Top 10 Films of 2014

If you are one of those people who believe that modern cinema has lost its originality, you should stop reading this right now. For the first time in my life, I saw more new release films than ever before and I tried to watch as much as I possibly could. Even this year’s comic book adaptations seemed to be new hybrid films infusing new elements not attempted before within their genres. This is a ranking of the films that I liked best, not necessarily the highest rated, so you will find that some films that are rated higher than others will appear lower on the list.

10. The LEGO Movie

From its trailers, Chris Miller and Phil Lord looked like they were about to drop a grade A bomb on the world in an explosion of animated LEGO bricks, voices of top list actors, and characters from all over the world of pop culture (Batman? BATMAN!?). Instead, they delivered what is probably the biggest surprise of the year. Their story is a modernized take on Orwellian society a la “1984” and makes great usage out of the vocal talents of the cast. Liam Neeson’s happy voice to this day makes me laugh uncontrollably. 7/10

9. Nymphomaniac

Lars Von Trier certainly has a lot to say about love, loss, and sex. Joe, a woman who is driven to the lowest lows in life due to her addiction to having sex, recounts her story to Seligman, played by a very subdued Stellan Skarsgård.  I decided to include the film’s both halves as one as they really are one film, divided into two parts due to length. The film is really brought down in its second half, but its opening two hours are a powerful exploration at the destruction that sex (without love) can have on one’s personal life. I really do believe that Von Trier hates women and this film certainly hammered this point into my mind. 7/10

8. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

 Marvel Studios is in the business of pleasing its fans (and it’s financial backers), not caring what critics have to say. This is a great move for a major studio but unfortunately has produced some pretty lack luster stuff since the studio got off the ground in 2008. With The Winter Soldier, Marvel not only brought Captain America into the present day, but also created their best work to date. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo create a film with action so intense, it rivals anything done in The Avengers (and in my opinion is far better). Chris Evans channels the internal conflict of a man with the morals of yesteryear trapped in a time in which no one cares for them anymore. Does preventing a crime before it even happens justify trampling on people’s freedoms? Marvel delivers a sharp political thriller for modern audiences. 8/10

 7. Nightcrawler

 Dan Gilroy proves himself a force to be reckoned with as he proved himself with this, his first film! Jake Gyllenhaal delivers a flat out disturbing performance as Lou Bloom, a small time thief with a big business approach to his newfound career. Nightcrawling finds him and his partner Rick (Riz Ahmed delivers a great performance) glued to a police scanner, waiting for grizzly accidents and murders that the two can photograph. Lou is willing to go farther, drive faster, and push people harder than most – but how far will he go to be the best? The final 20 minutes culminates in a pulse pounding car chase that rivals anything done by Marvel or any action movie of recent memory. 7/10

6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

It blows my mind that the Planet of the Apes franchise still has steam in it 46 years after the first film. Director Matt Reeves steps in as director, taking over from Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt. Reeves took out the references and Easter eggs from the past films and crafted a smart and beautiful story about Caesar and his colony of apes living in the wilderness around San Francisco. Jason Clarke brings earnestness to his role as Malcom, a man who wishes that both groups could work together. In a role that gives J.K. Simmons’ a run for his money as villain of the year, Caesar’s ally Koba turns on him. I can’t remember the last time I saw film in which I sympathized so deeply with a villain. The way I saw it, this movie doesn’t have a villain. Caesar is our main character, so we side with him naturally, but Koba is pretty damn convincing. 8/10

 5. Under the Skin

Scarlett Johansson plays a femme fatale in this picture, luring horny men to their deaths. The film features what are easily the most bizarre sequences of any of the films I’ve ranked on this list and is definitely the heaviest this side of the top spot. The backdrop of Scotland proves to be an aesthetically beautiful decision as director Jonathan Glazer films primarily on location, outdoors. When the film enters its second half Johansson’s Female character begins to go on a journey of self-discovery, we are forced to rely entirely on her subtly beautiful performance. But why she goes on this journey and pretty much every other aspect of the plot is open for interpretation, something that no other film I’ve this year has achieved. Scarlett is one of my favorite actresses and this role really gets to show off her acting skill and prowess. 8/10

