RIP Angel Zoom Smokey

    I had every intention of posting a new movie review tonight.  I had even started a few and were just waiting to put the finishing touches on them before I posted them.  I try my best to make the best reviews possible after all.  Things took an unfortunate turn this morning however when my brother called me this morning to tell me our dog Angel Zoom Smokey was sick.  Before I could even get home, she passed away.

    I am not going to lie when I say I was sobbing over the tragic news.  Angel Zoom Smokey was around twelve years old but up until today was in good health and active.  There is so much about her I am going to miss.  She was a fur ball of energy and it is still hard to process what happened.  All I know is that my heart hurts and I will never forget her.

    I wrote a post on Facebook and I wrote that I hope she finds happiness over the rainbow bridge and that I hope she is there to greet me when I pass away.  I know I would meet her with tears of joy instead of my tears of pain and loss.  Dogs are truly man’s best friend.  Angel and my other dog Demon both helped me so much when I was dealing with the grief of losing my mother that I will forever be grateful to them.  Angel was the best emotional support dog you could ask for.  Whenever I cried those nights, she would be there to kiss my face and I couldn’t help but smile.

    So why am I writing about Angel’s passing today?  Much of my content has (and still will remain) revolved around dog centric movies and tv shows.  The reason I enjoy dog movies and shows so much is because of Demon Flash Bandit and Angel Zoom Smokey.  Those two dogs have always been sort of a figurehead for me.  Years ago when Dogster was a website, I wrote for Angel Zoom Smokey quite a lot.  My dogs helped expose me to a social media presence and blogging.  They have and will remain mascots here at Next Level Blockbuster.

    While words can not express the importance Angel had in my life and my artistic endeavors, I will try my best to do so regardless in this blog.  Also, while the subject is sad and it will bring tears to my eyes for some time, I can’t help but remember that if she was here right now, the last thing she would want is for me to be sad.  So, out of respect for my little fur baby Angel, I will remember the good times we had together.  I will remember the movies we watched together in my room.  I will remember how I was your thunder buddy.  I will remember the times you barked at me in your sassiest way to let me know you disagreed.  I will miss you, simple as that.

    May you find peace my Angel and best friend.  Safe travels over that rainbow bridge.

RIP Angel Zoom Smokey

“The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part” Movie Review

    From straight out of the toy box comes “The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part”, the eagerly awaited followup to the original smash hit.  When the first movie was announced, I thought the concept was silly to be honest.  I didn’t trust Hollywood to tell a creative story with arguably one of the most creative toys on the market.  Luckily, the creative team of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller delivered one of the smartest and self aware films of 2014.  Could the sequel live up to the original?

    The film takes place directly after the first film and shows how differently the young boys and girls play with their legos through the point of view of the toys.  After Bianca (the young girl) destroys everything, the film time jumps five years and we learn that everything is no longer awesome for our lego friends as Finn (her brother) no longer feels he can build nice things.  Bianca uses her Duplo legos to try and play with Finn but he has no interest in doing so.  So, Bianaca’s creation Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi and General Sweet Mayhem kidnap a group of Finn’s legos including Lucy, Unikitty, MetalBeard, Benny, and Batman in an attempt to ‘unite’ the two group of toys through marriage.  Only Emmet and his new ally Rex can save the day.  Perhaps everything isn’t as it seems for Emmet however and his actions have consequences that reach beyond the lego world.

    While the first movie had somewhat of a twist in revealing the father and son dynamic that was behind the movie, this movie instead shifts the focus to be on sibling rivalry as hinted at during the final moments of this film’s predecessor.    The movie ultimately finds it’s heart by showcasing the bonding between the two children by the film’s climax.

    The movie isn’t as original as the first film but it would be almost impossible and perhaps foolish to try and recapture the same magic of the first film.  The film’s strength is in successfully shifting the dynamic of the theme and by being incredibly funny and witty.  The film features several references and Easter eggs.  It is unfortunate that Will Ferrell was reduced to such a small, voice over only, role in this particular film.  Maya Rudolph instead fills in the void left by Ferrell’s absence by playing his wife and the mother of Finn and Bianca.  The film once again features impressively witty music that is hilarious in the context of the movie.

