(Classic Review) Just in Time for Halloween: "Ed Wood" (1994) Explores The Legacy of One of Hollywood's Worst Directors

 Ed Wood (1994/Tim Burton)  Review 10/26/19

Poster for the Film. (Image Courtesy of Amazon.com and Touchstone Pictures).

   Edward D. Wood, Jr. has quite a reputation in Hollywood, just not a good one. In fact, not only has he directed some of the worst films of all time, including his magnum opus, Plan 9 from Outer Space, but he also acted like a total eccentric behind the scenes. This behavior even resulted in him directing in drag! So, it makes perfect sense that eccentric director Tim Burton would adapt a film depicting his own bizarre hero.

   His life story is superbly summed in the 1994 film Ed Wood, starring Johnny Depp as you-know-who, and centers on him, Bela Lugosi (played by Martin Landau), and a filmmaking crew consisting of total screwballs, as they struggle through the troubled production of each film, and as they deal through the aftermaths of their failure.

From Left to Right: Vampira (Marie), Martin Landau (Lugosi), Criswell (Jones), Kathy O'Hara (Arquette), The Animal (Johnson), and Ed Wood (Depp) on their way to the Bride of the Monster (1995) screening. (Image Courtesy of thefilmexperience.net).

   The way the film tells the story is very unique, especially for a film that was released back in 1994. The fact that it was filmed in black-and-white, the spooky depiction of Landau’s portrayal as Lugosi, who is best known for playing Dracula in the Universal horror film of the same name, and even its cinematography all pay homage, not only to the black-and-white horror films of the time period the film was set in, the 1950’s, but also films of that decade in general.

   Both the film’s comedy and its drama are mixed very well, given the film’s campy tone. In fact, the tone itself causes the more dramatic scenes to not take themselves too seriously. Heck, when Lugosi is in rehab, he is immediately taken out by Wood, who tricks him into thinking that he is getting better, even though the reason why he is taken OUT of rehab is because the doctors can’t afford him to keep him IN it. I personally find these scenes exemplary in combining the silly with the dramatic.

The way the film satirizes the state of the film industry of the time seems to so be accurate, as studios seem to change titles of movies and even flat out reject some. It almost seems as if it predicted the CURRENT state of the film industry…Oh, wait…it basically DID! How ironic!

Wood (Depp) scares trick-or-treaters while Landau (Lugosi) observes. (Image Courtesy of pinterest.com).

   The actor’s performances match their characters perfectly. Depp is perfectly eccentric when he plays Ed Wood, who, as I described earlier, is also eccentric. Martin Landau is very creepy when he plays Bela Lugosi, which makes sense because he did INDEED play Dracula! Heck, even the actors that I didn’t even mention, like Jeffrey Jones, who previously worked with Tim Burton in “Beetlejuice”, plays a very fitting Criswell (He’s the narrator of “Plan 9 from Outer Space”). 

Wood (Depp) directs Landau (Lugosi) for a scene from Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959). (Image Courtesy of youtube.com).

   Tim Burton’s directing is something you would expect from him back during 1994. The film’s campy tone, its creepy visual designs, and even its silly jokes, are basically evidence that this is one of his career highlights. Nowadays, he either makes a creepy reimagining of something that already exists (Alice in Wonderland is a big example of this), or a clone of a 2003 film he directed, Big Fish (both Big Eyes and, to a lesser extent, Dumbo, are both examples of this, even though the latter is also a reimagining of a pre-existing work), so films like Ed Wood and even The Nightmare Before Christmas, which he produced, are rare these days, making both films very unique experiences.

    Overall, I enjoyed this movie, camp included. If you are a fan of Tim Burton, or a film buff in general, then this is the one for you.

In conclusion, I give this film a 9.5/10!

The End!

A Kindhearted, Yet Impactful Film: "The Peanut Butter Falcon" (2019, Dir. Tristan James Jensen) Review

Liam Scanlan “The Peanut Butter Falcon” Review

Photo Courtesy of blogspot.com

Shia LaBeouf hasn’t been in that many movies lately. This is most likely due to the fact, in recent years, he has mostly been doing performance art. But this absence from cinema may finally be coming to an end, as he has most recently been in a heartwarming dramedy called “The Peanut Butter Falcon”. 

The film centers around Zak, a 22-year-old man with Down syndrome, who escapes a retirement home where he is forced to live, and embarks on a journey with a fisherman named Tyler, who is played by LaBeouf, and who is escaping from a bunch of nasty rednecks, to meet a wrestler that the former looks up to, the “Salt Water Redneck”, played by Thomas Haden Church. In the process, he is trained to become a wrestler himself: the titular “Peanut Butter Falcon”.

What makes this film resonate with me is that the film is about a 20-something-year-old man with special needs who is overcoming obstacles, just like I am, except that I am four years older than Zak, and that I have autism rather than Down syndrome. It also reminds me of what horror awaits me if I don’t overcome my own obstacles, namely a group home.

