Pharrell Williams — Girl - Mini Review

Below is what I wrote on Instagram today. Click their logo above to view comments and the original post.

#DB1stImpression #Pharrell's New album #Girl #Review The 10 tracks on this album are exactly what you think a Pharrell album would be smooth, fun and delightful. (YES "Happy" is on the album.) As promised there is no hip hop on the album and it has a nice pop appeal to it. Even the tracks that don't stand out as singles are pretty cool. I think the album is a #winner and if you're a fan of Pharrell and his music you'll like it. I posted the standout tracks to me as I listened to them the first time on Instagram @ hashtag #DBPGirl

Blue Caprice — Mini Review

**Originally posted on Instagram

#nfotd #BlueCaprice was dark and methodical just like I suspect the real killers were. 

The film focuses on the relationship of the two killers from beginning to end. The film is stripped and scaled down, but I like a lot of what they did with it. The direction is really nice and the performances were really good. 

TEQUAN RICHMOND is really good hardly saying anything at all. Just observing and reacting. Cold and distant.

Isaiah Washington (left) and Tequan Richmond (right) in Blue Caprice

"Cold" could also describe ISAIAH WASHINGTON, but he was also much more. His character was like the picture dark and methodical with a bunch of simmering rage thrown in. He could've easily mad this a "mustache twirling villain", but didn't. 

BLUE CAPRICE was a good character piece that doesn't try to explain the killers, it just showed you what their relationship was like and how twisted it was. 

Things Never Said —Mini Review

Originally published on Instagram

#nfotd #ThingsNeverSaid was a really nice indie black drama. The romance at the center of the drama is of course complicated, but dealt with without histrionics. The film also has a lot of good poetry that "poet heads" my enjoy. 

OMARI HARDWICK was good and 'Things' film has some nice performances, but a BREAKTHROUGH performance from this lady pictured (right) SHANOLA HAMPTON! Her performance makes the picture. 

Look out for her! 

Project X – Mini Review

Directed by Nima Nourizadeh
Produced by Todd Phillips
Screenplay by Matt Drake & Michael Bacall

Starring
Thomas Mann
Oliver Cooper
Jonathan Daniel Brown

Cinematography by Ken Seng
Editing by Jeff Groth

Release date: March 2, 2012


Summary: Three friends throw a birthday party to make a name for themselves and as the night progresses it spirals out of control.


Mini Review: Despite one flaming ludicrous moment this was a totally, totally fun movie! Filmmaker note: Really great hand held camera work and editing!

I have to give props to director cinematographer Ken Seng, the 40 people listed as "Camera & Electrical" department and editor Jeff Groth.

Principal photography was scheduled to begin on June 14, 2010, in Los Angeles, California on a budget of $12 million. Filming took place over twenty-five nights between 5pm and 5am on the Warner Ranch in Burbank, California. The set contained a faux residential area featuring multiple houses.  

The production decided to film on a set because locating a real neighborhood that could be effectively closed off and which would allow filming throughout the evening and early morning proved difficult. Phillips explained that using a real neighborhood would have also proven difficult because of the fire damage required for the film. Much of the set was destroyed as part of filming. The film was largely shot in chronological sequence as repairing the set damage from a later scene to film an earlier one would have been difficult. Mann described the filming as a "party atmosphere", with New York disc jockey Jesse Marco on set performing music even when the cameras stopped rolling to maintain the energy of the cast and extras. Many of the same extras were brought back for multiple nights of filming, and would continue to party between scenes. Periodic takes of up to 20 minutes were made of just extras dancing. During filming, Burbank police were called to the set concerning noise complaints made by nearby residents. 

Project X was filmed in cinéma vérité style, only displaying the events of the film through the first-person view of the cameraman observing the party, to create the effect of the audience being in attendance at the out of control party. Director Nima Nourizadeh stated that the style allowed the film to seem "real" and "show some of the realities of what kids do".

Cinematographer Ken Seng and Nourizadeh tested twelve different camera systems before choosing the digital-HD Sony F23 video camera, basing their decision on its ability to handle sudden extreme changes in lighting due to natural daylight and strobe lights.  

The film is primarily presented from the perspective of the character Dax and his camera, but Nourizadeh also obtained footage by providing the cast and extras with recording devices such as BlackBerrys and iPhones to capture events occurring outside of the perspective or knowledge of the cameraman. This resulted in hours of unusable footage that had to be observed by Nourizadeh and his team to find segments that could be incorporated into the final film. Nourizadeh stated "when you have real material being shot by real people, it then kind of feels like it is. It is found footage. I hated spending 10 hours looking through bits of flip footage – people didn’t press stop, it’s like in their pockets. But yeah, it was great, man." Other footage was provided from fictional police and news cameras to give a different perspective on the events.—Wikipedia

"Project X was filmed on eight different camera systems. It’s a POV film told by the masses of people who attend the party, which gives it a totally unique point of view on the situation. We also really looked at how best to capture the size of this event and the level of destruction with our resources. For instance, how we could make 200 or so extras look like more than 1,000"
– Cinematographer Ken Seng on filming Project X.

See the full cast and crew of the film here

Commentary: I'm kinda tired of the "found footage" handheld camera movies, but this one was done really well. As you can imagine there was A LOT of stuff going on and the camera crew did a great job at capturing it.

RELATED
A good related article Found Footage Films Need To Stay Hidden

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Part One) - Mini review

THE SOURCE MATERIAL

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is a four-issue comic book limited series comprising The Dark Knight Returns, The Dark Knight Triumphant, Hunt The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Falls, written and drawn by Frank Miller, originally published by DC Comics under the title Batman: The Dark Knight in 1986.

The Dark Knight Returns tells the story of a 55-year-old Bruce Wayne who comes out of retirement to fight crime, only to face opposition from the Gotham City police force and the United States government.

THE ADAPTATION

The Dark Knight Returns Part One seems to be a methodical adaptation of the comic book. I've never read the comic book, but splitting the series into two films seems wise. Nothing seems rushed and also nothing seems to drag on. It all seems systematic and tells the story in a natural fashion. Bruce Wayne doesn't immediately return as Batman as we see his thought process and reticence. It all seems natural.

Forget all that right? You want to know about the action. Well the action is really good especially the hand to hand combat scenes with Batman and his main foe. It’s like damn! [POW] [BAM] [KRAK] LOL.

Even though this is “Part One” there is a complete story here and an intriguing cliffhanger. Another really good film from the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line, their 15^th!

SIDE NOTE: Fans of the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy will definitely notice plot details lifted from this story for his films series especially The Dark Knight Rises. The inspiration is reciprocal as you can definitely notice the Hans Zimmer (scorer of the Nolan films) influence on Christopher Drake’s score for The Dark Knight Returns

ADDITIONAL

See the Wikipedia page for The Dark Knight Returns Part One (WARNING: There are spoilers in the plot description )

My review of the WHOLE Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy here

Drive - Review

DRIVE

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

Produced by Michel Litvak, John Palermo, Marc Platt, Gigi Pritzker & Adam Siegel

Screenplay by Hossein Amini
(Based on the novel Drive by James Sallis)

Cinematography by Newton Thomas Sigel

Starring
Ryan Gosling
Carey Mulligan
Bryan Cranston
Christina Hendricks
Ron Perlman
Oscar Isaac
Albert Brooks

REVIEW
The film while it had its moments of brilliant scenes and an electrifying soundtrack was not good. It had good direction and cinematography, but so what. It was dull bordering on quietus.

Ryan Gosling gave a good performance, but in a movie that wasn’t what’s the point? The story was pretty much stuff we’ve seen before and none of it innovative. The movie went from moments of boredom to wild acts of violence, then boredom again.

Even though is had a great supporting cast, none of them were interesting either. I got this off of Facebook after a spirited online discussion about this film and I think it says it perfectly.