    “The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part” ultimately falls just shy of the greatness of the first film.  That being said, it is still a very worthy sequel and a very enjoyable film overall (something that isn’t common for sequels).

Grade: B+

"Benji" (2018) Movie Review

    Earlier last year, my girlfriend and I were surfing through Netflix trying to find something to watch when we stumbled upon “Benji”.  We both love dogs so I figured a classic like “Benji” might make for a good movie date.  It was within a few seconds that my girlfriend informed me that this “Benji” film was a new release, which took me by surprise because I didn’t know that the classic dog feature was rebooted!  So, a feel good dog movie was something we could both agree with.

    The new “Benji” tells the story of a cute little stray dog and the two children who discover him.  The children decide to take the dog in, unbeknownst to their mother, and they name him Benji.  A child can only hide a dog for so long however and once their mother finds out, she makes them get rid of Benji.  Shortly after setting Benji free, the children end up getting kidnapped.  Luckily, Benji doesn’t give up on the children and helps reunite the kids with their mother.

    Brandon Camp wrote and directed the reboot of the 1974 classic.  Brandon is the son of Joe Camp, the creator of the original “Benji”.  Camp creates an interestingly fresh take on the franchise and I would be excited to see more adventures of Benji.

    The two main child actors do a good job on the film but the real star of the movie is the dog.  Benji is a cute little mixed breed dog and the dog really emotes better than most human actors.  It was interesting to see Blumhouse Productions’ regular Angus Sampson in a supporting role.

    I ended up really enjoying “Benji”.  It wasn’t a masterpiece but it served it’s purpose and served as a solid reboot to the franchise.  The only flaw I really had with the movie is that it was a little darker in tone than your typical family film.  Ultimately, “Benji” is a fun little movie to watch to help you forget your troubles for ninety minutes or so.

Grade: B-

"Benji: Off the Leash!" Movie Review

    It has been a busy week for me between my job at a grocery store and also working on eBay (a roof over the old noggin doesn’t pay for itself) so it has taken me a little time to catch up and finish the final Benji film that was included in the Benji blu-ray/DVD set provided by Mill Creek Entertainment.  “Benji: Off the Leash!” which had the working and early promotional title of “Benji Returns: Rags to Riches” was released in 2004 but was mostly overlooked and forgotten about.

    The film opens in semi meta fashion with the announcement that a film crew in looking for a new dog to play the iconic Benji for a new film.  After this, we are introduced to Colby, a young boy who is taking care of a dog and her puppies.  Colby’s abusive father finds him and we find out that the mother canine is one of his breeding dogs that he uses at his puppy mill so he takes her back and abandons one of the puppies because the puppy is obviously a mutt he can’t resell.  Colby secretly takes care of the puppy behind his dad’s back.  Once the young dog finds out his mother is at the puppy mill, he sets off on a journey to rescue his mother.

    As far as the original Benji movies go, “Benji: Off the Leash!” feels most like a modern movie.  Unfortunately, it also has a made for tv vibe to it.  That isn’t the worst thing in the world and I have a feeling budgetary reasons may have played a factor in that as well.  The movie’s plot is fairly simple and that plays to Benji’s strength.  All the Benji movies are made to essentially serve as family movies.

    Coming out a whooping thirty years after the original Benji film, director Joe Camp once again returns to him this latest installment.  Camp manages to craft and structure this Benji film with a modern sensibility.  While filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese have managed to reinvent themselves over and over again, it is refreshing to see a smaller filmmaker do so as well, even if it is to less acclaim or success.  It should also be noted that both the main dogs used in the movie were adopted from shelters in real life by filmmaker Joe Camp and his family.

