“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” Movie Review

    It’s that time of the year again, the summer movie season is winding down and large tentpole films begin to make way for artsier films before the theaters are taken over by horror movies in the fall.  With few event films left to see, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” seemed like a natural choice as the next film for me to watch to review.

    “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is a fairytale version of the last days of the golden era of Hollywood.  The film tells the story of Rick Dalton and his stunt double and friend as the pair struggle to find work in a changing entertainment industry (and world).  As Rick slowly adapts and accepts new career opportunities in Italy, he accepts that his time in the spotlight might be behind him before an encounter with members of the cult of Charles Manson changes everything.

    As a major film buff, I really enjoyed this film.  I am not the biggest fan of Quentin Tarantino out there but he always gets incredible performances from his cast.  Tarantino is as passionate as he is controversial and his work on this film is no exception.  This film received some backlash for multiple reasons but none of the reasons take away from the movie as a whole.

    While I don’t feel any of the complaints about the film affect it as a whole, it doesn’t mean the backlash it faced was unfounded.  The biggest complaint it faced was due to it’s ending which...SPOILER ALERT...rewrote history and saw Sharon Tate spared of her fate.  I admit that the ending of the film surprised me although I should have seen it coming considering “Inglorious Bastards” also rewrote history.

    The depiction of women in the film also came under fire.  I think perhaps some critics are being a bit hard on Tarantino for this considering the men in the film aren’t depicted in the best light either.  With all that being said, perhaps “I reject your hypothesis” isn’t the best response to give a reporter when asked about the subject.

    Lastly, the film also was criticized for the way it depicted legendary actor Bruce Lee.  Bruce Lee’s daughter spoke out against the way Tarantino depicted her father and for not contacting his family.  I completely understand the family being upset but I personally felt it was one of the best parts of the movie and knowing how many liberties Tarantino took with real life events, it doesn’t tarnish his legacy one bit in my opinion.

    The film featured outstanding performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt.  The two actors have a natural chemistry and their friendship shines through.  Margot Robbie is good as Sharon Tate but isn’t given as good of material as DiCaprio and Pitt to work with.

    Now, I mentioned that I wasn’t a huge Quentin Tarantino fan but his work on this film is impressive.  The movie is truly a love letter to the end of an era in Hollywood at a time when the film industry is changing once again.  Big name stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt no longer guarantee box office success so their inclusion in this film is a bit meta.  I also admire the different filming techniques Tarantino used when showcasing everything from older black and white network shows to spaghettini westerns.

    I will say if you aren’t a huge movie fan, this film may not be as accessible or as interesting to watch.  My girlfriend went to see this with me and did not enjoy it as much as I did partly for these reasons.  It is a movie that definitely isn’t for everyone.  That being said, there are a lot of funny moments and the soundtrack helps transport you back in time.

Grade: B

“Body Count” (1998) Movie Review

   The other day I decided to start watching another film that the good folks at Mill Creek Entertainment supplied me and out of the movies they sent me, I settled on “Body Count”.  I wanted to see it mainly because it had a large recognizable cast yet I had never heard of it before and I wondered how a movie with such an impressive cast could just slip under my radar this long.  Thankfully Mill Creek Entertainment always seems to unearth these forgotten films for our viewing pleasure.

    The film focuses on a group of criminals after they pull off an art heist at a museum that doesn’t go to plan.  As the group tries to make it to Miami to sell the art pieces, the in fighting among the criminals slowly increases, as does the body count (see what I did there).  The friction among the group is further increased when they pick up a woman who seems more than willing to play each criminal off of each other.

    By now you are probably well aware I love to do my research on films after I see them.  I like to read about the history and share some of the highlights with you if I find any.  Well, I had a very hard time finding out much information about this movie besides the basics.  I did find out that this film wasn’t released in theaters (hence why it went under a lot of people’s radar).  It premiered on Showtime in 1998 and it skipped a theatrical release due to negative test screenings.

    I am going to start by saying this movie has flaws which I will get into but it wasn’t terrible.  In fact, I think the movie could have easily scored a theatrical debut (and very possibly have made money and garnished positive reviews) if one aspect of the film was changed.  What could have changed?  I honestly think that if the ending had been a bit better, it would have done a lot better with test audiences.  The ending was a bit silly and left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.  The end could have easily been saved with an amazing twist.  I half expected something more to happen but the film just sort of ended.

    It was easy to see the influence of early Quentin Tarantino films on this movie.  From the all star cast (including Ving Rhames from “Pulp Fiction”) to the non linear story telling and strong language, you could tell there was hope that audiences would see it on the same level as a Tarantino film.  “Body Count” lacks the style and flair of a Quentin Tarantino film however.

    The film was filled with mostly unlikable characters.  David Caruso, Linda Fiorentino and John Leguizamo all play incredibly horrible characters you root against.  The only likable character in the film was Pike played by Ving Rhames...and he was still playing a criminal.  The film did have a moment that tickled me from former ‘New Kids on the Block’ member Donnie Wahlberg as he starts talking about the future being about protein.  For some reason, knowing that Donnie is a co-owner of Wahlburgers made this bit an odd bit of foreshadowing and also a bit funny.

    One part I thought was done fairly well was the actual robbery.  In a lot of respects, it reminded me of the opening robbery scene from “The Dark Knight”.  One by one, the criminals in the movie end up picking each other off and increasing their own shares (just like what happened in “The Dark Knight”).  I should mention that while most of the music is rather generic in the film, the music used for the bank robbery was very well done and I wonder if Hans Zimmer used any musical cues from this movie in “The Dark Knight” because it sure sounds like it, but it could be a coincidence as well.

    “Body Count” won’t be any golden standard for crime thrillers but I have also seen far worse films.  Had the film been tweaked a bit, it could have been a classic.  As of right now, we should just be grateful the film has seen the light of day thanks to Mill Creek Entertainment.

Grade: C+

Buy “The Trigger Effect” and “Body Count” Double Feature Blu-ray Here!!!

"Bad Times at the El Royale" Movie Review

    I think it is very clear on this blog that I am obsessed with movies and the art of filmmaking.  As such, there are writers and directors that I tend to follow or consider more ‘bankable’ than the star of a movie.  After all, the behind the scenes crew is very much the bank bone of a movie.  No amounts of stellar acting can salvage a rubbish premise or script.  So, when I saw Drew Goddard had a new film out, I was pretty excited.

    “Bad Times at the El Royale” tells the story of several people who’s paths cross at the El Royale hotel.  It is a period piece with lots of Motown music to set the mood and environment.  The El Royale itself is an interesting set piece because the hotel is on the dividing line of Nevada and California.  While the El Royale is a fictional hotel, it was based on a hotel with a similar gimmick that was owned by Frank Sinatra.

    Drew Goddard tells the story in an interesting way by essentially showing each character’s point of view as a framing device.  It is a unique style and a less confusing way to tell a non linear story.

    The film is packed with solid performances.  Jeff Bridges and Chris Hemsworth are among the standouts of the film but the movie also showcases some up and coming talent such as Cailee Spaeny and Lewis Pullman.  Dakota Johnson, who was often panned for her role in the Fifty Shades franchise, was also very good in this film.

    Now, for all that praise, it’s a shame the movie only proved to be okay at best.  I have seen far worse films in my life, but this film was definitely a disappointment.  In some small defense, the film’s marketing did this movie no favors.  The marketing department wanted to sell this in the vain of Goddard’s “The Cabin in the Woods” when it shares more elements of a movie like “Vacancy” or “Identity”.

    Now, a lot of critics have compared “Bad Times at the El Royale” to a Quentin Tarantino film as far as the overall feeling of the film but I personally don’t share their feelings.  While the non linear story could easily service a Tarantino film, “Bad Times at the El Royale” doesn’t share the grit and profanity of your average Tarantino film.  While the film does have it’s share of violence, it still seems very polished and stylized.  In that sense, it feels more of a hybrid of Tarantino and Joss Whedon.

    Considering how secretive this project was even among those in the industry, there is little to no pay off for people being so hush hush about this project.  That seems to be the biggest twist to this project, there isn’t really one despite all the hints it was filled with them.

    “Bad Times at the El Royale” is a decent film but nothing that will blow you away.  With no twists and a morally ambiguous plot, there is very little to take away from the movie aside from some excellent performances.  Perhaps “Blah Times at the El Royale” would have been a more fitting title.

Grade: C