Blind Spot 7: Talk to Her

July 18, 2016July 18, 2016 | Rachel's Reviews

This month for my Blind Spot series I happened to pick a Spanish film without knowing I would be visiting Spain in July. Isn’t that a crazy coincidence? Anyway, I decided to look at Pedro Almodovar’s 2002 Academy Award winning film Talk to Her. It’s a moving, intriguing, weird film that definitely won’t be for everyone, but I’m glad I saw it.

It’s a pretty simple story about 2 men, Marco and Benigno who fall in love with strong women who end up in comas. They then care for the comatose women but it’s what Almodovar does with that basic story that makes it interesting.

On the surface what these men are doing is really quite lovely. They are caring selflessly for women in a coma. How can that be anything but good? Well, that’s where the line between love and obsession come in. Especially Benigno begins to fantasize what his life with Alicia is like and that she is responding to his advances. He imagines this fantasy existence and even says at one point that his relationship is better than most other married couples.

There is something decidedly creepy about the way he cares for Alicia which is an intriguing element to the story.

Marco has more of a backstory with his love Lydia who was a bullfighter and is injured in the rink. He is a very emotional man and often takes what others are feeling upon himself. This makes his responses to Alicia, Benigno and Lydia very interesting. Dario Grandinetti as Marco is the standout of the film. He’s a type of man you don’t often see in the movies- sensitive to a fault.

The cool thing that Almodovar does is he never really judges either men. You can tell he feels sorry for all involved. They are all weak- whether it is a weak mind or body, and human weakness is sad for Almodovar. Benigno takes his obsession to a disturbing place and it just shows how the human brain can create false narratives to justify our own poor choices.

Talk to Her is definitely not for everyone. There is nudity in the film but most of it is non-sensual while the women’s bodies are being cared for. However, there is a fantasy sequence involving a silent movie that is truly bizarre. I can’t really explain it but just know it is out there and is explicit! It was too much for me to be honest but it was brief.

If you want to watch a film showing a unique side of masculinity and can handle something that is different I recommend watching Talk to Her. It earns its R rating but it is a thoughtful unique depiction of that line between love and obsession.

I feel like a movie such as this would never win best screenplay now. What do you think?

Overall Grade- B+

Here is the trailer

Ice Age 5: Collision Course Review

July 17, 2016 | Rachel's Reviews

There are times when I wonder about my commitment to see all of the animated films of the year. Watching the latest Ice Age film, Ice Age: Collision Course, is one of those moments. It’s kind of crazy because I just saw it this morning but I’m having a hard time remembering anything that happened just hours later. This is a completely lame animated film that hopefully will be the end of the series.

The core story is Scrat, the squirrel who is always looking for his acorn, activates an asteroid in space that is headed towards Earth. Manny and company see the asteroid coming and follow Buck to a prophesied place that will keep them safe. Along the way you have lots of attempts at humor, sheer randomness and Manny dealing with his soon to be son in law. If that sounds boring it kind of is.

There are moments where the randomness can be interesting but other times it’s just frustrating. Characters will wander off just for a joke that isn’t funny or pay off well. And some stuff is weird more than it is funny. Like Neil de Grasse Tyson appears inside Buck’s brain explaining the science of the asteroid.

There is of course a lot of scatological humor but most of the jokes are more characters complaining about each other. Plus, you have the specter of the world coming to the end which gives the whole enterprise a rather downbeat feeling.

They end up meeting this Shangri Llama who is doing yoga in an asteroid that grants a fountain of youth. Then they had to take the crystals and make a pit that would then repel the asteroid. This is as convoluted as it sounds and it never worked in creating tension or empathy for the characters. I frankly just didn’t care.

They also keep zipping back to Scrat and his silly antics can be amusing but at this point it’s a very tired gag. A few of the characters land jokes but mostly it’s complaining more than actual jokes.

The 3D also looked terrible- instead of immersing me in the experience it kept shoving things in my face.

