the actual story, I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed seeing how much scrambling the studio does to attempt to make i's very first talky and much of the mishaps, along the way are quite funny. It was hilarious to see the attempts to have the mikes placed around to pick up the actors' lines. I imagine much of this happened in real life to many studios struggling with this new technology after the release of the Jazz Singer, which quickly killed the silent film.

I thought Donald O'Conner was great in this movie as was the king of dance, Gene Kelly. Although famous for its title song and Kelly singing and dancing in the rain, there are other great tunes, "Make em Laugh" and "Good Morning". I forgot all about "Moses Supposes" until I saw it today.

Interesting for me is that as much as I like this movie, I really do not enjoy movie musicals. I used to do a top 5 list on Facebook every Friday and when I did movie musicals, it was a stretch for me to come up with 5 which were:

The Blues Brothers
The Commitments
Singing in the Rain
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Wizard of Oz

A great movie which I am so glad I got to see on the big screen. Beforehand there was a short documentary showing an interview with Debbie Reynolds about the movie and working with Gene Kelly and Donald O'Conner, plus some excerpts from an interview with Donald O'Conner from a TCM introduction to the 45th anniversary showing of the film. I didn't think I would like it but it was humorous and provided some great background to the movie. For instance, I never knew that this was Debbie Reynolds first starring role and when she was told she had the part, never knew how to dance. You would never know that by watching her in this film. That's what eight months of training, six hours each day can do!

It was a great experience seeing this on the big screen. I was in the third row from the front as the theater was packed. The audience clapped after each song and at the film's end.

In fact, I am still humming and singing the title song. Come on, sing along with me!

"I'm singin' in the rain
Just singin' in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again.
I'm laughing at clouds.
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love"

Movie Review - Total Recall (2012)

Tonight I went to see an old favorite, Singing in the Rain, on the big screen. It`s a movie I have seen many times on TV, the first few times in black and white.  So seeing it on the big screen the way it was originally shown would be awesome ... yes, I know this is a review for Total Recall.

You see, Singing in the Rain was sold out but Total Recall was playing at the same time and was a movie that I wanted to see. Ken had already seen it and recommended it, and Teena did not want to see it, so I thought  Total Recall was an excellent back-up plan.

Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he's got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life - real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man.

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. There are major differences with the original version but many scenes that pay homage to that great film. The first film took place on Mars. This movie takes place after a great war had wiped out everything but Great Britain, now the United Federation of Britain (Hail, hail! Britannia always rules) and the colony which is Australia. I'm not giving anything away here as this is explained in the first minute of the film

Colin Farrell was admirable and believable playing the Schwarzenegger role. He had big shoes to fill and did it well. Beckinsale was so delightfully evil as his wife and I enjoyed  Bryan Cranston playing the evil Chancellor. 

The special effects were terrific but still I picked out parts of Toronto where the movie was shot, even with elevated roadways everywhere. Only a few times, but they are there.

A must see for any Sci-fi fan. Ken gave it an 8/10. I do too.