Raymond M.
Drive is a divisive movie. I know people who loved it and I know people who hated it. I know one guy who demanded his money back after seeing it.... I agree that Albert Brooks was mediocre to terrible and that some of the dialog was horrible, The movie excels in the style and world that it creates. Its a cool throwback to 70's and 80' action flicks with the silent anti-hero righting wrongs and protecting the innocent. Its also VERY well directed and slick and takes a basic story and makes it special. People who can appreciate that tend to love it. People who want more narrative meat on their movie's bones tend to not get what the fuss is about.

I have no more to add. Terrible movie.

COMMENTARY: I NEVER write reviews for films I don’t like. I’m a filmmaker not a critic. I don’t spend time writing a review for a film I didn’t like because no matter what I thought of the film, they at least got it done and they deserve a modicum of respect for that.

I’m writing THIS review because SO MANY people have remarked what a great film this was and how it was snubbed across the awards circuit and I’m like in order to be snubbed you have to be at first good. The TV spots and trailer looked boring to me and I had NO interest in seeing this, but after everyone kept talking about how great it was I had to check it out. My bad.

As you know I did not enjoy it, but after I got in a debate with my filmmaker friends online AND in person I said I’ll watch this again. I may be wrong, but I doubt it.

Before I wrap, a funny tweet about Drive

Lastly, I LIVE TWEETED the re-watch I dubbed #DriveOver and below are screencaps of my rewatch of Drive. Warning, I DID get raw with the explicit language so parental discretion advised.

You can also see the album directly right HERE

The Avengers - Mini Review

There's not much to review here, The Avengers was just excellent! I don't think I ever said that about a "superhero movie" before. Each Avenger had their own moment and the action was top notch.

Writer/Director Joss Whedon did an excellent job in combining the characters from all the solo Avengers pics into one.

That's it. Excellent film.

Additional Links
There is a little something more in The Avengers Spoiler Room
Ranking The Solo Avengers Movies

The Walking Dead Season 2 — My Reaction

Nearly a month after the Season 2 Season Finale aired (March 18, 2012) I finally saw the second half of season 2

The second season of AMC's television series The Walking Dead premiered on October 16, 2011 on AMC and featured 13 episodes. The series is based on the series of comic books of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard; it was developed for television by Frank Darabont, who serves as executive producer for the second season along with Robert Kirkman and Glen Mazzara. The season finale episode was viewed by a record-breaking 9.0 million viewers, making it the highest rated episode of the series, and the most viewed episode of an original series on AMC, in history. -Wikipedia

 For the record the 13 episodes were broken in half with the first seven airing, a mid season break and the last six airing about 2 months later. Below are the comments I jotted down with my reactions. I would usually LIVE TWEET it with the rest of my film/TV friends @NotherBrother, but I don’t like watching week to week on too many shows and this one was one of them. In retrospect I’m glad I did which I will explain at the end.

WARNING: There will be some spoilerish stuff, but nothing major and as the title of this blog states PROFANITY MAY BE NECESSARY.

NEBRASKA 

• About the shooting at the end of the previous episode the “Mid Season Finale”, Rick self booking his own guilt trip? Shock-kerr
• 
  
• Shane still being a dick Shock-kerr
• 
  
• Ok where TF was Laurie going? (the car stuff) She’s causing more problems that she's solving. Smh  
• 
  
• “Hershel goes missing, but Rick and Glenn find him in the town bar, drinking and lamenting the folly of his hope of a cure for his family.”
• 
  
• Well GOTDAMN Rick in that bar scene! Show em why they call you Dirty Rick…well they don’t, but they should!

TRIGGERFINGER

• Just finished S2:E9 Triggerfinger & *YAWN* this should be called “The Walking Said” they talk so much

• Did not like the shaky ass camera movement from director Billy Gierhart

18 MILES OUT 

• Starts off STRONG in the pre-credits
• 
  
• About time Rick confront Shane. He's already on the f*cking edge and delusional.
• 
  
• The credits say directed by Ernest Dickerson. Kewl! 
• 
  
• About time Rick & Shane go Mano o Mano 
• 
  
• The scenes with Rick, Shane & dude were great. The scenes with suicidal girl at the farm *YAWN*

• Ricky's triple shot with the pile on—F*CKING HOT!

