THE FLASH Review

The dominance of the comic book movie over the last twenty-something odd years has admittedly brought me plenty of joy and moments of pure cinematic euphoria, but as we reach what is at least our sixth multiverse film in the last five years (and the second in the last three weeks) I think I've reached the acceptance phase of letting go. Letting go not necessarily because I want to, but because it has become more and more apparent that it is time. While it would feel easy to be angry, depressed, or even regretful about the direction of the genre and what super hero films have collectively become over the past few years it would seem simpler (and easier) to just accept that The Flash is a prime example of why these types of films have begun to feel like they're eating themselves and thus, as much as I hate to say it, why it's time to take a break. 

Letting go, not just of the possibilities that have both been fulfilled and lost, but of the individuals who pioneered these characters as flesh and blood. Listen, I get it, letting go is hard because it means freeing one's self from aspects of their past, things that have become such a big part of a person's life they may even define part of their personality and it's understandable why, rather than moving forward, one might want to remain in this state of familiarity - there's a comfortability in it - but director Andy Muschietti's The Flash is a watershed moment in the super hero genre not because it breaks new ground or re-energizes the kind of escapism these movies can provide, but because it brought upon the realization there is a difference in being comfortable and being resistant and that one can only resist change for so long before what was once a source of comfort becomes discomfort as the seeds of doubt and truth that what once was no longer is begin to grow and further, that a person can only tolerate discomfort for so long before admitting that change is necessary.

Official Trailer for ZACK SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE

I've had little stake in the "Release the Snyder Cut" movement, but as someone who has always appreciated Zack Snyder's dark, almost sinister take on how super heroes might be received and/or implement themselves into modern society his films have always proved daring if not necessarily successful each time out. Man of Steel was one of my favorite films of 2013 and I absolutely adored the myth-building, Ben Affleck's approach to Bruce Wayne, and the sheer scope of Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice three years later which was only made better by the ultimate edition released later that year. Of course, all of this momentum - despite being stifled by a fair majority of critics - came to a screeching halt in late 2017 when Joss Whedon's re-configured Justice League hit theaters on November 17th. Snyder was already shooting his planned two-part Justice League when Batman V. Superman was released in March of 2016 and I can recall reading about set visits that June, many of which were attempting to course correct the BvS narrative and assure those that weren't fans of Snyder's vision for the DC Universe thus far that Snyder was listening and taking note. Of course, by May of 2017 Snyder - dealing with a family tragedy - decided to take a break from the project despite having completed principal photography and already screened a cut of the film for friends and fellow filmmakers. The story was Whedon was only being brought in to assist in some additional photography and to assist the remainder of the post-production process. A story in The Hollywood Reporter published in May of 2017 even stated, “The directing is minimal and it has to adhere to the style and tone and the template that Zack set,” said Warner Bros. Pictures president Toby Emmerich. “We’re not introducing any new characters. It’s the same characters in some new scenes. He’s handing the baton to Joss, but the course has really been set by Zack. I still believe that despite this tragedy, we’ll still end up with a great movie.” Needless to say, by the time Whedon's version of the film was released in November it was clear this wasn't the film Snyder intended it to be and large portions of the film had been re-shot and re-configured in order for Warner Bros. to get out from under the weight of Snyder's ambitious vision allowing them to move forward with more single-shot, director-driven films that Wonder Woman had proved could be just as successful earlier that summer. Five years later though, we're finally (somehow) getting a proper Justice League film and sequel to Batman v. Superman that Snyder always intended. As someone who was completely on board for Snyder's vision from the get-go I can't wait to see what this film holds and if/how it will change the course of DC films moving forward. In addition, this official trailer for the project does not disappoint and seems to hint that Snyder has delivered everything he promised his epic to be. Zack Snyder's Justice League premieres on HBO Max March 18th.       

FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD Review

At this point in our cultural landscape the reaction one has to the latest film set in J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world is largely dependent upon your history and affiliation with said wizarding world. It’s difficult to even comprehend the amount of lives Rowling’s work has impacted and become a major component of since the Harry Potter franchise became a worldwide phenomenon nearly two decades ago. The plan for the Fantastic Beasts franchise, outside of continuing to make money off the brand, was to hopefully introduce a new, younger generation to this world through new stories while naturally entrancing those who came to the world of muggles and magical folk in real time. Harry Potter has now been a part of my life longer than it hasn’t-twice as long nearly-and so, it is always with great anticipation and interest that I approach anything Rowling does even if the cultural temperature is a bit cooler than it used to be. Though initially pessimistic towards the idea of expanding the Potterverse via New York City in the twenties and based around the guy who wrote one of Harry and his friend’s textbooks, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them turned out to be a rather charming introduction to a new facet of this world we only thought we knew; casting a strong enough spell to leave audiences wanting more adventures in the life of Mr. Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). With Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Rowling and franchise director David Yates (the last four HP films as well as the first Fantastic Beasts movie) pick up the story they started two years ago some three months later in a sequel that ultimately serves as a series of revelations for the series’ main players while potentially changing everything we know about one of the Potterverse’s most important characters. The fact the franchise has moved and is moving in the direction of utilizing more primary Potter characters is a double-edged sword given it's hard not to want to see familiar aspects of this familiar world, but there is something of a greater desire to see an aspect completely independent of the events and characters in the Harry Potter stories so as to not potentially spoil what we already love. In other words, while I’m all in for further exploration of the magical world mythology and continuous world-building Rowling is so good at the fact of the matter is The Crimes of Grindelwald might have been more consistently engaging if it’d found a more entertaining story through which to convey these new developments.

