The Bad Batch (2016)

 

Classified as a drama, horror, romance. Stars Suki Waterhouse (Arlen), Jason Mamoa (Miami Man), Keanu Reeves (The Dream), Jim Carey (The Hermit) and Written and Directed by Ana Lily Amirpour

Winner of the special jury prize at Venice Film Festival

IMDB: 5.3/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 47% w/ audience score of 30% 

This was a strange movie, even for me. I came across it on a Facebook video expedition. Where bored me watched endlessly through a wormhole of videos that have absolutely no practical application. Eventually, this popped up into my feed as one of those - look at this! but also listen to the background music first because that's how we avoid copyright issues. 

The video description cited this as an apocalyptic romance. The little movie fan inside perked up at the category. They were standing and waiting in line when they read the cast line up. DUDE! Mamoa, Reeves, and Carey. Those are names I would have never put together in any film. I instantly searched for a copy. Lo and Behold, Netflix provides. I sat through this movie with a sense of anticipation at possibly finding a new under-rated gemstone. 

Oh Boy....I felt like I had watched Burn after Reading all over again. (That was not a pleasant experience BTW).

I was intrigued by the aesthetic of the movie. The cinematography was beautifully done. It paired well with the mystery of the overall story. We start with sounds of what seems to be prison intake. Eventually opening up to a young girl(Waterhouse) being stranded and locked into a desolate place with a literal warning sign that "It is no longer under the jurisdiction of the United States". I wait patiently for more.  Arms and legs are chopped off and eaten. Humans are literally stored for consumption. Eventually we disappear into the vast desert and come across The Dreamer (Reeves) who is part prophet/drug dealer with a harem of pregnant women wielding AK's and passing out drugs.  This lonely, mute hermit walks the desert scrounging. I did not realize this was Carey. Truly, I thought it was Ron Howard re-living his acting days. Eventually the child of Miami Man (Mamoa), who is a weightlifting, man eating, artist from Cuba, goes missing inside the Dreamers compound. Arlen, who is now missing some limbs, helps to find and rescue the girl. Very little dialogue throughout the movie. I liked that. I think it gave the characters a sense of 'my business is my own'. 

Not one point throughout the film did I think of Romance. Weird and twisted. Definitely so. I did however think Mamoa in his role showed a little more depth than I have previously seen in other roles (Stargate Atlantis not withstanding). Emphasis on the word little. I would like to find a role for him that is softer in a not manly man sort of way. However, him holding a meat cleaver and chopping up peeps definitely gave me pause.  

I was reading some reviews from other people and I think some of them summed up the experience quite nicely. 

A catapult of visual and thematic ideas without much sense, but of unquestionable magnetism.

 - John Tones (Espinof)

The Bad Batch will not sit well with everyone, and it's not designed to. But it's refreshing in a summer movie season that seems agonizingly designed to please everyone all the time to watch a film that simply doesn't give a f---.

- Steven Prokopy (Third Coast Review)

The Bad Batch has a thin story and an incoherent world populated by unconvincing characters, and I felt bored and depressed watching it.

- Molly Laich (doghatesfilm.com)

I took from this movie very little except questions. Perhaps that is what the writer/director intended. Or maybe, most of the story got left on the cutting room floor. The main question for me, although odd, is just this: The actors that took on these roles, are they happy to have this in their filmography? I can say maybe yes, for Jim Carey (he's a very artistic kind of guy) and a possible for Reeves (we know he's done stranger). The others *shrugs* only they know. 

FINAL VERDICT

1. Cinematic-ally pleasing: includes cinematography, costuming, and overall appeal (1 pt)

2. Underlying Score: Does the music support the story - I liked the vintage vibe they had going (1) 

3. Acting: Actors show range and pull me into the story (.5)

4. Plot/Story: Did the story engage? Did it have all the things a story needed? really felt like i was missing a huge portion of the story (0)

5. Would I personally buy it to add to my collection NO( 0)

Let me know if you've watched the film and what you thought of it. As always taking suggestions for game, movie, tv show, or book! 

