Howling II: ...Your Sister Is A Werewolf (1985)

Ever since the pandemic happened, nobody has been able to go tot he theaters to see a film and that has been a major rag among other things. Dreadphile Cinema Club is this really cool group based out of Providence was a group that was affected by the whole pandemic, but starting today and every Thursday they've decided to screen a film on Twitch to try and help temporarily cure the blues of not being able to go and this week they showed Howling II:...Your Sister Is A Werewolf. The film was released in 1985 and it was directed by Philippe Mora (Mad Dog Morgan). The film stars Reb Brown (Captain America II) as Ben White, who has just discovered that his sister Karen (from the first film) is a werewolf and he decides that he is going to help an investigator (Christopher Lee) track down the werewolves responsible. The film also stars Annie McEnroe (Beetlejuice) as Jenny, Marsha A. Hunt (Welcome To The Club) as Mariana, Sybil Danning (Amazon Women On The Moon) as Stirba, Judd Omen (Pee Wee's Big Adventure) as Vlad, Ferdy Mayne (The Fearless Vampire Killers) as Erle, Jirí Krytinár (Bathory: Countess Of Blood) as Vasile, Patrick Field (Killing Me Softly) as Deacon, and Jan Kraus (3 Seasons In Hell) as Tondo.

First off, I would like to take the time to thank Dreadphile Cinema Club  for doing this and while it may not replace the feeling of being in a theater, but it definitely helps. One of the elements that the film has working for it is the soundtrack which was written and recorded by Steve Parsons and his band at the time Babel. They scored the entire film and it was honestly a great soundtrack and the theme song is fantastic as we get to see them perform it in the film. The other element that it has working for it is the great and late Christopher Lee who I was surprised to see that he took this role after being a legend as Dracula in the Hammer films. Nonetheless, he was absolutely superb in the film as Stefan Crosscoe who turns out has a secret of his own in the film. The Howling was such an amazing film for what it was, but for the sequel they sort of gave it the TCM II treatment and put it through the 80's machine. One thing was definitely for sure and that was that some of the special effects were cheesy as hell, but that's part of the fun with these films. I also thought that the werewolves in the first film were definitely a lot better than this one as some of them clearly looked like they were wearing werewolf Halloween masks. One of the other cheesy scenes was right when Sybil was introduced, I thought all were going to see is them act like cats trying to make love with each other for most of the film almost like they didn't have anything great written so they were like give us more weird werewolf sex. The film is definitely fun to watch as soon as you accept the fact that it was the 1980's. I am going to give the film an C+ for a final grade.

Eighth Grade (2018)

Do you want to know what I remember most about being a kid in Middle School? I'll tell you that they were some of the worst and most awkward years of my life and I feel like a lot of kids feel the same about it too. That is sort of why I decided to hop on Kanopy (all you need is a library card) and watch the film Eighth Grade which was the directorial debut of Bo Burnham (The Big Sick) who also wrote the film. The film stars Elsie Fisher (Despicable Me) as Kayla Day, a shy introverted young teen who has been trying to navigate her way through middle school relatively unnoticed. The pressure is put on her as she tries to survive one more week of Eighth Grade before it's off to high school. The film also stars Josh Hamilton (13 Reasons Why) as Mark Day, Emily Robinson (Dark Was The Night) as Olivia, Jake Ryan (Isle Of Dogs) as Gabe, Daniel Zolghadri (Tales From The Loop) as Riley, Fred Hechinger (The Woman In The Window) as Trevor, Luke Prael (Boy In A Backpack) as Aiden, Catherine Oliviere (The Weaver of Raveloe) as Kennedy Graves, Missy Yager (Manchester By The Sea) as Mrs. Graves, Imani Lewis (The 40-Year Old Version) as Aniyah, and Greg Crowe (All's Fair in Love and Wizards War) as Mr. McDaniel.

I swear that this film was a slam dunk for Bo Burnham because he was able to catch everything that there was in the world about being a 14 year old and he threw it into this film. This film was so awkward just to watch because Ellie nailed being an introvert that I would almost give her an Oscar for it. Everything she did in the film seemed like something an awkward teen did back in those days from lying about having friends on an instructional video to the way she yelled at the popular kid in her school or even the way she just talked to them. One of the great things about the film is that the score helped in so many ways that it helped escalate the awkwardness even further. The question you have to ask yourself when you are done watching a film is that would this be a film that you would definitely watch again or even consider watching? The answer to the question is the same answer I gave to my friends on the first day of ninth grade and that was F*** middle school. That answer is not my reflection of the overall quality of the film, but it's just I am good remembering what it was like to be an introvert. The acting for the most part int he film was really good, but if I am being honest the MVP's of the film are Fisher and Josh Hamilton who plays her father. He was a true star of this film as the overly concerned father who just wants his daughter to be happy and is afraid of losing her. That was a superstar performance from him, but overall I am going to give the film an B for a final grade.

Ratatouille (2007)

There are a lot of Disney films that I have not seen as you may have already seen from past selections or you will see from future selections. So, I decided to get on the Disney Plus app today and the film I chose for today is none other than 2007's Ratatouille which was written and directed by Brad Bird (The Iron Giant) and Jan Pinkava (A Bug's Life). The film stars Patton Oswalt (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World) as Remy, a rat in France that has never felt like he fit in with the rest of species because he felt different. Remy was interest in the finer things in life like cooking and after getting separated from the pack, he finds himself in Paris where he'll help a bumbling idiot become the hit chef in Paris, but how long can they keep this secret going? The film also stars Ian Holm (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring) as Skinner, Lou Romano (The Incredibles) as Linguini,  Brian Dennehy (Tommy Boy) as Django, Peter Sohn (Monsters University) as Emile, Peter O'Toole (Lawrence Of Arabia) as Anton Ego, Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond) as Gusteau, Janeane Garofalo (Mystery Men) as Colette, Will Arnett (The LEGO Movie) as Horst, James Remar (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) as Larousse, and John Ratzenberger (Onward) as Mustafa.

So before I get into any of the review, did you know that Ratatouille was an actual French dish because I sure as hell did not know that. I just thought it was something created for the film that was a fun pun on the fact that a rat was a cook. The things you find out on the world wide web and believe me I will attempt to make that some day. Nonetheless, we have a film to review and I thought that this was actually a very fun film that kind of didn't follow the normal recipe that Disney always follows because the animal sidekick was the main character and driving force. The human in the film could have been the dumb sidekick for all we know and it would make more sense. I had a lot of laughs watching this film especially with the main villain being Skinner who was going out of his mind trying to convince everyone about the rat. Those were some amazing scenes and very funny, but the story was a great one that teaches a lot of lessons. Never judge a book by it's cover is the message in this film because you shouldn't treat people as if they were lower than you. I mean I wouldn't actually take a rat and let it help you cook, but really I am talking about human to human. Cooking is a passion that should be explored by everyone even if you do not become some big time chef in a restaurant. The voice acting was great, the animation was terrific, and overall this was a very enjoyable film to watch. Which is why I am giving it an B+ for a final grade.