4. Whiplash

How far are you willing to go to get what you want? Andrew wants to be one of the great jazz drummers, even if it means great harm or self-injury. Scenes of bloody blisters, and people who want the same thing you do. J.K. Simmons steals the show as Terence Fletcher, the music professor from hell who insults, slaps, and tortures his students to push them to be the best musicians possible. The heart of the entire film though lies with Miles Teller’s performance as Andrew. His face is so beautifully expressive that we can feel everything he does. At times, no dialogue is needed to get the audience to a certain feeling. I am a musician myself and found the film to be the best and worst of an academic experience studying music. 8/10

3. The Babadook

 As a horror fan, I will be the first to say that modern, big studio horror films suck. They flat out suck. It pains me to think that studios like Fox, Universal, and MGM were producing the best horror films ever made have been reduced to remakes. The Babadook proves that there is still hope in the world of cinematic terror and holy crap is it frightening. The film doesn’t rely on a single jump scare to frighten its audience and instead chooses to toy with them psychologically, just as it does with its protagonists. Beyond that terror, the film is about living with a memory that can haunt us every single day of our lives. Jennifer Kent’s film is dark, expressionist, and at times downright weird. It blurs the line between reality and fantasy to create not only one of the best films of the year, but one of the best horror films ever made.  9/10

2. Birdman

Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu takes us behind the scenes of the most important dramatic production of Riggin Thompson’s life. A man who is typecast as the superhero he played in a film decades ago attempts to prove he is not a washed up hack living in the past, but an actor who cares deeply about his craft. Where Tim Burton’s Big Eyes failed in its commentary about art criticism, Birdman succeeds. What does it mean to be dedicated to your craft and (just as it is explored in Whiplash) how far are you willing to go to prove your dedication? Edward Norton’s character Mike supplies many laughs as Norton is essentially playing a dramatized version of himself (a dedicated character actor). Not only does Birdman give us the best performance of Michael Keaton’s career but is also the funniest movie to play in cinemas this year. Iñarritu creates an eccentric take on what it really means to be an actor. 9/10

1. Interstellar/Wetlands

Don’t make me pick. Please don’t make me pick which of these two was my favorite film of the year. I couldn’t decide which, so I picked both. Interstellar is Christopher Nolan’s biggest and most heartfelt film to date. An enormous spectacle to behold, the film explores a new galaxy in which to save mankind from a dying Earth. Thrilling action sequences in this movie really are an essential part of the story. The film does not stop to have a chase sequence; every set piece is necessary to move the story forward. The scenes involving a wormhole, a black hole named Gargantua, and anything scored by Hans Zimmer’s use of a pipe organ created an experience unlike any other this year. Deep into the film’s third act, there is a docking sequence so intense, my heart raced all 4 times I saw it. The final 20 minutes of the film contains a scene so radical, it’s out there, it’s miraculous Paramount and Warner Brothers didn’t interfere in its production. The film is deeply philosophical, exploring the relationship between Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) and his daughter Murph (played by Mackenzie Foy and Jessica Chastain). 9/10

Wetlands came out of nowhere. Having drawn quite a bit of buzz on the festival circuit for its graphic content, the film lives up to the buzz. Carla Juri stole my heart and has yet to give it back. Her interpretation of Helen Memel is so punk that it makes me sad that I could never be anywhere on her level. As a matter of fact, the entire film is punk. It’s gritty, dirty, grimy, and never afraid to challenge a social taboo. Masturbation? No problem. Public toilets? There is a scene for you (and it will traumatize you). I really wish this film could have had a wider release for more people to experience. The friendship between Helen and her best friend Corinna (Marlen Kruse) is wonderful as the two young actresses bring a sincerity that can’t be faked. They are in the roles as deep as they could go and it shows. Helen longs for reconciliation between her separated parents and the way she attempts it (after a shaving accident involving hemorrhoids) will stay with you for a very long time. Go bold or go home, indeed. 8/10

The Best and Worst Posters of 2014

In an era of technology, movie posters designs have suffered along with the rest of the CGI enhanced and digitally altered landscape of modern cinema. Often times, it is a because of a poster that we decide whether to skip or see a film. It is one of the first impressions that must communicate mood, tone, star power, and why you should spend your hard earned $10 on a particular picture. The following list is not a critique of the films, nor their content. This is purely looking at various films of 2014 and their one sheets. As always, there are hits and misses, but I've chosen to list some honorable mentions and my favorite poster for the year.

