DustinFun1704 (Level 21)

Somewhere around four months ago I got wind of a film by the name of Sinister. From what I was able to gather it seemed like it was going to be a low budget cash cow for October, only being made because the producer figured it would sale because of the season. Not long after that my attitude toward it started to change. The film started to become more mysterious and well...sinister (Excuse the pun). I decided to keep myself in the dark by not watching the trailers, because lets face it, all the best scenes are always shown in the trailers this time of year. I read the plot, saw the cast, and looked at a few stills from the movie; other than that and a few television spots I couldn't avoid, I went in with a clean slate and an open mind. And in all honesty I enjoyed it a lot more. The plot is: A struggling true crime writer and his family move to a house that a gruesome murder took place to find inspiration, but ended up stumbling upon much more than he bargained for. So without further adieu, here's My Thoughts On Sinister.

The Set Up

Let me start out by saying that the very first shot of the film will haunt you forever. That's right, you honestly have no idea what type of movie experience you're in for until you see that scene. My jaw dropped and a shiver went up my spine. The bar was set, the tone ominous, you were freaked out, and it hasn't even been thirty seconds yet. Then with your mouth still hanging wide open and your brain still trying to process what you just witnessed you're sling-shotted 9 months into the future and you're met with a moving truck. Ellison Oswald (Ethan Hawke) and his family are moving into a new home where he can hopefully concentrate and work on another best selling book. You then meet his wife Tracy Oswald (Juliet Rylance) and two children Ashley (Clare Foley) and Trevor (Michael Hall D'Addario). Ashley likes to paint, and is very good for her age. She uses her entire room as a canvas and paints on all the walls. Her parents allow it because they support creativity and art, but their only rule is that she can only paint in her bedroom and nowhere else. Trevor on the other hand has the persona of being rebellious and may or may not be a trouble-maker yet. He also suffers from night-terrors which are growing exceedingly worse since moving into the new house. While unpacking Ellison decides to move some boxes into the attic and discovers a mysterious box that seems to be left by the previous owners. Upon opening it, it's relieved to have a Super 8 projector and five roles of film with titles like "Hanging Out with the Family" and "Pool Party" dating as far back as 1968. Ellison decides to view the "Home Videos", and in doing so he sets the cogs in motion. Having Super 8 film be the footage that was in the box was the perfect selection for this movie. It had the right tone and unnerving quality that mixed well with the lack of sound. The film did have a score playing over the viewings, but the knowledge that there was no sound still made it that much more disturbing. I'll never be able to watch a Super 8 film the same way ever again. It will change you. The imagery in those home videos will haunt you for quite a while. Just throwing this out there, you WILL jump at the lawn mower scene, there's no doubt about it. You'll know exactly whats going to happen, but you will still jump. That's also another great thing about this film, you know what to expect already. So in some cases, Yes, the film is pretty predictable and, Yes, it will still scare the shit out of you anyway. Plus the "Monster" of the movie is so terrifying that it's crazy. It's such a simple concept, but the direction the film took made a guy who basically looks like Mick from Slipknot haunt my dreams. The big picture of the movie however is that you're so invested in the main character and the story; that it isn't hard to figure out what will wind up happening in the end. Because you honestly see no other possibility, and yes I am about to say it, "It is still terrifying!"

