Dispatches from the Popcorn Stadium: Prisoners

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

If you saw the trailer or commercials for Prisoners, you pretty much have the gist of what is going on. The youngest daughters of two families are abducted, Jake Gyllenhaal is the investigator charged with finding them, Paul Dano is the weird guy with the RV who is kidnapped and tortured by Hugh Jackman, assisted (or at least not opposed) by Terrence Howard and Viola Davis. Fortunately, they kept the result of Jackman's brutal beating of Dano out, something that isn't the case in the actual film.

The political allegory of this film is not subtle, boiling down pretty much to "torture is bad and pointless, m'kay?" I guess the secondary message would be that torture is useless when dealing with a mentally challenged and psychologically scarred person who may not be guilty. Or that those who stand by and let monstrous behavior happen are just as guilty as those who do it. Either way, these points aren't very subtle, and neither is Hugh Jackman's performance.

Fortunately the movie is saved by Gyllenhaal's performance. You can feel the stress get to him, as the sleepless nights pile up and the frustration mounts. He's had a perfect record with his cases, but you can tell it's not about the performance, but about finding those kids. When it appears that all is lost, and he thinks he has blown the case, he goes off the rails in a completely understandable, yet scary way.

Beyond that, the cinematography was great. It captured that dreary feeling of late November, made worse by the tragic events that were unfolding on screen. To me, it seems almost criminal that Roger Deakins (look at his impressive filmography) has never won an Academy Award. Although not as epic or as colorful as some of his other work, this works just as well  for the needs of this film. In a couple places, there are dark holes that characters have to jump down into. In both cases, they are shot so you see nothing but the empty darkness. It was foreboding and scary, particularly after the scene with all of the snakes writing around in trunks.

This was not a great movie, but it was worth seeing. Like too many movies these days, it is far too long. Just because Peter Jackson does it, doesn't mean every movie needs to be 2.5-3 hours long.

As the fall season kicks into gear, with Gravity coming out this weekend, it will likely get lost in the shuffle. It's worth checking out just for Gyllenhall's performance and the cinematography. If you haven't seen it already, I would suggest waiting a few months until it comes out on Blu-Ray/DVD or until its available on your streaming service / premium cable network of choice.

Rated R 153 minutes

Recap of the Emmy Awards

So, yeah....the Emmy Awards aired last night. Granted, most of the time I was primarily focused on the Bears vs. Steelers game, which was at first much less painful, then became far too close, to the point that I turned it off because I didn't care to watch them blow a 3 TD lead. Of course, some of the weird filler crap at the Emmys was so bad that it made me want to turn back to NBC to see Roethlisberger pick apart Chris Conte again. Death seemed to hover over the entirety of the broadcast, with long tributes to various actors that died in the last year, plus Carrie Underwood singing "Yesterday" (Released in 1965) to commemorate the broadcast of Kennedy's assassination (1963, of course). This was in addition to the usual "In Memoriam" segment. Now remembering these actors, who are gone but not forgotten is not a problem. However, could you have shown some of their work?

I don't know why I care about these awards (or any awards) for that matter. They should matter to me about as much as they do Ron Swanson*, although perhaps they'd mean more if the right people won them. In some cases they did (Tony Hale, Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad), in other places the wrong person/show won (Modern Family for anything it won, Jeff Daniels), and others someone won who deserved it, although in the process shutting out someone who also deserved it (Julia Louis-Dreyfus beating out Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Lena Dunham, and Laura Dern for Best Actress in a Comedy).

I still can't believe that Amy Poehler and Jon Hamm have yet to win an Emmy. Part of the problem is tough competition, especially with Hamm. Having to go up against Bryan Cranston almost every year is never an easy thing to do. With Poehler, I wonder if the character of Leslie Knope is just not the type of character that tends to win these awards. Both Mad Men and Parks & Recreation, home to two of the best ensembles on TV right now, have never won a single acting Emmy. I'm not sure how that happened, but there it is.

I suppose it's nothing new. It took until this year for Bob Newhart to win an Emmy (for guesting on The Big Bang Theory). The characters of Leslie Knope, Don Draper, Ron Swanson, and Michael Scott have exactly zero wins to their name. The Wire was never even nominated for Best Drama. Of course, animated series are completely ignored. I'm sure you can go back through the years and find many other examples (such as Bob Newhart).

So another year is down, and we can forget about the snubs, while remembering the few that they actually got right for a little while longer. Then next year, when the nominations come out, we can gripe again how Nick Offerman was criminally ignored, Modern Family is over-represented, and figure out who's going to beat Jon Hamm and Amy Poehler...again. And hopefully, the awards show won't take place the same night as the penultimate episode of the Best Drama winner's series, and a Bears game.