Honorable Mentions

Particle Fever

This documentary dealing with particle physics, particle accelorators, and the "God Particle" itself gave us this minimalistic poster. Chalk circles against a backdrop of drawn stars conjure images of life's cyclical nature. Amazing.

Nightcrawler

After you see Dan Gilroy's debut film, you will never look at Gyllenhaal the same way again. This poster, prepares you for the pulp crime experience that the film drops its viewers into before even seeing a single frame of footage is seen. 

Misses

3 Days to Kill

Kevin Costner's character has a dark side. I got it. Unfortunately, I understood that a little too quickly. Besides the obvious black bar across the right side, what is up with that weird smirk on his face? What I took away from this poster is wanting to try wearing my French Cuff shirt sleeves up that high on my arms to see if it's even possible to clip them together with a cuff link in that way.

Any poster for Dracula Untold

"Hello, I'm not Batman - but I want to be."

Blended

Adam Sandler's film are essentially paid vacations - at least I'm convinced they must be at this point in his career. For this latest outing, not a single element looks real to me. If anyone needs any proof that an intern with photoshop knowledge throws these one sheets together in an afternoon in between bites of a burrito bowl from Chipotle, they don't need to look any farther than this poster. The three people in the background aren't even looking at Sandler, but past him. The lighting on each element doesn't match each other, the text elements are moronically simple, the animals in the background seem to be floating - I need to stop.

Favorites

Guardians of the Galaxy

Channeling the classic looks of posters like Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Empire Strikes Back, the artwork for Guardians harkens back to an era in which posters were hand painted. No one has their back to the camera, no debris falling all over the place, but most importantly, it sells the characters and cast.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

This one speaks for itself. "Apes together... Strong..." The latest chapter of the Planet of the Apes series lets audiences know that Caesar is front and center in this tale. It's amazing to think that this rendering of Andy Serkis' character is entirely CGI.

Top Picks

Under the Skin 

This poster for Jonathan Glazer's sexy tale of desire, lust, and humanity is every bit mysterious as the film. A minimalist approach that sells not only its star, but the sci-fi elements that make up the foundation of the plot. However, this is not your typical "star vehicle" for Scarlett Johansson to kick major ass in. Half of her face appears in shades of teal blue and red while the other side is completely obscured by stars. This is a level of minimalism that even Kubrick would be proud of. 

Any poster for Nymphomaniac Volume 1 and Volume 2

Lars Von Trier's 4 - 5 1/2 hour epic (depending on which version you saw) about sex, lack of love, and conversations with Stellan Skarsgard told us immediately that we were in for an experience unlike anything else we'd see this year, even in its marketing. The film had about a half dozen posters with the cast showing us their best "o-faces." 

What other posters did you like or dislike this year? Sound off on the comments below!

Review: INTERSTELLAR

By Eduardo Victoria

Christopher Nolan’s last film, the trilogy capper The Dark Knight Rises, had many problems in its third act. Having taken a screenwriting class, attended a few lectures, and listened in on a couple workshops; if a screenplay is to run in to any trouble during the length of its pages, it will more than likely happen in the third act. Everyone stumbles, even the almighty Nolans (Chris’ brother Jonathan wrote the script for Interstellar when Steven Spielberg was attached as director) have to at some point. It looks as if Rises’ troubles also slipped into the script for their latest film. Unfortunately, the entire plot of the film has suffered… Not to say that the experience wasn’t enjoyable. As a matter of fact, this film has to be my favorite movie I’ve seen all year, next to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Nolan has given us a vision that forces its audience to think. Ironically, the flawed script has been brought to light because of such thought. Normally a film of this scope asks for nothing more from its audience than to suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride. For Christopher Nolan, simply enjoying the ride is not enough: he wants his audience to be a part of it.

