Maskerpiece Theatre: Abnormal Entertainment

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Sunday, March 12, 2017

Logan - Box Office Review

The X-Men franchise is now 9 movies in length. There are 6 X-Men movies and 3 Wolverine movies. Have they all been terrible? Nope. Have they all been awesome? Also, nope. However they’ve each delivered something special and entertaining so let’s dive in and take a look at “Logan” in this box office review…

This film dares to be something uniquely special in the franchise of the X-Men universe. It takes challenges that previous films have not. For example, this film explores what it means to treat the elderly who are suffering mental illness, like dementia. What it means to grow old. What it means to protect those you love. What it means to confront the inner demons individuals struggle with. This film goes deep and does it well. At its heart, the root story, is that of the reluctant hero who must come to terms with being a team player while his life has led him to isolation. He must confront the reality that he’s no longer alone and his life has new purpose, despite the fact his life might not last that much longer.

The character of Wolverine in the comics is violent. This might be the first in 9 films to explore that facet of his personality. Sure he kills folks in previous films but the rage monster that he transforms into when he is pushed to the edge really has not, until now. This film captures the berserker fury well and does so with the new addition of Laura, aka X23, also. This movie is an examination of what it means to be family, and equally, what it means to be lose control and turn to savagery. We see the world around Logan attempt to remain in control, even if that’s through dark manipulation, while he himself loses control to save those he still holds dear. It’s a beautiful dichotomy.

“Logan” is in theaters now! I heard someone describe this film as a western meets science fiction and I won’t disagree with that description. I really enjoyed this film. The character of Wolverine is one of suffering and loss. He’s also one of great passion and love for those he ever truly grows to let in. This film captures this and more. It’s a great finale to the Wolverine Trilogy and it sets up future X-Men movies nicely. It’s violent but it’s not unnecessary. The action is all part of the character and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Go see this film!

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A Cure For Wellness - Box Office Review

Trailers can present an idea of a film so well that you know exactly what you’re getting when you walk into the theater. The trailers for this particular movie did their job well. The spooky nature and mysterious look are all driving factors for this story. So let’s dive in and take a look at “A Cure for Wellness” in this box office review…

I walked into the theater with an expectation to have my mind messed with. I had an idea from the trailers that this movie was going to play inside my brain and attempt to freak my mind over and over again. It succeeded, in a way. The basic premise of the film is a rich CEO goes mental and has to find sanctuary in Switzerland at a place that no one who checks in ever checks out. An upcoming new talent is sent to the center for wellness to retrieve the CEO and the story unfolds from there. “From there” takes a long time unfortunately. This movie wastes so much screen time on shots of people walking or looking at things. I understand that it's attempting to build suspense but I believe that is possible without having to watch Dane DeHaan crutch his way across a hallway while he suffers a broken leg. I get it. His leg is broken and the wellness center is creepy. Let’s stop watching the lead actor hobble his away across the screen while looking confused. Get… to… the… point.

The cinematography in this film is enjoyable. To be fair, Gore Verbinski films typically look great. The mysterious eels, the colors of the hallways, the clothes of the patients, the washed out look on the faces of the people both worker and patient are as creepy as the movie intends them to be. This movie looks good! Plus, the main actors do a great job delivering on the persona's they’re meant to portray. To recap, I really enjoyed the look of this film a great deal and the main characters were great.

“A Cure for Wellness” is in theaters now! I don’t know how to recommend this film. It takes some curious turns. It borders on bizarre monster movie, meets psychological thriller meets incestuous madness. The ending takes an odd turn that transforms the film from psychological thriller to something entirely different. It wraps up the questions I had regarding two characters, but wow. It takes a weird turn at the very the end. If you see it, comment below and share your thoughts. If you don’t see it, that’s ok too. I’m not sure how to or how not to recommend this film. It’s just very different but I walked out the theater enjoying the film but not liking how long it was.

