“March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step” Movie Review

    I remember going to see “March of the Penguins” in theaters years ago.  I don’t normally see documentaries in the theater, but this film was different, it looked cute.  Okay, I admit it, I am a sucker for cute films sometimes.  I also find penguins to be rather cute so seeing a documentary on them seemed like it would make for a charming movie going experience.  It indeed was a special film and I remember “March of the Penguins” being one of my favorite movies the year it was released.  I even bought the movie poster for it!

    After more than a decade passed, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that a sequel was set to be released directly to Hulu.  The sequel was once again filmed by French filmmaker Luc Jacquet and he once again delivers breathtaking scenes depicting Mother Nature at it’s cruelest.  Jacquet somehow manages to once again capture the beauty in even the most gruesome creatures and scenarios.

    The first “March of the Penguins” film turned out to be a bit of a cultural phenomenon, aspiring many other documentaries and even parody films like “Farce of the Penguins”.  Honestly, who ever heard of a documentary receiving a sequel?  As a big fan of the first movie, I was excited to check out the sequel.

    “March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step” is about as close to a zoo or aquarium as you can get without leaving your home.  Like it’s predecessor, the film is extremely educational on the subject of emperor penguins through both the narration and the way the film is shot.

    Morgan Freeman returns to narrate the sequel and helps serve as a carry over from the previous documentary.  Freeman is a natural choice for any documentary due to his relaxing and soothing delivery.  Freeman seems to genuinely be invested in the subject matter as well.

    This sequel is currently very well reviewed and sitting at 100% critics score on rotten tomatoes at the moment.  While I would agree the film deserves a positive rating, my only complaint about the film is that it didn’t set itself apart from the first film enough.  At times during the sequel, it felt like I might have just been rewatching the first film.  That being said, the first film was amazing.

Grade: B

"Hard Ticket to Hawaii" Movie Review

    Once again, the good people over at Mill Creek Entertainment were generous enough to provide me with review copies for the two Andy Sidaris films they are releasing on Blu-ray later this month.  The first film I chose to watch and review was “Hard Ticket to Hawaii”.

    To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t aware of this film before last year.  I happened to watch an old episode of Red Letter Media’s Best of the Worst YouTube video and “Hard Ticket to Hawaii” was one of the movies featured on that video.

    The film stars former Playboy Playmates Dona Speir and Hope Marie Carlton as roommates Donna and Taryn.  Donna and Taryn work for a secret agency when they accidentally stumble in the middle of a drug deal while transporting a deadly snake that happens to escape.

    I did some research on this film after watching it and a lot of film buffs rank this as one of the best and most iconic B movies of all time.  It is easy to see why, the movie is so bizarre and over the top that it is often ridiculous.  One problem with films like this is that they are best watched in a group where you and your friends can roast the movie as you watch it, when I review movies, I typically watch them by myself or with my girlfriend.  It’s not the same experience.

    Director Andy Sidaris was famous for his explotation films and “Hard Ticket to Hawaii” is perhaps one of his most famous (and shameless) pieces of work.  How do I describe how over the top this movie is?  Well there is a scene where the two female leads discuss their work topless and in a jacuzzi.  I mean, who doesn’t do detective work topless in a jacuzzi?

    There is also a scene in which the two lead actresses plug Sidaris’ other films including “Seven” and “Malibu Express” by discussing their movie posters.  Even in the 80s, who collected Andy Sidaris movie posters?  It’s one thing to reference your other work in Easter eggs or fun little nods, but this was on a whole other level.

    Should we even discuss the snake?  Well, the snake isn’t just any snake, it’s a mutant snake and basically only shows up when it is convenient to the plot.  The snake also looks hilariously fake.

    The film feels more like something out of a tv show of the era like “The A-Team” or “Miami Vice” than an actual feature film.  I think this may be in part due to the film’s over reliance on establishing shots.  The funny thing is some of those shots are actually very beautiful which is in contrast to the low budget nature of the rest of the film.

    How do I even rate this movie?  It is an iconic B movie and there is something to get out of it from it’s sheer corniness.  How do you rate something considered so bad it’s good knowing it is still bad yet you get entertainment from it?  I keep going around in circles on this movie and the rating I should give it.  So I decided to adjust my grading scale a little because it’s my blog and I can cheat like that.