Much love to all,

ZB

P.S. Sorry about the sporadic posting. I'm trying to get much better about adhering to the timeline I've set myself. Unfortunately, life is not my bestie at the moment but you should see something between Mon-Wed. :) 

TUSK 2014

                                            

I will be the first to tell you, there are certain films I will watch because so and so is in it or contributed to it or was involved in some fantastical way. Of this "doesn't matter- gonna watch it" category, Kevin Smith movies rank top 10. 

I grew up watching Clerks, Mall-rats, and Dogma. They are what I consider to be essentially 90's pop culture. So in 2014, when Kevin Smith released this strange film, which had very little marketing except for a hashtag campaign on twitter, I knew I had to see it. 

A horror riff based on the Walrus and the Carpenter, Tusk was a box office bomb with a fantastic cast.

Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Ashley Greene, Johnny Depp and the icing on this campy cake Michael Parks. (Red State, Planet Terror, Kill Bill Vol I...)

Although it bombed nationwide it actually won the Midnight Madness People's Choice at the Toronto International Film Festival. It also received a LOT of mixed reviews. Some of them include: 

"Tusk is pleasantly ridiculous and charmingly self-deprecating, but that isn't enough to compensate for its thin, overstretched story." - Rotten Tomatoes

 "Tusk, which is based on one of Smith's own podcasts, is the most disgusting and pointless movie I've seen. Emphasis on pointless. I spent half the movie sick to my stomach." - Erik Lundegaard, Seattle Times

The story itself centers around a blogger(Justin Long) searching for interesting stories. He meets this old sea-dog (Michael Parks) who tells him a story, just not the one that can be deemed interesting. Rather, just creepy. The blogger soon becomes trapped and is at the mercy of Park's delusions and fantasy. 

So here's my personal take on it.

Morbid Fascination. 

There's no hiding that I adore the cast and that I adore Kevin Smith movies. Usually you get life lessons or something philosophical to chew on. This is straight up, nothing to hide behind horror. Body modifications and experimentation at the cost of your own humanity which you are powerless to stop. Park's character is so developed that it immerses you in his head and you want to understand why he is doing the things that he does. You WANT to talk to him. Find out what makes him tick. I honestly wanted to punch Long's character and at some point I caught myself thinking "karmic justice" but that's just me feeding the dark-side of my brain or as Stephen King says "Feeding the Gators".(https://faculty.uml.edu/bmarshall/Lowell/whywecravehorrormovies.pdf) I enjoyed the story. I would definitely describe this movie as campy horror. The ridiculous concept overall, to me, puts it firmly in the camp category.

I will not lie to you, I did not pay much attention to the soundtrack as I was wrapped inside the story. But if i'm not actively critiquing it, to me, that means it was seamless. I loved this movie. I wouldn't watch it on repeat but I would definitely pull it out every once in awhile. 

Kevin Smith had this to say about his little project:

 "I wanted to right what I felt was the only wrong of Red State by scripting something with no religious or sexual politics that could grow up to be a weird little movie and not an indie film call-to-arms or a frustrated self-distribution manifesto. I just wanted to showcase Michael Parks in a fucked up story, where he could recite some Lewis Carroll and 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' to some poor motherfucker sewn into a realistic walrus costume."

That quote alone makes me want to watch the whole movie once more! To let you in on a bias here, I was able to catch glimpses during my ushering days at the local theatre. I LOVED IT! But school and work do not allow for a lot of extracurriculars. You can now watch Tusk on HULU with a showtime add-on or you can find at (and bear with me) your local video rental store. Old school, I know. You may get lucky with Amazon Prime. 

Rotten Tomatoes: 45%

IMDB:5.3/10 

ZB: 4/5

I don't know if I would actively seek out and own this film but I would watch it on a streaming service or buy it from a garage sale. 

Let me know what you thought and shoot me some suggestions!

Much love to all,

ZB

Buried 2010

                            

I want to preface this by saying: I worked at a movie theatre as an usher at the time of this release. I was able to watch small clips and scenes as I monitored each auditorium for shenanigans but I was never able to "Watch" the movie. I never had the time. It recently came back through my consciousness thanks to the lead actor himself, Ryan Reynolds, tweeting about it. One of the many streaming services of our golden technological age happens to have it as an option. So this past weekend, after making dinner, my darling man-thing sat down to game and I sat down to watch something I knew he wouldn't be interested in. 

