Divergent: But What Exactly Is Happening?

Title: Divergent

Genre: Drama, Action, Sci-Fi

Director: Neil Burger

Writer: Screenplay - Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor, Novel - Veronica Roth

Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Maggie Q

Tagline: In a world bound within the realms of legalized segregation, a girl tries to change the future and shit while getting at that D.

Grade: C

Good Movie For: Young Adult Fiction Enthusiasts, Segregation Supporters, Jack Dawson

My movie watching patterns are sporadic. Sporadic enough to maybe consider that there are no patterns at all. What can I say. I like living outside the box. But there is no box.

So that being said, I pretty much would be up for watching any genre or type of movie. I almost watched Hansel and Gretel Get Baked last week. Almost. When my friend asked to watch Divergent on the back end of our movie marathon day, I wholeheartedly agreed to go. 

I'm a bit of a young adult softy. I watched and read the entire Twilight series. What? I was young. I was impressionable. This all might have happened last week. Whatever. Let me live my life. So, Divergent wasn't out of the spectrum of my movie watching prow less. Some set up with this reviewy thing, my friend read the books. I didn't. We had slightly differing stances on the film.

From a reader perspective, my friend liked that the movie stayed true to the book. Every scene that was depicted was properly derived from the book. From my perspective I didn't know what the fuck in hell of all christ was going on. I mean it wasn't entirely hard to follow, but I just couldn't see where the story was going at all at any point in the movie. Some people might take that as a good thing, that the storyline kept me guessing, but I think it's just lazy. Maybe not lazy per se, but too much to the book. 

My biggest reason why I didn't love this movie was because there wasn't a single storyline throughout. When I know the film is heavily set in a narrative structure I try and imagine what the end scene would be. Sometimes I get it right. Sometimes I get it wrong. With Divergent there were multiple times where I thought the film would come to an organic end. Then it kept going. And kept going. And kept going. 

The ending also seemed too tied up at the end. Knowing that this was a trilogy I expected there to be a huge cliffhanger to propel the audience to anxiously wait another year before the story commenced again, but with Divergent, the ending eluded to a much bigger picture, but it also gave a lot of resolution which made it feel as if the story could end there without the emergence of a Part 2 and Part 3. I probably should have read the book, but ehhh. I'll see this again next year when FX decides to sandwich it in between the saga that is Twilight. 

The Grand Budapest Hotel: I'm Pretty Sure He Has OCD

Title: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Director: Wes Anderson

Writer: Story- Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness, Screenplay - Wes Anderson

Starring: Fucking Everyone Ever In The Existence of Man

Tagline: The fantastical telling of the world's best hotel concierge and his plight with prison, German Nazis, the death of his 84 year old lover, and the boy with an apple.

Grade: B-

Good Movie For: Wes Anderson groupies, fairytale lovers, cougar bait, people who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

I've never seen a Wes Anderson movie. Yea. I know. It's like I've committed murder or something. It seems like we're in a time where current film students think he is god, but I have not yet stumbled into his house of worship. This was my introduction. It's cool to like Wes Anderson. Right? I've surveyed a hundred hipsters and they all say yes. 

With all of this talk about Mr. Anderson in the halls of my schools, it's deplorable that it took me this long to finally grace my eyeballs with the magnificence that is his creations. But alas. I'm in the group now. I get it. I understand. 

I watched The Grand Budapest Hotel during a double feature movie day with one of my best friends. We're both movie people. She loves Wes Anderson, so I thought, shit. Win, win, win, win. Right? 

Yea. I guess.

The movie itself was, good. But the verdict is still out whether or not it is great. The story and the visuals were outlandish, outlavish, and out...luxurious? I fell in love with the world that Anderson created. With all of the stills that I've seen of his work you can distinctly tell that his mind is one that works in different ways than the normal mind, but that's good. That's what I want. 