Grade: D

(Although in a group of film buffs who enjoy B movies, I would grade this film a solid B which seems fitting for this B movie gem).

Buy “Hard Ticket to Hawaii” on Blu-ray Here!!!!

“The Entity” Movie Review

    Every Halloween season, I like to catch the occasional horror film to get me in the spirit of the season even though I am not the biggest horror fan of all time.  While I enjoy the genre, I tend to favor horror films “inspired by true stories” over the usual slasher flick.  When I was growing up, I tended to look for films that were inspired by true events.  Now, I know the phrase can be used very loosely, but the extra layer of not knowing what part could be real or made up can enhance the film from meh to leaving goosebumps down your spine.

    One of the first non mainstream horror films I remember checking out as a teenager was a film called “The Entity”.  Now, before I go on, if anyone is interested in checking out this film after this review, please be warned.  The film contains a graphic subject matter and should only be viewed by a mature audience.

    “The Entity” is based on a book which itself was based on the real life haunting of Doris Bither.  While the character in the film was renamed to Carla Moran, most of the film and book lifted elements directly from Bither’s case.  In the film, Moran starts off as a normal young mother who seems perfectly normal.  Moran is, however, haunted by either a ghost or demonic presence that frequently attacks and rapes her.  Naturally, many people are skeptical of her story believing almost anything else was the cause of her apparent abuse.  She agrees to be observed by individuals interested in her story (just as the real Doris Bither had) and they also witness the supernatural events she described.

    The film, directed by Sidney J. Furie, does a fine job depicting the events as if they might really happen.  The film doesn’t try to scare it’s audience with jump scares, instead letting the violent attacks alone convey the horror Moran was going through.

    I think it would be impossible to discuss this movie without giving high praise to it’s lead actress, Barbara Hershey.  As Carla Moran, Hershey manages to convey both terror and a sense of strength while living through these horrific events.  If this film wasn’t a horror film and wasn’t so graphic, I honestly think Hershey would have been nominated for an Oscar for this role.  She is that great.

    This film remains one of my favorite horror films partly due to it’s simplicity and the fact it was based on a true story.  I am not the only one who thinks so either, as Martin Scorsese has stated that “The Entity” is also one of his favorite horror films.  Without this film, you might not have a film like “The Conjuring” today.

Grade: B+

“A Madea Family Funeral” Movie Review

    It’s become something of a tradition for my girlfriend and I to see a movie in the theater once a week.  This week, we decided to check out “A Madea Family Funeral” and I didn’t know what to expect.  I have never watched a full Madea movie and have only seen a few odd clips of Tyler Perry’s movies and read other people’s reviews.  So, I basically entered the Madea Cinematic Universe blind.

    At it’s core, “A Madea Family Funeral” is a family melodrama with some humor sprinkled in.  It dives into the morality of relationships and trust (sometimes a bit too heavy handed even for a melodrama).  As the title naturally suggests, what brings Madea’s family together (and tears them apart) is the funeral Medea and her friends are asked to help coordinate.

    Tyler Perry is a bit of a fascinating figure to me.  Perry was (and still very much is) a beloved figure in the African American community and he managed to transcend racial demographics to become a main stream success.  Regardless of what you might think of his work, it’s hard not to respect and admire all he has accomplished by bringing important issues to the forefront of his work while still making them enjoyable and accessible to a general audience.

    After reading all the negative reviews for this film I have to say that I think most critics are a little too hard on this film.  To be honest, I really thought the film would be disappointing and while it’s far from the best film ever, I thought the film worked and told an entertaining story.  There were things that didn’t work and the film could be overly sappy, but no one manages to make soap opera drama work like Tyler Perry.

    The cast was led primarily by Tyler Perry in several different roles and he is enjoyable and funny in every role he is in.  Perry reminds me a bit of Jim Varney as Ernest in that respect.  Regardless of your opinions on the Madea and Ernest films, both actors were stellar in their roles which is why they both became so iconic.  On a side note, as a WWE fan, it was cool to see David Otunga in a supporting role.

    “A Madea Family Funeral” is supposedly the last Madea film Tyler Perry plans to make.  While I am not the biggest soap opera fan, Perry manages to keep you invested in the film even during the schlock moments.  Would I ultimately recommend this film?  Well, Madea fans should definitely see this in theaters but while I wouldn’t give this movie a complete pass, I would probably recommend this one as a rental to casual fans of Perry.

