READY PLAYER ONE Review

First and foremost, let me just say that the amount of pre-release cycle of hatred for this picture has been absolutely ludicrous. The amount of snark and contempt tossed at this whole production is something I've found puzzling, headache-inducing and ultimately tiring. Seriously, has the world deteriorated to a point where we're all so jaded towards to pretty much anything (even something that's an obvious shoo-in such as a new Spielberg joint)? I understand why people are cynical towards the original source material. Even though I can't say it doesn't have its fair share of problems, I can say the novel by Ernest Cline (AKA the literary world's answer to JJ Abrams) is a fun read and had plenty of awesome potential for cinematic spectacle. Plus, this wouldn't be the first time the Wizard of Whimsy made a movie that vastly improved on what its based on. Need I remind you all of how Jaws and Jurassic Park were novels of questionable quality before they became icons of cinema?

Now, with all that complaining and preamble out of the way, comes the question of whether or not the film in question is deserving of hatred. Well, the answer is....not at all. Ready Player One is a ridiculously entertaining ride that immensely improves on the novel and may end up being a sci-fi classic one day. It has a lot of fantastic action scenes, the visual design is absolutely splendid and the references don't feel like they're getting in the way of telling a good story with good characters. Zak Penn and Ernest Cline's witty screenplay serves as a sturdy foundation for the fantastical theatrics (even if a few lines here and there sound a bit cringeworthy).

Tye Sheridan brings a certain sense of likability to Parzival that was sorely lacking in the original novel. Yeah, he's a fairly standard, wide-eyed Spielberg protagonist; but, he's decently written and charming enough to where that doesn't really matter. Olivia Cooke's Art3mis subverts expectations by being a female character with a palpable sense of urgency while having a sweet personality to boot. Ben Mendelsohn is marvelous as the film's dastardly CEO antagonist (even I'd say his character isn't nearly as interesting as the company he runs). I was pleasantly surprised by how effective IOI is as a looming threat. Simon Pegg sadly gets little to do in the film; but, he's still Simon Pegg in a nerdy adventure such as this. That's always a bonus in my book. Ultimately, Mark Rylance ends up giving the best performance in the picture as OASIS co-creator James Halliday. Far from the tech wizard the masses hype him up to be, Rylance portrays the character as a sort-of rockstar reinvention of Elon Musk with subtle gracenotes suggesting he falls on the high-functioning end of the spectrum. Where they take his character struck a personal chord with me that I found quite poignant (seeing how I may be too into the novelties this film wears like badges of honor).

Alan Silvestri's score is an emotional roller coaster, appropriately accompanying the film's dramatic peaks and valleys with seasoned precision. It's easily some of his best work since the first Avengers film back in 2012. Every action sequence is packed to the gills with top-notch thrills. Sure, it's chaotic; but, Spielberg is a filmmaker with a level of maturity to keep said havoc easy to follow and fluid. Much like how I'm keeping my mouth shut on all the pop-culture cameos that run rampant through the film's background, I find that I'd fail my readership if I were to spoil what the film has to say. Suffice it say, I highly recommend that you all go see this on the biggest screen possible because this is pure spectacle in the truest meaning of the word. Fitting for a film mostly set in a nearly infinite virtual void, Ready Player One feels massive and sprawling in the Oasis and cold yet familiar in futuristic Columbus, Ohio.



Lately, critics have been praising Spielberg's more grounded and realistic films moreso than what made him a household name. While I agree that he's been on a winning streak for adult dramas, let's not forget how this and The Adventures of Tintin are near-perfect reminders of how he's the best in the entire business at delivering top-of-the-line popcorn entertainment. He's essentially treating this film as his personal sandbox and I sure like the way he plays. Not only does it supply a good time at the cinema, it celebrates how awesome geek culture is while acknowledging that it has a place in life that shouldn't extend to consuming your life. I absolutely dug it and I'm sure you all will too, even if you haven't the foggiest idea what Buckaroo Banzai is.

READY PLAYER ONE gets an...
AWESOME EXPLOSIVE BLAST out of TEN

State of Matinee Everyday and Other Affairs

Ladies and gentlemen, there are a few announcements I have to make. Nothing Earth-shattering; but, notable enough to warrant a whole blog post. The most prescient of these would be that this site will no longer be the sole source of my content. I've recently become a contributor at Comic Fade. If you're interested, my first article can be found here: https://comicfade.com/2018/03/26/80s-week-the-5-best-80s-horror-films/

Granted, you'll still see reviews, and trailer discussions up on this blog. I promise you that this doesn't spell doomsday for Matinee Everyday. Moving on, future reposts of my Letterboxd reviews will go under the title of "Review Round-Up" instead of "It Came From Letterboxd". I've found that this title conveys what's inside more effectively and more newcomer friendly so to speak. Short, sweet and to the point! Speaking of which, I've got a new post coming up after the Ready Player One review is published on Friday. Yes, you heard that right. Seeing how I had some spare time on my hands, I decided to attend an early screening of the film in order to have my review up as soon as possible. Per tradition, there won't be any spoilers.