*A character that has netted Nick Offerman no nominations, let alone wins. One of the best comedy characters out there can't get a nomination because it's apparently guild rules that 67% of the spots go to Modern Family actors.

Dispatches from the Popcorn Stadium: The Family

While watching The Family, I was struck by how similar it was in ways to one of my favorite movies. No, not Goodfellas, although there was the obligatory reference to the film. Instead it was The Incredibles. Now granted, the Parrs were routinely moved around because of the country's disdain for their former heroes, not because he was a snitch against the mob. And in the Pixar film, only Bob seemed to have the problem of reverting to his old ways, as opposed to the family in The Family. Oh, and I'll have to watch The Incredibles again to confirm this, but I'm pretty sure none of the characters went around dropping f-bombs. Nevertheless, there was still a familiarity there, particularly with Tommy Lee Jones as the put upon government official who keeps having to cover the tracks of the violent family.

I wish it was as good as The Incredibles. It felt kind of half-baked, alternating between light-hearted "fish out of water" comedy with deadly-serious violence. Sometimes this works pretty well, but more often it is just confusing and jumbled. In addition, I can't imagine even a valuable and politically connected witness like Robert DeNiro's character would be able to get away with some of the crap he was doing.

I wouldn't call it a total waste of time, as there were a few good chuckles. For a movie from the doldrums of early September it was fine. I'd say it's worth checking out once it comes out on Blu-Ray and DVD, or if you are just itching to see a movie and have already seen better ones already.

Summer Movies, Part 3

Now that Labor Day has passed, the summer movie season is officially over. In a few weeks the Fall/Holiday movie season will kick off, and I am eagerly awaiting many movies that will be coming out this fall. However, that is another post, as this one is for taking a breather and looking back at the last group of movies I watched this summer. Despite only having one "summer blockbuster" in this batch, it was probably my favorite set, as some of my favorite movies of the summer were in this group.

The Wolverine
Eh, it wasn't too bad, bub. That seems to be the theme of the movies this summer, as most of the movies I've seen have been OK, but not anything great. The most interesting thing about this movie is it sets up the next X-Men movie that sounds like it could be an absolute flustercuck.

The Way Way Back
I really liked this film. In fact, it almost felt like it was manufactured for the express purposes of me enjoying it. In other words, it kind of felt at times like a paint-by-numbers coming of age story with "quirky" characters. However, the performances of the cast (especially Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney) are anything but cookie-cutter, and its still an enjoyable story.

We're the Millers
This would probably be my vote for surprise of the summer, as it turned out to actually have some fairly funny parts. Considering how awful the trailer was (the Red Band one was a bit better), the fact that it was merely decent makes it a welcome surprise. Again, the cast plays a big role in making this work, especially Nick Offerman.

Jobs
I almost forgot I saw this film. It wasn't too bad, although it seemed a bit second rate at times. Josh Gad was pretty good as Steve Wozniak, and Kutcher's Jobs was actually fairly decent. It wasn't quite as enjoyable as Pirates of Silicon Valley. I wonder how much better Aaron Sorkin's will be, assuming that ever gets made.

Blue Jasmine
I'm pretty certain this is the first Woody Allen film I've ever seen in a theater*. Definitely one of my favorites of the summer, although definitely not an uplifting film. All of you Louis CK completeists will want to check this out, as he makes a rare cinematic appearance in this one. I would gather this is probably worth a longer post, once I get a chance to see it again.

The World's End
I actually saw this before Blue Jasmine, but I figured I would save the best for last. This was definitely my favorite movie of the summer. In fact, I think it might be my favorite entry in the Cornetto Trilogy**. It's definitely the most mature and reflective of the three movies. More importantly, it's damn funny, in several different ways. Like the other two movies in the trilogy, this one is a gold mine for quotes, many of which are most certainly not PG-13***. Although I'm not quite as old as the characters in the story, it still resonated with me, and the end...yeah...the end. I can see how this might not be a favorite of a lot of people, but I really like the ending. If you can, I recommend you see this with someone who has no idea what the hell the Cornetto Trilogy is, has never seen the other two movies, and assumes this is just a small foreign film about some schoolyard chums getting back together for a night of drinking and self-reflection.****

Recommendations
Blue Jasmine
The World's End
The Way Way Back

My Favorite Five of the Summer
5. Blue Jasmine
4. Monsters University
3. The Heat
2. The Way Way Back
1. The World's End

*I have yet to delve deeply into his films. The only one I own is Midnight in Paris, although I really liked Manhattan and Annie Hall.
**Yes I'm aware that this might be fightin' words with the other member of this blog. I don't care.
***The rough standard I try to maintain on this blog. Please don't go back through the archives to prove me wrong.
****Yes, that totally is what this is. Totally. Mm-hmm.