Grade: C

“Captain Marvel” Movie Review

    I saw “Captain Marvel” last week and I am only now getting around to writing my review of the film even though I am pretty sure everyone and their mother has seen the movie already.  A downside of having a regular job (in addition to running my own eBay store) is that free time isn’t something I have in abundance.  Having seen all the other Marvel Cinematic Universe films, I naturally had to check out “Captain Marvel”.

    To be absolutely honest, I wasn’t dying to see “Captain Marvel”.  The film looked decent but the trailer didn’t exactly ‘wow’ me.  I wanted to see the movie largely due to it tying into “Avengers: Endgame” to be completely honest (and I have a feeling a lot of people felt the same way).

    The film largely serves as a prequel to the bulk of the MCU (with the exception of “Captain America: The First Avenger”).  The film follows our hero Carol Danvers as she tries to regain her memories while serving as a member of the Kree military.  While on a mission fighting the shape shifting Skrulls, she is captured and the Skrulls manage to bring back memories she had of Earth while probing her mind.  After escaping, she lands back on Earth and must defend the planet from alien threats with the help of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury.

    If the concept of a human joining an intergalactic space force protecting the Earth seems familiar, well, it’s because that is basically the same premise as DC’s “Green Lantern”.  I love DC and Marvel (I am not a fan/nerd that picks a side) and while “Captain Marvel” is overall a better movie than “Green Lantern”, I couldn’t help but feel that DC took some of the wind out of Marvel’s sails by releasing “Green Lantern” first.

    Unlike almost all the other films in the MCU, “Captain Marvel” wasn’t able to escape the kind of controversy that normally plagues DC films.  The star of this film, Brie Larson, made several controversial comments before the film’s release which angered a large group of individuals.  It is not my job to pick a side on such issues, but I have to wonder how such comments might swing reviews in favor or against the film.

    All that being said, what did I think of the film?  Well, I thought it was okay.  Perhaps I am being too harsh on the film because it certainly wasn’t the worst of the MCU (that dishonor belongs to “Thor: The Dark World”) but it also didn’t reach the heights of films like “The Avengers” or “Iron Man”.

    “Captain Marvel” is filled with a slew of excellent performances from it’s supporting cast but the same can’t be said about it’s lead.  While I know Brie Larson can be very good in some roles, I found her to be wooden in most of her scenes and one of the worst parts of the film sadly.  Luckily for us, the supporting cast shines.  Samuel L. Jackson returns in de-aged form to showcase the origins of Nick Fury.  Jackson is both bad ass and hilarious in the movie.  The weight of the film is really carried on Jackson’s shoulders in my opinion.  Clark Gregg had a small role which provided the audience with an understanding of the trust and friendship Nick Fury and Agent Coulson had with each other.  Ben Mendelsohn was also a scene stealer throughout most of the movie.  As the leader of the Skrulls, Mendelsohn was a slimy and excellent foil to Captain Marvel and I can’t say anymore without going into spoilers (though I will say I found his accent a bit distracting while he was in Skrull form).  Lastly, I will say I expected a little more from Jude Law.  It felt a little like Law phoned this film in.

    We have to talk about the best part of the film now, Goose.  Goose, at least to me, was the clear star of the film.  My only complaint about Goose is that there should have been more of him.  Goose provided much of the levity the film had and I would love to see some sort of spin off featuring Goose.  I know Hulu has a bunch of animated Marvel shows in development, I would love to see Goose team up with Howard the Duck.

    The film managed to have a unique 90s action movie feel to it that I enjoyed.  The touches of nostalgia with references  to businesses like Blockbuster and Radio Shack also were nice touches.  Like most other Marvel movies, it is nice to see how this ties to the bigger picture of films.  One possible good or bad thing about the ending of this film is that it left a lot to be explored in sequels.

    So, “Captain Marvel” is far from the worst two and half hours you could spend watching a movie.  In fact, I can say most people will find something they enjoy about the movie.  It is also far from the game changer the studio was hoping for considering “Wonder Woman” already led the female empowerment charge a few years back.