The best joke of the screening was when Scrat turns a planet into Mars and a little boy behind me said ‘that’s not how it happened Mommy”. That made me laugh!

Ice Age Collision Course is a definite skip.

Overall Grade- D+

I was able to review this on my channel with my friend Rachel and I would love if you gave it a watch and thumbs up. I am getting close to 1,000 subscribers so thank you!

Ghostbusters 2016 Review

July 15, 2016July 16, 2016 | Rachel's Reviews

Today I saw the movie that broke the internet. For months the battle over the Ghostbusters remake has been raging strong. It has a female cast, some idiots trolled, people involved overreacted and then a bunch of lousy trailers came out. Plus, like Independence Day it’s another movie that others feel much more nostalgia for than I do. You can see my best shot pick and thoughts on original Ghostbusters here.

So is this new version the monstrosity that some people hoped for? (Yes some idiots hoped it would be bad). No, in fact, I liked it very much!

Going into Ghostbusters I looked for a few things. 1. I wanted charismatic, likable female cast, 2. I wanted to laugh, 3. I wanted some entertaining ghostbusting action. This film gave me all of that. I left with a big smile on my face.

So let’s start with our leading ladies. We have Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon. I like that they aren’t exact copies of the 4 original Ghostbusters. McCarthy and Wiig are long time friends who have written a book on the paranormal. They had great chemistry together and I thought McCarthy stole every scene she was in. I know some are tired of her shtick but it’s really not here. There isn’t a single fat lady joke in the whole movie. She’s just funny.

All of the ladies have great chemistry together and things like Leslie Jones being from the street was actually well done. For the most part character-wise what worried me in the trailer didn’t come to fruition. Kate McKinnon verges on being a little annoying but I was ok with it.

A lot of people have complained about the depiction of men in the film. I think this complaint misses the subtle humor these roles have. I can’t even tell you how many movies I’ve seen where every female character is a dimwit, shrew or hooker. Now they turn it around. That’s part of the joke! It’s called turning the tables to make people think and maybe laugh a bit at the way we see gender played out in film. Chris Hemsworth isn’t just the idiot, he’s a satirical jab at every dopey receptionist babe we’ve seen in a thousand other films.

Let’s get to the humor. I must own I actually haven’t seen many Paul Feig films because they are usually hard R ratings. Here he is working in PG-13 territory and for the most part I laughed a lot. The banter between the ladies was very funny and dry.

Also Chris Hemsworth is hilarious in every scene he is in as the dopey receptionist. I also liked little moments like when Melissa McCarthy can’t get her broth to wanton ratio right from the Chinese restaurant. Things like that made me laugh.

Now the action it is not as horror influenced as the original but I liked it. I thought some of the designs of the specters was cool and how the women had to use their brains to take them down was also cool. I particularly liked a set of ghosts that were giant balloons that felt very day of the dead influenced.

It was also cool to see all of the new gadgets that McKinnon’s character invents. I think young girls will see this movie and have fun playing scientist and killing those ghosts! It’s the same thing that makes me excited to see girls playing Rey. I had Ariel and that’s basically it. Nothing tough and fighting like this.

That does bring me to a negative I had in the movie. Most of the movie is so kid-friendly that it bummed me out when unnecessary crude and vulgar humor was thrown in for no reason. Like a character gives another the middle finger repeatedly. Why did that have to be in there? I don’t need that for my little girl. You also had a joke about female anatomy I could have done without. That said, those crude and vulgar jokes are much worse in the original so it’s not really a surprise.

There are also a number of cameos and callbacks to the original and some of them do feel forced. It didn’t bother me that much but it is definitely fan service. I particularly could have done without Slimer and his wife driving around.

I honestly hope there is a sequel because I think that will be even better. I think these fan service moments are out of the way and we can move on to an entirely fresh story.

