Joker

Posted on October 5, 2019 by Doc

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Here comes yet another divisive comic book movie from DC. There have been many cries of controversy with Todd Phillip’s rendition of Joker, with people saying that this is a “dangerous” movie and that this is a bad time in our nation’s history for a movie like this to be released. There are people who are concerned about who maybe inspired by a Joker movie to do terrible travesties.

I do not subscribe to those ideas as I am not one to ever blame the art or the artist for what someone may interpret from it. The biggest question, for me, is … Is the Joker a good movie? I had heard a mixed bag from a many of the critics so I really had no idea where it would fall for me. Then, before I was heading into the theater, I ran into a co-worker who told me that they hated the movie. I took my seat without any idea about what I was going to see.

And I loved this movie.

Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) was a sad and damaged individual who was trying to get by in life with his job as a rental clown, trips to his therapist while taking care of his mother Penny (Frances Conroy). It is clear from scene one that this man has a struggle with mental illness and that he is only hanging on by a thread.

It seems that one of the things that he is inflicted with is a laugh that he cannot control and that can come at the most inopportune times, particularly times of high levels of stress.

Arthur’s great wish is to become a stand-up comedian and he does what he can to make that dream a reality. Unfortunately, it appears that he is simply not that funny. So one day on a train moving through Gotham City, Arthur kills three men with a gun given to him by a co-worker and events begin to spiral out of control.

Joker is a violent movie, but it is not anywhere near as violent as I had thought it would be. Honestly, with the uproar over the social media concerns, I imagined that Joker would be much more violent and graphic. There have been plenty of other movies more violent than Joker but those movies did not receive the scrutiny that Joker has.

The film is an in-depth character study of a man who is declining into madness and the world around him that apparently does not care. The mental illness theme in this film comes right out of the headlines today and is probably the main reason people are uneasy over Joker. The film does show that Joker takes those final steps into madness when he loses the ability to go to his therapist because of budget cuts. The idea of aid for the mentally ill is vital to the story of Arthur Fleck.

As every review states, Joaquin Phoenix is brilliant as Arthur Fleck. He is able to show you the side of this character that deserves pity and relatability without divorcing you from the fact that this is a dangerous psychopath that should not be pitied. And at times you feel uncomfortable and maybe even a little disgusted when you can understand and relate to him.

The movie is definitely a slow burn and difficult to watch because it makes you as an audience member uncomfortable with yourself. It does not give you a typical protagonist to cheer for and it does not provide you with the happy ever after that most movies do. That probably shocked some people, but what do you expect when you are going to an R rated Joker movie? Unicorns and flowers?

Watching Phoenix descend into the darkness was fascinating and seeing him transform into the Joker was amazing. There are plenty of perfect “Joker” moments in the movie so when audiences were being warned that this was not the Joker they were used to, I think that was over exaggerating. This was the Joker that I knew.

There are certainly many moments or scenes that borrow from Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver or King of Comedy and the feel is even more emphasized when we see Robert DeNiro playing late night TV host Murray Franklin, however, these moments felt more like an homage to those films rather than a theft of them.

Joker is disturbing, but in all the best ways. One of the more disturbing aspects of Joker is the mother-son relationship with Arthur and Penny. Frances Conroy is wonderfully off-kilter in this movie playing the mother of the eventual clown prince of crime. There is an inclusion of Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullin) which I am not sure was needed. I think this was used simply to keep the connection to Batman, despite the Caped Crusader not being in this movie. There is a strange thing that happens at one point that makes you question the decision making process of Todd Phillips, but it pays off later in the film. There are many moments like that so I suggest you do not get yourself into a Nerd Rage before the film ends. Give it a chance before you hate on it.

Joker does feel like it goes maybe one scene too far at the end. Otherwise, I feel that they conclusion of this movie is very powerful and speaks directly to the divide between the classes, as well as the fate of mentally ill people in today;s world. The final bloody image with the Joker is perfect and puts an appropriate period on the end of the sentence. The extra add on feels like something that could have been dropped. It felt almost like a post credit scene that was not after the credits and tacked on at the end.

I was not sure how I was going to react to Joker. I have always loved the character, but the negativity that I have heard made me doubt how I might react. However, I was completely enthralled with this movie and, despite some of the smaller faults, is one of my favorite films of the year.

4.9 stars

Judy

Posted on October 5, 2019 by Doc

JUDY 2019 movie 12x18 VINYL poster Renée Zellweger

We have had a lot of biopics about music icons recently. From Freddie Mercury to Elton John, the music industry has been a hotbed of movie subjects.