    “Benji: Off the Leash!” is often met with extremely negative reviews and while the movie is far from perfect, I feel the reviews are also far to harsh.  Yes, the human characters in the film come off as over the top and the music doesn’t help because it sounds cartoonish as well but perhaps that was Joe Camp’s intent.  The main focus of the Benji movies has always been on the dog(s).  The dog who would become Benji in this film was cute and also had the same expressive eyes as his predecessor.  The movie isn’t a masterpiece but it is cute and entertaining which should be the main goal of a movie in my opinion.

    While I will agree certain aspects of the movie could have been improved on, I also think the movie was still pretty fun.  I also feel like this might serve as the best Benji movie to modern audiences.

Grade: B-

Buy the "Benji" Three Movie Collection on DVD and Blu-ray Here!!!

"For the Love of Benji" Movie Review

    After I finished watching the original “Benji”, I followed it up the next day with a viewing of “For the Love of Benji”, the first followup to the first film.  Special note, this review was made possible due to Mill Creek Entertainment providing me a review copy of three Benji movies.  I had intended to see this movie for a long time and for one reason or another, just forgot about (which is easy to do when your film collection rivals that of Blockbuster from years ago).

    The film follows Benji, Tiffany, and his owners as they travel to Greece.  While Benji is waiting to be loaded on the plane, a mysterious stranger marks Benji’s paw with something and then boards the plan for Greece.  Unfortunately, Benji and Tiffany get lost and when the bag handler finds them, he accidentally allows Benji to escape.  So, the film revolves around Benji being lost in a foreign land and his owners, special agents, and criminals all trying to find him before the other party does.

    “For the Love of Benji” is a followup that tries to top the original film in scope and I feel like that is where is ultimately stumbles a bit.  I like that Joe Camp tried to tell a different story but making the film “bigger” sort of took some of the spirit of the first film away.  “Benji” was a character piece focused on a dog rather than a human.  It didn’t need to top the original, it just needed to be cute.

    Setting the movie in Greece felt a little like the film was doubling for a tourist advertisement.  A good chunk of the dialogue spoken in the film is in Greek with no English subtitles.  Whatever the reason for setting the film in Greece, I feel like the movie suffered a bit as a result.

    “For the Love of Benji” is essentially the movie in which Benji becomes a spy.  The film feels like they put the original “Benji” film and the original “Mission: Impossible” tv show in a blender.  I felt like at any moment, Benji might have turned out to be Martin Landau in a big reveal.  I never thought I could compare a dog movie to “The French Connection” but that is what I am doing I guess.

    The film depicts Benji’s adventurous spirit and resourcefulness but it does so at the cost of showcasing his loyalty at times.  That is a small complaint I had at the beginning but the film quickly went back to focus on Benji wanting to reunite with his family.  One thing that struck me about this film and it’s predecessor were their reliance on visual storytelling, everything wasn’t spoken or addressed to the audience, you actually had to watch the film to see what was happening.  It kind of reminded me how short our attention span has gotten over the years.  I also loved Benji’s eyes and how expressive they were in conveying his confusion and fear.

    After all is sad and done, “For the Love of Benji” was an entertaining film but wasn’t as emotionally charged as the 1974 original film.  There are definitely worse sequels though.  ::cough:: “Highlander 2”  ::cough::

Grade: C+

Buy the "Benji" Three Movie Collection DVD and Blu-ray Set Here!!!

"Benji" (1974) Movie Review

    I have seen countless movies and television shows that feature dogs.  I am a sucker for anything featuring a dog I guess.  Now, that doesn't mean I would professionally say all of those films and tv shows were quality, but I still manage to find some enjoyment on a personal level in just about anything featuring man's best friend.  Now, up until recently, I had not seen the original "Benji" film from 1974 but I was very aware of the Benji franchise.  Benji is one of those dogs who became so iconic that you likely knew the name even if you hadn't seen anything in the Benji franchise.

    I had owned various Benji films on DVD over the years but I never bought the original "Benji" for some reason.  It has always been a film I was curious about exploring and thankfully the kind folks at Mill Creek Entertainment were nice enough to provide me a review copy of their new Benji three film blu-ray release.  I was extremely excited and surprised to get the film(s) in the mail earlier this week.  As soon as I had time (which isn't something I have a lot of working at a grocery store close to full time as well as running my own e-bay store), I was super pumped to see "Benji" in this blu-ray release!