The film’s way of storytelling is very unique, as it takes the buddy-comedy/road movie formula, and makes it more realistic, more relatable, especially to people with special needs, and more heartwarming. It also reminds one of Huckleberry Finn, due to it being about two men trying to escape from their tormentors

Our three heroes (from left to right) Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), and Zak (Zack Gottsagen) journey on foot to meet the famed wrester, "The Salt Water Redneck". Photo Courtesy of thewrap.com.

Each of the characters and their performances are very unique as well. For example, Zak is a pretty eccentric and funny character, regardless of his Down syndrome, Tyler is very kind and inspirational to him, Eleanor, Zak’s caretaker, played by Dakota Johnson, starts out very strict, but begins to have a change of heart, and Duncan, one of the rednecks, who is played by John Hawkes, is so villainous, and so devious, that he makes for a great movie villain. The way they interact is also unique. In fact, it is so unique that it matches the personalities of the characters themselves. The reason why I say this is because the actors act out the conversations between one so well, that I feel that very few movies do this right when compared this! For example, Tyler acts tough on Zak at first, and even threatens to shoot him, but once the latter gets to know the former, not only does he (Tyler) act like a lovable buffoon towards him, which why he encourages him to drink whiskey, a scene which I’ll get to later, but he also becomes a lot nicer and a lot more supportive towards him over the course of the film’s runtime. Tyler even cheers for him whenever he uses his “Peanut Butter Falcon” alter ego! 

Tyler and Zak bond over a snack. Photo Courtesy of rollingstone.com. 

The film’s themes, like I have said, resonate with me, a LOT, but if you combine a plot element where a disabled person kicks butt, and a heartwarming tone, then you getting the sweetest pro-disabled movie there is. One of these themes is motivation, because Tyler motivates Zak to do his best, as well as the former motivating Eleanor to being less hard on the latter. Isn’t that bittersweet or what?

Its humor is also quite unique. The jokes that both Zak and Tyler utter to each other are so irreverent, that it makes it harder to believe that they are two different people. Let’s also not forget where in one scene, one of the characters, a blind African-American dude baptizes Zak and Tyler, after almost trying to shoot them, is both funny and heartwarming at the same time! There is also a scene where Tyler gives him a few rules about being with him, the first of which, “Don’t slow him down”, is misunderstood by Zak as “Party”. Tyler himself would later say that said first rule is INDEED “Party” in a scene where drinks whiskey with him. If irony were strawberries, I’d be drinking smoothies at this point! I found both scenes to be very funny because the former scene depicts the blind guy as somewhat dysfunctional, while the latter is ironic, like I have said just now!

Actors Zack Gottsagen and Shia LaBeouf share some laughs on set. Photo Courtesy of indiewire.com. 

The fact that this film opens in Texas, and centers on a silly redneck spending time with a younger, more eccentric dude, reminds me of a show that I absolutely LOVE: the cult animated sitcom “King of the Hill”! The only difference is that the former is a buddy-dramedy about a Down syndrome person and a fisherman going on a journey across the South together, and that the latter is  about a redneck dad, Hank Hill, trying to spend time with his strange son, Bobby, and trying to make sense of what is happening in his fictional hometown of Arlen, Texas. But yeah, the subtle similarities in plot, humor, and tone are indeed uncanny!

The film’s cinematography plays out just like any other movie, which is a good thing, as that makes it 100% flaw-free!

I pretty much enjoyed “The Peanut Butter Falcon”. If you like a good, pro-disabled movie, a movie that both praises and pokes fun at rednecks, or even a heartwarming movie in general, then this is for you!

In conclusion, I give “The Peanut Butter Falcon” a 9.5/10! Tell a friend!

The End!

"Seven Samurai": A Story for the Ages (Review by Liam Scanlan)

Liam Scanlan “Seven Samurai” Review 8/16/2019

Six of the Seven Samurai preparing for their inevitable battle; (from left to right) Katsushiro, Kikuchiyo, Shichiroji, Kyuzo, Heihachi, and Kambei, their leader. *Picture courtesy of "didyouseethatalone.com"*

   Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa has left quite an impact on cinema. Many of his films, including “Rashomon” and “Yojimbo”, have such unique ways of storytelling that they have even influenced several Hollywood blockbusters, including “Star Wars”. But the most unique and influential of all his films is the one and only “Seven Samurai”.


   “Seven Samurai” centers on a village in Sengoku-era Japan whose poor farmers constantly have their stock stolen by a group of bandits. Fed up with all of this, the farmers decide to hire seven samurai, hence the film’s title, to defend their home from said bandits.