Add one more to the list with the film based on the last year of the life of Dorothy Gale herself, Judy Garland.

In an attempt to get money to provide a more secure life for her children, Judy Garland (Renee Zellweger) accepted a tour of London despite her own struggles with alcohol and medication as well as her own tragic past.

Renee Zellweger is the absolute best thing about Judy. Her performance is transformative and powerful. I believe she has to be considered the front runner, if not the lock, for the Academy Award for Best Actress from this performance. She brings such an emotional depth to the character, from the lows of her addictions to the highs of her performances.

The character of Judy Garland is not shown through rose-colored glasses either. We see the bad choices and the mistakes that she makes and the consequences of those actions. One of the stronger aspects are the series of flashbacks back to the Dorothy-aged Judy (Darci Shaw) which detail the downright abuse heaped on Judy by the movie studio and her handlers who were more concerned with the image of Judy than the actual person. There were some shocking instances of cruelty and potentially even abuse by those in power over the young girl that you understand why Judy grew up to be such a mess.

The film had a huge tragic feel to it for much of the run time. The life that the young girl had to live through to the challenges facing the older version who was just looking for a way to be a mother to her children were heartbreaking. Renee Zellweger was able to remain this woman riddled with poor choices without losing the connection to the audience. Even when her own worst behavior was her undoing, you could relate to the pain and the challenges faced by the songstress.

One of the best scenes of the film included a gay couple who had waited after a show and met Judy. Judy was so lonely that she invited them out to dinner and wound up spending an evening with them. It was such a lovely, emotional scene that it truly helped to humanize Judy Garland. It also effective when the couple returns later in the film.

Speaking of later in the film, the final part of the movie was just epic. I loved how they ended the movie and I found myself with tears in my eyes from the power of the moment. It was both sad and tragic, while at the same time uplifting and hopeful. It ended with such a strong couple of scenes that any other flaws that might have been in the film were brushed away.

The film may have been a slow developing one, but I was riveted the entire time. Renee Zellweger was special in her performance and the ending scene was one of the most emotional times of the year. Judy is a terrific biopic.

4.75 stars

Contagion#1

Posted on October 3, 2019 by Doc

CONTAGION #1 (OF 5)

Contagion #1

Writer: Ed Brisson

Artist: Roge Antonio

Cover Art: Juan Jose Ryp & Jesus Aburtov

The Marvel Universe has a new contagion that has been released in this new limited series, affecting heroes and villains, and turning them into mindless zombie-like creatures.

In issue one, we see the Fantastic Four get involved with a group of infected Moloids who had been attacking kids on Yancy Street.

Meanwhile, we are not sure where this has come from or how it arrived in the underground of Yancy Street. There does seem to be some connection to K’un-L’un because the book starts out there and we end up with Danny Rand.

I have heard the rumors of this book being closed to DCeased, but, since I did not read that book, it is a critique that did not bother me.

I did not love the book, but it was fine. I enjoyed reading it and I have enough questions to continue reading it. I hope it becomes as fascinating as it could be.

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CONTAGION #1 (OF 5)

Shadow of the Vampire (2000)

Posted on September 29, 2019 by Doc

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Continuing to reach for October, our October Horror Binge continued today with the fictionalized film about the making of a real film. The silent film classic Nosferatu is the film that is being used as the historical part of this historical fiction. Shadow of the Vampire is the fictionalized version asking the question, “What if director F. W. Murnau (John Malkovich) were to use a real vampire as the lead role in his movie?”

Willem Dafoe plays Max Schreck, a real vampire playing the role of Count Orlok. The cast and crew is told that Schreck is the consummate “method actor” and will only be seen at night and will always stay in character. Little does the crew know that Murnau had made a deal with the vampire to give him actress Greta Schröder (Catherine McCormack) to feed upon when they were finished. Murnau insisted that Schreck leave his crew alone and not hurt them, which was a promise that Max could not keep.

There is a lot of humor in the film. Willem Dafoe gives a remarkable performance as Max and John Malkovich is creepy and cold, wanting only what he wants. The fact that some people are hurt or in danger in his efforts to create the most realistic vampire movie ever really does not alter his choices. It makes one wonder exactly which of these men were the monster.

The film is shot beautifully, taking many of the techniques of silent movies, which Nosferatu was, into effect. The idea behind this is very creative and original.

Defoe was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in this movie. His performance alone is good enough to watch the movie, but there is much more here than just one performance.