    A large reason "Benji" has remained so relevant over the years has been due to the enormous popularity of the first film forty-five years ago.  The film was a hit with audiences leading to sequels as well as a Benji film made by Disney.  "Benji" was also nominated for an Oscar for "I Feel Love" in the ‘Best Song’ category.

    "Benji" tells the story of an adorable mutt who the people around the town take care of by feeding and paying attention to.  Two young children take an extreme liking to Benji and want to take him in but their father is unwilling to welcome a dog into their house.  The two children get kidnapped and the key to finding them just so happens to be Benji.

    The thing I love about certain films of the 70s is that while it has become dated due to fashion and certain filming techniques, those same things also give it a certain charm that is almost impossible to replicate.  Though a family film, it has the same feel as the drive in theater hits of the era like “Walking Tall” and “The Legend of Boggy Creek”.  The music also has a very 70s vibe which I loved.  Seeing Tom Lester from “Green Acres” was also pretty fun.

    Joe Camp produced, wrote, and directed “Benji” and he had every right to be proud of his accomplishment.  There is an old adage from W.C. Fields to “never work with children or animals” but Camp seemed to take the statement as a challenge while making “Benji”.

    Benji serves as an adorable film lead.  From his floppy ears to his cute underbite, it’s easy to see why audiences fell in love with the cute mutt.  During the Hollywood Renaissance, a family friendly film like “Benji” must have seemed like a welcomed change to some.  It also served as a precursor to modern films like “A Dog’s Way Home”, “A Dog’s Purpose”, and the Netflix reboot of this very film.

    For film buffs and dog lovers, “Benji” remains a must see movie.  While some aspects of the film may have aged poorly, the relationship Benji shares with the people in town and his animal pals remains timeless.  It melts your heart seeing Benji share a montage with his girlfriend Tiffany and the scene helps showcase the talent of the four legged cast.

Grade: B+

Buy the "Benji" Three Movie Collection DVD and Blu-ray Set Here!!!

"Thumb Wars: The Phantom Cuticle" Movie Review

    Around the time “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” was set to come out, it seemed like the whole country was caught up in Star Wars fever.  It seems strange to say especially now if you didn’t grow up during the time, but it was like Star Wars brought people together in a way never before seen.  Everyone wanted to show their love and excitement for the new prequel and a lot of comedians did so by releasing loving parodies of the original trilogy.  One such filmmaker, Steve Oedekerk, did so with a short film entitled “Thumb Wars” (also known as “Thumb Wars: The Phantom Cuticle”).  The short film aired on UPN a day before the release of the Star Wars prequel and I fell in love with it.

    I discovered this little gem by accident one day while flipping through the tv channels when I was a teenager.  This was a 20-30 minute special which spoofed the first Star Wars movie.  This film was family friendly and features somewhat juvenile humor.  The film literally features thumbs with faces scanned onto them as parody versions of the original Star Wars characters.  The short film is dumb humor but it’s the type of humor I adore.

    “Thumb Wars” paved the way for other spoofs featuring thumbs.  It was also the predecessor to the comedic film “Kung Pow! Enter the Fist”.  The work of Oedekerk tends to get panned by critics but it also tends to develop cult followings.  Even these ‘thumb universe’ short films have a loyal following.  Comedy is very subjective, so it remains one of the hardest subject matters to do a fair review of.  I mean, there are times I have to be in the mood to watch a comedy even if it’s one I love.

    I tend to gravitate towards abstract humor and comedy that appears dumb, but actually has more wit to it than it seems to on the surface.  That is why Mel Brooks has always been one of my favorite comedy writers.  He was a master at writing silly dialogue that actually had a lot of thought and references to literature and history put into it.

