Maskerpiece Theatre

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Movie Review: The Great Beauty (aka La Grande Bellezza) (2013)

The Great Beauty(La Grande Bellazza) is an Italian film centered around the character Jep Gambardella(Toni Servillo), a journalist who is among Rome's social elite class. Jep has turned 65 years old and the movie shows his interactions and his view of life after his birthday.

Toni Servillo as Jep is brilliant in this film. He needs to be as this is all about hi as Jep and the way he navigates his life in Rome. The film starts at Jep's 65th birthday and it's quite the party. The beautiful people of Rome's social elite are there and it's a wild time filled with music and dancing. This is where we start to see Jep pondering life. Jep is in the social elite, not because he is a journalist, but because of a novel he wrote. As the movie progresses, we see Jep's character progress and his sharp wit is on display when he grows tired of the elitism displayed by some of his counterparts. I also really enjoyed when Jep decided to bring an unlikely someone into his inner circle. The choice had some ramifications on his own psyche. Again, Toni Servillo is brilliant.

The Great Beauty is directed by Paolo Sorrentino and you can see this is his homage to Federico Fellini. The way Sorrentino was able to navigate through all of these lives but keeping Jep the central focus was wonderful. I took notice in the focus on faces. There were scenes of people at parties and we were treated with the focus on their faces which visually told you what was going on. The film takes place in Rome so the backdrop to every shot had exquisite beauty. Thhe Great Beauty was truly a pleasure to view.

I received this film in the Boxwalla Movie Subscription Box. You can read my box review at HelloSubscription.com.

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Tuesday, July 12, 2016

The Shallows - Box Office Review

From discussions I've had with the folks who work at the movie theater I frequent, I heard "The Shallows" was probably the scariest shark movie since "Jaws". I walked into this film with an open mind considering the trailers didn't really provide much information beyond a woman is being hunted by a shark in paradise. So let's dive in and take a look at my thoughts on "The Shallows" in this box office review...

The movie stars Blake Lively and to be honest the only other film I've seen her in was "Green Lantern" back in 2011. It was a terrible film but she wasn't part of the disaster that was that film. She acted her part well to be fair. She made a curious choice to star in a movie that would require her to act on a level I had not seen before from her. Much Like Tom Hanks in "Cast Away" this film would require her to perform so well we wouldn't need any other characters. I felt like her performance was better than mediocre and I enjoyed the screen time where she logically worked out solutions to the life threatening problems she faced. She was exciting to watch and had moments of high and low points which was better than I could've expected not being entirely familiar with her acting ability.

The supporting characters in the film were two surfers, a kid and a tour guide. Also, we briefly meet her father, sister and creatively we find out she was vacationing with a friend who enjoys a good party and attractive dudes. All of these characters have minimal screen time. The main supporting cast was the shark and a sea gull. Yes, the bird. Surprisingly, the sea gull provided some levity to an otherwise intense film. The shark was animated incredibly well and it's size was enormous. When we see the shark underwater or attacking above water it's clear that this monster of the sea is not playing around and is out for blood. It's terrifying. I loved it. There are a few scenes that are shot from a birds eye view showing the enormity of this predator and that added a sense of terror and suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat.

"The Shallows" is in theaters now! If you want to see a beautifully shot, suspense filled, shark movie you should see this film in theaters. It's one suspenseful moment after another. As you find yourself breathing a sigh of relief that Lively's character might finally be saved, it's immediately stolen. The story keeps progressing and building and while doing all of this it gives slight clues to what the next shock will be. This only escalates the tension because you have a brief clue about whats about to happen but you don't know when. The location of this film is beautiful and the cameras capture it wonderfully. The perfect looking location to be ruined by so monstrous a creature under the crystal blue water.

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Monday, July 11, 2016

Swiss Army Man - Box Office Review

Occasionally a film comes along that looks so absurd you can't help but look forward to seeing it. Additionally, when that film has two talented actors leading the film it only increased the excitement for seeing the adventure take place on the big screen. "Swiss Army Man" was exactly that for me. So let's dive in and see if the film managed to live up to my expectations in this box office review...

First, we have Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe. These two actors have been delighting movie watchers for years. Also, Radcliffe went to work on his acting chops with live theater which only helps. Having these two talented actors star and lead the film was a stroke of genius. I'm not sure how the logistics of everything was worked to get these two to star in a movie that deals with a dead body who has special powers that come alive as he's reanimated because of a suicidal mans love for a complete stranger. It all sounds as bizarre as it was on screen. All things considered, it was hilarious. I'm not sure another two actors could have the dynamic range required to go from suicidal and dead to delivering comedic lines about boners, farts, sex, boobs, forest dwelling, friendships, relationships and love.

The story, as absurd as it was, actually had some redeeming qualities. If Paul Dano's character is hallucinating the story is an introspective look at modern life, relationships and love. If he's not hallucinating, it's a buddy story that takes two opposing views and explores what it means to be a friend, find love and conquer the elements, including death. There's a lot of great dialogue that explores the concepts of being alive and what exactly we have that makes us feel alive even in the midst of depression and suicidal weaknesses. If you can get past the ridiculous and hilarious moments on screen between a dead body and a live body, you might find this film to be charming, in a peculiar way.

"Swiss Army Man" is in theaters now! If you enjoy movies that explore what it means to be alive, find love, conquer your fears and develop friendships all the while making fart jokes, penis jokes, boob and butt jokes, sex jokes, death jokes and more this is the movie of the year for you. If you need more realism and don't find sex jokes that funny, stay far away from this film. I found this film so funny I was literally crying from laughing so hard. It was a surprisingly delightful film that went further into what it means to be a human going through life than what I could've possibly expected.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Robert Frost's Poems - Book Review

A collection of over 100 poems by acclaimed poet Robert Frost, this book was more than I could've imagined. When I first picked this up for $3 at a book store that sells used books I figured it would be a quick look at Frost's poems. I couldn't have been more wrong.

The introduction is completed by poet, critic and Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, Louis Untermeyer. His perspective on Robert Frost was just as enjoyable as the poems themselves for me. It should be stated that I, myself, was not familiar with much of the poems contained within this book. So having some back story and additional commentary I found particularly beneficial. Untermeyer explains in simple language some of the more complex topics and perspective given by Frost in each of his poems. The poem could be four lines or multiple pages and we still are treated to the insightful and often humorous life views of Frost with an added level of insight from Untermeyer.

If you're looking for a collection of poetry that will give you pause to think, this is a great book. If you're curious about poetry and want to find a book that can help usher you into the world, this is your book. If you just want poems that will make you smile and laugh, this is a book for you. If you're able to find this book at a book store for $3-$5 it will be the most value for your money that could be possibly found. I definitely recommend adding this book to your library, whatever the size.

The BFG - Box Office Review

Steven Spielberg decided to make a hybrid live action/animation adventure that is based off the popular children's Book "The BFG" written by Roald Dahl. This film blends both computer generated characters and worlds with a young actor who is tasked with making us believe what we see on screen is real. So let's dive in and take a look at "The BFG" in this box office review...

To be honest, I never read the children's book so I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting myself into. I trust Spielberg and his ability to tell a story and create fantastical worlds and that was motivation enough to see this movie in theaters. The overall look of the film I enjoyed immensely. It's vibrant and colorful, it's dark and brooding and it's warm and sunny. We're treated to some creative worlds in this movie and each looks completely different than the other. If you pay attention to the design of these worlds you'll notice tiny subtle specialities that make each room or location uniquely clever. The land of giants has the remains of what appears to be a fair ground. The house of BFG has clever bottles, boats, vegetation and more showing that he's more than just a curious character who speaks different than everyone else. The orphanage is sterile and quiet. The streets of the town are cobblestone with dim lighting and each house has a similar but different look from each neighbor. The land of dream catching is dark but the dreams are colorfully vibrant, almost electric, in their appearance. Overall, the appearance of this film was the best part.

The story is definitely for children. There isn't much for adults in this film as the basic premise is just that, basic. The language is simple and the characters speak using exaggerated phrases that one might expect from uneducated giants who each represent something different. If you're looking for a thought provoking story this isn't it. Even the ending is humorous but simple. It's written for children and the movie captures that quality. If you have kids under the age of 11 or 12 they will probably enjoy the story as it's geared for young kids. As an adult you might appreciate the acting talents of Ruby Barnhill who is cast as the lead. Considering she acts mostly in a digitally created world I was impressed at her level of believability.

"The BFG" is theaters now! I recommend a big screen viewing if you have young kids. It'll be a fun time at the movies for you and your family. It's a fun story that isn't offensive or inappropriate. It's legitimately a fun film that explores the created worlds of Roald Dahl as only Spielberg can tell. Honestly, if this movie wasn't made by Spielberg I probably would've skipped it. I'm glad I didn't because the dream world was incredibly colorful and unique. If you don't have kids you can probably skip this one unless you're a die hard Spielberg fan. This film won't ask a lot for you but it does require that you suspend that part of your adult brain that denies the fantasy worlds that exist from a child's perspective. It's fun but it's not a great film. Again, if you have young kids they'll probably enjoy the time spent with you at the movies and that will hopefully be enough.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

The Legend of Tarzan - Box Office Review

Tarzan is one of the older stories around that still carries some popularity. It's a difficult tale to pull off because it's been done so many times. One challenge arises with regard to story telling and creating something fresh that hasn't been seen before. So was "The Legend of Tarzan" able to pull it off? Let's dive in and take a look in this box office review...

The story takes place after Tarzan has left the continent of Africa and has moved back to London, England. There, we find out that Samuel Jackson is in this movie. He plays the American who will become part of the convoy that heads back to Africa with Tarzan and Jane to find out about and stop the villainy that is rising in Tarzan's home town. I'm gonna be honest, the overall story started off a little generic for me but by the end I was quite pleased. I was not expecting to find a story that dealt with slavery, race relations and the diamond trade at all. This new perspective and story on Tarzan was a delightful surprise for me personally.

The cast is also a talented bunch. I got a free ticket to see this movie and that's the reason I went. I didn't know anything about it except from one trailer I saw and that's it. So when I found out that Samuel Jackson, Christoph Waltz and Margot Robbie were all in this film along with Djimon Hounsou I was happy. This cast is spectacular and the film was not lacking in actors who know how to create characters that are three dimensional and believable. At the end of the day, it's Alexander Skarsgard who must deliver on a great performance because, well, he's Tarzan. The character is quiet, brooding, thought filled and strong. This film didn't ask for much from Tarzan and that's probably a good thing. Alexander doesn't have an established history of dynamite performances so pairing him with these other great talents is definitely a smart move.

"The Legend of Tarzan" is in theaters now! This was definitely a fun film to see on the big screen. It's like Batman meets Spiderman all wrapped into one African jungle safari adventure. It was surprisingly enjoyable and the cast is all fantastic. It was kinda odd seeing Jackson as the comic relief but he did a great job in his role and provided enjoyable moments on screen. The story is involved because of the concepts this film deals with but it's told well and it's highly entertaining. On the big screen the computer animation looks great, the jungle looks lush and dangerous and the classic period this film takes place in feels appropriate. If you have the time, this is a great film to see on the big screen and it's even a fun date movie if you can find someone you don't mind spending about 2 hours with.

Friday, July 8, 2016

Act 165: I'm Lonely Too

Masked Blogster and crew discuss a bad situation with a comic book shop, Big Bang Theory, being lonely and much more from The Grid.

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Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Movie Review: 8 1/2 (1963)

Federico Fellini is a name all movie buffs are familiar with and I decided to not just be familiar with the name, but to also be familiar with his works. I was fortunate enough to receive "8 1/2" inside of the Boxwalla Film subscription box(you can read my reviews subscription boxes at HelloSubscription.com).

"8 1/2" follows the life of a filmmaker by the name of Guido Anselmi(Marcello Mastroianni). Guido has an interesting life. He is about to make a large budget movie but nobody seems to know when this film will start shooting. Guido finds himself answerring to people at all times. There's an amazing scene early on where the camera never stops and Guido walk through a large room answering questions and accepting comments from producers, actors and people generally interested in what he is working on.

Guido also has a thing for the ladies. He has a hard time coping with why they can't keep focused on him, even though he himself is married. This comes into play throughout the film as the story delves into the psyche of this troubled filmmaker and leads to a fantasy of having his own harem.

