Hey everyone! Here's my latest weekly catch up, where we look at all of the films I've watched this week. The episode of The Drive Back this week had one film that we had to watch, and the rest were watched on my own time (for better or for worse). As I did last week, I tried to vary the types of films I watched this week, so hopefully you'll see a nice spread of different years and genres. Also a quick note, these films are in the order I watch them during the week, so as you'll see I went back and watched a movie after its sequel.
Let's start with the film we watched for the show.
Jupiter Ascending (2015) REVIEWED ON THE PODCAST
SCORE: 29/100
Directed By: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
Starring: Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Eddie Redmayne
Synopsis: A young woman discovers her destiny as an heiress of intergalactic nobility and must fight to protect the inhabitants of Earth from an ancient and destructive industry.
Quick Review: While it has some unique visuals and I give it credit for trying to start something new, the film is beyond uninteresting, is filled with bad performances, and just isn't fun.
If you'd like to watch it, it's available only to rent.
The Seventh Seal (1957)
SCORE: 98/100 (MUST WATCH)
Directed By: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Max von Sydow, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Bengt Ekerot
Synopsis: A man seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.
Quick Review: The Seventh Seal is a ponderance of life in all its ugliness, as well as death and all its beauty. The symbolism, the questions and statements it offers, and its characters all explore these in a film that is timelessly beautiful. The Black Plague era of the middle ages is a perfect setting for this tale because it offers the duality that is at the core of the film, death and life. It is also a breeding ground for all of the events and ideas expressed within. The Seventh Seal is also an incredibly beautiful film, with the expression 'every frame a painting' being more than applicable here. And on the topic of beauty? That ending sequence with the dancing? Magnificent. Ingmar Bergman has crafted an intensely thoughtful story that is still resonating with me almost a week later. This is a film meant to be experienced without any idea or knowledge of its whole, and it's a must watch. It may be a hard sell due to the fact that it's a foreign language film, Swedish to be specific. Please tell me with your tweets or comments what you walked out of this feeling, because I feel that everyone will walk out thinking something completely different.
If you'd like to watch it, it's available on HBO Max.
Halloween (2018)
SCORE: 70/100
Directed By: David Gordon Green
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak
Synopsis: Laurie Strode confronts her long-time foe Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.
Quick Review: First off, I watched this film in preparation for the upcoming Halloween Kills that releases on Friday October 15th. Second off, this is the first film that I've seen from this franchise. Third off, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this film as much as I did. Now it does have its fair share of issues, like unnecessary comedic scenes and a focus on Laurie Strode's granddaughter. It also lacks a distinct horror atmosphere, instead juggling so many different tones like comedy and action. However, I do like this film for quite a few reasons. Jamie Lee Curtis is awesome here, giving a wonderful performance as the survivor of the original film from 40 years later. There are some great moments, particularly a longer one-take like sequence that's brilliant, and most of them surround Michael Myers, otherwise known as The Shape. At the end of the day, it still has its issues and still uses horror movie cliches, but there is a distinct feeling of true love for the original. It's definitely worth a watch during this time of the year.
If you'd like to watch it, it's available for rent only.
Office Space (1999)
SCORE: 50/100
Directed By: Mike Judge
Starring: Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, David Herman
Synopsis: Three company workers who hate their jobs decide to rebel against their greedy boss.
Quick Review: Office Space is a comedy that I feel like I always hear about. It's cult following remains strong until this day and I understand why. However, while I feel that the film is funny and I do enjoy most of it, it just never made me laugh out loud. It's always hard for me to review comedies, because I know that every comedy has its audience, and this one should be for me. Three corporate workers dealing with life in and out of the office. I have a business degree, and have worked in environments such as these, so it should be relevant to me. It just isn't though, and it's not for a lack of trying. Ron Livingston is great as a leading man here, and Jennifer Aniston brings what she can, but the true standout is Stephen Root as Milton, the classic don't touch my stapler guy. Besides that, it feels slightly dated and above all just doesn't really justify its own existence to me. I don't feel like the plot really goes anywhere, and just doesn't stick with me. I know this film has its fans, and don't think that you can't enjoy it, it just didn't stick the landing for me enough for me to recommend it.
If you'd like to watch it, it's available on Hulu.
Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)
SCORE: 46/100
Directed By: Jon Favreau
Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Jonah Bobo, Dax Shepard
Synopsis: Two young brothers are drawn into an intergalactic adventure when their house is hurled through the depths of space by the magical board game they are playing.