Everyone that I have talked to basically worship thine holiest Anderson because of his masterpiece The Royal Tenebaums. I think maybe that should have been my introduction into Wesandersonity. I love the realms that he effortlessly creates, but I don't know if The Grand Budapest will outdo his greatest film. I can't find a pinpoint as to why this movie didn't surpass into the levels of greatness, it just didn't. It's a good film, but I don't believe it's great. 

Also, if homeboy doesn't suffer from OCD with all of the precision that he uses to create his visuals then fuck if I know what OCD actually is. 

Tumble, Tumble, Tumble.

So I made a thing with my friend.

Like this, but more Female Power Rant-y.

Check it out if you want to. 

The Film Fatales

Also, getting back to posting regularly. 

Ok. "Back to"?

I'm going to start posting regularly now.

Paradise Lost: Metallica, The Root of All Evil

Title: Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hill (1996)

Genre: Documentary

Director: Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky

Tagline: Whose innocence is really lost?

Grade: B

Good Movie For: People with a strong stomach, teenage sleuths, Metallica fanatics

I don't entirely know how I came about selecting this movie for my Netflix queue. It might have been mentioned on a tv show that I was watching. A friend might have recommended it to me. A stranger might have whispered it into my ear. All I know is that it ended up in the top slot and I had to watch it. I had briefly read the synopsis of the film on the DVD cover so I knew the gist of what the film was about, but it didn't fully prepare me for what I watched. 

The film is pretty long for a documentary. Typically docs round out at about an hour and a half. This was two and a half hours, but even with the prolonged build up, I was still completely enthralled in the story of these three young men. The concept reminded me of The Thin Blue Line in the aspect that there is a definitive verdict to the trial, but the filmmakers present a case where you aren't entirely sure who is and isn't innocent. 

The film was good and interesting. What I didn't like about it though was the horrifically graphic images that the filmmakers chose to include. I understand that the images and pictures were used to drive home a point of the gruesome nature of the murders, but there inherently is a fine line between emphasis and the gag reflex. Looking past that though, this was a good watch. But refrain from listening to Metallica after. People will think you're worshipping Satan. 

You might want to say a couple hail mary's before too.

You know.

Just to be safe.

Blackfish: Don't Fuck With Them Killer Whales

Title: Blackfish (2013)

Genre: Documentary

Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite

Tagline: Free Willy has taught us nothing

Grade: A

Good Movies For: People with hearts, People who live on earth, People who breathe

When I was 10 I saw Keiko at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. I had seen the Free Willy movies so I knew who he was. Hundreds of people crowded around the the glass wall of this giant aquarium as the all too familiar curved dorsal fin swam around. We had gotten a new panoramic 35mm camera. I remember snapping shots of him in the water. Those pictures are in a box somewhere, but now I don't know if I have the heart to look over them with fondness. 

I had been hearing a lot of buzz around this movie for the past couple of months. I initially wanted to watch it in theatres, but then it went on dvd and digital stream with a fucking quickness. I had been putting it off because of that pesky thing called school, but when I finally watched it. Shit.

I loved The Cove, and from what I was hearing this was quite similar. It was good. Really good. Good enough for me to force my family to watch it during our happy and joyful Christmas party. They call me The Mood Killer.

 Blackfish is an activist movie, much like The Cove. It has a stance and it's stance is clear, but it's delivery isn't one that is met with a grain of salt. The movie directly tackles the inhumanity that these animals face, specifically when it comes to the realm of America's favorite water spectacle, Sea World, but instead of having random people talk about the horrors, it has a cast of former Sea World trainers to dish the dirt. 

Blackfish was a good movie. It lets you peek behind the curtain to see the sadness and anguish that are covered by the splashes sent by Shamu. You should watch this. Everyone should watch this, but only when your faith in humanity is at an all time high. This is the swift kick needed to tumble you down that optimistic slope.

Well Shit....

I feel like I've written this post too many times.

I'm bad at consistency, blah blah blah.

I'm a sprinter, blah blah blah.

Life gets in the way, blah blah blah.

I've struggled. People struggle. But I'm getting back on the horse. If I want to take this writing thing seriously I need to put in the hours. I need to be somewhat consistent. So I'm going to start again, but this time with less stress.