First Trailer for FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD

Yesterday the wizarding world was warned to get their #WandsReady in preparation for today's premiere of our first look at the follow-up to 2016's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and here we are. This sequel, said to be the second film in a planned five film franchise, picks up where the first film concluded by following-up the reveal that Colin Farrell's Percival Graves was actually the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald as played by Johnny Depp. The titular Grindelwald was captured by the Magical Congress of the United States of America with the help of our hero, Eddie Redmayne's Newt Scamander, but Grindelwald has since escaped custody and set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda to raise pure-blood wizards to rule over all non-magical beings. With The Crimes of Grindelwald, returning director David Yates (who also helmed the fifth, sixth, and both parts of the seventh Harry Potter films) and sole screenwriter and creator of this wizarding world, J.K. Rowling, we pick-up with a younger Albus Dumbledore than we've ever seen before as portrayed by newcomer to the series Jude Law as he enlists his former student, Scamander, to help in an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans completely unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. While this trailer certainly matches the implied epicness of such a synopsis and it is cool to see this world continue to expand as it seems much of the action in The Crimes of Grindelwald takes place in Paris I can only hope that Yates is able to remain in a genuinely creative and innovative headspace rather than becoming complacent with his position in this universe. Still, this first look appears to be all a fan could want from a film inspired by Rowling's world and I'm more than intrigued to see where this film intends to take the series as a whole. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald also stars Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, Ezra Miller, Zoe Kravitz, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, Carmen Ejogo, Jessica Williams, and opens in theaters on November 16th.

JUSTICE LEAGUE Review

I guess I should start out by saying that I am and always have been a fan of Zack Snyder. Without much effort I can recall sitting in the theater and experiencing Dawn of the Dead along with that moment when it clicked that this wasn't just a fun horror flick, but it was a good movie. I can remember seeing 300 several times if not for the admittedly thin story, but for the ways in which the director was pushing the boundaries of the visual medium. My heart almost dropped out of my chest upon first glimpsing that opening credits sequence to Watchmen in glorious IMAX and with Man of Steel it felt as if Superman had never been so epic; that the whole scope of his being had been presented, warts and all, even if most didn't agree that Superman should have warts. I loved Man of Steel and to a certain degree, I loved Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice as well. I'm not one to say that film is without its flaws, there is a convoluted nature to the proceedings that are unnecessary and it devolves into a CGI crapfest for the last forty minutes, but for me BvS was very much a personal film and one that was as grand in scale as it was deep with heart and rich with themes. Though the marks against it have their validity it is a film that arguably has more to say and more at stake than any other superhero film produced in the last seventeen years and certainly in the last nine or so since Marvel has streamlined the process. This brings us to Justice League, a movie that is hard for me to even call a Snyder film for, despite having the trademark look of the director during certain sequences, is undoubtedly the least Zack Snyder film to have ever been produced. It's sad and disheartening in the way that Justice League, or what Snyder began in 2013 and has been building through to up until recently has culminated with this, a vanilla action film with people dressed like characters we know and love, but to the benefit of a story that is paint by numbers if not the simplest example of such, a barrage of unfinished CGI and shortcuts, with no real stakes to be felt. Say what you will about those civilian casualties or the lack of awareness for them in previous films, but they added a weight to these proceedings that reinforced that in order for evil to be avenged evil first has to occur. Warner Bros. and Geoff Johns have gone out of their way to ensure Justice League took into consideration the complaints from previous endeavors and it does, resolving it to be the broadest and most generic theater-going experience one might have this year. The masses will no doubt love it.

Final JUSTICE LEAGUE Trailer

It seems as if this final trailer for Justice League, a mere six weeks prior to the films release, is a little unnecessary given we've already received three major trailers-the last of which was just in July and spanned just over four minutes in length, but alas much has happened with the film in three months since that last trailer dropped with the biggest change of course being that director Joss Whedon was brought in to steer Justice League to its opening day. At first, it was announced Whedon would ony be coming in to help finish up the film as Zack Snyder dealt with issues in his personal life, but since that initial announcement it has become clear Whedon's role is much larger than that as he will receive a screenwriting credit, meaning he rewrote at least a third of the movie. With Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman becoming the biggest movie of the summer Warner Bros. has put all of their effort into turning the tide on the rest of their heroes and this major overhaul on Justice League looks to only be the beginning of as much. All of that taken into consideration, this trailer looks and feels awesome. What is there not to like? Ben Affleck's Batman is doing his thing, that knowing shot of Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman giving a slight smirk in the midst of battle is great while Ezra Miller's The Flash and Jason Momoa's Aquaman make it look as if either of them could very easily steal the show. The only kind of question mark is Ray Fisher's Cyborg, but I like what we see of that mostly-CGI character here. What's interesting about this movie is that we have to keep in mind it was being planned and prepped long before the backlash received on Dawn of Justice and it is a film that has clearly had a new light shined on it due to those reactions. Ultimately, the film might have a spunkier tone due to Whedon's re-writes, but if this trailer is any indication as to the now movie overall (which it totally could not be) it would seem all those rumors about the level of Whedon's involvement over the past few months would be true. The tone here is much lighter than anything we've seen from the film up to this point, but I'm digging what I'm seeing with cautious optimism. Side note: We get our first glimpse of Henry Cavill here, but not as Superman, so-still pleased with that decision despite the fact we know Supes will be back in some capacity for Justice League which hits theaters on November 17th, 2017. J.K. Simmons, Willem Dafoe, and Amber Heard also star.

