My Friend Told Me the Only Way He’d Watch The Rise of Skywalker is if I Wrote This Article

It is December, and that means three things: It’s the 5^th anniversary of The Force Awakens, the 3^rd anniversary of The Last Jedi, and the 1^st anniversary of The Rise of Skywalker. I had initially planned on getting this article published months ago, but several things got in the way. So yeah, let’s close out one of the worst years in ages, looking back on a polarizing subject like the Star Wars sequel trilogy and try to come to terms with what it became. (Because that’s a good idea, right?) How did we get to this point? Was it hubris of filmmakers who assumed Star Wars was too big to fail? Had the franchise run its course after four decades? Or was it the fandom that tore itself apart through differing views on identity politics? I’m not sure I can untangle all of this in an article, but I have to get my thoughts out there. With my friend Ian’s help, let’s dig into the past eight years of the struggle to craft a new chapter in the story set, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…”

Episode I: Initial Success

In 2012 George Lucas sold Lucasfilm and its intellectual properties for billions of dollars and stock options to The Walt Disney Corporation. Immediately the company announced the release of a Star Wars sequel trilogy and multiple spin-off films. This lead to J.J. Abrams being hired to helm the first of these sequels, followed by Rian Johnson with Episode VIII, and Colin Trevorrow in charge of capping it off with Episode IX. Kathleen Kennedy was given the keys to the kingdom with Lucas’ blessing, and the three key cast members (Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford) were all set to return. Christmas of 2015, we were treated to Star Wars: The Force Awakens and either one of two things to a Star Wars fan.

1.) A friendly reminder of what Star Wars was once upon a time.
2.) A rehash of Star Wars: A New Hope, which added nothing new except Abrams’ signature ‘Mystery Box’ nonsense.

I walked out of the theatre, enjoying it immensely. In fact, when I made my top 10 list in 2015, The Force Awakens snagged the #10 spot. We saw a return to practical FX, the old gang was there, and it got me stoked to see what Luke Skywalker had been up to all these years! Of course, as hard as I tried to turn off my critical thinking, it kept leaking in and raining on my parade. In the end, I saw TFA as vanilla bean ice cream. It was a palette cleanser that did its job, but it was nutritionally empty. And it pretended to be classier, adding the word ‘bean’ to its name.

Then we were treated to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. This showed what fans of the Expanded Universe had known for ages. Star Wars wasn’t just Jedi Knights and the Force at all times. We got back to the wars of Star Wars. The look of the film was great, and it was a fun interquel.

Episode II: Cracks in the Veneer

With any sort of large media shift, there are going to be hiccups and pains. Right after TFA’s release, we heard George Lucas compare selling Star Wars to Disney to selling his children to white slavers. Oof, not exactly the most tactful thing to do. With that came the ripple of behind the scenes drama. Tony Gilroy was hired to reshape parts of Rogue One to the point where he was given a couple million for his troubles. Josh Trank exited his planned Boba Fett spin-off film after his issues on Fant4stic. Phil Lord and Chris Miller were fired midway through filming their Han Solo spin-off film. And finally, Trevorrow quit Episode IX due to the typical ‘creative differences.’

“What the Hell is going on at Lucasfilm?” I thought to myself. On December 16, 2017, I walked out of Star Wars: The Last Jedi with a few questions. I had high hopes as Rian Johnson was a filmmaker I held in great esteem. I really enjoyed all three of his previous films, and the trailers for TLJ were fantastic. In the end, the film had made some choices I wasn’t sure I agreed with and had me wondering if it was a good idea.

Then an Internet firestorm of name-calling and finger-pointing kicked up. People in both camps (the pro and anti-Last Jedi) got down and dirty. If you hated TLJ, you were a misogynist who was part of toxic fandom. If you loved TLJ, you were an SJW who had no idea what Star Wars was about. Oh, how I missed the days when people bitched about the prequels on message boards. The schism kept getting wider between these two factions who fought for the title of who were the ‘real’ Star Wars fans. How the Hell did we get here?

Episode III: Limping Across The Finish Line

Through all of this fans were hit with horrible news on December 27, 2016. Carrie Fisher had passed away at the mere age of 60. Word came out that she had finished principal photography on The Last Jedi, but what of Episode IX? The rumors swirled as Trevorrow had apparently turned in his first draft of Episode IX days before the tragic news. He begged Kennedy and Johnson to tweak The Last Jedi for him not to get boxed entirely into a corner by not having any of the three old school players anchor his film. The fact that doing a page one rewrite meant more time was needed as the May 2019 release might not be feasible. His pleas fell on deaf ears, and so Trevorrow decided it was in his best interest to return to the Jurassic World franchise. I can’t say I blame the guy as all of this makes it look like he was being sandbagged at every turn.

Who could be asked to pick up these pieces and take the helm of a ship that was already leaving port? Rumor has it that Kennedy wanted Johnson, but he didn’t feel up for it. In the end, Abrams was brought back, and the film got delayed to December 2019. But where was this story to go? Johnson had set fire to Abrams’ Mystery Box and scattered the ashes to the wind. Rey’s parentage was now inconsequential. The new big bad of the story Snoke was left in pieces. Finally, character dynamics and personalities were ignored or wholly changed. What was left?

When the time came for Episode IX advertising (now officially titled The Rise of Skywalker) to kick into gear, one word was used to sell this film: NOSTALGIA. While the previous films had dipped their toes into this pool, TRoS was diving in full force. Trailers used footage from the eight previous films to sell this as “The Saga Comes to an End.” I was immediately skeptical and of course, seeing the ‘repurposed’ shots of Carrie Fisher was a little worrisome. One could say, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

Walking out of The Rise of Skywalker after the first screening, I wasn’t angry. No, I was disappointed. And that, in my opinion, is a far worse fate for the grand finale. We are now left to wonder how everything could’ve turned out with more time and a different creative crew. These are my thoughts, but I now have someone else’s opinions to add to the equation.

Ian has been a great friend of mine for now over a decade. We met in college bonding in tech theatre thanks to our mutual love for a lot of pop culture, we’ve stayed close ever since. So here are a few memorable quotes from Ian during our watch.

Just before we pressed play, “You know it’s bad when I have a sense of dread instead of joy.”

As the open crawl started, “The dead have already spoken. Don’t Obi-Wan and Yoda count?”

On Palpatine’s return to the series, “I hope Ian McDiarmid got paid (Jeremy Irons) castle money for this.”

Seeing Kylo Ren cutting his way through the guards, “We have the man-child killing crab people.”

The fact that Kylo pulled the necklace from Rey. “Okay, so he can teleport matter now. How is that possible?”

Seeing Chewbacca’ die’, “At least in the books, he had a moon drop on him.”

The introduction of D-0, “And they’ve found the Pixar lamp.”

So yeah, he wasn’t all that thrilled with this finale. I asked a few questions to clarify where his opinions come from and gather another fan’s thoughts on the current climate of Star Wars.

What was your opinion on Star Wars pre-Disney?

IAN: As someone who grew up with Star Wars being a large part of my childhood—I was born less than a year before Return of the Jedi, my brother and parents liked it, we had the action figures, tie-in books, we still have the bedsheets—Star Wars was also excellent. When the special editions came out, it wasn’t until middle school that I started reading the expanded universe novels and truly fell back in love with them. Even when the prequel trilogy came out—which did gradually get better, I could still see that there was hope for more material, not just movies. I was okay with that.

What was your initial reaction to Disney acquiring Star Wars?

IAN: Disney buying out Lucasfilm did give me pause for a bit, as I had seen what they did—or failed to do—with another significant part of my childhood, The Muppets. But I figured if anyone could get Harrison Ford to reprise the role of Han Solo, it would be Uncle Walt and his bottomless wallet.

Did you like the people that were picked (i.e., Kennedy, Abrams, Johnson) to spearhead the sequel trilogy when they were initially announced?

IAN: To be honest, I had little knowledge of the behind the scenes politics of Lucasfilm, so I gave Kathleen Kennedy the benefit of the doubt, especially since she was endorsed by George Lucas. I had seen movies and shows by Abrams before and was not thrilled about seeing Star Wars with lens flare and even more deus ex machina – just look at Star Trek. I had never heard of Rian Johnson before his appointment to direct The Last Jedi, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt—as someone who grew up with Star Wars, I figured there was little anyone can do to screw it up.

Where do you think things went off course?

IAN: Things first started to go off course when they branded all non-film and Clone Wars material non-canon. There were over 25 years of material out there that they could draw upon, and they completely ignored it. They completely dismissed characters that I grew to love simply because they were not in the movies: Mara Jade, Kyle Katarn, Kip Duron, Natashi Daala, Tycho Celchu, HK-47, and Exar Kun to name a few. But the biggest letdown of the erasure of Grand Admiral Thrawn—and I’m not alone in saying that Timothy Zahn’s trilogy will always be what Episodes VII-IX should have always been. With ignoring all the potential material in favor of mining the movies even more, and shoe-horning new characters, so Disney would not have to pay George Lucas, they ended up hampering themselves by becoming even more dependent on old stars, at the expense of creating characters that the audience could actually care about. This was glaringly apparent in Rise of Skywalker when they had to work around Carrie Fisher’s death, despite killing off both Luke and Han, and dragging Billy Dee Williams out of retirement for a bit part. No matter how many ‘memberberries’ you shove down your audience’s throat, it will not cover up bad writing.

