State From The Top #2

    Howdy everyone, thought I should update everyone on what's coming up for September. I've decided that for the entirety of September, I will review Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy. This will be the first time where I will dedicate an entire trilogy for one month. Also, the reviews coincide with the release of Nolan's new film Tenet. 

    So, the question is why. My answer is that the series changed the genre for better and worse. I feel that the trilogy made Warner Bros. take in the wrong idea as to why the trilogy was a success. And created a pop culture zeitgeist when they came out. I will be talking about it.

    Lastly, for the Underrated Gems section, I've decided to delay it and schedule it on the last Wednesday of the month. I will be talking about the animated Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. Just to close out the Bat-themed month of September. It would have made sense to review the trilogy in October, but there are some horror movies that I will like to discuss.

    Overall, this is the gameplan for next month. In any event something personal happens, I will immediately update on the change in schedule. With that, I am very excited to review the trilogy and show some insights. 

    Thank you. 

    Mark Trevino

    

Edge of Tomorrow Review

    This is one of those movies where it should've made loads of box office money. Unfortunately, it was released in a loaded 2014 summer blockbuster which included Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and X-Men: Days of Future Past and a fourth Transformers film. Bad marketing from Warner Bros. doomed the film. While, it's box office results did not mean that it was bad. Edge of Tomorrow, or how it is now called when it was released on video called Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow is one of the hidden gems in 2014 that everyone missed. SPOILERS will appear. 

    So the film is an alien invasion film. Specifically, it's based on a Japanese manga called "All You Need Is Kill". I haven't read the manga personally, but just watching the movie manages to be one of the best science fiction films I have seen. More so, as a film that manages to adapt a Japanese product. As the film starts, an alien race called the Mimics invade Earth. The affected countries form a consortium called the Earth Defense Force. 

    Tom Cruise plays Major William Cage, who meets with General Brigham with the assumption to help the general with his image. Unfortunately, Brigham wants him to join the squadron for the final battle. This leads into the main highlights of the film. Cage from the very start tries to weasel himself from a complicated position. It's explained that he only joined the ROTC and majored in marketing. Throughout the entire film, he finds himself to find another way to avoid a particular situation. Later on, he sheds from that mentality. 

    Soon, through Cage gets demoted and sent to a huge military base and joins J-Squad. He attempts to explain to the sergeant played by the late Bill Paxton. Like what he tried to do with the general, Cage attempts to find a way to leave the base. It doesn't go well and he is sent to the battlefield. Most of his members won't tell him how to use the battle suit. Eventually, the battle is a slaughter, most of the humans are wiped out. Cage manages to kill a few mimics and kills a blue mimic called an Alpha. Whose blood gets in his system. 

    Another best thing about the film is the overall plot. The alpha's blood makes Cage relive the day when he arrives in the base. Approximately, I may have missed a few implied moments, there are 23* times where he relives the day. None of it feels repetitive, since it's so unpredictable with what Cage might experience. At first he tries to save his squad, but eventually finds the soldier only known as the Angel of Verdun. She tells him to find her when he wakes up. 

    Emily Blunt plays the soldier Rita Vrataski who had experience with the Alpha's blood. She is depicted through propaganda as a savior, but at the base a poster has the phrase "Full Metal Bitch" sprawled on a few posters. My only complaint is that it feels slightly misogynistic. Also, it's never explained how the base defaced the poster. Maybe it's a response on how they view her, due to her having many confirmed mimic kills. Eventually, Cage meets Rita and she takes him to a biologist who knows how the mimic operates. 

    Throughout the rest of the film, both Cage and Vratalski fight through the battlefield to find the power source of the mimics called the Omega. With multiple attempts that again never feels repetitive since it's engaging and it gets to a point where the situation gets dire. Never once does the film just drag on, its total nonstop action. It represents one of the few and only times where Hollywood manages to perfectly adapt a Japanese property. 

    In the end, Cage and Rita manage to locate the Omega and bring in J-Squad to mount an effort to take down the mimics. Cage manages to destroy the alien tech and resets back to when he lands in London. He doesn't go through the same thing, and sees J-Squad doing there training. And Rita who asks him who he is. 

    The big question is why did it not do well financially? Mostly, it was marketed as a standard sci-fi flick. The commercials didn't highlight the Groundhog Day aspect of repeating the day. The title and the tag line which became part of the title, just felt generic. Even the manga's title just feels cheesy. 