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EYG Top 10 Helen Mirren Movies Re-list

Posted on September 29, 2019 by Doc

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Another Re-list I am not a part of (*sob*)

So instead, I will be making my own list. This week’s Re-list (the re re re list…buzz buzz buzz) gives the Top 10 Helen Mirren movies. The Top 10 Show patrons Angela Dashner, Brandon Munroe, and Kristen Smith were the minds behind this week’s choice and lists.

Now I love Helen Mirren. I think she, and Dame Judi Dench, are a couple of the same kind of actresses. I love them, they bring a certain gravitas to their roles, but there are a bunch of movies of theirs that I think are terrible. The thing is… Helen Mirren is always the best part of these terrible movies.

So I did struggle to get to ten. There are a couple films on this list that are not personal favorite films, but she is great in the film. There are also a couple of her most well-known roles (including what became #1 on the Top 10 Re-List episode) that I have not seen.

#10. Monsters University. This is one of my least favorite Pixar movies, but, even a low Pixar movie is better than most other studios’ animated fare. I loved the original, but the sequel is, at best, okay. Helen Mirren voiced the college dean, Dean Hardscrabble. I am surprised that Helen does not do more voice-over work since she has a great voice.

#9. Woman in Gold. This is not the greatest film, but, again, Mirren is great as the woman in search of her family’s art stolen by the Nazis during World War II. She enlists a lawyer, played by Ryan Reynolds, and the pair of them have a great chemistry.

#8. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’hoole. Hoot Hoot! Hey there Owl Nation! Here is that owl animated film that some people champions. It was okay to me. She voiced one of the antagonist of the film named Nyra.

Image result for The Debt Helen Mirren #7. The Debt. Helen Mirren is a retired Mossad secret agent who has to return to the world when someone claiming to be the Surgeon of Birkenau (Jesper Christensen) shows up, alive. There are flashbacks involved here with young Mirren being played by Jessica Chastain. It is a great cast and a solid movie.

#6. The Hundred Foot Journey. I enjoyed this film where Mirren plays a restaurant owner who is suddenly threatened by the arrival of a wunderkind young chef opening a restaurant one hundred feet away. Mirren starts a war with the young man but eventually realizes that the pair together is stronger than apart.

#5. The Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. Making a small appearance in the spin off of the Fast & Furious franchise, Helen Mirren reprises her role as Queenie Shaw, Decker Shaw’s mother. Her role may have been small, but she always brings her best to her parts…plus, this has The Rock.

#4. Hitchcock. Helen Mirren plays the wife of Sir Anthony Hopkins’ version of Alfred Hitchcock. I was always wanting to see this movie, but I missed it in theaters. I did eventually get to see it on DVD (if I recall) and I thought it was a good film. Mirren and Hopkins are spitting images of the famous couple. Helen brings some power to this role and shows how much the character loved Hitchcock and how tough it was to be his wife.

#3. Red. A comic based film, Red featured Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Karl Urban, Morgan Freeman. And yet, Helen Mirren is the biggest kick ass of the bunch. As a former CIA agent, Victoria was always one step ahead of everyone and was not afraid to do what had to be done.

#2. Trumbo. Helen Mirren played the iconic gossip columnist Hedda Hopper and she searched for the scoop among the life of Dalton Trumbo, played brilliantly by Bryan Cranston. This film looked at Hollywood at a time when people were being blackballed for connections to Communism, and the truth was never getting in the way. I enjoyed Trumbo more than many other people and I think it gets a bad rap.

#1. Eye in the Sky. Yes, the film does feature Alan Rickman, guys. And this movie is way better than the Top 10 guys gave it credit for. This one caught me completely off guard and I loved this drone warfare film. I found it tense and filled with anxiety, as these characters were faced with some desperately difficult decisions. All the while anchored by tremendous performances from Mirren, Rickman and Aaron Paul, Eye in the Sky brought up so many human questions that it was, at times, unbearable. This was actually the first film that came into my head when the topic was revealed. I loved this movie and recommend it to all.

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Abbot & Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)

Posted on September 29, 2019 by Doc

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I guess technically, this one is not really a horror film.

You see, I loved Bud Abbot & Lou Costello when I was a kid and I wanted to do one of their movies during the time they were meeting up with the Universal Monsters. However, I have already reviewed their most famous Monster film, Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein, so I found another one.

The Invisible Man was one of the Universal Monsters, so I figured this would work.

However, it is more of a crime drama than anything else. Abbot & Costello are private detectives hired by an escaped felon named Tommy, a former boxer who was convicted of murder. Tommy claimed to be innocent, and winds up taking the formula that was used by the original Invisible Man, John Griffin, to make him disappear.