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Fist Fight - Box Office Review

Comedies should be designed to make people laugh as the top priority. If the film decides to venture into deeper concepts of life, mortality, racism, money, etc. that’s ok. However, the primary purpose of the comedy should be to make the viewers laugh, first and foremost. So let’s dive in and take a look at “Fist Fight” in this box office review…

This movie was garbage. Plain and simple. I walked into the theater with an expectation to laugh. I barely laughed at all. Unfortunately, the majority of the “funny” scenes were those that were in the previews. I was so bored by the cheap jokes, poor writing and made for tv acting that I wanted to pull my hat down and fall asleep in the theater. Fortunately, Kumail Nanjiani has the comedic chops to be funny in any situation and he was the one character that kept the pulse alive for this film. There were two recurring jokes in the film that had some level of redemption and they made me laugh but overall the story is hot garbage on a windy day just blowing stink everywhere.

“Fist Fight” is in theaters now and it shouldn’t be. This movie isn’t worth your time via RedBox or theaters. If you decide to go out and do some day drinking and get pretty hammered and then turn on the TV and it’s playing, you might enjoy it. If you’re not hammered drunk though you’ll probably notice how you’re wasting your life by watching this film.

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Storks - Box Office Review

Animation has really been improving as the years progress and that has benefited storytelling and the movie going experience. Plus, the better the films get the more involved acting talent gets involved and we’re often surprised by their vocal performance, or not. Sometimes we don’t even realize the voice talent performing and this movie carries both scenarios. So let’s dive in and take a look at my thoughts on “Storks” in this box office review…

The film takes place in a time where storks no longer deliver babies, but instead are the delivering force for a company similar to Amazon. We replace baby delivery with cell phone delivery and the story is off and running. We meet a young stork who is being considered to be the next head of the company and his last job before being promoted is firing the human who is still working for the company and causing chaos. Instead of firing her she is reallocated to the mail room and from there we get our first new baby in quite some time and this baby must be delivered before the boss finds out and all Junior (voice by Andy Samberg) has worked for is lost.

The story is entertaining in that the predicaments the main characters get into keeps elevating the story in humorous ways. The wolves were by far my favorite but the weird pigeon was a massive annoyance for me. As hard as I laughed at the wolf pack scenes I was equally frustrated with the pigeon scenes. It was such a weird back and forth of emotions in an animated film. To the films credit, emotions were captured quite well on screen I thought while watching this movie. I believed the voice talent and the emotions they portrayed and the overall story smacked me right in the feels. The end of the film reveals how important adoption is and the special place in a families heart an adopted child takes. Being an uncle for an adopted niece I couldn’t help but catch the feels at the end of the film because it made perfect sense to me, personally.

“Storks” is in theaters now! If you enjoy a touching and humorous animated film about a families desire to add love to their family through adoption this is the film for you. If you enjoy animated films, also for you. I walked out of the theater feeling all warm and fuzzy because I couldn’t stop thinking about my niece and how special she is and how much I and the family all love her. This movie was definitely a surprise for me and I’m glad I took the time to see it in theaters.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Box Office Review

It’s no secret to people I discuss movies with, or to listeners of the Maskerpiece Theatre podcast, that I’m a fan of Tim Burton movies. The visual style he has is unique to him and his vision for how characters and stories should look is something I look forward to when I hear he’s making a new film or I’m revisiting a film he’s already made that I probably own. So let’s dive in and take a look at my thoughts on “Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children” in this box office review…

First, this film was everything I wanted from a story about kids with powers who live in a creepy home that’s stuck in time, forever repeating the same day. Every day, when the bombers are flying over the house about to destroy it with bombs Miss Peregrine stops time and rewinds it back to the morning of that day. The children all have chores they complete on a very strict schedule because any deviation from that schedule could result in the clock not being reset and the bombs landing on the home destroying everything and everyone. This is of course jumping ahead in the story quite a bit because the main character, portrayed by Asa Butterfield, is a loner who is trying to figure out the mysterious death of his grandfather who everyone believes was crazy or had dimensia. It is in fact the monster he sees after finding his dead grandfather that drives him to investigate his grandfathers life, while his parents believe him to be just as mad as his late grandfather.