Aliens (1986)

One of the evolutionary films of the 20TH Century was 1979's Alien which was one of the first films to feature a woman as the main hero of the film. That was a huge move back in the day considering that most films featured men as the heroes and women were always rescued. That is why I decided to check out the sequel in 1986's Aliens which was written and directed James Cameron (Terminator: Dark Fate). The film once again stars Sigourney Weaver (Ghostbusters) as Ripley who has been frozen for over 57 years on her ship when she is found after the events of the first film. Since that time, as colony had already set up shop on the moon, but the problem is that they've lost contact and now Ripley is on her way back with Colonial Marines, but do they have the firepower to handle what is happening? The film also stars Carrie Henn (Alien³) as Newt, Michael Biehn (The Terminator) as Corporal Hicks, Paul Reiser (The Little Hours) as Burke, Lance Henriksen (Alien Vs Predator) as Bishop, Bill Paxton (Weird Science) as Hudson, William Hope (Captain America: First Avenger) as Lt. Gorman, Jenette Goldstein (Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas) as Private Vasquez, Mark Rolston (Rush Hour) as Drake, Al Matthews (Superman III) as Sgt. Apone, and Ricco Ross (Mission: Impossible) as Frost.

Prior to viewing this film, I had only seen Alien and Alien: Covenant so I didn't really know what to expect going into this one. I will say that the original had a certain magic to it thanks to Ridley Scott who gave it that horror element whereas James Cameron was going for the more big budget blockbuster style we had seen in plenty of his films. Now I am not taking anything away from his version because it was really good and it had me glued, but I liked that he added a more corporate element to it. The addition of Burke (Reiser) added a different element naturally because he looks at things in a dollars and sense kind of way and he would naturally have conflict with everyone else. Up until now, we never really had that element in the previous film so you need a more human villain and he was perfect. The Aliens themselves were absolutely awesome including the introduction of the very pissed off mama alien who does not appreciate what Ripley and Co. are doing. The element of suspense wasn't as great as the first film, but there were some really good intense moments in this one. I absolutely loved the cast of the film and I thought the choices were great especially the late Bill Paxton. Some of the special effects were a little noticeable at times, but overall it was actually pretty good and it has to be for a film like this. I think I am definitely looking forward to continue the journey towards having seen every film in the series, but I fear they are not as good as this one. I am going to go ahead and give this film an A- for a final grade.

Behave Yourself! (1951)

After today, there are only 35 Sundays left in the whole entire year of 2020 and while it has been a miserable year (worst of my lifetime), we have to soldier on through it. So with that being said, I am here to present you with yet another Sunday At The Classics where we review films that were made before the 1970's which saw the golden age of Hollywood die in 1969. The film that I chose for today is a comedy from 1951 that was written and directed by George Beck (Boy, Did I Get A Wrong Number!) entitled Behave Yourself!. The film stars Farley Granger (Strangers On A Train) as William Calhoun 'Bill' Denny, a guy who seems to have it all except for the fact that he can't remember that it's his anniversary. After unsuccessfully buying a gift, he is followed home by a Welsh terrier who his wife assumes is her anniversary gift, but there is just one problem. Every gangster and hoodlum in the city wants that dog and unfortunately Bill is entangled in this mess that includes the thugs, the cops, and a very nosy and suspecting mother in law. The film also stars Shelley Winters (Lolita) as Kate Denny, William Demarest (Mr. Smith Goes To Washington) as Officer O'Ryan, Francis L. Sullivan (Oliver Twist) as Fat Freddy, Margalo Gillmore (Peter Pan) as Mother, Lon Chaney Jr. (The Wolf Man) as Pinky, Hans Conried (The Patsy) as Gillie The Blade, Elisha Cook Jr. (Rosemary's Baby) as Albert Jonas, and Glenn Anders (M) as Pete The Pusher.

I was actually very impressed with the film and I think not only was it that the writing for it was very good, but the acting was also on point. The film definitely would have not worked if it wasn't for these actors like Granger, Winters, Lon Chaney Jr. (which was nice to see him do something different than horror), Conried, and Demarest. All of them were absolutely fantastic in the film and they made it so enjoyable to watch. It's the classic comedy where all these gangsters or thugs want something that someone innocent stepped into unknowingly and bad things happen that make him look like he could be guilty as well, but we all know he is not. The misadventures that follow based on a newspaper ad are just hilarious and made the film worthwhile. To be perfectly honest though, Granger does deserve the MVP award because he was the star of the film and he commanded it well with his bumbling comedy. The only thing that kind of bothered me was that when the dog would bark, it sounded unauthentic almost like it was a human barking because they couldn't get the sound right. That is probably my only real criticism of the film is the dog barking sounds because other than that I enjoyed the film a lot. Films are enjoyable no matter what era they come from because comedy is comedy and you have to appreciate how far film has come in the last 70 to 100 years. That is why we do Sunday At The Classics, to the films of yesteryear and know just how far we have come. That is why I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade.

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

There are a lot of films that have slipped through the cracks over the years that I have not seen that I am regretfully getting to now. Obviously, if you make the time to view those said films then you have the chance to catch up and the film I chose for today, The Talented Mr. Ripley is one of those films and it was released in 1999 and had the screenplay adapted from the book by Patricia Highsmith and was directed by Anthony Minghella (Cold Mountain). The film stars Matt Damon (Jay And Silent Bob Reboot) as Tom Ripley, a New York underachiever who has an unique talent that has carried him through life which is the art of imitation. He is so good at it that he is hired by the Greenleafs, a rich family in New York to track down their son in Italy and to return him home. The only problem is that when the mission fails, Tom has to resort to extreme measures. The film also stars Jude Law (Road To Perdition) as Dickie Greenleaf, Gwyneth Paltrow (Mortdecai) as Marge Sherwood, Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth) as Meredith Logue, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman (Before The Devil Knows You're Dead) as Freddie, Jack Davenport (Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest) as Peter, James Rebhorn (Scent Of A Woman) as Mr. Greenleaf, Philip Baker Hall (Boogie Nights) as Alvin MacCarron, Stefania Rocca (Nirvana) as Silvana, and Celia Weston (Dead Man Walking) as Aunt Joan.