The film had all the normal Abbot & Costello hi-jinks and had some great laugh-out-loud moments. Lou Costello was a master of the reaction. He was so funny when he saw something that scared him or surprised him. As a team, Bud and Lou had impeccable comic timing, in both banter and physical comedy. Even if you had seen the same routine or shtick already, you couldn’t help but laugh. They were masters.

So, even though this film is not, technically, a horror movie, it will fall into the October Horror Binge. Maybe it helps that it is not, technically, October yet either.

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A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Posted on September 29, 2019 by Doc

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Another film that I had never seen before, but had seen a few isolated scenes was Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street. This ballooned into a huge franchise with Freddy Krueger becoming one of horror’s greatest icons.

However, the start here was a bit shaky. Some of the acting felt weaker and Freddy Krueger himself would see better days. The story was challenging to follow and, while that is not a bad thing, it did make me uncertain exactly what was happening.

Yet, there was something about the film that spoke to me. It had its moments of biting humor and it had the iconic scene where Johnny Depp as Glenn gets pulled into his bed and suddenly becomes a blood fountain. Huh?

The fact that you are never quite sure what is going on is most likely part of the point. Dreams can be very surreal and this film shows that effect. Nancy, played by Heather Langenkamp, was being isolated by the monstrous “Fred” Krueger (I have to say, it was shocking every time someone called him Fred) and her lack of sleep continued to make the story confusing. What exactly was happening? Not sure if we really know. And that ending?

Freddy revitalized the slasher genre in the 1980s with this clever work from Wes Craven and will always be one of the giants of these types of films. While I have never been as fond of slasher type horror films as I am in other versions of the genre, I appreciate where the franchise was able to take this character and how it scared a generation of people.

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The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Posted on September 28, 2019 by Doc

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October is right around the corner and, for the month, I will be watching a series of horror films that I either have never seen before, have only seen parts of it, or haven’t seen for years. I am starting off the October Horror Binge with one of the all-time classics of the Universal Monsters, The Bride of Frankenstein.

As I watched the movie, I realized that I have never actually seen the film before, outside of the iconic ending scene.

Boris Karloff resumed his role as the Monster and continued to show the tragic nature of this poor soul. There is so much sadness in Karloff’s performance that you can’t help but feel for him. The Monster simply is looking for a way to ease his pain, whether it be physical or emotional. Everyone reacted to the Monster with fear and anger and the Monster’s response was violence. However, those who were kind to him could make a connection.

I had no idea that the famous scene from Young Frankenstein with Gene Hackman as the blind man was actually a parody of a scene from The Bride of Frankenstein. It was nearly impossible to watch The Bride without remembering that hilarious Mel Brooks film and Gene Hackman’s amazing work.

Directed by James Whale, The Bride of Frankenstein is a masterpiece of monster movies. The film is quite subversive as well, with many hidden concepts that can be representative of many deeper, philosophical experiences.

It is amazing as well that the title character of the film is really barely in the film.

The first of the horror films for the October Horror Binge starting in September… is an influential and iconic film, beautifully shot with a tone of eeriness.

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The Fifth Element (1997)

Posted on September 28, 2019 by Doc

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“Chicken…good!”

This is still a line that I quote on a regular basis (especially when I have some good tasting chicken) and this movie has its fair share of quotable quotes. “Big Bada Boom,” “Leeloo Dallas Multipass,” “Anyone else want to negotiate,” and “I am a meat Popsicle.”

Luc Besson’s classic futuristic sci-fi action/comedy, The Fifth Element, is one of the great underrated films of the past 20 + years. Bruce Willis stars as Korben Dallas and Milla Jovovich stars as Leeloo, the Fifth Element, the Ultimate Being and these two look to be having so much fun with the out-of-this-world (literally) premise.

The ultimate evil is returning to destroy the earth and the stones that are needed for the Fifth Element to stop evil are a hot property. Being pursued by Leeloo, the Father Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm), the evil and greedy Zorg (Gary Oldman), Korben Dallas winds up smack dab in the middle of all the chaos.

The characters of this movie are as “Super green” memorable as you are ever going to find. Gary Oldman’s Zorg is as epic of a villain as you could get. Tiny Listen plays the President. Chris Tucker steals every scene he is in as Ruby Rhod.

Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg, as played by the incomparable Gary Oldman, is one of the great sci-fi villains of all-time. He elevates what could have been nothing more than cheese to brilliance. Zorg is both humorous and sinister at the same time. He is both a buffoon and a terror. It is a top notch performance by one of our greatest character actors.

