Maskerpiece Theatre

Friday, July 21, 2017

Act 220: It Has To Go In The Mouth

Masked Blogster, Mini Mandy, Frankie G, and Kevin talk about Netflix cancellations, the newest Sharknado, how delicious peanut butter is on a bagel, and Mandy's special place.

To listen, click here. To download, right click and "Save As..."

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Thursday, July 20, 2017

War for the Planet of the Apes - Review

This trilogy began in 2011 and told us the story of how the world became overrun with intelligent apes who could talk. These three movies have explored the beginning of the end for humanities reign as the dominant species on planet Earth. So, did “War for the Planet of the Apes” succeed in completing the saga or was this film just monkeying around? Let’s dive in and take a look in this review…

The movie begins by recapping the first two films as the camera glides slowly through a forest (which is nice in case you don’t remember what the first two films were about.) Immediately we see that a team of military troops are on patrol and have found a trench with apes riding horses and carrying guns. The command is given and a battle begins taking lives both human and ape. From there, the film slows down considerably. The run time for this movie is two hours and twenty minutes. This is unnecessary because we could’ve enjoyed a shorter film and lost nothing from the story in my opinion. There is a lot of screen time spent on faces, walking and wide scenic shots. To be fair, the wide scenic shots look great. The scene where Caesar and the Colonel are talking is unnecessarily long too. I understand that director Matt Reeves was giving us a glimpse into the character, as well as, the motivations of the Colonel, but let’s get Woody Harrelson to speed up that speech.

The highlight for this film is probably the special effects/computer generated images (CGI) used to create this incredible world. The technology used to bring life to these apes while also giving them more human characteristics through motion-capture technology is top notch. Fear, anger, compassion, relief, and more are all captured wonderfully on the faces of each character in this film both human and not. Plus, the locations used in this film looked like something from another world, while also still being familiar enough to seem believable. Dense, lush, green forests with spectacular water falls take us somewhere that we’ve probably only ever seen in pictures and it’s great.

Overall, this movie continued the story that began in the last film with the conflict that Koba began and the retaliation of mankind. We see early on that Caesar is not interested in war (which was his stance in the last film). He’s simply trying to find a location for the apes to live in peace along with the humans who have survived the outbreak. It is an act of aggression by human soldiers that bring out the monster in Caesar and in the second act of the film we see the rage inside him spring to life. The character of Caesar continues to excel. From the first film where he’s simply an ape becoming intelligent to now where he’s a husband/father/warrior/leader, the writers involved in this trilogy did an excellent job getting me to care about a monkey. I won’t say the ending caused a great swell of emotions but I was pleased with it. I thought the writing for this particular installment resolved things for his character and the other apes.

“War for the Planet of the Apes” is in theaters now! After seeing this film I’m not surprised by the opening weekend box office numbers. I still recommend people see this film on the big screen because it’s a summer blockbuster with great special effects. There’s a few missteps in this film that I’ll cover on “Brunansky’s Vlog” but overall my biggest complaint is that it doesn’t need to be as long as it is. The score for this movie was my favorite aspect of this movie and it’s entirely possible I’m listening to it while I type this review. If you don’t decide to see this on the big screen I understand. However, I do recommend that you check this film out on Redbox or VOD once available.

Friday, July 14, 2017

Act 219: I'm Over Here

Masked Blogster, Frankie G, Mini Mandy and Kevin start with Masked Libs and talk Spider-Man: Homecoming, some new Netflix shows and stand-up specials, Mandy's childhood love of The Shawshank Redemption, and an awkward wave.

To listen, click here. To download, right click and "Save As..."