Grade: B-

“Slender Man” Movie Review

    So I assume that most of the people reading this movie review are probably aware of Slender Man.  For those unaware, Slender Man was a popular creepypasta about a creature resembling a man who lures children to him and they disappear afterwards.  The “legend” of Slender Man also creeped it’s way into real life when two young girls from Wisconsin stabbed a classmate of theirs and claimed it was on behalf of Slender Man.  The film isn’t about the real life event (thankfully) and instead focuses on the elements from the creepypasta story.

    Upon it’s release, the movie “Slender Man” was met with horrible reviews.  I know that movies like this often don’t get a fair shake from mainstream critics so I thought perhaps I might see something redeeming in this film that other critics could not.  Not only was the story of Slender Man a popular creepypasta, but it was also a successful video game.

    The movie “Slender Man” focuses on a group of young teenage girls who watch an online video which summons Slender Man and the girls soon find themselves trying their best to escape the clutches of Slender Man.

    The movie is far from a masterpiece but not the worst movie I have seen either.  While this might not sound like much of a compliment (and it isn’t), I think the critics were a bit harsh on the film.  While many aspects of the film failed, there were things that worked.  The film sets a good atmosphere and the design of Slender Man essentially sticks to the design created in the creepypasta.  Joey King was very good with the little she was given as well.

    Now for what I didn’t like about the movie.  I thought the pacing was off and caused the film to drag a lot.  I wish the editing was a little more focused as well.  Things just kind of quickly cut from frame to frame a bit jarringly.  On that note, it also appears as if several scenes were cut from the film for some reason because many scenes from the trailer were absent from the film.

    The makeup and computer animated images were not particularly well done but were passable.  The worst aspect of the movie is that it is boring.  You see a movie for escapism and this movie doesn’t help someone escape their 9-5 life.  It might have helped the film if it had a killer ending but the film really didn’t even have a bad ending, it essentially had a non ending which is a cardinal sin with me.

    So, “Slender Man” basically feels like what should have been a five minute short film stretched out way too long to make feature film length.  It is a bland film and ultimately not worth it’s running time.

Grade: D

The 2019 Next Level Blockbuster Award Nominees

Best Picture

Aquaman

Avengers: Infinity War

Black Panther

Bohemian Rhapsody

Creed II

Green Book

Isle of Dogs

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

A Star Is Born

Best Comedy Picture

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Blockers

Crazy Rich Asians

Deadpool 2

A Futile and Stupid Gesture

Best Action Picture

Aquaman

Black Panther

Bumblebee

Mission: Impossible- Fallout

Venom

Best Horror Picture

The First Purge

Halloween

The Nun

A Quiet Place

The Strangers: Prey At Night

Best Inspirational Picture

God Bless the Broken Road

I Can Only Imagine

March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step

Pick of the Litter

Unbroken: Path to Redemption

Best Drama Picture

Bohemian Rhapsody

Creed II

First Man

Green Book

A Star Is Born

Best Science Fiction Picture

Avengers: Infinity War

The Cloverfield Paradox

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Ready Player One

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Best Live Action Family Picture

Benji

Christopher Robin

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween

The House with a Clock in Its Walls

Paddington 2

Best Animated Family Picture

The Grinch

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

Incredibles 2

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies

Best Digital or Direct to Video Picture

Bird Box

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch

The Cloverfield Paradox

A Futile and Stupid Gesture

Roma

Best Actor

Christian Bale
Vice

Chadwick Boseman
Black Panther

Bradley Cooper
A Star Is Born

Robert Downey Jr.
Avengers: Infinity War

Ryan Gosling
First Man

Michael B. Jordan
Creed II

Rami Malek
Bohemian Rhapsody

Viggo Mortensen
Green Book

Ryan Reynolds
Deadpool 2

John David Washington
BlacKkKlansman

Best Actress

Yalitza Aparicio
Roma

Emily Blunt
A Quiet Place

Sandra Bullock
Bird Box

Jamie Lee Curtis
Halloween

Lady Gaga
A Star Is Born

Jennifer Lawrence
Red Sparrow

Evangeline Lilly
Ant-Man and the Wasp

Danielle Macdonald
Dumplin’

Tessa Thompson
Creed II

Constance Wu
Crazy Rich Asians

Best Supporting Actress

Jennifer Aniston
Dumplin’