Also, “stormpilot”—the romantic pairing of Finn and Poe–never happening because Disney is feckless when it comes to LGBTQ representation because of China.

Should the filmmakers have used more of Lucas’ original ideas?

IAN: Yes, they should have used George Lucas’ treatment. They also stole from the expanded universe but did it poorly—Ben Solo being a “Captain Ersatz” of Jacen Solo, the fleet of planet destroyers in “Rise” being inferior copies of the world devastators from Dark Empire, which did a MUCH better and more logical explanation for the return of Emperor Palpatine. If you have a plan written out by the creator—who is STILL ALIVE—and don’t use it, you’re not just arrogant, you’re lazy.

What would you like to see in the future of Star Wars?

IAN: There is still hope for the future of Star Wars, but only if Disney acknowledges what they did wrong and learns from it. There are literal decades of ideas and mountains of source material that can be mined—novels, comics, video games, and East End Games Star Wars roleplaying game (a series that not only as part of reaffirming my love for the series but was considered the definitive source when it came to explaining all things in the Star Wars universe). They should take a page from J.J.’s playbook and just create a new timeline—maybe one that takes place shortly before the end of Return of the Jedi, where instead of throwing Palpatine down a shaft, Vader beheads him so he’ll stay dead. That couldn’t be a more befitting metaphor for Star Wars under Disney—they need to create stories on their own that honor the past without turning around, pointing at some background character from the original trilogy and saying to the audience, “Hey, remember Dr. Evanzan and Ponda Baba?” Ok, bad example, Rogue One was a good movie.

In general, tell new stories, create new characters that people will care about, and stop trying to recreate the original trilogy’s alchemy.

As I type this article up, I’ve been binge-watching the sequel trilogy. Since The Rise of Skywalker’s release, many unfortunate bits and pieces of information have come out. The worst of it all does have to be John Boyega’s opinion of how the series handled Finn. We had a Stormtrooper who rebelled against the one thing he had been trained to do since birth. He also showed an ability to commune with the Force. There was so much potential here that was barely touched upon. And while the Internet has been adamant that the trilogy needs to be remade, it doesn’t. Hindsight filmmaking (i.e., Seeing a finished film, nitpicking it apart, and reconfiguring it to a ‘potentially’ better story) is what the Internet does, but it’s not useful. All we can do is move forward and hold out hope that passionate storytellers will be given access to the fantastic world George Lucas created all those years ago. People who will want to honor the Man from Modesto’s vision.

“The secret is to not give up hope. It’s very hard not to because if you’re really doing something worthwhile, I think you will be pushed to the brink of hopelessness before you come through the other side.”

– George Lucas

Hello

Has it really been over a year since my last post? My how time flies and things get forgotten. I digress, so I am here to let anyone who’s interested that sdfilmthoughts will more than likely be on an very extended hiatus.

But, that isn’t the end of my writing. I’m still toiling away on screenplays and am going to keep on working. In the meantime if you’d like to follow my other writings I am currently working with Backlot605.com as a contributing author. My analytical articles are currently taking a backseat to film reviews. So if you want to hear another random person on the Internet give an opinion check it out! Or if you’re on Letterboxd feel free to add me (SDFilmThoughts).

My previous articles will stay here and who knows, maybe I’ll come back here and write some more. I do hope people enjoy what I’ve written and what will come next. Thank you to anyone who clicked onto this site and gave any of my work a read. I appreciate it.

Let’s keep watching!

Jameson P

American Movie 20 Year Later

Off the bat I’d like to apologize for not posting last week. After the 1999 article I was a tad burnt out. But on that subject we can now segue over to today’s topic. American Movie was a documentary released in 1999. It chronicles Wisconsin filmmaker Mark Borchardt’s attempt to finish his short horror film Coven. I had initially planned on doing an article discussing the audio commentary, but as I listened to Chris Smith, Sarah Price, Mark Borchardt, and Mike Schank talk I realized this film and these people deserved more. So in this article I intend to discuss the documentary, Mark Borchardt, and the reasons American Movie resonates with me.

-The Documentary-

Shot over the course of nearly two years from September of ’95 to August of ’97 Smith and Price follow Mark as he intends to begin production on his feature film Northwestern. We see that while Mark is a passionate and fairly knowledgeable filmmaker he often lacks focus and deals with the uphill battle of being attempting to make films in the Midwest. While pre-production of Northwestern falls apart due to financial problems Mark decides to finish Coven and sell copies in hopes to raise funds for Northwestern.

While I’m sure this sounds like a rather ridiculous concept it’s a great story. Watching Mark and his cohorts attempt to film on a budget of nothing with mixed results is both funny and inspiring. When we begin to dig into the regular life of Mark we see a harder more dramatic part of the doc. Mark is the every man looking to be a full time filmmaker, but has to pay the bills. Working while raising kids and dealing with mounting debt all feels familiar. But this is what makes Mark so likable. To me it’s his desire to capture a part of the world on film rarely seen in the big screen that it fantastic. There’s a scene in Coven where they’re filming at a drive-in theatre. In the audio commentary Mark states in the proceeding years the drive-in was torn down and relishes the fact that he committed the location to film. These are the words of someone who (for better or worse) will always be a filmmaker. There’s no second career choice even if it means not always having money in the bank.

One of the criticisms I’ve often heard about the film is Price was exploiting Mark, Mike, and other people to show a stereotypical dumb Midwesterners trying to “make it big”. On the surface I can see where that might come from, but I beg to differ. One of the main things is that while it shows Mark at low moments it’s not like they handed him a bottle of booze. He’s doing what he can at times to deal with the monotony of Midwest life. Winters are tough and it means filming can be next to impossible. It hurts knowing sometimes you have to bide your time as the season changes and the snow melts. There’s even a deleted scene showing Mark at Toronto during the Toronto International Film Festival looking for potential investors for Northwestern. While it didn’t pan out it shows that Mark has some savvy to the film industry and is going to play the game.

I appreciate hearing Mike Schank candidly speak about his former mistakes and how he’s trying to keep himself on the straight and narrow. And of course people often talk about how Mark is underhandedly trying to swindle his uncle Bill for money. Except throughout the film we see Mark taking care of Bill. Bathing him, doing his laundry, and just spending time with a man who’s been pretty much ignored by the rest of the family. Mark states on the commentary that he enjoyed spending time with Bill as he was a laid back and genuinely nice and caring guy.

-Coven-

Coven is in Mark’s own words, “A 35 minute direct market thriller film shot on 16 millimeter black and white reversal.” The story revolves around Mike (played by Borchardt) a writer who is suffering from writer’s block. In the meantime he begins to abuse pills and alcohol until a friend convinces him to join a support group. Little does he know this group has sinister means to keep it’s members sober.

I’ve seen Coven multiple times and while it may not be original or groundbreaking it is fun to watch. The look of the film with the black and white grainy footage gives it an unsettling flavor especially with the scenes shot in the woods. While most of the acting is somewhat stilted actor Robert Richard Jorge gives a great performance as one of the leaders of the support group/cult. Luckily the DVD of American Movie has Coven available in the special features, but if you’re interested the film can be found on YouTube.

-My Feelings-

Like many people I found out about this film thanks to James Rolfe (aka The Angry Video Game Nerd) often dropping references in AVGN episodes and listing it amongst his all time favorites. The moment I saw it there was a kinship I felt with Mark. Living in South Dakota and spending my teenage years making short films I was confident were spectacular back then, now look back and recognize two things. 1. All the stupid mistakes my friends and I made. 2. All the fun memories of shooting on the fly with MiniDV cameras. We didn’t properly light scenes or record sound, but we learned lessons along the way.

Mark’s approach to filmmaking seems a little haphazard at times and that can be an asset. I have to sincerely commend him for shooting on film all those years ago. I know growing up in an age where you can see playback immediately and are able to edit digitally that I was spoiled. It takes patience of iron to go through all the meticulous steps of shooting film and doing that on no budget is never an easy feat. I guarantee had I been shooting on 16 mm I wouldn’t have had the tenacity to pursue film and probably would’ve given up on being a writer.

Growing up and telling people that you’re goal in life is to be a filmmaker they’ll look at you like you’re daft. In the Midwest they look at you like you’re totally insane. I was told by many people (including family) that what I want to do is a pipe dream. We need to remember that giving up is not a great option. No matter what we are comrades in dreams. I look to Mark and see characteristics I must emulate if I want to keep the fire in my belly stoked. In a long roundabout way this is my thank you letter to Mark. I anxiously await his film Scare Me and would love to see the script for Northwestern get published.