Some random thoughts on Breaking Bad's "Peekaboo"

WARNING: Breaking Bad spoilers below

This past week or so I've been watching Breaking Bad on Netflix, partially to get ready for the final episodes. I don't think I'll make through season five, as I'm just now on season two's "Peekaboo". Still, I'm enjoying going back through the episodes as far forward as I can get the next couple of days..

I don't know if I really have a favorite episode of Breaking Bad. Because of it being heavily serialized, I don't tend to think of it in purely episodic terms, and instead tend to remember favorite scenes or moments in the show.

However, if I had to pick an episode, "Peekabo" would probably be near the top of my list. When I started watching the series, I enjoyed it from the beginning, but it wasn't until this episode that where it was going really clicked into place. It was here that Jesse's humanity started to come through, as seen in dealing with that poor kid and the hands down winners of "Albuquerque's Worst Parents" award. Before this episode, all Jesse was to me was the unlucky screw-up who was in over his head. Obviously, he has done some absolutely terrible shit as time has gone on*, but there is still some level of humanity in him, to the point that I hope against hope there is some redemption out there for him.

Conversely, this is the episode where Walter really started showing himself to be Heisenberg at heart. Before this, it was conceivable that Walter was a genuinely good man, driven to do terrible shit because of a desperate need to provide for his family. However, his meeting with Gretchen Schwartz showed that perhaps Heisenberg has always been inside of Walter, as opposed to being a recent creation. I recall thinking before I saw this episode that Walter was just being stubborn in refusing help from his former associate and friends**. After that encounter, where Walter dropped the F-bomb at Gretchen, his reasons became much clearer. It isn't like this was the first time he had shown the rage and anger bubbling beneath his chemistry teaching surface, but it sure was the first time I saw how deep that resentment and sense of betrayal went. He wouldn't cross the line from Tyrion*** to Tywin**** until he let Jane die, but he stepped a lot closer to it*****.

*Walter may have killed Jane with his negligence, but Jesse helped her fall off the wagon. Also, let's not forget he killed Gale the Superdork. 

**Also, I rationalized that him accepting their help would have made this one boring show. Unless it became a The Office style comedy starring Badger, Saul Goodman, and Skinny Pete. 

***A flawed, but sympathetic character who does some awful things, mainly out of desperation, but who also does some pretty bad-ass things.

****A character you are actively rooting against, but enjoy watching do their thing.

Summer Movies, Part Two

OK, let's move on to part two.

Man of Steel
I kind of enjoyed the latest edition of Superman, at least while I was watching it. However, there really wasn't much that stuck in my head, other than mulling over exactly how insane Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) was in the movie. Oh yeah, and thinking about how the Smallville Casey's will be getting a lot more business.* Perhaps they can use some of the more problematic elements (such as the incredibly high death toll/property damage) in the sequel.

Monsters University
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this, considering from its trailer it looked rather middle of the road. Please stay tuned for a longer post about the latest adventure of Mike and Sulley.

Much Ado About Nothing
Who follows a top grossing summer Blockbuster with a barebones rendition of Shakespeare shot at his house? Joss Whedon, that's who. There isn't much value beyond watching some of your favorite Whedonverse regulars play at Shakespeare, and some inspired physical comedy from Amy Acker and Alexis Denisov. Which was good enough for me.

White House Down
I still contend that Roland Emmerich's big, dumb summer movies are in a different league than the typical big, dumb summer movie**. With one exception*** I've enjoyed every one of his movies, even if they are full of implausible science, magical "technology", and ridiculously over the top set pieces. White House Down did not disappoint, although it wasn't quite as good as some of its summer brethren. Still, it has one of my favorite over the top movie lines ever.

The Heat
So far, this is the funniest movie I've seen all year. Yeah, the plotting is far too beholden to typical "buddy cop" cliches. However, that is secondary to the performances by Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock. When you watch this, be on the lookout for a cameo by Paul Feig, the director of the movie.

Despicable Me 2
Eh, this wasn't too bad, and a few parts were pretty inspired. Like the first one, this one felt like they had a edgier film in there somewhere, before those edges were smoothed over by committee thinking and screen tests. The minions had some good moments, particularly towards the end (you'll know it when you see it). I can't see a movie based around them being very good.

The Lone Ranger
This was definitely a weird movie at times. There certainly were parts I enjoyed, and I'm not going to try to dissuade you from seeing it*****. However, I can't forgive the movie for holding the Promontory Point ceremony in Texas (hundreds of miles from the actual site in Utah), or for playing a anachronistic "Stars and Stripes Forever". C'mon, Mr. Verbinski, couldn't you at least use a contemporary march. Considering this was right after the Civil War, there were plenty that could have been used.