Kambei charges to stop part of their army from succeeding. *Picture courtesy of "martialartsactionmovies.com*

   The way the characters interact with each other is so authentic that it fits quite well with the film’s Japanese setting (“Seven Samurai” is in Japanese with subtitles). Also, the way Kanbei, the leader of this here band of samurai socializes with the others is so influential to the rest of the film’s cast of characters, including said samurai, that it helps them plan their strategies better. On the other hand, the way Katsushiro, one of the samurai, who, by the way, looks an awful lot like Samurai Jack, interacts with a female farmer, is both beautiful and emotional at the same time, showing a wide range in the characters’ personalities. The characters themselves are pretty interesting. Kanbei, like I said just now, is both a great motivational speaker and comes up with great strategies, Katsuhiro is a romantic guy with strong aspirations of becoming a samurai, making him a pretty good role model, Gorobei is a chill and kind-hearted guy, Heihachi is good at lifting people’s spirits, Kyuzo is so good at being a swordsman that it makes him cool, Shichiroji has such an urge to work with his old pal Kambei again that makes his character arc rather heartwarming and Kikuchiyo is a loveable buffoon. Are these characters unique or what?


   The acting is something to praise, as the film’s biggest star, Toshiro Mifune, acts so well in this movie that even his humorous quips, which I will get to soon, seem very powerful and inspiring, and that it is no wonder that he was popular in Japan during his heyday. As I have just mentioned, Mifune is very funny, as he plays a samurai named Kikuchiyo, who is so stupid that he can’t do anything right! Oh, and did I mention that he’s drunk, too? If that’s not comedy gold, then I don’t know what is! However, he also helps with the samurai’s morale. For example, in one scene, where they burn down a neighboring village, he helps them come to the conclusion that samurai like themselves can sometimes be violent barbarians, just like the bandits. This is a pretty powerful message, and a pretty influential one, as well, considering plenty of Japanese media, including movies, and anime, have anti-war or anti-violence messages in them, too!

Kikuchiyo mocks the other samurai for thinking that they are without blame. *Picture courtesy of "monologuedb.com"*

   The film’s humor can easily be summed up by the crazy things Kikuchiyo says or does. For example, Kikuchiyo drinks a whole barrel of sake, and even acts subtly perverted to one of the female villagers. Man, what a boob! This kind of silly shenanigans prevent the film from looking tragic or depressing, and can easily put a smile on anyone’s face.


   Its action sequences can be very exciting. For example, people get stabbed bloodlessly by the samurai’s katana very quickly. Another example is that whole buildings get burned down, not just by the bandits, but by the samurai, as well. The choreography enhances the enjoyability of said action sequences, as the way the characters move around is so fast-paced that it makes these scenes even MORE action-packed. 


   The way of storytelling is very unique. The film often mixes the tragic and gloomy with the comic and goofy, that I’ll touch upon later. 

Kambei (left) and Kikuchiyo (right) prove their proficiency for battle. *Picture courtesy of "oncriterion.wordpress.com"*

   The cinematography and direction are done quite well, as the only thing wrong with it is that one of its earlier shots felt sped up for some reason. I cannot help but wonder why. Everything else is pretty good, as it resembles a classic Hollywood film. I cannot help but be reminded of films such as “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” and “The Wizard of Oz”, both of which are classics in my book.


   The musical score synchronizes well with the scenes. For example, whenever a tragic scene happens, gloomy music plays, complete with an all-male chorus making a gloomy noise, and whenever an epic scene happens, epic oriental-style music plays. One more thing I have to mention is that sometimes the music reminds me of either Godzilla or a classic TV anime from the 1960’s, like “Speed Racer”. This makes sense because it is indeed a Japanese film from the 20^th century.


   The film, as I have mentioned before, brilliantly mixes tragedy with light-heartedness. For example, in one scene, houses are burnt down and a few characters die, while in another, a drunken Kikuchiyo, after revealing himself to be a samurai (This happens very early in the movie, so, technically, I am not spoiling anything), falls down and everybody laughs at him. This for sure makes the film more accessible to a family audience and prevents the film from being too shocking or gloomy, as I have mentioned before.

The flag that represents the Seven Samurai flies high amidst the malicious bandits. *Picture courtesy of "pinterest.com"*

   I expected “Seven Samurai” to be 100% dramatic or tragic, but I was wrong. This only made the film more enjoyable, as I adore films that mix dark with light.


   Since the film is so influential, I can recommend this film to anyone who is looking for a classic to watch, and not just those who are familiar with Kurosawa.


In conclusion, I give “Seven Samurai” a 9/10. Arigato, Kurosawa-san, for making such a great movie!


The End.

This Park Has a "Universal" Appeal; Review of "Universal Studios Orlando" by Liam Scanlan

Liam Scanlan Universal Review 6/4/2019

Image Courtesy of kkday.com.

On my 26^th birthday, I received a $100 Gift Card for a vacation at Universal Orlando Resort. My family and I decided that we should go there for a family vacation from Monday, May 20^th to Wednesday, May 22^nd, due to us having already gone to rival Orlando theme park Walt Disney World several times over the years, and were looking for an alternative. The park, despite not being owned by Disney, was still worth going to, nonetheless.

We stayed at the Loew’s Portofino Hotel, which can easily be described as very beautiful, due to it closely resembling Venice, Italy. Heck, to make it even more Venetian, it even has its own boat, which took us to Universal CityWalk from the hotel.