These are my thoughts, but as usual what are yours? Have you seen American Movie or Coven? If not now is the best time to rectify the situation. Are there any other documentaries about film you enjoy? Would you like to see Mark and Mike make another film? Let me know. Remember you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @sdfilmthoughts. If you’re on Facebook I’m also a contributing author at https://www.facebook.com/midwestmovietalk. Give us a like! And if you want to stay up to date on Mark’s work you can follow him on Twitter @morethescarier. As always, thanks for reading.

P.S.: Never forget, “It’s alright, it’s okay. There’s something to live for. Jesus told me so!”

1999: An Amazing & Goofy Year For Film

I was dreaming when I wrote this, forgive me if it goes astray. Yep, I made that reference and I stand by it. But in all honesty 1999 was a phenomenal year for films. Whether they were films I got to see when they first came out or caught them in proceeding years. I was eleven at the time so my access to theaters and video rentals was a tad limited. On the plus side I had an older brother who often rented some interesting (i.e. R rated) titles and let me watch. So with 20 years of wisdom and the ability see many of these films let’s take a stroll down memory lane and discuss some of the big budget tentpoles, minor indie fare, and a lot in between. Dust off the VCR and adjust the tracking we’re going back to the 90’s!

Varsity Blues (Released January 15th)

As someone who grew up in a small town where sports reigned supreme in the school halls this film ringed pretty accurate. Sure, the football coach wasn’t shooting anesthetic shots into players, but he was a huge douche in the locker room and on the field. Plus will we ever for such iconic moments as James Van Der Beek declaring, “I don’t want your life!” or seeing Ali Larter in her whip cream bikini? I don’t think so. It is a touch sad knowing Paul Walker (Lance) and Ron Lester (Billy Bob) have both passed away.

She’s All That (Released January 29th)

Another teen film already? Yep, we can not deny the pop cultural significance of this genre. Freddie Prinze Jr. and Racheal Leigh Cook got the door to Hollywood opened to them in a sappy film I remember more for it’s overuse of Sixpence None the Richer. Not going to lie, I caught most of this on TV and it’s still amusing.

Office Space (Released February 19th)

Mike Judge made his live action directorial debut with a film that bombed at the box office. Thankfully through video rental stores (remember those?) and positive word of mouth this film became the hit it deserved to be from the get go. Ron Livingston is the perfect everyman dealing with the horrible work life and boss (played with expert precision by Gary Cole) that plague so many of us. But it was the beautiful performance of Stephen Root as Milton Waddams that no one can forget. We’ve all known a Milton in our lives. Whether we worked with them, were neighbors, or just spoke with occasionally. That is character writing at it’s best.

Cruel Intentions (Released March 5th)

What is it about this film that has made it endure? The story it pretty vapid, the conclusion is sort of dumb, and it is by no means a proper adaptation of it’s source material. I guess it all hinged on the fact that the entire cast is entertaining and seemed to be having fun in their roles. And will we ever forget how this film was the catalyst to getting Bittersweet Symphony onto many burned CDs from this era?

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (Released March 5th)

Guy Ritchie’s directorial debut gave us a taste of what was to come from the man. Everything that has become signature in his work can be found right here. It is funny to hear people debate which is the better film: this or Snatch. Snatch may be the more polished of the pair, but you have to appreciate the roughness of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Who would’ve thought 20 years later Ritchie would be helming the live action adaptation of Aladdin?

10 Things I Hate About You (Released March 31st)

Can anyone deny that this film is pretty great? Heck, I still have a copy of it on DVD. In spite of weeding films out of my collection this one has stayed, why? Honestly, it all boils down to the cast. Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, David Krumholtz, Larisa Oleynik, Larry Miller, Allison Janney, and of course the heartthrob making performance of Heath Ledger. They took a fun script and made a film that was better than it had any right to be.

The Matrix (Released March 31st)

Oh how The Wachowskis’ career has been an interesting one. In spite of their recent films being a tad underwhelming we can never forget what they did with The Matrix. This was the sci-fi film of a generation. To quote filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, “The Wachowskis took all the great sci-fi ideas of the 20th century and rolled them into a delicious pop culture sandwich that everyone on the planet devoured.” It’s true, not all the ideas of The Matrix were original, but in execution they caught lightning in a bottle. Plus, this was the DVD every home theater enthusiast bought to show off their system. There have been rumors of WB revitalizing the franchise. I kind of hope they do as I miss this universe. (Yes, even the convoluted sequels).

Go (Released April 9th)

It’s funny how once Quentin Tarantino made back to back crime films with pop culture references with dark humor anyone who made something similar was called an imitator or ‘Tarantino Lite’. I personally think Go finds it’s own style thanks to John August’s fun script, Doug Liman’s competent direction, and an amazing cast. While Sarah Polley’s career has been pretty impressive it’s a shame she never opted to take on more high profile roles. She turned in performance that anyone who’s at that age in that kind of rut can relate to.

Election (Released April 23rd)

This was the film that introduced me (and I assumed numerous others) to Alexander Payne and I am amazingly grateful. While a lot of the previous teen films on this list were pretty fluffy this one has a bite. What makes this film fantastic is how no one in the story holds the moral high ground throughout. It also achieved the rare feat of getting good performances from Matthew Broderick and Chris Klein. Sorry, but look at the filmography of either actor and you’ll see they aren’t exactly known for quality. In truth, this is one of my all time favorite films. Thank you Mr. Payne for being a filmmaker who tells interesting stories set in Midwestern America.

Idle Hands (Released April 30th)

I know this isn’t a film that holds any pop cultural merit, but I love it. Idle Hands was the film that introduced me to the horror/comedy genre and I am extremely thankful for that. I still remember watching the film as a kid and being confused. Is this funny or scary? It is a shame the film was a box office bomb (earning a little over $4 million against of $25 million budget), but at least it gained a cult following and launched the career of Jessica Alba.

The Mummy (Released May 7th)

Stephen Summers has made some genuinely fun films. I would have to say that The Mummy might be one of my favorite 90’s blockbusters. In an age where we only had three Indiana Jones films I was starving for more swashbuckling archaeological action films. Sure, Fraser’s Rick O’Connell never reached the popularity of Ford’s Indiana Jones, but it’s still a damn fun film to watch. Too bad we were subjected to the Tom Cruise Dark Universe fiasco.

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (Released May 19th)

Of course we had to address the film that kicked off Lucas’ prequel trilogy and started the schism in Star Wars fandom. I had already become a fan of Star Wars years before Episode I and I was excited to see these new films. Of course there was one major problem, I had no idea what was going on half the time. Is an 11 year old suppose to understand why the Trade Federation was blockading Naboo? But seeing the podrace and Duel of Fates made it all worth it. The prequels continue to be the source of many heated debates amongst Star Wars fans. I personally know all three films have their problems, but they are still a part of my childhood and I enjoy them for what they are.

The Thirteenth Floor (Released May 28th)

Never heard of this one? Well that’s understandable since it came out in the shadow of The Matrix and had a fairly similar idea of a virtual world. Produced by Roland Emmerich and starring a cast of arguably underrated actors (Craig Bierko, Gretchen Mol, Armin Meuller-Stahl, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Dennis Haysbert) it’s a fun stylish sci-fi that got lost in the shuffle. If you haven’t seen it I recommend checking it out.

South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (Released June 30th)

Riding high off the success of it’s first two seasons it didn’t take long for Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s animated elementary school miscreants to hit the big screen. Find me a teenager who didn’t  spout off “Respect my Authoritah!” or cry out “Oh my God, they killed Kenny!”. It was everywhere! And in an era when you couldn’t stream uncensored episodes it was quite a treat to hear these characters drop the f-bomb. I’m sure some of the novelty of this film has worn off, but it’s still a fun watch.

American Pie (Released July 9th)

The film that made slapping unrated on the cover of a home video release to increase sales a trend. But it’s still a great teen film. Much like 10 Things this launched the careers of it’s entire cast. Will we ever forget that one douchey friend we had who tried to be the Stifler of the group? Unfortunately probably not, but hopefully they’ve grown out of it by now. This is the film that brought Milf into popular lexicon and might’ve been the reason some teens burnt their genitals on hot pie filling. To this day it’s still a fun film to pop on and enjoy the memories.

The Blair Witch Project (Released July 14th)

Love it or hate it this film changed the horror genre. Nowadays it’s easy to dismiss the impact The Blair Witch Project had, but I still remember logging onto the film’s website before it’s release trying to decipher whether or not it was real. It was the film made for $60,000 and had a box office return of $248.6 million! That kind of profit was unheard of at the time. It also was one of the first films to harness the power of the Internet for marketing purposes. Even if the series has had some missteps (but Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 is a fun guilty pleasure) the original is iconic and stands as a horror classic.

