As Jacked Up June continues, I thought I'd bring up a title that doesn't seem to get talked about much anymore. Although Jack is a bit more of a side character, with nominations for Best "Supporting" Actor here, it's one of his scarier portrayals of a character since playing Jack Torrence in 'The Shining'. He actually kinda steals the show when he is on screen, and that's saying a lot considering the other performances in the film. When a Private is attacked by two other marines and eventually declared dead while in hospital, an investigation is conducted by Lt. Commander Jo Galloway (Demi Moore). She believes the attack ensued on account of the Private potentially going over the head of Base Commander, Col. Jessup (Jack Nicholson), threatening to reveal something terrible, and requesting a transfer She believes it to be a possible "Code Red"; a type of illegal hazing brought at the request of Jessup. Galloway's superiors deny her the case, but soon recruit Naval lawyer Lt. Dan Kaffee (Tom Cruise), who would sooner plea his cases out than defend the two Marines involved. This leads Galloway to warn him that if he plea bargains, it will ultimately lead to Jessup getting away with murder. He decide against his usual approach, but he's missing one crucial piece of evidence - undeniable proof that Jessup gave the order. This is one of those intense court room dramas, with great performances all around. It may be one of few movies where Jack can almost be matched by the comedic, but serious Tom Cruise, or the by-the-book character of Galloway, portrayed by Demi Moore. I'm not usually one for court room dramas, often finding them a little complex for my taste, but this one has great balance to it, allowing you to breath between takes of Jack, who excels here at making the audience uncomfortable - in a good way. 'Batman' fans know he makes a great villain, but this is when his portrayal of a villain is serious, and it even gets a bit scary at points. Nominated for four Oscars that year, it unfortunately lost all; three of them to 'Unforgiven'. It suffered a similar all-out loss at the Golden Globes, with five nominations. With that, I would definitely consider this a somewhat underrated classic. It doesn't even make IMDb's Top 250. Of course, it's not without a few bumps. While I maintain that there are great performances all around, there are bits and pieces that could be considered scenes of overacting. But to me, that's about where it ends, and even that's a very minor detail. My final opinion is simple. I think it's a solid and suspenseful story all the way though, and it really doesn't take much to get into it, especially when you see some of the somewhat surprising roles these players take on. If you haven't seen it yet, just know that it's a prime example of a classic, early 90's title, back when not everything needed effects to reel in an audience, and the art lied much more in the acting.
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One of the best-known roles for Jack in existence has to be Jack Torrence of 1980's 'The Shining'. This is a movie the author of the original source material strongly dislikes due to it being so far off from the book, but we all love it so much because Jack is so awesome in it. Surprisingly, it's even seemingly been put ahead of the book in popularity. I actually tend to use this as a "shining" example of a film no one really complains about due to its differences from the book its based on. It proves the point that sometimes we just have to separate the book and film as different things altogether in order to appreciate the film for what it is. Though, with that said, 99% of the time the books are better. Our story here has two main focuses. First, we have Jack, a writer and recovering alcoholic who takes his wife, Wendy (Shelly Duvall) and son, Danny (Danny Lloyd) to the Overlook Hotel, as Jack takes a job as winter caretaker. This will mean being shut in for the season with very little outside contact due to a lack of costly winter road maintenance. Seeing it as an opportunity to work on his novel, Jack welcomes the experience with open arms. However, this hotel has a nasty past, and quite literally speaks to Jack in all the wrong ways, playing on his alcoholic cravings and writers block. Soon enough, we find him losing his grip, chopping down doors and announcing his arrival in the style Johnny Carson. The second side to the story is Danny, who harbors a special psychic gift. He learns that he's not alone on this when he meets the facility's chef, Dick Hallorann (Scatman Crothers) who shares his gift. With the hotel already having a shady past in which the former winter caretaker lost his mind and murdered his family, Dick tells Danny to use his special gift to call on him if there's ever any trouble with his Dad. Of course, whether you've seen this before, or have only seen the 'Simpsons' Halloween segment, 'The Shinning', you know how it all goes. Kubrick does a fantastic job here for the time with his visuals and overall mood setting. There's something genuinely uncomfortable about this movie, and so much of it comes from the choice of cinematography. It's a fine example of a film that shows how even the subtle set-up of a certain angle is enough to be creepier than it would be from another angle. There are a lot of wide shots used here to subtly show the presence of the hotel, which really ends up being another character in the film. They bring it back for 'Doctor Sleep', but it's not quite as effective as it is here. Danny, cycling his trike through the hallways before running into those twins is still iconic, and one of my favorite creepy shots. It's even to the point where when I'm staying at a hotel, late at night, I get a bit weary walking the halls. What really nails this movie to the horror history books, though, is Jack's performance. He has always been a great actor, but there was so much here that had him cranking his performance to eleven. Even shots of him being quiet and seemingly calm have him either delivering sarcastic tones or just plain looking crazy. Few people can give that look to the camera that says "yes, I'm crazy, what are you gonna do about it?" but the front runners are Anthony Hopkins in 'Silence of the Lambs' and Jack in 'The Shining'. Had the Oscars been looking in horror's direction back then, he probably would have at least gotten nominated. You'll be one of two minds on this movie. You'll see it for the psychological work of horrific art that it is, or you'll side with Stephen King and lean more towards the book-like telling. If I'm honest, I actually DO like the miniseries more than most. For being something that came straight to TV, it's just fine. But I also don't particularly meet these in the middle. If I wanna throw on a good, creepy horror movie to have a great ride with, I have to lean towards Stanley Kubrick's vision. The miniseries is more to throw on if you want something new or different to check out, but other than Steven Weber's performance as... John Torrance?... it's pretty blasé. And even then, who can hold a candle to Jack's performance as a crazy person?... That is, other than maybe Heath Ledger or Joaquin Phoenix, anyway. To close off this exploration into some of Carrey's best dramatic performances, I went with one of my favorite love stories, 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'. It's an interesting and imaginative look at how our minds work while in the midst of a bad break-up. That includes things like lashing out about something, but not meaning it, and of course, the willingness to erase someone from your memory altogether at the time. As the film opens, we meet the shy and introverted Joel Barish (Carrey), who impulsively boards a train to Montauk one chilly Valentine's Day. By chance, she meets the whimsical and free-spirited Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet), and they form a relationship just before the opening credits introduce us to the tale of tragedy ahead. After a rough break-up, Joel comes home to a surprise - some card reading that Clementine has erased him from her memory. As a result, Joel seeks out Dr. Howard Mierzwaik (Tom Wilkinson), inventor of this technology, to undergo the same process. However, as his memories of Clementine begin to disappear, he starts to realize that fond memories are something that come out of every relationship, and might not be something to throw away as though it was yesterday's trash. Through a secondary story arc, we are introduced to a few of Mierzwaik's employess who "oversee" the whole process. Stan (Mark Ruffalo) is the expert, so to speak, until he brings in his coworker, Mary (Kirsten Dunst), leading to a bit of unprofessionalism. But helping Stan is the creepy Patrick (Elijah Wood) whose pretty much playing Frodo the pervert here. As the film rolls on, we learn that he intends to take over Joel's identity as Clementine's love interest, using her memories with Joel as a reference point. I will be the first to admit that there's not a whole lot of straightforwardness to this one. The execution is an artsy one, and you might find yourself a bit confused as to what exactly is going on. But I will say that you kinda have to sit through that confusion to get your head together as the film comes together, nearing the end. I'd say it's a bit worse than something like 'Inception' for that, so if the whole "in the mind" thing isn't for you, you might stick with 'Truman Show' or 'Man on the Moon' as your best Carrey Drama. With that said though, I tend to lean towards this type of imaginative material, and I'm always fascinated by dream-associated material. Truth be told, I confuse much more easily with things like political thrillers and, you know, real life stuff. So I may be a bit bias in my opinion about how good this is. But if you are in the midst of a rough breakup, or having some kind of problem, wanting to forget about someone, I recommend trying this out. While it's confusing for a while, just pay attention. It ends in such a way that allows the viewer to embrace the chaos of a situation as opposed to keeping things straight and narrow, which can still lead to problems. It all ends with one word, and to me, it's one of the most powerfully emotional words to end something on. Some may not agree, but the same word is used in a certain super famous story-based game, and it was strong there, too. But check it out for yourself, and see if you agree or disagree. When it comes to Jim Carrey's dramatic roles, there are a few to chose from, but 'The Majestic' tends to land at the bottom of people's lists. To be perfectly fair, the film resembles plenty that came before it with a lot of its ideas, and has been deemed unoriginal by many. But if I'm just recommending a movie based on a performance, for me, this is definitely one of Carrey's best. So, before I get into it, just know that I'm basing this Screening Suggestion more on that than anything else. That said, to be perfectly honest, I do enjoy this for what it is. Our story takes place back in 1951, and centers on Hollywood screenwriter, Peter Appleton (Carrey), working for HHS Studios. Things are going well for him, overall. He's dating the lovely starlet, Sandra Sinclair (Amanda Detmer), and he premiers his latest film at the Grauman's Chinese Theater on a double-bill with 'The African Queen' (a real-life classic). By the way, his film stars the one and only Bruce Campbell (the actor of the adventure flick is unnamed, but c'mon, it's Bruce Campbell) as Roland the Intrepid Explorer. It's a brief glimpse, but a fun little tidbit for us Campbell fans. Anyway, getting back to the point, it all soon comes to a halt when he's accused of being a Communist due to attending an antiwar meeting in college that he claims he only attended to impress a girl. This all puts his career on the rocks, leading him to drink some heavy liquid on the rocks, and eventually crash his car into a river with no rocks. He awakens, washed ashore, in a small village that pines for its many lost World War II soldiers. He is found with amnesia, forgetting everything about his past, and is mistaken for one of the town's lost soliders, Luke. Most convinced are Lukes sweetheart, Adele Stanton (Laurie Holden) and father, Harry Trimble (Martin Landau). Will he be able adjust to Luke's former life, convinced that he is Luke? Or will his own former life unexpectedly catch up with him? Easy enough to predict, but it's fun to think of the scenario. So, you may be wondering where exactly the title comes from. Once Harry takes "Luke" in, he brings him to a run down, abandoned theater that they used to run together before Luke went to war. Much of the film has to do with the restoration of the theater, and bringing back the good old picture show to the town. The whole time as an audience member, you kinda sit there knowing how it's all gonna play out. A Hollywood writer with a well-known film out there, suffering amnesia, helps to open a theater? Bottom line, the film is predictable. It also enjoys manipulating your heart strings, so it's not gonna be for just anyone. However, it manages to make the Screening Suggestion list mostly based on Carrey giving a good dramatic reading the whole way through. He does a great job here with what he has to work with, and it's kind of a shame no one looks in this direction when it comes to his performances because the rest of the film is okay at best. It's also a good way to see some of Frank Darabont's original dramatic work. He has his share of dramatic adaptations, including 'The Green Mile' and 'The Shawshank Redemption', but if you're curious to see him execute his own dramatic story, it's a good place to look. Another fine example of Jim Carrey flexing his acting muscles is his portrayal of the late Andy Kaufman in 1999's 'Man on the Moon'. It turns out that Jim Carrey was doing a deep dive with this role, perhaps taking his method acting a touch too far. For further information, check out 'Jim & Andy' on Netflix. It's all about his work on this project, and it's some interesting stuff to say the least. Getting back to the film at hand, however, here we have a biopic on the comedic career of Andy Kaufman. The film covers a brief glimpse into his childhood up to his stand-up, but most of it takes place in the days he starred on 'Taxi' ('78-'83), and the days leading up to his passing of a rare type of lung cancer. I never knew much about Andy Kaufman before this movie, as he passed when I was just about a year old. My parents watched 'Taxi' when it was on in syndication, but I didn't really pay attention (my mistake). But this film showed me what his sense of humour was like. Instead of being the guy who would come out and tell a joke or two, he would go for genuine audience reactions and eat it up - even if that reaction was to "boo" or get angry or upset. Along the way, he creates and portrays a character known as Tony Clifton, who would be a trashy personality that would endure a good number of years in secret. If Andy Kaufman and Tony Clifton needed to be in the same place at the same time, Bob Zmuda (Paul Giamatti), a writer and friend to Andy, would take on the role. Together, those two would really tear it up when it came to getting some sort of a reaction from audiences that wasn't a laugh. It's the idea that messing with people is funny, as long as no one really gets hurt. Kaufman was managed by George Shapiro (Danny DeVito - who is an interesting casting choice when you see the two side by side), and Shapiro's going along with so much of his material helped him to become a huge success before the days of 'Seinfeld'. He was also good friends with Andy, and one of a very select few to know Tony Clifton was just a character Andy played. He was also executive producer on this film, so you have to imagine things are pretty accurate here. Kaufman's brand of humour isn't particularly up my alley. I might compare him to someone like Sacha Baron Cohen, coming up with things like 'Borat' and 'Bruno'. That "mess-with-people" comedy was never something I really got into. I've watched and enjoyed the 'Jackass' movies, but they're mostly just messing with each other to make us laugh. When things offend people or get too intense (even sometimes kinda scary) it's not really for me. But if it's your cup of tea, clearly you're not alone. Kaufman kinda paved the way for that kind of thing, so you have him to either thank or blame. For me, this is another one I manage to meet in the middle, but I know others who would and do love it. It goes to show that a lot of good laughs for people come from the reaction of other people in a situation where they don't know how to react. In a sense, Kaufman perfected this, and I'll give him credit for being able to pull it off. On top of that, Carrey does an awesome job here, but I have to say what may be more fascinating than the actual film is the documentary, 'Jim & Andy'. Again, it's on Netflix so I recommend going over, checking it out, and then watching this with new eyes. Back in the days before 'Black Mirror', this was a film that sort of toyed with the idea of an alternate reality that uses accessible (or almost accessible) technology. It further toyed with a "big brother" sort of idea, but instead of all of us being watched, one of us is being watched, and it's all part of an elaborate, long-running TV show. The show's concept is to take a child from birth named Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) and air his entire life on TV. His life takes place in a massive sound studio, providing artificial everything it takes to convince Truman that it's all real. However, when a stage light falls from the sky, it sets into motion a series of strange occurrences that suggest to Truman that something truly bizarre is happening in his life. That's really all there is to it, in a nutshell, and despite a few odd CG effects (for 1998), the film still totally holds up. It gets us thinking, and the idea that such a thing could be real is sort of brought to the forefront, although it probably worked better in 1998 than 20-plus years later. Nowadays we have shows like 'Black Mirror' that we compare things like this to, as it sits at the top. But unlike 'Black Mirror', this isn't really a cautionary tale. To me, this is much more of a metaphor about the escape from our everyday, strange reality. Despite the set-up, Truman is just an average, everyday, normal guy. He's married, he works for an insurance company, and his daily life is altogether similar to most. However, the idea of free will is often questioned here, as the show's creator and executive producer, Christof (Ed Harris), essentially plays God through all of this. As he mentions in the beginning, Truman has complete control over his actions and decisions, but things are also controlled. If he's not "meant" to do something or go somewhere, Christof gets his crew to stop him. This is best illustrated by instilling the fear of the ocean inside him in a truly traumatizing way (which also makes him stay put). A lot of people didn't know what to make of 'The Truman Show' upon its release, as it was Jim Carrey's first real step away from his comedic antics. The year before, 'Liar Liar' was released, though, which was a solid combination of his comedic and dramatic skills, so speaking for myself, I never minded him stepping forward to try something new. Nowadays, however, the film has seemingly gained a bit of a cult following, and is seen as a better story now than it was before. Also, One thing I didn't realize (so I'll share it here) was that this was inspired by a 'Twilight Zone' episode from the late 80's called 'Special Service', so that may very well be worth checking out. My humble opinion is that it's one of Jim Carrey's finest films. We get a fair share of comedy from him here, but he also shows us that he can take things seriously. In retrospect, it's hard to picture anyone else in the role. Despite a few nay-sayers back when it was released, it currently has extremely positive reviews and has become a classic of sorts. I'd probably say that it was ahead of its time, but now is the perfect time to watch it. Back in February of 1991, this film was released to mass praise from audiences and critics alike. It struck a chord with audiences as a very intense thriller that borders on horror (much like 'Seven', which would come later, and owe a lot to this film). Meanwhile critics couldn't deny how good it was with its twists, turns, atmosphere and incredible acting. It went on to receive 7 Oscar nominations, winning 5, including Best Picture, Director, Lead Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Lead Actress (Jodie Foster) and Adapted Screenplay - a clean sweep of the top 5 categories, which, at the time, had only gone to a couple of dramas in the past; 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' ('75) and 'It Happened One Night' ('38). This was unprecedented for a movie of this type, as most fans ultimately consider it a horror movie of sorts. So what gave such a twisted movie such praise? The film opens up with FBI trainee, Clarice Starling (Foster) as we see her tackling an obstacle course in a creepy forest, giving us a nice visual portrayal of her character without saying a damn thing. You can tell from the get-go that she's independent, tenacious, and on-guard, but knows she can hold her own. This and the fact that she doesn't spook easily are pretty much cemented when she is assigned to a particularly creepy project. She is assigned to interview former psychologist and cannibalistic killer, Hannibal Lecter (Hopkins) to try to get into the mind of an on-the-loose killer known as "Buffalo Bill" (Ted Levine). Bill has been going around, abducting young women, and cutting the skin off their bodies. Much like Leatherface of 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre', he is also based on real-life serial killer Ed Gein. Anyway, FBI Special Agent Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) believes that Lecter will be able to divulge information about Bill that will help the FBI track him down and capture him. The catch to these interviews is that Lecter often ends up playing mind games with Clarice, having her divulge some of her personal life information in exchange for information that may lead to Bill. This makes for some of the more intense moments of the film, and it's easy to see in both Hopkins and Fosters cases why the won those acting awards. Hopkins showed an incredibly dark but sophisticated side, pretty much forever turning Hopkins into Hannibal the same way Robert Downey Jr. is basically just Iron Man now by default. Foster on the other hand gave horror/thriller fans another strong female protagonist, strong for her mind and determination more than anything else. Foster's character was somewhat refreshing in that sense. My humble opinion is that she's probably the best female protagonist since 'Alien' (but that's perfectly debatable). Even by today's standards, one can't really deny that she's well-established in the hall of fame for best female protagonists. This is one of those movies that I would recommend to anyone who's a fan of horror, thrillers and intense murder mysteries, as this is a sort of crown jewel. Horror fans see it as being an immense leap forward, and Hannibal Lecter is widely considered one of the best villains out there, let alone horror villains. On the other hand, if you're a fan of crime thrillers, and looking for something a little more intense, this is a great watch. Even if you know all that happens without seeing it, you should still give it a look, because there's more than just good story and acting here. The film was further nominated for Best Sound and Film Editing, and it really shows. But it could easily further qualify for categories like Original Score with its ominous overtones; Cinematography, as the overall atmosphere of this film is so genuinely dark and creepy; Production Design based on the asylum scenes alone. This really is a gem of a film overall, and it lends itself to multiple viewings based more on its entertainment value than the idea of looking for clues. If you haven't checked it out yet, give it a shot. Just be weary that some of the asylum scenes can be a little intense if you're sensitive. It's unfortunate that this movie has had its ending spoiled to the point of it not being a spoiler anymore. Pretty much everyone knows how it ends by now. Some may have seen it coming (or so they say), but luckily for myself, I was one of many who was kinda blown away, and definitely had to re-watch it. The first time around was a great ride that left you questioning the mistakes the movie must have made. The second time is almost better, though, as you realize the writing is pretty damn tight. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is a child psychologist who, through a bad experience with one of his patients, finds himself wanting to do right by helping a troubled boy, Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment). In a side story, Malcolm also gets so caught up in his work that he starts to have trouble with his wife, Anna (Olivia Williams), who seems overlooked. Cole lives his life in fear, both of the bullies at school, and of his deep dark secret; he sees dead people. He keeps this from everyone, including his mother (Toni Collette), leading the kids at school to dub him a "freak", and his mother to genuinely worry about him. But being that his secret seems so outlandish, he keeps it to himself, confiding in Dr. Crowe to help him through his fears and find some sort of solution. Going back to the watchability of it, a lot of people will probably pass this off as something you see two or three times to pick up on things that lead to the twist, but then put it down because it just doesn't have that impact anymore. However, I still deem this perfectly watchable for multiple sittings, as the film represents so much more than one of Hollywood's greatest movie twists of all time. Potential spoilers ahead, but as I mentioned before... can this even be spoiled anymore, today? If you look at Cole's situation, his big lesson is that he eventually has to face his fears, whether he wants to or not. These ghosts can really represent anything the viewer may fear, but must face. It could be a surgery you have to go through, a place you have to move to for work, or a final test you have to take to graduate. I find this movie to mostly be about facing your fears head on, and it's no coincidence that I really started to take to horror movies right after watching this. On the other side of things, you have Dr. Crowe. My big takeaway from his side of things is also pretty simple, and that's to do what you need to do before you pass on. Part of that lies in helping Cole, allowing him to forgive himself for failing his previous patient (the same one he had trouble with at the beginning of this review). But part of it is also to do with his wife, and just getting that time in with your spouse while you can. So, even though this one is 20 years old now, and everyone knows how it ends, it still ends up going on my list of film recommendations as a lot of the writing cleverly brings out other aspects of the world around us, and how we deal with it as individuals. This film is absolutely Shyamalan at his best, so if you wanna check out any of his movies, this is like the 'Empire Strikes Back' of his collection - complete with spoiler you probably already know going into it. For our first title of suspense, I thought I'd take a look back to one of my first little toe-dips in the macabre. I rented this one with a friend when I was around the age of 13, once it was released on video. At this point in my life, a lot disturbed me, but for some reason I really wanted to see this movie. I did NOT do horror back then, but for me, this just kinda teetered on what I considered horrific. 'Seven' actually marks a pretty big jump in personal growth for me, as the first film I wanted to see, knowing that I might get freaked out by it. I did watch 'Freddy's Dead' a few years prior, but the choice to watch that was based on peer pressure. This had the premise of using the Seven Deadly Sins in its plot, which morbidly interested me. It made me finally want to take a peek behind the veil of morbid curiosity. This one features two homicide detectives; Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is on the edge of retirement, and Mills (Brad Pitt) who strangely transfers to the film's setting - a dark, bleak, unnamed city that is a perfect reflection of the dark subject matter of the film. Together, they work on tracking down a serial killer who only goes by John Doe (Kevin Spacey) whose M.O. is to use the Seven Deadly Sins against his victims. One by one, Doe's victims are tortured and killed in some truly gruesome and memorable ways. The kills are done off-screen, and all we really see is a variety of silhouettes and shadows, pretty much always faceless. Yet the memory of what you don't see, and how horrible it must actually look, really sticks with you. It's something I'd use as a prime example of less being more. The Sloth victim was a touch of nightmare fuel at the time, and we get to see a lot of him... but he's still kinda faceless. Maybe I'm reading too deeply into it, but I find keeping the victims faceless lends itself to allowing the audience to take a look at themselves. Could they have been one of John Doe's victims in this situation? It's very impressive film making from director David Fincher, who we now probably know best for 'The Social Network' and 'Fight Club'. Fincher excels in the gritty, and this film is absolutely no exception. It's the kind of film I'd say you might feel like you need a shower after watching. In some ways, this is a lot like the 'Saw' movies, but without the torture porn aspect. Instead of seeing the torture, we imagine the torture - again, so much more potent. A lot of themes are similar as well, having to do with self-reflection. If you're watching this, knowing nothing about it, it'll probably make you think. Fair warning though, the ending is not a happy one! I tend to give a lot of credit to any actor who can embrace their inner child to actually play a child, and play it well. Robin Williams tends to come to mind when he pulls it off in 'Jack' (underrated, but perhaps needs a revisit), but the only man who arguably did it better was Tom Hanks in 'Big' - an Oscar nominated performance from 1988 that has yet to be topped. He nails everything from the way he talks to his subtle mannerisms. It's very evident that Tom Hanks had a lot of fun with this role, and did his homework in some way before pulling it off. Josh (Hanks/David Moscow) is an average boy living an average life. He hangs out with his best friend, Billy (Jared Rushton), and has a crush on a girl named Cynthia (Kimberlee M. Davis). In a line-up for a carnival ride, he attempts to try to break the ice with Cynthia, but he's told he's not tall enough for the ride. In his frustration, he wanders over to a Zoltar fortune telling machine that "grants wishes". He wishes he was "big", and the next day, he wakes up as a full-grown adult. Freaking out his own mother (Mercedes Ruehl), Josh realizes he can't go home to figure things out. Instead, he seeks Billy's help, which eventually leads them to New York City, where he can lay low until he can find another Zoltar machine to hopefully reverse his wish. This is where he finds out immediately that there's much more to the adult life than meets the eye. In killing his time, he manages to find a data entry job for the famous FAO Schwartz toy store. Here, he develops a few new relationships where his adulthood is often tested. His boss, MacMillan (Robert Loggia), sees him as the perfect man child to test the company's toys. The toy making team-leader, Paul Davenport (John Heard) has a strong dislike for him, as he seems to constantly undermine him. Finally, his coworker, Susan (Elizabeth Perkins) likes him and his open mind, but he's still 13 on the inside, and not quite in touch with those things yet. As the story unfolds, it's a great case of Josh learning a lot about what it means to be an adult, but it equally covers all of these adults and how they would typically deal with a kid's mind. MacMillan embraces it, especially as a toy store owner, Paul is obviously very annoyed by it, and Susan, though it's not quite as obvious in her situation, kinda meets it in the middle. She finds his child-like mind frustrating at times, but that frustration he causes is all part of his charm. This is perfect for any kid going through those difficult stages of puberty. I remember it well. We wanted to do what adults could do (in more ways than one), and in many ways, this is the film to show them that things aren't necessarily all they're cracked up to be. It's also a good way to show these kids that it's important to embrace your childhood while it lasts. It's a very short time in your life that you might take for granted. The 'Terminator' franchise is full of ups and downs, but no matter how you feel about any of them, the fact of the matter is that 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' is the perfect 'Terminator' movie, and no matter how they try, it will never be lived up to by any further sequel. You can watch this on the big screen today, and thanks to its big budget of practical effects, it still, after damn near 30 years, holds up as one of the greatest action films of all time. Real quick, this is the sequel to the first film, and to me, the pair stand alone. The first film has Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton) running for her life from a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) who has been sent back in time to kill her, therefore killing her chances of one day giving birth to the man who would save humanity - John Conner (Edward Furlong, though not in the first film). All the while, she's protected by a soldier named Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), who was also sent back. The second chapter, here, finds Sarah Conner in an asylum, due to her proclaiming that the world is gonna end by 1997. The film takes place roughly around 1995, due to John being ten years old here (according to a police record), running around and causing trouble. In the same spirit as the first film, a new Terminator gets sent back, known only as the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), this time targeting John, himself. In response, a T-600 is sent back to protect John - the same type of Terminator who was once sent back to hunt down Sarah. Eventually, the T-600, Sarah and John find themselves working as a team against the T-1000; a liquid metal, shape-shifting Terminator, in order to save humanity from an eventual apocalypse. What more could ever be said about 'T2'? It's simply the pinnacle of everything a good action movie should be. Practical explosions, snappy dialogue and one-liners, and most importantly, it develops its characters very well. Sarah, being the perfect example, is a completely changed character here, making her the bad ass we all love her as today. Even the T-600, a machine, begins to develop things like understanding, and compassion, and you totally buy into it, the way its executed. Of course, the real star of this movie is the special effects though. Imagine the fact that this 1991 movie has CG animation that looks better than a lot of the CG you found when it really blew up (late 90's/early 00's). I'm happy to be able to say that I've actually seen this on the big screen twice now, and it holds up incredibly well. It's the perfect balance of action and drama, and Schwarzenegger in his prime is always awesome on the big screen. It stands among history's action genre as a solid gem, and if you're an oldschool action fan who somehow hasn't seen it yet, you simply must fix that. It's a personal favorite, and I just cannot praise it enough as a God among action movies. Wherever you might stand as a DC fan on the current DC Universe, most fans would agree that the 'Dark Knight' trilogy was Batman in his prime. These films were well-cast, well-acted, and provided us with countless hours comedy on YouTube. Christian Bale's Batman was cool but, let's just accept at this point, pretty goofy at the same time. His voice speaks for itself (pun intended). But nevertheless, it never stopped these movies from being one of the most solid trilogies out there. 'The Dark Knight', itself, stands as not only one of the best 'Batman' movies, not only one of the best comic book movies, but one of the best movies out there in general. Winner of two Oscars and a Golden Globe, Rotten Tomato critic and audience ratings of an equal 94%, a Metacritic rating of a must-see 82, and it currently stands at #4 between 'The Gadfather: Part II' and '12 Angry Men' on IMDb's Top 250. So its done pretty damn well for itself over the past 10+ years. 'Batman Begins' is essentially a long, drawn out and really well-made origin story, but 'Dark Knight' is where things take off. Lawyer Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) has recently been elected as Gotham's new District Attorney with a plan to take down the city's organized crime syndicate. However, Batman (Christian Bale) kinda interferes with his plans, taking things into his own hands as the vigilante he is. Along comes the real star of the show, The Joker (Heath Ledger); a criminal mastermind with very little empathy, plotting to take the rug out from under Dent with a series of crimes, using money he has stolen from the mob, who he has under his thumb in no time. These crimes are primarily aimed at both Harvey Dent and Batman to see what kind of people they are, as two head figures of the city - a DA with a plant to clean up the mob for the "good of Gotham", and the masked vigilante who has so recently been dubbed a mysterious "hero". The film works great whether or not your a fan of Batman, as it's a story that leans heavily on human attributes and having to make difficult choices. I feel that the feel of the movie is something relatable to anyone. It gives us both sides of the coin that we crave between Batman and the Joker as well, seeing Batman as a "knight" for good and justice and Joker as the essence of chaos and, pretty much just evil. As mentioned before, the real star of this movie really is Heath Ledger's Joker. At the time, Jack Nicholson simply couldn't be touched for that role, at least as far as movie Jokers went. Along comes the guy we've pretty much only seen in teen movies, the late Heath Ledger, fully delivering on his performance and departing us on the highest of notes. This Joker has that perfectly profound dark sense of humor we wanna see, perhaps the prime example being his "pencil trick", which you may very well know even if you're one of the few people who may not have seen this one. At the same time, however, when he wants to get creepy, he really does manage to get creepy, reminding us full well that he's still a psychopath. He's just a really smart, really charismatic one. I think that in the grand scheme of things, this is perhaps the most recent "part 2" that truly outdoes its predecessor, which is already awesome in its own right. This really is a solid trilogy altogether, and if you're somehow a Batman fan who hasn't gone through it yet, you should fix that. I dunno what else to say about it, it's one of the best comic, crime, action, drama, suspense movies in existence. Even if you can't get past some of the more extreme moments, the story is fantastic, and it remains a personal favorite. If you were to ask me what the ultimate "all-nighter" movie is, I think the first thing to spring to mind would be 'Dazed and Confused'. It was just that big a deal in the late 90's. But I'd have to say that the classic of the sub-genre (that I feel like I made up, but it totally exists) that kinda got things rolling, it's gotta be 'American Graffiti'! What's an "all-nighter" movie, you ask? It's quite simply a movie, usually a comedy, that takes place within a 24-hour span. This is typically over the course of the night, as they're more or less "party" movies. Besides the two examples posed, 'Project X', 'Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle' and 'Superbad' are other prime examples. 'American Graffiti', released in '73, highlights the end of the summer of '62 (so yes, I'm cheating a bit here on the theme this month) for a handful of high school graduates who are about to go their separate ways. First up, we have Curt Henderson and Steve Bolander (Richard Dreyfus and Ron Howard, respectively). About to go to college on a scholarship, Curt starts having second thoughts about leaving it all behind. Steve, however, is ready to go with him and start fresh, quite happily leaving everything behind, including his girlfriend, who is also Curt's sister, Laurie (Cindy Williams). Curt's beliefs that he should stay behind are even strengthened by the now somewhat famous scene of Suzanne Somers mouthing the words "I love you" to him in a passing-by T-Bird. Meanwhile, we have super geek, Terry, a.k.a. "Toad" (Charlie Martin Smith) who has access to Steve's car for the night - a '58 Chevy Impala. He manages to find the lovely Debbie (Candy Clark) and have a side adventure with her. Then, in a third story, there's John (Paul Le Mat) - a greaser type, who proudly cruises around in his '32 Ford Coupe while he's tricked into towing around a young teenage girl named Carol (Mackenzie Phillips). All the while, he's being sought after by Bob Falfa (Harrison Ford - pre "Star Wars' breakout) and his '55 Chevy for a drag race. The entirety of the movie jumps between these characters and their respective stories. One could almost see this as more of an anthology - Curt's story, Toad's story and John's story. Let's not forget Steve and Laurie's story as well, even if it is the most boring part of the film. It's just kinda showing what can happen to a relationship if it's strained by the concept of one of the couple moving away. Meanwhile, Curt has a run in with a gang known as the Pharaohs, Toad tries way too hard to impress Debbie, facing the consequences of inexperience, and John - well, shit, everyone loves John. He's just kind of a bad ass. The entirety of this film is surrounded by the sounds of Wolfman Jack - a radio DJ who was HUGE in the 60's. Think of him as being the major name in radio broadcasting before Howard Stern came along - only Wolfman was a bit more tasteful (as you kinda had to be for the time. Remember, this was the 60's). It all adds to the whole atmosphere of everything, and things feel pretty solidly authentic. My parents would watch it with us when we were younger, and claim that it got things pretty accurate - as in "yep, we did all that when we were that age". Anyway, I could go on and on about this classic, and I have to draw the line somwhere. All I can say is that this is one of those movies I CAN recommend to literally anyone and everyone. I feel like there's something here for everyone, and if nothing else, it's an interesting piece of pop culture's history. I claim it as the beginning of "all-nighter" movies, myself (though I could be wrong). If you haven't seen it yet, have a sit down for a couple of hours and enjoy. It's just a lot of fun. With a 1993 release, and being a film about high-schoolers in the 70s, this film became one of the most watched films throughout my high school. It's probably also important to note that my high school earned the nickname of "The Pharmacy" due to the amount of pot dealing and smoking that took place throughout. So this is an apt movie for such a group. But I don't think we were alone, either. If anyone remembers the 90s well, there was most definitely a 70s trend that eventually took place, mostly in the latter part of the 90s. This was largely brought on by 'That 70's Show', but I have got to throw 'Dazed and Confused' in the mix of responsibility as well. This wasn't just a film for us as teens, it was like a right of passage. If you knew this film, you were cool enough. Remember, I said high school. For some popularity was still sought after. This particular stoner comedy revolves around the last day of school in 1976, and focuses on a variety of characters. However the film seems to have a main focus on two characters in particular. First we have Pink (Jason London), a senior who is struggling between his loyalty to his friends and his loyalty to the high school football team, and just wanting to be himself. Then we have Mitch Kramer (Wiley Wiggins), a freshman who, while trying to dodge high school initiation doesn't realize he's in for one of the best nights of his life. In many ways this one calls back to the all-nighter classic 'American Graffiti'. It's a similar idea - a group of different characters hangs out, drives around and parties all the way until dawn. While it remains a stoner comedy, there's also a good, fair amount of drama in this, and it does a great job of looking at high school life from various angles. It illustrates perfectly well that there's just as much pressure in popularity as there is in being the new geek in town. Added to the cast are a variety of names before they became super famous. Not the least of which, these include Ben Affleck, Mila Jovovich, Joey Lauren Adams, Rory Cochrane and Matthew McConaughey in what would probably be considered his breakout performance. You know his famous saying "alright, alright, alright"? It's from this. This is a great movie to appreciate, even if you aren't into the weed. For my money, it's one of the best high school movies since 'The Breakfast Club' (if not the best) and it's kinda hard to think of many since that could possibly top it. We have films like 'American Pie' and 'Superbad', but high school life just wasn't captured in those comedies as well as it was here. This is an all around classic any way you slice it, and well worth the watch for anyone in any grade through high school... even if it is rated R. This month I figured I'd go over some of my all-time favourite stoner comedies. We'll start with a gem from the mid-90s called 'Friday'. Yes, the same 'Friday' that the phrases "You got knocked the F#@% out!" and "Bye, Felicia" comes from. It didn't have a huge theatrical release, but it eventually became a cult stoner classic. The story follows Craig (Ice Cube) and his best friend, Smokey (Chris Tucker) throughout one fateful Friday in South Central LA. Largely involved are a love interest for Craig named Debbie (Nia Long), a drug dealer named Big Worm (Faizon Love), the neighborhood bully, Deebo (Tiny Lister Jr.) and even Craig's parents (John Witherspoon and Anna Maria Horsford). Even though it sounds pretty half-assed, yes, that really is the basic plot. And that's kind of what makes it such a great stoner movie. The film is essentially you just hanging out with these guys one Friday when a bunch of stuff goes down. They sit on the porch, people-watch the neighbors, get high, talk to more neighbors, and get high again. It's kind of an ideal waste of time, and this movie has always been a good go-to for me if I just want something on in the background. But even in saying that it's an "ideal waste of time", the film is not at all below getting the right messages in there. It also focuses on Craig's family from Craig's perspective, and all figures feel like they're relatable. The sister provides a bit of playful sibling rivalry, the mother is a strong authority figure, and the father is the comedy relief who makes a surprise ending worth waiting for. It's a moment that sort of comes out of left field and adds a great dramatic twist to an otherwise pretty goofy comedy. It's also full of one-liners. We know the famous ones, but this movie is full of ones that don't get any attention. There are now three of these movies; this, 'Next Friday' and 'The Friday After Next' (a Christmas movie), and for my money this still holds up as the best and brightest of the three. The following movies are far more within the realm of comedy, and enjoyable in their own right, but there's not much of a dramatic twist in either of them such as this one has. You'll also get a slew of other recognizable faces like Bernie Mac, Tony Cox, Regina King to name a few. It's an easy watch, and I'd even say it's worth checking out if you're not into the Wacky Tobbacky, if only to see what all the memes and one-liners taken from this movie mean. So here's the thing about 'Buried'. One has to be willing to accept, before going into this movie, that visually, you're gonna be looking at Ryan Reynolds in a box for an hour and a half. That's quite literally the movie, in a nutshell, made to feast on the fears of the worst claustrophobes. Paul (Reynolds) is an American truck driver, working in Iraq, who gets attacked by Iraquis. He wakes up inside a wooden box with nothing but a cell phone and a lighter, and the premise of the movie is essentially him trying to get the hell out of this predicament. This film serves as a primary example of a great movie with a great story, using very little for a budget. In fact, I'm willing to bet that most of it's budget went towards getting Ryan Reynolds to play the lead role. So, if it's just Ryan Reynolds in a box of an hour and a half, how can this possibly be good in any way? Well, as the story unfolds, the tension builds, and we really start to feel the panic in Paul's mind. The movie sort of tosses things back and forth, giving us relief one minute, followed by hopelessness the next. It does a fantastic job at playing with our fears. I don't particularly consider myself to be claustrophobic, but the way this movie is filmed did cause a certain sense of dread in me. I can honestly say that it came damn close to making it so - in which case I should probably say that if you ARE claustrophobic, proceed with caution if you wanna check this one out. If nothing else though, as mentioned before, it's a testament to unique film making, using very little budget. It's basically, in my eyes, living proof that story over substance is far more important. There's a great amount if intensity throughout the film, and it really shows off Reynold's acting skills, for which he was nominated a Saturn that year. So, if for some reason you're looking for a unique film that inspires dread and disturbance in your core, 'Buried' is a title I'd highly recommend. I know it makes me feel very uneasy, yet positively engaged all at the same time. It's almost the perfect thriller. That is, of course, if you can handle the thriller being Ryan Reynolds in a box for an hour and a half. Going back to 2011, this was a title that several people considered a snub at the 2012 Oscars. Although it received a nomination for Sound Editing, one of biggest surprising upsets was Ryan Gosling for Best Actor, being that so much of this movie was acted with his expressions and his emotions as opposed to dialogue. When he does speak, it's brief and to the point. And, I'll be honest, this was what solidified Gosling as a good actor to me for all of those same reasons. It was just impressive. The movie in question has to do with a nameless stunt driver (Ryan Gosling) who also works as a mechanic for a man named Shannon (Bryan Cranston) and does the odd "job" as a getaway driver in his spare time. He befriends his neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her kid, Benicio (Kaden Leos), but things get complicated when her husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac) comes home from prison, owing large sums of prison protection money. Whether he's clean or not, the Driver decides to help him out however he can after finding out that Irene and Benicio may very well be in danger due to his stacking debt. This is one of those films that takes a little while to get going, but once it does, it seems to take right off. It has this dark film-noir feel to it, and there's not really a doubt in my mind that this was the role they probably looked at when they put Gosling in 'Blade Runner 2049'. Comparatively, there are similar atmospheres between 'Drive' and 'Blade Runner'. Not as in the movie as a whole, but as in the mood that's set. The film has a certain intensity to it that contrasts interestingly enough with a relatively odd soundtrack, consisting mostly of synth wave music that totally helps set the mood. It seemed they were really going for 80's LA here, although I believe (and correct me if I'm wrong) that this takes place more or less present day, being that it's based on a 2005 novel of the same name. This is also a dark film. Yes, it's dark as in violent, creepy, etc, but also just physically dark. The majority of this movie has this sort of late night theme going. If I may compare the movie to something completely random, it's kind of like experiencing a jazz cafe late at night with stunt drivers on the TV screens, and a fight breaking out in the middle of it all. But hey, that's just me. This is one of those fun experience films that may have been largely inspired by former material, but remains it's own thing quite nicely. Opinion is usually split on this movie, I find, as a lot of it has to do with the emotions doing the acting as opposed to the dialogue. Some may accuse it of being very slow, and to some degree, it is. But if you can appreciate the subtle acting along with the overall setting, it should be a good time. I personally really enjoy it for what it is, and hope you do to! This title is up for two reasons this week. The first being that 'Straight Outta Compton' put me in the mood to revisit it, and the second being that this also ties in with those Oscars, going back to the 1992 ceremony. Writer/director, John Singleton, was nominated for two Academy Awards that year, losing them to 'Thelma and Louise's screenplay, and the director of 'Silence of the Lambs'. It's completely arguable that those Oscars were well-deserved for such titles, but I think this movie got a fair share of snubbery all the same. The story is basically about a kid named Tre (Desi Arnez Hines II, but eventually Cuba Gooding Jr.) who gets in trouble at school and, as a result, goes to live with his father, Furious (Lawrence Fishburne), in South Central L.A. There, his father teaches him about what it is to be a responsible man, especially growing up in such a bad neighborhood. Meanwhile, Tre hangs out with his best friends; two brothers who I always took as being there to play Tre's overall conscience. It's interesting to think about. Ricky (Morris Chestnut) is a successful student, applying to go to college to play football, and essentially plays the "light side" of things, inspiring Tre to succeed in life as well. However, Dough Boy (Ice Cube), is much more of a bad influence, being the bad seed, not afraid to start some shit, and just an all-around tough guy with a smart mouth. Essentially, he's playing the "dark side" of things, and there to show us the seemingly standard flow of things in the hood. If you remember 'Straight Outta Compton', there's a scene where Ice Cube says to Eazy E that he called 'Boyz n the Hood' an "after school special". In so many ways, it can be seen as just that, but an R-rated one that isn't afraid to show a few things in order to grasp your attention. Much like something like 'Detroit' was last year, at the time of this title's release, it was kind of a big eye-opener for people. It had impact enough that John Singleton, at the time he received his nominations, was both the youngest person and, more importantly, the first black man to be nominated for the Best Director award. So it was a good step in the right direction, but I also brought up snubbery, so let's get into that. Mostly, it's in the performances. Cuba Gooding Jr. does do a great job here in what I'd probably consider his break through role. He does a good job at tugging on the heartstrings when the time is right. But it doesn't stop at him. Lawrence Fishburne was a very likable character here, and he played the role of a concerned and relatable father very well. Ice Cube and Morris Chestnut are both great as well. I'm not too sure if I'd land on "Oscar-worthy", but they're both very convincing in their roles - especially Ice Cube, who was all too familiar with the hood, himself. Hell, he helped form a whole rap group around it! This isn't a recommendation for just anyone and everyone though. This is kind of just one of those titles I think doesn't get enough attention. Perhaps its a bit dated, but the issues expressed within this movie haven't completely gone away either, so in a roundabout way, there's a timelessness to it. Or, if you like, you can watch it as something historical, covering a time in the late 80s and early 90s. Either way, it's a solid title. Let me take you back to the Oscars of 2016. This particular ceremony may as well be referred to as the "White Washed Academy Awards". That's not to say that diversity wasn't had at all, but looking back, it can be seen as kinda cringe-worthy. Especially considering the actors/actress category was no better the year before. But, focusing on the 2016 ceremony, one of the biggest all-around snubs of the year was easily 'Straight Outta Compton'. Sure, it got it's nomination for Best Original Screenplay, but many felt it lacked, at the very least, recognition for it's actors, and even direction from F. Gary Gray. In case it's not obvious already, 'Straight Outta Compton' is essentially the story of the creation and breaking away of rap group N.W.A., consisting of Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), Eazy E (Jason Mitchell), Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson Jr - aka, Ice Cube's real son), MC Ren (Aldis Hodge), and DJ Yella (Neil Brown Jr.) Every one of these guys brought their A-game to their performances, and none of them (namely the first three) were recognized for it from the Academy that year. It's the acting and their performances that really suck you into the movie more than anything, and the whole underlying race issue that the film portrays; the whole reason N.W.A. was formed, didn't do the academy any favors that year from protesting viewers. It got to the point where many considered the 2017 Oscars to almost be an apology, where the nominations spanned a much more diverse selection of actors and actresses. Anyway, this is turning into an article about Oscar white washing, and I'm here to recommend this movie as viewing material. Putting it all aside, it's just plain and simply a good, strong biopic story about one of the most influential rap groups of all time. One might not fully appreciate what these guys did for the industry until they see the end credits of this movie, showing clips of real rappers and other celebrities giving them thanks and praise for paving their way. Among them, huge names like the fairly obvious Eminem, and the perhaps not as obvious Tupac Shakur (who, himself, is often considered an "all-time greatest"). Perhaps what's most interesting to me about this movie is that it sort of resurrects the "Hood Movie", which was a sort of sub-genre of the late 80s and early 90s depicting the struggles of living in these bad neighborhoods with black on black crime on top of crooked cops who just feel like arresting you for being black on a Friday night. It kinda rams it home that those weren't just movies, but those situations were very real, and it serves as a bit of a reminder that there are still some problems to overcome. If nothing else, by the end of this, you'll have a whole new appreciation for these guys, and wanna blast some N.W.A. music afterward, or even do a bit of research on the group on your own 'cause it really is an interesting story all-around. It doesn't matter what colour you are, it doesn't matter if you like rap music or not, this movie remains one of the more inspiring movies of the last few years, proving that with a little skill and a lot of determination, you can get things done. This was almost an Under the Radar review, but I decided I liked what I saw here over what I saw with 'Good Time', so here we are. In case of curiosity, I'd give this one a 5/5 pretty damn easily. Here we have a touching dramatic comedy directed by Dave McCary, a writer/director for SNL, and written by newcomer Kevin Costello and Kyle Mooney, who come would also be familiar with from SNL. On top of that, we have a Lonely Island Production (among other studios) which is interesting in and of itself. The film opens with a guy named James (Mooney), a man-child type, sitting in front an old TV, watching tapes of a show called 'Brigsby Bear'. We see that it's a bit of an obsession for him as he has a room loaded with merchandise from the show. Here, we also meet his two kind parents, Ted and April (Mark Hamill and Jane Adams, respectively). While his mother is a bit more strict about James' studies, his father is very good about encouraging his imagination. With his obsession with this old kid's show, James tries to think of a good way to make things end for the show, as it's left very much unfinished. Before we know it, however, we discover that James was actually taken by Ted and April early in his life. They have kept him in a sort of cell out in the desert, claiming that the air is toxic outside in order to keep him close to home. James is returned to his real parents, Greg and Louise (Matt Walsh and Michaela Watkins respectively) and his sister, Aubrey (Ryan Simpkins). He then becomes a sort of fish out of water, having no real social skills and only the lessons Brigsby has taught him to get by. Despite his lack of social skills, however, James manages to make several new friends who enjoy how real and down to earth he is. Eventually, James learns about movies, and considers it a great way to end the Brigsby series. Upon being told that "anyone can do it", he sets out to make it on his own. But the real question is, will people like it? This is easily one of the best films I've seen this year. It has a lot of heart, great, light humor, and it even manages to make you tear up a tiny bit at times. You end up loving James' character as well, because he manages to make some of our most struggled with ideas so simple. He acts as a kid seeing the world for the first time. Think 'Elf' but far less eccentric. In trying to compare it to titles in my head, I pretty much decided that it was the idea of 'Room' (not 'THE Room') if it met something like 'Be Kind Rewind' in that it captures the essence of imagination in such a big way. And that's something in movies I can always truly appreciate. Not just being imaginative, but the characters themselves showing that they are imaginative and creative. Especially if it's done in a way where the characters are able to say "No no, this is who I am, and screw you if you find it stupid". It's a little hard to come across, but if you can find it it's well worth checking out if only to put a smile on your face after a shitty day. This is a new personal favorite, and is the first time this year I wondered about potential Oscar material. We shall see what happens! |
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