For those who don’t know, Universal CityWalk is basically Universal’s answer to what is now Disney Springs, and was formerly known as Downtown Disney. CityWalk has it all from restaurants to shopping centers. However, unlike Disney Springs/Downtown Disney, the parks are located inside of it, you can go to them without leaving them. We even went three of those said restaurants, the first being Voodoo Doughnuts, which is a donut place, and has a New Orleans voodoo theme to it, with pink being the primary color of its interior. The second was The Cowfish (for lunch), which is a sushi/burger place, and had a west-meets-east theme, with blue being the primary color of ITS interior.  The final one was the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium (for dinner) , which serves a mix of foods such as burgers with desserts such as ice cream, as well as, you guessed it, chocolate, while also having a steampunk theme. Unlike the other two restaurants, however, this had, not ONE, not TWO, but THREE primary colors for its interior: Brown, gold and silver.

Picture of the family at Voodoo Doughnuts. (Photo by Allyson Breger).

At Voodoo Doughnuts, I had a jelly-filled donut (to try something new!) which I liked, despite the jelly making my hand messy; at The Cowfish, I had a tasty hamburger, which was restaurant quality in my opinion, though very filling (I couldn’t even finish the fries!); finally, I enjoyed ANOTHER hamburger, at the Emporium, though it tasted a lot like the one at the Cowfish.

We also ate at Disney Springs on the first day at Universal, and dined at a restaurant called “The Edison”, which is a steampunk-themed restaurant, a theme that the aforementioned Toothsome Chocolate Emporium shares, expect this one also felt a little late 1920’s/early 1930’s. It even had some classic movies and cartoons from that era playing on the restaurant’s TVs! I downed some superb chicken tenders, there!

Concerning my shopping there, I noticed that there were a lot of anime-related merchandise, including T-shirts being sold, in both CityWalk and Universal Studios, themselves. I guess this makes sense, as Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan has a lot of anime-themed rides and attractions, including 4-D attractions based on “Dragon Ball” and “Sailor Moon”, as well as an ongoing series of stage shows based on “One Piece”.

Now that we got the necessities out of the way, let’s talk about the good stuff: the park! The park I went to for this vacation, despite Islands of Adventure ALSO being there, was Universal Studios, which as the name implies, is basically a rival to Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly known as Disney-MGM Studios), with its own movie studio backlot, movie/TV-themed attractions, and whatnot, except Universal Studios came first, while Disney just straight up copied it with Hollywood Studios. The rides I went on were “The Simpsons Ride”, “Men in Black: Alien Attack”, and “Race Through New York with Jimmy Fallon”. All three of them were pretty good experiences.

Picture of the family with Bart! We were starstruck, obviously! (Photo by Allyson Breger).

“The Simpsons Ride”, based on the iconic animated sitcom “The Simpsons” (obviously), is a sim-ride where you go from a fictional theme-park ride to various locations through the show’s setting, the fictional town that is Springfield, all while running afoul of both the Simpsons themselves and one of the show’s antagonists, Sideshow Bob. The ride itself was a tad scarier than I thought was going to be, given its fast pace, and the fact that Sideshow Bob even manipulates a giant mechanical panda in an attempt to destroy America’s Favorite Yellow Family, but it still entertained me, no matter what.

“Men in Black: Alien Attack”, based on the Sony Pictures franchise, which, believe it or not, is, in turn, based on a comic book from the now-defunct publisher Malibu Graphics, is a ride where you get to shoot aliens that are all over New York City. The “shooting aliens” part makes it very similar to “Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin” at Walt Disney World, so it’s nothing too unique, but I still got a kick out of it, even when I noticed that one of said alien bore a slight resemblance to Slimer, which is one of the most popular characters from another Sony Pictures franchise, “Ghostbusters”. So, when there’s something strange in the neighborhood, who ya gonna call? THE MEN IN BLACK!

“Race Through New York with Jimmy Fallon”, is, in my opinion, the most unusual attraction of the park’s history, if not the most unusual in theme park history as a whole. The reason why I’m saying this is because it is based on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon”, which, to me, seems like an odd choice for a theme park ride. That doesn’t stop it from looking very beautiful, as the ride itself, a sim-ride, which unlike “The Simpsons Ride”, is in 3D, has very beautiful visuals and vistas, as your race with Fallon himself, not just through New York, but also through the Moon, which makes sense because the logo for “The Tonight Show” is currently printed on a photo of the Moon.

The Blues Brothers driving their famous police car. (Photo by Allyson Breger). 

Rides, aside, the atmosphere was very good. There weren’t that many crowds, there were no kids screaming, and nobody got intoxicated at all.

In the park’s San Francisco area, my mom, our friend Allyson, who went with us on this vacation, since she lives with us, and I went to an outdoor stage show featuring the Blues Brothers, and it was so good that I found myself to be very amused when they started singing Soul Man, a song that was used in an obscure comedy about a guy who takes pills to make his skin darker so he can get into a cheap, all-black college scholarship, only to get in to big trouble for his blackface. If that’s not outrageous, then I don’t know what is! In that same area, we went to a pizza place, the name of which I forget, and ate pizza. I LOVED the pizza, as it tasted a lot like that of the Pizza Planet restaurant at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which I also enjoyed. I also had a Fanta, which I liked, but was unfortunately unable to refill, as the Coca-Cola Freestyle there didn’t do refills.