Thursday, July 13, 2017

The Big Sick - Review

Movies that are based on true stories can be tricky. As I’ve written before, the story has to walk the fine line of moments of value for the story being told versus here’s one more event that actually occurred in real life. Is what’s happening on screen furthering the plot and taking us on an emotional journey or are they just hurling one fact after another at us until we’re concussed with information? Let’s dive in and take a look at “The Big Sick” in this review…

The basic plot is two people meet, fall in love and get married. This is pretty standard. However, it’s everything that occurs between those plot points that make this film a treasure. The movie starts off with the two main characters Kumail (Kumail Nanjiani) and Emily (Zoe Kazan) meeting at a stand up night club where Kumail is working. From there, the romance begins to blossom but with certain complications. Kumail’s family is very religious and believes that since he is a muslim Pakistani he should marry a woman of the same lifestyle. So, at each family dinner the doorbell rings and a young, single, Pakistani woman just “drops by” to enjoy dinner with them and talk with Kumail. They provide him a photo/bio akin to something you’d see on a dating website and after each date he places those photos in a cigar box, never to be looked at again, or so we think. For Emily it’s different. Her family is open to the idea of her relationship with a man of different race and religion and so when Kumail meets her parents for the first time, they are well aware of him. His family, to the contrary, is not familiar with Emily until very late in the film. The manner in which he handles everything with his family in the third act is both inspired and comical despite the sad nature of things that actually occurred in his real life.

Overall, this movie felt genuine and believable. The characters were all great and since this is based on a true story I was happy with how authentic everyone on screen felt. There’s a certain quality in this film that was reminiscent of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” however this film explores sadness and humor. Once Emily is in a coma the mood or tone of the film changes dramatically. It gets darker because the reality of the situation is just that. However, Kumail is a stand up comedian (in the movie and real life) so the manner with which he handles things helps bring levity to an otherwise depressing situation. Emily parents were also surprisingly great. Ray Romano and Holly Hunter play two parents who understand what it means to be a parent. There’s a passionate exchange towards the end of the second act where Emily’s mom (Holly Hunter) has to calmly tell Kumail (who is about to lose control and freak out) that they, as her parents, are always responsible for her. That one line of dialogue was powerful and so was her delivery! It continued to build on the realism of this film and the actors who portrayed these real life individuals.

“The Big Sick” is in theaters now! I definitely recommend you get out to the theater and support this film. It’s an independent film that has “A” list talent. It’s worth your hard earned dollars and it’s even a great date movie. It has some sad moments but overall there’s more laughs and heartfelt, touching, moments. I was happy I made the decision to see this movie in theaters and I hope you join me in supporting this movie. It’s touching. It’s genuine. It’e heartfelt. It’s honest. It’s worth your time and your money.

Saturday, July 8, 2017

[Spoiler] Spider-Man Homecoming Review

The official announcement that Sony and Marvel Studio’s would be working together to bring us a new “Spider-Man” movie was definitely something to be excited about as a fan. The casting, the story connecting to the already existing cinematic universe and the reliability of Marvel Studio’s to deliver entertaining films all plussed my excitement. So did the friendly neighborhood wall crawler swing into theaters like a boss or did the rain of a bad film wash the spider out? Let’s dive in and take a look at “Spider-Man Homecoming” in this review…

I wasn’t familiar with the lead actor Tom Holland outside of what he did as Spider-Man in “Captain America: Civil War.” I enjoyed his performance and portrayal there so I was confident his performance would not suffer in his solo film. It did not. This is the third version of (arguably) Marvel’s most famous hero. I was happy with the heart of the character as both a high school kid trying to balance his life and the masked hero who wants to stop criminals, not kill them. However, like all versions of Spidey, there lacked one element. In this film, it was the infamous smart remarks. While he did have some great one liners I wanted more. I enjoyed this rendition more than Tobey Maguires but Andrew Garfield still has the best comedic one liners as Spider-Man, in my opinion.

The story is timed before, as well as, after the events in “Civil War.” The basic premise is that a new government agency “Damage Control” has been created to clean up the fall out from superhero conflicts around the United States, potentially the world. The team who was contracted by the city to clean up the wreckage from the first Avengers film loses their contract and the team goes rogue, creating the villainous Vulture (played by Michael Keaton). While Keaton’s team continues to find and steal alien tech to sell on the black market they run into trouble with Spider-Man who is determined to show Tony Stark that he’s the man for this type of heroic job. That’s the basic plot. To my surprise, the main villain is the most nuanced antagonist since Loki. Keaton plays an incredibly layered bad guy who is more than just a black market super arms dealer. He’s a family man and blue collar worker who sees the hand he’s dealt and attempts to make the best of it, in his mind. He’s easily the second best villain in the MCU and I’m happy to report, they don’t kill him off, even though death is part of this story. The after credits sequence continues to build on his complexity when approached by “The Scorpion” to escape prison and exact revenge of Spidey. Easily my favorite character in the movie, Michael Keaton is phenomenal as “Adrian Toomes” AKA the Vulture.