The film was actually really good and that surprised me because I didn't know what to expect especially when it was almost an two and the half hour film and one of your main characters is killed halfway through the film. Some films might sink at that point as they try to figure out how to navigate through while also trying to keep your attention and they do a great job here. In fact, I would go as far as saying that is right where the film gets really good because that is when the thrill and suspense begin. Is he going to get caught and what happens if some of Dickie's friends end up in the same place as him? Those were some of the questions that were burning through my mind and it baffles me all the way to the end of the film how lucky Tom Ripley was, but it was an ugly downward spiral for him for sure. The film featured some great performances from the likes of Paltrow, Blanchett, Damon, and Law who were just dynamite all the way through. Davenport and Hoffman were great support for the previous four I mentioned, but they still had really good performance as well. The real star of the film is the cinematography and all of the shots of all the beautiful sights that are found in Italy were the true stars of the film. That was definitely my favorite part of the film and it makes me want to visit Italy for sure. So with all of that being said, I am going to go ahead and give the film an A- for a final grade.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)

If there was ever a director that I had a ton of respect for, that distinct honor would go to Quentin Tarantino who has directed some amazing films in his career like Inglorious Basterds, The Hateful Eight, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and so many more. That is why I jumped at the chance to check out his latest that he also wrote in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio (Inception) as faded Hollywood TV star Rick Dalton who along with his bodyguard Cliff Booth (Academy Award Winner Brad Pitt) are trying to find their place and achieve more fame in an Hollywood whose golden age is starting to fade away in 1969. The film also stars Margot Robbie (Birds Of Prey) as Sharon Tate, Emile Hirsch (Vincent N Roxxy) as Jay Sebring, Timothy Olyphant (Gone In 60 Seconds) as James Stacy, Austin Butler (The Dead Don't Die) as Tex Watson, Dakota Fanning (The Runaways) as Squeaky Fromme, Bruce Dern (Nebraska) as George Spahn, Mike Moh (Inhumans) as Bruce Lee, Luke Perry (Riverdale) as Wayne Maunder, Damian Lewis (Dreamcatcher) as Steve McQueen, Al Pacino (The Irishman) as Marvin Schwarz, Samantha Robinson (The Love Witch) as Abigail Folger, Damon Herriman (Justified) as Charlie, Lena Dunham (Girls) as Gypsy,  Victoria Pedretti (The Haunting Of Hill House) as Lulu, James Landry Hébert (Gangster Squad) as Clem, and Kurt Russell and Zoë Bell (Death Proof) as Randy and Janet Miller.

That list of actors doesn't even put a dent on how many actors, long lost actors, and really good actors were in this film like Scoot McNairy, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Danielle Harris, James Remar, Lew Temple, Rebecca Gayheart, Martin Kove, Clu Gulager, Rumer Willis, Clifton Collins Jr., Harley Quinn Smith, Nicholas Hammond, and so many more. I know a lot of people complained about the pace of the film, but I have to be honest in saying that you know what to expect from a Tarantino film. One is that it's always going to be slow paced and it's going to feature a lot of dialogue included in it usually. So, once you know those things, his films are actually quite enjoyable and you have to appreciate what he brought to the table with this film. The sets alone in this film are absolutely amazing and the way it's presented to you is fantastic. Part of me felt like I was watching a special from 1969 mixed with what was going on. While I loved what DiCaprio brought to the film, the real MVP in my opinion was Brad Pitt and deservedly so considering he won the Oscar for best supporting actor for his part in this film. He carried the film and he had all of the best lines and scenes. The film is kind of a slow burn for the final battle scene at the end that makes the wait very worth it especially if you love Brad Pitt. While I didn't care for the change in the history of what happened, I also didn't mind it either. That is why I am going to give the film an A+ for a final grade because it was awesome. The Bruce Lee scene is controversial (in a way), but it was also funny at the same time.

Buffaloed (2020)

In this world there is nothing worse than being victim of falling into debt that you never can seem to pay off and so it gets worse and worse. Eventually, you end up falling behind because sometimes life is all about making hard choices and then come the vultures known as Debt Collectors. No this is not a public service announcement, but I am setting up today's film which is called Buffaloed and it was directed by Tanya Wexler (Girl With No Name). The film stars my latest celebrity crush Zoey Deutch (The Year Of Spectacular Men) as Ped Dahl, a homegrown Buffalo hustler who will try to do whatever it takes to get out of Buffalo since her father passed away. The only problem is that she gets involved in the underworlds of debt collecting and all hell breaks loose as she tries to stay afloat in the dirty game and avoid jail time again. The film also stars Jai Courtney (Suicide Squad) as Wizz, Judy Greer (Halloween 2018) as Kathy, Jermaine Fowler (BoJack Horseman) as Graham, Noah Reid (Schitt's Creek) as JJ, Lusia Strus (Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide) as Frances, Lorrie Odom (Isn't It Romantic) as Backer, Raymond Ablack (Degrassi: The Next Generation) as Prakash, James M. Connor (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) as Clip, and  Brian Sacca (The Wolf Of Wall Street) as Sal.

Spoiler Alert: There may be sensitive information in this paragraph that could spoil parts of the film so proceed with caution. This was a different kind of role for Zoey while also being one that seems familiar and that is because she nailed her performance in the film. She was definitely the star of the film as the overall performance and flow of the film lied on her shoulders and for the most part she had me glued to see what happened next. The one thing that worked is that Jai Courtney played the perfect villain for her as he escalated things to a different level. The one character that annoyed me was the character of Graham who I didn't understand why he was still there. He is the reason she goes to jail on so many occasions even though he wants to be her boyfriend. It was like he put her in jail every time because she wouldn't quit the business thinking that she would afterwards, but I can definitely see why she kept him around. I liked the story because it showed how debt collectors could be scumbags if they chose to be and how annoying they can make your life if you don't pay them. I don't know if this is my favorite Zoey film, but she earned some respect from me here because besides her performance, I definitely liked the cinematography and the tone of the film. The overall tone of the film was gray because it seemed like Buffalo was a dead end for her so they didn't use bright colors or effects for the city and that was effective. So, with all that being said, I am going to give the album an B+ for a final grade.

Mortdecai (2015)

There was absolutely no rhyme or reason in why I chose the film that I did for today other than who stars in the film. So with that being said, the film that I chose for today was the 2015 comedy Mortdecai. The film stars Johnny Depp (Murder On The Orient Express) as Charlie Mortdecai, an British aristocrat and a shady part time art dealer who lives a certain lavish lifestyle that has gotten him into hot waters with England. You see Charlie owes the government 8 million in back taxes that have not been paid and he agrees to take a job tracking down a once thought to be lost art piece by Goya that could have some information on it that leads it's possessor to millions. The only problem for Charlie is that other people are after this piece too and he'll have to be quick. The film also stars Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man 3) as Johanna, Paul Bettany (Avengers: Infinity War) as Jock, Ewan McGregor (Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey) as Martland, Olivia Munn (X-Men: Apocalypse) as Georgina, Jonny Pasvolsky (Picnic At Hanging Rock) as Emil, Michael Culkin (A Very English Scandal) as Sir Graham, Guy Burnet (The Feed) as Maurice, Jeff Goldblum (Deep Cover) as Krampf, Ulrich Thomsen (The Celebration) as Romanov, Paul Whitehouse (Alice Through The Looking Glass) as Spinoza, and the film was directed by David Koepp (Stir Of Echoes).