SDCC: New Trailer for JUSTICE LEAGUE

With Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman becoming the biggest movie of the summer Warner Bros. has put all of their effort into turning the tide on the rest of their heroes as they have debuted a lengthy new trailer for Justice League today at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. This trailer looks and feels awesome. What is there not to like? Ben Affleck's Batman is doing his thing, Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman is more or less his second in command while Ezra Miller's The Flash and Jason Momoa's Aquaman make it look like either of them could very easily steal the show. The only kind of question mark is Ray Fisher's Cyborg, but I like what we see of that mostly-CGI character here. What's interesting about this movie is that we have to keep in mind it was being planned and prepped for long before the backlash Dawn of Justice received and it is a film that has clearly had a new light shined on it due to those reactions. If you read any of the set visits from last summer you'll remember the fact WB and Snyder immediately went to work building a more positive narrative around the DCEU and for the most part, that was totally demolished by Suicide Squad. Ultimately, the film might have a spunkier tone due to quick re-writes, but it will still look like and be an epic Snyder film which is what these heroes and gods deserve. I don't mind owning up to the fact I'm a Snyder fan and that I hope his vision for this cinematic universe is seen through to the end even with the recent events of his personal life and the fact Joss Whedon has come in to steer Justice League to its opening day. Side note: really happy they still haven't showed us a glimpse of Henry Cavill's Superman despite the fact we know he will be back in some capacity for Justice League which hits theaters on November 17th, 2017. J.K. Simmons, Willem Dafoe, and Amber Heard also star.

Official Trailer for JUSTICE LEAGUE

"Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me." It's not hard to see why many fans of Batman and DC Comics' heroes in general might be feeling this way towards the newly released Justice League trailer because if one thing is evident it's the fact the studio and director Zack Snyder know how to cut an impressive trailer. What has also become clear though, is that they can craft an impressive and outright stellar trailer from a weak film. There is no greater example of this than with last years train wreck that was Suicide Squad. While I rather enjoyed Man of Steel and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice more than most I can see how such an argument might be made as the trailers certainly indicated something far more exceptional than what we were ultimately delivered. All hopes are riding on Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman at the moment as all three trailers we've seen from the film have been superb and if that film can prove to be as much when it debuts this summer it might right the ship for the struggling DC Cinematic Universe. All of that is to say that of course this trailer looks and feels awesome. What is there not to like? Ben Affleck's Batman is doing his thing, Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman is more or less his second in command while Ezra Miller's The Flash and Jason Momoa's Aquaman make it look like either of them could very easily steal the show. The only kind of question mark is Ray Fisher's Cyborg, but I like what we see of that mostly-CGI character here. What's interesting about this movie is that we have to keep in mind it was being planned and prepped for long before the backlash Dawn of Justice received and it is a film that has clearly had a new light shined on it due to those reactions. If you read any of the set visits from last summer you'll remember the fact WB and Snyder immediately went to work building a more positive narrative around the DCEU and for the most part, that was totally demolished by Suicide Squad.  Ultimately, the film might have a spunkier tone due to quick re-writes, but it will still look like and be an epic Snyder film which is what these heroes and gods deserve. I don't mind owning up to the fact I'm a Snyder fan and that I hope his vision for this cinematic universe is seen through to the end. Side note: really happy they still haven't showed us a glimpse of Henry Cavill's Superman despite the fact we know he will be back in some capacity for Justice Laague which hits theaters on November 17th, 2017. J.K. Simmons, Willem Dafoe, and Amber Heard also star.

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Review

For what is mostly the first entry in a brand new series Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is also very much a re-boot to the Harry Potter universe that Warner Bros. has surprisingly let remain stagnant for a solid five years. As someone who grew up with the books, who matured as they matured, and grasped the implications of the ideas and themes more as the series went on and explored more complex ideas and themes itself I have to admit to not being too thrilled by the fact Warner Bros. planned on extending the world of Harry Potter to New York City and the 1920's with a film about the guy who...wrote one of Harry and his friends textbooks? Despite the fact J.K. Rowling herself would be penning the screenplay there was still a fair amount of trepidation that whatever this Eddie Redmayne-fronted extension of the magical world might ultimately be it would inevitably be little more than a cash grab. A boardroom mandated blockbuster that would repeat as many of the same beats from the Harry Potter franchise as it could while doubling the amount of merchandise and thus the revenue. And so, here we are-the full swing of the Holiday season in November is in full force and amidst the crowded multiplexes sporting a number of high-profile releases and awards season hopefuls we again find the comfort and ease of knowing that while not exactly Harry, we are once again able to escape to the magical world Rowling has conjured up and that, no matter the protagonist, is something of an unavoidable happiness members of a certain generation can't pass up. For the truth is, after allowing my hesitations to subside and instead becoming excited by the fact Rowling and director David Yates (who made the final four Harry Potter films) reunited for a brand new chapter in the development of the wizarding world and that this chapter of the bigger picture would ultimately add more depth and scope to this world we already believed we knew turns out to be a solidly entertaining thrill ride. Though Fantastic Beasts certainly has its issues and two too many endings it casts a charming enough spell to leave audiences wanting more from the adventures of Mr. Newt Scamander and his inevitable battle with Gellert Grindelwald.