           

 Matthew McConaughey plays Cooper, an engineer turned farmer who was once one of NASA’s best pilots. He grows what’s one of the last sustainable crops on Earth: corn. The remaining population of the Earth is frequently bombarded by massive dust storms that leave a layer of dust on everything. Cooper’s daughter Murph notices strange formations in dirt on the floor of her bedroom, a room she says is haunted by a poltergeist communicating with her by knocking books off of a shelf. Coop notices that there may be more to this than they think, decoding a set of coordinates written in binary code left in the dust on the floor. Following these coordinates, he comes face to face with a former colleague, Professor Brand (played by Chris Nolan’s lucky charm Michael Caine). There, Cooper learns that humanity’s days are numbered and this secret NASA installation is the final hope for humanity. Two possibilities exist, but both involve travel through a mysterious wormhole that popped into existence from nothing. The USS Endurance takes off into space to explore the possibilities of life that may lie on other planets. But on this journey, the crew, especially Cooper and Brand, discover the very things that make us human.

 Nolan’s direction brings us a blockbuster film on a scope not seen since probably the 1980’s. It was commonplace to see the biggest films of the year on the Best Picture roster along with the best drama titles there were to offer. Films like Star Wars, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., and The Fugitive all garnered Best Picture nods. The first few of the films in the above list were also very experimental adventure films in that something like them had never quite been done before. Interstellar harkens back to those days as the film greatly toys with the audience’s perception of dialogue through the overpowering of specific film elements such as the sound and music. Hans Zimmer’s score largely features a Harrison & Harrison 4 manual organ (meaning 4 rows of keys) that at times rumbled the seats in the theatre. I can’t remember the last time I literally felt a film score in addition to hearing it. Nolan really intended to challenge his audience from the start, as the chase through a cornfield’s dialogue is difficult to understand. Cool, but I wasn’t entirely sold on the film’s “experimental” nature just yet.

The film greatly stumbles in its plot unfortunately with a sloppy script from Jonathan Nolan, rewritten by director Christopher when he came on board after Steven Spielberg left the project. Nolan’s style involves that the viewer give most, if not all of their attention, because a key plot element could come from a rather small line of dialogue. This happens many times in Interstellar and frankly, got really tiresome by the time our characters had left Earth. Many plot holes abound in this film, the biggest one involving Jessica Chastain’s older Murph and Michael Cain’s character. A particularly interesting idea is presented by Anne Hathaway’s character about love, but isn’t explored enough after it is presented. Nolan leaves pieces of the puzzle behind to have the audience thinking and discussing after they’ve seen the film, but some stuff is downright not thought out at all.

What everyone will be talking about (besides the last 20 minutes of the film, which I will not write about to not spoil the film for those who have yet to see it) will be the incredibly breathtaking sequences regarding Gargantua: a massive blackhole that scientist and computer graphic artists spent hours rendering, frame by frame. It's imagery of this nature that makes the IMAX format essential and the premiere way to experience any movie of this scope. The ring of light around it seems to spin over the top and then redirected it's way down to the bottom simultaneously, twisting the perception of it in the way that the characters are disoriented by it. But for every victory, there is unfortunately a blunder. The cornfield chase early on in the film is meant to disorient the audience, just as if they were really driving through a cornfield. Again, Nolan wants us to be on the ride. But no matter what the almighty Nolan says, the truth of the matter is, I didn't fully understand the drone right away and where it came from. 

The cast is one filled out by great actors in even the smallest of roles. Nolan has no shortage of talent wanting and waiting to work with him. Matthew McConaughey delivers a fantastic performance as an every man who is forced to do his part to help humanity. Jon Lithgow is criminally under-used but every moment he is on screen is fantastic. At the heart of it all is McConaughey’s and Mackenzie Foy as young Murph. The film at its very core is the relationship between a father and his children and what lengths he would go to protect them. If it were not for the strength of this central idea and performances, Interstellar would drown in its own science infused philosophies and theories. I can’t remember the last time there was a film that was so heavily driven by science first and foremost. At times, it seems like both Nolans are giving priority to the scientific theories of Kip Thorne before the actual plot of the film itself. After all, without him, the idea would have never come along to create a film from these basic elements of the story.