I actually thought for the most part that the film was a lot of fun and while that might not make the film brilliant, it was enjoyable to sit through for over an hour. I have always been a huge fan of Johnny's and I always have believed that no matter how bad the film, he has rarely ever given a bad performance. I thought the supporting cast was also very helpful in making it what it was, but I was not a fan whatsoever of McGregor's role in the film. I am not entirely sure if that was the point or if I just hated his role altogether, but this was definitely one of my least favorite roles of his. Paul Bettany deserves some credit in this film as he delivers what is his Ponton to the Clouseau like character that Depp plays as the roles almost mirror each other, but the difference is Bettany's character Jock is more loyal and Depps Mortdecai is a little more spineless and they are not cops. I definitely think that without Bettany and Paltrow, I don't think this film would have been that good in the long run, but the film has some fun action and not enough of Jeff Goldblum. That was definitely one of my biggest complaints was that there was not enough Goldblum in this film who you don't even know is in it till it's almost too late. The film is available right now on HULU and while this was not my first choice for the day, I am not entirely disappointed. I am going to give the film an B-/C+ for a final grade.

Gone In 60 Seconds (2000)

I like doing these challenges because it gives me a chance to check out films that I otherwise probably wouldn't have and to be honest when it's free on VUDU, it makes it a little more enticing. The film I chose for today was one that I had been avoiding for 20 years and to be honest I don't know why, but I decided to check out Gone In 60 Seconds which was directed by Dominic Sena (Swordfish). The film stars Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas) as notorious retired car thief Memphis Raines who had to leave town when things got too hot. The only problem is that his kid brother has decided to follow in his footsteps, but with poor results. You see he promised a very bad man 50 exotic cars and he failed to do so and now Memphis has to step in and try to save the day by stealing 50 cars in three days or else his kid brother dies. The film also stars Giovanni Ribisi (Saving Private Ryan) as Kip Raines, Angelina Jolie (Mr. and Mrs. Smith) as Sway, T.J. Cross (Showtime) as Mirror Man, William Lee Scott (The Butterfly Effect) as Toby, Scott Caan (Varsity Blues) as Tumbler, James Duval (Donnie Darko) as Freb, Will Patton (Armageddon) as Atley, Delroy Lindo (Malcolm X) as Det. Castlebeck, Timothy Olyphant (Rock Star) as Det. Drycoff, Chi McBride (Waiting) as Donny, Robert Duvall (Stalin) as Otto, Vinnie Jones (Snatch) as The Sphinx, and Christopher Eccleston (Thor: The Dark World) as Raymond Calitri.

This film has quite the collection of actors contained in it and it was to be the who's who of young Hollywood at the time mixed with some seasoned players. It is however another film that took the caliber of the cast and made it work for them in a very positive way because this at face value was actually an enjoyable film. Nicolas Cage was Nicolas Cage complete with his signature wig out moment, but it actually worked for this film. There was a time when he was actually making decent films and that was because some of the roles were tailored made for him and his acting chops and this was one of them and not so much The Wicker Man. I love Angelina Jolie and at this time I had the hugest crush on her, but I have seen her in better films like Gia. The comedy in the film was on point and it felt so natural and was delivered so smoothly that it worked when it needed to and the action scenes were superb. That is truly when the film gets really good is when we get to the stealing of the cars and some of the police chases that come with some of them. Some of the cars they steal in the film I have only dreamed of owning and they are marvelous including the Shelby GT Mustang that is "The Unicorn." The cinematography is great because it still has that rough 90's look mixed with the gloss look of the 2000's Hollywood blockbusters. I am definitely kind of mad at myself for waiting this long to see this film, but in the end at least I finally got around to it. I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade.

It Comes At Night (2017)

I was thinking to myself the other day that I hadn't done a lot of horror films this year and believe me there are plenty that I still need to watch. The film that I chose for today I had been meaning to see, but I was quite ready yet, but no better time than now to see It Comes At Night which is the perfect film for the times we are living in. The film centers around the idea that a virus has destroyed the way of life in the world and everyone is forced to live frontier like lives. You live the type of life where you have to protect your family and your land from others. That is what Paul (Joel Edgerton) has had to do for his family since his father in law passed away. That theory is put to the test when they stumble upon a family looking for help and shelter, but what happens when one of them may be sick? The film also stars Carmen Ejogo (What's The Worst That Could Happen?) as Sarah, Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Monsters And Men) as Travis, Christopher Abbott (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot) as Will, Riley Keough (Mad Max: Fury Road) as Kim, Griffin Robert Faulkner as Andrew, David Pendleton (The Edge Of Night) as Bud, and the film was written and directed by Trey Edward Shults (Waves).

Think about how ahead of this time this film is as well as many other films like it. You have to look at the times we are living in right now and imagine if Covid-19 destroyed life as we know it forcing us to be absolutely afraid to go outside without gas masks (does this sound familiar?). The only problem is that we have been doing it for so long that we tend to forget what it was like to be human and we have no idea how this is being spread (does this sound familiar again?). So, we stop being loving neighbors and we are on high alert all the time that you may drop your guard and then bam you are infected. Was it from the people you brought in to your house or did you have it and not know that you did? This film is the loss of humanity and what a pandemic like the ones they are suffering in the film does to the human soul. It's absolutely scary to think about, but are we far off from it right now? Abbott and Edgerton are absolutely amazing in the film in the acting department and as counterparts in the film. You can't help, but watch these two dominate the screen, but young Kelvin Harrison Jr. deserves some credit as well even though he's kind of creepy in the film. Thew film may leave you frustrated because of how it ends, but I actually thought it was poetic in a way. The one thing they most feared soon becomes them. The cinematography is great and the story is pretty solid so that is why I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade.

Svengali (1931)

It's Sunday which can only mean one thing and that is that it's time for another Sunday At The Classics where we view films that were made before the 1970's. The old days were a different time and cinema changed going into the 1970's and there is a whole cavalcade of films to see especially when they star legendary names like today's film does. The film that I am talking about is 1931's Romantic Horror classic Svengali which was directed by Archie Mayo (The Adventures Of Marco Polo) and it's based off of the novel by George L. Du Maurier. The film stars the legendary John Barrymore (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) as the title character and broke down composer Svengali. You see Svengali is the butt of most people's jokes in France since he is a broke composer barely affording to live. All of that will change for Svengali though when he meets the beautiful and charismatic Trilby O'Farrell (Marian Marsh) who has the voice of an angel, but unfortunately Svengali has to use hypnotism to control her. Unfortunately for Svengali, he can't get through to her heart even through hypnotism. The film also stars Bramwell Fletcher (The Mummy) as Billie, Donald Crisp (How Green Was My Valley) as The Laird, Luis Alberni (The Count Of Monte Cristo) as Gecko, Lumsden Hare (The Three Musketeers) as Monsieur Taffy, and Carmel Myers (Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ) as Madame Honori.