Shit happened. Shit is happening. Shit is going to happen, and hopefully I can be active enough to jot it down here. One shit that happened is that I finally graduated from college. I'm now what society calls an "adult". Yea, sure, whatever. I guess I'll stick with that title. I've also landed this thing called a job. Weird. I can afford things now, like better quality alcohol. A shit that is still continuing to happen is this writing business. I'm done with school deadlines, but now I have to work up to my own self imposed deadlines. Let's see how that turns out.

Point is, I'm getting my shit together, and hopefully it doesn't hit the fan. I'm still learning and still progressing in this university of life. I still have a shit ton of movies that I need to watch and learn from.

Well shit. Here I go, again.

Again.

The Writers Group That's Not Really A Writers Group

Since my realization that I lack any type of drive or will in my life, I have decided to join a local writers group. It isn't your typical sharing pages and destroy you to build you back up group (ok, not all writers groups are like that) it's a different type of writers group. The only way I can describe it is solo writing, but sitting in a group. Basically you shut the fuck up and get shit done, but instead of doing that by yourself where the temptation of Tumblr lurks across your computer screen, you do it in a crowded Starbucks where you feel less inclined to show people your strangely intense obsession with the show Criminal Minds and Dr. Spencer Reid. I should probably delete my tags on Tumblr. That's a paper trail.

 I was reluctant to join this group at first. It consists of other screenwriters who are some of my best friends so that was the main draw. I was in another group where everyone else was writing novels. I felt like the gimpy kid that gets picked last for dodgeball. And this guy named Stardust kept asking me what I was writing about. The comfort of these friends is what drew me in. I knew that Stardust wasn't going to be lurking over my shoulder. I feel a bit discouraged though. Why is it that I can't write on my own without getting distracted? Is there such a thing as onset ADD? I probably have it. 

Trying to veer back to my point, the writer's group has actually been a huge platform for me. I've only been going for the past couple weeks, but it's been good so far. OK. I haven't actually written anything yet, but I've been reading scripts during the session. That's good right? A step in the right direction. Well actually that's a lie. I wrote an outline for a short, but didn't muster enough drive to actually write anything past Fade In. I'm getting there. Slowly. Really slowly. Excruciatingly slow.

I think my point and the gist of this post is that everyone writes differently. Some feel more comfortable writing in a darkened room where the light that glares off of the computer screen is the only thing that illuminates your tear streaked face as you realize that you've fallen into the bitch known as the 2nd Act Black Hole. Others, like myself, need the structure and nagging eyes of other writers writing to keep me on track. I read a post by Amanda from The Aspiring TV Writer & Screenwriter Blog and she talked about how Diablo Cody could only write in a group with other writers otherwise she would be too tempted to look up the latest gossip on whatever D-list actor stumbled out of jail that day. Diablo Cody is me. I am her. Basically what I'm trying to get at is whatever way you feel comfortable, don't be ashamed by it. Writers need to write. Anyway they can. 

At Home Therapy Sessions

I've figured out what I lack.

It's consistency.

I'm a sprinter.

Well, not really.

I don't think I've ever actually ran a full mile in my entire life.

I need to become a marathoner.

Going to continue this chain again.

Hopefully it doesn't break this time.

Savages: The Recession Hits Drug Cartels

Title: Savages (2012)

Director: Oliver Stone

Writer: Shane Salerno, Oliver Stone, Don Winslow (Novel)

Starring: Aaron Taylor - Johnson, Blake Lively, Taylor Kitsch, Benicio Del Toro, Salma Hayek, John Travolta

Tagline: Pot growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnapped their shared girlfriend.

Grade: C-

Good Movie For: Polygamists, Sub-Par Drug Lords, Mexican Politicians, Cougars

I watched this on a whim. I was wavering whether or not to see it. I generally liked the cast that was in it, but I was apprehensive about the story. So when one of my best friends called me up and persuaded me to watch it with her, I agreed. I've been a fan of Aaron Taylor-Johson since he first appeared on my TV screen in Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging. So I was looking forward to seeing him in this. Yes. Even with the dreadlocks. Usually having one of my favorite actors in the film is a win for me, but this just fell short.