The characters in this story all felt mostly natural, assuming they had the “gifts” they possessed in the film. The only stand out character was “Franklin” the father of Jake, played by Chris O’Dowd. His character didn’t feel natural at all and the American accent he attempted to have was poorly delivered. Considering most of the movie takes place outside of America, I would’ve been fine with his character having a British accent. If he, perhaps, didn’t have to focus on sounding American, he might’ve been able to portray a worried but not overly concerned father who’s into photographing birds.

The action sequences where the special powers are all displayed were entertaining and the villain, portrayed by Samuel Jackson, was also believable however campy. This would be the second film where I felt Sam Jackson was playing a caricature and not an actual villain, the first being his role in “Kingsman”. His performance didn’t bother me, in fact I found him to be a nice adjustment from the more intense characters the children portrayed and the reasons they hid from him. His over-the-top performance felt like a mustache twirling bad guy and considering he eats a bowl of eye balls and is caught fighting a rogue band of skeletons, I was perfectly fine with his performance. It fit in this film and that’s what matters.

“Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children” is in theaters now! If you enjoy Tim Burton films or just a fresh story that is like nothing you’ll see this year, go see this on the big screen. It’s definitely worth it and you won’t be disappointed. It’s fun but not fun for the whole family if you have kids under the age of 13. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and I might even see it a second time while I wait for “Doctor Strange” to arrive in theaters next week.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Keeping Up With the Joneses - Box Office Review

The cast looks good. The trailers looked amusing at best. So we make the decision to either take a chance in the theater hoping for a comedy that over performs OR risk the feeling that we’ve been duped by Hollywood once again. So where does “Keeping Up with the Joneses” fall? Let’s dive in and take a look at my thoughts in this box office review…

This movie was a snooze fest. I was so bored during the entire film. I did something I never do and because I’m always honest in my reviews I’ll continue that honesty in this review. I was playing on my phone during this movie. That is completely terrible of me I know. I was one of two people in the row and the theater I was in had a wall behind me shielding the people behind me from seeing the glow of my iPhone. I can’t recall a film this year that had me so bored I found google more interesting. I could’ve fallen asleep if I would’ve been tired on any level. This movie did nothing to keep my attention at all. They tried to catch me with Gal Gadot in lingerie but after seeing the trailer so many times it wasn’t enough to grab me. If anything, this movie was Jon Hamm’s audition for any future live action “Archer” film. It’s like his direction was, “just act like Archer”. I kept waiting for him to shout, “LANA!” throughout the entire film but he did not. Color me disappointed.

“Keeping Up With the Joneses” is in theaters now! Skip it. This was beyond boring and barely humorous at all. I won’t waste anymore words on a film this boring because I’m getting bored writing about it. Miss it entirely. Don’t even Redbox it. Just… Don’t.

Birth of a Nation - Box Office Review

Slavery in American history is not an easy topic to tackle when making a movie. The tone, the mood, the characters, the story and dialogue all amount to what could be considered a herculean task to undertake. So what does Nate Parker decide to do for his directorial debut? He made “Birth of a Nation” and we’re now gonna dive in a take a look at my thoughts about this film…

First, I’m always honest in my reviews so I’ll continue to be honest, I was not aware this was based on a true story going into the theater. I consider myself a bit of a history fan and that reveal was surprising which caught me off guard. So I was glad I wasn’t just watching a story about history but a story about actual history. That elevated my enjoyment of the film up a few notches.

The story revolves around “Nat Turner” (played by Nate Parker) who is a slave that was taught how to read the Bible and slowly becomes a preacher on the plantation he was sold to. Over time, word spreads to other plantations that the slaves on his particular plantation are more well behaved and his master is propositioned to take Nat on a plantation tour to help other slaves become more obedient and docile by his use of the scriptures in the Bible. Over time, and a very personal abuse, he realizes that subservient behavior is not the path he was destined for and he leads a resistance that ends in bloodshed and gun smoke.