This is always in consideration as one of Bruce Willis’s best films. It is certainly different than any other film he made. He had great chemistry with Milla Jovovich and you believed that they fell in love during this adventure.

The scene with the Diva Plavalaguna and her song is one of the best scenes in a film with great scenes throughout. Her opera song is beautiful and mesmerizing. The character design is as wonderful as the rest of the film. So much originality and it shines though.

The Fifth Element is one of my favorite films ever. I was a huge fan of Bruce Willis at that time in his career and this is a classic.

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Abominable

Posted on September 28, 2019 by Doc

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The new DreamWorks animated movie came out this weekend and it features a Yeti trying to get back to his home on Mount Everest before he is caught and dissected by some evil businessman.

Agents of SHIELD’s Chloe Bennet voices Yi, a teenager who finds the Yeti on the rooftop of her building. Yi, sad over the death of her father, would go to the roof to play her violin and, little did she know, this Yeti was hiding out there.

The Yeti, which Yi calls Everest, bonds with the girl and, along with her friends, Jin (Tenzing Norgay Trainor) and Peng (Albert Tsai). she tries to help Everest find his way home.

While I enjoyed the movie, there was just something about it that felt as if the film was trying too hard. I’m not sure what it was, but, despite there literally being plenty of it in the actual storyline, the film felt as if it were missing some magic.

Everest was revealed to have some kind of magical mystical powers that, apparently, get stronger the closer he gets to Mount Everest. Maybe I just did not accept that premise or maybe I had never associated magic with Yetis before, but it just seemed to be a weakness in the storytelling.

The animation was beautiful with the shots of nature and the Himalayas, but the characters were anything but original. I did like how the characters were Chinese and were very much fully fleshed out. This was a co-production between DreamWorks and China’s Pearl Studio and I enjoyed the change.

I also enjoyed the twist of the character reveal that caught me off-guard. It seemed as if the villains were fairly typical and then something happens that makes you look at them in a different light. I don’t want to spoil it, but I did like the unexpected shift.

I do think this is a decent family film that kids will love and that parents will not hate. That is a success, because the target audience is certainly the children.

As for me, despite what I felt was something lackluster at times, there was enough here to enjoy what I saw. The film has some nice animation, a sweet story and a twist in a character that was unexpected. Despite the flaws, Abominable was a solid animated movie and worth the 90+ minutes.

3.5 stars

Strikeforce#1

Posted on September 26, 2019 by Doc

STRIKEFORCE #1

Strikeforce #1

Writer: Tini Howard

Artist: German Peralta

Cover Art: Andrea Sorrentino & Dean White

I looked at the line-up of the new Marvel series called Strikeforce and I liked what I saw. I have always been a fan of Jessica Drew’s Spider-Woman, Bucky Barnes’ Winter Soldier and Monica Rambeau’s Spectrum. Angela and Blade are characters that have had their moments for me as well.

However, this issue fell flat for me.

I did not find anything in the book to be interesting after involvement of the Avengers (even though they used the feral She-Hulk, which I hate).

After the group were framed to make it look as if they had been involved in attempting to steal several vials of some of the world’s “most virulent diseases,” Blade led the whole group on a mission to fight some kind of shape shifters that can only shift into people they kidnap.

I did not like the art. I did not like the story. Most of the characters fell into the background of the story. This was not a well developed team concept in the book.

It felt very much like Savage Avengers, except that Savage Avengers slowly built its roster of characters over several issues. Venom did not show up until several issues. This feels as if they tossed the whole group together for some reason and did not worry much about any character development.

This is going to be a Marvel comic that I am going to skip happily.

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STRIKEFORCE #1

Harleen Book One

Posted on September 26, 2019 by Doc

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Harleen Book One

Writer: Stjepan Šejić

Artist: Stjepan Šejić

Cover Art: Stjepan Šejić

I have said before that I do not buy much from DC. It is not that I dislike their characters, but there just is something about how they tell a story that makes me want to Make Marvel Mine. However, I am not opposed to reading some DC, if it were the right book.

My comic shop owner Ben told me today that Harleen was his favorite book this week and that, if this was was DC Black Label would be, he was in. I have always enjoyed Harley Quinn and I considered picking it up.

I have been very uninspired by Superman Year One, the previous DC Black Label book. The first issue was, at best, okay, and the most recent one was below average. This did not inspire confidence.

So when I sat down to read Book One of Harleen, I was really not sure what to expect.

This was a really great book.

A reimagining of the “love” story between Harley and Joker was at the center of the book, but it also showed how a respected young psychiatrist, slowly fell for the wrong man, that would lead her down the path of psychosis.