The Ukranian Ironbelly from Harry Potter in its natural habitat. (Photo by Allyson Breger). 

We also went to Diagon Alley, which is a “Harry Potter”-themed shopping area that connects Universal Studios to Islands of Adventure, which, as many of you know, has a Harry Potter-themed area of its own. We didn’t do much, even though the atmosphere was very good, despite being somewhat crowded. We just drank Butterbeer, which is a cream soda that they serve in this area, and tasted very creamy and sweet, and watched some character from the “Fantastic Beasts” spinoff movies sing, the performance of which I didn’t really care for.

If Universal wasn’t enough, we went back to Disney Springs in our way home. There, we went to the Wolfgang Puck restaurant, which is named after a famous chef, and serves a mix of American and Italian dishes. There, I ate another pizza, which was too cheesy, if I’m being honest. We also went to a clothing store called Uniqlo, which, due to its Japanese roots, was bombarded with shirts based on Japanese media, such as comics, animation, and video games, as well as non-Japanese media that is very popular there, such as Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, and a Finnish comic strip called “Moomin”. There, I got a T-shirt based on one of said video games, “Street Fighter’, featuring a character I thought was funny since he spawned a meme: M. Bison. 

Also, on our way home, we, as my older brother Connor recommended, went to a mini-mall which had a place called “Soupa Saiyan”, which is a ramen/soup restaurant with “Dragon Ball” merchandise and related images all over the place, hence its name. It also had episodes of “Dragon Ball Super” on its TV monitor. We didn’t really eat there, but were considering doing so when the Jacksonville location comes, as many of said locations are popping up all over the state of Florida. The significance of this to the review is the fact that we went here on our way home, as I have just now implied, and that we both had a good time, despite not really eating there.

So yeah, I had a pretty good time at Universal. There were good rides, good attractions, a good hotel, and even a good atmosphere. I’d recommend it to those who are looking for the best alternative to Walt Disney World, as well as film/TV buff, due to the amount attractions based on iconic films and TV shows there.

Overall, I give my experience at Universal Orlando Resort a 9.5/10, as usual.

*Insert “E.T.” joke here*

The End.

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This Film Ain't Bad, Not By a "Long Shot"; Review of Jonathan Levine's "Long Shot" (2019)

Liam Scanlan “Long Shot” Review 5/29/2019

Image Courtesy of newmovies.video

Seth Rogen has had quite an impact over Hollywood. In fact, one of his movies, “The Interview”, angered North Korea so much that, not only did the studio behind it, Sony Pictures, get hacked, but it also led to other studios freaking out over this controversy. Luckily, this review isn’t OF that movie, but rather his most recent comedy, “Long Shot”, which co-stars Charlize Theron, and unlike “The Interview”, is actually GOOD! 

The film centers around left-wing ex-journalist Fred Flarsky, played by Rogen, who becomes a secretary for would-be 2020 presidential candidate Charlotte Field, played by Theron, who was also Fred’s babysitter. As they travel the world to get 100 countries involved in a global environmental initiative, the two do all sorts of crazy things together, including taking mollies, and in the process, they fall in love.

The story, which I have mentioned just now, is very well-executed, as there are many strange twists and turns, and even scenes in this film that poke fun at politics both in America and overseas. The film can even use this style of comedy and political drama in the same breath as seen in the scene where Fred and Charlotte both witness the outbreak of a civil war in the Philippines; this scene while being action-packed is also riddled with humor throughout, not losing its dramatic touch.

Speaking of hilarious moments, the jokes are pretty funny, too. For example, there are a lot of silly drug jokes, which are Seth Rogen’s specialty, one of them involving Fred tricking a security guard that he smokes weed just for anxiety, and another being the aforementioned molly-consuming scene, both of which let the audience know what kind of frivolous shenanigans he and Theron get into.

Theron (left) and Rogen (right) create intriguing chemistry together, as unlikely as that may seem. 

Image Courtesy of indiewire.com 

The film’s acting is also hilariously superb. For example, both Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron work together as a believable couple, though they seem like an unlikely pair. Whether it be a scene where they fuss at each other, or when they act kindly towards one another, their chemistry works quite well. The son of Ice Cube, who is also in this, believe it or not, is very irreverent when it comes to comedy, too. He affects Rogen’s character, thanks to him not only being his friend, but also giving him advice throughout the film. The film’s antagonist, Charles Wembley, played by Andy Serkis, plays his part so well, that HIS acting, along with the prosthetics that he uses, makes him look absolutely UNRECOGNIZABLE!

