Buttered Popcorn: Buzzmans Movie Review Thread

[Buzzman]

Quick, what's your favorite horror movie?

What is yours? I'd be curious to see what everyone else thinks because the horror genre is such a different style than anything else in the business.

I initially said Scream was my favorite because it is , but when I woke up this morning I remembered The Thing, which is probably my 2nd favorite, but I consider it to be the best horror film.

 

[Buzzman]

Fright Night (2011)

This update of the 1985 horror comedy focuses more on terror than laughs when teen Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) suspects that his new neighbor, the sinister Jerry Dandrige (Colin Farrell), is a vampire, and turns to a self-styled vampire expert, Peter Vincent (David Tennant), for help. Las Vegas magician Vincent proves useless, and it's up to Charley to save his mom, Jane (Toni Collette), and girlfriend, Amy, from the seductive bloodsucker.

I must admit that despite hearing about how great the original Fright Night was from its cult following, I have never actually sat down and watched it. From what I gather about this remake, it doesn’t add a whole lot of new changes, nor does it feel particularly necessary, but that doesn’t mean the update wasn’t a success. It is a well-made transition into a more modern environment that actually sends vampires back to their normal nightwalker ways. That automatically puts the film on the winning side in my book, but the way they handled the story and characters is what makes it such an enjoyable film.

What is usually a good setup for a story, when the ole neighbor may ends up being a psycho killer, works out really well. At first it builds some tension up pertaining to a few characters on whether Jerry is really a vampire, but somewhat quickly, (and thankfully!) they get most of the characters into the loop so they can get to the vampire hunting instead of playing ambiguously with something we already know. It turns into a pretty straight forward classic vampire tale of man vs. human; all of it feels like a breath of fresh air. The mythology of vampires is narrowed down to their heyday, they are violent creatures that roam at night and sleep during the day. They have no reflections and must be invited before coming in. They are back into the creatures many of us sane people fell in love with. It has a few pacing problems, with some rushed set pieces and character arcs, but never does it feel slow. It movies quickly and it’s over right where you’d want it to be. The comedy is there, but the last thirty minutes or so it’s just pure horror that is light on scares but serious in tone. It’s a good change of direction from the first half of the film.

The biggest appeal the film has to offer is Collin Farrell as the vampire Jerry. He sort of went on a blockbuster phase in the early 2000s but since his turn in the film In Bruges, he turned it around and made all of us fall in love with him again. Here is cool, slick, and adds a subtle tenseness to the way he delivers his dialogue that makes you actually root for him to win. He looks to be having a blast with the character and I fucking was thrilled to be along for the ride. His counterpart Anton Yelchin, is never nearly as fun, but is a completely relatable character that you cannot help but like. He plays a less cool version of Shia LeBeouf from Disturbia. The last and probably most hyped character is David Tennant as Peter Vincent. Many have buzzed about his role because he’s the Doctor from Doctor Who, but I simply did not see what was so fluffy about his role. It’s a pretty standard comic relief performance that never seemed to become hilarious. If you can impersonate anyone in the world, why would you choose Criss Angel and Russell Brand?

Fright Night never does anything to become an amazing film, but the countless things it doesn’t do is why it’s enjoyable. It’s a simple game of cat and mouse and only one will end up winning. There is no side arc, or unnecessary characters. It moves fast and keeps it accelerating the whole time. It’s a film that you should have had a lot of fun with, but quickly moves onto the next big movie.

Overall Score: 7.5/10

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

What is yours? I'd be curious to see what everyone else thinks because the horror genre is such a different style than anything else in the business.

I initially said Scream was my favorite because it is , but when I woke up this morning I remembered The Thing, which is probably my 2nd favorite, but I consider it to be the best horror film.

A Nightmare on Elm Street.

However, I'm really big on Silver Screen Horror, too.

 

[Buzzman]

A Nightmare on Elm Street.

However, I'm really big on Silver Screen Horror, too.

What is that?

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

What is that?

 

[Buzzman]

Terri (2011)

A poignant coming-of-age tale about Terri (Jacob Wysocki), an overweight orphan who, while struggling to find acceptance with his peers, forms an unlikely friendship with his vice principal (John C. Reilly). Turns out that both know all too well what it's really like to be alone, which makes them ideal companions for each other.

In the indie world, a coming of age teenage story is a dime a dozen. Every single year at least half a dozen of films with these similar young teenage plot points that all usually have the same feel and predictable plot point to it. Terri doesn’t stray too far off that predictable path but it decides to rely far more on developing quirky characters instead of a straight narrowed plot. It helps it be different and stand out from the rest of the pack and becomes a clear winner in the indie universe.