Sweet. Baby. Jesus. 

Lets first start with the popular ratings.

IMDB: 7.0/10 (really good for IMDB)

Rotten Tomatoes: 87% w/ an audience score of 65%

This movie...

I really enjoyed the perspective and minimalist  requirements needed to tell this story. For a 6'2" man to film what is essentially a one-man play in a tiny box. BRAVO!

The story itself doesn't present in the normal outline of tell em, show em, tell em again. Your forced to draw your own conclusions only as the clues present themselves. I particularly enjoyed this aspect. Lighting and next to zero soundtrack was ON POINT!.

I am very proud of Mr. Reynolds for going outside his Rom-Com, Funny Guy persona to attempt the unique character you see in this film. 

I enjoy any film that makes me feel strong emotion. This one is definitely in that category. As the audience, I warn you, it does take about the 1st 15-ish minutes to be immersed in what the character is feeling. After that....you are on a roller-coaster of indignation, empathy, and fear. 

As the final scene cut to black...SON OF A BITCH! 

This movie may not be for everyone, and that's okay. I would definitely categorize it as an avant-garde thriller that anyone who enjoys the filmography of Mr. Reynolds should definitely see.

I give this film a 5/5

1. Cinematic-ally pleasing: includes cinematography, costuming, and overall appeal (1 pt)

2. Underlying Score: Does the music support the story (1) 

3. Acting: Actors show range and pull me into the story (1)

4. Plot/Story: Did the story engage? Did it have all the things a story needed? (1)

5. Would I personally buy it to add to my collection YES (1)

Please let me know what you thought of the movie and I will gladly watch/read/listen to any suggestions and review.

Much love to all,

ZB

The Girl With All the Gifts 2016

                                          

Netflix is an incredible entity. Some of the shows/movies it has produced have by-far been some of my favorites. Recently I watched "The Girl With All the Gifts". I want to preface that I have read the book before this and was pleased by both. 

The synopsis released by publication/marketing reads: 

"One of several children immune to a mutated fungal disease that has eradicated free will and turned the rest of humanity into cannibalistic zombies, a gifted young girl escapes the safety of a special school and helps guide mankind's survival."

I like to think this is a good description, albeit vague. 

Let's start with the book. For any book I use the standard 5 star rating with a twist on each star.

1. Could I put it down: Was I able to stop reading and do other things?

2. Were emotions involved: Did I walk away from the book feeling anything?

3. Character Development: Did the characters live up to their potential in the story?

4. Plot/Story: Did the story engage? Did it have all the things a story needed?

5. Would I personally buy it to add to my collection

Goodreads: 3.94 average rating out of 5 stars with over 180,000 reviews 

Barnes & Noble: 4.3/5

ZuniB: 3.5 (I gave it a 4 on my goodreads because you can't do half stars)

1. Admittedly, it took me several days to get into the flow of the story. I started the book and would set it down to swap over laundry or start dinner and then not pick it back up for a few days. This book runs about 460 pages (depending on format). For me, that is something I can knock out with uninterrupted reading in about 3 hours. Provided its engaging. The story did not hit engaging until the first night out of the compound. Then I finished the novel very quickly. (1/2 star due to 1/2 the book being "non-put-down-able)

2.I was more intrigued by this book the farther in the story I read. As I closed the jacket on the book there were feelings of disappointment. Like there should have been more to it somehow. (1/2 star: good not great)

3. All the characters lived up to their potential. I felt nervous for them and took their sides in arguments.  I felt the feels they felt. I would 100% say the main character lived up to her potential. Especially since we only get a glimpse of it at the end. The side characters were well rounded and full.(1 star: Solid in character development)

4. The story itself is engaging. Definitely an intriguing take on the zombie archetype. I was pleasantly surprised by the authors ability to depict what Melanie (the main character) was figuring out and her perspective throughout. The flow of the narrative was steady and I was easily able to see a picture in my head of the events unfolding. The end was a bit of a twist but I felt that it was lacking a certain something that would have pushed the book from good to great. (1 star)

5.  I would not keep this book on my shelf but I would gladly recommend it to other fans of the horror/zombie genre. (1/2 star)

 

The Movie via Netflix.

Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

IMDB: 6.6/10

ZuniB: 2.5

1. Cinematic-ally pleasing: includes cinematography, costuming, and overall appeal

2. Underlying Score: Does the music support the story 

3. Acting: Actors show range and pull me into the story

4. Plot/Story: Did the story engage? Did it have all the things a story needed?

5. Would I personally buy it to add to my collection

1. Beautiful cinematography. Effects were admirable. The overall appeal was nice (1 pt)

2. The score, background noise, irritating frequency. I found it more annoying than helpful in sustaining the story. Required me to use subtitles throughout the film just so I didn't miss dialogue through the god awful theremin-type noise. (0pt)

3. Gemma Arterton and Glenn Close were the only notable names through this film. Which I think is fantastic. However, I don't think Close did a thorough job of the creepy scientist and Arterton couldn't decide if her normal accent was good enough. Overall, the actors did a cohesive job of telling the story. (1 pt)

4. I found myself a little on the bored side. I was expecting the same suspense I felt from the book to be present in the movie and it was just...lacking. This may be due to several elements missing from the movie that were present in the book. It may be my own personal bias coming to the forefront. I enjoyed the biological explanations and behavioral studies aspects of the novel that were not present in the film. (1/2 pt)

5. I would not add this movie to my collection. I am grateful for the different zombie genre perspective but it was rather lackluster. (0pt)

I enjoy reading the books before watching movies. There is an attempt to maintain a separation between the industries as I critique and take the film at film value and the book at book value. In this instance, I don't believe that to be possible. There was too much sacrificed out of the book to make the film that would have made it so much better. 

As always, I gladly take suggestions and I apologize for not being regular with my updates as I promised. There is an endeavor to do better. 

Much love to all,

ZuniB

Hail, Ceasar! 2016

                                

I finally got around to watching the star studded flick: Hail, Ceasar!

Recently released to Netflix, I am so glad I never paid the admission price to see this movie in theatre. 

For those not aware, Hail Ceasar! centers on a kidnapped star (George Clooney) and his movie manager (Josh Brolin) who tries to put out all the fires at the movie studio.

I sincerely thought that this movie would be funny, entertaining, and a pleasure to watch. 

IMDB: 6.3/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 85% with audience score of 44%

ZuniB: 2/5

So I have five criteria that I base a film on. 

1. Cinematically pleasing: includes cinematography, costuming, and overall appeal

2. Underlying Score: Does the music support the story 

3. Acting: Actors show range and pull me into the story

4. Plot/Story: Did the story engage? Did it have all the things a story needed?

5. Would I personally buy it to add to my collection

Let us address the criteria as it applies to this film. 

1. I did find the overall affect of the film to be pleasing to the eye. I enjoyed the organization of the plot points. Costuming was fantastic! The overall appeal was good. I give a point. 

2. I cannot recall a standout score. I'm sure, like in all films, there was something to cover the quiet moments between conversation and I did like the noir style transition music that was apparent. I give 1/2 a point.

3. I really liked the idea of such a star-studded cast coming together to do something strange and quirky. I found all the actors fun to watch in roles that they normally don't inhabit. With the exception of the brooding Brolin. I particularly enjoyed Channing Tatum singing and showing a little more range than he normally does. However, Tatum's character was really the only standout of the entire cast. So I give only 1/2 a point. 

4. When your cellphone is more interesting than the movie you are watching, there is a problem. I frequently checked the notifications that popped up on my phone and found it daunting to engage with. There were moments I found myself smiling due to something witty or how an event played out but nothing that really "glued me" to the story. It was lackluster for the hype it was given. 

5. My profound joy at not having paid the full $15 admission or even $2.50 for a rental cannot be described. Sadly, this movie will not be added to my collection.

When the film ended, it was a moment of "that just happened". Which is not something the movie studios should strive for. 

Please let me know what you thought of the movie and I will gladly watch/read/listen to any suggestions and review.

I will post a review once a week on Wednesdays! 

Much love to all,

ZB