Overall, if you can turn off the critics I think you will have a good time. Is it the greatest movie of the year? No but honestly neither was the original- at least to me. They are both fun summer movies with quippy dialogue and scientists taking down ghosts! Give it a shot. I don’t think you will regret it.

Overall Grade- B+

I did something new with my youtube video this time. I hope you guys like it

2016 Animated Emmy Nominations

July 14, 2016 | Rachel's Reviews

Outstanding Animated Program
Archer
Bob’s Burgers
Phineas and Ferb Last Day of Summer
The Simpsons
South Park

Outstanding Short Form Animated Program
Adventure Time
The Powerpuff Girls
Robot Chicken
SpongeBob SquarePants
Steven Universe

So the Emmy nominations are in which include 2 animation categories, program and short form animated program. After getting it really right last year with Over the Garden Wall taking home the prize I am very disappointed with this year’s nominees. It’s not that any of the shows are awful but some really great shows were missed. No nomination for Rick and Morty and I am sorry but they have taken what South Park did and ran away with it. And no nomination for Gravity Falls. Their 3 hour epic finale was so great and inventive. As much as I love The Simpsons there was nothing last year that came close to Gravity Falls.

Then you have Star Wars Rebels which was so captivating last season with a finale episode that had me in tears and cheering all at the same time. There is no way that Phineas and Ferb Last Day of Summer is better than Rebels. We also get the Powerpuff Girls reboot with a nomination which everyone I know hates and nothing for the final season of Wander Over Yonder.

Netflix’s Voltron also deserved a nomination over one of these tired shows. If you haven’t caught it yet it is so well written and animated. I haven’t finished but will do a review when I’m done. I also wouldn’t have been sad if The Lion Guard had made it in because that show is very well done for kids.

So all in all it is an epic fail for this year’s emmy nominations. What else is new? These award shows rarely get it right.

Secret Life of Pets Review

July 13, 2016July 13, 2016 | Rachel's Reviews

So I’m back friends from Spain!!! I hope you guys enjoyed art book reviews while I was gone. I enjoyed writing them very much and if there are any art books you would like me to review in the future let me know. Being gone for 12 days I naturally missed a number of movies, which I will now need to play catch up.

The first one that needed to be looked at was of course the animated film- The Secret Life of Pets. This is made by Illumination, a company which I have not been a fan of. I particularly did not care for their entry last year Minions. But I enjoyed the teaser trailer for Secret Life of Pets and was excited to see something from Illumination without little yellow men in it…

And I saw the film and you know what I actually enjoyed it. It’s a ring down from Finding Dory and Zootopia but I was charmed by the film. Here is my youtube review.

I also had the honor and privilege yesterday to be a guest host for the Rotoscopers podcast! I have followed the podcast for some time and am a patron so this was really neat. I hope you guys like my contribution. Please give the video some love and maybe they will invite me back again someday.

Anyway back to the movie. Let’s go over some of the pros and cons of the film.

The first thing that struck me right away about the movie is how great the cityscapes and NYC skyline looked. It is the best NYC has ever looked in a film IMO. Not that many films are set in a city so I really enjoyed the urban environment. It reminded me a little bit of NYC in Oliver and Company.

I am not a dog owner but the whole premise of the secret life of pets is adorable. What do pets do after their owners have left the house after all? Unfortunately the movie abandons that premise for a generic search and rescue pretty early on but I still liked the set up. I liked that it wasn’t just dogs and cats but all kinds of pets like guinea pigs and birds as well (even a crocodile at one point!).

I didn’t mind the lead characters Duke and Max but my favorite were the side characters particularly Chloe and Gidget. They were very funny. The writing for these side characters was on point and I laughed quite ae bit.

Overall I was engaged in the story and thought it was a charming film.

But there were some cons so let’s talk about them.