    Now, “Thumb Wars” isn’t on the level of a “History of the World: Part I” but it is silly and irrelevant and you know what, I am okay with that because it made me laugh.  “Thumb Wars” was made for a whole family to enjoy so the humor needed to be accessible to everyone.

    I am going to give this short film a grade, which I was on the fence about at first.  I figured maybe I couldn’t give the movie a ‘fair’ grade because it's impossible to grade a comedy fairly.  Then I thought about it and realized that all films are subjectively good or bad.  I have already put myself out there as a judge of cinema (aka cinema snob).  Look, even though I know this film is beyond silly, it still makes me laugh.  So maybe my grade will be unfair to some, but this short deserves a little more love so I am going to give it some.

Grade: B+

"Mad Max: Fury Road" Movie Review

    For the most part, once a project enters development Hell, it either stays in limbo or it morphs into something completely different.  Well, “Mad Max: Fury Road” was a movie that managed to escape a changed film.  The fourth entry in the “Mad Max” franchise was envisioned years earlier and was going to have Mel Gibson reprise the title role.  After a number of years past, rumors started hitting the web that George Miller, director of the Mad Max films, was courting Heath Ledger to take over the role from an aging and controversial Mel Gibson.  Sadly, Ledger passed away shortly after these rumors had hit the internet and the film seemed dead.  Then, out of nowhere it seemed, “Mad Max: Fury Road” was announced with Tom Hardy in the title role.

    I have to admit I wasn’t super excited to see this film.  When the trailer hit, it didn’t exactly wow me.  Sure, the visuals looked amazing and the cast was great, but it basically looked like it was just going to be a movie about a convoy being chased through a post apocalyptic desert.  While that isn’t the worst concept, it also wasn’t a concept that much interested me.  Then I read some of the reviews and that pretty much confirmed what I expected.  The movie was going to be a pass for me.

    I didn’t grow up watching the “Mad Max” films.  I had seen parts of the original “Mad Max” film as well as a few parts of “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” but they weren’t held dear to my heart and I had never finished a “Mad Max” film.  I hadn’t even seen clips of “The Road Warrior” so maybe the excitement would have been higher had I seen those films, I don’t know.  I actually decided to see “Mad Max: Fury Road” on blu-ray so I could see it on 3D.  Yes, I bought and watched this film primarily for the gimmick of 3D and I was happy I did so.

    Much of the strength of “Mad Max: Fury Road” comes from the visual story telling from director George Miller.  Max barely speaks in the film and the pacing is so insane that it keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

    The strength of the film relies on the performances of stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron.  Ironically, Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy famously hated each other and feuded on the set numerous times.  Despite this hatred, the two managed to share a chemistry on screen that is hard to believe wasn’t real.

    “Mad Max: Fury Road” doesn’t worry too much about character development or personal drama.  The film feels more like a roller coaster than anything else but it’s luckily a fun ride.  It’s kind of funny because I really wanted to write a little more about the film because the movie was surprisingly fun but I think that might be the best statement to praise this movie.  This film also got me interested in revisiting the Mel Gibson era films and giving them another try.

Grade: B+

"The Mist" Movie Review

    I remember my first experience watching “The Mist” in theaters.  I was very excited to see it because of all the talent in front of and behind the scenes.   The film looked like a very well crafted horror movie so how could I not enjoy it?  Well, after the credits started rolling and the theater lights came on, I remained sitting for a second thinking “I really hate this movie.”  It didn’t hit me in the theater that you weren’t supposed to come out of the theater feeling good and perhaps that was my major problem with it after that first showing.

    The film is based on a novella by Stephen King and starts with our main character David painting his latest masterpiece (which just so happens to be the Gunslinger from “The Dark Tower”).  A storm descends upon his town so David takes his son to pick up some supplies at the local grocery store, which happens to be busy due to the storm.  Shortly after arriving at the store, a thick mist engulfs the building allowing for zero visibility.  After a few minutes, a large tentacle from an unknown creature attacks one of the grocery team members and kills him.  Chaos breaks out in the store as everyone tries to figure out what is going on.  As the chaos reaches a fever pitch, the store begins to get attacked by bug creatures.  The survivors of the attacks begin to try to figure how to escape the store while also trying to figure out the reason behind the mist.