Quick Review: I remember enjoying Zathura when I was younger. Now, as an adult and the movie buff I am, I find it hard to truly enjoy this film. While it has great (for the time) visual effects and a great performance from Dax Shepard, this film has more than a few shortcomings. When you have a film revolving around child actors, you either need to make sure that they're good actors, or that they are written well. Neither is the case here, as both child actors provide bad performances and are outright annoying characters. Both Josh and Jonah bring nothing here except an incredibly bad relationship between siblings that is completely unrealistic and just awful. Kristen Stewart is here before her recent acting renaissance, and there are a few particularly awful music moments with her that play that "angsty teen" music, complete with lyrics like "I sleep all day, 'til my parents go to work" and "I want to feel numb". It's outright awful. The other biggest shortcoming is that this film will always be compared to the vastly superior Jumanji, which DID have Robin Williams, but also had good child actors. Zathura is a film that will appeal to some, and some may even really enjoy, but it really gets on my nerves. This could have been as good as Jumanji if it had better writing and better child actors.
If you'd like to watch it, it's available on Netflix.
Frankenweenie (2012)
SCORE: 65/100
Directed By: Tim Burton
Starring: Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara
Synopsis: When a boy's beloved dog passes away suddenly, he attempts to bring the animal back to life through a powerful science experiment.
Quick Review: To put it shortly, Frankenweenie is a safe, albeit weird, family film. It clearly has a love for the horror classics that inspired it, but beyond its setting, it doesn't really take the premise and run. It doesn't feel truly original, which is a little disappointing given that this is Tim Burton's baby. His original short film is also available on Disney+, but I haven't seen it yet. The film does have incredible set and production design, with everything looking straight out of a 1950's B movie. It really is a gorgeous stop-motion film, although I do think it would have been interesting to see a color version. However, I think that'd betray the retro feel of the film. I'm really stretching this one out because it's fine, it's harmless, just don't expect anything too revolutionary here. It's pretty typical Burton.
If you'd like to watch it, it's available on Disney+.
Halloween (1978)
SCORE: 72/100
Directed By: John Carpenter
Starring: Donald Pleasance, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tony Moran
Synopsis: Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.
Quick Review: Well, after watching the 2018 version in anticipation for Halloween Kills, I wanted to take a first look at the original that started it all. And after years of hype, I can say that I enjoyed the film, but did find it a little lacking. My biggest gripe with the film has to be the pacing. While there are plenty of creepy moments with Michael Myers, there's also a lot of downtime where it really started to drag. I will also add that this film doesn't really make me fear Michael like the 2018 one did. He seems more of a stalker here that a killer, at least until the last 30 minutes. Jamie Lee Curtis is great here, and doesn't fall into the typical scream queen tropes that other slasher stars did. Donald Pleasance is just "there", and didn't really feel like his character added much beyond backstory. Everyone else here is your typical slasher fare, for better or worse. I think I was a little too hyped up for this one compared to the 2018 one, so my hopes ran a little high. However, it's still a masterclass in tension and creepiness, and still it remains one of the best films to watch during the Halloween season.
If you'd like to watch it, it's available on Shudder.
Batman: The Long Halloween Part 1 (2021)
SCORE: 65/100
Directed By: Chris Palmer
Starring: Jensen Ackles, Naya Rivera, Josh Duhamel
Synopsis: Batman investigates a murder spree that takes place on holidays.
Quick Review: Part 1 of the adaptation of one of Batman's most famous graphic novels is a bit of a mixed bag. While the animation and acting are very good, the film really can't get exciting. I haven't read the original graphic novel yet, though I will, so I don't know for sure if it's the most accurate adaptation. The idea of Batman investigating murders that are happening on holidays is a great one, though I feel that the story gets a little too bogged down in the details of the Falcone crime family. It's good for giving you false ideas of the killer, but that's about it. Ackles is good as Batman, but it's the late Naya Rivera and Josh Duhamel who shine here. Troy Baker is also, as always, a great Joker. Like the Deathstroke movie last week, I'd only recommend this for DC and comics fans, but it's a harder sell for average movie watchers.
If you'd like to watch it, it's available on HBO Max.
Batman: The Long Halloween Part 2 (2021)
SCORE: 64/100
Directed By: Chris Palmer
Starring: Jensen Ackles, Naya Rivera, Josh Duhamel
Synopsis: The killer known as Holiday continues to stalk the Falcone crime family while a new class of costumed criminal rises in Gotham City. Batman suspects that a former ally might be the serial killer.
Quick Review: Well that wasn't what I expected. The ending was, unsatisfying to say the least. After this particular story had been so hyped up I was expecting a bigger twist. The inclusion of more Batman villains here was awesome, but didn't really add up for the story. At the end of the day, a lot of my previous critiques carried over here. The Long Halloween feels a bit rushed, even through two parts, and it sounds like many changes were made. Again, a decent movie, but only worth it for comics fans.
If you'd like to watch it, it's available on HBO Max.
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