I loved this movie. Nate Parker captured so much emotion and, also as the director, got so much emotion out of the cast I was mesmerized. This film took me on an emotional journey that was not expected. Being unfamiliar with the actual story I wasn’t disappointed in certain creative liberties he and the writers took with this movie. I was completely entranced by every performance. I hated certain characters, was repulsed by others, saddened for some and felt incredible pride for a few. I was sickened. I was delighted. I was offended. I was inspired. I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen and I couldn’t help but let all the feelings rush through me.

Now that I’ve gushed about all the wonderfulness this movie had, this is not a movie for the faint of heart. This movie is brutal and vicious in its portrayal of slave treatment. Nate Parker pulls zero punches when it comes the mistreatment of slaves and it will force you to examine your understanding of early, Pre to During Civil War America. One scene in particular, we see a slave who refuses to eat while chained up in a small wooden shed and the insane method of force feeding that takes place. You see it all. The audience is not spared the visual disturbances because Parker made the decision to give you realism that was necessary, in my opinion. My stomach turned and I’m sure yours will as well.

“Birth of a Nation” is in theaters now! If you enjoy movies about America during the civil war times, or historical movies, this is a movie for you. If you want an oscar worthy film, this is also the film for you. I walked out of the theater talking about this film with the older black couple I sat next to in theater. We couldn’t help but continue discussing this film because it’s that good and that powerful. Be prepared to feel all the emotions and don’t be surprised if you find yourself talking with strangers walking out of the theater about your thoughts and feelings about this incredible film.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Deepwater Horizon - Box Office Review

In April of 2010, an offshore drilling rig exploded. This story was captured on all news networks and talked about nonstop because of the lasting impact it had on the families of the workers, the oil industry and the environment of the gulf coast. So, why not make a movie about the event? Let’s dive in and take a look at my thoughts of “Deepwater Horizon” in this box office review…

Mark Wahlberg continues to be the champion performer celebrating the life of the blue collar worker. We’ve seen a few movies where he’s portrayed either a body builder, a gambler, a member of the US Armed Forces, a Fisherman or a Boston cop. In this next performance he’s a career oil worker with a wife and kid who both adore him. He gives a great performance in this film as well. The beginning of the film he’s charming and by the end he’s a man who must act to save those he cares about and then the after math of the explosion.

This film is stacked with talent. I was happy to see Kurt Russell and Kate Hudson back on the big screen. Kurt Russell plays his role to excellence and considering the tragedy that occurs to him personally and how well he portrays that pain and agony, just wow. Kate Hudson plays the loving and determined wife but in all honesty, I would’ve enjoyed a bit more believability during the crying scene where she finds out about what’s happening on the oil rig. It didn’t look like crying to me personally as much as the tears we get from onions being cut. Other than that, I enjoyed her performance.

“Deepwater Horizon” is in theaters now! If you enjoy biopics this is a movie for you. This film is dialogue city and it’s a story of people. The film itself isn’t surprising if you remember the events that occurred 6 years ago but if you don’t know about it, then you might find yourself feeling a bit more stress up into the ending of this movie. The characters are all acted well and the talent in this film is top notch. It’s worth the big screen ticket price or the matinee $5 price.

Friday, October 14, 2016

Magnificent 7 - Box Office Review

There’s plenty of films being remade or rebooted currently in theaters. Some of these retellings are done well, as we’d hope. Some leave us wondering why film studios would even bother remaking the movie at all (cough, Ben Hur, cough, cough). The fact is, films are getting a fresh look by modern story tellers and because of that I bring my thoughts on the remake, “Magnificent 7’ in this box office review…

Director Antoine Fuqua continues to make entertaining action films along with his muse Denzel Washington. The director/actor relationship between these two seem to work and fortunately for us they continue to make movies together. After seeing of few of his movies, I now know what to expect before walking into the theater. I wasn’t disappointed at all by the grittiness, violence or tone of this movie. I anticipate this style of story telling from him and, for the most part, I enjoy his approach to movie making. I was a bit put off by the initial monologue of the villain, played by Peter Sarsgaard. I enjoy westerns and period pieces when told well. I doubt highly though, in a wild west town the main villain would give a speech about “capitalism” and refer to it by such a name. I felt that this aspect of the monologue was a bit too on the nose with recent events for a period piece set in the wild wild west.