What I Liked

The best part about this movie in my opinion was the acting. Ethan Hawke did a phenomenal job and was very believable in his role. It almost appeared to me that he was genuinely scared throughout the film. I've never been the biggest fan of Hawke, although I did like him in Gattaca, but that was because the character he played fit him perfectly, emotionless and hardened. Hawke defiantly took a step up in my book though because he showcased some serious talent as a withered writer trying desperately to write another hit so he can provide for his family and not feel like a failure. As the film progresses you start to see him as more selfish. As Hawke's character slowly looses sanity you understand that the only reason they moved and are still staying was so that he had a chance to feel better about himself. Not to do whats best for the family. Another refreshing character was that of the Deputy, played by James Ransone. When you first meet Deputy So and So (literally credited as Deputy So and So), he comes across as the usual idiot that is one of the first killed off in movies like this. But later on it's reviled that he's not as dumb as you think. I like the fact that that element of predictability was removed. The direction of the film was pretty good as well, with a couple of mishaps though along the way. I enjoyed the tone of the entire movie, because that's what made the movie so good. The tone paired with the acting made for a terrifying combination. But there were a few parts that the film as a whole could have done without. They were a bit cheesy and cheap in the scare department, of course I'm talking about the jump scares. They were out of place and unneeded. Also the scene where the still image on the computer screen moved, it wasn't necessarily corny, but it defiantly didn't mesh well with the rest of the movie. It felt more out of place than useless. Also the fact that you don't see a whole lot of the "Monster" (I only put quotations around Monster because I'm not exactly sure what to call it) made it very easy to be afraid of him. It was sort of like being afraid of the unknown, not knowing who or what he is. I'm still scared to look out of my window at night for fear that I'm going to see him outside. I also enjoyed the realistic portions of the film when it came to technology. There was a scene when he went up to the attic after the power went out and instead of having a handie-dandie flashlight conveniently beside him, he used what 90% of people now-a-days would use, his phone. I loved that little aspect so much, because I know that whenever it's dark in my house and I need to get around I use my phone as a light source.

If You Want To See This Movie...

...my advice would be to avoid the trailers and try to go in as blind as you can. It's good to know the concept, but hindering to know some of the major details. Knowing the details right off the bat more so takes away from the movie experience rather than spoiling anything. This movie is one you would benefit from seeing in theaters, rather than just waiting until it comes out on DVD and Blue Ray. I feel like you wouldn't get the whole experience and would be robbed of the exciting time. I also know that a lot of people like to go to see scary movies this time of year and joke the,. Well... I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this movie is completely serious. If you're just looking for a good laugh, you won't find it here. The movie is pretty well done and the concept is terrifying. You're more likely to leave laughing at your buddies reaction rather than the movie itself.

Overall

I enjoyed the movie. The ending was entertaining as well as disturbing. Plus I gained some respect for an actor I otherwise hated. My opinion is, go see Sinister in theaters, it's defiantly worth the admission. You'll be more terrified in that setting anyway, because the suspense in this movie is enough to kill you alone. I give Sinister a 4 out of 5 stars. Lets face it the only way to accurately describe the movie... is in the title. Have you seen Sinister? What did you think of it? Did you love it/hate it? Am I wrong for giving it a 4 out of 5? Write your thoughts and comments down below, they're much appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Why is there so much hate for Hesher? I understand that, at times, the film makes you wonder why some things happen, and that its sheer audaciousness is a turn off to some, but it isn't a bad movie. The movie is a very interesting character study of a squatter that loves sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Hesher is full of dark comedy and vulgar situations, but it fits in with the tone perfectly. The story follows the trials a father and son dealing with the death of the wife and mother, and their inability to let her go. She was taken from them unexpectedly in a car accident and neither of them know how to cope with the situation. Along their journey to recovery they meet a homeless squatter who in his own way helps them. So without further adieu, My Thoughts on Hesher.

Sometimes Life Gives You...