Eyes Wide Shut (Released July 16th)

Director Stanley Kubrick passed away four months prior to Eyes Wide Shut’s release leaving numerous questions looming over the film. It became notorious before it’s release. Filming broke the record for longest consecutive days of shooting at 400 days. Rumors spread about his feelings on the final cut. According to R. Lee Ermey Kubrick told him the film was a piece of shit. (Who knows if that’s true) Then of course there was the censorship. CGI robe characters were inserted into scenes in order to obscure some of the more risque sex scenes and avoid an NC-17 rating. To this day the film is largely contentious amongst Kubrick fans. I personally enjoy the film and even if (big if) the film wasn’t completed to Kubrick’s specifications you can feel his style in every frame. It’s not exactly a film that I will throw on and enjoy, but with certain frame of mind I will watch and appreciate it.

The Iron Giant (Released August 6th)

One of the perks of living near an Alamo Drafthouse last year was getting the chance to see The Iron Giant in theaters. After growing up on the VHS it was unbelievably beautiful to see it on the big screen. While Brad Bird went on to have a box office success with The Incredibles franchise and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol it stings knowing this film was a box office disappointment. The story is heartwarming, the animation is breathtaking, and the voice acting is nearly perfect. If you haven’t seen The Iron Giant in high definition now is a great time to pick up the Blu-ray.

The Sixth Sense (Released August 6th)

Confession time, I personally find The Sixth Sense to be a decent film, but not the highly regarded piece of psychological horror many have dubbed it. I understand it’s appeal and merits, but when it comes to the filmography of M. Night Shyamalan I prefer Unbreakable. That said, the film does deserve the praise it gets. Before it became cliche for M. Night’s films to offer up a twist at the end of their story this film’s ending hit people like a hammer. It’s also nice to look back at an age when Bruce Willis put effort into his performances instead of just turning up on-set. And I will admit for child actor Haley Joel Osment gave a great performance. Critics hailed M. Night ‘the next Spielberg’ after this film. While he didn’t live up to that promise he has had a decent career with some good films.

Bowfinger (Released August 13th)

A Hollywood satire written/starring Steve Martin and directed by Frank Oz. If this description alone doesn’t get you intrigued I think you’ve got a problem. In truth this is probably one of the funniest and accurate critiques of no budget filmmaking and Hollywood culture. Martin’s Bobby Bowfinger is the perfect combination of optimistic and sleazy (Pretty much the only two speeds for a producer). And this may in fact be the last time Eddie Murphy put effort into a comedic role before he began cashing Shrek checks and making some painfully bad films. I love this film and think it’s one of the best comedies of it’s era.

American Beauty (Released September 15th)

Divorcing it from the baggage that now comes from being associated with Kevin Spacey American Beauty still stands as a great film. I know after the box office success and multiple Academy Award wins there came the backlash. I personally still think it’s one of the year’s best films and am thankful it launched the film career of Sam Mendes. It does make me sad knowing Thora Birch’s father tanked her reputation and got her temporarily blacklisted (While her recent films haven’t been great it is nice seeing her return to acting). Just discussing this film makes me want to pull it off the shelf and give it a re-watch.

Three Kings (Released October 1st)

There’s always been heavy debate about David O. Russell and his work. He has been known for being notoriously difficult with some actors including George Clooney who he had no interest in casting in this film. On the whole this film turned out to be a darkly funny film and one of the first the successfully satirize the Gulf War.

Fight Club (Released October 15th)

Here it is, the film that pissed off numerous people and in the end became a modern classic. I’ve spoken about this film multiple times and for good reason. It was one of the first films I saw that made me appreciate what I was watching on more than a superficial level. I began to understand how so many facets had to come together to craft an interesting film. The story was something I shouldn’t have seen at the age of eleven (Thanks big brother). But I still remember sitting in our living room watching and not understanding many of the jokes. When the two disc special edition DVD came out I bought it and began to learn from all the special features. Listening to Fincher’s commentary opened my eyes to the world of film and pushed me to study more behind the scenes tools of the trade. I do laugh/find it irritating that Rosie O’Donnell hated this film so much she spoiled the film’s ending on her talk show. Damn, that’s not cool.

Boys Don’t Cry (Released October 22nd)

Growing up in the Midwest during this time was tough. I began to see how much hatred was in the world. Matthew Shepard’s death had me asking questions I’m assuming a lot of grown ups weren’t comfortable answering. I saw Boys Don’t Cry a few years later and while I still didn’t understand it I got a look at a thought process tainted by bigotry. To this day there are moments from this film that are burned into my memory. Hilary Swank gave a powerhouse performance and deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Being John Malkovich (Released October 29th)

The film that introduced to wonderful imaginations of Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman, do I have to say anything else to sing this film’s praise? No, but I will anyway. I can not do the film justice with a few sentences, so I will say the script is brilliant, the acting phenomenal, and again it’s one of my personal favorites. With the Criterion Collection recently releasing a special edition Blu-ray I may have to upgrade when I have some disposable income.

Dogma (Released November 12th)

Kevin Smith took “28 years of religious and spiritual meditation” and crafted one of his best films. People tend to overlook/mock Smith as a filmmaker not giving him just credit as one of the 90’s indie movement filmmakers. He was the guy critics dismissed as the guy who made “that black and white dirty comedy”. Dogma is a great blend of his typical humor infused with more serious moments. I have a very personal connection with this film that I will not disclose here, but if we ever meet up in person I’ll tell you the story.

Toy Story 2 (Released November 24th)

Pixar’s third film had a rocky go of it. From initially beginning as a cheap direct to video sequel in the vein of most Disney sequels at the time the film showed promise and got upgraded to a theatrical release. Once that happened the original story was tossed out and a new plot was conceived over a weekend. Throw in the fact that the film changed directors, at one point had all of it’s files deleted, and was forced to finish production in the span of nine months it wasn’t an easy production. Out of all that chaos came one of Pixar’s best films and proof that they could craft a sequel on par with it’s predecessor. In fact this is one of five films on Rotten Tomatoes to have over 100 reviews and maintain 100% fresh status. Not bad for a film with such a rough history!

The Green Mile (Released December 10th)

Frank Darabont’s second adaptation of a work of Stephen King and it’s close to being on par with The Shawshank Redemption. We tend to forget how fantastic this film is as it does tend to get overlooked. Of course Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan (Rest in Peace good sir) gave phenomenal performances, but again people tend to forget about the supporting cast. Sam Rockwell and Doug Hutchinson are both perfectly scummy in their own ways. But even Graham Greene and Michael Jeter (Rest in Peace good sir) take their limited screen time and make the most of it. The end of this film is still heartbreaking to this day. The biggest compliment to this film is that despite clocking in at over three hours you never feel the run time.

Man on the Moon (Released December 22nd)

Jim Carrey had proven the year before with The Truman Show that he had the chops to be a dramatic actor, but Man on the Moon that cemented him as a rare talent. Andy Kaufman was a comedian who had some people laughing while others scratched their heads. This type of timing is not easy to achieve let alone attempting to recapture such a legend’s work. For better or worse this will probably stand as Carrey’s greatest performance and it’s a shame he was snubbed by the Academy. If you want to truly understand how much dedication Carrey put into this watch the Netflix documentary Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond.

Galaxy Quest (Released December 25th)

It’s a rare thing for me to compliment Tim Allen. The man has never had a wide range in his acting repertoire, but his douchebag alpha male mentality was perfect for a parody of William Shatner’s notorious personality. Add in the always amazing talents of Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Sam Rockwell, Tony Shalhoub, Enrico Colantoni, and Justin Long you get one hilarious film. I am disappointed Daryl Mitchell pretty much got relegated to predominantly television after this film.

Magnolia (Released December 25th)

Much like American Beauty this film has received a bit of backlash in the years since it’s release. At the time of it’s release Kevin Smith called it, “a constant reminder that a bloated sense of self-importance is the most unattractive quality in a person or their work.” and “a cinematic root canal”. Yikes, not exactly high praise. Anderson himself stated the film was, “for better or worse, the best movie I’ll ever make.” I myself still hold this film in high regard. It may be pretentious at times, but the cast keeps it grounded and much like The Green Mile never gets dragged down by it’s three hour runtime.

These are my thoughts, but as usual what are yours? I know I left some films off this list (Blast From the Past, October Sky, Analyze This, Existenz, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Summer of Sam, Mystery Alaska, Bringing Out the Dead, The Insider, Liberty Heights, The Cider House Rules, and many more) some of them I’ve not seen in over a decade or not seen at all, so I will not comment on them. What do you think of 1999’s crop of films? Did they shape you as much as they did me? What are your personal favorites from this year? Let me know. Remember you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @sdfilmthoughts. If you’re on Facebook I’m also a contributing author at https://www.facebook.com/midwestmovietalk. Give us a like! As always, thanks for reading.