I don't entirely know if it was something that went wrong between the adaptation from book to screen, or if it was just too little amount of time to engage with the characters before the real shit happens, but it just didn't work for me. The story basically hinders on the two male characters and their love for their girl. Yes. Girl. Singular. They like to share. I just didn't see or feel the connection between the three. Because I didn't believe it, the rest of the film just didn't feel right. I wasn't rooting for them to get her back because I didn't believe they really loved her.

I had really high hopes for this movie. Reviews and interviews with Oliver Stone were stating this as his comeback. That Stone was now going back to his roots. If this is his roots, I'm not sure I want to watch those movies anymore. (No wait. That's a lie. I'll probably have to watch Platoon. It's on the list.) This fell short for me.

Also, I may just be completely disillusioned with the whole drug cartel because of the skewed views it has in films, but 10 million dollars? Really? You're making a big fuss about that petty ass bitch shit? Apparently the recession hits everyone. Including top notch Mexican drug lords. 

Dumb and Hot vs. Smart and Ugly - What's More Important?

Going off of the Holy Motors review from yesterday, a glaring topic came into mind. There's an ongoing debate, it seems, as to what exactly is the most important aspect of a film? Is it the story? Is it the visuals? Is it the stars? 

I have debated this idea in many discussions with fellow film students and have come up with my own philosophy. I believe that the importance of a film all hinders on what you, yourself, place the most emphasis on. For screenwriters, it's generally the story that they key in on when they watch a movie. For cinematographers, the visuals dominate their thoughts. Basically the question of whether the visuals or the narrative are more important than the other is something that does not truly have a definite answer. There are some films that are able to achieve a balance between the two ends of the spectrum, but there are often times where films veer towards one end only. But at the end of the day, the question still lingers. Is it more important to make a impact in the film visually or within the story? While it's hard to justify a singular answer, here are my thoughts.

As a wannabe screenwriting, I tend to steer more towards the story end of the spectrum. In my mind, I don't fully feel emotionally satisfied with a film unless is has a good story. That's not to say that I don't appreciate the visuals of a film, I do, but when push comes to shove, story will always be the top in my book. That being said, I can fully understand where the other half comes from. If a film isn't visually engaging, then what's the point in shelving out loads of money to watch it? Cinema is inherently a visual medium so the image must look good, but does that come at the expense of the storyline? Movies depend on the visual, but without a story, movies end up just being sequential pictures without any real resonance of emotion in them. Beautiful images can only get you so far, but if you have a narrative that is just as beautiful, more times than not, you'll have a memorable film experience. 

Holy Motors: What the Fuck just happened?

Title: Holy Motors

Director: Leos Carax

Writer: Leos Carax

Starring: Denis Lavant, Edith Scob, Eva Mendes, Kylie Minogue

Grade: B-/C+

Tagline: From dusk to dawn, a few hours in the life of Monsieur Oscar, a shadowy character who journeys from one life to the next. He is, in turn, captain of industry, assassin, beggar, monster, family man...

Good Movie For: Stoners, Eva Mendes Lovers, Cannibals, Dragons, People Named Alice

I recently joined the Cinema Society at my school. With being a member, we usually get deals with the local movie theatre to view screenings at a discounted student rate. I'd seen the trailer for Holy Motors during many previous outings with the society. The trailer left me both intrigued and angry, all at the same time. Now, last time I checked, I did not suffer from bipolar disorder, so I denoted that my strain in feelings must be from the film. Basically the trailer didn't tell me shit. I was left wondering "Well what the fuck is this all about?", even after the tenth time I watched it. Yes. I watched the trailer ten times. I sit through a lot of previews. But even after basically knowing the edits and scenes shot for shot, I still had no clue what the film was about. But I watched it. How could you pass up on a discount student rate? I'm a student. This movie shit doesn't come cheap.