However, the book does not rush the story. It slowly develops the character of Dr. Harleen Quinzel and gives us a looking inside the mind of who would become the sidekick to Joker. She knew how the appearance of the murderous clown affected her, but she was determined to not give up on what she wanted. Yet, maybe she did not realize exactly what it was she was wanting.

The art by Stjepan Šejić is beautiful and the cover is downright striking. The book interweaves Harley into the world of Gotham, rubbing her shoulder with such figures as Harvey Dent, Lucius Fox and Hugo Strange.

Ben was right. This was a really great book and I am glad that I took the time to read it.

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EYG Top 10 Final Battles in Movies

Posted on September 25, 2019 by Doc

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This week’s Top 10 show had a cool concept behind it. It was a Boss Hog Patreon suggestion and Matt and John counted down the Top 10 Final Battles in Movies.

Now, this was a bit of a challenge for me as many of the battles are very much one on one struggles and I did not want them to make the list. Admittedly, there is one on here that kind of cheats, but it is such a great battle with stakes up the wazoo that I excused it.

There also may be an excess of MCU movies on the list. Hm… I wonder if that is my personal bias.

Here we go…

Related image #10. Shazam, “The Marvel Family Arrives.” Shazam discovers that the way to defeat Sivana is to keep it in the family. And, while there is a subtle message that the handicapped and overweight people are only important once they become strong and in fit, I do believe that they did not intend for that to be the theme. It was a fun battle with some scary monsters and one of the better DC movies.

#9. Guardian of the Galaxy, “The Dance Off,” This one is included because it is a frickin’ hoot. Star Lord challenges a completely shocked Ronan the Accuser to a dance battle as a way to distract the villain from destroying Xandar. This all leads to a rousingly emotional scene with Peter and his teammates grasping an infinity stone together. Ooooooh Child!

#8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, “The Battle of Hogwarts.”. The final battle in the Harry Potter series saw a ton of our favorite characters fall, and Harry Potter and his friends stand tall. There was also a one on one final battle between Harry and Voldemort and it brought the long time series to a satisfying close.

#7. The Avengers. “The Battle of New York.” The invading Chitauri army, led by the God of Mischief, Loki, tried to invade New York, but they were stopped because of a group of heroes who joined together to face the foes that no one else could face. The original Avengers film was one of the greatest battles around and highlighted the individual Avengers abilities and skills beautifully. This started a trend of fantastic Avengers fight scenes that may show up later on this list.

#6. Captain America: Civil War, “Cap & Bucky vs. Iron Man.” This is the one that I have eon the list that may be a bit of a cheat. Even Rocha removed it from his list when Matt questioned him. I am not taking it off because this is a fantastic final battle filled with emotion and intensity. It even had to compete with the amazing airport fight scene from earlier in the film. Despite that being one of the best fights ever, this holds its own with such a personal struggle between a man grieving for the loss of his mother and a friend trying to save his oldest friend. It is a beautiful end and a shake up that is not resolved until Endgame.

#5. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. What a great conclusion to this story. Little did we know that this would be such a suicide mission. We expected that something was going to be strange since these characters were never heard of again, but we did not know how it was going to happen. It was a noble end to these heroes. AND we got a kick ass Darth Vader scene as well.

#4. Avengers: Infinity War. “The Battle of Wakanda.” How many of these battles were won by the bad guy? Well, Thanos is able to claim all of the Infinity Stones and snap his fingers, moments after taunting Thor that he “should have aimed for the head.” Half the known universe faded out of existence in a pillow of dust including our beloved Marvel characters Black Panther, Spider-Man, Groot, Bucky, Star Lord, Dr. Strange to name a few. Then, when the screen went to black, the feeling in the theater was unlike any I have ever felt.

#3. Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, “The Battle of Endor.” The final battles of Return of the Jedi are fantastic. Sure, maybe the arrival of the little teddy bears known as the Ewoks was too much, but the Luke Skywalker/Darth Vader/Emperor struggle more than made up for the cuddly Ewoks. And…come on, when that little Ewok died, you teared up…didn’t you?

#2. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. “The Battle of Helm’s Deep.” Two Towers was my absolute favorite Lord of the Rings film and this battle at the film’s climax was utterly breathtaking in every way. There was no way that this group that had barricaded themselves in at Helm’s Deep was going to survive. It was just a matter of time and you had no idea how they were going to live. Then, Gandalf the White arrived and everything changed. This was the best moment of the trilogy and was gorgeously shot.