Digital Copies: Redeeming and Collecting

It’s become a far more common thing to receive a digital copy of any film you purchase. In fact, most people consider this an essential when they purchase their Blu-rays. And yet for the longest time I didn’t redeem mine. I left them in the case and just didn’t feel the need to use them. Why would I when I can grab the same film off the shelf and pop it into my Blu-ray player? That all changed when I spent a winter away from home. As many cinephiles know, lugging your DVDs and Blu-rays is a pain in the ass. So I figured the why not redeem these films and have them handy while I’m away? Long story short, in this article I’m going to discuss my personal opinion on digital copies, the best way to redeem them, and how to get a handful of titles on the cheap. So, without further ado lets dig into this and discuss what to do.

Where to Redeem?

This is all a matter of personal taste. There are numerous sites that can act storage facilities. You’ve got Vudu, iTunes, Movies Anywhere, and Fandango to name a few. I personally choose Vudu as it links to other accounts like Movies Anywhere and UltraViolet (Which is going to shut down on July 31st). I’d go with MA, but they’re still having issues with Paramount and Lionsgate. Thankfully Vudu seems (for the time being) to be playing ball with everyone involved. It’s also nice that Vudu has a free to watch section. I’ve had the least amount of problems from Vudu to get my digital codes redeemed and my films stored on their site.

How to Redeem?

I assume most of you already know how to redeem. It’s gotten easier to pick a site, enter the code, and get your copy. I predominantly use Movies Anywhere to redeem, but like I said Paramount and Lionsgate are a bit of a pain in the neck. It takes a few extra steps, but they should be redeemed in no time. Now, what happens if you try to redeem a code that has expired? From what I’ve gathered quite a few of the studios don’t strictly enforce the expiration dates and you can enter the codes no problem. But, sometimes you will have to deal with the studio’s customer support. Everyone knows it’s not an easy task to correspond over email to get technical issues resolved, but I will go through a few studios I spoke with to get help. Who was the easiest and who were the most difficult?

SONY/COLUMBIA: Honestly, all of the expired codes I redeemed worked out just fine. So they seem to be the best to deal with when it comes to how long a code lasts.

UNIVERSAL: I have nothing but great things to say about Universal’s help line. I emailed them looking for help to redeem a handful of films. All they asked was for me to email them a photo of the insert from the blu-ray showing the digital code clearly and they issued me new ones. Super easy and hassle free!

WARNER BROTHERS: Warner Brothers required a little more. They issued me a ticket number and asked that I write the number on a piece of paper and send them a photo of the case, the insert, and the paper with the ticket number on it. Again, super easy and they were quick to reply.

PARAMOUNT: As you’ll see as we go along every studio requires different stuff. I asked for help on getting my Star Trek (’09) redeemed and here’s what they asked for: pictures of the every disc in the case, a picture of the insert in the case, and a picture of the bar code on the Blu-ray. I snapped photos of all of these except for the bar code (must’ve been on the shrink wrap) and they also issued me a replacement code. As above, super easy and helpful.

DISNEY: Okay, here’s where things get a bit trickier. Along with all the other photos (case, discs, insert) Disney also required a proof of purchase from a first party vendor. This required me to scroll back through my Best Buy and Amazon transaction history to screenshot that I had purchased them legitimately and not 2nd hand. While most of them worked out fine my Muppets Blu-ray had been purchased from a smaller vendor and sold on Amazon. Due to the fact that they couldn’t verify that it was factory sealed (which it was) when I’d purchased it from this retailer they wouldn’t give me a new code. A little irritating to say the least (Side note: When I redeemed Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, and Iron Man 2 they gave me standard definition copies in spite of owning the Blu-rays. I don’t know if this has something to do with them being part of the Marvel catalog from when they were distributed by Paramount, but it was a tad annoying.)

LIONSGATE: Lionsgate is a bit of a mixed bag. While their current digital copies seem to live past their expiration dates the older ones not so much. I tried to redeem Gamer and sent them all the photos they required. They emailed me back stating the digital copy was expired and there was no way of getting it redeemed. Kind of shitty, but I understand.

20TH CENTURY FOX: Oof, talk about rough. I sent them a photo of the insert from my copy of (500) days of Summer and immediately got an email stating it was expired and that was it. I guess they really stick to their expiration dates.

Acquiring

This is where I’d like to impart my wisdom onto you as to getting digital copies on the cheap. If you’re looking you can find some great deals there are ways. My best advice is to search thrift stores/flea markets/garage sales for DVDs and Blu-rays. You can buy them on the cheap and typically the codes haven’t been redeemed. I bought Beetlejuice for $1 at a thrift store, redeemed the code and gave the disc back to the store. The lady seemed confused, but I explained that I technically had the be the ‘owner’ of the disc to redeem the code. She still didn’t get, but didn’t care either. I’ve done the same thing at multiple places and now the people understand and go with the flow. A local library I frequent also used them as prizes in raffles. Pawn shops use to be a great place, but I think the owners have started to wise up. I recently saw a sign at one pawn shop telling people that digital copies could be purchased at the register. I’m pretty sure I ruffled some feathers with the cashier when I asked two questions. 1. If the code is invalid can I get my money back? 2. Is it legal to sell the codes separate from the disc? The owner told me: How can I know you won’t redeem the code and say that it didn’t work? And: once he purchases the Blu-ray he’s free to do what he wants with the codes. Long story short, I won’t be going back to that pawn shop anytime soon. Another great option is friends. Even though I’ve tried to tell friends to redeem their codes many aren’t interested. Even if they’re not films I’m interested in (I’m now the proud owner of the first two Divergent films) it’s always handy to have them.

My Feelings

As everyone knows I love physical media. I wrote an article years ago discussing why I continue to buy DVDs and Blu-rays. (Shameless self-promotion: A link will be provided below) While I have found having digital copies come in handy I do still find drawbacks. Of course the lack of a proper Internet connection can be an issue where I live, so access to my library can be erratic at times. Also, while Vudu and Movies Anywhere continue to add special features to the films they’re not always keeping up with the physical copies. I love my audio commentaries too much to not have them.

https://sdfilmthoughts.wordpress.com/2016/04/15/why-i-refuse-to-give-up-on-physical-media/

These are my thoughts but as usual, what are yours? Do you have a preference as to where you redeem your digital copies? Are you going to start redeeming them now that you’ve read this article? Let me know. Remember you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @sdfilmthoughts. As always, thanks for reading.

My Ten Favorite Films of 2018

Ah yes, here we are once again. After seeing over 110 films in 365 days we begin to untangle all that happened. The disappointments, the honorable mentions, and now my top 10. It has been a beautiful year in the theatres and on the streaming platforms. We seem to be getting more and more films every year and that is both a blessing and a curse. As I write this there are still numerous films I’ve yet to see or re-watch and form full opinions of one way or another. But even if we watched one film every day there’d still not be enough time, so we must make due with what we have. So here it is, my ten favorite films of the past year. Let’s dig in!

10. HEARTS BEAT LOUD

While it may feel a bit fluffy at times Hearts Beat Loud is fantastic. Most of the credit is given to Nick Offerman, Kiersey Clemons, and their fantastic chemistry. The music is great to listen to, the supporting cast is filled with talent, and it’s story is heartwarming. If you’re interested it’s currently available on Hulu.

9. FIRST REFORMED

Every year there is a film I see that I truly enjoy, but won’t re-watch for many years… if ever. First Reformed is a bitter film full of hard questions and to some unfulfilling answers. Paul Schrader has never been a warm and fuzzy filmmaker, but his script paired with a phenomenal performances from Ethan Hawke (I hope he gets more high profile film roles) and Amanda Seyfried make a for devastating watch. And I really hope more people start casting Cedric the Entertainer in dramatic roles.

8. BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE

This is going to be the film everyone looks at on this list and dismiss my opinions, but I don’t care. Bad Times at the El Royale was a film I had been anticipating from the moment I first heard about it. Drew Goddard has a strong talent as both writer and director. While this is only his 2nd feature (The Cabin in the Woods was his amazing debut) he continues to improve. The cast is aces across the board with Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, and Dakota Johnson delivering top notch performances. The big surprise for me was Cynthia Erivo. Between this and Widows she has had one bang up year! I can not wait to see more from her. But in my opinion what makes this film great is that the story focuses on people typically ignored by society in 1969. The old convict, the young black woman, the junky veteran, and women who are victims of abuse. While some have called this Tarantino lite I think that’s an unfair criticism. Tarantino wasn’t the person who invented the crime genre and wasn’t the only one to stylize it. Give it a look and form your own opinion.

7. ANNIHILATION

Alex Garland has always been a screenwriter I’ve had a lot of respect for. 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Dredd, and the underrated Never Let You Go. Then he stepped into the director’s chair with the low key and brilliant Ex Machina. With a $50 million dollar budget in hand he moved ahead adapting Jeff VanderMeer’s novel. What we got was another smartly told sci-fi story with a great cast. Which brings me to the point that this film was predominantly female driven and did not feel the need to make a big deal out of it. The characters were interesting and their actions were identifiable. Much like Hearts Beat Loud it’s currently streaming on Hulu.

6. SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

While I could sum my love up for this with two characters (Miles Morales & Spider-Gwen) but there is so much more to it. The visual style is unbelievably beautiful and very unique. While I typically hate 3D screenings this one was worth seeing that way. The story is a perfect way to bring all these amazing characters together and at times does tug at the heartstrings. I’ll admit it, I got misty eyed at a few scenes. And of course, the voice cast is aces. My favorite had to be Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man Noir. It was perfect casting! In a year that had some pretty great animated films this one was the best.

5. THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS

In a year where there are two documentary films I consider worthy of being the best (we’ll get to my other pick down below) films this one was a doozy. What started off as an amazing reuniting of siblings and their bonding takes a dark turn that I will not reveal here. I recommend watching this with as little knowledge beforehand. It goes to prove that there are times when the reality can be stranger than fiction.

4. THOROUGHBREDS

This one is a real bittersweet entry. I have been a fan of Anton Yelchin for years and was devastated by this death. Seeing this film on the big screen was a great, but also heartbreaking. Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke kill it in the lead roles and with some great direction, smart writing, and a killer score it’s a dark comedy gem that will sit beside Heathers in due time. But I can not finish this without saying how great Yelchin was in his final role. He was on the cusp of greater things and it’s a damn shame we’ll never see those performances. RIP Good Sir!

3. BLINDSPOTTING

2018 has been a great year for films about race relations in the US. Not to get political, but we’ve been dealing with a lot of heavy problems these past few years. While I enjoyed The Hate U Give, BlackKklansman, and Black Panther it was Blindspotting that really hit me. Diggs and Casal give true lived in performances that culminate in and ending that hits you hard. It’s not heavy handed or preachy, but it makes you understand many sides of life.

2. EIGHTH GRADE

It’s no surprise to anyone who reads my work that I loved Eighth Grade. I wrote an article on the highlights from the audio commentary (linked below) and have spoken my praises for Elsie Fisher and Bo Burnham. It’s a rare feat to watch a film and not feel a fake or staged moment. As someone who was an awkward and weird kid I looked at Kayla with understanding. Some might find this a little too on the nose at times, but I honestly would love to see this film become required viewing in middle school.

https://sdfilmthoughts.wordpress.com/2018/12/05/fun-things-from-the-eighth-grade-commentary/

1. WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?

Oh my how I was disappointed when the Academy Award nominees were announced and Won’t You Be My Neighbor? was snubbed in the Best Documentary category. I grew up with Fred Rogers/Mister Rogers Neighborhood thankful for the life lessons and philosophy he bestowed upon me. In a time where the world has become polarized and more cynical than ever we needed a reminder about the power of kindness. If there was a film that affected me this year it was this one. After leaving the theatre I had to sit in my car for a few minutes and collect myself. I ask everyone to do themselves a favor and check this one out.

And there you have it, another year in film done. These are my thoughts but as usual, what are yours? Did you enjoy any of the films I listed? Are you surprised by any of my selections? Feel free leave a comment and get some discussion going. I’ll also have links to my previous top ten lists from years past. Remember you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @sdfilmthoughts. I’ve also begun contributing at Midwest Movie Talk on Facebook. Give the page a like for reviews from myself and other SD writers. I will also be making a guest appearance on Fat Dude Digs Flicks podcast talking a little more in-depth about these picks. Please give it a listen. As always, thanks for reading.

https://sdfilmthoughts.wordpress.com/2016/04/01/my-10-favorite-films-of-2015/

https://sdfilmthoughts.wordpress.com/2017/04/17/my-ten-favorite-films-of-2016/

https://sdfilmthoughts.wordpress.com/2018/03/05/my-ten-favorite-films-of-2017/

The Honorable Mentions of 2018

As we continue to build towards my 10 best 2018 we must take another pit stop. While there are always 10 great films every year I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to quickly speak out about some films that were entertaining, but just didn’t make the cutoff. So without further ado, here are my honorable mentions from the year of 2018.

– THE MCU TRIO (Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man & The Wasp) –

Ten years ago I remember sitting in a theatre seeing Iron Man. I had read reviews online and stayed seated as people shuffled out as the credits rolled. Here we and Marvel continues to surprise and excite me. You can call me a mindless fanboy, but I got to see Thanos snap half of their universe out of existence. Honestly, I will continue to watch these films until they fizzle out or until I’m too old to remember them. Yay, we have three more this year!

– BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY –

I’m not going to delude myself, this wasn’t a perfect film. Aside from the behind the scenes controversy there were plot points that didn’t quite match up with reality. But with Rami Malek’s powerhouse performance, amazing production/costume design, and of course a soundtrack soaked with all of the amazing tunes crafted by Mercury and co. it was a blast. I can’t defend it, but I will fully admit that I will be adding it to my collection down the line.

– BUMBLEBEE –

I was hopeful for this film from the moment I heard Travis Knight had been hired to direct. When I saw the trailer I knew I’d have to see it in theatres. Walking out I was satisfied with a live action Transformers film. I never thought that would happen.

– CHRISTOPHER ROBIN –

People will likely call foul of, “How can you like this film and not like Mary Poppins Returns?! They’re the same!” For me it felt like there was more passion with this film. Robert Forster seemed to have a love for A.A. Milne’s world and wanted to by right by the author’s work. Throw in the fact that Ewan McGregor gave such a committed and earnest performance and I loved it.

– ISLE OF DOGS –

Wes Anderson crafts another stop-motion animated film and it’s beautiful. That’s pretty much all I have to say. Give it a look!

– LEAN ON PETE –

I saw the trailer for this film and thought, “Hmm, this looks like that Disney film Flash, but with Steve Buscemi.” I was surprised how heartfelt and dark this film went. Can we also admit that Steve Zahn got screwed over in his career? It was nice to see him get a role with some real sustenance to it.

– LEAVE NO TRACE –

It’s always tough tell stories of people who disconnect from society and have to re-assimilate down the line. Is there a believable reason for their  leaving the modern world? Thanks to Thomasin McKenzie and Ben Foster giving their characters a live in feel it works. I know Foster has a reputation for being a bit intense on set, but I’m always happy to see him get work.

– OVERLORD –

Bad Robot has had a mixed bag of a year. While The Cloverfield Paradox was dumped onto Netflix as a way to hedge their bets to make it a success and not pay for prints and advertisements. Thankfully Overlord was a fun bloody romp homaging grindhouse films better than well… Grindhouse. I can’t wait to watch it again.

– PADDINGTON 2 –

It makes me so happy that Paddington got a sequel that was (arguably) better than the original film. Paul King has done a fantastic job crafting this beautiful world. I am a little disappointed he won’t be returning to direct the 3rd film, but I hope he has a hand in keep the series on track.

– ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND –

As a kid of the 90’s I’ve always been a fan of Robin Williams. He was in many of my favorite films (Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji) and as I grew up I watched him take on some darker films (Insomnia, One Hour Photo). It’s always tough when you find out someone who spread so much laughter and happiness had their own inner demons. It’s sad to think of what might’ve happened had Williams been diagnosed properly and sooner.

– SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO –

Benicio del Toro returns with another great script from Taylor Sheridan. While Denis Villeneuve was busy with Blade Runner 2049 Stefano Sollima stepped into the director’s spot. Sollima did a competent job taking over and thankfully had del Toro, Josh Brolin, and Jeffrey Donovan returning. Hopefully Sheridan is busy on the script for Sicario 3 as we speak.

– UPGRADE –

Leigh Whannell (along with friend and cohort James Wan) have been filmmakers I’ve admired ever since I watched Saw back in 2004. While Insidious: Chapter 3 was Whannell’s directorial debut this feels like the film he wanted to make. Much like Overlord it’s a campy bonkers film that has fun with it’s goofy concept. While it made money it’s a shame it wasn’t a bigger hit. Odds are you missed it, so rectify that mistake ASAP.

So yes, another group of films that were fun to watch, but just couldn’t crack the top 10. These are my thoughts, but as usual what are yours? Did you like any of the films listed? Are you upset one of them didn’t make the top 10? If you’re interested links to my previous honorable mention lists can be found below. Remember you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @sdfilmthoughts. I’ve also begun contributing to Midwest Movie Talk on Facebook. Click on the link and give us a like. As always, thanks for reading.

https://www.facebook.com/midwestmovietalk/

https://sdfilmthoughts.wordpress.com/2016/03/31/the-honorable-mentions-of-2015/

https://sdfilmthoughts.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/the-honorable-mentions-of-2016/

https://sdfilmthoughts.wordpress.com/2018/02/25/the-honorable-mentions-of-2017/

2018 Films That Were a Disappointment (To Me)

Once again another year is gone and we’re left to look back and assess what came and went from the multiplexes (and all VOD platforms). For over a decade I’ve made Ten Best and Worst film lists, but this year I wanted to do something different. Instead of mocking and ripping the piss from a bunch of films most online critics have already verbally bludgeoned I’m taking a new approach. The following will be a list of films that for one reason or another I had some interest in seeing and what I was left with was an hour and 1/2 to two hours of let down. Since odds are there are going to be a few films on this list that I know people are going to disagree with I am going to preface the rest of this with this being a list of personal taste. It does not necessarily reflect the film’s true merits. And with that let’s look back and unpack these films.