I firmly believed that Warner fired the marketing guy since, it's really not that complex of a film to follow. 

    Overall, Edge of Tomorrow is one of the best science fiction, American adaptation I have ever seen. It's gritty and enjoyable for anyone who enjoys a unique take to the alien invasion movies. As well as anything that is from Japan. 

    Edge of Tomorrow gets a four out of five. 

    

    

    

Easy A Review

I'm glad that I saw this one with a friend on Netflix on a hot summer day in Laredo. As well as being exposed to Emma Stone who I had a crush on. Speaking of, this is the film that really helped her career in Hollywood which really blossomed. With that, Easy A is one of the best high school movies in the 2010s. SPOILERS will appear in the review.

To begin with, the movie is told in a non-linear way. It starts with the main character Olive played by Stone, recording herself to confess on acts that she did in high school. From there, we see Stone and her friend in media res at high school. Rhi played by Aly Michalka, who I haven't seen since Disney Channel's Phil of the Future, asks Olive what she did in the weekend. Since, she told Rhi that she was on a date. She actually spent the entire weekend singing "Pocketful of Sunshine".

That's when Olive tells a lie and it spreads throughout the entire school. Amanda Bynes appears playing the religious nut Marianne. Which prompts her to tell her clique of what happened to Olive. I kinda like how the use of the camera zooming past a few students then stopping to show just how far the lie travels. So Olive's reputation changed and gets some looks from some guys.

It all comes full circle when her teacher Mr. Griffith played by Thomas Haden Church is lecturing the class on The Scarlet Letter. Along with the various motifs from the book that appear in the movie that we see. Olive receives detention by calling a classmate a twat and meets with the only gay student in detention. The school’s idea of detention is they are forced to clean various areas of the school. He wants her to come up with a ruse that will allow him to be taken seriously since he’s been bullied.

The two plan and go to a party and fake having sex, which inadvertently leads to Olive being called any possible verb or adjective that is insensitive to women. Rhi gets jealous, again. Claiming that Olive is being called a slut. Which prompts Olive to be offended and create a closet full of provocative clothes that make her look like a skank.

 It’s head scratching that Rhi has a reputation of being so vicarious with her personal life that we never seen the stuff that she’s into. Specifically, she gets wary that Olive is unintentionally one upping her in terms of getting on with some guys. Which leads into my only gripe with the film. Though, you can hear it.

The dialogue doesn’t feel right. It is okay but, when hearing high school students talk, just what they’re saying isn’t how they really talk. I can attribute it to Juno having a very grown up way of teenagers talking grown up. When they, you know, talk and act like teenagers. That’s really the only gripe I have with the film.

Soon, Olive has guys help them with their reputation in high school and are gifted with gift cards. Mr. Griffith is concerned that maybe Olive is committing the Scarlet Letter book too much. I love this since, he’s oblivious that the whole getup that Olive is wearing sort of involves the book. It only reaffirms her reputation in the high school. Speaking of.

The whole reputation motif is literally beaten over the head in this movie. I swear any character uses the damn word that it’s not even subtle. Thinking about it more, it makes sense since the whole film takes place in high school.

So, Olive and Marianne becomes friends. That only lasts for just mere moments since we see a series of shots where they are friends. Until Marianne’s boyfriend got an STD and says that he got it from Olive. Which results from the friendship to end ever so briefly. I was shocked and not expecting when Lisa Kudrow’s character was the one who gave the boyfriend chlamydia.

Just to make it short, Olive tries to find ways to tell someone anyone that she lied about the whole thing. She tells a boy that she actually liked about the thing and comes up with a way to confess with what really happened. Which leads us to where the film began with the recording. 

I feel what is overlooked is just the idea of telling the truth. Olive tries at least to tell the truth when her friend Rhi keeps blabbing about her personal exploits with boys. As well as when she visits a confessional booth when she realizes no one is listening. More so when she tries to sort of not really tell her parents the truth but just commits to the lie. 

One actress who would be the last person I would have seen is the actress who played Miranda in Lizzie McGuire. I'm pretty sure that she was too old to play a high school student. But I won't fault her for that. 

Overall, Easy A is probably one of the best high school movies that manages to be different than most of its contemporaries. What sets itself apart is the commentary. I feel its nuance now but its nowhere near as good as any John Hughes' high school movie. For what it is, I applaud it and possibly in a few years, it'll be considered a classic. 

Easy A gets a four out of five. 

    

    

Dazed and Confused Review

    I'm surprised that Texas is an untapped goldmine of movie directors. For instance, Richard Linklater directed this classic in 1993. It's his second film and it helped him make a name for himself. Just to briefly talk about his filmography, his films are very less narrative focused and more character driven. This is the third film I saw with him as a director.  Dazed and Confused is just that. 

    The film takes place somewhere in a Texas town in 1976. It's the last day of high school and the film follows a group of students in various situations. Randal is a football player and is given a contract to sign for commitment to not do drugs or do anything bad. His nickname is Pink, and he goes with his friends to the junior high to hunt and paddle the incoming freshman. 

    From there, the film follows the freshman from Randal's encounter and back to Pink going around the Texas town. Their various activities range from smoking weed, messing up the neighbors mailbox and ask introspective questions of life after and before high school. 

    The most interesting aspect is the actors in the film. A few of them actually went on to win Academy Awards later down their careers. Ben Affleck, for the most part does a convincing job as a Texan despite the fact he's from Boston. But the main star who really stole the show, and created a zeitgeist in Texas culture.

     Matthew McConaughey plays the drop out David. I feel that he's the representation of the high school student who can't move on. Even though the character dropped out and looks at the high school girls. His signature "Alright, Alright, Alright" quote is and will always be associated with him. 

    This was really hard to critique or find any failings with this film. Maybe just one nitpick was that I would've want the focus to be on the incoming freshman in the summer. I feel it would be a sort of Stand By Me in terms of introspection. Also, since it came out in the early 90s, I feel that the 1970s weren't quite antiquated since the time frame is 17 years. I say that since, it wasn't quite popular up until the 2000s when the 70s where thought fondly over.

    Regardless, Richard Linklater manages to tell a unique story without it feeling meandering or having it never elicit the "where is it going?" question. He has a distinct style that only he manages to succeed at. Really, I'll probably dedicate a month on his movies, since he created a trilogy featuring an evolution of a relationship. 

    Dazed and Confused gets a four out of five. 

    

Underrated Gems: The Art of Self-Defense

    Welcome everyone, to the first installment of the new section of the blog Underrated Gems. Here is where I'll review movies that came out but didn't get enough people to watch them. Thus making them underrated. So let's start with talking about The Art of Self-Defense. 

    With most movies that pique my interest, I was sitting down watching the previews before Long Shot started and the trailer for this one popped in. Give it a few weeks and I've decided to take a look at it at my theater. When I walked in, there was me and from what I can remember five or six open minded viewers sitting. 

    

    So the film stars Jesse Eisenberg as the mild worker Casey. He gets beaten up by a group of a motorbike gang. After feeling dejected, he signs up at a Karate gym to learn how to defend himself. As he stays longer, he realizes the dark secret the gym has been hiding. 

    The film is a comedic one. Though not where they tell a joke and you're immediately knocked off your seat. It's a black comedy, meaning that it is a type of comedy that makes jokes about distressing or tragic subjects. For instance, one of Casey's classmates is asked by the sensei to help demonstrating a karate move. The sensei breaks his arm, that came out of nowhere and I wasn't expecting it.

    Aside from the comedic moments that made me chuckle for the wrong reasons. The film has masculine overtones that aren't subtle at all. Since the karate aspect is used as a stand in to be manly, I feel that it is the weakest point in the film. Like when the students strip and cool down with the class mates that is overtly homoerotic. 

     The whole karate aspect is used to make a point that to be a tough man, which is tied to toxic masculinity. One more example is during the beginning, Casey finds a magazine that has pages and ads for guns and women's breasts. Though my first though was where are the articles. Overall, I had no expectations when viewing this movie. It's a slow burn of a movie. Even though it clocks in at 1 hour and 45 minutes. If you have a chance, check it out, it deserves a following. 

    The Art of Self-Defense gets a four out of five. 

Creed Review

    I was apprehensive about watching this one. The feeling was why exactly do they want to continue the Rocky franchise. Everything wrapped up in Rocky Balboa, by having the character wave goodbye in front of the crowd. With most things, I eventually sucked it up and went in with an open mind. Creed is one of the best sports dramas that I have ever seen and the perfect example of the passing of the torch. As always SPOILERS will appear in the review.