We are thrown into the high school years of Terri. He’s a fat, weird, pajama wearing kid who doesn’t appear to be fitting in with some of the kids at school. For many it’s a simple technique of connecting with the audience, but I never felt like we were similar, simply because he purposely seems to want to stand out. Maybe it’s because of his home-life, in which the film shows to you but never explains; it lets you fill in the blanks. Along the way, you meet Terri’s “friends” and you start to become really interested in this kid. Everything from his look and his choices are so weird that it becomes very interesting to watch him handle everyday life. All of this doesn’t span over a long period of time; its biggest strength is just throwing you into his life and essentially watching a normal two week span for him. It makes him feel authentic and the story may leave you feeling dissatisfied at first, but it’s something that lingers on and makes you ponder the sequence of events shown on screen. The life of Terri is far more entertaining than he believes it to be.

Completely unknown actor Jacob Wysocki plays the lead role and boy does he pull off a strong performance. He adds a lot of small subtle ways in which he interacts with his world; its slow fully awesome. He could end up being an actor to watch if this is just the beginning for him. He seemed to work best when he had somebody to bounce off of and John C Reilly steps in and provides that. It’s a little crazy to think that the average movie watcher thinks John C Reilly is a comedic actor because the dude handles drama even better. He can be funny here, but he plays a more serious role than he appears. He kind of throws in a depressing funny that fits in well in this world of Terri’s. The two bounce of each other well and form one of the best duos on screen of the year. They alone are worth the watch. Some of the smaller roles that could have been forgettable end up genuinely adding to the film, which help the films pace feel smooth with very little wasted sequences.

Terri is a good small indie film that isn’t the strongest at times, but has such a rich cast of characters that they alone are worth a watch despite not having a normal story to follow. You wouldn’t end up missing a great film if you end up passing it by, but if you have the time and are interested, the film is satisfying.

Overall Score: 7/10

 

[Goober]

A Nightmare on Elm Street.

However, I'm really big on Silver Screen Horror, too.

I love those old movies. I would always stay up late on Friday the 13ths and Halloween to watch them when they were on cable. The recent Universal monster movies have been terrible.

 

[Buzzman]

Attack the Block (2011)

When aliens attack a South London neighborhood, a teen gang pulls together to protect their turf by any means necessary. But extraterrestrials prove far more formidable than anyone they ever jumped on the streets.

Alien invasion movies as of late have been quite disappointing. I Am Number Four sucked, Battle Los Angeles was unfortunately unforgettable after that awesome trailer and in films like Super 8 and Cowboys and Aliens, and the aliens were the worst parts of their respective films. The one thing all four had in common was a budget north of fifty million dollars. A lot of the time when a film has a bigger budget you tend to become a bit lazy in the storytelling and character development sections. The much smaller budget seems to be Attack the Blocks secret weapon. They took a cast of unknowns, used the CGI aliens effectively, and relied more on tension then full on action.

Attack the Block surprises you in a lot of ways. The alien invasion is front and center, but the entire film focuses on the small gang of kids that first encounter them. The small scale of film adds to its attractiveness. Why are these aliens here, why are they only in this “block” so to speak and how can you kill them? The way the film handles this feels entirely fresh and is a great change from the repetitive takeover scenarios we are accustomed too. I will take creativity every single time. The way they designed the aliens added a whole lot to the film. They have pitch black fur they leave them hidden away in scenes and are able to jump out and actually scare you at times. The only traces they leave for you to see are bright glowing green mouths that only add to their viciousness. It seems that some of the best CGI in films are when the films have to become creative with it because of that limited budget and this feels like the perfect example alongside District 9.

The stars of the film are a group of unknown British teenagers that do a great job in establishing themselves so that you root for them despite the fact that they are bad. The film does a great job of displaying how their environment shaped them into these criminals, but at the same time showed the other side of how this affects them. They don’t want to be criminals, but they think it’s their only option. It’s not anything groundbreaking in film, but it was nice to see the film playing both sides of the situation at hand despite an alien invasion going on at the same time. The character to look out for is the gang leader Moses. John Boyega is the unknown cast in the lead, and seeing it as his first acting job, he did a great job and I expect a lot of big things out of him.

I walked into this film expecting to be disappointed because of my high expectations, but I came away feeling completely satisfied. It’s a lot less funny and a lot more tense then I thought it was going to be but because of that I felt surprised. It’s one of the best and most fun movies you will watch all year and if you’re a fan of Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz you’ll go gaga for this. It has Edgar Wright’s style written all over it. Whenever you get a chance to watch this, do it and don’t wait on it, it will be a guaranteed good time.

