Nerve Movie Review

Nerve is the 80s throwback dark romance fairy tale (meta) comedy I never knew I wanted... But absolutely needed.

I loved this movie!

I was intrigued by the posters, premise and possibly the initial trailer, but never really bothered to check it out. Not exactly sure what it was, but Nerve finally called to me recently (after scrolling screw my most of my Netflix queue then going through Amazon Prime's) and it was indeed the perfect time for it.

Set-up as a dystopian youth-friendly challenge-rising story with social commentary, Nerve unexpectedly proved to be incredibly smartly written and directed, with perfect casting for the roles, and an impeccable degree of capturing the voice of modern "teen" cinema while also skewering it (and the culture)(or at least an interpretation/impersonation of it).

And (partial comedy tone SPOILER), just as you think the film is heading towards tone def territory - the film already knows it.

That's the whole point.

The film already knows what your expectations are, and puts enough little twists and spins to make it an incredibly fun and engaging time that's well worth checking out. Even the soundtrack, while occasionally odd/off (or just not my style), really works for the film.

Hell, the cinematography in the film is enough to salivate over. It's gorgeously shot, with an intelligence to the movements the managed to even enhance the humor of the scenes. Just some excellent storytelling.

Also, don't let the trailers fool you (although I don't really remember them and not sure if I watched them, so...), as the film is still very much character and relationship-driven, as much as it is plot and escalation.

I regret it taking me so long to finally watch, but perhaps it was worth the wait.

Takeaway: Top-notch scores from me: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Though, as always, your mileage may vary, as I could see the humor and tone of the film not working for everyone, but I had an absolute blast while watching.

And, honestly, I'd go so far as to say it's a cultural milestone and a piece of cinema I hope is studied for years to come, thanks to its many great layers, particularly in our current nostalgia era of filmmaking.

The Big Sick Review

To get to the point, The Big Sick is a highly enjoyable earnest romantic comedy that does an excellent job of promoting the importance of love in our lives.

Filled with great acting, the cast brings a number of honest moments to life, for better and worse. From awkwardness to tension, the emotions are both real and relatable. The family dynamics are a particular enjoyment.

While the movie does follow an archetypal love story (boy gets girl, etc.) and is very much a relatively youthful "of our time" story (trying to avoid "millennial"), the execution and specific content help Sick stand out. It's very refreshing that the film highlights the value of love and how it's so much more pure than dishonesty, guilt, fear, traditions and societal pressure. When we can learn to love and accept each other, the world is a better place.

Then again, we are just human, as the film so greatly shows.

With plenty of charm and laughs to spare, The Big Sick is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Special props to Ray Romano for stealing so many scenes with his more deadpan delivery, as well as both Kumail and Emily for telling (and in Kumail's case acting in) this story.

Lady Dynamite season 1 review

Netflix's Lady Dynamite is a delight. Pilot's a bit rough, second ep is better, third is when it hits Maria Bamford-Mitchell Hurwitz/Arrested Development gold. It may occasionally get too meta and Hollywood-focused, with the last few episodes losing a little steam and the timeline being very, very strange, but the word play, visual gags and incorporation of mental disorders are pretty great. I hope it's the beginning of something great.

There's some great acting, too, particularly Mary Kay Place and Ana Gasteyer, with a bunch of great cameos. Bamford herself is particularly entertaining, as is Fred Melamed.

Also, the ending musical cue of every episode has the potential to be up there with Curb Your Enthusiasm's end cue.

Very much RECOMMENDED, though it may not be everyone's cup of tea.

Green Room, Someone Marry Barry and Ghost Town movie reviews

Quick reviews of recently watched movies:

1. Green Room - Fucking intense, one of the best of 2016. A slow build thriller that continues to push the limits of tension up to the very end. Patrick Stewart can be a great villain. Make sure you have audio adjusted so you can hear things clearly. Definitely RECOMMENDED, somewhere between good and great. (Available on Amazon Prime)

2. Someone Marry Barry - A very funny, yet contrived movie about two obnoxious assholes who fall in love. There are actually some nice life lessons to gleam and the characters are fun, if you're willing to let go of questioning things and role with the film tropes. Casually RECOMMENDED. (Available on Netflix)

3. Ghost Town - There are some fun ideas/moments, but other movies do it better. It's difficult when two of the leads (Ricky Gervais and Greg Kinnear) are assholes, not to mention the third, Tea Leoni, falls into the female love interest trap. NOT RECOMMENDED unless you're really intent on seeing the movie. (Available on Netflix, expiring soon)

The Mermaid (2016) movie review - STEPHEN CHOW!!

STEPHEN CHOW!!

The trailers (American?) did not do The Mermaid any justice, presenting it as more of a hard action movie. In actuality, this is more of a return to form for director Stephen Chow, returning to his 90's comedy-romance(-action) roots.

One could argue that if you've seen one of his 90's comedy-romance movies (whether he acted or directed), you've seen them all, but The Mermaid has a few nice differences.

For one, it feels more cohesive. There's a core story that flows very well, with each of the main characters feeling fleshed out and motivated.

Two, there are some great themes, such as the most obvious environmentalism, commentary on wealth and class, personal growth and love.

Three, while his 90's films typically feature an amazing guy who may be down on his luck falling in love with a "loser" girl (somewhat haphazardly), this one features a woman who isn't anything close to a loser. She's dedicated (to her family, friends, self), strong, funny, can fight and more. There may still be some cultural challenges, but it's a refreshingly different direction. The guy is still on the wish fulfillment side, though, but is also the protagonist who grows the most during the journey.

Long story short, it has some great visuals, GREAT comedic sequences (Chow would be a perfect choice for Looney Tunes), great themes and is a LOT of fun.

A solid RECOMMENDED (with a personal bias towards HIGHLY because it's Stephen Chow). Catch it as soon as you can.

Top trilogy contender: Kung Fu Panda series

The Kung Fu Panda series is EASILY one of the greatest, well-rounded trilogies in cinema. They each provide a wonderful balance of great art direction, action, comedy, sentimentality, voice work, music, philosophy and, possibly most importantly, message/heart.

So rarely do I see movies that have clear messages and the KFP trilogy has a clear one: be you. Celebrate yourself and be supportive of each other. We're all different with our own backgrounds and circumstances that make us who we are and that's what makes us special.

Supposedly there are plans for an additional trilogy of Panda films, but I don't care. The first three movies are a wonderfully complete trilogy of heart, with so much focus on being yourself and relationships.

Sure, the villains could use more screen time/monologuing and John Powell is sorely missed in the third film, but they are a great, great, great set of movies.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND watching all of them. Check out KFP3 while it's in theaters.

Musings on Life, Success, Happiness

Life is an RPG, structured with progression and the lessons of the WWE. One will be more successful with a good party, as this is a team-based experience.

There are plenty of cheat codes to life, which makes it feel like one big joke (in a good way), so find the humor in everything.

The challenge is to become an Influencer and happiness is decided based on which level of influence you are willing to work towards and either achieve or are complacent with.

Your industry of interest doesn't matter. The challenge is all the same.