#SexPact2018 to get drunk and lose your virginity on Prom Night. Produced by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, it is more than an updated Superbad. And that gives it the extra something.
The trio making the sex pact are three high school senior girls, played in good Apatow fashion by, surprising, girls that look like they are about 18. Their dates are appropriately aged as well. The parents are the real kids here: Leslie Mann, John Cena and a surprisingly good Ike Barinholtz. The parents are thrown together when they snoop to find out the Sex Pact to all get laid. So they set out to stop these crazy kids.
Another One Crazy Night movie made in Georgia. But it is well updated with some healthy counterpoints about teen sex, sex in general, gender stereotypes, marriage, divorce, same-sex sex and generally a fairly well rounded presentation.
Of course we have the getting drunk, stoned, barfing, nudity, cops, voyerism. There's a lot going on here.
* * * * Some good laugh out loud moments made it fun
NSFW! Rated R! - RED BAND TRAILER!
Heathers (1989)
Always interesting to watch an old movie and see the subjects covered that would likely be censored today. The list here in quite long: teen suicide, guns in schools, teen sex, bullying, smoking, mass murder.
On that happy note, Winona Ryder stars as Veronica who is the newest member of the popular group called the Heathers. But she is conflicted about what it takes to be in the group. She meets the perfect foil Jason Dean (Christian Slater) who gives life, or rather death, to all of Veronica's problems. Be careful what you wish for.
The production values are the most timeless parts here. The use of color, for example each of the Heathers, have a different color. This is juxtaposed by the croquet game they play. The movie progresses like a game, with each of the players getting knocked out or knocked back.
Veronica wears all blue throughout, and it is quite evocative of another 80s teen dark murderous triangle, the classic Blue Velvet. Also strong influences of The Shining especially in the early parts setting up the scene.
More currently, this modern problem take on the comic book version of high school has been used in the Netflix series Riverdale. We even have Betty and Veronica characters in Heathers. The circle continues.
* * * * of 5
It's Complicated (2009)
Meryl Streep stars ... you had me there. As a divorced woman who strikes up a new relationship with... her ex-husband (Alec Baldwin). While also dating a new single man (Steve Martin). The strike for women as the lead in a relationship is done well here. Directed by Nancy Meyers, who also did a similar movie, Something's Gotta Give.
Strong supporting performances by John Krasinksi as the son-in-law and Lake Bell as the trophy wife.
The hotel sex scenes reminded me of a modern update on The Graduate.
* * * * of 5
Strong supporting performances by John Krasinksi as the son-in-law and Lake Bell as the trophy wife.
The hotel sex scenes reminded me of a modern update on The Graduate.
* * * * of 5
Ready Player One
Steven Spielberg and the 80s - like peanut butter and jelly, they go together. ET, Back to the Future, Indiana Jones, etc. So to give him the reins to do an 80s style video game movie, we say, Go for it.
In the year 2045, our hero Wade lives in the Columbus Stacks, a dreary ghetto. To escape this existence, the residents play a Virtual Reality game in a place called the Oasis. They choose anonymous avatars, he being Parzival, because the evil company IOI might hunt you down if they found out your name.
Sounds like Minority Report? Stay with me.
The founder of the Oasis has created a game with a game. If the player can reach the Third Level, a great reward will follow. Five Avatars reach this first level and band together (Super 8)
While the first 2 levels are primarily in avatar form, the characters are cartoonish. But their identities are revealed in Level 3 and that is where the movie really shines. The end is pure Spielberg goodness. He likes happy endings so to speak (ET, Schindler's List, Lincoln, BFG)
Speaking of BFG, Spielberg brings back his go-to actor Mark Rylance, who always does a fine job. As well his D.P. Januz Kaminski. Top talent, as they say.
* * * * of 5
This is a movie watchers buffet: Here's some of the evocative movies played out:
Back to the Future
The Shining
RoboCop
Blade Runner
Dark Knight
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
A Night at the Museum
Stand By Me
The Terminator
War Games
Please add more in the comments!
In the year 2045, our hero Wade lives in the Columbus Stacks, a dreary ghetto. To escape this existence, the residents play a Virtual Reality game in a place called the Oasis. They choose anonymous avatars, he being Parzival, because the evil company IOI might hunt you down if they found out your name.