The usage of 70mm IMAX to tell this story is a perfect marriage between technology and its creators. In the way that George Harrison “owns” the sound of a 12-string guitar, Christopher Nolan has made the IMAX format his own, shooting more on these special cameras than any other film prior. The space scenes are expansive, the cornfields are rich, and the desolation of the Endurance is terrifying. This film must be experienced on as big a screen as possible and on film. The texture and grain of the film stock gave certain scenes an almost documentary-like feel and provided richness to the film that digital cameras can’t achieve. In digital cinemas, I imagine the wormhole sequence must have looked like something from a video game. But on 70mm IMAX film stock, it looked like an acid trip of an intergalactic nature.

Has Christopher Nolan given us the film he will be remembered for? I don’t believe so. That honor, in my honest opinion, will go to either Inception or The Dark Knight. Both of those films are damn near flawless in execution. Is Interstellar this generation’s 2001: A Space Odyssey? Only time will tell. Nolan’s reliance on action sequences astounds me that a movie of this nature could even be made in today’s short attention spanned time we live in. That is, without the studio meddling in the plans and turning this into a full-fledged sci-fi-action picture, which it is no way. Christopher Nolan aims to gives a film packed full of meaning, symbolism, and things to walk away pondering as we try to wrap our minds around the concepts surrounding Interstellar, which he achieves, but not in the way he was intending.  A more or less polished script creates a hot mess in the third act that has a bizarre, yet hopeful conclusion to a story about humanity’s perseverance in the face of extreme danger and terrible odds. This is a movie that must be experienced on the largest screen possible and with a powerful sound system. A film of this size and scale needs to be celebrated. Instead of Paramount and Warner Brothers financing yet another Transformers type film, they instead chose to take a chance on a film that is at heart, an experimental project for all involved and at it's core a love story about a father and his child.

8/10

Mondo Batman: The Animated Series 7" EP

Here are some packaging shots of Mondo's 7" EP's featuring theme music from BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES that my sister picked for me (while I pursued another exclusive) at San Diego Comic Con. This particular one features Matt Taylor's Harley Quinn artwork:

Side A features the familiar Main Title and End Credits theme composed by Danny Elfman. Side B features alternate takes and versions of the end credits theme. Mondo has really outdone themselves with this 45. 

Harley's depiction on the sleeve conjures the vintage timelessness that BTAS is fondly remembered for. The disc is as beautiful as the art Taylor created for it, and the sound is just a little bigger on vinyl. Records are my preferred method of listening to orchestral music, albeit classical or film scores because there is something warm about analog sound that can only be equaled through listening to an actual live performance. The spirit of the show is kept alive within the grooves and paper fibers this release.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014)

The Winter Soldier marks Marvel Studios' 9th film since their launch in the mid-2000's. They've been in the business of making movies that are fun and entertaining, but many criticize their films for lacking any serious depth. Joss Whedon's The Avengers proved that Marvel could look deep into the eyes of its superheroes and not look away after the formula worked so well in Iron Man. Finally, 5 years after Tony Stark took to the skies, Joe and Anthony Russo have delivered what I think is the best movie put out by Marvel: the sequel to 2011's hit Captain America: The First Avenger.

Early on in the film, we find Steve Rodgers (Chris Evans) connecting with Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), a war veteran who runs a PTSD support group. Rodgers is now thrust into the 21st century, having to re-live his past at the Smithsonian's Captain America exhibit. Meanwhile, across Washington D.C, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is having to deal with Project Insight, a plan to put three helicarriers into the air that carry technology so powerful, they can detect and neutralize threats before they even become a worry to SHIELD. Questioning the program, Fury tells SHIELD's tip-top man and member of the World Security Council Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) to put Project Insight on ice for the time being, feeling that not all is well. Soon, a new enemy appears in the form of a legendary assassin that goes by the name of the Winter Soldier. Soon, Steve Rodger's past returns in ways he did not expect and is once again, out of place in a world that is embracing him.