One thing is for certain and that is I want to know how they made John Barrymore's eyes go all white the way they did back in 1931? That was one of the coolest scenes in the film and one of the creepiest moments where you were sitting there like can his eyes change back already as it made you uncomfortable. I posted the pic next to this paragraph with Barrymore looking like a cross between Rob Zombie in the Living Dead Girl video and Bela Lugosi in Dracula. They were unfortunately only able to pull this off once in the film because the other time looked like it was straight out of Dracula with the lights going dim on the face except for the eyes. The film isn't very scary, but it what it really is about is a man who is so desperate for love and fame that he will go to any length to get versus the one who just naturally wants it to happen. So, the rest of the film is a wild goose chase as Svengali's powers begin to work against him because he can't buy love with his secret powers. The acting in the film for the most part was pretty good all around, but John Barrymore was the true star of the film as he just oozed of machismo in this film and he was charismatic as well. The only close to touching him in this film was of course Marian Marsh and her performance as the lovable Trilby. I definitely suggest checking this one out for all you cinephiles out there. I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade.

Murder On The Orient Express (2017)

There are times in life when things happen that prevent us from seeing a brand new film or a concert that you wanted to go to. The film that I chose for today is an example of a film that for some strange reason I haven't seen until now as it was being offered for free on demand. The film is 2017's Murder On The Orient Express which is based off of the novel by Agatha Christie and was directed by  Kenneth Branagh (Mary Shelley's Frankenstein) and he also stars as the films main character Hercule Poirot, the greatest detective in the world. After solving a case in Jerusalem, Det. Poirot is offered a ride to his next destination on the Orient Express. Unfortunately for him, a man is murdered on the train and Poirot is forced to put his detective skills to the test as he tries to figure out who murdered this man, but it may not be as easy as it seems this time. The film also stars Johnny Depp (Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest) as Edward Ratchett, Josh Gad (Frozen) as Hector MacQueen,  Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) as Miss Mary Debenham, Leslie Odom Jr. (Red Tails) as Dr. Arbuthnot, Tom Bateman (Snatched) as Bouc, Penélope Cruz (Blow) as Pilar Estravados,  Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Magnificent Seven) as Biniamino Marquez, Sergei Polunin (Red Sparrow) as Count Rudolph Andrenyi, Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody) as Countess Elena Andrenyi, Judi Dench (Skyfall) as Princess Dragomiroff, Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse) as Gerhard Hardman, and  Michelle Pfeiffer (Dangerous Minds) as Caroline Hubbard.

The amount of star power that is in this film is absolutely amazing from Branagh to Johnny Depp to Willem Dafoe, but let's be honest about something. When you have that much star power in your film it can go one of two ways and that is one with it being a huge success and the second being a total failure. The first option in my opinion was definitely the case as every actor seemed to bring their a game no matter how large or small of a role they had in the film. Kenneth was definitely the star of the show as he proved why he is one of the best in the business and he was definitely the better Frenchman than Steve Martin from yesterdays film (but two totally different films). The huge surprise for me from this film has to go to Daisy Ridley who I loved in the Star Wars series, but she held her own with some of the best like Dench, Pfeiffer, etc and she was absolutely fantastic. I have never read the story or seen the original film, but I definitely did not see the ending coming because the whole time I was trying to figure out who it was. I definitely love films that throw the monkey wrench in and they do a terrific job of explaining it. They don't try to throw you in a loop just for the sake of having it, but in this they do it with expertise. I loved the costumes and I loved the cinematography in the film which helped a lot in execution. This was a lot of fun to watch and I am happy I was finally able to see it and I suggest you do the same. I am going to go ahead and give the film an A for a final grade.

The Pink Panther (2006)

I was always a fan of The Pink Panther cartoon that sometimes aired on the Cartoon Network and I was well aware of the Peter Sellers version of The Pink Panther, but I've never viewed a full film. So for today while I was cruising Youtube, I figured I would watch the 2006 remake of The Pink Panther that was directed by Shawn Levy (Night At The Museum). The film stars Steve Martin (Cheaper By The Dozen) as the world famous Inspector Clouseau who gets hired to solve a case that involves the French National team coach (Jason Statham) getting killed and the Pink Panther diamond is stolen from him. Clouseau will have to do his best because there are those that rooting against him because his boss may have had the wrong intentions when hiring him. The film also stars  Jean Reno (Ronin) as Ponton, Kevin Kline (Wild Wild West) as Dreyfus, Beyoncé (The Lion King) as Xania, Emily Mortimer (Lars And The Real Girl) as Nicole, Henry Czerny (Ready Or Not) as Yuri, Kristin Chenoweth (BoJack Horseman) as Cherie, Roger Rees (If Looks Could Kill) as  Raymond Larocque, Philip Goodwin (Men In Black II) as Renard, William Abadie (Sex In The City) as Bizu, and Clive Owen (Children Of Men) as Agent 006.

There were times when the film was just OK as far as humor was concerned because a lot of the intrigue of The Pink Panther is physical slapstick comedy and that can only be so funny at times especially when you've seen the same stunt done in a million other films. Then there were times in the film when they had some honest comedy and that was funnier than the slapstick stuff like Clouseau trying to learn how to say hamburger and then seeing it done in a real situation where he still can't say it correctly. I definitely enjoyed have Jean Reno in the film because I thought he was the perfect counterpart for Martin where he was very dry and almost didn't say a lot. You could say that he was the perfect sidekick for Clouseau and it worked because Reno was great. The funny thing is that even though you are looking for the killer in the film, the real villain of the film isn't even the killer. The real villain of the film is Clouseau's boss played by Klein who just wants Clouseau to screw things up so that he can sweep in and save the day and look like the real hero. So, it was kind of cool to have that in the film because it makes you want the bumbling idiot to succeed. One of the positives of the film was definitely the great cinematography from the stadium to the streets in France to the scenes in New York City and the hotel. The film overall was a lot of fun to watch and that's kind of how you have to look at it. With all that being said, I am going to go ahead and give the film an B for a final grade.

The Hunted (2003)

William Friedkin (The French Connection) is a director who has quite the impressive list of films that he has directed over the course of career like the aforementioned film next to his name and others like The Exorcist, Killer Joe, To Live And Die In LA, and so many more.  I was cruising through the Tubi app when I came across one of his films and I decided to check it out for today in 2003's The Hunted. The film stars Benicio Del Toro (Guardians Of The Galaxy) as Aaron Hallam, a soldier who was trained by the very best to be the best damn solider assassin that the US Government could have. The only problem is what happens when that trained weapon begins to take his mission a little too far and into everyday life? I guess that's when you hire the guy (Tommy Lee Jones) who made him who he is to hunt him down before he claims anymore lives. The film also stars Connie Nielsen (One Hour Photo) as Abby Durrell, Leslie Stefanson (As Good As It Gets) as Irene Kravitz, John Finn (Catch Me If You Can) as Ted Chenoweth, José Zúñiga (The Dark Tower) as Bobby Moret, Ron Canada (Wedding Crashers) as Harry Van Zandt, Mark Pellegrino (The Big Lebowski) as Dale Hewitt, and Jenna Boyd (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) as Loretta Kravitz.