So I sat there, with my discounted ticket, homemade popcorn, and smuggled in soda, ready to finally figure out what the fuck was going on. Well, I didn't. I still don't know what the fuck is going on. That might just be my inherent nature, but shit. Still no clue. I had to bring in a movie review to analyze for class so I decided to use one about Holy Motors, secretly hoping that this might finally shed light on what exactly I experienced. It did. Sort of. It wasn't a spotlight, but more like one of those lights you mount on the front of you bike, with a half dead battery in it.

Basically the review tells the audience to just sit back and "experience" the film. To not think too much while watching it. Stop analyzing it, and just be in it. Well. I can't do that. I'm a film student. It's basically ingrained into our brains now to dissect a film. I dissected the shit out of Breaking Dawn: Part 1. Why? Not because I had to for a class, but because that's how my mind works now. I can't take myself out of it. I need to figure out how all of the pieces of the puzzle come into play so I can talk about it later. But this, this is like trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together blind, with one hand. Not even with a hand. With a hook for a hand.

But I sort of get it. I get what the review was talking about. Visually, this movie was incredibly intriguing and beautiful. The different setups and different characters that Denis Lavant played were astonishing. But that seems to be as far as it goes. Something that is beautiful to the eye, but fucks up the mind. This film sort of feels like a gigantic inside joke that we're never really in on. There may be glimpses of connection, but then you realize that you have now been shoved into the corner on time out, not allowed to play with the others. I may not be sophisticated enough to understand this, but may I not want to be at that level of posh. At the end of the day, this movie had many good points, but if you're going into it looking for a clear cut narrative, you might just be better watching Breaking Dawn: Part 2. (OK. It wasn't that bad. You should probably watch this over Twilight, but just enjoy the pictures.)

Movie List: Back to the Future - 1.21 gigawatts?!?! Great Scott!

Title: Back to the Future (1985)

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Writer: Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover

Grade: A

Tagline: A teenager is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr. Emmett Brown, and must make sure his high-school-age parents unite in order to save his own existence.

Good Movie For: Time Travelers, Mother Lovers, Skateboard Enthusiasts, People Named Scott

I'm a hoarder. OK. That might have been a little too intense. Let's just say that I may or may not possess some hoarding tendencies. I don't hoard newspapers or memorabilia, or anything that would remotely bring me any profit in the future. I hoard movies, DVDs to be specific. I haven't actually counted exactly how many DVDs I have, but it's somewhere in the hundreds. It's not that bad actually, but in a time where instant streaming has blossomed into this juggernaut, DVDs and actual concrete evidence of movies have seemed to disappear into the cuts. But I'm not budging. I love the feeling of opening the cling wrap from around a brand new DVD package. I also love the feel of actual books. Yes. I do have a Netflix account, and I read books on my iPad, but the tangible feel of these things will always surpass the digital for me. 

That being said, I actually own the Back to the Future trilogy on Blu-Ray, thank you Black Friday and Amazon.com. But even though I own a movie, it doesn't necessarily mean that I've watched it. I watched Back to the Future in my dorm kitchen, while studying abroad, thousands of miles away from my actual copy of it, because my flat mate thought that it was ridiculous that I haven't watched it. I knew the basic storyline of Back to the Future. It plays endlessly on channels in America, but I don't think I've ever sat down and fully watched the entire movie. I've seen bits and pieces here and there, but nothing fully at the same time. 

I get it. I get why this movie is one that seems to appear on many people's favorite films list. I get why this is a top contender in many of my friends' favorites. Yes, it has some campy bits to it, but its an amazing movie. The novel idea of time traveling in the 1980's. The imminent danger that Marty faces trying to get his parents to finally fall in love. The disillusionment of Doc. The pieces fit perfectly together. I can see why Back to the Future is a top contender. If you haven't seen it, then what the fuck are you doing with your life? Just kidding. But really, this is a movie that everyone should watch. If not because you love the cast or the idea, but because you need to hear 1.21 gigawatts screamed by a white haired maniac just once in your life. 