The violence in this film was everything I wanted from a western. Gun play, knife throwing, arrows being shot into people, fists to faces, horse riding tricks and even a gatling gun are part of this action packed onscreen adventure. I was not in the slightest disappointed with this aspect of the movie. I loved all the fighting, explosions and casualties. It was great fun and one of the most entertaining westerns I’ve seen in awhile.

“Magnificent 7” is in theaters now! If you’re a fan of the original, which I just re-watched before writing this review, you’ll appreciate the similarities but could be put off by some of the differences. Probably the most altering difference was the ending. The original lends itself to a more touching conclusion. The remake is pretty straight forward in that it’s action, action, action, and now it’s over. If you’ve never seen the original, check it out one Sunday afternoon while sitting at home on the couch. Another difference was the language used in each film. The original is bit cleaner and less racist. However, both are entertaining films and I recommend you get off the couch and get into the theater to see this remake.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Snowden - Box Office Review

Oliver Stone is known for making polarizing films. It’s clear which direction he’s leaning in all his films and he’s not shy about his opinions, nor should he be. This film is another example of his incredible ability to make a film and tell a story. So let’s dive in and take a look at my thoughts on “Snowden” in this box office review…

This film is based on the life of Edward Snowden who climbed the ranks of US Intelligence to eventually become public enemy #1 here in the USA and fled to Russia. This story is based on a real life person and real life events, for those of you reading this who aren’t familiar with his life and the recent events that led to this film being made. If you are familiar with the story you may have a preconceived notion on wether this man is a patriot or a traitor. If you have not seen this film yet, by the end of the movie you will have made your decision if Snowden is a patriot or a traitor.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Snowden and I thought his performance was great. He plays socially awkward, hyper intelligent, determined, nervous, cautious, in love, pleased and upset all to the standard I have come to appreciate from his performances. The supporting cast in this film is also excellent with Zachary Quinto, Nicholas Cage, Rhys Ifans, Shailene Woodley and Tom Wilkinson all adding to the this incredible of an American hero or enemy.

I won’t be getting into much of the film because you need to decide if Snowden is a patriot or traitor by seeing this movie. I don’t want my opinion of the film to reveal anything that should be experienced by watching the movie. I will say this, I walked into the theater knowing about the events and had preconceived notions about my feelings towards his actions. I also had some questions about his experience and level of access being someone who was just supposed to be a “Contract” employee. This film answered all the questions I had and even some I didn’t know I could have. This movie explains and shows how a “contract” employee could have such high levels of access and how he was able to get the information to the American people, and the world. It also explains how he was able to get past US Security, get onto a plane and get over to Russia, where he’s currently living.

“Snowden” is in theaters now! I definitely recommend you see this film. If you think he’s a hero, if you think he’s a traitor, if you don’t know anything about him but like JGL performances, go see this movie. It’s full of great acting. It’s a story told well. Oliver Stone delivers another fantastic movie for us about real life events. This movie will open up the door for discussion and you’ll probably see things a little differently leaving the theater. I was impressed at how much I enjoyed this film, but not by much because I knew Stone and JGL would deliver.

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Kubo and the Two Strings - Box Office Review

Once in awhile a film arrives in theaters that doesn’t have a strong advertising campaign and is mostly word of mouth that helps it financially succeed. In this particular case, I felt, that word of mouth was everything. The people I spoke with had not heard of this film and the theater employees I normally converse with also had not seen this film. This film had an almost ghost presence in theaters, where people knew of it but knew nothing of it. So Let’s dive in and take a look at my thoughts on “Kubo and the Two Strings” in this box office review…

This film starts off with intensity. We see a mother carrying an injured baby on a ship in the middle of a storm at sea and then we’re told the baby’s injured because his grandfather stole his eye. I was immediately hooked. The story continues its journey showing us the life this young boy has grown into and his magical abilities and flair for story telling in his village. It’s soon revealed that he’s not permitted to be out at night because his aunts and grandfather are still searching for him to steal his other eye and as story’s go, he stays out a little too late one day and trouble ensues.