I was honestly expecting a lot more from this film then what we actually got and I think what I mean is that I thought it would be a lot better and more action packed then it was. There is action in the film, but it's nothing exciting like Taken or Rambo. I honestly thought that with the caliber of films that Benicio has been in that he was going to be the star of the film, but it was actually Tommy Lee Jones who stole the show for me. Benicio looked like he was trying to figure out what kind of a super soldier he was like should I be the strong silent type, the wacky I am obviously mentally unstable type, etc. Meanwhile, Tommy Lee Jones is stealing the show and you are literally rooting for the master to defeat the student cause he's proven that he screwed up with Benicio's character and he has to put him down himself. The final fight scene between the two of them had this really long build up of a giant chase through the city scene and then it went into a Rocky like montage of them getting their weapons ready for the final showdown. Then you proceed to the final showdown and it actually doesn't disappoint you as much as I thought it would. Tommy Lee Jones whoops his ass and all is returned back to normal and he can now live his life with no regrets because he killed the worlds best assassin. Some of the dialogue and acting was just bad in this film at times, but it wasn't bad enough that you dreaded watching, it was just a couple of moments here and there. The cinematography could be the saving grace of this film, but not enough to escape it's C+ grade.

Villains (2019)

What has always fascinated me is how many horror films are out there that go undiscovered by millions of people and sometimes it just due to lack of promotion. I always try to do my best in discovering those films and while I was strolling through the HULU library, I found a film that featured the star of IT Chapters 1 & 2 alongside the star of the breakout 2014 film It Follows together in a film aptly called Villains which was written and directed by Dan Berk (Don't Kill It) and Robert Olsen (Long Nights Short Mornings). The film stars Bill Skarsgård (IT Chapter 2) as Mickey and Maika Monroe (It Follows/Honey Boy) as Jules, a couple of amateur criminals who run into a little trouble after a successful convenient store hold up. The couple forgets to put gas in their car and so after it runs out of gas they are forced to break into a home to try and steal a car, but there's a second big problem. They break into the home of a weird sadistic couple and they discover their deep dark secret which they'll do anything to keep a secret. The film also stars Jeffrey Donovan (Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2) as George, Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) as Gloria, Blake Baumgartner (City On A Hill) as Sweetiepie, and Danny Johnson (Daredevil) as Officer Wells.

This is one of those films that starts off where you believe that Mickey and Jules are the villains in the film because they've robbed the store and now they are breaking into this house, but as soon as you meet the inhabitants of the home then you know who the real villains are. One thing is definitely for sure and that is that Skarsgård and Monroe made a great on screen duo that made the film more enjoyable and believable as you rooted for them in every crazy scenario that came up. At one point, I was like something has to give because they are almost getting away, but then a monkey wrench is thrown in. This is one of those films where it could be hard to pick just one MVP because everybody did their job, but the standout to me was the brilliant Jeffery Donovan who took control of the screen every opportunity that was thrown his way and he prevailed. The choice of having Donovan and Sedgwick was another home run choice as they fed off of each other through out the whole film and she was even amazing as well. This is one of those films that has the happy ending, but it kind of comes with a cost, but the weirdest thing is that Blake has one line in the whole entire film and it comes at the least dramatic moment in the film (in my opinion) and there is no fight put up when the line is said and no questions asked later. It has a small cast and it works to their benefit as there is all killer and no filler in this film. I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade, check it out right now on HULU.

Honey Boy (2019)

One of the most polarizing and notorious actors to come from the Disney Channel has been none other than Shia LaBeouf (The Peanut Butter Falcon) who has proven that when he is on point in his acting that there is no one like him. He started out on Disney on the show Even Stevens before landing the dream role in Transformers which led to more fame. That in turn led to him having some trouble in his past that brings him to this very point in 2019 when Amazon released the biographical film Honey Boy which was written by LaBeouf and directed by Alma Har'el (Bombay Beach). The film follows child actor Otis Lort (Noah Jupe) as he tries to navigate through a stormy time in his childhood that leads to his ultimate destruction as an adult. This in turn leads him to have to face up to his past while he spends some time reflecting in rehab. The film also stars Lucas Hedges (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) as Adult Otis, LaBeouf as James Lort, Byron Bowers (Loiter Squad) as Percy,  Laura San Giacomo (Sex, Lies, and Videotape) as Dr. Moreno, FKA Twigs as Shy Girl, Natasha Lyonne (American Pie) as Mom, Maika Monroe (It Follows) as Sandra, Clifton Collins Jr. (One Eight Seven) as Tom, Martin Starr (Knocked Up) as Alec, and Graham Clarke (Lucifer) as TV Dad.

After watching the film, it's definitely easy to see all of the factors that went in to making Shia who he became. Shia did such an amazing job in the film, but if you think about it how much work did he have to do to get into the role of his father. The one thing that I can say is that mentally it must have been hard to do because it would bring back so many memories, but at the same time it has to be therapeutic to let it all go. Shia is an underrated actor in Hollywood and when he puts his mind to it, he does amazing things. My favorite film of his in 2019 was The Peanut Butter Falcon, but this one is definitely right up there. While I have to give Lucas Hedges credit for the role and the amazing job he did playing the rotten child star all grown up, but how do you go from being a brunette to a red head in adulthood? That part was a little bit confusing for me and what was the deal with the same chicken over the course of the film other than the fact it was a wild and un-tamable creature like himself. If you are a fan of Shia LaBeouf and you want to know a little of what he was dealing with as a kid then definitely give this film a watch. I loved the grittiness of the cinematography because it kind of had that documentary look to it while being melancholic in look as well. With that being said, I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade.

Flight Of The Navigator (1986)

Sometimes when you are in the mood for something, you just have to go with your gut and you go with it. That is kind of what happened to me today when I was trying to decide what to watch and so I turned to good ol' Walt Disney and I checked out 1986's Flight Of The Navigator which was directed by Randal Kleiser (Honey, I Blew Up The Kid). The film stars Joey Cramer (The Clan of the Cave Bear) as 12 year old David Freeman, a regular kid who is about to have his world turned upside down. You see, one night David is tasked with bringing back his little brother back home, but David has an accident and is knocked out. The only problem is that when he wakes up, it's eight years into the future and he hasn't aged at all. Everyone is stunned when David arrives at home and his issue might have to do with a wisecracking alien ship. The film also stars Paul Reubens (Pee Wee's Playhouse) as Max, Cliff De Young (The Craft) as Bill Freeman, Veronica Cartwright (Invasion Of The Body Snatchers) as Helen Freeman, Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex In The City) as Carolyn McAdams, Howard Hesseman (Head Of The Class) as Dr. Louis Faraday, Robert Small (Spring Break) as Troy, Raymond Forchion (Point Break) as Detective Banks, Albie Whitaker as 8 year old Jeff, and Matt Adler (Teen Wolf) as 16 year old Jeff.