Overall Score: 9/10

 

[Maestro]

I felt exactly the same way about Fright Night. I thought they rushed it a bit, and i did not like Christopher Mintz played his character horribly. But overall a good film that wasn't amazing, but it didn't do anything bad either.

 

[Buzzman]

Our Idiot Brother (2011)

Ned (Paul Rudd) is a seemingly clueless idealist who must rely upon his three exasperated sisters (Emily Mortimer, Elizabeth Banks and Zooey Deschanel) for shelter and support after he's dumped by his fed-up girlfriend (Kathryn Hahn) and loses custody of his beloved dog, Willie Nelson. As he wreaks havoc on his sisters' lives, Ned's earnestness shines through until his siblings realize that family ties take priority over wealth and position.

Boom goes the dynamite. The summer of the comedy was thought to be over, but in the last week of summer releases, Our Idiot Brother crashes into the picture and ends up stealing the show from everyone else. I feel pretty confident in saying it’s the funniest movie of the summer, which I think says a lot considering the amount of laughs the summer cooked up. The trailers held back just how funny the film was going to be, and its laid back approach plus the addition of Paul Rudd going against the norm was the perfect recipe for success.

The film has a message that would make the world a much better place if everybody followed it; if you learn to trust people, life will feel a whole lot brighter then yesterday. It’s a completely unrealistic approach that would never happen, but that’s where a lot of the comedy ends coming from. Due to Ned being such a nice guy, he unintentionally reveals a problem each sister was trying to avoid. Their reactions to these problems were funny yet heartfelt in ways that felt authentic. Their arcs appear pretty straight forward that is predictable in destination, but it’s the drive that is so god damn good. It never has any down time and keeps the pace flowing with a lot of laughs and a few scattered but effective dramatic tones that leave a lasting impact on the characters and their stories.

In what is arguably his first solo leading vehicle, Paul Rudd as Ned is just a whole lot of fun. Instead of the straight forward character approach you normally see out of Rudd, you get a laid back overly relaxed stoner of sorts that is just high on life. He lends his hand in every joke the film throws at you and hits just about every time. He ends up carrying a movie that is just full of a bunch of funny and recognizable names. His three sisters, Zooey Deschanel, Elizabeth Banks, and Emily Mortimer never get enough screen time to fully take advantage of their comedic chops, but feel like they did enough to keep the story going. It’s actually the minor characters that triumph over them which include Adam Scott, TJ Miller, Steve Coogan, and Rashida Jones. They are scene stealers that do a whole lot with very little. One of the best ensemble casts I have seen for a comedy since Anchorman. They all contributed in some way to enhance your experience with it.

Do not underestimate Our Idiot Brother. The film is much better than its trailer, its much funnier than almost everything that has come out so far, and it’s the comedy of the summer. It’s a shame that it will fly under the average moviegoer but is most deserving of your time. It feels entirely different then the raunchy wear infested comedies of the summer because it relies more on charming comedy rather than shock. If you want to have a great time, check out Our Idiot Brother and laugh away.

Overall Score: 8.5/10

 

[wingsfan77]

I was really hoping Our Idiot Brother was good, I'm a big fan of Paul Rudd's dry style of comedy but he's had a couple of not so good movies in a row. I might go see it tomorrow depending on how bored I get and if I don't feel like waiting until it hits the $2 theater haha.

 

[Buzzman]

Paul Rudd in Our Idiot Brother = win. Go see it.

 

[Goober]

That movie had me at Zooey.

 

[wingsfan77]

Captain America for $2 or Our Idiot Brother for $7.50? Maybe I'll just do both haha.

 

[Buzzman]

Fuck Captain America. Hate that movie.

 

[Goober]

Fuck Captain America. Hate that movie.

I thought it was the best movie Marvel has put out in a while. Haven't seen Thor.

 

[Houston]

What is yours? I'd be curious to see what everyone else thinks because the horror genre is such a different style than anything else in the business.

I initially said Scream was my favorite because it is , but when I woke up this morning I remembered The Thing, which is probably my 2nd favorite, but I consider it to be the best horror film.

lol I was hoping you wouldn't say Scream. I still remember you and Nuk's Pyscho vs. Scream argument. I was counting on you not considering Scream a horror when I asked you that.
The horror genre is one of the only genres where I won't pay attention to anyone's opinion or reviews. Honestly I don't even classify them the same as everyone. I really only consider something a "horror" if it has some sort of supernatural presence in it. Jason walking around with a knife I don't even consider scary, yet along horror.