...the finger, and sometimes it gives you Hesher. That slogan fits this movie perfectly, because Hesher is as much of a burden as he is a blessing. Though his methods may be unorthodox, he has a way of teaching many different qualities to a family that is in desperate need of him. He teaches boy T.J (Devin Brochu) some right and some not-so-right ways to defend himself. The father Paul (Rainn Wilson) learns to focus on the present and the future and to forget the past. And a grocery store clerk Nicole (played by Natalie Portman) realizes her self-worth and learns how to express herself as well as to live in the moment. Whether Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) was aware of his lessons or not remains a complete mystery and is left entirely up to the imagination of the viewer. Hesher has this uncanny ability to show up out of nowhere, which gives him the persona of a type of "Guardian Angel" At times, he makes you wonder if he's even real, or if he's just a figment of T.J's imagination. Hesher has stories that he likes to tell of his misadventures that seem completely out of nowhere and random, but they have a deeper, hidden meaning. In order to find it though, you must first sort through the vulgarity and profanity to understand how the story fits with the situation they are in. In my opinion, one of the best scenes of the film is the scene where Hesher takes T.J and Nicole to a random house and pushes them into the pool. He jumps in himself and then starts to swim around shouting "R2! R2! Turn off the trash compactors, R2!" (as I believe an ode to Natalie Portman and her role as Padmé Amidala) He then gets out of the pool and starts to throw stuff from the backyard into the pool yelling "Oh no R2! More trash is coming in!" He throws in a bike, a grill, a patio table, and lights the diving board on fire and then does a front-flipp in from the burning diving board. All the while, T.J and Nicole are sitting outside of the pool now soaking wet and watching this mayhem ensue. Hesher also forms a relationship with the grandmother of the film and it feels like a genuine connection, one with meaning and purpose. The grandmother is played by Piper Laurie and she serves as the voice of reason, and Hesher is the only one that realizes that. The film alludes to the fact that maybe Hesher has a past with his own grandmother or mother and that maybe he lost her in a tragic accident similar to how T.J lost his mom. She is constantly asking for someone to accompany her on her morning walks, but T.J and Paul always decline. When she asks when Hesher is present, he tries to push T.J into going. After T.J and Paul fail to accompany her once again, Hesher then tells her that he will go with her the next morning. There is also a scene where Hesher is having a real heart to heart with the grandmother and she asks for him to give her some of her "medical cigarettes". Hesher realizes quickly that it's medical marijuana, and proceeds to teach her how to smoke it out of a bong. That is one of the funniest and most moving scenes in the entire movie.

What I Liked

In all honesty the best part of this film is the acting. This was an indie film with an all star cast consisting of the likes of Natalie Portman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Rainn Wilson, two of whom are no strangers to independent film. Wilson staring in indie films like Super, House of 1000 Corpses, and Juno. (some people don't consider Juno an indie film, but I do) And Levitt staring in indie films like Brick, (500) Days of Summer, and 50/50 (same thoughts as Juno) Even the new comer, Devin Brochu, did a great job. The acting was believable and fresh, and the movie was a great project for these actors to collaborate on. The story itself was good, but it was brought to life by the actors. If it wasn't for them, I honestly believe that Hesher wouldn't have been as good. It was interesting to see JGL in the role of Hesher in because it was unlike anything he had done before, and he fit the role perfectly. His don’t-give-a-shit attitude along with his metal head style made this movie worth it. Wilson also was cast out of his element. He wasn't his usual funny, quirky character, he instead played a grief-stricken husband and father who was having a hard time pulling himself together. Wilson showed off his acting chops in this movie by being in a more serious role than usual. Portman, as always, plays a sweet, loving, and relatable character in the film, one in which the audience can connect to the most. Need I say more? I mean, ever since Léon, Natalie Portman has been an amazing actress. Another strong point was all the stories that Hesher told. The one that sticks out in my mind is the most moving, the story about his pet snake and how he starved in a cage full of mice, all because one mouse went all "David and Goliath". I believe this story represented T.J and his bully throughout the film. It could have also represented T.J and Hesher, or the family facing the death of their mother. Even though I talk a lot about the hilarious scenes throughout the movie, this is a Drama. This movie had me on the verge of tears on more than a couple of occasions, and if you really get into the movie you will too. Whether it's the *SPOILER* death of the grandmother, the final walking scene with the casket, or the car accident you will feel something for the characters, because the character development is just that well done. The depth in which this film delves is very refreshing. I'm a person that like to have to search for the meaning of the events that transpire throughout a film, and Hesher makes me do just that. It forces to you to relate. To understand, you must be able to put yourself in their shoes first. That is probably the reason most people put this movie down, because they simply cannot relate.