This film did brilliantly what Man of Steel failed to do. In the case of Marvel, their most by-the-book boy scout of a superhero and dropped him into a world that does not share his morals. Evans plays Rodgers with the absolute sincerity that dripped from the pages of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's stories. What's even cooler is that writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely brought to life one of the neatest bromances in comic book history: Steve Rodgers and Sam Wilson, aka Captain America and The Falcon. Mackie is a great actor and has a super likable persona that Wilson had in the comics. On the other end, is Robert Redford as Pierce. It's incredible to see an actor of his caliber in a Marvel picture, but the decision made sense seeing how great the script for the film is. 

Scarlett Johansson is fantastic as Natasha Romanoff. The more I see her interpret this character, the more I fall in love with the Black Widow. Having her in the film is a stroke of genius and wonder. In the comics, Captain America took his missions from SHIELD, most of the time. The present day Cap film should be the SHIELD film, and that's not exactly what we get.... Yet another element that made this film work. The structure of it all and implications are brilliant and reminded me of The Empire Strikes Back. Something the audience thought to be true isn't and it has devastating consequences. Joe and Anthony Russo come off as old pros directing car chases, aerial fights, and heavy gunfire with great showmanship. I was floored to find out that this was their first action film, having directed episodes of Community and other TV shows.

One element that was also interesting is the musical score for the film, written by Henry Jackman. In The First Avenger, the music is very old fashioned. Big orchestra, lush instrumentation, and a melody that sent everyone out of the theater with the tune in their heads. Here, we're treated to a very 21st century score: lots of electronics, fast rhythms, piercing strings, and powerful percussion. I'm not a big fan of Hans Zimmer's minions taking over the film scoring world, but this is one of the rare cases in which music of this nature perfectly reflects what's happening to Captain America. He's been taken out of the romanticized world of the classic comic books and thrust into the political heat of the present day.

The origins of the Winter Soldier himself were adapted nicely from the comic book story arc of the same name (the Winter Soldier was originally released in 2004 by Marvel, written by Ed Brubaker). In the comic book, the story heavily involves the Cosmic Cube, known as the Tesseract in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Instead, that story is replaced with one of espionage and intrusion of personal information. This movie uses Marvel heroes to provide a commentary on the times we are living in. Information is readily available about us everywhere, yet our governments keeps their monitoring of our data a secret. The film takes this premise and creates a very frightening scenario as to what could happen when this information is in the wrong hands.

Bold story telling, a great cast, and impressive filmmaking make Captain America: The Winter Soldier one hell of a film. As a fan of the comic book, I was impressed to see an adaptation handled with so much care. Marvel is at the top of the world and they just get it. They understand what fans want and they give it to us. Even when their films aren't the best, the spirit of the characters usually shines through their dullest of moments. This is not the case in Winter Soldier. The Russos have made a film that is a political thriller at heart and shakes the Marvel Cinematic Universe to its core and for that reason, its the best Marvel film to date.

8.5/10

My Theory About Terminus on "The Walking Dead"

SPOILERS:

The group has been separated and hope is dwindling. Will our survivors and main protagonists be reunited? Tonight, we got most of our answer.

Since the show returned from its mid season hiatus, the characters have all been following train tracks, a great symbolism for what's waiting for them at the end of the line. All railroad tracks have to reach some sort of a station at some point, right? Well, all tracks have been covered with maps marking a center known by the name of "Terminus."

What is Terminus? Is it a refuge for our characters to finally hold up in? A new beginning? The safe haven they've been dreaming of? Here's what I think:

To those who think back to the Walking Dead comic book by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard, the group has to find new shelter after the prison is destroyed by the Governor and his merry band of misfits. So, they eventually run into a group somewhere around issue 61 of the series. The group becomes known as the Hunters, survivors who've become cannibals in order to stay alive.