ACTION POINT

Having been intrigued with the history of theme parks when I heard there was a film being made about the infamous Action Park I was excited. For any unfamiliar with Action Park it was a theme park opened in Vernon New Jersey. Not to delve to deep into the story, but the place was notorious for rides that weren’t properly tested and lead to multiple injuries and a few deaths. A film based on the events could’ve been fascinating. In the end it was a starring vehicle for Johnny Knoxville with some fun stunts, but left a lot to be desired. If you’re interested in learning the real story of Action Park check out the Defunctland video below. Kevin Perjurer does a great job going over the history of the infamous water park.

DARK CRIMES

It has been a rough few years for Jim Carrey. I hate to say it, but the last good film he starred in was the underrated I Love You Phillip Morris… which was released in 2009. Carrey has proven he can deliver great non-comedic performances. Based on a true crime article the film premiered at the Warsaw Film Festival it took two years to get released. What could’ve been a fantastic crime thriller in the vein of Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was a editorial mess. Thankfully Carrey’s new TV series debuted this year and (from the episodes I’ve seen) is new chapter for the comedian.

FAHRENHEIT 451

Ray Bradbury’s seminal work has been a must read in the science fiction literary genre. While the 1966 film is cheesy by today’s standards it’s a fine film for it’s age. In an era of social media stardom and slanted journalism a new adaptation seemed topical. Throw in a stellar cast including Michael B. Jordan, Michael Shannon, and Sofia Boutella and it could’ve been a slam dunk. With questionable alterations to it’s source material  (Like an ending that has books encoded into animal DNA. Yeah, you read that correctly.) it just didn’t measure up to what might’ve been.

MARY POPPINS RETURNS

This is the one that is going to draw ire from most readers. As a child Mary Poppins was one of those films that I loved. It introduced me to Julie Andrews and Dick van Dyke both of whom I became a fan of and the respective works. In spite of author P.L. Travers’ distaste for the original film, Walt and the Sherman Brothers crafted a whimsical film that captured the imaginations of children for over 50 years. When news broke of a follow-up with Emily Blunt in the titular role I was excited. Bringing back the whimsy of the original film would have made for an amazing film going experience. Alas, when I left the theatre I felt like I’d seen was a film crafted with such calculation that it was a product made to wring dollars out of fans based on nostalgia.  Plus, it hit a lot of the same narrative points of another Disney film that I personally enjoyed more. That’d be Christopher Robin, if you were interested. I intend on revisiting Mary Poppins Returns in the future to see if my opinion will change with more viewings, but as of now I’m left in the minority on this one.

THE PREDATOR

Aside from the AVP films the Predator series in my opinion has always been pretty solid. The original is a classic action film, number 2 is an underrated gem, and Predators added an interesting new piece to the legacy of these creatures. With Shane Black and Fred Dekker as the creative driving force I was ready for another great chapter in this story. I don’t know if this film had a messy script from the get go, but some choppy editing, odd comedy beats, and questionable story choices made for a film that just didn’t measure up to it’s predecessors. Maybe next time.

SUMMER OF 84

After reading the synopsis and seeing the trailer I had high hopes for Summer of 84. There was talent behind and in front of the camera and the Rear Window premise was intriguing. It personally wasn’t my cup of tea. Maybe I’m burnt out on 80’s nostalgia.

A WRINKLE IN TIME

Ava DuVernay is a director who has style and has previously tackled subjects of substance. Madeleine L’Engle’s novel had already been attempted by Disney on a television budget which was nowhere enough to make the stories visuals pop. So with $130 million dollar budget, a killer cast, and a promising trailer it looked like this was going to be the adaption the source material deserved. Did removing the more pointed theological aspects of the story hurt the story? It’s debatable, but it definitely didn’t help make the story less murky.

So there you have it. While there are a few other films I could talk about these are the main picks. I don’t know if time will soften my opinions, but odds are I will try giving all of them a second look down the line. These are my thoughts, but as usual what are yours? What films disappointed you in 2018? Is there anything on my list you think deserves to be there or something you’d like yo defend? Let me know. Remember you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @sdfilmthoughts. As always, thanks for reading.

Looking at the Comic Adaptions of 2019

2019 is here and we are ready for another round of films. While I still have to craft my favorites of 2018 list (I hope want to see a few more films) I wanted to look ahead to what’s on the horizon. We continue to hear people speak about the comic book fatigue that has or will set in with filmgoers. Whether or not you’re sick of comic book films they’re not going anywhere in the not too distant future. I did a quick tally and there are ten films based off comics coming out this year. I’m going to look at these films, the news and publicity materials released, and give my personal opinion on whether or not I’m excited to to see them. So without further ado, let’s begin!

CAPTAIN MARVEL – March 8th

Eleven years into the Marvel Cinematic Universe we’re getting their first female lead film. Aside from that we’re also going to begin to open up the more Sci-Fi space side of Marvel that began with Guardians of the Galaxy. With the fantastic Brie Larson portraying Carol Danvers I’m excited right off the bat. Throw in a pretty impressive supporting cast and the fact that it will be set in the 1990’s (keeping it from getting entangled in the post-Infinity War MCU) it’s got a chance of being this year’s Black Panther. A character who isn’t well known by general audience, but with the Marvel name and strong combination of cast/crew it could become the first big hit of the year. And we also get our first idea of how Danvers will fit into the bigger picture of this story.

SHAZAM! – April 5th

The DCEU has been a bit of a roller coaster ride since the release of Man of Steel back in 2013. Wherever you stand on the overall series that is trying to deal with it’s identity crisis all of the films have been interesting in their own ways. Shazam! appears to be the most levity filled one yet. And I mean that as a compliment. Tone needs to be left up to the creative team of each film. I’m happy to see David F. Sandberg wanted to make something more akin to an 80’s adventure film. The Batman V. Superman tone wouldn’t have been the best course of action for this film. It’s smart to show the film is still part of the larger DCEU even if it never leads to the characters connecting. I’m happy to see Zachary Levi taking the lead and putting so much charm and energy into it. I look forward to Mark Strong and can’t wait to see a trailer revealing more of Dr. Sivana. Fingers crossed it’s as least as fun as the teaser has made it out to be.

HELLBOY – April 12th

Over a decade since the release of Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy II: The Golden Army we’re getting a reboot of the titular character. After years of waiting with bated breath to see if del Toro will get to finish out his trilogy I will admit it was a bit disappointing hearing it would not happen. But as news came out about the new iteration of the property I became mildly intrigued. Neil Marshall is a director I’ve enjoyed ever since I saw The Descent in high school. David Harbour is flying high after killing it as Chief Jim Hopper on Stranger Things. And everyone involved spoke of the darker tone this film would take from the previous two. Then the trailer was released. While it’s only a piece of marketing material I did not feel the ‘darker tone’ promised. Everything felt like it was cribbing from del Toro’s version while throwing in a Guardians of the Galaxy ragtag misfits vibe. I’m hoping with another trailer we’ll get a better feel for this film, but I’m cautious.

AVENGERS: ENDGAME – April 26th

Arguably Endgame is the most anticipated blockbuster of 2019. After pulling off the impossible with Infinity War The Russo Brothers are now tasked with something more difficult. Endgame will mark the finale for a lot of character’s storylines while ushering in the next ten years of the MCU. Can this film satisfy such a tall order? With Marvel’s track record the odds are in their favor. There’s not much else to say, except we’re less than four months away from finding out how this will turn out.

DARK PHOENIX – June 9th

After going through the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s with the latest version of X-Men we’re now at the 90’s! We’re also treated to a second try at adapting the Dark Phoenix storyline after The Last Stand fumbled the ball over a decade ago. As Disney is poised to take over 20th Century Fox this may in fact be the last film in this canon of X-Men (Yes, there’s another X-Men film and we’ll get to that). I know people mock Sophie Turner’s acting chops as being just Sansa Stark in different clothes, but I am going to give her a chance. I just hope knowing that the Disney merger was on the horizon Simon Kinberg put some finality into this series that started back in 2000.

SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME – July 5th

It’s amazing to look back at Spider-Man on the big screen. While other reboots have mined the ever living hell out of one villain in a hero’s rogues gallery (Looking at you Joker) Spider-Man has always tried to pick a new foe with every film. After all these years I’m super excited that Mysterio will finally make his cinematic debut. Due to loving the Spider-Man cartoon on FOX Kids Mysterio became a personal favorite of the Web-Head’s baddies. I’ve been waiting for this moment ever since the rumor circulated (and later proved to be true) that Bruce Campbell would be donning the iconic helmet had Spider-Man 4 been made. Throw in the fact that The Elementals are the primary antagonists and I am giddy. Now the question has arisen as to whether or not this will take place before or after the events of Infinity War/Endgame. Personally it doesn’t matter to me so long as it’s another worthy entry in the series.

