Down to 20 Films Pursuing Visual Effects Oscar at 92nd Academy Awards

20 CONTENDERS ADVANCE IN VFX OSCAR® RACE

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 20 films are in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 2020 / 92nd Academy Awards®.

The films are listed below in alphabetical order:

“Ad Astra”
“The Aeronauts”
“Aladdin”
“Alita: Battle Angel”
“Avengers: Endgame”
“Captain Marvel”
“Cats”
“Dumbo”
“Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“Gemini Man”
“The Irishman”
“Jumanji: The Next Level”
“The Lion King”
“Men in Black: International”
“Midway”
“1917”
“Spider-Man: Far from Home”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
“Terminator: Dark Fate”

The Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the preliminary list of films eligible for further awards consideration.  Later this month, the committee will select a shortlist of 10 films that will advance to nominations voting.

Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, January 13, 2020.

The 92nd Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network.  The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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92nd Academy Awards Has 159 Documentary Feature Suitors

159 DOCUMENTARY FEATURES SUBMITTED FOR 2019 OSCAR® RACE

Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases.  Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process.

The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:

“Advocate”
“After Parkland”
“The All-Americans”
“Always in Season”
“The Amazing Johnathan Documentary”
“American Dharma”
“American Factory”
“American Relapse”
“Angels Are Made of Light”
“The Apollo”
“Apollo 11”
“Aquarela”
“Ask Dr. Ruth”
“At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal”
“Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable”
“The Biggest Little Farm”
“The Black Godfather”
“Blink of an Eye”
“Blowin’ Up”
“Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes”
“The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story”
“Bridges of Time”
“The Brink”
“Broken Dreams”
“The Bronx USA”
“Bruno Sammartino”
“Buddha in Africa”
“Call Me Intern”
“Carmine Street Guitars”
“The Cave”
“Chasing Einstein”
“Cinema Morocco”
“Citizen K”
“The Cold Blue”
“Cold Case Hammarskjold”
“Combat Obscura”
“The Cordillera of Dreams”
“Cracked Up”
“Cunningham”
“David Crosby: Remember My Name”
“Debut”
“Diego Maradona”
“The Disappearance of My Mother”
“Don’t Be Nice”
“Echo in the Canyon”
“The Edge of Democracy”
“The Elephant Queen”
“Emanuel”
“Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops”
“Fantastic Fungi”
“#Female Pleasure”
“Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles”
“Fiddlin’”
“Finding Farideh”
“Finding the Way Home”
“5B”
“For Sama”
“For the Birds”
“Foster”
“The Fourth Kingdom. The Kingdom of Plastics”
“Framing John DeLorean”
“Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened”
“The Game Changers”
“Gay Chorus Deep South”
“Gaza”
“Ghost Fleet”
“The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash”
“The Gospel of Eureka”
“The Great Hack”
“Hail Satan?”
“Halston”
“Hate among Us”
“Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel”
“Heimat Is a Space in Time”
“Hesburgh”
“Honeyland”
“Hope Frozen”
“The Hottest August”
“Humberto Mauro”
“I Had a Dream”
“Immortal”
“The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley”
“It’s a Hard Truth Ain’t It”
“Janani’s Juliet”
“Jawline”
“Jay Myself”
“Jim Allison: Breakthrough”
“Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People”
“The Kingmaker”
“Knock Down the House”
“Letter to the Editor”
“Liberty: Mother of Exiles”
“Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice”
“Love, Antosha”
“M for Malaysia”
“Maiden”
“Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound”
“Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love”
“Meeting Gorbachev”
“Midnight Family”
“Midnight Traveler”
“Mike Wallace Is Here”
“Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool”
“Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements”
“The Most Dangerous Year”
“Mosul”
“Moti Bagh”
“My Home India”
“My Name Is Daniel”
“On the President’s Orders”
“One Child Nation”
“Pavarotti”
“The Proposal”
“Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz”
“Q Ball”
“The Quiet One”
“Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins”
“Reason/Vivek”
“Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project”
“Reinventing Rosalee”
“The Rememberer”
“The River and the Wall”
“Roll Red Roll”
“Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese”
“Running with Beto”
“The Russian Five”
“Satan & Adam”
“Scandalous”
“Sea of Shadows”
“Serendipity”
“The Serengeti Rules”
“Shooting the Mafia”
“16 Bars”
“16 Shots”
“The Spy behind Home Plate”
“Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken”
“Talking about Trees”
“Tell Me Who I Am”
“Tesla Nation”
“This Changes Everything”
“This One’s for the Ladies”
“Tigerland”
“To Be of Service”
“Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am”
“True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality”
“A Tuba to Cuba”
“Walking on Water”
“Watson”
“Western Stars”
“What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael”
“What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire?”
“When Lambs Become Lions”
“When Tomatoes Met Wagner”
“Where’s My Roy Cohn?”
“Who Will Write Our History”
“Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation”
“Wrestle”
“XY Chelsea”
“Ximei”

Documentary features that have won a qualifying award at a competitive film festival or have been submitted in the International Feature Film category as their country’s official selection are also eligible in the category.  A shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 16, 2019.

Films submitted in the Documentary Feature category may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture.

Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, January 13, 2020.

The 92nd Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network.  The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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Movie Review: "Hobbs & Shaw" a Good Start for a Spin-Off Series

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 15 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
Running time: 135 minutes; MPAA – PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action and violence, suggestive material and some strong language
DIRECTOR:  David Leitch
WRITERS:  Chris Morgan and Drew Pearce; based on Chris Morgan (based on the characters created by Gary Scott Thompson)
PRODUCERS:  Hiram Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, Chris Morgan, and Jason Statham
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Jonathan Sela
EDITORS:  Christopher Rouse
COMPOSER:  Tyler Bates

ACTION

Starring:  Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Helen Mirren, Eiza Gonzalez, Eddie Marsan, Eliana Su'a, Cliff Curtis, Rob Delaney, and Lori Pelenise Tuisano,  with (no screen credit) Kevin Hart and Ryan Reynolds

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is a 2019 action movie from director David Leitch.  It is a spin-off from The Fast and the Furious movie franchise.  Hobbs & Shaw focuses on a federal agent and a mercenary who are forced to work together to keep a super-human villain from obtaining a deadly virus that could lead to human extinction.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw opens in London where Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby) and her team of MI6 agents attempt to retrieve a virus, known as “Snowflake.”  This virus can be programmed to decimate millions of people, and the mysterious terrorist and tech organization, “Eteon,” wants it.  Brixton Lore (Idris Elba) is an Eteon operative with advanced cybernetic implants inside his body that allow him to perform superhuman feats.  Eteon has assigned Lore to obtain Snowflake, but before he can do so, Agent Shaw escapes with the virus.  So Lore uses Eteon's media sources to brand Shaw a traitor who killed her team.

Lawman Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) is a federal agent working for the DSS (Diplomatic Security Service).  Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) is a former British Special Forces assassin-turned-mercenary.  Hobbs and Shaw are both informed of the missing Snowflake virus and are assigned to work together to find it and Hattie Shaw, who is Deckard's estranged sister.  Hobbs and Shaw have a troubled history together and refuse to team-up.  However, Brixton Lore's advanced cybernetic implants give him strength and speed far beyond that of normal humans.  He is practically a “Black Superman,” and if Hobbs and Shaw want to stop him, they will have to stop him together.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is not a great movie, but it is an entertaining action movie.  If you, dear reader, like the crazy car chases offered by The Fast and Furious franchise, Hobbs & Shaw offers wreck-filled automobile chase scenes that recall the great Mad Max: Fury Road.  Luxury sports cars, souped-up trucks, military vehicles, motorcycles, drones, and more tear across roads, onto walls, and over buildings.  This is a non-stop thrill-machine of car chases, crashes, and wrecks.

I do have to be honest.  I think Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham's screen chemistry seems forced.  It will probably get better in potential sequels.  Personally, I am not crazy about actress Vanessa Kirby; she just doesn't work for me.  Idris Elba delivers a good performance, but he could have made Brixton Lore a remarkable villain is this film's screenwriting were better.

Hobbs & Shaw also offers some surprise appearances by actors who are not featured or emphasized in any of the film's trailers and previews:  Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Hart, and Helen Mirren.  Reynolds and Hart are actually quite good in their supporting roles; Mirren's role (as Magdalene Shaw, Deckard and Hattie's mother) feels contrived and forced.  If there is a sequel to this film, Reynolds and Hart must return in bigger roles.

I do think that Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw runs too long by about 15 or 20 minutes.  The last act is mixed – exciting action set pieces, but the family reunion melodrama is forced.  Maybe the thing that keeps Hobbs & Shaw from being as good as the best Fast & Furious films is that too much of it feels forced.  The filmmakers want this movie to be “2 fast, 2 furious,” but the movie often feels too forced and too contrived.  They need 2 relax.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw has the ingredients to start a quality action movie franchise.  Warts and all, this first movie is a good start.

6 out of 10
B

Saturday, August 3, 2019


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: " The Lion King" Still Rules the Pride Lands

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 14 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

The Lion King (2019)
Running time: 118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)
MPAA – PG for sequences of violence and peril, and some thematic elements
DIRECTOR: Jon Favreau
WRITER: Jeff Nathanson (based on the 1994 story written by Brenda Chapman and characters created by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton)
PRODUCERS: Jon Favreau, Karen Gilchrist, and Jeffrey Silver
EDITORS: Adam Gerstel and Mark Livolsi
COMPOSER: Hans Zimmer
SONGS: Elton John and Tim Rice and Beyoncé

FANTASY/DRAMA/FAMILY with elements of comedy

Starring:  (voices) Donald Glover, Beyoncé, Chiwetel Ejiofor, James Earl Jones, John Oliver, John Kani, Alfre Woodard, JD McCary, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Keegan Michael-Key, Eric André, Florence Kasumba, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Amy Sedaris, Chance Bennett (Chance the Rapper), Phil LeMarr, J. Lee, and Josh McCrary

The Lion King is a 2019 musical, fantasy-drama film directed by Jon Favreau and released by Walt Disney Pictures.  It is a live-action remake of the 1994, Oscar-winning, animated film, The Lion King.  The Lion King 2019 focuses on a young lion prince who flees his kingdom after the death of his father, which he blames on himself.

The Lion King opens in the Pride Lands of Africa.  From his perch on Pride Rock, King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) leads a pride of lions and rules over the animal kingdom.  As the story begins, Queen Sarabi (Alfre Woodard) has given birth to a cub, Simba, who will one day succeed his father as king.  Simba (JD McCary) is a playful cub and enjoys romping with his best friend and future love interest, a lioness named Nala (Shahadi Wright Joseph).  Simba, however, is also a willful cub, so Mufasa must guide and prepare Simba for the day when he will rule.

Meanwhile, Mufasa’s younger brother, Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor), lurks in the shadows, bitter that he is not king, and he plots with a pack of hyenas to murder Mufasa.  After tragedy strikes, Simba leaves the Pride Lands, intending never to return.  Years later, an adult Simba (Donald Glover) lives in exile, and his constant companions are a meerkat, Timon (Billy Eichner), and a warthog, Pumbaa (Seth Rogen).  However, Simba’s past returns in the form of an old friend,  Now, Simba must learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery as he is forced to make important decisions about both his future and that of the Pride Lands.

The Lion King works better as an animated feature film than it does as a live-action film.  Still, The Lion King the live-action film is quite entertaining.  I think that many of Walt Disney's classic animated films need a retelling every two or three generations, and it was time for The Lion King to be retold for a new generation or two.  [No, I have never seen The Lion King the musical that was first staged in 1997 and won the Tony Award for “Best Musical.”]

The Lion King 2019 may be an inferior (but not especially inferior) work to The Lion King 1994, but director Jon Favreau and his visual effects collaborators present a visual spectacular.  When the story lags, which it does a few times, the bounding animals and the Pride Lands, with its seemingly infinite variety of environments, will grab your wandering imagination and pull you back into the story.

The animals, which, I am assuming, are mostly computer-generated and rendered, are dazzling in their photo-realism.  I find Scar to be the most impressive, looking not to lean, not to dirty, but clearly a bit raggedy, which goes great with his conniving ways and with his feelings of bitterness and envy.

The voice performances are good.  JD McCary and Shahadi Wright Joseph, who voice the young Simba and Nala respectively, are exceptionally good.  If The Lion King 2019 has star performers, they are McCary and Ms. Joseph; they give this film the energy it needs to carry it to the rousing finale.  These young performers assure that The Lion King 2019 keeps the heart of its story – learning the meaning of being responsible, accountable, and brave.

7 of 10
B+

Sunday, July 21, 2019


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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2019 International Feature Film Oscar - 93 Countries in Consideration

93 COUNTRIES IN COMPETITION FOR 2019 INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM OSCAR

Ninety-three countries have submitted films for consideration in the International Feature Film category for the 92nd Academy Awards®. An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (more than 40 minutes) produced outside the United States with a predominantly non-English dialogue track. Ghana, Nigeria and Uzbekistan are first- time entrants.

Earlier this year, the Academy’s Board of Governors voted to rename the Foreign Language Film category to International Feature Film and expand the shortlist from nine to 10 films.

The 2019 submissions, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:

Albania, “The Delegation,” Bujar Alimani, director;
Algeria, “Papicha,” Mounia Meddour, director;
Argentina, “Heroic Losers,” Sebastián Borensztein, director;
Armenia, “Lengthy Night,” Edgar Baghdasaryan, director;
Australia, “Buoyancy,” Rodd Rathjen, director;
Austria, “Joy,” Sudabeh Mortezai, director;
Bangladesh, “Alpha,” Nasiruddin Yousuff, director;
Belarus, “Debut,” Anastasiya Miroshnichenko, director;
Belgium, “Our Mothers,” César Díaz, director;
Bolivia, “Tu Me Manques,” Rodrigo Bellott, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, “The Son,” Ines Tanovic, director;
Brazil, “Invisible Life,” Karim Aïnouz, director;
Bulgaria, “Ága,” Milko Lazarov, director;
Cambodia, “In the Life of Music,” Caylee So, Sok Visal, directors;
Canada, “Antigone,” Sophie Deraspe, director;
Chile, “Spider,” Andrés Wood, director;
China, “Ne Zha,” Yu Yang, director;
Colombia, “Monos,” Alejandro Landes, director;
Costa Rica, “The Awakening of the Ants,” Antonella Sudasassi Furniss, director;
Croatia, “Mali,” Antonio Nuic, director;
Cuba, “A Translator,” Rodrigo Barriuso, Sebastián Barriuso, directors;
Czech Republic, “The Painted Bird,” Václav Marhoul, director;
Denmark, “Queen of Hearts,” May el-Toukhy, director;
Dominican Republic, “The Projectionist,” José María Cabral, director;
Ecuador, “The Longest Night,” Gabriela Calvache, director;
Egypt, “Poisonous Roses,” Ahmed Fawzi Saleh, director;
Estonia, “Truth and Justice,” Tanel Toom, director;
Ethiopia, “Running against the Wind,” Jan Philipp Weyl, director;
Finland, “Stupid Young Heart,” Selma Vilhunen, director;
France, “Les Misérables,” Ladj Ly, director;
Georgia, “Shindisi,” Dimitri Tsintsadze, director;
Germany, “System Crasher,” Nora Fingscheidt, director;
Ghana, “Azali,” Kwabena Gyansah, director;
Greece, “When Tomatoes Met Wagner,” Marianna Economou, director;
Honduras, “Blood, Passion, and Coffee,” Carlos Membreño, director;
Hong Kong, “The White Storm 2 Drug Lords,” Herman Yau, director;
Hungary, “Those Who Remained,” Barnabás Tóth, director;
Iceland, “A White, White Day,” Hlynur Pálmason, director;
India, “Gully Boy,” Zoya Akhtar, director;
Indonesia, “Memories of My Body,” Garin Nugroho, director;
Iran, “Finding Farideh,” Azadeh Moussavi, Kourosh Ataee, directors;
Ireland, “Gaza,” Garry Keane, Andrew McConnell, directors;
Israel, “Incitement,” Yaron Zilberman, director;
Italy, “The Traitor,” Marco Bellocchio, director;
Japan, “Weathering with You,” Makoto Shinkai, director;
Kazakhstan, “Kazakh Khanate. The Golden Throne,” Rustem Abdrashov, director;
Kenya, “Subira,” Ravneet Singh (Sippy) Chadha, director;
Kosovo, “Zana,” Antoneta Kastrati, director;
Kyrgyzstan, “Aurora,” Bekzat Pirmatov, director;
Latvia, “The Mover,” Davis Simanis, director;
Lebanon, “1982,” Oualid Mouaness, director;
Lithuania, “Bridges of Time,” Audrius Stonys, Kristine Briede, directors;
Luxembourg, “Tel Aviv on Fire,” Sameh Zoabi, director;
Malaysia, “M for Malaysia,” Dian Lee, Ineza Roussille, directors;
Mexico, “The Chambermaid,” Lila Avilés, director;
Mongolia, “The Steed,” Erdenebileg Ganbold, director;
Montenegro, “Neverending Past,” Andro Martinović, director;
Morocco, “Adam,” Maryam Touzani, director;
Nepal, “Bulbul,” Binod Paudel, director;
Netherlands, “Instinct,” Halina Reijn, director;
Nigeria, “Lionheart,” Genevieve Nnaji, director;
North Macedonia, “Honeyland,” Ljubo Stefanov, Tamara Kotevska, directors;
Norway, “Out Stealing Horses,” Hans Petter Moland, director;
Pakistan, “Laal Kabootar,” Kamal Khan, director;
Palestine, “It Must Be Heaven,” Elia Suleiman, director;
Panama, “Everybody Changes,” Arturo Montenegro, director;
Peru, “Retablo,” Alvaro Delgado Aparicio, director;
Philippines, “Verdict,” Raymund Ribay Gutierrez, director;
Poland, “Corpus Christi,” Jan Komasa, director;
Portugal, “The Domain,” Tiago Guedes, director;
Romania, “The Whistlers,” Corneliu Porumboiu, director;
Russia, “Beanpole,” Kantemir Balagov, director;
Saudi Arabia, “The Perfect Candidate,” Haifaa Al Mansour, director;
Senegal, “Atlantics,” Mati Diop, director;
Serbia, “King Petar the First,” Petar Ristovski, director;
Singapore, “A Land Imagined,” Yeo Siew Hua, director;
Slovakia, “Let There Be Light,” Marko Skop, director;
Slovenia, “History of Love,” Sonja Prosenc, director;
South Africa, “Knuckle City,” Jahmil X.T. Qubeka, director;
South Korea, “Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho, director;
Spain, “Pain and Glory,” Pedro Almodóvar, director;
Sweden, “And Then We Danced,” Levan Akin, director;
Switzerland, “Wolkenbruch’s Wondrous Journey into the Arms of a Shiksa,” Michael Steiner, director;
Taiwan, “Dear Ex,” Mag Hsu, Chih-Yen Hsu, directors;
Thailand, “Krasue: Inhuman Kiss,” Sitisiri Mongkolsiri, director;
Tunisia, “Dear Son,” Mohamed Ben Attia, director;
Turkey, “Commitment Asli,” Semih Kaplanoglu, director;
Ukraine, “Homeward,” Nariman Aliev, director;
United Kingdom, “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” Chiwetel Ejiofor, director;
Uruguay, “The Moneychanger,” Federico Veiroj, director;
Uzbekistan, “Hot Bread,” Umid Khamdamov, director;
Venezuela, “Being Impossible,” Patricia Ortega, director;
Vietnam, “Furie,” Le Van Kiet, director.

The shortlist of 10 films will be announced on Monday, December 16, 2019. Nominations for the 92nd Oscars® will be announced on Monday, January 13, 2020.

The 92nd Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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Review: "Toy Story 4" is Very Good, But Not Great

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 13 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Toy Story 4 (2019)
Running time:  100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
MPAA – G
DIRECTOR:  Josh Cooley
WRITERS:  Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom; from an original story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Josh Cooley, Valerie LaPointe, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, Martin Hynes, and Stephany Folsom
PRODUCER:  Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera
EDITOR:  Axel Geddes
COMPOSER:  Randy Newman

ANIMATION/ADVENTURE/DRAMA/COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring:  (voices) Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele,  Madeleine McGraw, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves, Ally Maki, Jay Hernandez, Lori Alan, Joan Cusack, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Carl Weathers, and June Squibb

Toy Story 4 is a 2019 computer-animated feature film from Pixar Animation Studios.  It is the fourth film in the Toy Story franchise.  The new film focuses on a new toy and a road trip that will change the life of a beloved toy.

Toy Story 4 opens nine years earlier when Woody (Tom Hanks) and the gang were still Andy's toys.  Woods leads the successful rescue of a toy car, R.C.   In the present, Woody and the other toys are happy in their new life as the toys of a little girl named Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw).  Bonnie is about to enter kindergarten and is distressed about going to school.  Woody sneaks into Bonnie's backpack and joins her on her first day of school.  Woody's action even lead to Bonnie using discarded arts and crafts supplies to transform a “spork” (spoon-fork) into a new toy she names “Forky” (Tony Hale).  Although Forky becomes Bonnie's favorite toy, the spork does not believe that he is a toy, and he is always trying to return to a trash can.

Bonnie and her mom (Lori Alan) and dad (Jay Hernandez) go on an RV road trip, and Bonnie takes Forky, Woody and company with her.  Instead of enjoying the trip, Woody spends his time trying to rescue Forky.  This misadventure leads Woody to an antique story, Second Chance Antiques, and also to a fairground/playground, where he is reunited with old friends and makes new friends.  And Woody learns just how big the world can be for a toy with an open mind.

Toy Story 4 is a good movie, not as good as Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and Toy Story 3, but quite good.  Keegan-Michael Key as Ducky and Jordan Peele as Bunny are nice additions to the cast.  Keanu Reeves is a surprise and gives a surprising voice performance as Duke Kaboom, the Canadian daredevil toy.  The sycophantic ventriloquist's dummies, “the Bensons,” are a nice, creepy distraction.  Christina Hendricks is appropriately pathetic and menacing as the tragically desperate doll, Gabby Gabby.

But Toy Story 4 is, more than the first three films, a movie about adult issues and regrets that tries to be a family movie, if not an outright kids' movie.  More than anything, Toy Story 4 is Woody's movie.  [In this film, Tim Allen's Buzz Lightyear is a supporting character and not a co-lead].  In this movie, Tom Hanks gives one of the best voice performances for an animated film that I have had the pleasure of enjoying.  In Hanks' performance, you can feel it.  Woody is like a father who “lost” one child, Andy (because he grew up and gave away his toys), so he is an obsessive “helicopter parent” about the new child, Molly, who does not need Woody as much as he thinks she does – if at all.

It would be pretentious of me to say that this movie is about becoming a man and putting away the things of boy.  No, I think Toy Story 4 is about the change and the passage of time that is forced upon us, so if we don't change and move on, change and the passage of time is going to happen anyway.

Yes, each Toy Story film has its Mission: Impossible-like operation in which our beloved toys try to save another toy or toys, my favorite being the race to save Woody from an unscrupulous toy dealer and a devious toy in Toy Story 2.  In Toy Story 4, the new “toy,” Forky, needs to be saved, and Woody keeps endangering first, himself, and then, others in increasingly desperate and dangerous bids to save the spork.

Ultimately, however, this movie feels like the franchise has come back one too many times.  The end of Toy Story 3, in which a grown-up Andy gave his beloved Woody and the other toys to Molly, was really meant to be the happily ever after.  Once Toy Story 3 grossed over a billion dollars in worldwide box office, it seemed like common-moneymaking-sense to make a fourth film.  Don't make another Toy Story film, Disney.  Let Toy Story 4 be a very good, but not great coda to the series.

7 out of 10
B+

Tuesday, July 2, 2019


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "Spider-Man: Far From Home" Right at Home

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 12 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Running time: 134 minutes (2 hours, 14 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, some language and brief suggestive comments
DIRECTOR: Jon Watts
WRITERS: Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers (based upon the Marvel comic book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko)
PRODUCERS: Amy Pascal and Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Matthew J. Lloyd
EDITORS: Dan Lebental and Leigh Folsom Boyd
COMPOSER: Michael Giacchino

SUPERHERO/DRAMA/ACTION/ROMANCE

Starring:  Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Tony Revolori, Angourie Rice, Martin Starr, J.B. Smoove, Cobie Smulders, Numan Acar, J.K. Simmons, Peter Billingsley, and Dawn Michelle King (voice)

Spider-Man: Far From Home is a 2019 superhero film and drama from director Jon Watts.  It is the seventh film in Columbia Picture's Spider-Man film franchise, but it is the second in a new film trilogy that began with 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming.  Like Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home is also a co-production between Columbia and Marvel Studios, making it the 23rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Far From Home finds Spider-Man forced to take on new responsibilities and threats in a world that has changed forever.

Spider-Man: Far From Home opens after the events depicted in Avengers: Endgame.  In Mexico, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Maria Hill (Colbie Smulders), a former high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who works closely with Fury, arrive to investigate an unnatural storm caused by a creature called an “Elemental.”  There, they meet a super-powered man, Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), who arrives to fight the creature.

In New York City, Peter Parker, who is also the Avenger known as Spider-Man (Tom Holland), is about to take a two-week summer trip to Europe with fellow students from Midtown High (the Midtown School of Science and Technology).  Peter Parker, who is still distraught over the death of fellow Avenger, Tony Stark/Iron Man, plans to use the trip to confess to his classmate MJ (Zendaya) his growing romantic feelings for her.  Peter also plans to avoid heroics and leaves his Spider-Man suits at his home in Queens.  However, Fury forcefully interrupts Peter's vacation and tells him that he is the heir to Iron Man's legacy.  Fury also demands that he help Quentin Beck, now known as “Mysterio,” fight an invasion of alien Elemental monsters.  But not all is as it appears.

I really enjoyed 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, but I thought this reboot/restart of the Spider-Man film franchise was a fluke.  Thus, as much as I wanted to see the new film, Spider-Man: Far From Home, I thought that it would probably be mediocre.  I am happy to report, dear readers, that it is not only not mediocre, but that it is also as good as Homecoming.

Sam Jackson is almost in top-form as Nick Fury (almost because there is a catch here).  J.B. Smoove and Martin Starr make the most of their scenes as the two teachers chaperoning Midtown High's European vacation.  Marisa Tomei as May Parker, and Jon Favreau as “Happy” Hogan are strong in their respective roles.  Jake Gyllenhaal does a good crazy turn as Mysterio, good because that character is one of the few aspects of the screenplay that is not well done.

Zendaya, who was quite good as MJ in the first film, does even better work in Far From Home.  Every time the film moved away from her, I wanted her back.  Jacob Batalon does scene-stealing in his supporting role as Peter Parker's friend, Ned Leeds, much as he did in the prior film.

But the star here is Tom Holland, now my favorite actor to play Spider-Man.  Holland makes Peter's grief over Tony Stark's death (in Avengers: Endgame) seem real and poignant.  At the same time, he plays the lovelorn and lovesick puppy pursuing MJ with a flair that rivals the best male romantic leads in classic teen movies.  I guess that Tom Holland's ability to play a lovesick boy finally gives Sony Pictures the YA (young adult) angle it wanted when The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) was the reboot of the franchise.

What Holland does best is portray the heroic arc and the heroic journey.  Holland's Peter Parker/Spider-Man believes that he is both not ready and not the right person to take Iron Man's place as the key Earth superhero.  As Peter Parks strives to become the hero he wants to be and is meant to be, Holland performance yield superb drama.

Spider-Man: Far From Home has a strong screenplay and expert directing.  The visual effects are fantastic, especially as seen in the final battle scene which finds Spider-Man spinning, swinging, ducking, dodging, bobbing, weaving, and being the hero, all with death-defying grace and cinematic magical prowess.

In my review of Spider-Man: Homecoming two years ago, I said that the film captured the magic, the sense of wonder, the imagination, and the freshness of Spider-Man's first appearance, which was a 12-page story included in the comic book, Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962).  Spider-Man: Far From Home stays true to the spirit of fun, adventure, mystery, and thrills that the comic book, The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (1963), promised readers over five and a half decades ago.

9 of 10
A+

Thursday, July 4, 2019


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: Live-Action "Aladdin" is Quite Lively

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 11 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Aladdin (2019)
Running time: 128 minutes (2 hours, 8 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some action/peril
DIRECTOR:  Guy Ritchie
WRITERS:  Guy Ritchie and John August (based the 1992 film, Aladdin, written by Ron Clements, John Musker, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio; and on the folk tale, “Aladdin,” from One Thousand and One Nights)
PRODUCERS:  Jonathan Eirich and Dan Lin
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Alan Stewart (D.o.P)
EDITOR:  James Herbert
COMPOSER: Alan Menken

FANTASY/MUSICAL/COMEDY and ADVENTURE/FAMILY

Starring:  Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad, Billy Magnussen, and Numan Acar with Alan Tudyk and Frank Welker

Aladdin is a 2019 fantasy adventure film directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by Walt Disney Pictures.  The film is a live-action remake of Disney's classic animated film, Aladdin (1992), and both films are based on the folktale, “Aladdin,” from the collection, One Thousand and One Nights.  Aladdin 2019 focuses on a kindhearted street urchin and a power-hungry courtier who both vie for a magic lamp that has the power to make their deepest wishes come true.

Aladdin opens in the desert kingdom of Agrabah.  In the capital city, Aladdin (Mena Massoud), a kindhearted young street urchin, makes his living as a thief, lifting food from various stalls in the city's market, often with the help of his pet monkey, Abu.  One day, Aladdin and Abu come to the rescue of a young woman who turns out to be Princess Jasmine of Agrabah (Naomi Scott), and they befriend her although Aladdin assumes that she is someone else.

It turns out that Jasmine is not happy with her station in life.  Her father is The Sultan of Agrabah (Navid Negahban), and Jasmine hopes to one day become the new Sultan.  However, the laws of Agrabah require her, as the daughter of the Sultan, to marry a prince, regardless of her feelings for him, so that he may become the next Sultan.

Meanwhile, the Grand Vizier, Jafar (Marwan Kenzari), has grown tired of being “second best” to the Sultan.  He and his parrot, Iago (Alan Tudyk), seek a “magic lamp” that is hidden within “the Cave of Wonders,” which Jafar believes will give him the power to become the new Sultan.  However, only someone is who worthy (“the diamond in the rough”) can enter the cave, and that turns out to be Aladdin.  So can Aladdin and the mysterious Genie (Will Smith), the jinn of the magic lamp, save Agrabah from Jafar's machinations?

While watching this thoroughly enjoyable live-action film adaptation of Aladdin, I found myself surprised at how well Will Smith performed in a role the late actor Robin Williams made into an all-time famous voice performance in animated film.  The more I thought about it, the more I came to realize that the original film has worked so well via sequels, spin-offs, and other adaptations because Aladdin 1992 is simply great material.

The characters, the setting, the story, the screenplay, the musical and song score, the sets, the costumes, etc. are all top-notch material.  The original film yielded a 2010 Broadway musical the was nominated for several Tony Awards, winning one.  An animated television series, “Aladdin,” ran for three seasons beginning in 1994 and won four of the seven Daytime Emmy nominations it received.  I imagine that even high school theater/drama departments that are not well funded could produce an interesting stage production of Aladdin.  The story and song material that makes up Disney's Aladdin is so good that people would have to go out of their way to mess up an update of Aladdin.

Director Guy Ritchie and his co-screenwriter, John August, do not mess up.  Aladdin 2019 is not a great film, but it is a hugely enjoyable film.  Will Smith, Mena Massoud, and Naomi Scott give good performances, each of them proves able to “hold a tune,” with Massoud and Scott turning out to be quite good at singing.  The costumes and sets are lavish and gorgeous.  The music of Alan Menken, the late Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice – old and new – and the new contributions from the songwriting duo of Pasek & Paul are singalong, toe-tapping delights.

Aladdin 2019 is the kind of broad humor, fantasy-tinged, all-ages entertainment that Disney does so well.  Often, these movies are not high-art, nor do they advance the cinematic arts, but they are fun to watch.  For some of us, they are fun to watch over and over again.  Aladdin 2019 has its awkward moments, and certain scenes fall flat.  Overall, Aladdin 2019 still finds a way to be a delightful time at the movies.  I wish more movies – even some arty ones – would do that more often.

7 of 10
B+

Sunday, May 26, 2019


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "Men in Black: International" is Poo Doo

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 9 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Men in Black: International (2019)
Running time:  114 minutes (1 hour, 54 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sci-fi action, some language and suggestive material.
DIRECTOR:  F. Gary Gray
WRITERS:  Matt Holloway and Art Marcum (based on characters created by Lowell Cunningham)
PRODUCERS:  Laurie MacDonald and Walter F. Parkes
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Stuart Dryburgh    
EDITORS:  Zene Baker, Christian Wagner, and Matt Willard
COMPOSERS:  Chris Bacon and Danny Elfman    

SCI-FI/FANTASY/ACTION/COMEDY

Starring:  Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Liam Neeson, Rebecca Ferguson, Rafe Spall, Emma Thompson, Laurent Bourgeois, Larry Bourgeois, Kayvan Novak and Kumail Nanjiani (voice)

Men in Black: International is 2019 science fiction-fantasy and action-comedy from director F. Gary Gray.  This is the fourth film in the Men in Black (MiB) film series, and the first in a new MiB series that is part reboot and part sequel.  Men in Black: International finds the organization that has always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe searching for a spy working within MiB.

Men in Black: International introduces Molly Wright (Tessa Thompson), an overachiever who, as a child, had an experience with an alien.  This encounter led to Molly discovering the existence of “The Men in Black.”  Molly, after years of searching, has finally found the Men in Black's New York City base.  That earns her a meeting with “Agent O” (Emma Thompson), the head of MiB's U.S. branch, who is impressed by Molly's tenacity.

Molly becomes a probationary MiB agent and is sent to London where she answers to the head of MiB's United Kingdom branch, “High T” (Liam Neeson).  Soon, Molly finds herself partnering with “Agent H” (Chris Hemsworth) on an assignment to protect an alien VIP, the Jababian party animal, Vungus the Ugly (Kayvan Novak).  Vungus' death will spark a hunt for the most destructive weapon ever made and also for a traitor hiding within the ranks of MiB London.

While visiting the IMDb page for Men in Black: International, I discovered a member review of the film that declared, “This movie is politically correct (You've been warned!).”  I don't know what the person who posted this means by “this movie is politically correct.”  Among those for whom “PC” has become a battle cry are malcontents who think fictional characters in popular entertainment must fit their personal tastes and ideals in physical appearance, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, to name a few.  Coincidentally or ironically, the aforementioned review is as unimaginative and as clueless as the movie, Men in Black: International, is.

I don't often hold screenwriters solely responsible for a bad movie, but, by my estimation, screenwriters  Matt Holloway and Art Marcum, are largely responsible for the fact that Men in Black: International is an all-time franchise low in the Men in Black film series.  Everything about the writing is weak:  the flimsy, clumsily convoluted plot; the dull, insipid characters; and the pointless settings.

Chris Hemsworth's Agent H is amiable and forgettable; he is a charming (alien) womanizer, whose charm is about effective as a pretty knick-knack.  When he isn't onscreen, he isn't worth a second thought.  H is like a tepid version of Kevin Beckman, the character Hemsworth played in the 2016 Ghostbusters film.  Tessa Thompson's Molly/Agent M is no better, and M may actually be worse.  It is as if Thompson is not sure if she should play M as a cool and reserved female agent or as a curious and determined investigator of the weird.  The screenplay gives neither Hemsworth nor Thompson enough material from which to fashion a character that is more than a type.  They could not do much more with two characters that barely register above a whisper.

Liam Neeson's face is so frozen that I thought he was healing from a face lift, and his character, High T, is not the kind of magnetic character Neeson normally plays.  An actor who usually brings passion to his performances was like stiff, wet underwear frozen on the clothesline by cold weather.

Men in Black: International does have a few characters that are engaging.  Rafe Spall makes the best of his “Agent C,” an excellent rivalry type character (to H and M) who is largely wasted.  Every time Emma Thompson is onscreen in Men in Black: International, one can only think of the wasted opportunities – great actress, not great material.  Kumail Nanjiani provides some much needed laughs in his voice role as the diminutive alien (and CG creation), “Pawny.”

Men in Black: International's plot, about a threat to MiB, is full of misdirection, that cannot hide an sterile and uninspired plot.  The film manages to make the settings, from New York to London to Marrakesh (why?) to Paris, appear indistinguishable from one another.

I can never forget the unique feelings of joy I felt the first time I saw the original Men in Black (1997), which I have seen in its entirety at least three times.  That film retains its freshness, inventiveness, and its endearing weirdness after repeated views.  The sequels have struggled to capture the original film's sense of something amazing and new.

Men in Black: International may be the start of a new series of MiB films, but it feels too tired and too worn out to be an ignition.  It is clumsy and contrived in its action scenes, which is why I blame the screenwriters.  If director F. Gary Gray is really good at anything, it is in directing action movies and thrillers, and even he can't generate excitement from the hapless blueprint that is this film's script.  Men in Black: International is a bore and a chore to watch.  Yes, there is an occasional good moment here or there, but I was embarrassed that I had convinced two friends to see it with me.

And that title, Men in Black: International, is clunky, too.  Start over... again, Sony.

3.5 of 10
C-

Official "Men in Black: International" trailer is on YouTube.

Sunday, June 16, 2019


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint syndication rights and fees.

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David Rubin is the New President of AMPAS

DAVID RUBIN ELECTED ACADEMY PRESIDENT

David Rubin was elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Tuesday night, August 6, 2019, by the organization’s Board of Governors.

Also elected to officer positions by the Board:

• Lois Burwell, First Vice President (chair, Awards and Events Committee)
• Sid Ganis, Vice President (chair, Museum Committee)
• Larry Karaszewski, Vice President (chair, Preservation and History Committee)
• Nancy Utley, Vice President (chair, Education and Outreach Committee)
• Mark Johnson, Treasurer (chair, Finance Committee)
• Bonnie Arnold, Secretary (chair, Membership and Governance Committee)

Rubin is beginning his first term as president and his seventh year as a governor representing the Casting Directors Branch.  Burwell, Ganis, Karaszewski and Utley were re-elected to their posts.  This will be the first officer stint for Arnold and Johnson.

Rubin is the first casting director to hold the position of Academy President.  With more than 100 film and television credits, he has cast such features as “The English Patient,” “Men in Black,” “Hairspray,” “Lars and the Real Girl,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Get Shorty,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet” and “Fried Green Tomatoes.”

Academy board members may serve up to three consecutive three-year terms, while officers serve one-year terms, with a maximum of four consecutive years in any one office.

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Review: "Avengers: Endgame" is All A-Game

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Running time:  149 minutes (2 hours, 29 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, language and some crude references
DIRECTORS:  Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
WRITERS:  Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (based upon the comic books created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCER: Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Trent Opaloch
EDITORS:  Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidt
COMPOSER:  Alan Silvestri

SUPERHERO/ACTION/DRAMA/FANTASY/SCI-FI

Starring:  Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Brie Larson, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Dave Bautista, Stan Lee, Bradley Cooper (voice), Vin Diesel (voice), Letitia Wright and Samuel L. Jackson

Avengers: Endgame is a 2019 superhero movie directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and produced by Marvel Studios.  The film is the direct sequel to 2018's Avengers: Infinity War and is the 22nd film in the “Marvel Cinematic Universe” (MCU).  This film is also based on the Avengers comic book created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.  Endgame finds the Avengers and their remaining allies assembling once more to restore a universe devastated by their greatest enemy..

Avengers: Endgame opens three weeks after Thanos (Josh Brolin) used the Infinity Stones to disintegrate half of all life in the universe.  The Avengers and their allies make a vain attempt to force Thanos to undo what the snap of his fingers wrought, but that mission ends in disaster.

Five years later, Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) oversees the surviving heroes:  Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans); War Machine/James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), Okoye of Wakanda (Danai Gurira) as they protect Earth.  Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) of the Guardians of the Galaxy and the newly arrived Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) patrol the rest of the universe.  It is a time of sadness where there is little hope.

Then, Ant-Man/Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) appears out of nowhere, claiming to have escaped the Quantum Realm, and he believes that this realm may provide a way to reverse what Thanos did.  First, the remaining Avengers will have to convince estranged Avengers:  Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Hawkeye/Clint Baron (Jeremy Renner) to return to the fold.

Avengers: Endgame is one of the best superhero films ever made and one of the best films ever adapted from a comic book.  There is so much going on in this film that it seems impossible to review it, but I will try.  I can say simply and with as few words as possible that the acting, directing, writing, cinematography, film score, editing, production design, sound mixing/editing, and special effects and visual effects are all of exceedingly high quality.  They are all as good as you would hope, and I can say that often in this film, they are even better than we would expect.

Avengers: Endgame is not really about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Rather,  Endgame resolves the story that began in Avengers: Infinity War.  It revisits some past films and offers closures and happy endings regarding some characters and key moments in past Marvel films.  Avengers: Endgame is the kind of happy ending the greatest modern film studio, Marvel Studios, absolutely had to deliver after giving us so many unbelievably popular and high-quality films.

Last year, I wrote that Avengers: Infinity War was the best Marvel Studios movie after Black Panther.  Now, I can say that Avengers: Endgame is the best Marvel Studios film after Black Panther; heck, Endgame might even be better than Black Panther.  Like Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame is brand maximization – the height of what Marvel Studios offers audiences through its films, and that is just fine.  In Avengers: Infinity War and now in Avengers: Endgame, directors Anthony and Joe Russo; writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely; the cast and the crew and the producers have created the very best of Marvel Studios.

10 of 10

Tuesday, April 30, 2019


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "Shazam!" Makes a Joyful Noise

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 6 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Shazam! (2019)
Running time:  132 minutes (2 hours, 12 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of action, language, and suggestive material
DIRECTOR:  David F. Sandberg
WRITERS:  Henry Gayden; from a story by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke (based on the characters created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck)
PRODUCER:  Peter Safran
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Maxime Alexandre
EDITOR:  Michel Aller
COMPOSER:  Benjamin Wallfisch

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION/COMEDY

Starring:  Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Mark Strong, Jack Dylan Glazer, Marta Milans, Cooper Andrews, Grace Fulton, Faithe Herman, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Meagan Good, Andi Osho, John Glover, and Djimon Hounsou

Shazam! is a 2019 superhero and fantasy film from director David F. Sandberg.  The film is based on the DC Comics character now called “Shazam.”  In the movie Shazam!, a 14-year-old foster kid becomes a superhero merely by uttering one magic word, SHAZAM!

Shazam! introduces a mysterious wizard named, Shazam (Djimon Hounsou), who lives in the cave where rests the “Rock of Eternity,” a place that is the home of all magic.  Shazam is looking for a worthy human, who will utter his name and become a champion who also bears the name, Shazam.  After finding so many humans who failed to live up to his standards, Shazam is running out of time.  Now, he hopes that Billy Batson (Asher Angel), a 14-year-old foster kid with a history of petty crime and of running away from foster homes, is his champion.

When Billy shouts SHAZAM!, he becomes an adult (Zachary Levi), a grown man wearing a red superhero costume and possessing incredible powers that Billy cannot imagine.  Now, with the help of his foster brother, Freddie Freeman (Jack Dylan Glazer), Billy will try to learn what powers he has and the extent of those powers.  Meanwhile, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong), who failed Shazam's test of worthiness when he was a child over four decades ago, now possesses the dark powers against which the wizard fought.  Sivana is determined to discover the identity of the new champion and then, to steal that champion's powers for himself.

First a note:  the DC Comics character, Shazam, was the first comic book character to have the name “Captain Marvel.”  A boy named Billy Batson became Captain Marvel by uttering the word, “Shazam!”  Captain Marvel was created by comic book artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker.  He first appeared in Whiz Comics #2 (cover-dated:  February 1940) which was published by Fawcett Comics.  A legal dispute caused Fawcett to stop publishing Captain Marvel comic books in 1953.  DC Comics revived the character in 1972, but by then, Marvel Comics owned the trademark to the name “Captain Marvel.”  Thus, the original Captain Marvel is now called Shazam.

Marvel Studios released a film starring Marvel Comics' Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019.  Perhaps, it is a coincidence that in the same year Warner Bros. releases a movie starring Shazam.  And I have to be honest.  I like Marvel's Captain Marvel film, and I like Warner's Shazam just as much.

Shazam is a hugely enjoyable film that is part energetic superhero movie, part charming comedy, and part heartwarming family film.  The superhero action is not as intense as that found in most superhero films.  Much of the superhero action revolves around Zachary Levi's adult hero and Jack Dylan Glazer's Freddie Freeman executing a number of often humorous experiments to learn about Shazam's powers.  The charm comes from the attitude of the film.  Much of Shazam is about teenagers learning not only how to be good people, but also about learning how to be good to the people in their lives.  Shazam probably presents one of the most favorable views of foster parents and of the foster home in recent memory.  And I found that quite heartwarming.  Shazam is at heart an unabashed family film about the joys, comfort, and love of having a family.

One element that makes this film so surprisingly delightful are the performances.  Mark Strong as Dr. Sivana does what he can do so well – be really good at being a really bad guy.  In playing a kid who is suddenly in an adult body, Zachary Levi recalls Tom Hanks' performance in the 1988 film, Big.  Sixteen-year-old Asher Angel shows adult acting chops playing teenage Billy Batson.  Jack Dylan Glazer is uncannily good as Freddie Freeman, and he practically steals every scene in which he is featured.  If there is a children's version of the Oscars, then, Glazer...

Truthfully, every actor who appears in Shazam turns in a good performance or at least tries pretty hard to do so.  So I send a shout out to Faithe Herman in her winning turn as Darley Dudley.

The film is well-written and tightly-directed, both of which is required of comedy films.  I have to give a shout-out to the film editor, Michel Aller, because I think the editing contributed a lot to this film's engaging tone and practically perfect pace.

I think that this review cannot totally convey how surprised – delightfully surprised – I am at how much I like this movie.  I once thought that Shazam! would be a disaster, but I end up having such a good time watching it that I want to see it again.  I even want a sequel.  And I heartily recommend Shazam!, a superhero film for the entire family.

8 of 10
A

Saturday, April 6, 2019


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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AMPAS Invites New Members for 2019 Class: Directors, Writers, Producers

ACADEMY INVITES 842 TO MEMBERSHIP

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 842 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. The 2019 class is 50% women, 29% people of color, and represents 59 countries. Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2019.

Six individuals (noted by an asterisk) have been invited to join the Academy by multiple branches.  These individuals must select one branch upon accepting membership.

New members will be welcomed into the Academy at invitation-only receptions in the fall.

The 2019 invitees are:

Directors
Zoya Akhtar – “Gully Boy,” “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara”
Raja Amari – “Foreign Body,” “Les Secrets”
Jon Baird – “Stan & Ollie,” “Filth”
M. Neema Barnette – “Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day,” “Civil Brand”
Julie Bertuccelli – “Dernières Nouvelles du Cosmos,” “Since Otar Left…”
Laís Bodanzky – “Como Nossos Pais,” “Bicho de Sete Cabecas”
Zero Chou – “Ching’s Way Homes,” “Spider Lilies”
Jonathan M. Chu – “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Now You See Me 2”
Sergey Dvortsevoy – “Ayka,” “Tulpan”
Pernille Fischer Christensen – “Becoming Astrid,” “Someone You Love”
Lucía Gajá – “Batallas Intimas,” “Mi Vida Dentro”
Nisha Ganatra – “Late Night,” “Chutney Popcorn”
Matteo Garrone – “Dogman,” “Tale of Tales”
Will Gluck – “Peter Rabbit,” “Easy A”
Eva Husson – “Girls of the Sun,” “Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story)”
Liza Johnson – “Elvis & Nixon,” “Return”
Tunde Kelani – “The Lion and the Jewel,” “The Narrow Path”
Jennifer Kent* – “The Nightingale,” “The Babadook”
Mélanie Laurent – “Galveston,” “Breathe”
Phil Lord* – “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” “21 Jump Street”
Alison Maclean – “The Rehearsal,” “Jesus’ Son”
Christopher Miller* – “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” “21 Jump Street”
Carol Morley – “Out of Blue,” “The Falling”
Ulrike Ottinger – “Under Snow,” “Twelve Chairs”
Gloria Rolando – “Dialogue with My Grandmother,” “1912: Breaking the Silence, Chapter 1“
Amr Salama – “Sheikh Jackson,” “Tahrir 2011”
Shamim Sarif – “Despite the Falling Snow,” “The World Unseen”
Ivan Sen – “Goldstone,” “Toomelah”
Maryse Sistach – “Moon Rain,” “The Girl on the Stone”
Frances-Anne Solomon – “Hero: Inspired by the Extraordinary Life and Times of Mr. Ulric Cross,” “Peggy Su!”
David E. Talbert – “Almost Christmas,” “First Sunday”
Yim Soon-rye – “Little Forest,” “Whistle Blower”
Jasmila Žbanić – “One Day in Sarajevo,” “Grbavica”

Writers
John Ajvide Lindqvist – “Border,” “Let the Right One In”
Desiree Akhavan – “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” “Appropriate Behavior”
Marie Amachoukeli – “Savage,” “Young Tiger”
David Arata – “Children of Men,” “Spy Game”
Jean-Pierre Bacri – “Place Publique,” “Look at Me”
Josiane Balasko – “The Ex-Love of My Life,” “French Twist”
Sophie Barthes – “Madame Bovary,” “Cold Souls”
Ritesh Batra – “Photograph,” “The Lunchbox”
Houda Benyamina – “Divines”
Anna Biller – “The Love Witch,” “Viva”
Pamela Brady – “Team America: World Police,” “South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut”
Andrew Bujalski – “Support the Girls,” “Computer Chess”
Kay Cannon – “Pitch Perfect 2,” “Pitch Perfect”
Elizabeth Chandler – “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” “A Little Princess”
Chinonye Chukwu – “Clemency,” “Alaskaland”
Sara Colangelo – “The Kindergarten Teacher,” “Little Accidents”
Roman Coppola – “Isle of Dogs,” “Moonrise Kingdom”
Lucinda Coxon – “The Little Stranger,” “The Danish Girl”
Karen Croner – “The Tribes of Palos Verdes,” “Admission”
Josephine Decker – “Madeline’s Madeline,” “Flames”
Agnès de Sacy – “The Summer House,” “Yao”
Katherine Dieckmann – “Strange Weather,” “Motherhood”
Doris Dörrie – “Cherry Blossoms,” “Men…”
Harry Elfont – “Leap Year,” “Made of Honor”
Glenn Ficarra – “Smallfoot,” “Bad Santa”
Gillian Flynn – “Widows,” “Gone Girl”
Dana Fox – “Isn’t It Romantic,” “Couples Retreat”
Víctor Gaviria – “The Animal’s Wife,” “The Rose Seller”
Holly Goldberg Sloan – “Angels in the Outfield,” “Made in America”
Jane Goldman – “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”
Andrew Haigh – “45 Years,” “Weekend”
Elizabeth Hannah – “Long Shot,” “The Post”
Phil Hay – “Destroyer,” “Ride Along”
Olivia Hetreed – “Birds like Us,” “Wuthering Heights”
Eliza Hittman – “Beach Rats,” “It Felt like Love”
Christina Hodson – “Bumblebee,” “Unforgettable”
Jihad Hojeily – “Capernaum,” “Where Do We Go Now?”
Rick Jaffa – “Jurassic World,” “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
Agnès Jaoui – “Place Publique,” “Look at Me”
Deborah Kaplan – “Leap Year,” “Can’t Hardly Wait”
Jennifer Kent* – “The Nightingale,” “The Babadook”
Cédric Klapisch – “Back to Burgundy,” “L’Auberge Espagnole”
Kate Lanier – “Beauty Shop,” “Glitter”
Phil Lord* – “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” “21 Jump Street”
Jenny Lumet – “The Mummy,” “Rachel Getting Married”
Maïwenn – “My King,” “Polisse”
Matt Manfredi – “Destroyer,” “Clash of the Titans”
Jim McKay – “En el Séptimo Día,” “Girls Town”
Christopher Miller* – “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” “21 Jump Street”
Deborah Moggach – “Tulip Fever,” “Pride & Prejudice”
Jessie Nelson – “I Am Sam,” “Stepmom”
Marti Noxon – “Fright Night,” “I Am Number Four”
Rungano Nyoni – “I Am Not a Witch”
Tracy Oliver – “The Sun Is Also a Star,” “Girls Trip”
Diana Lynn Ossana – “Brokeback Mountain”
Gail Parent – “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen,” “Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York”
Zak Penn – “Ready Player One,” “The Incredible Hulk”
Katell Quillévéré – “Alone at My Wedding,” “Love like Poison”
John Requa – “Smallfoot,” “I Love You Phillip Morris”
Pamela Ribon – “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” “Smurfs: The Lost Village”
Rodney Rothman* – “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” “22 Jump Street”
Valeria Sarmiento – “Elle ,” “Our Marriage”
Coline Serreau – “Chaos,” “Think Global, Act Rural”
Sebastián Silva – “Tyrel, ”Magic Magic”
Amanda Silver – “Jurassic World,” “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
Marina Stavenhagen – “Have You Seen Lupita?,” “Streeters”
Maryam Touzani – “Adam,” “Razzia”
Juliette Towhidi – “Testament of Youth,” “Love, Rosie”
Patrick Wang – “The Grief of Others,” “In the Family”
Wang Quan’an – “White Deer Plain,” “Apart Together”
Kevin Willmott – “BlacKkKlansman,” “Chi-Raq”

Producers
Mollye Asher – “The Rider,” “Fort Tilden”
Stefanie Azpiazu – “Private Life,” “Enough Said”
Lucy Barreto – “Reaching for the Moon,” “Bossa Nova”
Luiz Carlos Barreto – “João, o Maestro,” “The Middle of the World”
Jess Wu Calder – “Blindspotting,” “Blair Witch”
Francesca Cima – “Youth,” “The Great Beauty”
Naomi Despres – “Lizzie,” “Kill the Messenger”
Neal Dodson – “A Most Violent Year,” “All Is Lost”
Benjamín Domenech – “Zama,” “Acusada (The Accused)”
Gail Egan – “Final Portrait,” “A Most Wanted Man”
Helen Estabrook – “Tully,” “Whiplash”
Santiago Gallelli – “Zama,” “Acusada (The Accused)”
Rebecca Green – “It Follows,” I’ll See You in My Dreams”
Dolly Hall – “The Maid’s Room,” “High Art”
Osnat Handelsman-Keren – “The Kindergarten Teacher,” “Bethlehem”
Debra Hayward – “Mary Queen of Scots,” “Les Misérables”
Mohamed Hefzy – “Sheikh Jackson,” “Clash”
David Hinojosa – “First Reformed,” “Beatriz at Dinner”
Cristina Huete – “The Queen of Spain,” “Chico & Rita”
Janine Jackowski – “Toni Erdmann,” “The Forest for the Trees”
Talia Kleinhendler – “The Kindergarten Teacher,” “Bethlehem”
Vincent Landay – “Her,” “Adaptation”
Stephanie Langhoff – “The Skeleton Twins,” “Safety Not Guaranteed”
John Lesher – “Black Mass,” “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Georgina Lowe – “Peterloo,” “Mr. Turner”
Scott Macaulay – “Casting JonBenet,” “Raising Victor Vargas”
Riva Marker – “Wildlife,” “Beasts of No Nation”
Kevin Messick – “Vice,” “Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters”
Donatella Palermo – “Fire at Sea,” “Wondrous Boccaccio”
Ewa Puszczyńska – “Cold War,” “Ida”
Andrea Cecilia Roa – “It Comes at Night,” “Unexpected”
Matías Roveda – “Zama,” “Acusada (The Accused)”
Michael Sean Ryan – “Last Weekend,” “Junebug”
Tanya Seghatchian – “Cold War,” “My Summer of Love”
Brad Simpson – “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Ben Is Back”
Deborah Snyder – “Wonder Woman,” “Man of Steel”
Richard Suckle – “Wonder Woman,” “American Hustle”
Emma Tillinger Koskoff – “Silence,” “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Anne-Dominique Toussaint – “Where Do We Go Now?,” “Caramel”
Liz Watts – “The Rover,” “Animal Kingdom”
Charles B. Wessler – “Green Book,” “There’s Something about Mary”
James Whitaker – “A Wrinkle in Time,” “The Finest Hours”

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AMPAS Invites New Members for 2019 Class: Actors, Members-at-Large, Associates

ACADEMY INVITES 842 TO MEMBERSHIP

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 842 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. The 2019 class is 50% women, 29% people of color, and represents 59 countries. Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2019.

Six individuals (noted by an asterisk) have been invited to join the Academy by multiple branches.  These individuals must select one branch upon accepting membership.

New members will be welcomed into the Academy at invitation-only receptions in the fall.

The 2019 invitees are:

Actors
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje – “Suicide Squad,” “Trumbo”
Yareli Arizmendi – “A Day without a Mexican,” “Like Water for Chocolate”
Claes Bang – “The Girl in the Spider’s Web,” “The Square”
Jamie Bell – “Rocketman,” “Billy Elliot”
Bob Bergen – “The Secret Life of Pets,” “WALL-E”
Bruno Bichir – “Crónica de un Desayuno,” “Principio y Fin”
Claire Bloom – “The King’s Speech,” “Limelight”
Héctor Bonilla – “7:19 La Hora del Temblor,” “Rojo Amanecer”
Juan Diego Botto – “Ismael,” “Vete de Mí”
Sterling K. Brown – “Black Panther,” “Marshall”
Gemma Chan – “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Mary Queen of Scots”
Rosalind Chao – “I Am Sam,” “The Joy Luck Club”
Camille Cottin – “Larguées,” “Allied”
Kenneth Cranham – “Maleficent,” “Layer Cake”
Marina de Tavira – “Roma,” “La Zona (The Zone)”
Stephen Dillane – “Darkest Hour,” “The Hours”
Winston Duke – “Us,” “Black Panther”
Jennifer Ehle – “A Quiet Passion,” “Zero Dark Thirty”
Irene Escolar – “Bajo la Piel de Lobo,” “Un Otoño sín Berlin”
Claire Foy – “First Man,” “Breathe”
Gina Gallego – “Minority Report,” “Erin Brockovich”
Giancarlo Giannini – “Quantum of Solace,” “Seven Beauties”
David Harewood – “Free in Deed,” “Blood Diamond”
Stephen McKinley Henderson – “Fences,” “Manchester by the Sea”
Dolores Heredia – “Huérfanos,” “A Better Life”
Tom Holland – “Avengers: Endgame,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming”
Tom Hollander – “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Pride & Prejudice”
Nina Hoss – “A Most Wanted Man,” “Barbara”
Lennie James – “Blade Runner 2049,” “Get On Up”
Gemma Jones – “Rocketman,” “Sense and Sensibility”
Barry Keoghan – “Dunkirk,” “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”
Anupam Kher – “Hotel Mumbai,” “The Big Sick”
Andreas Sebastian Koch – “Bridge of Spies,” “The Lives of Others”
Lady Gaga* – “A Star Is Born,” “Frank Miller’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For”
Tracy Letts – “The Post,” “Lady Bird”
Damian Lewis – “Our Kind of Traitor,” “Dreamcatcher”
Helen McCrory – “Their Finest,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
Natascha McElhone – “Solaris,” “The Truman Show”
Ofelia Medina – “Innocent Voices,” “Frida: Naturaleza Viva”
Elisabeth Moss – “Us,” “The Square”
Peter Mullan – “Tyrannosaur,” “Trainspotting”
Jack O’Connell – “Unbroken,” “Starred Up”
Archie Panjabi – “A Mighty Heart,” “The Constant Gardener”
Amanda Peet – “The Way Way Back,” “Syriana”
Kevin Pollak – “The Front Runner,” “The Usual Suspects”
Will Poulter – “Detroit,” “ The Revenant”
Andrea Riseborough – “Battle of the Sexes,” “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Toni Servillo – “The Great Beauty,” “La Ragazza del Lago”
Alexander Skarsgård – “The Legend of Tarzan,” “Melancholia”
Tamlyn Tomita – “The Day after Tomorrow,” “The Joy Luck Club”
Jean-Louis Trintignant – “Amour,” “Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train”
Carlo Verdone – “Manuale d’Amore,” “Borotalco”
Harriet Walter – “The Young Victoria,” “Atonement”
Olivia Williams – “An Education,” “The Sixth Sense”
Letitia Wright – “Black Panther,” “Ready Player One”
Yousra – “The Storm,” “Egyptian Story”

Members-at-Large
Brad Allan
Scott Ateah
Rick Avery
Rita Belda
Debbi Bossi
Glenn Boswell
Charlie Brewer
Bob Brown
Pavel Cajzl
Nick Cannon
Michael Cioni
Douglas Crosby
David E. Dolby
Jim Dowdall
Aaron Downing
Marny Eng
Paul Federbush
Tami Goldman
Al Goto
Bonnie Greenberg
Buzz Hays
Sharon Smith Holley
Rob Inch
Jerry Ketcham
Ladislav Lahoda
Gretchen Libby
Josh Lowden
Brian Machleit
Jo McLaren
Mike Mitchell
Robert Nagle
Zareh Nalbandian
John Naveira
Otto Nemenz
Casey O’Neill
Mitch Paulson
David Pierce
Allan Poppleton
Anne Putnam Kolbe
Arjun Ramamurthy
Sara Romilly
Daniel S. Rosen
George Marshall Ruge
Bird Runningwater
Manny Siverio
Mimi Steele
Shelly Strong
TJ White
Lee M. Wimer

Assoc​iates
Jeremy Barber
Jason Burns
Tanya Michal Cohen
Rich Cook
Natasha Galloway
Randi Goldstein
Charles B. James
Brian Kend
Eric Reid
Shani Rosenzweig
Roeg Sutherland

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Review: "Us" Comes After Us

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 5 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Us (2019)
Running time: 116 minutes (1 hour, 56 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence/terror, and language
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Jordan Peele
PRODUCERS:  Jason Blum, Ian Cooper, Sean McKittrick, and Jordan Peele
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Mike Gioulakis
EDITOR:  Nicholas Monsour
COMPOSER: Michael Abels

HORROR with elements of mystery and thriller

Starring:  Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Anna Diop, Cali Sheldon, Noelle Sheldon, Madison Curry, Ashley McKoy, and Napiera Groves

Us is a 2019 horror film written and directed by Jordan Peele.  The film focuses on a family terrorized by group of doppelgängers.

Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o) is married to an ambitious man, Gabriel “Gabe” Wilson (Winston Duke), and the couple has two precocious children, daughter Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and son Jason (Evan Alex).  When she was a child, young Adelaide (Madison Curry) had a terrifying experience at the boardwalk at Santa Cruz beach after she wandered away from her parents and entered a hall of mirrors.  Now, something from her past has returned,  “Red” and “Tethered,” it threatens her family and everything she believes.

I consider Jordan Peele's Get Out to be a landmark film, with its allusions to the dangers people of color, especially African-Americans, face in America.  When you get past that, Get Out is also a clever allegory to the enslavement and exploitation of black people by white people.

Jordan Peele's new film, the much anticipated Us, is one I think that I will spend days... or even longer... unpacking.  Saying that this film has themes of oppression, the crisis of human existence, and the difficulty of really knowing even the people closest to you is just to scratch the surface.  This movie is multi-layered and rife with allegories, metaphors, and symbolism, so much so that I think that some commentators have bought in too much to the idea that this film's most dominate idea is that we are our own worst enemies.  The film does indeed point that out, but much of this film's narrative delves into the nature of evil and the suffering of the oppressed.  One might even describe this film as being about a slave insurrection, but that might be a bit too much of a stretch for some viewers, especially those who think Green Book is just the movie we need for these times in America.

That aside, Us is truly a horror movie, almost like a slasher film with a few touches of apocalyptic fiction.  The chase – the pursuit of the victim(s) by the killer(s) – has never been done the way Peele does it in Us.  Peele does what only a skilled horror movie director can do, put us right there with Adelaide and her family as they run away from a threat that not only wants to kill them, but also wants to enjoy some torture time before the stabbing and screaming.  Us' killers are as relentless as Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers.  [Meanwhile, Biblical foreboding suggests that an even larger danger looms.]  I don't think any other horror movie has made a pair of scissors as scary as Us does, although there have been some gruesome moments featuring scissors in horror movies going back decades.  Peele makes scissors scarier than horror movie machetes, axes, and large kitchen knives.

As Us' “scream queen” (of a sort), Lupita Nyong'o gives a riveting and hypnotic performance as Adelaide.  I must say that if a horror movie lead every deserved an Oscar nomination, Lupita certainly deserves one for her turn as Adelaide.  The great actress Kathy Bates won a best actress Oscar for playing Annie Wilkes in Rob Reiner's film, Misery (1990), which was based on a Stephen King novel.  With that in mind, Lupita deserves at least an Oscar nomination.

I don't think that Us is quite on par with Get Out, but Us is equally (if not more) thought-provoking.  What does it all mean?  I guess in the end the meaning is all up to Us.

9 of 10
A+

Friday, March 22, 2019


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "CAPTAIN MARVEL" Earns Her Name and Her Own Movie

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 4 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Captain Marvel (2019)
Running time:  124 minutes (2 hours, 4 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief suggestive language
DIRECTORS:  Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
WRITERS:  Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck, and Geneva Robertson-Dworet; from a story by Nicole Perlman, Meg LeFauve, Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck, and Geneva Robertson-Dworet
PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Ben Davis
EDITORS:  Debbie Berman and Elliot Graham
COMPOSER:  Pinar Toprak

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION/THRILLER

Starring:  Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Annette Bening, Lashana Lynch, Clark Gregg, Rune Temte, Gemma Chan, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Akira Akbar, Algenis Perez Soto, and Stan Lee

Captain Marvel is a 2019 superhero film directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck and produced by Marvel Studios.  The film is based on Marvel Comics characters that first appeared in the comic books Marvel Super-Heroes issues #12 and #13 (Marvel Comics).  Captain Marvel the movie focuses on a young woman with extraordinary powers who is plagued by memory problems even as she serves one side in a galactic war between two alien races.

Captain Marvel opens in 1995 on Hala, the capital planet of the Kree Empire.  The focus is on a young woman named “Vers” (Brie Larson), a member of “Starforce,” a Kree special ops unit.  Starforce leader, Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), leads Vers and the rest of his unit on a rescue mission into the territory of the Skrulls, alien shape-shifters who are the Kree Empire's mortal enemies.

During the mission, Vers is captured, but upon escaping, she finds herself near the planet Earth.  She crash lands in Los Angeles where she finds herself immediately confronted by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., and also by a Skrull unit led by a commander named Talos (Ben Mendelsohn).  Vers, however, has more than S.H.I.E.L.D. and Skrulls to worry her.  Vers is plagued by fragments of memories and by the visions of a woman named Carol Danvers.

Captain Marvel will face inevitable comparisons to 2017's Wonder Woman, the first major film featuring a female comic book superhero in the solo and lead role.  Like Wonder Woman the character, Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, is not a woman willing to allow a man to take the lead or have control over her.  Captain Marvel is an origin story of sorts, but it is not a coming-of-age story, nor does it offer the heroic arc.  Carol Danvers/Vers is a powerful woman striving to “be her best self,” because she is already an able and capable woman, even before she gained great power.

Oscar-winning actress, Brie Larson, captures the woman that is Carol Danvers/Vers with a level of self-confidence that I found off-putting.  Even after years of reading comic book featuring female superheroes, I am still getting used to women who are every bit as confident and self-possessed as the ultra-powerful male superheroes.  Carol Danvers does not need an Obi-Wan, an Alfred Pennyworth, or a Ben Parker.  In Captain Marvel, Larson is helping me get over my male-centric notions of the hero.

Samuel L. Jackson also gives a good performance as Nick Fury.  Since Captain Marvel's story is set a decade before the story in Marvel Studio's first film, Iron Man (2008), we get a younger Fury.  Jackson was digitally “de-aged” to play the younger Fury, but his sarcasm and edgy personality remains.  This film also gives Jackson a chance to show a softer, playful side (thanks to “Goose” the cat).  [Clark Gregg reprises his character, Phil Coulson, and is also de-aged.]  Jackson makes excellent use of his opportunities to be humorous, after all, he does not need to be the bad-ass, because (as I just said) Danvers does not need a sidekick or male helper, even if she does have one or two...

Ben Mendelsohn gives a nuanced turn in two roles, as Talos (a Skrull) and Keller (a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent).  There is something about Mendelsohn that reminds me of Martin Freeman (Black Panther; The Hobbit film series), and I'm always down to be reminded of Martin Freeman.  Also, here, Jude Law makes an art of being shifty and slippery as the Kree, Yon-Rogg.

Captain Marvel is delightfully off-beat and odd.  Perhaps, some of the critics and fans (trolls) who claim that Marvel Studios' films are too alike will be satisfied with a film that is as different as its title character is (but probably not).  I cannot quite put to words why I like Captain Marvel so much, but I can say that I did not want it to end.  I wanted more, much more of Captain Marvel.

A
8 of 10

Saturday, March 9, 2019


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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