The characters are pretty great, too. Fred is so anti-capitalist, that he serves as a clever spoof of left-wing people, while the film’s right-wing characters, such as the guy played by Ice Cube’s son, Charles Wembley, and even the film’s in-universe equivalent to Donald Trump, President Chambers, are so idiotic, that THEY serve as clever spoofs of right-wing people. Charlotte, on the other side, is very smart, and is depicted as being caught between those two parties, as if the film is meant to satirize both sides. If that’s not thought-provoking, then I don’t know what is!

The characters are caricatures of certain symbols and ideologies, but it works wonderfully in the context of the film.

Image Courtesy of flickeringmyth.com

Finally, the film’s environmental message is pretty sweet. In fact, it’s so sweet, it even makes fun of those lobbyists, represented by Mr. Wembley, who try to rob the Earth of its trees! Okay, that may seem harsh, but still, it’s pretty pro-environmentalist, if you think about it!

Overall, I enjoyed this film. If you like films that are political, but don’t rely too heavily on themes, like racial division, or anything else of that sort, then this if for you!

This may not come as a surprise to anyone, but I give this film a 9.5/10!

The End.

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A Film That Never Runs Out of "Steam": Review of Katsuhiro Otomo's "Steamboy" (2004) by Liam Scanlan

Liam Scanlan “Steamboy” Review 5/13/19

The anime film “Akira”, a cyberpunk epic about a boy named Kaneda trying to save both his best-friend-turned-cyborg Tetsuo and the Neo-Tokyo 2020 Olympics, is highly-regarded as one the greatest animated features of all time. Yet director Katsuhiro Otomo’s other works, including another anime film, “Steamboy”, always get swept under the rug, despite being very good.

“Steamboy”, which is set in London in 1866, centers around a boy prodigy named Ray Steam, who comes from a family of inventors, and who is gifted a so-called “steam ball”, which is an important invention design to help fuel steam-powered machines, from his grandfather Lloyd. He then gets kidnapped by an organization called the “O’Hara Foundation”, who is one of many groups of people who are said ball, and is planning to use it for a terrorist attack against the London Exhibition, and before too long, Ray gets caught in the middle of a lengthy battle between the O’Hara Foundation and the British Empire.

The film’s way of storytelling is very interesting. The film depicts both the O’Hara Foundation and the British Empire as antagonistic forces, which was surprising to me, but not to my twin brother Reilly, who says that Otomo likes to depict all adults as villains and only kids as the heroes. To make the story even more interesting, the film uses actual British historical figures from its 1860’s period setting as characters. For example, the London Exhibition, which I have mentioned in the above synopsis, was a real conference held in London to explore the world’s newest inventions, and Robert Stephenson, the Father of the Railway and a master inventor, himself, is in this as well.

The characters are very interesting as well. For example, the little girl Scarlett O’Hara-St. John’s is so spoiled and so stupid that it’s actually funny. It also combats Ray’s selflessness and intelligence, placing emphasis on his virtuous nature and massive intelligence, while making the latter look cruel and incompetent . Another example would be Lloyd Steam, who tells Ray that not to trust all adults due to their selfishness, and is determined to save Eddy from being oblivious to the O’Hara Foundation’s true intentions, which involve making war, rather than giving steam power, despite what the Foundation says. One final example would be Eddy, who I find to be funny, not only because he looks like a silly-looking cyborg, but also because he shares his name with a character from the funnies cartoon from my childhood, at least in my opinion, “Ed, Edd n Eddy”. I also find his aforementioned obliviousness to the O’Hara Foundation’s evil ways to be so exciting that it helps the film’s story very much.

I find the film’s not-so-subtle “Akira” references to be quite amusing, as well. For example, in the film’s climax, Ray dons an outfit similar to Kaneda’s, and Eddy resembles another one of the film’s characters, Colonel Shikishima.

The film’s animation is very good. In fact, some shots from the film, including a shot showing a parade, remind me not only of the work of Oscar-winning anime director Hayao Miyazaki, but also of a very well-animated, if not well-written, animated feature, “Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland”, which is technically anime considering a Japanese studio, TMS, which was also responsible for animating “Akira” both produced and financed it.

The only problem I have with this film is its climax, which takes so long that it’s practically hard to tell HOW long both it runs. I doubt a great director Otomo would make drag this kind of climax to ridiculously long length, so I think it may be the editor’s fault.

I would recommend this film, not just to fans of “Akira”, but also to those who want to watch a great-but-underrated anime, as well as to those who’d enjoy some great historical fiction.

In conclusion, I give this film a 9.5/10.

The End.

"Missing Link" Review by Liam Scanlan

Liam Scanlan Review of “Missing Link” 05/02/19

The films of stop-motion animation studio Laika are underappreciated masterpieces, in my opinion. I say this because, despite the fact that the only breadwinner out of their five films is “Coraline”, thanks to the film’s director, Henry Selick, having “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” of all things on his directorial resume, all of them are nonetheless pretty good, and have been able to win the hearts of both critics and film buffs like myself. “Missing Link” is no exception.