There was also plenty of laughter in this film as we see the struggle that Peter has at High School with a very modern form of bully in Flash Thompson, his debate team, Spanish quizzes and his lovable friend Ned played by Jacob Batalon. The chemistry between Peter and Ned was great. I believed these two were best friends and the natural excitement Ned had upon discovering his best friend is an Avenger was priceless. I hope Ned returns for future films because he was a surprising delight in this film and added real value to the film. It’s possible he could’ve been played off as just a friend who is the comic relief but he has a prevalent role in this movie as “the man in the chair” as he describes himself. The silent helper who sits in a chair in front of computers helping the hero try and save the day. He was a wonderful addition to this cinematic universe and his hat is pretty cool too.

“Spider-Man Homecoming” is in theaters now! If you’re a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe you won’t want to miss this. If you’re a fan of Spider-Man films, you won’t want to miss this. If you could careless about movies that deal with superhero’s, skip it. I enjoyed this film and I encourage people to get out to the theater to see this film about a hero who has heart and is surrounded by people of similar design. At its core, this is a movie about a hero with heart who is trying to find his way in this crazy new world. This movie explores what it’s like to grow up and stand on your own two feet while also trying to not lose yourself in the process. There’s some great scenes in this film that are stolen from the pages of the comics the character originated from and as a fan I was happy with this movie.

Friday, July 7, 2017

Act 218: Frankie G. is Afraid of Aliens

Masked Blogster and Frankie G. Talk about Spider-Man: Homecoming swinging into theaters, the greatest superhero teams, Hellboy and Frankie G's fear of aliens.

To listen, click here. To download, right click and "Save As..."

Spider-Man: Homecoming (Spoiler Free) Review

Spider-Man: Homecoming (Spoiler Free)

Director: Jon Watts

Writer: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley

Cast: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier

Synopsis: Several months after the events of Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker, with the help of his mentor Tony Stark, tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens, New York City while fighting crime as his superhero alter ego Spider-Man as a new threat, the Vulture, emerges.

Review: The Marvel Cinematic Universe done did Spidey right! The tone of this movie is so uplifting compared to the heavy/dark comic movies we have been getting as of late. Walking out of this movie felt almost refreshing, much like how we all felt walking out of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. First things first though, I have to give a huge shout out to the writers and the director of this movie. Thank You! Thank you for not making us sit through another movie where we had to watch Uncle Ben die or Peter get bit by a spider, not even a flashback. That time was giving a better purpose to tell this story. So again, I say thank you.

The story isn’t the only part of this movie that makes it great though, the casting for this movie was spot on. To start, Tom Holland has a very good chance at becoming the best Spider-Man ever. This has to be the closest rendition of Spider-Man to the actual comics that we have ever seen on the big screen. To top it off the chemistry between Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau, as Happy Hogan, was great. The relationship between the three is so relatable at times that it is pretty dang hard to not get some serious feels for Peter Parker. That being said, I am one of those people that believe the villain makes the superhero. Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes (A.K.A The Vulture) really took this character and gave it wings. Yes, I’m sure you saw what I did there. Moving on, Keaton took a villain that could have turned out to be extremely lame and made it work. Toomes perfectly fits under the classification of “The hero of his own story” and it flat out works. While there isn’t as much air time as you would expect for Tony Stark or Adrian Toomes, it really helps the story take the time to show this as a Peter Parker/Spider-Man movie. Also, Peter’s friend Ned is a hoot and a half. Actually, in all honesty, I feel like Ned is the character that represents how we all would react in this situation, down right giddy and filled with really random questions.

All in all, this movie really is just a good time. While, I’m not ready to pick between it and Sam Raimi’s 2004 Spider-Man 2, this one definitely belongs in the conversation. Over all, the characters and the story told makes this move shine bright, nothing was held back in the fights and the emotions were real every step of the way. It is going to be a lot of fun to watch Peter Parker grow up in this world of superheroes. This movie is absolutely a must see!