The story is told so well that you feel for the boy, Kubo. Even more, the characters you meet briefly in the village are voiced in such a way that we can’t help but fall into feelings for them. Kubo’s mother is a tragic figure but has the spirit of a fighter who will sacrifice herself for the protection of her child if need be. The aunts, voiced by Rooney Mara, are chilling to hear and see. Kubo’s grandfather is ominous and determined. Kubo’s partners, the monkey and ninja beetle are compliments to each other and the story. They provide guidance and levity in an otherwise serious coming of age journey. Kubo is on a journey, much like Homer from “The Odessy”, that leaves him forever changed from the innocent boy we meet first in the movie.

This movie was done using stop motion animation and it looks incredible. The characters, other than the aunts who are twins, all have their own look and coloring. They all have their own voice, personality and charm. The look of this film is bright and sunny, dark and terrifying, colorful and vibrant. We are treated to the entire spectrum and in one scene we get scary, brooding and colorful all under the ocean. It’s a fantastic looking film and it’s a wonderful story from start to finish.

“Kubo and the Two Strings” is in theaters now! I recommend you see this film on the big screen. I saw it twice. I adore this film. Kubo’s two strings are explained and you’ll understand the importance they have by the end of the film which is symbolic and powerful. This is a film with adventure and mysticism. It’s a tale of the importance of family and their lasting impact even after they’re gone. It’s a coming of age tale for Kubo to embrace who he is and was destined to be. It’s also humorous at times which helps keep this story from becoming overly intense. If you have kids ages 10+ this film might not be too scary but below that I make no guarantees. It’s intense, humorous, touching and thought provoking. Go see this film!

Sully - Box Office Review

Clint Eastwood has made some great films in his career, both as an actor and director. In this particular case, we are taken on a journey through the life of a man who saved the lives of those on his plane while also endangering them? That’s right. This film looks at the story of flight 1549 and how a plane can be forced to land on the Hudson River, putting everyone at risk if a single miscalculation occurs. So let’s dive in and take a look at “Sully” in this box office review…

This film doesn’t simply look at flight 1549 taking off and landing almost immediately after in the Hudson. This story is about a tenured pilots instinct, his abilities and his insight into safely, but curiously, landing in water instead of the nearest airport. The investigation, the personal stress, the friendships, the press coverage, the interviews, the late nights all play into this incredible look at a man who did what he knew best and overcame all the odds. By the end of the movie we realize that Sully was more prepared for the incident with the plane than he was the investigation that followed and all the media coverage. He’s taken out of his comfort zone but still maintains his cool in public and is determined to prove his actions were correct and the best option for the survival of his passengers.

The dialogue in this film examines the human side of the event. We see real life consequences that would last beyond the survival of that landing. We see how one miscalculation could end Sully’s career and cost him everything he’s worked for, including his home. The stress it puts on his marriage, his friendship with his co-pilot and his reputation which could jeopardize his ability to start his own company are all part of this movie. Tom Hanks does a fantastic job, as we’d expect, playing the man who is a hero but made to feel like a failure, briefly.

“Sully” is in theaters now. If you enjoy biopics this is the film for you. It’s heavy in dialogue and personal consequence. If you like court dramas this might also be a film for you because it plays out similar to a court drama as the investigation and hearings are held to see if Sully did in fact do the right thing. If you are a Tom Hanks fan you’ll also like this movie. If you enjoy these types of films I’d recommend a Redbox viewing or VOD. It’s a good movie and worth watching, however, I’m not sure a full ticket price of $12+ is worth it. Maybe matinee it for $5 but definitely check it out at some point.

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