#1. Avengers: Endgame. “Avengers Assemble.” I cried through this entire battle, every time I saw it. Everything was pitch perfect. It all started with the three main Avengers, Cap, Thor and Iron Man, facing off against Thanos. We get the Cap is worthy moment which was one of the most epic moments ever. Then, Cap is alone against the entirety of Thanos’s horde. Goosebumps. The example of why Cap is such a hero. Then… “On your left.” Mystic rings appearing everywhere and all the dusted heroes were back, ready to assemble. Whoa! When Chris Evans finally delivers that iconic line.. “Avengers…Assemble” he does it with the perfect note of grim determination. And then all hell breaks loose ending with one of the saddest moments in the MCU… “I am Iron Man”. This was an epic conclusion to the 22 movie franchise that started with Iron Man all those years ago. Endgame deserved to be the highest grossing film of all time.

Honorary mentions: Not too many. Avengers vs. Ultron in Age of Ultron is one I liked more than many. The Tropic Thunder final battle was good. I did not love Mad Max Fury Road as much as others, but the end battle was great. Skyfall was the best Bond in years and its final firefight was a great finale to the film. The Return of the King had a great battle before the film ended like seven times.

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EYG Top 10 Pixar Voice Acting Performance Re-List

Posted on September 22, 2019 by Doc

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The Re-List (RELIST! RE RE RELIST! Buzz Buzz Buzz) is back out today with what i thought was one of the most challenging topics that I have ever made a list of since I started. Top 10 Pixar Voice Acting Performances was the choice made by Patreon Coty Rexford, and a list from Keith Below, & Steven Anderson.

I started writing down possible choices prior to my making my actual list and there were some that I wrote down that I said to myself, “This one is definitely on the list,” only to find out that they failed to make it. This could have easily been a Top 20 list without any trouble. Unlike many honorable mentions, most of the list could have been in the Top 10 for me. There are almost none that are just there as a shout out.

I enjoyed the list quite a bit, despite the difficulties I had compiling it. This was one of those lists that John and Matt haven’t done and they haven’t done too many like it which is very fun to listen to. I would love to know what Matt and John would have on their lists.

Starting off…

#10. Ned Beatty, “Lots O’Huggin’ Bear”, Toy Story 3. He is my favorite villain in all of Pixar, and perhaps all of Disney because I understood that character and his motivation so well. Legendary Ned Beatty provided a perfect voice for the disgruntled teddy bear. When he betrays the group and leaves them to potentially die in the fire, Lotso cemented his place as the evilest of evil. And I loved it.

#9. Anthony Gonzalez, “Miguel Rivera”, Coco. This was a performance that wasn’t on the initial list I made, however, after review, I wanted something from Coco to make the list because I enjoyed that movie quite a bit. The performance of the lead character’s voice was excellent and the moment he sings “Remember Me” to his grandma after returning from the Land of the Dead turned me into a blubbering mess. I considered several other voice performances from Coco (see honorary mentions), but I went with the lead protagonist.

#8. Albert Brooks, “Marlin,” Finding Nemo. Playing the desperate father who has lost his son to the vastness of the ocean, Albert Brooks brings the perfect level of anxiety and uneasiness to the role of Marlin and still is able to drive the comedy found in the film. The story was really the journey that Marlin went on to discover the whereabouts of his son, but also to discover that it is alright to let his son grow and let him live his life without hovering over him. Brooks handled the performance beautifully.

#7. Peter O’Toole, “Anton Eye,” Ratatouille. Ratatouille was one of the most under rated Pixar films of the early days of the studio and the performance of Peter O’Toole as the restaurant critic Anton Eye is one of the standouts of the film. He may not have as large of a role as some of the others, but his time on screen is as impactful as any character.

#6. Holly Hunter, “Helen Parr/Elastigirl,” The Incredibles. Holly Hunter truly brings Helen Parr to life with such a bravado that you know why we all love her. In the first film, she was trying to find where her husband was at and her children stowed away. The fear and desperation in her voice when she called on the radio to the people shooting missiles at their plane that, “There are children on board” really hit you in the gut. Her performance in Incredibles 2 was really great too, but I still think her best work was the original.

#5. Tim Allen, “Buzz Lightyear,” Toy Story franchise. “To Infinity, and Beyond!” will always bring people back to the Toy Story franchise, one of the most well known and beloved quotes in any animated movie (if not any movie). This was delivered by Tim Allen himself. The connection between Buzz and Woody is really what sold this franchise to the public. Tim Allen may not be as huge of a star as he was when Toy Story originally came out, but he certainly will always be remembered for this role. Falling with Style!