JUDGE, JURY EXECUTIONER
Mostly talk as well, but very good story with a major death

BETTER ANGELS

• KICK.ASS.OPEN!
• 
  
• 15 min Lori apologizes to Shane. Shane must be going to die
• 
  
• WTF is Shane doing with prisoner dude. 
• 
  
• Oh that's what. Shane is effing nuts 
• 
  
• About time Rick!
• 
  
• HOLY F*CK that ending!

BESIDE THE DYING FIRE

• REALLY GREAT open showing the migration of the walkers! 
• 
  
• Ok so the show saved their entire makeup budget for the season finale!
• 
  
• That’s all I’m going to say about the plot details. An EXCELLENT Season Finale. Bar none!
• 
  
• There was scuttlebutt that one of the show creators Frank Darabont left the show over budget concerns. It was stated that the network was worried about the huge make-up budget the show would have if they had lots of zombies every week. 
• I totally get the whole concept behind The Walking Dead. It’s about the survivors after this zombie apocalypse and what happens to them. It’s about what happen to regular people after the world goes to hell. I get that, but GEE WHIZ did they need to talk as freekin much? There were like whole episodes where 80% was TALK. As I said above “this should be called “The Walking Said” they talk so much”. 
• 
  
• It seems like “The Walking Said” somehow acknowledged that those rumors about budget were true. Besides the exposition purposes, it seemed like they were REALLY trying to save money on zombie make-up especially in these last six episodes. Of course there was zombie stuff, but a HUGE budget was spent in the Season Finale. HUGE! 
• 
  
• In the end, in the last six episodes of Season 2, the first three were eh, but the last three ROCKED! I’m glad I didn’t have to wait week to week for the first three and especially the last three! They were awesome. Hopefully Season Three will just as good!

ADDITIONAL INFO

Wikipedia Season 2 article

 TWO great article reactions to the Season Two Finale

Hollywood Reporter

'The Walking Dead' Dissection: Glen Mazzara and Robert Kirkman Spill on the Bloody Finale

Who was the sword-wielding woman? Who almost was killed off but survived? What did Jenner whisper to Rick and how did the group respond? The showrunner and executive producer/comic book creator answer burning questions about the season finale and look ahead to their biggest year yet.

[Warning: This story contains major spoilers about the Season 2 finale of AMC's The Walking Dead, titled "Beside the Dying Fire."] Read it HERE

 Huffington Post

'The Walking Dead' Finale Recap: The Best Episode Since The Pilot?

Maureen Ryan TV critic, The Huffington Post

Note: Do not read on if you have not watched the Season 2 finale of AMC's "The Walking Dead," entitled "Beside the Dying Fire." Read it HERE

The Hunger Games - Mini Review

Quick Synopsis: In the future the government initiates the Hunger Games—a televised annual event in which one boy and one girl from each of the 12 districts are selected in a lottery as "tributes" and are required to fight to the death in an arena until there is one remaining victor.

Mini Review

Jennifer Lawrence as the protagonist Katniss Everdeen was pretty much terrific as I knew she could be from her excellent Oscar nominated performance in Winter’s Bone. I really didn’t care for her performance in X-Men: First Class so it was good to know that her performance in Winter’s Bone wasn’t a fluke. Her “love interests” Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark and Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne were pretty bland in comparison.

I have to point out that Amandla Stenberg as Rue, whom I first saw do a really great job in Colombiana, was good in her role in this one also, especially in her crucial scenes. Woody Harrelson who was great fun as former Hunger Games victor Haymitch Abernathy.

The story was cool and the “fights to the death” were executed very well without being graphic. It didn’t desensitize what literally are children fighting to the death.  

I go into more plot related details in The Hunger Games Spoiler Room

Read more about The Hunger Games @ Wikipedia

Kevin Hart: Laugh At My Pain

A funny stand up set bookended by a documentary & a short film. The stand up was great, the bookends while cool should have been left for the DVD.