My own taste:
First there's a movie like "IT". Bad acting, dialogue, story(film wise), and it was too long but it scared me so I consider it a good horror film.
Then there's a random like Wrong Turn, which I've seen about 12 times. The only positive thing I can say about this is that it has Emmanuelle Chriqui and Eliza Dushku. It's not scary or interesting, but it's one of my favorites somehow.

On the other hand you have classics like Friday the 13th, Jaws, The Exorcist, and Nightmare on Elm Street which do nothing for me. Those from the 70's and 80's I find pretty cheesy. I prefer at least a decade earlier, for instance The Haunting(1963). The black and white, the style of acting from those days, and the music gave those movies a eerie feel. Kind of like The Twilight Zone.

I don't have much to say about the genre. I generally find classics boring, and I never anticipate a new horror film. I'll only watch a new one if it has cute actress in it. My favorite 2 that I found both interesting and partially scary are Pyscho and The Ring. :dunno:

 

[The Messenger]

lol I was hoping you wouldn't say Scream. I still remember you and Nuk's Pyscho vs. Scream argument. I was counting on you not considering Scream a horror when I asked you that.
The horror genre is one of the only genres where I won't pay attention to anyone's opinion or reviews. Honestly I don't even classify them the same as everyone. I really only consider something a "horror" if it has some sort of supernatural presence in it. Jason walking around with a knife I don't even consider scary, yet along horror.

Those are considered slasher films which is a sub-genre of horror.

I don't really look forward to any scary movies. 99% of the ones made today are just downright terrible. I'd have to rank Halloween, Salem's Lot, and The Shining atop my list. Salem's lot mainly because I was a little kid when I first saw it, my name is Mark, it was real late at night and I was alone in the living room on one of the couches right in front of a window watching the movie (my brother and sisters were passed out, mom was in bed, my dad just went to his bedroom like 10 minutes earlier to mess with his iguana cage), when this part came on...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXL19IPjwR0[/ame]

I freaked out. Started screaming like a little bitch. Ran to my parents bedroom. My dad was in there laughing. Dick move. Shit scarred me for life. Just watching that clip now at age 22 scares me.

 

[Houston]

Blue Valentine (2010)

Once crazy about each other, Cindy (Michelle Williams) and Dean (Ryan Gosling) have now grown apart. Cindy is bored and disenchanted with her life while Dean languishes in the emotional emptyness of their sexless, routine life in rural Pennsylvania. As they muddle through their marriage, they hearken back to the golden days when life was filled with possibility and romance.

Do you know when you have created something special? You take a subject nobody would want to watch, like a deteriorating marriage, and turn it into something that not only connects heavily with its viewers, but makes it one of the most entertaining watches of the year.

The film never tries to win you over. It doesn’t want you to root for anyone one person; the goal it seems to have in mind is to show you the brutal truth of what majority married couples end up going through. This relationship of theirs is not the worst of situations, but it’s far from happy. Through the use of timely flashbacks, you watch how the relationship has changed, how these two people changed, how fast everything seemed to die. At some point, people go through an experience like this to some degree. Blue Valentine doesn’t show you the answers; it leaves itself for you to decide.

It wouldn’t have worked if it weren’t for the phenomenal performance of Ryan Gosling, who was completely snubbed at the Oscars. In the course of the film, his transformation is nothing short of amazing. He couldn’t have put himself out there anymore then he did. It’s career defining. His spouse, Michelle Williams, does a great job herself, but feels very underwhelming in scenes with her better half. The thing that makes this film and characters work is both are the villains here. They let this happen to themselves and their flaws got the best of them. It’s one of the rare times when the film ends abruptly, but leaves you completely satisfied.

If Blue Valentine had a flaw it’s that it’s a bit one-sided on the perspectives of every relationship. In the film’s world, every relationship is doomed to fail, but every day we witness otherwise. It’s a small splinter on an otherwise giant surface. While I do recommend this to just about everyone, don’t expect any excitement at all. There hasn’t a more depressing movie since Leaving Las Vegas, and could turn a few heads off.

Overall Score: 9/10

I watched this yesterday. It says that the budget was only 1 million dollars, any idea how this is possible with Ryan Gosling in it?

 

[Buzzman]

Because Ryan Gosling doesn't act for money, he acts because he loves it. If you ever watch interviews with him, hes a very weird dude who doesn't want to be in the spotlight at all.