A big problem many will point out is the similarity to Toy Story. As you can tell by my love for Good Dinosaur I have no problem reusing storylines from other films; however in this case I feel they missed out on a few things that make Toy Story special. The movie never achieves an emotional moment like the Toy Story films do. There is a weak attempt to do so with Duke’s former owner but it doesn’t work. I think what would have worked better is if their owner Katie had realized they were gone and was upset missing them. That would have given the movie more emotional heft than just a search and rescue film.

Also they make Duke a little bit too unlikable. One of the things that makes Woody so jealous of Buzz is how much everyone loves him. We never get any moment to see what makes Duke special or why we should love him. He’s just the annoying new presence in Max’s life and nothing more. Also when they do become a team working together it doesn’t feel earned.

My other problem with the movie is the Underbelly section with Kevin Hart bunny planning a revolution against the humans. There was actually some funny writing and jokes in this section but I found Snowball to be an annoying character. Every line he gives it feels like he is shouting and clenching his fists. I wanted to say ‘calm down for half a second’. The whole underbelly sections of the film feels generic and didn’t do much for me.

I also feel certain characters don’t really fit like Tiberius the hawk voiced by Albert Brooks. Maybe I’m too attached to that voice from Marlin in Finding Dory but it didn’t work. Other characters like Pops we don’t really get to see enough of to make him an effective character.

However, like I said the banter between Gidget and Chloe is very funny and I liked Max as our lead hero. There’s also some good laughs throughout and our second animals driving a car scene for the summer. I also felt the music cues and score by Alexander Desplat really worked well.

So overall The Secret Life of Pets did have problems but I left feeling happy I have seen it and charmed by the film. I think your kids will enjoy it; although there are some moments of pet peril so be forewarned. It’s not a film you have to jump in the car and see but I liked it. It’s definitely Illumination’s best film by far.

Also the Mower Minions I can do without! Get them out of here!

My end grade on Secret Life of Pets is a B-. What would you give it and what did you think of the film? Let me know in the comments section.

The Art of Up Review

July 13, 2016June 25, 2016 | Rachel's Reviews

This is the last in my little series of art book reviews I am uploading before I go on vacation. I hope you have enjoyed them! You guys all know my favorite movie, not just animated, is Up. It’s a movie that for whatever reason really spoke to me when I first saw it and it continues to do so on each rewatch. To me it is about grief and remembering our loved ones but moving on too. It embraces a spirit of adventure and travel while still feeling remarkably intimate and close. I just love it. So naturally when I heard there was an art book for Up I had to have it!!

One cool thing in this art book is to learn to the Pixar creators it was their chance to make their version of Peter Pan. I have never thought about that before. Pete Docter says in the preface “odd as it was the image of a floating house captured that feeling of escaping the world…4 years later more than 300 of us are floating along in our studio-sized house, making this movie. And although from time to time I still long to escape from it ll. I’m so happy to have had the chance to work with these amazing people. As Carl discovers, it’s the people you’re with who make the adventure worthwhile.”

In the introductory essay you learn about how the creators were inspired by the notion of a ‘coming of old age story’ and the desire all of us have to escape. We learn they started with the idea of a floating city and then it evolved to just one man. Pete Docter says “the story has simple beginnings, in thoughts like, ‘We get a kick out of old people. IS there anything fun we can do with an old person’. Pete had evidently drawn an old grumpy man holding a bunch of balloons and that inspired them. Isn’t that interesting?

Then they got the idea of a couple and the life they had together. Then when she is gone Carl feels all this regret “Carl had led a very simple life, he felt he had not fulfilled her hopes and dreams. She died before he could. So he has this guilt throughout the journey, thinking ‘all I want to do is fulfill this wish for Ellie. I missed this”. I loved reading this because it is the true reason I love Up so much. This journey of self-forgiveness that Carl goes on is so moving.

And then he says “There is a strong moment when Carl’s wife gives him absolution, a reminder that ‘the life that we lived together was a great adventure-and I was not wanting more. You are my greatest adventure’ I love that”. I love it too! As much as people love the opening montage I think I love that moment with the scrapbook even more.