    One of the things that this movie does so well in comparison with the first Rocky is by being its own thing. When you watch Rocky, the music opens with a triumphant fanfare. Watching the first opening minutes in Creed is very somber. Having it start in a juvenile detention center lays out who Adonis is. From there, the title appears with scratch marks giving a very edge and setting the tone for the film. Much like Rocky, there are instrumental moments that mirror the first film.

    Adonis Creed is a complex character. We see him box in a Mexican arena to build up his credentials. Though, when he starts to commit to boxing, he goes to a gym bearing his late Dad’s name and gets turned away. Eventually, the manager lets him fight the up and coming boxers and inevitably gets knocked down. He decides to go to Philadelphia but his mother attempts to stop him by reminding him what happened to his father Apollo. It really is endearing that the new entry tells the audience what happened without having the need to watch the prior films.

    As Adonis arrives in Philadelphia, he meets with Rocky as he is about to close his restaurant for the night. Him and Adonis bond when the young Creed sees the photos of his Dad and Balboa fighting. I really love that Stallone’s character is the new Mickey. In the first three films, Mickey was a bitter has-been fighter who becomes Rocky’s manager. Rocky is still the humble character in the past. Training Creed with a few teachings that he learned and one that Mickey used for Rocky. Ultimately, being a surrogate father to Adonis. 

    Meanwhile, Adonis meets the only girl in his small apartment. Bianca played by Tessa Thompson. She is musician who has a debilitating hearing issue. She and Adonis have great chemistry that is reminiscent of Rocky and Adrian. Albeit Bianca does not have an abusive relative living with her. I really love that there are scenes that are dedicated to building their relationship such as them eating out and both visiting each other seeing their talent put up for everyone to see.

    From there, we are introduced to the main opponent of the movie, Ricky Conlan played by real life boxer Anthony Bellew. His situation is simple since he has one more fight to achieve before sent to jail. As situations that happens in all movies, his original opponent is unavailable due to a news conference fight. Creed decides to fight him and goes to visit the gym where Rocky trained. I find it interesting where in the places where Rocky and Apollo trained, Adonis gets turned away or decides to forge his own path with Rocky.

    Now is probably the time I talked about the fight in Philadelphia. I love that it’s a long take. Meaning that the camera does not cut to another shot from another angle but keeps rolling. It makes the fight more visceral. It’s a recurring motif from director Ryan Coogler and his cinematographer. The long takes make it unique, while it’s not noticeable a first time, the fight uses it perfectly. While the camera captures the fight, the breaks when Rocky talks to Adonis makes it more exciting.

    While Creed takes its newer road to differentiate itself, it falls on the formula that makes the Rocky series endearing. Up until Rocky 2, the series entered a formula that makes each series feel the same. For instance, a fighter appears and Rocky or Creed fight. A medical problem occurs.

    Just this once, watching Rocky dealing with cancer is the most saddest thing I have seen. It has been teased since he mentioned not sleeping well when he visits the graves of Adrian and Paulie.

    Continuing from the complaint I have with the film. It gets repetitive when Creed feels intimidated that he needs to establish who he is. Foregoing his last name to be someone else. It gets repetitive since its echoed throughout the whole movie.

    It wouldn’t be film connected to the Rocky series to not have a training session montage. It’s the best I have seen and one where it makes me want to work out and contribute to society. The final fight with Conlan feels like an exorcism with Adonis. As he dons his father’s boxing brief, there is a shot where we see his assumed last name Johnson then move to the mirror where the fighter sees his real name on the front. The match is intense with every punch sounding realistic and on your seat thrilling. While, Adonis doesn’t win, it’s not really about it. Most of the Rocky films pride on the idea of going the distance with winning not being important. It’s what makes the series endearing and standout amongst the litter of boxing movies.

    Creed, like the fighter Rocky had an insurmountable odd of continuing the franchise by reinvigorating it with a new cast and direction. New director Ryan Coogler managed to tell a story that feels like a passing of the torch among boxers. The complaints feel moot when thinking more of just how enjoyable the film is. It sold me on more stories focusing on Adonis exploits and growth as a man and a boxer.

Creed gets a four out of five. 

Review Lineup August 2020

Howdy everyone, below is the slate of movies that I'm going to be talking about in the entire month of August. As stated now, a new segment that I am introducing called Underrated Gems will mostly focus on films that people may not be aware of until now. 

8/5/2020- Creed

8/10/2020- New Segment: Underrated Gems: The Art of Self-Defense

8/12/2020- Dazed and Confused

8/19/2020- Easy A

8/26/2020- Edge of Tommorow