Comic-Con Trailer for FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

Director David Yates is a busy man. Not only did he direct one of the more surprising and solid blockbusters of the summer in The Legend of Tarzan, but he also has seemingly just completed both his and Warner Bros. return to the wizarding world with the adaptation of J.K. Rowling's 2001 novel Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them. The book was published under the pseudonym Newt Scamander and purports to be Harry Potter's copy of the textbook that was on his list of necessary school supplies in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Our protagonist here is Scamander himself and given the screenplay was the first penned by Rowling herself I'm assuming this is an original story that will give audiences insight into how Mr. Scamander came to be experienced enough to pen an entire textbook on magical creatures. With the film now only four months away from release it makes sense that WB would not only premiere a full length trailer at Comic-Con, but that they'd also be game to show off more of the completed money shots that likely haven't been available for very long. With this latest (and hopefully final) look at the film we are given a more immersive look into this new era of the wizarding world that this installment seems to be leaning on as a means to justify its existence. While this new film won't deal with "The Boy Who Lived" exclusively, the idea of being able to return to such a world, and in November no less, is something of pure bliss for my generation in particular. The look of the film is certainly engaging and I like that Yates is here to secure a continuity of tone if there can't be much of it elsewhere. While part of me gets more nervous the closer we get to this thing I can't help but to be excited given how big a part of my childhood Harry Potter and his wizarding world was. Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them stars Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Ron Perlman, Carmen Ejogo, Jenn Murray, Faith Wood-Blagrove, and opens on November 18, 2016.

Comic-Con Trailer for JUSTICE LEAGUE

With Suicide Squad opening in just over a week and anticipation higher than ever I certainly expected Warner Bros. to drop a Wonder Woman trailer at this years San Diego Comic-Con, but never did I expect a full trailer for next November's Justice League. Sure, Wonder Woman doesn't hit theaters until next June, but would the studio really miss the opportunity of putting the trailer for their next DC film in front of the one that is tracking to make more than a $125 million opening weekend? Of course not. All of this to say that not only were we given a wonderfully fitting Wonder Woman trailer, but director Zack Snyder also flew in to deliver some footage from his upcoming Justice League movie that has been officially released online by WB. There is something to be said for the course of action the WB is taking as they began releasing trailers online almost immediately after premiering them at Comic-Con last year, but that is for another time. What we have right now is a first look at footage from a movie that is currently still in production and doesn't come out for over a year. It is the first look at a movie that was planned and being prepared for long before the backlash to Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and it is a film that has clearly had a new light shined on it due to those reactions. If you read any of the set visits from a month or so ago where Snyder and the studio invited several online journalists to the set of Justice League to check out their process so far you undoubtedly noticed that both Snyder and the studio were on a mission to not only convince those that disliked BvS that they were fixing a lot of their complaints in Justice League, but to also get a more positive narrative going around the DC cinematic universe as early as possible. With the release of this first look at Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne assembling his team including Jason Momoa's Aquaman, Ezra Miller's Flash, and Ray Fisher's Cyborg as well as the already established Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) it only stands to reinforce that Snyder and the studio are now moving on to change the narrative with the fans as well and this tease couldn't do a better job of getting me excited as its clear that while the film might have more of a spunkier tone it will still look like an epic Snyder film which is what these heroes and gods deserve. Though Henry Cavill's Superman is absent from the trailer the newly released image of the Justice League (see below) indeed confirms (as if there were any doubt) that Superman will be back in some capacity for Justice Laague Part 1 which hits theaters on November 17th, 2017. J.K. Simmons, Willem Dafoe, and Amber Heard also star.

New Trailer for FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

Director David Yates is a busy man. Not only is he in post production on his first post-Harry Potter feature, The Legend of Tarzan, but he also just completed production on Warner Bros. return to the wizarding world with the adaptation of J.K. Rowling's 2001 novel Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them. The book was published under the pseudonym Newt Scamander and purports to be Harry Potter's copy of the textbook that was on his list of necessary school supplies in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Our protagonist here is Scamander himself  and given the screenplay was the first penned by rowling herself I'm assuming this is an original story that will give audiences insight into how Mr. Scamander came to be experienced enough to pen an entire textbook on magical creatures. Though we received a teaser for the film back in December that was purely to put something in front of Star Wars while this full trailer delivers a more immersive look into this new era of the wizarding world that we will explore. While this new film won't deal with "The Boy Who Lived" exclusively, the idea of being able to return to such a world, and in November no less, is something of pure bliss for my generation in particular. The look of the film is certainly engaging and the presence of both Eddie Redmayne and Colin Farrell, including his voice over, boasts the already mythical material that much further into the high pedigree range. In short, I can't wait to see what adventure this fresh perspective holds. Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them also stars Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Ron Perlman, Carmen Ejogo, Jenn Murray, Faith Wood-Blagrove, and opens on November 18, 2016.

BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE Review

It's important to remember that each individual comes to a movie not only with certain expectations and preconceived notions, but a different life experience up until the point they view a movie that will inform how they respond to a given piece of entertainment. I'm a child of the nineties, a product of Power Rangers and Capri Sun's; a time when what some would argue the best iteration of Bob Kane's Batman character would be brought to life. I'm of course referring to Batman: The Animated Series which ran from 1992-1995 and more or less became the defining Batman in my life-the Batman all other Batman's would be chasing from that point on. Too young for Michael Keaton's movies and too juvenile to initially understand just how bad Joel Schumacher's films were, the animated series brought to life the most genuine and credible version of the superhero my generation (or any other up to that point) could imagine. I adore the Christopher Nolan trilogy and what he did for the genre as a whole. I will forever hold that trilogy in high regard and The Dark Knight as one of the single greatest theater-going experiences of my life. Eight years after the Nolan/Christian Bale epic that will go down in history as the best live action version of Batman thanks to the late Heath Ledger's performance we now have the next attempt to bring the caped crusader to life in what is more or less the sequel to 2013's Man of Steel. Jump-starting the DC Universe in an attempt to catch up with Marvel Studios, director Zack Snyder and his team have delivered a film that seems to want to bring the tone, artistic quality, and believe it or not...the fun of that nineties animated series to life on the big screen, extended universe and all. This is where I come at the movie from. A place of balance between what was my childhood Batman (never having a large affinity for Superman given he never had as influential an animated series) and what is my more mature, realistic Batman in the Nolan trilogy. It's a parallel that worked out well for my progression from child to adult and so, the big question was: where would Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice fit into this scheme and how would everything I've seen and read of these characters inform my response to Snyder's bringing together of these two icons on the big screen for the first time? For this particular viewer: I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Teaser Trailer for FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

Director David Yates is a busy man. Not only is he in post production on his first post-Harry Potter feature, The Legend of Tarzan (which only just premiered it's trailer last week), but he is also in the midst of production on Warner Bros. return to the wizarding world of Harry Potter with the film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's 2001 novel Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them. The book was published under the pseudonym Newt Scamander and purports to be Harry Potter's copy of the textbook that was on his list of necessary school supplies in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Given our protagonist here is Scamander himself I'm assuming this is an original story that will give audiences insight into how Mr. Scamander came to be experienced enough to pen an entire textbook on the magical creatures of the wizard universe. Given what we have here is merely a teaser with very little actual footage it seems clear Warner Bros. simply wanted to get something in front of Star Wars this weekend so that audiences will know they are going to be able to return to the world of Harry Potter next year. While this new film won't deal with "The Boy Who Lived" exclusively, the idea of being able to return to such a world, and in November no less, is something of pure bliss for my generation in particular. Without having much to go on I can't really tell whether I should necessarily be excited for the film, but with Yates, who helmed Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix all the way through the finale in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, once again in charge of things I have a large amount of faith in the fact I will enjoy this new adventure. Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them stars Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Ron Perlman, Carmen Ejogo, Jenn Murray, Faith Wood-Blagrove, Colin Farrell, and opens on November 18, 2016.

TRAINWRECK Review

Judd Apatow is something of an enigma due to his seeming omnipotence over the comedy world in television and film. In truth though, he's only made five feature films and directed a handful of TV episodes for series he had a hand in creating. I understand the complaints lodged against Apatow and his comedies, but regardless I'm a big fan of his. In a strange way, Apatow seems to want to do with comedy what Christopher Nolan is doing with mainstream blockbusters. His movies are large in length, deep in character and entrusted with themes bigger than just those intended to make people laugh. Apatow is telling human stories and including the humor so often involved, but so difficult to naturally convey. To capture the genuine way we exchange laughs and cultivate jokes through piles of conversation and inside references is no easy task, but Apatow is attempting to crack this the best he knows how and, if nothing else, he should be applauded for the effort. Apatow wants to make comedy as epic and cutting to others as it is to him. While his last two features (Funny People and This is 40) didn't receive the warm critical reception of his first two (The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up) I couldn't help but feel I understood the journey he was on and the goal he was trying to reach. With his latest, Trainwreck, Apatow has ventured into new territory which is likely for the best when considering his career trajectory while simultaneously keeping his legacy intact. Trainwreck, though, doesn't feel like an Apatow film. This is due to the fact that it really isn't. Trainwreck is an Amy Schumer film through and through and there is nothing wrong with that, but any seasoned comedy director could have delivered this product. This is Apatow's first feature directing gig where he didn't also write the script and the lack of investment becomes apparent. Beginning with a shot that elicits the quality of the photographs produced in the early eighties I imagined we were going to get a full throttle collaboration between two solid, comedic minds that understand perception and honesty to the point of delivering it in a funny manner. The comedy isn't the problem, the characters aren't an issue and the story is fine for what it is, but the directing seems to default to autopilot rather quickly so as to competently document The Amy Schumer Show. Apatow let's Schumer take the reigns and doesn't infuse the project with his own flavor, making him feel more like a director for hire than a collaborator.