Pacific Rim
Holy crap, a big popcorn movie that ISN'T a sequel or reboot of a franchise? That's a real shocker. Like many movies this summer, it wasn't as original as it could have been. After all, this is a Guillermo Del Toro film, so you kind of expect more. However, I stopped caring about the time one of the giant Jaegars picked up an ocean freighter and...well, you'll just have to see the movie.

R.I.P.D.
Jeff Bridges was fun to watch, as usual, and I enjoyed Mary-Louise Parker as well. Frankly, they seemed like they were picked up out of a much better movie, and placed in some mediocre Ryan Reynolds vehicle. Once again, a pretty great premise was poorly executed. I think the next time I want to see Bridges fart around as a frontier lawman, I'll go with True Grit.

My Recommendations
Monsters University
White House Down
Much Ado About Nothing******
The Heat
Pacific Rim

* You midwesterners know what I'm talking about. After the big fight in Smalltown, you can spot a Casey's in a overhead shot of the town, well away from the battlezone where at least one of its competitors was destroyed.
** See Bay, Michael for more details.
*** Godzilla, for the record. That's a completely forgettable piece of crap.
****For the record, completely out of context: "I CHOOSE THE PEN!"
*****Judging by the box office, the movie doesn't need any help convincing people not to see it.
****** Only if you are a Whedonverse fan.

Dispatches from the Popcorn Stadium: Summer Movies, Part One

Who's ready for some thoughts on the Summer movies? Because reviews of movies that have been out for two months is very timely. Oh well, at least I'm not making separate posts for each. I will try to avoid spoilers on some movies, but there is a spoiler coming up for one of them, although you probably already know that if you care about the movie. (Hint: The movie is Star Trek)

Iron Man 3
Iron Man is one of my favorite "comic book" movies. Iron Man 2, although enjoyable, was not nearly as good. I found Iron Man 3 to rest comfortably in the middle. I particularly enjoyed the twist that came part way through the movie, although this is not quite a consensus opinion here at Doctor Strangeblog. The movie probably could have used a bit more coherence with the whole Tony Stark suffers PTSD from the whole flying into a trans-dimensional portal to save the world thing*, but I had a good time watching it, and thought it was pretty funny.  Like all Marvel movies, be sure to stick around until after the credits.

Now You See Me
This one was a big surprise at how much I enjoyed it. Yeah, it was the typical twist upon twist upon twist kind of movie, but considering it was a movie about magicians, that seems to be expected. Fortunately, they didn't play "The Final Countdown" once, or the movie probably would have lost me.

The Great Gatsby
When we are introduced to one of Gatsby's crazy parties for the first time, I'm pretty certain my body almost shut down due to an overwhelming of the senses. I'm also pretty certain that this was the whole reason Baz Luhrmann directed the movie. It's just too bad he didn't show as much enthusiasm for the rest of the movie. The actors did pretty well with what they had, but in the end perhaps this is just a story that is unfilmable. Even though directors beat on against the current, borne back ceaselessly into failure.**

Star Trek Into Darkness
KAAHHHHHNNNNN!!!

Now that is out the way, I enjoyed the movie. Even if it kind of falls apart when you think about after the fact. And it really didn't do that much to stand up against the troubling lack of strong female characters NOT in a Paul Feig directed movie (more on that in part two). Still, it has Scotty, in a trendy club, wearing a suit that is hopelessly out of date. Ever the true engineer, that one.****

After Earth
Why did I see this? I'm not sure, although I'm guessing its because it was there. I can't say the science holds up on this one too well. Although I like to think that it maybe is a sequel to The Happening. Still, I think I'll pass on the next Smith family therapy session. Even if it has killer baboon squads and tigerish animals that attack eagleish birds nests.

This Is the End
I have to say I was enjoying this as a movie even before the whole Apocalypse thing went down. In fact, I almost forgot that was going to happen, until it did happen. What followed was pretty hilarious. Emma Watson definitely stole the show in this one, although pretty much every character had their moment.

Final Verdict:

Go See, if It's Still Playing
This Is The End
Now You See Me
Iron Man 3
Star Trek Into Darkness

Rent it Once It Comes Out
The Great Gatsby

Check it Out If Its On Cable, and Nothing Else Is On
After Earth

Check back later in the week for Part Two. 

*Look, I know that you can't bring The Avengers back in every movie, but what is their threshold for action? Apparently ultraviolent terrorists are not part of their mission. Perhaps the other franchises will shed some light on this. But probably not. Stupid logistics and budgets fudging up the continuity.
**Sorry***
***Not sorry
****That last one is the spoiler I was talking about. Yep, totally that one.