Thursday, July 6, 2017

A Night Out With Kevin Smith (Q&A Show) - Review

Kevin Smith @ The Rialto Theater, Tucson, Arizona

I’m sitting in the crowded two-floor Rialto theater in Tucson, Arizona. It’s hot and muggy from the people crammed into the theater. I am four rows back and It smells like sweat and desperation. These are my people.

We’re waiting for our lemming leader, Kevin Smith to come out and spew forth stories of his life in acting, directing and general existing in the entertainment world. And I wonder if after being at four of his events prior to today, there will be overlap in the stories he tells as he appears on stage. He is smaller than I remember, nearly half the size he was when I first saw him in Red Bank, New Jersey; but he is dressed the same. He is consistently dressed in “jorts” as he references in his opening speech and a hockey jersey of some sort, all with the number 37 on them.

For those that are unfamiliar with Kevin Smith and what his events are like, generally they are a question and answer forum in which a few (likely only 2-4) people from the audience ask him a question. At which point Smith will begin babbling about some story relating or not relating in his life that can last for 15 minutes to 2 hours. This event is no different and his first story discusses Jason Mewes obsession with the CW and how he came to work on The Flash and Supergirl. (Side note: these shows are awesome and you should all be watching them.)

He discusses his fanboy attitude towards the show and childlike wonder for the magic that is created behind the scenes and how the zoop becomes a thing in the show. The “zoop” is of course, relating each respective character appearing or disappearing from screen using their super powers (Flash’s running, Supergirl’s flying.)

Each story seems to meld into-one another. And while the questions can vary from the audience, we are a specific breed of nerd and thus quite possibly predictable (insert sex jokes and Star Wars references.) And without warning, Smith launches into what I dub as Grandpa Smith, dispelling his knowledge, empowering and imploring us to create. Anything. To write, to sing, to act, to tell our story, insisting that each of us is unique. And then feverishly he notes that anyone can create a podcast and how in the beginning we will draw from those who inspire us before eventually finding our own voice. And it costs us nothing to create.

Kevin Smith @ The Rialto Theater in Tucson, Arizona

Smith insists on the need for one to create and cultivate ourselves. I am unexpectedly inspired. I’ll be honest, Smith had never really created that feeling for me before. Sometimes disgust, sometimes admiration, even a little jealousy for his lifestyle, but never inspired. I’m in it for the charming abrasive personality and the good looks and of course he makes movies I can get into. (Yes, Yes I do have a crush on Kevin Smith… fight me?) (Side note: Please do not fight me, I am weak, I will not win.)

For as much as Kevin talks about rolling onto stage and spewing forth his words, I suspect that there is more planning to the execution then he leads on because the stories and ties flow effortlessly together and we are all laughing every three to four seconds with his expressions and punchline deliveries. Even more so is his ability to uplift his fans and ask for greatness from them. He is brilliant, hilarious, deep but also shallow and unabashed in his nerd-tendencies and this night was awesome.

Follow Maskerpiece Theatre:
Website: abnormalentertainment.com/maskerpiecetheatre
Facebook: /MaskerpieceTheatre and Fan Page
Twitter: @Maskerpiece -Masked Blogster @MaskedBlogster -Mandy @moviefreakgirl -Handsome J @jbrunansky -Matt @MpTheatreMatt - Jersey Jenn @JerseyJenn919
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Maskerpiece Theatre is sponsored by MoviePass. See unlimited movies at a theater near you for a low monthly rate.

You can support our show and Abnormal Entertainment on our Support Us page.

Monday, July 3, 2017

The House - Review

I can see a cast listing and know immediately if I’ll have any interest in seeing a film or not. Certain actors I prefer over others for particular movies and I think everyone has that. You’ll see a comedian you love in a movie and you get excited. Perhaps it’s your favorite action star in a new summer blockbuster and now you’re cancelling plans and calling the babysitter for opening night. Certain films you can’t wait to see. Unfortunately, this was not one of those films for me but I do enjoy the actors in this particular movie. So, did “The House” hit a jackpot or go bust? Let’s dive in a take a look in this box office review…

I need Will Ferrell to start making great comedies again. He has had a string of lackluster films in my opinion and this is the latest addition. This movie almost felt like they took the best part of the actors personalities and said, “we’re just gonna run with this.” At times, it didn’t even feel like the same film. (i.e. Jason Mantzoukas was in his own movie even while sharing screen time with the other actors.) To be fair, some of my issue could be that Jason’s played to perfection an entirely insane character named “Rafi” on the TV show “The League” for a few years. I enjoy that character so much because he’s so over the top that anything goes which is occasionally fun to see. He didn’t break from that character at all for this film. It was like Rafi on Adderall, but only sometimes. The same issue goes for the other two actors from “The League,” Nick Kroll and Rob Huebel. It felt like “The League” meets Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler.

The plot of the film is that two parents have to get enough money together to send their daughter to college and decide to open up a casino, in a foreclosed house, with their friend who is going through a divorce. The plot is zany enough to provide a few laughs. The characters also provide plenty of laughs despite the previously mentioned issues in the above paragraph. I didn’t have high expectations for this film. In fact, I almost didn’t see it at all. However, I did have a free ticket to see it and so I ventured into the theater. Surprisingly, I laughed more than I thought I would and there’s one or two cameo’s in this film that were enjoyable. My favorite cameo was stand up comedian Sebastian Maniscalco. I’ve seen him live and I enjoy his Netflix specials. When he popped up on screen, performing a stand up routine in a basement that was made to look like an comedy club, I smiled and laughed. There’s so much nonsense in this film it will provide some chuckles.

“The House” is in theaters now. Skip this movie if you’re looking for films to see this weekend. This is a perfect VOD or Redbox movie for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon on the couch. It doesn’t require any brain power and it will make you laugh. It’s a nonsensical comedy that goes further and further into absurdity with humorous moments and some eye roll, groan in disbelief, moments. Again, my expectations were pretty low and I still walked out of the theater surprised at how much I laughed but that alone is not enough to spend your hard earned money. Save your bucks for “Baby Driver” or “Spiderman Homecoming.”

Saturday, July 1, 2017

Comic Book Review: The Brave and the Bold #1: Batman and Green Lantern - DC Comics (2007)

"The Lords of Luck Roulette"
Chapter One

Written by Mark Waid and George Perez
Pencils by George Perez
Inks by Bob Wiacek
Colors by Tom Smith

Batman and Green Lantern have a mystery to solve. Multiple bodies have been found throughout the world and also in space. The odd part is, it's the exact same body in all of these locations.

I like "The Brave and the Bold" concept of teaming up two DC superheroes. The first issue in the 2007 iteration has two fan-favorites; Batman and Green Lantern. I like how these two heroes work together despite a stark clash in style. The world's greatest detective teaming up with the man with a ring that create just about anything he can think of.

Mark Waid and George Perez have the beginning of a very mysterious story and it goes from outer space, to Gotham, to Las Vegas and before the story ends Green Lantern is headed back to space to head to another planet. We are also introduced by inter-planetary villains along with another villain we are a bit more familiar with in Roulette. I received this comic book in the TeeBlox subscription service and you can check out past reviews of that service at HelloSubscription. I may need to head to my local comic shop to see if I can find the rest of this series in the bargain bin. My library may have the collected graphic novel as well.

George Perez is one of my all time favorite artists and, as soon as I saw his work on the cover, I immediately opened the book to start reading. Perez has drawn just about everyone in the worlds of DC and Marvel Comics and I was excited by what I saw inside. Everything from the heroes to the backgrounds look wonderful. It was an absolute pleasure to not just read, but look at the incredible artwork in "The Brave and the Bold" #1.

What are your thoughts on "The Brave and the Bold" concept? What other comic books would you like Maskerpiece Theatre to review? Please let us know in the comment section below or through social media.

Follow Maskerpiece Theatre:
Website: abnormalentertainment.com/maskerpiecetheatre
Facebook: /MaskerpieceTheatre and Fan Page
Twitter: @Maskerpiece -Masked Blogster @MaskedBlogster -Mandy @moviefreakgirl -Handsome J @jbrunansky -Matt @MpTheatreMatt
Email: maskedblogster@gmail.com
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Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=35990&refid=stpr

Maskerpiece Theatre is sponsored by MoviePass. See unlimited movies at a theater near you for a low monthly rate.

You can support our show and Abnormal Entertainment on our Support Us page.

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