#4. Craig T. Nelson, “Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible,” The Incredibles. Craig T. Nelson provided a perfect voice for the iconic super hero Mr. Incredible, while showing all of the uncertainty and the self-doubt of Bob Parr. The shock when Mr. Incredible believes his entire family has been blown out of the sky is absolutely heart wrenching. His joy when he learns that they survived fills everyone full of happiness. And the line, “I can’t lose you again” cements how much he loves Helen and his kids. Nelson’s voice is great for the heroic superhero.

#3. Ellen DeGeneres. “Dory,” Finding Nemo/Dory. Ellen was not on either lists on the Relist today and I was really shocked because this is a voice that was so beautifully done and a character so epic that it spun off into its own movie. The performance of Ellen in this movie completely revitalized her career and led her to become the classic talk show host that she is today. Dory was such an enjoyable and creative character that I was happy to spend more time with her without the main cast of Finding Nemo. And… she can speak whale.

#2. Richard Kind. “Bing Bong,” Inside Out. Inside Out was one of the films that I had multiple voice choices to include on the list, but I only wound up with one. Bing Bong makes the most impact on the film in the shortest period of time. “Take her to the moon for me” he says as he fades away forever. I just rewatched this scene seconds ago to make sure I had the quote right and I am crying right now. It is amazing how emotional this scene of this animated creature can make an adult male. Richard Kind’s work with this character is perfect and utterly crushing.

#1. Tom Hanks. “Woody” Toy Story franchise. “Reach for the sky!” Woody was the absolute break out character from the Toy Story franchise and the fact that movie star Tom Hanks voiced the sheriff was amazing and put Pixar on the map. The work of Hanks, along with Tim Allen, made this an iconic pair and led the way for three sequels that were all just wonderful. Woody is an fully developed character with wishes and needs and desires. Heck, he is more developed than many other movie characters out there. Toy Story 4 felt like the end of Woody’s story and, if that is truly the case, all I can say is “So long…partner.”

Honorary Mentions: Holy heck, I have a bunch of these. Honestly, Lewis Black had originally made my list as Anger in Inside Out, but he got dropped because he is really just doing himself. I loved that character though and he would probably be #11, if I had that number. Billy Crystal as Mike in Monster Inc. was a great performance. It is not my favorite Pixar movie and that probably hurt Billy’s chances. I love him though. Patten Oswalt‘s role as Remy in Ratatouille was career making for him. Heck, I wrote down Ed Asner as Carl Fredricksen in Up with the intent of him making the list, but he did not make the final cut. I had a couple of Coco choices with Benjamin Bratt as Ernesto de la Cruz and Gael Garcia Bernal as Hector, but I went with Miguel. Keanu Reeves nearly snagged #10 with Duke Caboom from Toy Story 4, and there were a bunch of other Toy Story choices such as Don Rickles as Mr. Potato-Head, Wallace Shawn as Rex, Keegan–Michael Key and Jordan Peele as Ducky & Bunny, and Michael Keaton as Ken. Ken was a tough omission. Jason Lee was the villainous Syndrome in The Incredibles and Brad Bird‘s work as Edna in that franchise is iconic. The one shout out to make is for John Ratzenberger who has voiced a character in every Pixar movie so far. I probably left off several great performances because Pixar has been so filled with quality that it makes this list really difficult. Congrats to all of them.

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Haunt

Posted on September 22, 2019 by Doc

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Haunt is a low budget horror movie recently released that I found on Vudu. I had heard online critic Chris Stuckmann praise it as a really solid haunted house movie and so I figured I would give it a try.

Produced by Eli Roth, Haunt turned out to be a decent horror film that provided some serious scares and some well earned moments of fear.

A group of friends get together on a Halloween night and they decide to go to a haunted house. The haunted house turns out to be very extreme and, eventually, turns deadly. As they struggle to find their way to freedom, the “actors” in the haunted house reveal their true motivation.

Katie Stevens played Harper, the main protagonist of the group of friends. She has a back story that gets interwoven into the story that is being told with the haunted house in a very effective manner. Stevens performs her role well, truly emoting the fear and panic that is gripping her character. Still, I like how Harper does not become a cowering victim. She is a kick ass female and steps up when she needed to.

Scott Beck and Bryan Woods direct the movie and they do an admirable job in what is clearly a low-budget film. They are able to create some serious tension and anxiety among the viewers with some real scares. They do not depend on the jump scares that are prevalent in the horror genre these days. Instead, each scare feels earned and natural.

With Halloween right around the corner, Haunt is a great addition to the haunted house genre and uses the tropes in creative and engaging manners. It is creepiness at its finest.