Movie List: Why I'm not really a film student

I'm a film student, but I'm not really a film student.

The title of my major is Cinema, but I possess no lifestyle attributes that decipher that I am in fact pursuing a life of film. I'm the film student who doesn't watch any movies. I mostly watch television, which would initially be deemed acceptable, if I was watching award winning television programs. Sadly, that is far from the case.

I watch reality TV. Bad reality TV. It's my crutch, my vice, my ultimate chocolately treat. So after determining this sad, but true fact, I have decided to come up with a list of films that I must watch as a "film student". Well I'm not the only contributor to this list. My fellow film students are also a huge determinate as to what films should be watched. Basically every time I mention I haven't seen a movie and the eyes roll or the throats scoff, I write down that mother fucker.

The list is long. Excruciatingly long, but I will get through it. Someday. Somehow. I will get through it.

Well Shit...

What  happened?

I should get back to this.

I will get back to this.

Sorry.

Peep World: Real Life Fiction

Title: Peep World

Director: Barry W. Blaustein

Writer: Peter Himmelstein

Starring: Michael C. Hall, Sarah Silverman, Rainn Wilson, Ben Schwartz

Grade: C+

Synopsis: The youngest son of a dysfunctional family writes a fiction novel that turns out to be real. 

Good Movie For: Dysfunctional families, Jean Ralphio Lovers, pre-mature ejaculators

I've recently found that I have an inherent obsession with Ben Schwartz. Ever since Leslie Knope asked Jean Ralphio to "dance up on her" I was hooked. I watched Mr. Schwartz at an improv show in LA and was starstruck. I thought he was hilarious. I've since watched every episode of Parks and Recreation that he has been in, and have followed his new show House of Lies on Showtime. I normally wouldn't have watched this movie, but since Ben was in it, and I liked the rest of the cast, I thought I would give it a shot.

The movie was good. Amazing? No. Horrible? No. Good? Yes. There are many heart wrenching and humorous bits in the story. Although there are 5 different storylines weaving into one, it doesn't get confusing. The younger brother has reached this unthinkable magnitude of success, but his penis won't let him enjoy the hoards of vagina that will soon come his way. The oldest brother is the epitome of the golden child, but the ego crunching debt that has been building up has made him succumb to the relaxation of a weekly trip to the Peep World, a slimy sex shop hidden away in the outskirts of town. The middle brother is a failed Lawyer, whose balls have been cut off by his father. And finally the sister is a never worked actress who can't understand why she wasn't cast as herself in the remake of her life.

All in all, the movie was good. The characters were interesting and the story was engaging. I think that the best performance by far is that of Hall. His portrayal of the all knowing oldest brother who is actually full of bullshit is both heart wrenching and heart warming. The movie was good. Would I buy it on DVD? No. Would I watch it again? Maybe. Should you watch it? Sure. 

21 Jump Street: Not Another Fucking Remake

Title: 21 Jump Street

Directors: Phil Lord, Chris Miller

Writer: Michael Bacall

Featuring: Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Brie Larson

Grade: A

Synopsis: Whatever the TV show synopsis was.

Good Movie For: Everyone

I've noticed that the movie industry is plagued with reworked ideas. Hell, one thing that they teach you in screenwriting class is how to take a story that is already out in the universe, and try to make it better. It's the same shit with just different words. Welcome all of the remakes and sequels of sequels that have graced the silver screen for as long as I've known. 

I don't have very high expectations for remakes. It was done once, why do it again instead of trying to come up with a new story and a new idea? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm all for drawing inspiration from the past stories to come up with something today, but I don't think Hollywood needs to have that as their crutch. There are a lot of new and interesting stories out there that should be made, instead of Fast and Furious 128. So whenever a new remake releases to the public, I don't expect much from it. In this case, I was completely wrong.

21 Jump Street is good. Maybe even too good. It threw me for an unexpected loop. I watched this movie with one of my friends because like me, she appreciates the greek god we call Chatum. I expected him with his shirt off more often, but whatever, I digress. 