Finally, I'll be starting up a podcast with a few friends called Can You Dig It? once summertime rolls around. It'll involve discussions about pop culture among other topics. Get hyped or be afraid. The choice is yours when all is said and done.

That's all for now. Fly casual, dear readers!

THE NEW MUTANTS Gets Delayed...Again

It seems like Josh Boone's horror superhero picture can't catch a break. A film that was originally supposed come out less than a few weeks from today is now being released on August 22nd of next year. Naturally, this doesn't bode well for many people (including myself). The strangest thing about this whole situation is that the film has had a couple fairly successful test screenings. Originally, this was delayed until next February to make it more of a standard horror film. Fox was apparently motivated by the success other studios had with recent hits such as It and Get Out.

Now, apparently half of the movie is being reshot to incorporate a new character (source: http://variety.com/2018/film/news/fox-moves-bohemian-rhapsody-delays-x-men-spinoffs-1202737117/). Who that new character will be is anyone's guess. Considering this film is taking a significant amount of inspiration from Bill Sienkiewicz's in the comics, I'd bet there's a decent chance that we may end up seeing Warlock show up. The short version of the story is that he's a robot from space who gradually become a friend of the team throughout various storylines.

With all of that being said, I don't think this production is going to go the way of Fant4stic (I know that's not technically the actual title; but, it's stupid and plastered all over the posters, so that's what I'm going to call it). Heck, just look at some of this artwork from the specific source material this movie is apparently pulling from.

Pretty psychotic, isn't it? So, the leanings towards more of the creepy stuff doesn't seem as inappropriate for an adaptation as it did with that grim trainwreck of a film. Plus, we still have some talented people working on this and the idea at play here is too good to waste. Troubled productions have been able to result in good films. I'm just hoping Fox does everything in its power to keep me onboard with this.

Trailers! Trailers! Trailers! #6

Well then. Seeing how we've got a plethora of new trailers coming out this week and I haven't done one of these in about eight months, I figured it was high time I did another piece where I talk about a whole bunch of new trailers.

SORRY TO BOTHER YOU

I'm getting distinct vibes of both Adult Swim and Terry Gilliam (shades of Brazil, his crowning achievement of sorts, are all over this). Honestly, it looks cool and has a remarkably talented cast. A lot of the visuals seem to complement the satire. Plus, the reactions this thing has garnered from it's premiere at this year's Sundance film festival are extremely positive. I'm pretty confident we're in for a real treat with this one. Oh yeah and Armie Hammer's character seems deranged. Can't wait to see this!

TAG

Not sure if I'm feeling this one. It's a fun premise and it doesn't look awful. But, there isn't a moment that really made me laugh. Maybe, it's just a mediocre trailer; but, I have very little interest in finding out whether this is actually any good. Might make a good Redbox rental, though.

ACTION POINT

Jackass has always been a guilty pleasure of mine and I still a chuckle out of seeing how these guys are still. Likewise, I'm fairly curious about the latest project from Johnny Knoxville and company (especially considering how insane the stories that inspired this are). This trailer is reminding of stuff like Meatballs and I'm okay with that. Not much else to say. Looks charming enough. Moving on...

FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDLEWALD

....what exactly do I have to say about this? First off, it's just a teaser. So, we only get a tiny glimpse of what's in for us come this November. Second, I haven't cared about the whole Harry Potter phenomenon since I was eleven years old. However, I did rent the first Fantastic Beasts not too long ago (it was perfectly fine, I guess). My only major complaint is switching from Colin Farrell to Johnny Depp for your film's antagonist is one of the biggest cinematic downgrades I've seen in quite a while. If you're into this sort of thing, get hyped...I think.

THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS

Love him or hate him (I'm more ambivalent to the man, myself), Eli Roth is a fairly unpredictable filmmaker. Sure, I'm just as tired of stuff like Hostel and Cabin Fever as a lot of others in online film discussions; but, who in a million years would've predicted that he'd have a role in a Tarantino film or direct a remake of Death Wish. But, now, a man who's primarily known for doing brutal splatter flicks is doing a kid-friendly horror picture. That's pretty interesting. The real kicker is that it doesn't look half bad. Jack Black and Cate Blanchett seem charming, there's some atmospheric moments/creative visuals and I am 100% supportive of more gateway horror films to get kids into the genre. Also, the 80s Universal logo in the opening is a nice touch.

And, that's all I got for now. Tune in later this week for when Matinee Everyday reviews Ready Player One.

This DEADPOOL 2 Trailer Should Brighten Your Day

Good morning everyone! Here's the actual factual trailer for Deadpool 2!

Oh yeah! That'll do nicely. Very nicely indeed.

Anyway, I qualify this as this as the "real" trailer because everything else we've gotten as of late has basically been pretty vague (what with the Bob Ross parody and that other one where Deadpool resorted to reenacting scenes with action figures until the effects were finished). This isn't to isn't to say it looks bad (quite the opposite, this looks terrific); however, this is the only trailer that I think properly gives us a sense of what the movie's going to be like in terms of story beats* and new characters.