And this is all before the first chapter of the book! The first chapter is called Seeking Simplicity and it is mostly about the characters and overall art design of the film. The book gives you tons of concept art and sculptures the characters and scenes of the film.

Then next we get a chapter about the house and the meaning of home to the artists.

It’s really cool to see all the thought that went into every detail from the weather veins to the stove, picture frames and lamps inside. “Pete wanted the house to feel claustrophobic because Carl doesn’t ever leave it, and his world has become very small. But then for the tepui and Muntz’s lair, the scale had to feel grand”

Next we get a chapter on the The Tepuis in South America and the beautiful Mountain waterfalls that inspired the film.

I love that we get quotes throughout from the entire team behind the project from art directors, editors and designers and it is all beautiful work. It is clear they were all inspired by Pete Docter’s vision. This section is long and it also includes more character design from Russell, Kevin and Dug.

Throughout the book we get lots of storyboards and concept art and it is all a joy to look at!

The Art of Up is really only for people who love this movie and were inspired by its vision. As that includes me it is wonderful to own. I love seeing the progression of an idea of a floating city and Pete Docter’s desire to escape morph and change into something truly special. The heart and passion that he had for this film clearly trickled down to all involved. The art work is beautiful the text is inspiring. It’s a perfect companion to a great movie! So if you like Up get this art book. I know you will love it too!

The Art of Tangled Review

July 11, 2016June 25, 2016 | Rachel's Reviews

Anyone who reads my blog knows I have a soft spot in my heart for Tangled. It’s actually the film that got me interested in animation again. I was so turned off by the films like Chicken Little and Shrek the 3rd that I had stopped going to animated films. Many people say the trailers for Tangled are awful. I really couldn’t tell you because I didn’t’ care about animated movies in 2010. Then my little sister (18 years younger) wanted to see it so I decided to see it and was blown away. Particularly the 3D and the lanterns was awe inspiring. I also loved how funny it was and Mother Gothel immediately became a favorite villain. So, naturally I had to get the art book when it came out and it is a really cool one with a very unique approach.

In his Preface John Lasseter reminds the reader that Tangled was Disney’s first computer-animated fairytale adventure. It’s easy to forget that these days. He talks about the challenges they had making the movie and applying the source material to a modern audience. In fact, that is a theme of this art book. It’s about the new technology and all the old history and Disney tradition that made Tangled work.

We start out getting the history of the Rapunzel story and the many incantations it took over the years at Disney. The sketches are so interesting and a side of me wishes we could have seen those films as well! They eventually had to scrap everything and start again bringing on Byron Howard and Nathan Greno. What’s really cool then is they go through the ‘artistic inspirations- seeking to touch a cultural memory’. We then see what the filmmakers learned from Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Pinocchio and Disneyland Park. This even comes down to the ‘signature shapes’ of each movie.

I also love a section called ‘Graceful Graffiti’ where they talk about the process that went into Rapunzel’s paintings and artwork on her walls.

We learn more about Rapunzel or the ‘elevated prisoner’ ias they call her in a chapter called The Tower and find out everything down to the hair brushes used to inspire the film. The same is true for all the characters including Mother Gothel.

Next is The Forest, Snuggly Duckling and the Kingdom. The amount of detail about each location and character is outstanding and I love the way they keep tying it back to the history of Disney animation. It’s fascinating.

And of course we get a segment on the lantern sequence; although I would have been interested to learn more about creating their first 3D film.

If you only buy one art book The Art of Tangled might not be a bad one to pick. Even if you aren’t that crazy about Tangled you get so much information about the history of Disney- like I said even down to the predominant shapes used in certain classic films. And it is kind of comforting in a way to see the artists at Disney are taking the legacy of the company so seriously. This is after all the company that gave us Bambi 2 without batting an eye…

I think this quote from art designer Doug Rogers sums up the attitude of the film and art book “You want to give audiences back something that they had- or something that they heard that other people had…Working for Disney you need to give 110% because the public expects this from Disney. They’re used to quality from Disney. It’s always in the back of your mind, that’s what I’m going for, that’s why I’m working here, that’s why I like it, and let’s make sure that we get the best”. For those of us that love animation how great is that to hear!