The Neon Demon - Box Office Review

I didn’t find much media buzz around this movie. I was curious about the film because what I did hear suggested it was going to be something of a psychological thriller. Women, models actually, living in Los Angeles mentally tormenting each other in a manner believable to anyone who’s ever dealt with models. This was not that movie at all. This is the most artsy film I will probably see in 2016. So let’s dive in and take a look at my thoughts on “The Neon Demon” in this box office review…

First, you have to understand how artsy this film is. It’s so artsy, it almost feels like two completely separate films and I’m almost certain director Nicolas Refn prefers it that way. You have one part of the story which is the life of “Jesse” played by Elle Fanning at her hotel with her kind of boyfriend and then her life as a model. It literally feels and looks like two separate films. I’m leaning towards intentional planning over bad cinematography. I feel it was planned because both look incredible in their own ways. The modeling scenes have some of the most vivid colors and entertaining flashes of black to white to color to everything else and more. The motel scenes are grainy and dirty similar to the life she lives when she’s not part of the Los Angeles modeling scene. This film looks incredible.

Ok, now let’s get weird. This film uses symbolism like nudie pamphlets being handed out on the Vegas strip. It’s everywhere. It’s non stop. It’s inescapable. It’s leaves you feeling perplexed and possibly even slightly disturbed walking out of the theater. There’s murder. There’s dancing. There’s modeling. There’s minimal dialogue. There’s an over abundance of symbolism. I still don’t understand the neon triangles and what those were suppose to represent but they occurred throughout the film and if anyone knows why please comment below and inform me. The ending, we see something incredible disgusting but it’s symbolism for the passing of guilt and freeing oneself of the burden of guilt and how another human can pick up that guilt and carry it with them. It’s gross but it’s also poetic in a sense. I found myself thinking, “dear god this uncomfortable but my goodness this is a creative way to show a person self destruct.”

Ok, so all in all, the acting isn’t great. The dialogue is almost not even present and what dialogue is there feels like a high school junior could’ve written it and that’s about it. It’s slow. It’s bizarre. It’s artsy. It’s gonna probably make you feel like taking a prozac afterwards. It’s also gonna make you see models differently too. I’m still trying to figure out those stupid neon triangles and the ending is gross but clever.

“The Neon Demon” is playing in theaters now! I will not recommend anyone see this movie because I do not want people blaming me for whatever weird thoughts and/or feelings they experience from this bizarre film. If you do decide to watch this in theaters, VOD or Redbox you do so on your own merit and not by my recommendation (disclaimer over). So yeah, still don’t understand the neon triangles. Oh well, one of life’s great mysteries I suppose.

Independence Day Resurgence - Box Office Review

It only took 20 years to make but we finally got a sequel to “Independence Day” folks. Internet buzz told me that the Hollywood press wasn’t given an advance screening, which is always a bad sign, so I didn’t have high hopes for this film. So let’s not waste 20 more years in this introduction and let’s dive in on my thoughts of “Independence Day Resurgence” in this box office review…

What a piece of garbage. I can’t recall seeing a film this bad in awhile. I mean, wow. Just an absolute pile of hot garbage. I was flabbergasted at how insufferable the plot was, the characters, the dialogue, the story but I was pleased with how good it looked. So, much like the attractive musical pop stars who look great and sound terrible, this… yes, this film was a musical pop star. All look, no substance.

I shouldn’t feel this disgusted considering Roland Emmerich directed this stink fest. His last string of films were definitely lacking in everything but visuals. In all honesty, I should’ve walked into the theater knowing it was going to be lacking in everything but look, which it was. I mean, one of the main characters actually says the line “Here’s your first encounter” while shooting aliens. Kill me. The very beginning of the film we see two pilots screw up a landing and then magically figure out a way to stop the space station from collapsing on itself while shouting things like “but the engines are gonna blow” followed by some mess like “hold together” or “come on baby” and it was terrible.

Now there’s part of me that wants to believe there were moments of redemption in this movie. These were probably the moments which I slept in the theater. That’s right folks. I fell asleep not once but TWICE during this film only to wake up and see the exact same thing happening. This film felt like something that was made for television but got an insane budget and was pushed onto the big screen. It’s the science fiction space equivalent of a “Sharknado” film in my opinion. Just rotten to the core and such a waste of everyones time.

“Independence Day Resurgence” is in theaters now! It shouldn’t be but it is. Don’t see this film unless you’re home and completely wasted out of your mind and can’t find the remote to change the channel. Then, you did that to yourself and you have to live with the consequences of your actions. If you’re into terrible science fiction films and enjoy mocking them, then this is the film for you! You can “Mystery Science Theater” the world out of this film. It’s ripe for jokes and sarcasm that is well deserved and earned. One can only wonder how much more disastrous they could’ve made this film had they waited 30 years instead of 20. Two thumbs down and flipping over tables to spill the popcorn.

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