This movie is smart. It realizes that it's a played out remake of a favorite television show, and it plays that up. You're not supposed to take this seriously, they get that. They make you understand that. It takes conventions and aspects that you expect from an action comedy and turns it on it's head. The first shot isn't going to kill the bad guy, but hey maybe this will. 21 Jump Street is hilarious, and it should be a must watch for everyone that is interested in writing a remake. "Hey! Watch this! This is how you remake something the right way!"

My favorite part of the film is not in the story or in a character. It actually is a tiny aspect that most people probably will not catch. I think the most hilarious thing about 21 Jump Street is a tattoo across the face of one of the main villians. He has a bunch of tears tattooed down his eye, I murdered some bitches in prison, but at the bottom of his cheek is the tattoo of a bucket, collecting the tears. This little detail sums up just how ridiculously hilarious this movie is. 

Drive: The Movie Only Film Students Loved

Title: Drive

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Writer: Hossein Amini

Featuring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Bryan Cranston

Grade: B

Synopsis: A driver who only drives, stops driving.

Good Movie For: Film Students

I'm a hoarder. I hoard movies. When the latest sale on blu-rays and DVD's happens online or at my local store, I can't help but buy the entire stock of marked down movies. Case in point why I have hundreds of movies in my collection that I haven't yet watched. I'm slowly, but surely, making my way through the heap of unwatched stories.

When Drive first came out in theaters, I was extremely excited about it. I love Ryan Gosling and practically everything he is in, so I thought that this was going to be an instant favorite. That is, until all of the reviews started coming in. Not reviews from critics online, but reviews from family and friends. I tend to take reviews from other people with a grain of salt. My mother suggested that I watch The Tourist because it was an amazing story. My friend said that it was the worst movie he had ever seen and didn't comprehend how it even got made in the first place. The consensus for Drive was very similar to this, but skewed in the other direction.

My family and some of my friends absolutely hated this movie. My father and cousin even went as far as asking for a refund from the movie theater. On the other hand, my friends who are also film students absolutely loved it. I wasn't quite sure where the disconnect was. Why were only a select few people in love with the movie, while the rest thought it was a waste of time? This tug of war of whether or not the movie was good or bad left me afraid to watch it in theaters, but of course when it went on sale at Costco I had to have it. 

I get it. Looking at it from the two different standpoints I understand why this had such a weird effect on the people around me. When you go into a movie called Drive you expect some badass driving, which this film does have, but not to the extent that people wanted. They expected Fast and the Furious 17, but got something a little above Cars. "He's a driver, but he never drives." Looking from that standpoint, yea. It was a let down, but looking at it from a story standpoint, it was really good. 

This guy drives. That's all he does. He doesn't stick his neck out for you if shit goes down. He gets you to one place from another. We get it, but when he finally does put everything on the line, shit hits the fan. The stoic driver starts to fuck shit up, all while clad in an amazing golden scorpion jacket. 

Is there a lot of driving in Drive? No. Is it a great story? Absolutely. Although the title and premise is a bit misleading, I still think that this is a film that needs to be watched. Get out of the mindset of car chases and street races and just try to enjoy the movie for what it is. A driver who only drives, stops driving. 

Helpful Hint: Advice from Screenwriters - The Oscars Series

I try and follow as many screenwriting blogs as I can. Although I don't read all of them daily, I try my best to peruse the proverbial web of world wide proportions to extract as much information about screenwriting as I can. From listening to podcasts to watching interviews and movies to reading books. I try to be as big of a sponge as I can and soak up as much information that is available.

I have talked previously about my love for the talented Mr. John August. I download his podcast, Script Notes, with Craig Mazin, and I try and look through his blog everyday, http://johnaugust.com/. Recently, August put up a link to a series of videos that the Oscars had produced a couple years ago where they interview a group of Oscar winning and note-worthy writers to discuss the successes and pitfalls of screenwriting.