So I highly recommend checking out The Art of Tangled and enjoying the best that Disney can offer!

The Art of Book of Life Review

July 9, 2016June 25, 2016 | Rachel's Reviews

The Book of Life is a film the more I’ve thought about the more forgiving I have become about its weaknesses. There are certain aspects to the story that could be better but one thing I never had any doubt on was the film’s magnificent artistry. Jorge R Guitierrez’s amazing visual palate and vision is incredible to watch and so I had to pick up the art book as soon as I could lay my hands on it!

I always like art books where you can tell there is a real affection for the film on the part of the creators. Such is the case with the Book of Life. It starts with a forward from producer Guillermo del Toro. He talks about meeting Guitierrez and that his ‘enthusiasm was overwhelming’. These are the kind of people I want making movies!

Guillermo agrees with me “Jorge is my favorite kind of filmmaker- the guy who permeates every single aspect of his work with his ideas, his vision and his hard work but, like any good leader, allows everyone to feel like a vital contributor to the tale.” He goes on to say “browse through the art in this book and you will find a crew in love with their work, inspired by the world that Jorge has presented to us…”

Next we get an introduction by Guitierrez. It’s really cool because he talks about he loves art books and he says “And now, I swear by the blood of my ancestors, this film and this book are one! THIS I SWEAR! In fact, it was my intention from the start to have our beloved film look exactly like the art in these pages….We poured our heart and ouls into the art in your hands. And little spicy salsa….Now go enjoy the spicy art in this book. We made it just for you and all the little mustachioed kids all over the world. We are the Book of Life”. I love that!

The first chapter is about characters. We get the evolution of the characters which I always like to see and it’s not just the big characters but every last one of them. It is also really cool to learn about details like the colors of the wood in the characters designated what spirit world they are in and how old they are.

Chapter 2 is about the world-building and is entitled “the Making of the Book of Life”. I really like how they lay out the different ingredients that make up each world. The Land of the Remembered contains- skulls, hearts, flower petals floating upwards, plant life and growth, 15% square shapes, 80% circular and 5% triangular. The Land of the Forgotten contains- stalactites, stalagmites, ash, charcoal trees, giant chains, 5% square shapes, 5% circular, 90% triangular. Isn’t that interesting? I would never have noticed all the triangles in the Land of the Forgotten!

Each page in this section is full of storyboards and concept art including a fold out page that becomes 3 pages of storyboards!

The final chapter focuses on each of the main locations. We get to see the incredible detail in buildings like the chapel and bull fighting ring. I loved seeing all the matador posters they made.

And all the detail about the Land of the Remembered is worth the price of the book!

The final segment is a brief Afterword by art director Paul Sullivan about the collaborative process with Reel FX who I don’t think get enough credit for this film. It certainly is a huge step up from their first film Free Birds.

This Art of Book of Life is a special book because it helps you see the passion that goes into a film. I guess I particularly appreciate it because it was a film I was maybe a little harsh on the first time I saw it. Those problems are still there but I think I always saw the beauty and passion that went into it. It just makes me appreciate it a little bit more. I’m glad I own the book and would recommend it to all of you!

Friday 5: Favorite Live Action Disney Songs

July 8, 2016 | Rachel's Reviews

Hola from Spain! I hope you guys are having a nice summer and have been enjoying the art book reviews. Make sure to follow my other blog http://smilingldsgirl.com for updates on the trip. I am having a blast!

I just thought I would share with you guys this weeks Friday 5. The topic is favorite live action Disney songs. I ended up going with 6 and I love all of them. Check it out and what are your favorite live action Disney songs?