Speaking of which, it looks like the stuff that worked in the first film will still work here and the new stuff being brought to the table is also pretty wizard. The dynamics between Ryan Reynolds and the first film's returning players looks as fun as ever. I'm warming up to Zazie Beets as Domino more than I expected to; so, that's pretty nifty. Josh Brolin as Cable looks pretty awesome (although, I'm more excited to think of all the poor people who get headaches after seeing this flick and searching up his cartoonishly convoluted backstory from the various comics). Plus, the action looks dope and all the jokes about the X-Force are bulls-eyes. My only nitpick is that's not called The Untitled Deadpool Sequel because come on. That would've been perfect! Still, I'm happy with what we're seeing here and I can't wait until the actual movie drops on May 18th.

*For context, here's what is currently being touted as the film's official synopsis:
After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef Wade Wilson struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavor – finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover.

A24's UNDER THE SILVER LAKE Gets An Interesting Trailer

Well, then. One of my most anticipated movies of the year finally has a trailer. Some of you may be asking why I'm devoting an entire article to this movie instead of just making it segment on another Trailers! Trailers! Trailers! piece. Well, I have two responses to that: A) This is my blog, not yours. & B) I like to shine a spotlight on smaller, independent films whenever they peak my interest.

First off, the main reasons I'm excited for this flick have to do with the cast and crew involved. It stars Andrew Garfield, Riley Keough, and Topher Grace (among a few other notable names). That alone is enough to lure me in; however, that's not all. It's being directed David Robert Mitchell. In case you don't know who he is, he directed It Follows (AKA one of the single best horror films of the past decade). He's also bringing back his DP and composer from that film over to this. So, not only is it going to look pretty. It's also going to sound incredible. I'm really curious to see what Disasterpeace brings to the table on this flick because his chiptune-infused, John Carpenter-esque score for It Follows was amazing and it'll be interesting to see how he follows that up. To quote Calvin Candie, "Gentlemen, you had my curiosity--but, now you've got my attention."

Now, as for the actual trailer itself, it looks pretty good. I was a little taken aback by the tone. It's by no means comedic; but, it's lighter than I expected it to be (especially considering the plot). There's plenty of weird imagery and the cast seems nifty. Not much I have to say other than it seems pretty neat and it should definitely be on your radar. In the meantime, we'll just have to wait until June 22nd to see what sort of sun-drenched noir tale director David Robert Mitchell and company have in store for us.

SIDE NOTE: Out of all the recent movies to do a needle drop of The Association's "Never My Love", I expected it to pop up in something like a Wes Anderson picture. Either way, I'm not complaining. That's a great tune.

TOMB RAIDER Review

To say video game movies have a rather rancid reputation would be stating the obvious and putting things generously. Let me put it this way: it's a bad sign when pretty much every movie in this genre has been reviled by pretty much everyone. Critics rag on them and audiences would rather watch anything else. Can I say that Tomb Raider is a good movie on its own merits? Totally. While I can't say this film will break the Video Game Movie curse so to speak, it's probably the closest we've gotten to a cinematic video game adaptation that's even remotely good.

Special praise should be given to the technical stuff. The whole production looks handsome (in part due to the locations and inspired yet familiar production design). All of the action is tense and engaging. Somehow, it manages to feel tactile and occasionally brutal despite it being a relatively soft PG-13. Near the end of the second act, there's a setpiece that feels like the right way to go when translating game mechanics to the silver screen in a way that's inventive and fun. I won't go into much detail because I don't like spoiling even minor details such as that in my reviews. Suffice it to say, I thought it was pretty cool.

Outside of the leads, the acting is fine even if it's not worth writing home about. Nevertheless, I will say that Alicia Vikander makes for a pretty terrific Lara Croft. Sure, the screenplay leaves a bit to be desired in regards to characters; but, she does have a commanding screen presence and is even able to sneak in a couple one-liners every now and then. Oh wait, almost forgot that Nick Frost has a fun little cameo. He's always fun when he pops up in movies.

A lot of my nitpicks are pretty minor. Walton Goggins turns in some serviceable work as the film's antagonist; but, come on. You've got Walton Goggins in your movie and you don't have a single moment where he's even remotely over-the-top? Now, that's a waste of a perfectly good Goggins right there, my friends. Again, there's definitely room for more character development and proper emotional moments in between all the action. There's even a routine franchise-starter ending with a twist that feels far too out of the blue to have any dramatic impact. To put it in a less pragmatic fashion, it was pretty stupid and kind of pointless. Plus, this film has already shown to have an okay command of using narrative foreshadowing and callbacks. So, I can't see how this turned out weaker than those instances.



Tomb Raider may just be a shot in the dark for this kind of movie (I hope to God it isn't). For now, I'll say that it's a perfectly serviceable adventure flick with some nifty action sequences and a solid lead. Fans of the newer games will probably get a kick out of this. As a film fan and a casual gamer, I sure did. Really, there isn't much more to say about it than that. If you're interested it or have a fondness for pulpy adventure escapism, you could do a lot worse than this.

TOMB RAIDER gets a...

SATISFACTORY out of TEN