Overall

From the 2011 film Hesher

I enjoyed this film very much and I recommend it to any and all who appreciate cinema. I feel like in the coming years, Hesher will unmask a great cult following and the character Hesher will join the ranks of Tyler Durden and The Dude in the Cult Classic Hall of Fame. I give Hesher a 5 out of 5 stars. If you've seen the movie what did you think? Did you enjoy it as much as I did? Did you absolutely hate it? I'm also looking for future movies to give my thoughts on in my Blogs, so if you have any suggestions that would be great. Write your thoughts and comments down below, they're much appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Should there really be an American Oldboy remake? To really understand this question we must first understand the uniqueness of the Korean version of the film. The plot of the film is: After 15 years of imprisonment without explanation, Oh Dae-su only has 5 days to uncover the truth and seek revenge, but in order to do so he must first play his captors game. Just like last time there will be spoilers, but I hope to keep it to a minimum. So without further adieu, this is my thoughts on Oldboy.

The Set Up

Oldboy film poster

Oldboy is a truly unique movie with an artistic look at violence and vengeance. The story for Oldboy was first found in the pages of a Japanese manga by the same name. I haven't read the manga myself but I would assume that the two would have their differences. Oldboy has gained a huge cult following in the years since it's release, with top critics reviewing the movie at an overall B, and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 81%. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, and just how haunting the plot turned out to be. It's a mysterious film with great direction and the driving force of a mystery that you yourself desperately want to uncover. The main character of the film is Oh Dae-su, a businessman who is randomly abducted one day after his friend Joo-hwan came to pick him up from the police station. Dae-su was severely drunk so he and Joo-hwan stopped at a payphone and to call home and let Dae-su's wife know that he'll be home shortly. Joo-hawn turned around to let Dae-su speak to his wife and he was gone, like he had just vanished. Next we find him imprisoned in what looks like a hotel room complete with shower and sink. There is also an aged painting with the phrase "Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone." inscribed on it. Dae-su is desperately trying to figure out why someone would want to abduct him and imprison him like this. We next see Dae-su receiving food through a doggie door, which he is trying to climb out of, clawing at the feet of a man who is trying to shove a tray of food into his room. The man kicks his head and arm, which he managed to get out as well, back in and kicks the food in as well. Dae-su throws a fit and hurls his food and tray at the door, it is also in this scene we find out he has already been locked up for three months. This raises the question, what would you do if someone kidnapped you, imprisoned you, fed you, groomed you, and watched you every day for fifteen years, and you had no idea why? No warning, no clues, and no idea how this could ever happen to you. Dae-su eventually spends 15 years in that hell-hole. In that time he tattooed a tally mark on his body for each year of his imprisonment, he used a single chopstick to work away at the brick on the wall next to his bed, mentally and physically trained himself to fight and seek revenge, and wrote memories of his time spent there and of the people he had wronged in his life. The film does a brilliant job at describing the hell he endured alone in the room for so long. He started envisioning ants crawling out of his skin. He even tried to kill himself a couple of times, but every attempt was thwarted by his mysterious captors, each time they managed to nurse him back to health. After nearly 15 years of being trapped in that room, and 15 years of digging through mortar and drywall with a single chopstick, Dae-su managed to scrape his way to the outside. Through a small hole, where a brick once was, his hand emerges to feel rain, his first contact with the outside world in so long. He then exclaims that he'll be able to dig his way out in one month. This was a perfect set up to establish the mood of the film.