The life of a child star is always a hard one it seems especially for some Disney stars and that goes for Joey Cramer who was convicted of robbing a bank in Canada. Nonetheless, he did a fantastic job in the film as this films version of E.T.'s Elliot. The real thing that gets me is that Pee Wee Herman was the voice of the alien technology in the film and the whole time I was like why is this guy copying Pee Wee Herman because his name is Paul Mall (that's how he was credited). After thinking about it, I was like that's definitely Paul Reuben and sure enough it was. If we were using he Disney Pixar formula, then Paul Reuben was the comedic relief in this film for sure and he was definitely my MVP. I definitely appreciated how they used real shows and real bands of the 80's during the film when Cramer's character was trying to figure it all out including the fact they introduced him to MTV. There was a lot of cheese in the film to go along with it, but this was an enjoyable 80's flick to watch especially in a time when tons of films just like it were coming out like Explorers or even D.A.R.Y.L. or maybe even *batteries not included. The film did kind of make NASA look incompeitent at times, but isn't that fun of these movies that kids seem to be more willing to take risks then adults and so that is where the adventure is. The spirit of being a kid and feeling alive rather than dragged down by bills and other adult stuff. The film is a lot of fun and you can check it out now on Disney Plus and with that being said, I am going to give it an B-/C+ (somewhere in there) for a final grade.

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967)

I just wanted to take the time to wish everyone a very Happy and safe Easter, I know these are difficult times, but if you are healthy and your family is to then you have to be thankful. For today's Sunday At The Classics, I wanted to check out a film that a lot of my professors talked about for being such a bold film for the time frame that it came out and that films is 1967's Guess Who's Coming To Dinner which was directed by Stanley Kramer (It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World). The film stars Sidney Poitier (In The Heat Of The Night) as Dr. John Prentice and Katharine Houghton (The Last Airbender) as Joey Drayton, an interracial couple who haven't quite told their folks about their relationship. So as a surprise, Joey and John decide to fly to San Francisco to put Joey's liberal parents to the test as they break the news to them. The film also stars Spencer Tracy (Judgement At Nuremberg) as Matt Drayton, Katharine Hepburn (The African Queen) as Christina Drayton, Cecil Kellaway (The Postman Always Rings Twice) as Monsignor Ryan, Beah Richards (In The Heat Of The Night) as Mrs. Prentice, Roy Glenn (Escape from the Planet of the Apes) as Mr. Prentice, and Isabel Sanford (Lady Sings The Blues) as Tilly.

The film was controversial at the time because it was one of the few films that showcased interracial couples in a positive way which wasn't happening very often in Hollywood. In fact, when this film was released in 1967, interracial relationships were still illegal in 17 states and there is one thing that the film nailed on the head. In one scene, I believe it was Tracy told them that it might take 50 years before an interracial couple is fully accepted and he wasn't off when he said that because there are still ignorant people in the world who scoff at it still to this day. That scene in the beginning when Poitier and Houghton are in the taxi and they are kissing must have really turned some heads back in the day. Sadly enough, shortly after the film was finished Spencer Tracy ended up passing away and he put on one hell of a performance in the film and he showcased why he was a legend. In fact, this was the ninth time that Spencer and Hepburn shared the screen together and she was absolutely amazing too. Sidney Poitier of course was the true star of the film with his performance that showcased why he was one of the hot young talents of Hollywood at the time and I am very surprised he wasn't nominated for an Oscar. Nonetheless, I loved the cinematography in this film, I thought it was shot very well and I loved the bright vibrant feel of it as well as far as tone. I loved the shots of San Francisco that you get in the beginning and throughout the film. This is definitely one film that you will want to check out that puts a man and his beliefs to work when he is confronted with it. I am going to give the film an A for a final grade.

Dead Man Walking (1995)

One of the points of doing a challenge or a blog like this is to watch films that have some critical acclaim to them or made an impact when they came out. I definitely remember the film that I chose for today made an impact when it was nominated for four Oscars and took one home and that film is 1995's Dead Man Walking which was written and directed by Tim Robbins (Mystic River). The film stars Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise) as Sister Helen Prejean, a nun who works in the slums section of New Orleans. One day she receives a letter from an inmate named Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn) who is sitting on Death Row and is hoping that Helen can help him try to get off death row before his number is called. The film also stars Robert Prosky (Mrs. Doubtfire) as Hilton Barber,  Raymond J. Barry (Nothing But Trouble) as Earl Delacroix, R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket) as Earl Percy, Celia Weston (Observe and Report) as Mary Beth Percy, Lois Smith (The Nice Guys) as Helen's Mother, Scott Wilson (The Walking Dead) as Chaplain Farley, Roberta Maxwell (Brokeback Mountain) as Lucille Poncelet, Jack Black (Jumanji: The Next Level) as Craig Poncelet, Jon Abrahams (Meet The Parents) as Sonny Poncelet. and Peter Sarsgaard (Shattered Glass) as Walter Delacroix.

I know that Sean Penn is a method actor so I would love to know what he did to research the role and I wonder if he stayed in a cell to stay in character. Those are definitely some of the questions that burn through my mind while I spend time in this isolation. One thing is for sure and that is while I did like his performance in the film a lot, I thought the true MVP of the film was definitely the Oscar Winner Susan Sarandon who deservedly won the award for her role as the real life Sister Helen. She conveyed every emotion exactly the way a director would have wanted her to. You could feel that she was scared at first and by the end of the film you knew all she wanted to do was good by everyone including Matthew Poncelet who she grew very close to. The whole film, all she wants to do is get him to take full responsibility for what he had done because it would mean with the little time that he had left, she made an impact on his life. She would have gotten him to admit responsibility and in turn he grew up and finally became a man. FYI, I did not choose this movie because it's Easter weekend, if that was the case I would be watching some Bible film right now. I had always wanted to see this film and never had the chance to, but thanks to Kanopy (all you need is a library card) I took full advantage of them having it. It's beautifully shot and well acted by everyone involved in the film so I definitely suggest getting this. The end is a little hard to watch because it's very emotional and surreal, but I am going to give the film an A for a final grade.