“Missing Link” centers on an explorer named Sir Lionel Frost, who is trying to get into an explorer’s club, but is constantly rejected, due to him trying to find the titular “Missing Link” between man and ape. He then receives an anonymous letter from someone who turns out to be a sasquatch, and who is trying to find more of his kind. They, along with an old lover, Adelina Fortnight, set out to find Shangri-La, which is populated by the closest thing to the sasquatch’s kind: yetis. Meanwhile, the leader of the explorer’s club, Lord Piggot-Dunceby, hates Frost so much for believing in Charles Darwin’s much-neglected theory of evolution that he sends an assassin named Stink to kill him, in order to prevent him from going to Shangri-La, and from proving that the theory is true.

The film features a pretty stellar cast of voice actors, and boy, do those actors nail their respective roles. Hugh Jackman, who voiced Frost, does a very authentic British accent, which I have not heard since he voiced that mouse of Dreamworks and Aardman’s “Flushed Away”. Zoe Saldana, who voices Adelina Fortnight, does a great Latin American accent, which makes sense, due to her character being a Latino. It also adds to the ferocity of the character, since Adelina can be quite a tomboy in this film. Zach Galifinakis (sic), who voices the sasquatch, and Stephen Fry, who voices Piggot-Dunceby, don’t use accents, unlike the other two big names in the film’s cast, but don’t need too, as Galifinakis acts as hilariously buffoonish as possible, and Fry, acts just as scary as the character he voices, is (He even has rotten teeth, which makes him look hideous, in my opinion).

“Missing Link”’s humor is not only very silly, but it also uses a lot of satirical subtext. For example, as I have mentioned before, the film takes many not-so-subtle jabs against those to don’t believe in evolution with Piggot-Dunceby. Although I find this, and the film’s use of guns, to be very controversial, I also find these two factors to be very funny, as both make said film very edgy. Plus, the two factors make sure that this film doesn’t just appeal to little kids, and I find that to be GREAT! After all, animation isn’t just for kids, you know!

The narrative is also very well-executed. For example, there are a lot of action scenes, including those with Stink, and there are a lot of crazy characters our heroes encounter on their journey, including an old Himalayan woman who has a chicken on our head, but doesn’t acknowledge it. This fits with the film’s quirky tone, as well as its use of stop-motion photography.

The mixture between stop-motion animation and CG imagery, despite being noticeable in some scenes, is very breathtaking. This is because it makes the film look a lot more mesmerizing than advertised. They affect both the film’s narrative and tone by giving them a theme of nature, since most of it is set in either California or the Himalayas. It also makes the film itself look both clear and magnificent.

Finally, the soundtrack fits in with the film’s quirky, buddy-comedy-like tone. Even the ending theme song for this film, “Do-Dilly-Do (A Friend Like You)”, fits with this tone, since it features kazoo music, and is also so catchy that it can easily can get stuck in one’s head. Heck, it got stuck in MY head from hearing it in the theatre up until dinnertime.

Given the above reason why I think “Missing Link” is yet another one of Laika’s masterpieces, I would definitely recommend it, not only to children, families, or even animation lovers, but also those who would love a good historical satire.

It has great voice actors, great acting, great humor, a great narrative, great mixture between stop-motion animation and CGI, and even a great soundtrack!

Overall, I give this film a 9.5 out of 10!

The End.

"Shazam!" Review by Liam Scanlan

    “Shazam!” Review 4/12/19

    The DC Comics film universe, or the “Worlds of DC”, as it is officially called, started off rough. With lackluster films like “Man of Steel”, “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice”, “Suicide Squad”, and even “Justice League”, fans have wondered if DC would ever catch up to rival comic book publisher Marvel, which obviously has a film universe of their own, in terms of high-quality film adaptations. Fortunately, that was when films like “Wonder Woman”, “Aquaman”, and “Shazam!” came into play. Despite “Justice League” being released between the first two, these three films, especially “Shazam!”, which is what this review is of, could be a step into the right direction for the “Worlds of DC”.

    “Shazam!”, based on the comic book formerly known as “Captain Marvel” (The name got changed due to obvious legal reasons), centers around a 13-year-old named Billy Batson, who is searching for his mother, fruitlessly, and is thus sent to multiple foster homes. In his most recent foster home, he befriends Freddie, a kid who constantly gets bullied over a crutch he uses. After Billy meets an dying wizard, played by Djimon Honsou, and after he is transformed into an adult superhero, played by Zachary Levi when he shouts his name, Shazam, he, with Freddie’s help, demonstrates his superpowers, which include electricity manipulation, flight, super-strength, and super-speed, of all things, and runs afoul of an evil supervillain, who is after his newfound abilities, in the process.

    The story, which is summed up above, is told in a very entertaining, and very heartwarming fashion. For example, there are cute flashbacks of Billy, when he was a toddler, and his mother. Not to mention all camaraderie between all the foster kids, including Billy and Freddie. It can also be very shocking too, as tensions between the two arise later in the film. Heck, even when the supervillain appears, moments between him and his abusive dad and brother can get very scary most of the time.