What I Liked

What I loved about this movie was the dialog. Some of the greatest lines I've ever heard in cinema came from this movie. "Even though I'm no better than a beast. Don't I, too, have the right to live? " "If they had told me it was going to be fifteen years, would it have been easier to endure?" and my personal favorite "Keep this in mind: Whether a grain of sand or a rock, in water they both sink alike." Unfortunately I cannot speak Korean so I read the subtitles, and I'm sure that it wasn't translated into English 100% perfect, but from what I read/heard,... I loved it. The actors in the film delivered their lines with such intensity, whether it's the dark and brutal intensity of Oh Dae-su, or the quite and menacing intensity of Lee Woo-jin (Dae-su's captor). I'm not gonna lie, Woo-jin totally reminded me of a Korean version of Edward Nigma! With the way he was able to manipulate and know Dae-su's every move before he made it, and with his creepy and psychopathic demeanor. Although I can't give all of the credit to the cast, I have to give some to the person responsible for the direction the film took, Chan-wook Park. Honestly this is the first film I've seen of his, but if every movie he makes looks like this, I'm hooked! The feeling this film emits is one of a dark and brutal tale of vengeance and the search for the truth, and I'm a sucker for revenge flicks. (Silly Caucasian girl likes to play with samurai swords.) After all, my favorite director is Quentin Tarantino. I'm honestly wondering if all of Chan-wook Park's films follow this same pattern, if so, I'm liking this mans weapon of choice! (Excuse the Pun) It's easy to take such a simple plot and make a C rated action flick with a couple big named stars, but what he did instead was add layer after layer of emotion and fear until he shrouded you with mystery and suspense. He wove an intricate web with only using one strand of string, and the ending totally blew my mind. When I say "the ending blew my mind" I don't mean I never guess what happened in the end, if you're clever enough you'll figure that out pretty early, but rather how much it catches me off guard. In the final sequence of the film we get to see Lee Woo-jin's finale to his master plan finally unfold. Woo-jin spent a long time designing this demented plot of destruction, and he was going to see it though to the end. The dialog in this sequence was also very good, with Woo-jin making many subtle references to Oh Dae-su's tongue. (Can I say foreshadowing?) But the part that truly caught me off guard was the scene where *SPOILER* Oh Dae-su took a pair of scissors and cut out his own tounge to keep Mi-do (his love interest throughout the film) from knowing the truth. That was completely unexpected, and quite frankly brilliant.

American Remake

Yes! Hollywood is going to in fact remake the movie into an American version, with Spike Lee setting at the directors chair and Josh Brolin sitting at the helm of a soon to be renamed Oh Dae-su as Joe Douchett. Now, even though I'm not a fan of american remakes of foreign films (although Let Me In, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo were both pretty good) I am liking the direction that Hollywood wants to go with it. Lee is known for his controversial films, for example his 1989 classic Do The Right Thing, and Brolin is a well established actor that can hold his own. There are very few actors that I can see portraying an american Oh Dae-su, and in all honesty he's one. I do believe though that Hollywood will go all "big budget" on the movie, and take away some of what made the Korean version so suspenseful. They might go for more of a dark, gory, shocking aspect instead. Either way, I do hope that it will keep some of the same scenes that made the movie so thrilling. (*cough* Epic side scroll hallway fight scene *cough*) This film certainly has some big shoes to fill. Unfortunately, there isn't anymore news on the movie except that it is expected to have a 2014 release date.

Overall

I give Oldboy a solid 5 out of 5 stars and I would say that this film is defiantly worth seeing at least once, especially if you're a fan of revenge movies. The film is a defiant classic and will hopefully stand the test of time. What do you think? Did you like the original Oldboy? Has this made you want to see it? Do you think we're ready for an Americanized version of the film? Do you believe that Spike Lee and Josh Brolin can meet expectations? Write your thoughts and comments down below, they're much appreciated. Thanks for reading!

First off this will contain spoilers, but I will put *SPOILER* in front of it and black it out.

Prometheus

Prometheus... What can I say about Prometheus that hasn't already been said? I've been pondering this question ever since I walked out of the movie theater on opening day. I walked out of the movie thinking about space voyage, and how intriguing the story was, I mean how awesome would it be to meet humanity's creator? Our "God" if you will. However, on the drive home I started thinking about the so-called "plot holes" and what I've heard people refer to as "random tangents" the movie went on. Now, let me say that I didn't think the film was bad at all. I actually found it to be rather thought provoking and suspenseful at the right times. For example, *SPOILER* I liked how they relieved the giant facehugger at the end. To me, that scene was perfect. As well as, *SPOILER* The surgery scene with Shaw. I feel like that scene had the makings of an instant classic. The following is my attempt to review/share my thoughts about the movie Prometheus.