Bully (2001)

The 90's brought us grittier films especially in independent cinema that helped challenge the blandness that Hollywood was putting out with films like Kids which complete shocked me the first time I watched it. The film I chose for today is another one of those films that is just gritty from beginning to end and it's called Bully and it was released in 2001 and was directed by Larry Clark (Kids). The film stars the late Brad Renfro (Apt Pupil) as Marty Puccio, a typical teenager who just seems to make the wrong choices and is a complete pushover. Marty is friends with Bobby Kent (Nick Stahl), a kid who takes advantage of Marty's shortcomings, has some bad intentions himself,  and bullies him to the point that Marty and the rest of his friends plan and try to execute a hit on Bobby Kent to get rid of him permanently. The film also stars Bijou Phillips (Hostel: Part II) as Ali, Rachel Miner (The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations) as Lisa Connelly, Michael Pitt (Boardwalk Empire) as Donny, Kelli Garner (Lars And The Real Girl) as Heather, Daniel Franzese (I Spit On Your Grave) as Cousin Derek, Leo Fitzpatrick (Bubble Boy) as The Hitman, Ed Amatrudo (The Right Stuff) as Mr. Kent, Elizabeth Dimon (The Mystery Files Of Shelby Woo) as Mrs. Connelly, and Nathalie Paulding (All My Children) as Claudia.

The film is definitely very gritty and it has a real sense to it like it almost feels too real for one's liking. I feel like a lot of Larry Clarke's films explore just how dumb young adults and teenagers can really be and if you never seen Kids then you need to check that out first. Then you can make yourself over to this one and it's just another film about kids not being rational about anything so the first thing they think of is to try and kill a guy. That is the first mistake they make because the second mistake is that involve way too many people in the scenario with the third mistake being that they just can't keep their mouths shut. They sit there and they are told to get their alibis straight, but their they are blabbering to anyone who'll listen to them about how they killed someone. So when I say that a lot of his films are about teenagers making bad choices and just being irrational and stupid then you'll know what I am talking about. The tone and look of the film is just gritty and dirty like you're watching a Dateline special if you get my gist. The acting overall is pretty good by most of the parties involved and there is a crap ton of nudity in this film like they were happy to just be naked and I get it Florida can get very hot and sticky. It's sad to know that Brad Renfro passed away some years after this film because he had a lot of promise, but unfortunately like many others we'll never know what his true potential could have been if he had lived. If you want something gritty then definitely give this one a watch, but for now I am going to give the film an B- for a final grade.

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)

If you are like me and you're a child of the 90's then you were most definitely a fan of Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith) who brought laughter and joy to our hearts with classic titles like Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma, Chasing Amy, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and even Clerks 2. Well when I heard they were coming out with another film entitled Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, I had to see and I have it for you guys today. Jay and Silent Bob manage to get themselves in trouble right from the get go when they operated an illegal pot shop. Without even realizing, they sold their names to Saban Films and they were no longer allowed to use them plus they were rebooting the Bluntman and Chronic film. So, Jay and Silent Bob decide that it's time to head back to Hollywood to stop alongside a daughter Jay didn't know he had and her friends. The film stars Fred Armisen (The Little Hours) as Merkin, Aparna Brielle (Grimm) as Jihad, Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie) as Justice,  Rosario Dawson (Zombieland: Double Tap) as Reggie, Treshelle Edmond (House) as Soapy, Alice Wen (Entourage) as Shan Yu, Harley Quinn Smith (Tusk) as Milly, and cameos by Smith film alums James Van Der Beek, Jason Biggs, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, Ben Affleck as Holden McNeil, Jason Lee as Broadie Bruce, Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks, Matt Damon as Loki, Joey Lauren Adams as Alyssa Jones, and cameos by Method Man, Redman, Tommy Chong, Keith Coogan, Diedrich Bader,  David Dastmalchian, Dan Fogler, Chris Jericho, Chris Hemsworth, Val Kilmer, Kate Micucci, and so many more.

One of the ultimate rules going into any of these films is that if you can't find the humor in it then you were never meant to watch Jay and Silent Bob. This film was a constant trip down memory lane with all of the cameos in the film and they covered every single one of those films that I mentioned above. One of my favorite cameos and it's only because I had such a huge crush on her as a kid was seeing Joey Lauren Adams who was in Mallrats and Chasing Amy and it was like shutting a door because now you've been given a glimpse into where all of them are at in this day and age. The only plus side at the moment is that we are supposedly getting a third Clerks film and apparently thanks to the success of this one, we are getting Twilight Of The Mallrats (Mallrats 2). I also loved Matt Damon's cameo as Loki in the film because he put a nice comedic twist on what Loki has been up to and it was great. The writing for the film was terrific because they never took themselves too seriously and they even poked fun at all the things fans had complained about in the past as well as the way Hollywood works and that was the fun in it all. The cinematography was great, the comic con scenes were great, and the acting for the most part was good. I liked that Harley Quinn Smith was given more of the floor to try and shine in the film and in the end I enjoyed her performance. I didn't think it was Oscar worthy, but neither is anything in this film. Like I said before, if you are a fan of any of his films, then you need to do yourself a favor and check this one out. I am going to give the film an B for a final grade.

The Year Of Spectacular Men (2018)

I had to take some time off from checking out a Zoey Deutch (Vincent N Roxxy) film, but after taking some time off I was ready to jump back in. The film I decided to check out is one big family affair as the film The Year Of Spectacular Men was written and stars Madelyn Deutch (Outcast) and it features and was directed by Lea Thompson (Back To The Future) who is their mother (in real life and in the film). Madelyn plays Izzy Klein, a young woman who has just finished college, but can't seem to keep a relationship going. After her boyfriend in New York breaks up with her, she decides to move to LA to be closer to her older sister Sabrina (Zoey) while trying to navigate through life and all of it's challenges including men, finding a job, and more. The film also stars Cameron Monaghan (Vampire Academy) as Ross, Brandon T. Jackson (Tropic Thunder) as Logan, Zach Roerig (As The World Turns) as Mikey,  Nicholas Braun (The Stanford Prison Experiment) as Charlie, Jesse Bradford (Bring It On) as Aaron,  Avan Jogia (Zombieland: Double Tap) as Sebastian, Melissa Bolona (Acts Of Violence) as Amythyst Stone, D.W. Moffett (How to Get Away with Murder) as Teacher, and Troy Evans (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) as Sketch.

It's a rare occasion when I choose a film and I don't end up enjoying it because I try picking based on what the story is about and what people have said about it. When it came to this film I had no idea that Zoey was the supporting actress, but in the end it didn't matter because this was a really good film. I thought it was actually an enjoyable film to watch and while I must admit that it is a chick flick, I think this may be one that men can enjoy as well. Madelyn who I had no idea was Zoey's sister actually did a fantastic job both in writing the film and in acting because she played a super quirky kind of girl very well in the film. I love how Zoey played the sister who becomes an actress and is entangled in the Hollywood life. There is one point in which they keep referencing a film that she worked on with Zac Efron in which the tabloids want a scoop on her relationship with him. I wonder if that was a poke at what she went through after filming Dirty Grandpa in which she co-starred alongside him in? Throughout the whole film, Madelyn looked like she was the royal screw up when it came to relationships, but by the end of the film she seemed to be the one with her sanity intact. I thought it was a really good film that is available to watch on HULU right now as we speak and I think you should check it out. I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade.