Film Archives - Page 3 of 4

Logan – Movie Review

March 9, 2017

Logan (2017)

A fitting end to an iconic character, Logan is a film that exceeds expectations in it’s brutal honesty, transcending whatever a superhero film is supposed to be, and becoming it’s own beast.

The film begins on the floor of a limousine, where we see how far our hero has fallen and just how little he cares. The World’s Most Infamous Über Driver.

Wolverine’s story is that of redemption. Or at least the search for it. An inner conflict, torn between selfishness, and that of service. Perhaps Logan has realized that he’ll never find redemption for himself, that he always found it through others.

This is the tale of an underdog, someone who always needed something bigger than himself, something worth fighting for.

Review Score: A-

Feels Like: Unforgiven, The Wrestler, Shane.

Standout Performance: Everyone on board. James Mangold has always been great at pulling strong performances from his cast, and this film is no exception.

Get Out – Movie Review

March 8, 2017

Get Out (2017)

Few films can thrill, entertain, frighten, and enlighten like Get Out.

At times like Scream and at times like Rosemary’s Baby, where a strange alchemy of humor, terror and paranoia is always at work. But Get Out strives to not only entertain, it strives to educate.

To show you what racism feels like. What it’s like to be an outsider. What it’s like having your voice silenced. To be marginalized by others, and misunderstood.

A film like Get Out only comes around so often, so you’ve got to see it. You won’t regret it.

Review Score: A

Feels Like: Rosemary’s Baby, Scream, The Stepford Wives, & The Happening (in a good way).

Standout Performance: LilRel Howery. A scene-stealer; keenly self-aware and unabashed.

Bill Paxton

March 7, 2017

Bill Paxton (1955-2017)

July 16th, 2016

Hollywood Theatre – Portland, Oregon

The audience is buzzing. Suspense is in the air. It feels like 1986.

But it’s not. It’s 2016 and 30 years later on a warm Saturday night, the Hollywood Theatre in Portland, Oregon is about to screen James Cameron’s legendary Aliens, in a glorious 70 millimeter format.

In one of the greatest Science Fiction films of all time, you have some of the biggest performances that you’ll find in a movie theater. Hudson, Hicks, Newt, Ripley. Simple names, but iconic in context.

The film itself exceeds all expectations on the big screen, but the energy of a live, crowded audience brings it to a whole ‘nother level. Respectful, yet fervent, an audience that seems to love the film more and more, even when it’s for the 500th time.

I asked a friend of mine if he wanted to go. He responded that he had never seen Aliens before, and for the only time in my 28 year life, I wished that I was sentient during the 1980’s, just so I could see Aliens for the first time in the theater and on the big screen. Needless to say, he is now a believer.

But the one thing that struck me throughout the night, was that even though everyone already knows all the lines, the amount of laughs that Hudson still gets, is frankly out of this world.

It reminded me of how courageous and fearless an actor, Bill Paxton was. He was never afraid to be the fool. And that’s why audiences loved him.

Game over man, Game Over.

The Top 10 Films of 2016: Part 2

February 26, 2017

5. The Wailing

The best surprise of the year.

Hilarious, frightening, mythical, and absurd, The Wailing represents all that is great about Korean New Wave.

4. Moonlight

A story about looking your whole life, and never being able to find yourself. At times more real, more surreal, and more intimate than life itself, Moonlight’s beauty lies beneath it’s scars.

3. La La Land

La La Land reminds you what it’s like to be enthralled, it reminds you how to dream, and it reminds you that at times, everyone can feel alone. By far the most entertaining film of the year, it’s full of spectacle and wonder not seen in an age.

2. Arrival

A true science-fiction film. First contact. A film that makes you think. A film that asks questions.

It’s a film that at times feels like 2001, at times like Memento, but with a bit more beauty. A touch of grace. A true science-fiction film, with heart. Rare to see.

1. Silence

Silence is a film that can awaken your spirituality, make you question your beliefs, and show you the true meaning of tolerance. It is a film that first tests the faith of it’s characters, and then you as an onlooker.

Though many of this year’s films were truly great, there are some that reach another level. A deeper level of consciousness and vulnerability, where one can be shaken and shattered. Few films reach this level, and I believe Silence is one of them.

The Top 10 Films of 2016: Part 1

February 25, 2017

10. Toni Erdmann

Toni Erdmann is a film where you can learn a lot about yourself. A film that’s delightfully bizarre, yet delightfully real.

It’s a film that teaches you about putting life in perspective. To find joy, or humor in the everyday. How to balance the lighter moments in life, with the dark. And the absurdity of it all.

9. OJ Simpson: Made in America

Incredibly thorough, both in it’s breadth of knowledge and sharp historical perspective. A must-see documentary.

8. Manchester by the Sea

A truly complete film. No gimmicks, just reality. A film that allows Casey Affleck to run the entire gamut as an actor, to show completeness. And he does a fine job doing so.

7. Lion

Both joyous and heartbreaking, with some huge performances from a talented cast. Sometimes a film can be a reflection of life, mirroring back at us.

6. The Witch

Haunting, brooding, and in complete control. Kubrickian is one of the greatest compliments you can bestow upon a film.