    Its cast of characters includes only a minimal amount of bad people, like the supervillain and his abusive dad and brother, and some very kindly characters. This includes Billy’s foster parents, the wizard named Shazam, the foster kids, including Freddie and even Billy’s emotionally-abused mom. They act so kindly to Billy that they add to the heartwarming portion of the film’s tone. They also do not heavy any annoying flaws at all. Just sweetness.

    The acting is so good that it makes even the clunkiest of its dialogue feel authentic. Even the sad conversation between Billy and his mom feels authentic, thanks to some good scriptwriting. Either that or some really good directing or maybe both. Humor-wise, this film is so amusing that even the most over-the-top of its jokes are entertaining. For example, a recurring joke involving Freddie being unable to make up his mind on a potential superhero name for Billy, hence the “Captain Sparklefingers” bit, gets me every time. It’s funny because it indicates neither Billy nor Freddie are the brightest stars in the sky.

    Not to mention Zachary Levi’s performance as Shazam is SUPERB, as it is so silly that it is hard to take seriously, which is very effective, as the film’s tone is meant to be comedic.

    Visually, this film is so good that its VFX make even the most fantastical of its plot elements look authentic onscreen. They also can be very scary, too, as the Seven Deadly Sins, who become the supervillain’s literal inner demons, are so scary that they are enough to let a little kid’s SKIN crawl!

    My only problem with this film overall is its editing. For example, the climax, which pits Billy, who, at this point, officially assumes the name of “Shazam”, and the foster kids, against the evil supervillain, and the Seven Deadly Sins, is so incredibly long that it drags the film to a total runtime of TWO HOURS AND TWELVE MINUTES! Ain’t that something?

    Overall, editing aside, I really enjoyed “Shazam!”. This movie has got everything, from heartwarming moments, to good guys who are kindly most of the time, to authentic acting, to silly jokes, to scary VFX. This may not come as a surprise to anyone, but I think “Shazam!” is the best DC film since “Wonder Woman”. Here’s hoping that they keep up the good work!

    In conclusion, I give this film a 9.5/10. I would utter “Shazam!” at this point, but since I am likely to get sued, is it worth it?

The End.

"Fyre" Review: Review of Chris Smith's 2019 Documentary

My Review of “Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened” 4/5/2019

Back in 2017, entrepreneur Billy MacFarland and rapper Ja Rule, planned an event in the Bahamas that would supposedly be the biggest party in the decade, called Fyre Festival. Trouble is, there were so many difficulties that the festival, which ended up being cancelled, would not only prove itself to a total DISASTER, but would also, given its cancellation, and given co-founder MacFarland’s actions in the past, prove itself to be a total SCAM!

The film itself has a LOT going for it, including the directing styles, editing, and even the film’s hilarious, yet accurate, depiction of MacFarland, and the lengths he’ll go to scam people, even AFTER this whole ordeal occurred. 

First, the film’s directing styles. The narrative and chronological structure for both the film and its interviews is combined in a very interesting way. For example, the film uses posts from Fyre Festival’s Instagram account, which say stuff like “Five More Days”, to not only refer to how many days left until the Festival, but also to help the viewer anticipate the disaster that is getting ready to unfold. Another example would be that the film edits shots of MacFarland’s laughter to make it look like he is laughing maniacally, as if he were evil. This is a foreshadowing of his true intentions, which involve scamming the Festival’s attendees out of their money, at Ja Rule’s expense.

Second, the editing. For example, it causes the film’s interviews to meld together so perfectly, that it really LOOKS like the people being interviewed are telling a story. Another example would, again, be the scenes where MacFarland supposedly laughs manically.

Finally, there’s the details on how much of an evil con artist MacFarland truly is. For example, according to the documentary, he had a credit card company, targeting millennials, that charged its customers, one of which, who was also being interviewed, ended up creating an anti-Fyre Festival Twitter account called “Fyre Fraud” (which is also the name of a knockoff documentary on rival streamer Hulu, by the way), a fortune. There is also that time when he backed a scam where someone targeted the Festival’s attendees, by giving them fraudulent tickets to events such as the Grammys.  This, combined with a class action lawsuit filed by said attendees against him, led not only led McFarland to losing money, but also to him ending up in jail for 6 years, while Ja Rule suffers from no repercussions whatsoever, due to him having little to do with the Festival. One final example would be, once more, MacFarland’s evil laughter (I have got to stop using that as an example!). The documentarians were able to get as many straightforward facts about him as possible, in order to make him look like to a true villain.

I loved “Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened” so much, and if you’re fan of somewhat comedic documentaries such as “Super-Size Me”, then you’ll love this one, too! This documentary made so much of an impact on the world, that even BEFORE release, the previously-mentioned knockoff “Fyre Fraud”, was announced, and both came out at the same time! 

In conclusion, I give this movie a 10/10! As Billy MacFarland would say it, MWAHAHAHA!

The End, Or Is It?

Just Kidding, It’s the End!

Liam Scanlan

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