First Trailer for Judd Apatow's TRAINWRECK

I remember watching the "Finding Ben Stone" featurette on the Knocked Up DVD and wondering what it might have been like were Judd Apatow not clearly positioning that film as the breakout lead for Seth Rogen. This featurette included a handful of mock auditions of other major and up and coming comedians in the role of the lead character. The audition I remember the most was that of Bill Hader's. He had just started his run on Saturday Night Live at the time and instead of acting like a regular guy kept doing different impressions in each take. Ever since Hader left SNL as one of the more celebrated players of that shows illustrious history I have been waiting for him to take a leading role in a major comedy that might allow him that transition from cast member to movie star. While the latest from Apatow, after the commercial and somewhat critical failures that were Funny People and This is 40, is his first film he hasn't also written it does come from the mind of and stars Amy Schumer. Schumer has become well-known and regarded for her stand-up comedy and Comedy Central show, Inside Amy Schumer, but I have not listened to or seen the show so have no opinion on her outside of what I just saw in this first trailer. Needless to say, this makes my anticipation for the project based more off the inclusion of Hader as a headliner and Apatow at the helm, but will admit it's nice to see a change of gender roles in the rom-com as the girl is the one slaying the guys this time around and I'm anxious to see what else Schumer may have done with the rom-com formula that we aren't being shown in the trailer. Trainwreck also stars Colin Quinn, Brie Larson, John Cena, Marisa Tomei, Ezra Miller, Tilda Swinton, Vanessa Bayer, Mike Birbiglia, LeBron James and opens on July 17th.

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER Review

Everything about The Perks of Being a Wallflower is subtle. As it should be. From its beautifully subdued soundtrack to its washed out color palette. Even in the most flashy of performances and moments that creep towards the melodramatic this lovely film is limited to its inherent honesty. I have never read the book by Stephen Chbosky on which this is based, but I will be sure to pick up a copy to really understand the culmination of our main character. I found myself, throughout the entire film, wanting to really get a grasp on the writing of our main character in order to get to know him all the better. The film does more than a fine job at this, don't get me wrong. It is more a justification of how well this film draws you into each and every character we are presented with that we want to continue on their journey with them, that we never want it to end. I can only imagine the  kind of emotionality that goes into re-creating ones experience at such a delicate time in their lives but Chbosky, who not only is the author of the novel but also adapted it to a screenplay and then directed the film has done so in award-winning fashion. He shows the natural intuition of a seasoned director as he manages each of his characters and their equally important journeys with such care that we truly feel the effects of that first love, those traumatic experiences that come with every high school experience, the loss of innocence and how what we feel in being carefree will always exist as shadows of those moments will forever stay with us; meaning so much more than anyone who recalls them around you will ever know. They will never know the individual, personal experience of what memories your mind drifts to, but this movie provides a universally identifiable yet uniquely individual story of one boys account that will not only move you, but help you to understand life a little bit better.

Charlie (Logan Lerman) and Patrick (Ezra Miller) have two
different interpretations of their shop project.

The story we see unfold is one that is essentially touching on growing up. Something that we are all forced to do, even if we regret rushing it once we get there. I don't know that there has ever been a person wise enough to not be envious of the attractive aspects of adulthood that it doesn't cause them to want to hurry through adolescence. Naturally, there are no real exceptions to that rule here, but instead young human beings who understand the moment they are at in life is pretty damn great and they are going to take advantage of it. We are first introduced to Charlie (Logan Lerman) as he enters his freshman year of high school with the humble goal of trying to make a friend on the first day. Friends are a big deal to Charlie, his older sister is a senior and his even older brother has just left for college at Penn State on a football scholarship. Charlie's parents are nothing if not typical. They aren't overbearing, but their children seem to know what they expect. His father (played at just the right temperature by Dylan McDermott) probably drinks a little too much and his mother (Kate Walsh) could probably show a little more interest, but then again Chbosky might have felt their influence wasn't necessary as it's clear parent issues are not what Charlie is worried about. Charlie is simply trying to find where he fits in. He seems very sure of who he is, despite what he has been through (which I won't divulge here, the way it unfolds in the film and to such perfect effect is much too good to spoil) but clearly finds it hard to carve out a place with others who seem to share his sensibilities. So, it is nothing more than a blessing when misfit seniors like Patrick (Ezra Miller) and his step-sister Sam (Emma Watson) take in Charlie to their exclusive group where he feels, for the first time, he can truly be himself.

Charlie, Patrick, and his step-sister Sam (Emma Watson)
become friends with a unique bond.

While Chbosky has created a film that will live on for generations as those John Hughes films of the 80's do, The Perks of Being a Wallflower will be referenced by teenagers of the time period it represents as well as teenagers of today. It could really be set in any time period and the dynamics, the relationships and the conflicts that these teenagers go through will be the same they just might have a different set of stipulations. This is the closest thing we will likely ever have that touches the magic of those Hughes produced movies and, as in the cases of those films, what will really live on and stick with you long after the movie has come to a close are the characters. I was surprised to hear Lerman would be playing the socially awkward Charlie, the angst-ridden teen who also needed to convey the necessary amount of charm to be appealing. Lerman can certainly be appealing as he has proved in big budget bombs like The Three Musketeers and Percy Jackson, but being given those type of leading man roles made this seem a bit out of character. The actor surprises at every turn, making Charlie the most genuine kind of wallflower. He is smart, he knows and understands things, but he doesn't flaunt his superiority to his peers because his humble ways don't allow him to be too self-assured. It is a complex personality to set forth but Lerman delivers this even in his vocals that narrate our story.