Awkwafina
Crazy Rich Asians

Marina de Tavira
Roma

Cynthia Erivo
Bad Times at the El Royale

Claire Foy
First Man

Danai Gurira
Black Panther

Zoe Kazan
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Regina King
If Beale Street Could Talk

Lupita Nyong’o
Black Panther

Michelle Yeoh
Crazy Rich Asians

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali
Green Book

Josh Brolin
Avengers: Infinity War

Adam Driver
BlacKkKlansman

Donald Glover
Solo: A Star Wars Story

Woody Harrelson
Solo: A Star Wars Story

Tom Holland
Avengers: Infinity War

Michael B. Jordan
Black Panther

Tim Blake Nelson
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Sylvester Stallone
Creed II

Patrick Wilson
Aquaman

Best Ensemble

Aquaman

Avengers: Infinity War

Black Panther

Crazy Rich Asians

Mission: Impossible- Fallout

Best Director

Wes Anderson
Isle of Dogs

Steven Caple Jr.
Creed II

Damien Chazelle
First Man

Ryan Coogler
Black Panther

Bradley Cooper
A Star Is Born

Peter Farrelly
Green Book

Ron Howard
Solo: A Star Wars Story

Anthony and Joe Russo
Avengers: Infinity War

Bryan Singer
Bohemian Rhapsody

James Wan
Aquaman

Best Adapted Screenplay

Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Avengers: Infinity War

Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole
Black Panther

Jonathan Kasdan and Lawrence Kasdan
Solo: A Star Wars Story

Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, and Will Fetters
A Star Is Born

Best Original Screenplay

Anthony McCarten
Bohemian Rhapsody

Nick Vallelonga, Brian Hayes Currie, and Peter Farrelly
Green Book

Wes Anderson
Isle of Dogs

Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, and John Krasinski
A Quiet Place

Aneesh Chaganty and Sev Ohanian
Searching

Best Original Music

Alan Silvestri
Avengers: Infinity War

Ludwig Göransson
Black Panther

Justin Hurwitz
First Man

Alexandre Desplat
Isle of Dogs

John Powell
Solo: A Star Wars Story

Best Original Song

“All the Stars” performed by Kendrick Lamar and SZA
from the motion picture “Black Panther”

“Pray for Me” performed by The Weekend and Kendrick Lamar
from the motion picture “Black Panther”

“Shallow” performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
from the motion picture “A Star Is Born”

“Sunflower” performed by Post Malone and Swae Lee
from the motion picture “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”

“Venom” performed by Eminem
from the motion picture “Venom”

Best Production Design

Aquaman

Black Panther

First Man

Mute

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Best Cinematography

Avengers: Infinity War

Black Panther

First Man

Roma

A Star Is Born

Best Costume Design

Aquaman

Avengers: Infinity War

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Bohemian Rhapsody

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Best 3D Presentation

Aquaman

Avengers: Infinity War

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Skyscraper

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Best Film Editing

Avengers: Infinity War

Bad Times at the El Royale

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch

Black Panther

Bohemian Rhapsody

Best Sound Editing

Avengers: Infinity War

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch

Bohemian Rhapsody

Solo: A Star Wars Story

A Star Is Born

Best Sound Mixing

Avengers: Infinity War

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch

Bohemian Rhapsody

Solo: A Star Wars Story

A Star Is Born

Best Special Effects

Aquaman

Avengers: Infinity War

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Ready Player One

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Best Makeup Effects

Avengers: Infinity War

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Deadpool 2

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Vice

Best Stunt Work

Black Panther

Deadpool 2

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Mission: Impossible- Fallout

Skyscraper

 Best Home Video Release

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes MVD Rewind Collection Blu-ray
Avengers: Infinity War 4K Blu-ray
Batman: The Complete Animated Series Deluxe Limited Edition Blu-ray Set
Deadpool 2 Super Duper $@%!#& Cut 4K Blu-ray
Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series Blu-ray Set
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 3D Blu-ray
Justice League 4K Blu-ray
Night of the Living Dead The Criterion Collection Blu-ray
Stranger Things Season 2 4K Blu-ray Set
Supergirl Warner Bros. Archieve Collection Blu-ray

Next Level Blockbuster Icon Award

Marlon Brando
Heath Ledger
Christopher Reeve
Gene Roddenberry
Orson Welles

Next Level Blockbuster Legacy Award
Ghostbusters
The Godfather
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Superman: The Movie