The series is short and sweet, consisting of about six video all around 5 minutes in length; a 30 minutes well spent if you ask me. They talk about a wide range of subjects, from the myth of writer's block to advice for up and coming writers. So if you are looking for some advice and knowledge about the world of screenwriting discussed by the top dogs of the field, take a gander at these videos. 

http://www.oscars.org/video/watch/screenwriters_advice.html

Girl In Progress: Having Sex Makes You an Adult

Title: Girl In Progress

Director: Patricia Riggen

Writer: Hiram Martinez

Featuring: Eva Mendes, Patricia Arquette, Cierra Ramirez

Synopsis: The coming of age story of a girl who comes of age. 

Grade: C

Good Movie For: Chicks who love Flicks

I typically will spend some free time sitting down and watching trailer after trailer for upcoming movies. Good or bad, I try to watch them all. The first 15 minutes at the beginning of every movie in the theatres is my favorite time. When the lights dim and the shine from the green ratings card shows up on screen the corners of my lips turn up into a faint smile. I watched the trailer for Girl in Progress, and I honestly was not interested in seeing it. It didn't really attract me. A mother who acts like a teenager and a teenager who acts like a mother. Been there, seen that. Also, I don't particularly like Eva Mendes, so that was another point in the negative column. Would I have watched this movie on my own request? No, but my friend asked me to come along with her, so I obliged. 

Honestly, I was quite surprised at how much I actually liked this movie. I thought that I would hate it, but it was alright. Am I going to buy the DVD once to comes out? No. But it was an hour and a half somewhat well spent. The storyline is a bit predictable and the situations are ones that we've all seen before, but I believe that the saving grace of this movie was Cierra Ramirez. Her spunk and demeanor on screen is really what kept me in. She owns this movie, while others around her seem to falter.

Ramirez is set on becoming an adult. In order to become grown she must have sex. As if that act is what propels everyone into adulthood. There are some truly funny bits in this movie, one of which involves a burnt condom. They should have just invested in some glasses a la left eye (RIP). All in all, the movie wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. If you particularly love come chick flicks you should think about watching this, on an uneventful sunday, for free, if it's on TV.

Dark Shadows: Keep the Vampire in the Closet

Title: Dark Shadows

Director: Tim Burton

Writer: Seth Grahame-Smith, John August

Grade: C-

Synopsis: A 200 year old Vampire must resurrect his family's failing fish cannery in order to beat the psychotic bitch of a witch who put him in this immortal loveless dread.

Good Movie For: Hippies and fish cannery historians.

My father used to watch the Dark Shadows TV show when he was little. He said it was the scariest thing he had ever seen. I had high expectations for this movie. I love Tim Burton. Or should I say, I used to love Tim Burton. Old Tim Burton. Burton circa Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice days. 

I expected a lot more out of this movie, and I was sadly disappointed. I typically go into movies with a set of expectations garnered to each movie. I didn't go into 2012 thinking "Oh Shit! This is going to win an Oscar! Definitely!" I went in expecting a not so great script, but great visuals. The fact that I am madly in love with Tim Burton and believe that he is my long lost twin made me walk into this movie with extremely high expectations. I should have lowered that shit. 

The story was predictable. Honestly, the best parts of the movie were probably seen in the trailer. There were some hilarious jokes, but hilarity doesn't ensure a good story. It was confusing at first to know exactly what the story was going to be about just by the contents of the trailers. So he's a vampire and he comes back to his bloodline who now live in the 70's. 

There were so many different character storylines crossing so many different ways that I believe there wasn't enough development for all of them. He's trying to get back at his ex, but the family business is failing, but his lost love has come back from the dead, but the crazy self adopted doctor is in love with him, but there's ghosts and a drunk butler. The main storyline I think they should have focused on was the family dealing with their failing business, but that got muddled in all of these love affairs. 

The one upside of this movie was that the locations and the costuming was impeccable. It's very Tim Burtonesque, which I love. Besides that, this wasn't something I would want to watch again. Please Mr. Burton, get back to your old amazing ways, or else I might have to replace you as my favorite.