Anya Taylor-Joy is a star in the making, possessing innocence, poise and depth far beyond her years.

Carrie Fisher

December 29, 2016

Carrie Fisher (1956-2016)

I remember always being struck by Leia. Not in the obvious, crush sort-of way, but being struck by her character, her personality.

She was bold. Witty. She had an air of no fucks given, but still managed to maintain a sense of poise, a sense of grace. A royal charm.

She’s one of few female characters as strong, if not stronger than her male counterparts, the likes of Darth Vader, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker. And because of Star Wars, it was always easier for me to believe in strong female characters on the big screen.

So when I think of Carrie Fisher, I don’t think of the real Carrie Fisher, who was brilliant in her own right. I think of Leia. How much of a force she was, how much of a force she became, and how much of a force she remains for generations to come.

The Road – Kobe Bryant Ad Spot

April 13, 2016

A tribute to one of the greatest athletes of our time.

Tune into Kobe Bryant’s final NBA game tonight at 7:30PM on ESPN2.

Nas + Tim’s Engagement

April 10, 2016

The Surprise Proposal:

Flashback to 3 months ago: Tim tells me that he’s planning on proposing to his long-time girlfriend Nas, and that he wanted it to be a surprise and to have us film it.

I had met Nas a while back at a Halloween party, where she and Tim had dressed up as the couple from Up! to relative perfection.

Nas + Tim - The Couple from Up!

They struck me as an awesome couple. The kind of people who really complemented each other, had fun and laughed, and brought out the best in one another. So when Tim had mentioned that he wanted to propose to her and have it be a surprise, I had a feeling that it could be something special. Nas and Tim had enjoyed some of Adam Schwartz and I’s previous wedding work, so Tim mapped out an elaborate plan and we finalized the date: 1:00PM on March 12th, a lone Saturday afternoon in the midst of in-climate weather.

The Day Of The Engagement

11:00AM: I remember Schwartz and I getting some coffee at St. Honore, looking out the window at the rain. At one point, it was diagonal. I immediately snuffed the idea in my mind and thought, “This is Portland though, and we were born in the rain. Anything is possibleeeee (okay, KG…)” So we stayed positive, finished up our coffee, and headed out to the Rose Gardens.

12:00PM: (Stream of consciousness:) “People actually get up on weekends and go walking in the rain? For fun? Damn. Good for them?”

12:30PM: Incoming and outgoing secret email threads: “Rain seems to be dying down”, “45-minute window”, “Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot”.

1:00PM: The eagle (eagles?) has landed. Tim had come up with an elaborate series of “events” for the day, in an effort to misdirect Nas into thinking they were having a lovely spa day, followed by dinner. Little did she know…

Nas + Tim Nas + Tim - The Naturals Nas + Tim - Bubbles Included Nas + Tim - The Finale The Finale.

Afterthoughts

Sometimes there are moments in life where everything seems to unfold just the way it should. We had a 45-minute window without rain and everyone hit their mark. Nas and Tim were pros. They stayed cool and calm, and were still able to let loose and have a bit of fun. What a lovely day!

Schwartz in his element (Take 1) In front of the camera: not exactly Schwartz’s forte.

Schwartz in his element (Take 2) Post Wedding Engagement Fried Chicken

The spoils of a rainy day.

Oscars 2016: The Opening Monologue

March 1, 2016

The Opening Monologue:

Like all great comedians, Chris Rock is an opportunist. One of the greatest of all time. And squander, he did not, his opportunity to say what he wanted to say. And while he may not be everyone’s cup of tea, one must respect the truthfulness of his comedy.

“You realize if they nominated hosts, I wouldn’t even get this job. So y’all would be watching Neil Patrick Harris right now.”

Back in my day…

Chris Rock is a master of irony. So undoubtedly, the humor came from not only his words, but also from their context. Like getting a room full of some of the richest, most well-known white people in the world, to laugh at:

“Because we had real things to protest at the time, you know? We had real things to protest; you know, we’re too busy being raped and lynched to care about who won best cinematographer.”

“You know, when your grandmother’s swinging from a tree, it’s really hard to care about best documentary foreign short.”

#firstworldblackproblems

And while Rock may have been slightly overzealous in his racial commentary, he was also fairly, an equal-opportunist:

“But I understand, I’m not hating. I understand you mad. Jada’s mad her man Will was not nominated for Concussion. I get it, I get it.

Tell the truth. I get it, I get it. You get mad — it’s not fair that Will was this good and didn’t get nominated.

Yeah, you’re right. It’s also not fair that Will was paid $20 million for “Wild Wild West.”

Is Hollywood racist?

“I’m like, “Mr. President, you see all these writers and producers and actors? They don’t hire black people, and they’re the nicest, white people on earth! They’re liberals! Cheese!”

That’s right. Is Hollywood racist? You’re damn right Hollywood is racist. But it ain’t that racist that you’ve grown accustomed to.

Hollywood is sorority racist.

It’s like, “We like you Rhonda, but you’re not a Kappa.”

That’s how Hollywood is.

But things are changing. Things are changing.”