Our protagonist owes a good amount to his co-stars for helping make his personality shine though, there is no doubt there. Ezra Miller plays Patrick with a drama queen attitude and flair for the abusive honesty his classmates would like to sweep under the rug. Miller is clearly a force to be reckoned with (especially if you saw him in last years We Need to Talk About Kevin) and he brings a certain weight to every second he is on screen whether it be to comedic or dramatic effect. Then, there is of course Emma Watson who nails an American accent, but more importantly turns in a better, more mature performance than she was ever able to give in the Harry Potter films. As Sam, Watson breathes an intelligence that could only come with understanding where her character is in life. Lerman is our anchor, but Miller nearly steals the film and Watson simply makes this whole affair feel less of something that could have come from the mind of any screenwriter. She seems to have a real connection, a personal need with and from the story that is taking place. That coming-of-age tale that includes every emotion that comes along with real life. The whole movie could be described in the same way. The performances only make these facts even more true.

It is clear from the beginning Sam and Charlie share
something more, though we never know if it
will work out. 

There is no other way to put it other than to flat out say I loved this movie. It is so good and I enjoyed every minute of it. Never have I felt so often moved by a picture and at the same time so invigorated to go out and live by the virtues its preaching. It doesn't talk down to its audience. It isn't trying to teach us a lesson and it isn't judging us through the way it treats its characters. It doesn't throw moral guidelines at us, more it is simply providing an earnest interpretation of what being a teenager feels like and showing how everyone can find something to relate to in that stage of life. No matter if it were the ways in which these kids interact with one another or the moments in which they realize and come to that epiphany that expands their minds past  not just who they are but into what else is out there and who they (or we) could be in this bigger landscape our confined mind could have ever hoped to imagine. There is a real sense of ephemeral bliss to everything that happens in the movie and that relates to the crowd even more. You can relate so much that you can feel the similarities between what you did, might, or are going through and it seriously takes you back and puts you in that moment. It gets to you. If you don't feel anything from it, if you don't get a sense of nostalgia at the very least I don't know that you even understand the point of film. Spending two hours with these folks makes anyone who has ever felt lost know that there is something or someone out there who completely understands them and as cliched or pretentious as that might come off it, as the movie is able to effortlessly convey, is only meant in the most genuine and heartfelt of ways. This film is a true experience, a flash of memories and a rush of excitement. Above all, it is timeless and I expect it will stay with me more than any other film this year.

     

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER Review

Everything about The Perks of Being a Wallflower is subtle. As it should be. From its beautifully subdued soundtrack to its washed out color palette. Even in the most flashy of performances and moments that creep towards the melodramatic this lovely film is limited to its inherent honesty. I have never read the book by Stephen Chbosky on which this is based, but I will be sure to pick up a copy to really understand the culmination of our main character. I found myself, throughout the entire film, wanting to really get a grasp on the writing of our main character in order to get to know him all the better. The film does more than a fine job at this, don't get me wrong. It is more a justification of how well this film draws you into each and every character we are presented with that we want to continue on their journey with them, that we never want it to end. I can only imagine the  kind of emotionality that goes into re-creating ones experience at such a delicate time in their lives but Chbosky, who not only is the author of the novel but also adapted it to a screenplay and then directed the film has done so in award-winning fashion. He shows the natural intuition of a seasoned director as he manages each of his characters and their equally important journeys with such care that we truly feel the effects of that first love, those traumatic experiences that come with every high school experience, the loss of innocence and how what we feel in being carefree will always exist as shadows of those moments will forever stay with us; meaning so much more than anyone who recalls them around you will ever know. They will never know the individual, personal experience of what memories your mind drifts to, but this movie provides a universally identifiable yet uniquely individual story of one boys account that will not only move you, but help you to understand life a little bit better.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Review

"We Need to Talk About Kevin" is a weird flick. You should be ready, something I wasn't, before watching the film. It appears rather normal in the trailers. A nice, credible cast taking on a genre that doesn't get a whole lot of serious thought. Besides all the festival fodder attached to it I actually expected more of an Omen/Damien kinda feeling in that this kid was evil and we were going to see the results of that. Funny thing about "Kevin" though is he actually doesn't develop much in front of our eyes. No, what we see is his evolution through the eyes of his mother Eva and how from birth there is simply something unsettling about the kid. I have never been a huge fan of Tilda Swinton, I guess I just didn't get it; especially a few years ago when she blew onto the scene and had a part in every awards contender on the block. Since, I haven't heard as much from her but she lives up to the acclaim with this performance. The whole film hinges on what we think of Eva. From the outside she could be viewed as the parent who did all the wrong things, but as we get to experience first hand the pain she endured and will endure for a lifetime we know she is nothing more than a woman that constantly wonders, "why?" In the nearly two hour run time Swinton hardly speaks. It is almost jolting when we do in fact hear her voice but it is also an affect director Lynne Ramsey doesn't take for granted in the script. Instead she uses the combination of Swinton's performance and the slow burning revelation of what exactly Kevin did to entice us by making us want to look away, while knowing it is impossible to do so. Focusing her camera on Swinton's face and guiding us effortlessly through different time frames, Ramsey has concocted a truly terrifying psychological drama that only suffers because for all its great performances and genre bending style, at the end of the film we still don't have an idea of who Kevin is to really continue talking about him.

Eva (Tilda Swinton) and Franklin (John C. Reilly) wait
at the hospital for news of their daughter.

I have not read the 2003 novel from which this film is based, but after watching the film I can imagine it to be an insightful piece of horror. I wonder whether or not the structure of the book is similar to that of the film because for me, that is the definitive characteristic of this movie. The way in which Ramsey is able to manipulate her audience through different points in Eva's life is flawless and though the default signal is Swinton's hair length, we don't even have to notice that because it is clearly painted all over Eva's face at where she is at in her life. In what could be called flashbacks I guess, it would seem more fitting to refer to them as memories in this case (that's just how the movie makes you feel) we see Eva meet Franklin (a suppressed John C. Reilly) as they form a relationship and create a child. It is with their first born child, the creepily demonic yet calm Kevin, that we begin to understand what we have seen previously in more present versions of Eva. The film covers over fifteen years of Eva's life as she deals with her son and his at times pure hatred towards her. It is both irritating and scarily engaging to watch as Kevin begins as a baby who never stops crying around his mother. We see him grow to what looks like a three or four-year old child who doesn't speak and won't respond to the activities his mother tries to interest him in. It is here we begin to catch glimpses of a more mature Kevin, as a high-schooler played with no obvious issues but an immediate creepiness by Ezra Miller. As said in the beginning though, we are never as closely linked with the character in the title as we are with his mother. The film is a study of a mother and how she deals with her grief and the feelings of responsibility for what her son did. It is a movie that for most, might be hard to watch, but is certainly worth your time and attention.

A family dinner doesn't happen to often. And as usual
Kevin (Ezra Miller, center) does something to ruin it. 

The biggest theme the movie explores, and what I'm sure the basis of the book was, is the oldest debate in psychology: nature vs. nurture. What the film doesn't do is define what side it is taking; though the obvious choice would seem to be that of at least certain traits being inborn. The idea that certain things simply occur naturally regardless of environmental influences. "We Need to Talk About Kevin" certainly doesn't go along with the ideas that we are born as a blank slate and everything that we are, everything we become is determined by our experiences. No, what is in Kevin is an innate evil. Still while I personally think there are aspects of everyones life that are of course influenced by our surroundings I also think that we do have traits that are what you might call genetically predisposed. The movie offers an exploration into this issue by giving us that protagonist's view of Eva. She is a caring, sweet mother. We see that when there is a glimmer of hope in Kevin and in the way she loves and cares for her daughter Celia. Through this perspective we see no reason as to why Kevin turns out the way he does or even why he thinks in the terms he does. He is a completely different person around his father than he is his mother. If anything that proves an intent. We immediately are given the impression Kevin is a smart child, that there is something different though he appears normal in the most average sense of that word. That he does these things with an instinct to hurt others and that we never see him playing a video game or listening to metal supports the idea Kevin was genetically determined to turn out the way he did. What we do see is very little in the way of his father getting him a bow and arrow when he is a young child. To anyone else it would be a toy, a fun hobby, to Kevin it is the answer to all the desires he needed to accomplish.

Eva and Kevin's relationship has always been a bit strained.

I can understand Ramsey's reasons for not letting us more into the head of Kevin as she was most likely staying as true to the novel as possible, but even in that sense I think at least some chapters might have been more engaging, more eye-opening had we seen the grief, the memories, the reasoning of what is happening through Kevin's own mind. If we could read or visually see his thoughts it would have lent the film a deeper resonance with what happens in the conclusion. Instead we have a film that leaves us as clueless about "why?" as it does our main character. It is the last question, the last piece of dialogue Eva mutters in the film and it is what we have been waiting for the entire movie. What Kevin reveals is nothing short of a let down and thus gives me my only real complaint about the experience. There were certainly slow parts throughout where the change from Eva's memories to those of Kevin's would have benefited the pacing, but again, I understand where Ramsey is coming from and why she chose to stick with her one point of view. It is still a haunting one, and naturally a more painful interpretation of the events whereas Kevin's would no doubt have been more blunt and heartless. The film overall is generally effective but it is Swinton's performance that catapults it above to something of a higher level. A movie that is not just a piece of entertainment, but a study of a role that more people play than any other in the world. It is completely relatable, completely possible and in that is the most terrifying truth the film brings to the surface.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Review

"We Need to Talk About Kevin" is a weird flick. You should be ready, something I wasn't, before watching the film. It appears rather normal in the trailers. A nice, credible cast taking on a genre that doesn't get a whole lot of serious thought. Besides all the festival fodder attached to it I actually expected more of an Omen/Damien kinda feeling in that this kid was evil and we were going to see the results of that. Funny thing about "Kevin" though is he actually doesn't develop much in front of our eyes. No, what we see is his evolution through the eyes of his mother Eva and how from birth there is simply something unsettling about the kid. I have never been a huge fan of Tilda Swinton, I guess I just didn't get it; especially a few years ago when she blew onto the scene and had a part in every awards contender on the block. Since, I haven't heard as much from her but she lives up to the acclaim with this performance. The whole film hinges on what we think of Eva. From the outside she could be viewed as the parent who did all the wrong things, but as we get to experience first hand the pain she endured and will endure for a lifetime we know she is nothing more than a woman that constantly wonders, "why?" In the nearly two hour run time Swinton hardly speaks. It is almost jolting when we do in fact hear her voice but it is also an affect director Lynne Ramsey doesn't take for granted in the script. Instead she uses the combination of Swinton's performance and the slow burning revelation of what exactly Kevin did to entice us by making us want to look away, while knowing it is impossible to do so. Focusing her camera on Swinton's face and guiding us effortlessly through different time frames, Ramsey has concocted a truly terrifying psychological drama that only suffers because for all its great performances and genre bending style, at the end of the film we still don't have an idea of who Kevin is to really continue talking about him.