What I Liked

I absolutely loved the style this movie was shot it. It had this dark ominous feel about it. The opening scene was perfect blend of science-fiction and suspense that set the mood for the entire movie. Throughout this film I was actually on the edge of my seat wondering what events would transpire. Ridley Scott took what was in my mind a weak script and used brilliant film-making to give it life. I also loved the plot for the film, it was a very interesting plot to say the least. Not only was it a story about wanting to find our creator or our "God/Gods", but we not only knew where to find them, but we did find them. To me that was a creative, intelligent, and philosophical way to go about the making the movie.

David

Captain Janek

The performances in the movie were spot on. The two that stand out in my mind were Idris Elba as Captain Janek and Michael Fassbender as the android David. Both Elba and Fassbender are amazing actors whom I love to watch on screen, in my mind I also believe that Fassbender deserves an Oscar nomination for his portrail of the android in the film. He had the idea of an android down to a science, where you could tell that he was designed to show emotion, but he couldn't feel it himself. Fassbender also had my favorite line in the film *SPOILER* "Mortal after all" That line was delivered with precision and meant so much, by only saying so little. Another scene that I enjoyed was when he was conversing with Logan Marshall-Green's character after he was a little drunk.

What I Did Not Like

Prometheus was a film that seemed to be all about style, but lacked the adequate amount of substance needed to make this film great. Like I said before, I feel like it was a weak script that was made into a stunning movie by Director RIdley Scott. The person who wrote the screenplay was Damon Lindelof, who's only film under his belt is Cowboys and Aliens, and he's also written for Lost. I believe that he did an okay job with Prometheus, but I believe that the overall expectations were a little to great for him.

Another thing that wasn't to fond of was the build up to a particular scene.*SPOILER* The scene where the revel that Peter Weyland was on bord the ship the entire time.It seemed to me that it could have been made to be less obvious and more of an "Oh Shit!" moment. I also didn't like how scientists who are way more intelligent than I am, made stupid decisions. I mean a homeless man who dropped out of school at the age of 12 would have know better than some of these people. Word of advice, if you go to pet something and it rears back and opens what looks like a hood, sort of like a cobra, and starts hissing at you... Back away. And lastly there was a scene in the movie that felt completely out of place and irrelevant. The scene literally will make you turn to whoever you were seeing the movie with a say "Was that a Space Zombie?" I may not have understood something that was said earlier about it, and feel free to explain it to me, but as of right now, that scene did nothing but take away from the film in it's entirety for me.

Overall

I give Prometheus a 3 out of 5 stars and would say that it is worth seeing, especially if you're a fan of the Alien franchise. It is a film that will leave you thinking about it for days to come once you leave the movie theater. Plus it will make for some interesting conversations for the ride home. Write your thoughts and comments down below. Thanks for reading!

So yesterday I sat around my house and watched Quentin Tarantino movies all day long to prepare for the release of the trailer for his newest film Django Unchained. The trailer does not disappoint! In true Tarantino fashion we get to see pre-Civil War pulp slave action, and a pretty Kick-Ass sound track (If only from the trailer) to boot. This film seems to promise a gritty tale of a slave (Django- Jamie Foxx) who is set free by a German bounty hunter (Dr. King Schultz- Christoph Waltz) only after he helps him track down his bounty, the Brittle brothers. Apparently, what I get from the trailer is that Django and his wife (Broomhilda - Kerry Washington) were once owned by the notorious Brittle brothers,who eventually sold them in the slave trade, which separated them both. After Django helps Schultz acquire and kill his bounty, Schultz then helps Django track down and save his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner. (Calvin Candie- Leonardo DiCaprio) Also some more news that I have acquired is that Mr. Calvin Candie will be calling his plantation "Candie Land".

So what do you think of the film based on the trailer, and how well do you think it'll do at the box office? Do you think that it'll be able to beat out The Great Gatsby? Another Leo DiCaprio film slated to release on the same day? Do you think this film may be Oscar worthy, or at least a contender? Write your comments and thoughts down below. Also if people enjoy reading what I have to say, then maybe my blog will turn into a weekly or everyday thing.

Oh and by the way, if you haven't seen the trailer for Django Unchained yet, it's up top. Enjoy!