    “The Mist” is the best example of why I don’t always like to do movie reviews of some movies right away.  Some movies need time to digest, they need time for you to think about them.  This movie leaves you hating it at the end but it does so for a reason.  It wants you to think about the consequences of the actions taken by the protagonist of the film.  The ending is bleak and haunting and after processing it after a second viewing, I appreciated the meaning behind it far more.

    It’s strange that a film so depressing could grow on you but it does.  The true nature of the mist and the monsters within are left deliberately ambiguous.  There is no rhyme or reason behind the horrors the survivors encounter and that leaves a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach.

    The film was directed by Frank Darabont and he is no stranger to Stephen King source material having previously directed the likes of “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Green Mile”.  “The Mist” doesn’t quite reach the levels of his previous films but it still remains thought provoking.  Darabont wisely relies on Thomas Jane as his lead actor and Jane really shines.

    “The Mist” isn’t a film for everyone and it certainly won’t be mistaken for a feel good movie that will cheer you up. Instead, it’s a movie that will leave you sad and a little disturbed but for all the right reasons.

Grade: B-

“Dumplin’” Movie Review

    Netflix keeps pumping out their original movies and the platform seems dead set on competing with the multiplex.  So seeing films of higher quality will hopefully grow more and more common in a few years.  The streaming service has already worked with the likes of Alfonso Cuarón and The Coen Brothers and the platform is even bigger internationally than it is in the United States (shows such as CBS All Access’ “Star Trek: Discovery” and DC Universe’s “Titans” are available on Netflix outside the US).  Short of a few movies here and there, their original films have been lacking somewhat.  Still, my girlfriend and I thought “Dumplin’” looked interesting so we gave it a shot and I was pleasantly surprised by the film.

    The film is essentially the coming of age story for a character named Willowdean Dickson.  Willowdean’s mother, Rosie, is a former beauty queen and the two have a strained relationship.  Willowdean was primarily raised by her Aunt Lucy, a Dolly Parton loving carefree type whom Willowdean adored.  Unfortunately, Willowdean’s Aunt passed away and her and her mother Rosie must try to mend their relationship.  Willowdean is plus-sized and feels unaccepted by her mother and peers as a result.  When she finds out her Aunt Lucy, who has also plus-sized, had half filled out an application to a beauty pageant years ago (the one her mother won), she decides to sign up to the one her mother is hosting as a form of protest.  During the pageant however, she learns more about accepting herself than she realized.

    I thought the movie was a unique coming of age story about the importance of feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin.  What better message can a movie have then the simple truth that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  It also goes into the importance of family as a theme.

    The film had comedic elements but was primarily a drama.  The scenes with the drag queens were very entertaining and provided some sweet moments as well as some chuckles.  I really thought setting the movie primarily to Dolly Parton music made it feel different and special.  Parton was famous for her strong yet vulnerable vocals which very much connect with the themes of this film.

    The film stars Danielle Macdonald as Willowdean.  Macdonald, an Australian actress who resides in the UK, pulls of an amazing performance which would shock you to learn that she isn’t from Texas.  Jennifer Aniston also gives a surprisingly strong performance as Rosie, a role which could have easily came off as one dimensional but Aniston manages to give a layered performance.  Luke Benward gives a sweet performance as Bo, the guy who sees Willowdean for who she really is and loves her for it.  Harold Perrineau from “Lost” is almost unrecognizable as a drag queen who helps Willowdean and gives her guidance.

    Michigan native Anne Fletcher directs the film and does a stellar job.  It is more complex and emotional than her previous films which include romantic comedies like “27 Dresses” and “The Proposal”.  The film is based on the novel by the same name by Julie Murphy.

    “Dumplin’” was surprisingly sweet and original.  The film dives into struggles we can all relate to and helps to show the beauty in individuality.  You can only be you, so be the best you that you can be.

Grade: B