In the comic book, Dale is the person who loses his leg at the prison, not Hershel. Dale is forced to adjust to life without a limb. He is eventually kidnapped by the Hunters and wakes from unconsciousness to find that his remaining leg has been amputated and being consumed by his captors. Dale is then returned as a means of drawing Rick and the others out of hiding from their own camp and Glenn is shot in the process.

Is Terminus housing the Hunters? Will one of our group be eaten by the mysterious people that they've found? What lead me to believe this from the show's return are all the signs the characters kept finding telling them that shelter, protection, and sustenance will be found within the confines of Terminus.

Or I could be totally wrong. One of the brilliant aspects of the show is that writers use the comic book as a guide to tell their story. Events have happened out order or have been altered entirely and characters have been added and removed.

Either way, tonight's episode of The Walking Dead was fantastic as the writers are gearing up for what's sure to be a kick ass season finale.

- @eduardovictory

Stillborn: DEVIL'S DUE Doesn’t Deliver Much of Anything

This is a repost of my review appearing on www.traumaticcinematic.com:

By Eduardo Victoria

What immediately struck me about Devil’s Due is how good the film looks. There are shots in this movie that are so cinematic that I thought to myself, “there’s no way an Average Joe with his digital camcorder filmed all of this.” They’re beautifully lit, the camera is tilted slightly, and the rule of thirds is in full effect. On the heels of Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, 20th Century Fox has released a lame copy-cat into theaters.

The film follows Sam (Allison Miller) and Zach McCall (Zach Gilford), a newly-wed couple who go on a bizarre misadventure when on their honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. Thanks to a cab driver who promised them a good time, the pair end up in a strange underground cavern of a nightclub. When the couple return home, Sam finds out she’s pregnant and the happy couple decides to document everything for their child. However, Sam’s behavior begins to grow more and more strange. After studying the footage from past events during Sam’s pregnancy, he discovers that there could be a far more sinister reason behind her behavior.

First and foremost, this film (to me at least) is not a true found footage movie. It violates some rules that have been set up by landmark films in the genre and felt too cinematic, capturing scenes from multiple angles or cameras other than that of our main character. What makes the style work in Cloverfield or the Paranormal Activity series is that we as the viewers are limited by what we can see. This movie uses security camera footage, hidden camera footage (a very lame plot device used by the filmmakers explains this), and even video from characters other than the main protagonists - making for one really confusing final edit of the story.

Speaking of story, the weak elements of the plot sure don’t hold up for very long after the film ends. Every decision the characters make had me asking myself “why would anyone do that?” If you heard a strange noise in your own home and wanted to investigate, wouldn’t you turn the light on first so that you could see if any one was in the room with you? As horror and B-Movie fans, we’re willing to let a little more than usual slide by us in terms of story (i.e. any classic 80’s horror film), but Devil’s Due doesn’t return us the favor by giving us a fun 89 minutes to sit through. Instead, the viewers are treated to a snooze fest with no wake up call.

The biggest crime of all though is the movie’s under-developed characters. Never once did I feel any real sense of danger for any of them because quite frankly, I didn’t care at all about them. If anything, I wanted everyone in the film to be picked off in terribly violent ways because they were annoying. Something the film highlights but never explores is Samantha’s biological family, killed in a car crash while she was still in utero, resulting in her being removed from her mother’s womb via a c-section. What I just told you is all we get. Again, that brought up lots more questions in my mind, why and what they are I won’t reveal because I don’t want to spoil the film for any of you who want to check it out.

For a movie with Devil in the title, there isn’t very much in the way of demonic elements in Devil’s Due. Besides a title card at the opening of the film, we aren’t reminded that the Anti-Christ is involved until pretty deep into the plot. The characters are two dimensional, the story was predictable, and the acting was certainly nothing to write home about. Good cinematography, multiple camera angles, and bizarre editing of various bits of footage make for a poor entry into both the found footage and demonic horror subgenres. The filmmakers tried to make a modern Rosemary’s Baby with overtones of The Omen in the style of Paranormal Activity, but instead delivered a stillborn mess that will be forgotten by this time next week.