THE NEW MUTANTS – August 2nd

Okay, I stated earlier that Dark Phoenix was the last in the Fox X-Men canon, but there are two distinct styles of X-Men films. The main timeline (X-Men, X2, The Last Stand, First Class, Days of Future Past, and Apocalypse) and the side stories (The Wolverine Trilogy and the Deadpool films). The side stories are canon, but can dip a toe into into a different genre. Based on the trailer for The New Mutants we’re going to see a superhero horror film. Just writing those words gets me excited. Bending these two genres opens this film up for a unique experience. That’s not even looking at the cast that includes some amazing young actors like Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Charlie Heaton. In spite of the reshoots and being pushed back over a year I’m hoping for the best.

JOKER – October 4th

This is quite possibly the weirdest film of the bunch. Directed and co-written by Todd Phillips (The director of the Hangover trilogy) and not connected to the DCEU as a whole we’re left to wonder what is this? Throw in the fact that Joaquin Phoenix (one of the most phenomenal actors currently working today) is playing the titular character this could be either an Academy Award worthy film or a huge misfire. Until we see a trailer to get an idea of the tone this film is taking on I’m just going to have to wait with curiosity.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY – October 18th

Yep, before it was a classic TV series and two fun films that gave me a crush on Christina Ricci The Addams Family was comic series created in 1938 by Charles Addams. Originally slated to be another stop motion animated film directed by Tim Burton the film is now a CGI animated film with Sausage Party directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan at the helm. All we’ve seen so far is a publicity still of the main characters, but I have to say the designs look impressive. Taking inspirations from Addam’s original cartoon the characters look creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky. (You see what I did there?) And the best part, the voice acting is pretty impressive. Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, and Bette Midler will be bringing this iconic family to life. I think The Addams Family has potential to be a fun animated film.

KINGSMAN: THE GREAT GAME – November 8th

Rounding out the list is the third entry in the Matthew Vaughn and Mark Millar’s series. After The Golden Circle wasn’t as loved as the first film the pair decided to take a new approach. Acting as a prequel, The Great Game will show the formation of the Kingsman and their first mission. Right now all we know aside the from the prequel setting is the cast will include Ralph Fiennes, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Bruhl, Charles Dance, Rhys Ifans, and Matthew Goode. As I said, Kingsman: The Golden Circle wasn’t as big of a success as the first critically or financially. This may be a good way to get audiences reinvigorated with the series. There’s no promotional material available for the film, but it’s 11 months away from release so that’s understandable. I could also see the film possibly getting pushed into 2020 to avoid competition and be given more time for post-production.

These are my thoughts, but as usual what are yours? What films on this list are you most excited to see? Are you feeling comic book fatigue in the cinemas? Let me know. Remember you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @sdfilmthoughts. As always, thanks for reading.

Fun Things from the Eighth Grade Commentary

As the year winds down we must begin to look back at the films of 2018. In the coming months I’ll be compiling my top 10, but for now I wanted to focus on a film a really enjoyed. Eighth Grade is Bo Burnham’s feature directorial debut and it was pretty damn good. While things always change in culture no one will ever forget those painfully awkward teen years we endure. Elsie Fisher does a fantastic job portraying Kayla and all the ups and downs she endures. The film has been out on Blu-ray for a few months, but I finally got around the listening to Bo and Elsie’s audio commentary this week and here are some of the best tidbits.

-Opening Monologue-

The entire scene was shot using the camera from a MacBook Air. Due to the fact that the video quality was so good it had to be degraded in post. Bo initially was worried that Elsie might not be able to complete the entire monologue in one take that he initially planned on cutting takes up and laying the opening credits over it. Elsie proved she could pull it off and it makes for a great opening.

-Minor Details-

The Post-it Notes surrounding Kayla’s bathroom mirror actually spent a couple months in crew member’s bathroom. Bo wanted them to look properly aged instead of freshly written.

-Montage-

The establishing montage at the school was put together to show that no matter how much things change some middle school stuff is timeless (i.e. Sniffing markers, snapping rubber brands in braces).

-Original Title-

The film’s original title was The Coolest Girl in the World based off the inscription on Kayla’s time capsule. It was changed when Bo realized that title only worked after you saw the film.

-Clothing-

Elsie only got to keep her swimsuit out of everything from the shoot’s wardrobe. She actually wore it for PE on her last day of school. Classmates commented that they recognized it from the film’s trailer.

-First Day-

The first day of filming was the scene in the band room where Kayla opens her time capsule. She comments how she was nervous, but thought it helped her performance.

-Starring Rat Tail-

The band teacher was the actual teacher from the school where they were shooting. When Bo met him and saw the rat tail he knew it had to be in the film. He specifically shot the scene to feature it. On the day of shooting the teacher showed up wearing the white shirt to emphasize the rat tail. As Bo states, “He got it.”

-Dinner-

The scene at the dinner table took 25 takes to film. It was specifically shot in one take to avoid close-ups in order to let the scene play out more naturally.

-Sail Away-

Enya’s Orinoco Flow was specifically chosen to make the Internet surfing scene less of a technical moment and more like a religious experience.

-Connecting with the Audience-

The moment Bo knew the film was working was during screenings when people audibly reacted to Kayla cracking her phone screen. Everyone knew how that moment felt and the importance behind it.

-Odd Auditions-

Before shooting the scenes around the pool Bo had the kids show off their weird talents. Hence why we see the kid squirting water through his teeth, the kid flipping his eyelids inside out, and the girl doing the crab walk.

-All Wet-

They had planned on shooting a second take of Kayla entering the pool, but realized it would’ve taken too long to re-set the scene and dry Elsie’s hair. Elsie jokingly states, “You should’ve just shaved my head.”

-Foreshadowing that went Nowhere-

The wallpaper on Kayla’s computer is Rick and Morty, but it’s never seen at any point in the film.

-Free Production Design-

Pretty much everything you see on the wall in the school were there when they filmed. Most notably is the “Youth Against Cancers” on the bulletin board.

-Bad Acting-

One of Bo’s favorite scenes is when Kayla and Aiden are talking during the active shooter drill. It shows the awkwardness of trying to act confident and failing. Proving that Kayla is a terrible actress.

-BJ Video-

Elsie never watched any of the oral sex tutorial videos while filming. Instead she watched disgusting videos to get a reaction out of her. One of which was a video of maggots eating cheese.

-Light-

The use of light was intentional. Kayla was often seen in the harsh glow of a computer/phone screen while her father is typically seen in a warmer light. This changes as the film progresses.

-On an Elevator-

Elsie hates elevators and disliked filming those shots in the mall. It was worse when the elevator would shake reaching the top floor.

-Emily and Riley-

Bo and Elsie hypothesize that both Olivia and Riley dealt with a similar awkward phase as Kayla. While Olivia wants to use her experience to help Kayla Riley wants to take advantage of her.

-Family Cameos-

Both Elsie’s brother and father have a small role in the film. They’re sitting behind Daniel at the food court. Her brother has his back to the camera wearing a blue shirt and her father is the gentleman with the beard and glasses.

-Little Details-

Amani Lewis wore the feminist necklace seen in the film to her audition. Bo loved it and wanted it included in the film.

-Riley’s Ego-

Again, Bo and Elsie hypothesize that the real reason Riley is so upset isn’t just that he got rejected, but that he got rejected by an eighth grader. To him it’s the biggest insult possible.

-Director Cameo-

Bo Burnham made a cameo. During some close-up shots of Kayla on her phone it’s actually Bo’s thumbs. The pair joke that they have similar looking thumbs.

-Shoe Boxes-

After filming the burning scene in the backyard there were two shoe box time capsules left over from production. Elsie and Bo each got one and Elsie uses hers as a bank.

-So Many Cats-

When they filmed the date night between Kayla and Gabe the owners of the house had pet cats that had o be kept in the basement during filming. There was twelve cats in total.

-Improvisation-

The only improvised moment in the movie was the Rick and Morty moment between Kayla and Gabe. Elsie comments that she’s fallen out as a fan of the series, but still likes Harmon and Roiland’s work.

-End Credits-

Finding the typical black background of credits kind of boring Bo and the cinematographer hooked the camera up to a microscope and filmed some of Kayla’s videos. What is seen on the screen are sub-pixels from those videos.

-In Conclusion-

Before ending the commentary Bo and Elsie joke that in ten years they should come back to record a new commentary and rip into the film.

And there you have it. Another commentary broke and distilled into some fun anecdotes. I recommend anyone who’s a fan of audio commentaries of of this film to give it a listen. There’s a lot of great bits throughout and Elsie and Bo are entertaining and very charismatic.

These are my thoughts, but as usual what are yours? Have you seen Eighth Grade yet? Did you enjoy it? Will it be ranked amongst your favorite films of 2018? Let me know. Remember you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @sdfilmthoughts. As always, thanks for reading. GUCCI!