Sounds like Minority Report? Stay with me.
The founder of the Oasis has created a game with a game. If the player can reach the Third Level, a great reward will follow. Five Avatars reach this first level and band together (Super 8)
While the first 2 levels are primarily in avatar form, the characters are cartoonish. But their identities are revealed in Level 3 and that is where the movie really shines. The end is pure Spielberg goodness. He likes happy endings so to speak (ET, Schindler's List, Lincoln, BFG)
Speaking of BFG, Spielberg brings back his go-to actor Mark Rylance, who always does a fine job. As well his D.P. Januz Kaminski. Top talent, as they say.
* * * * of 5
This is a movie watchers buffet: Here's some of the evocative movies played out:
Back to the Future
The Shining
RoboCop
Blade Runner
Dark Knight
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
A Night at the Museum
Stand By Me
The Terminator
War Games
Please add more in the comments!
Meru (2015)
Some time ago, I had seen that a North Face store was promoting this movie. I didn't get to see it then but now it's available on Netflix.
You can see why North Face like it. It's a big product placement opportunity. Meru is a treacherous Himalayan peak, 20,000 feet plus. On some aspects, there are straight up rock faces. Our group of Conrad, Jimmy and Renan make their first summit bid and fall 100 meters short. The real challenges then await them.
A good documentary story. The climber Jimmy Chin is also the Director of Photography so to be climbing and filming at the same time is quite a feat. Hard to see how he does it, but who else could be doing it?
Audience award winner at Sundance Film Festival.
Watching it reminded me of Wild (2014). A good outdoor story about someone with a dream. Go get that!
* * * * *
You can see why North Face like it. It's a big product placement opportunity. Meru is a treacherous Himalayan peak, 20,000 feet plus. On some aspects, there are straight up rock faces. Our group of Conrad, Jimmy and Renan make their first summit bid and fall 100 meters short. The real challenges then await them.
A good documentary story. The climber Jimmy Chin is also the Director of Photography so to be climbing and filming at the same time is quite a feat. Hard to see how he does it, but who else could be doing it?
Audience award winner at Sundance Film Festival.
Watching it reminded me of Wild (2014). A good outdoor story about someone with a dream. Go get that!
* * * * *
I Can Only Imagine
Based on the original Christian/country song "I Can Only Image" by MercyMe, this is a biopic about the writer and lead singer Bart Millard (J. Michael Finley) and his troubled relationship with his father Arthur (played by Dennis Quaid).
The biopic is always the story of the father. Here Dad is abusive, physically and verbally, telling the son he's no good, will never amount to anything, everything he does is wrong, etc. Our hero has a gift for singing which is recognized by his high school teacher and squashed by his father. He runs away, but you can't run away from yourself. In the end he must confront the demons of his raising to reach his God given heights.
While its a good story, the film shows the importance of the music and the cinematography (Kristopher Kimlin). In addition to the original music, we also have a John Lee Hancock view of the Texas landscapes, the strong "characters" of the bus, the auditorium, the crowds, the stage.
For a story about a missing mother and a distant father, we have two interesting stand-ins for the symbolic mother and father he craves, being Amy Grant playing herself (beautifully lit) and Trace Adkins, the dogged, never-gives-up-on-you man, playing the band manager Scott Brickell.
* * * * of 5
The biopic is always the story of the father. Here Dad is abusive, physically and verbally, telling the son he's no good, will never amount to anything, everything he does is wrong, etc. Our hero has a gift for singing which is recognized by his high school teacher and squashed by his father. He runs away, but you can't run away from yourself. In the end he must confront the demons of his raising to reach his God given heights.
While its a good story, the film shows the importance of the music and the cinematography (Kristopher Kimlin). In addition to the original music, we also have a John Lee Hancock view of the Texas landscapes, the strong "characters" of the bus, the auditorium, the crowds, the stage.
For a story about a missing mother and a distant father, we have two interesting stand-ins for the symbolic mother and father he craves, being Amy Grant playing herself (beautifully lit) and Trace Adkins, the dogged, never-gives-up-on-you man, playing the band manager Scott Brickell.
* * * * of 5
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