The Purge: Anarchy

37%

The Purge is one of those movie gems that could go on forever and always have a fresh story because the event that takes place in the movie is annual.  Unfortunately the second movie in the possible franchise has put the flame out of the torch that could have burned for a very long time.  The trailer gives you 75% of the story and the important (that aren't important at all) parts of the film.  When the first film came out, I fell in love the everything about this film and what sequels would do with it.  My answer - Nothing.

 The first Purge introduced us to the annual event and made us ponder what would happen if this could actually happen.  The second starts with what could have been a very suspenseful event when a vehicle breaks down moments before the purge is happening while they are on their way home.  When you start to breathe heavily with them the movie cuts to a mother and daughter preparing for the purge.  Before you learn anything about them there is a cut to a lone man clearly looking for vengeance, for some reason unknown.  Three stories here that did not give us enough time with them to connect enough to get us to care what happens with them on this night.  The three stories come together on a random street and the lone man has to protect everyone and he does his job.  Enter the villains - The main villains are attempting to kidnap as many people as possible and another is hanging out in a semi with a machine gun.  The upper class is kidnapping the lower class and hunting them to get their own personal purge on.  Hunger Games meets The Most Dangerous Game and its a horrible scene in the movie.

The Purge: Anarchy focuses everything on the night itself and society.  The characters do not really matter as they are a small group of the whole collective of lower class citizens that the upper class is trying to get rid of.  I do not know if this film is trying to be satirical toward our society or if it was attempting a fresh story for the annual event.  The movie that could go on forever introduces a Malcom X style character that is trying to get rid of the purge and when the movie ends, you are left not knowing if he has accomplished anything.  The lone man has his moment of glory and the film does nothing with it.  There is no problem with any of the actors or actresses in this film.  They were doing the best with what they were given.

I was extremely disappointed with this because I had bought into the first one so much.  I did not care that the annual purge was happening, I did not connect enough with the characters to care what happens to them, the movie didn't explain the disconnect between upper and lower class and really did not relate it to real life, and even if I pushed and tried to care, the film did not have enough passion to care to pull me in.  The third Purge film, if there will be one, is going to have to work hard to build from this or pull a Halloween 3 and pretend it never existed.  I can pretend that it did not happen.

The matinee of a thriller is a great way to focus completely on the film.  People prefer to go to a thriller when it is dark or for a date - this thriller is not even worthy of a date to have someone to hold on to.  I did not enjoy this film, but I paid complete attention to it to let it try to connect with me.  Don't disturb others if you do not like something - try - and just be alone in the theater.

Sex Tape

70%

Tonight I added a new element to what I want this blog to be.  I did my very first Live Tweet of a movie (and trailers) in theaters and gave my (@drewyk) followers or anyone that was following the #SexTapeMovie feed.  I had a couple of gratifications from this: 1. It was spoiler free and mainly the emotions and thoughts running through my head as things were happening so it gave whoever was reading knowledge of the movie from beginning to end. 2. It gives an idea of how many times this movie made me laugh or when a character was great. 3. Most important - it isn't a critique of the movie, its about the actual experience.  I won't do a Live Tweet of every movie that I see, but the important movies or movies that you may be on the fence about - these will be the movies I Live Tweet. Follow @drewyk for all Live Tweets and future reviews.

On to Sex Tape.  Sex Tape is a movie with a great premise with elements that sells a movie perfectly - Sex and a funny adventure.  The only problem is that those two elements is that you don't get enough of either.  The movie is very distinct in the 3 acts and it is easy to tell when one ends and another begins.  Jason Segel has fantastic writing ability and it really shows in the few parts that you can tell he focused on certain conversations more than the connecting actions and witty banter.  These conversations really pull you in and hit home - There is a conversation about losing their sex drive with each other that, if you have ever experienced that problem, will have you enamored.  Segel has also done it once again - he has written himself into a fantasy of every man.  

The acting in the movie is good, no one can deny that, but it isn't overly comedic.  Segel's character is clearly himself and it seems that what he says (especially when Cameron Diaz's character has the idea for the Sex Tape) is exactly what you think he would say and how he would act in real life.  It doesn't show it too much, but his character still thrives for more of a physical relationship where Diaz's character is fine with how they are physically and doesn't make the move to better it.  There were hardly any laughs from Segel and I don't remember laughing once at Diaz.  The supporting cast take their scenes.  As I said in the Live Tweet, post Parks and Rec Rob Lowe is a great character actor and the scene in his mansion is fantastic.  This was the first laugh of the film.  There is a cameo toward the end of the movie, I do not recommend looking at IMDB, that has another great laugh.  Rob Cordy and Ellie Kemper seemed like they were written there just to be there and help a bit antagonize in the 3rd act.  This movie clearly has 2 stars with everything else orbiting them.  The two kids that they have in the movie are fantastic at the beginning and I really wish we would have seen more of them.

The movie has 3 acts - Sex in the honeymoon stage then losing the physicality, the sex tape gets out and they go get it, and the antagonizing villain they need to save themselves from.  You can see when these start and finish.  One meaningful conversation in each act (the last comes from the cameo that is very deep in a very weird phrase) with barely any action or words to connect them.  Two main laughs in the movie that last for a short period of time.  This movie had two of the best selling elements Sex and Adventure and really did nothing beneficial with either of them.  In a clustered weekend of openings this is going to be the one that adults want to see, but I think if you had other movies you've been wanting to see - see them.


I Live Tweeted this film and found it brought me a little closer to it as I was exploring my emotions as the events were happening.  It brought my emotions closer to the film and showed you my thoughts as I was alone in the theater.

Follow me @drewyk on Twitter for more review updates and Live Tweets.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

100%

The only way to start this off is to tell you that this is the blockbuster you need to see.  This is the movie-goers movie - it has action, emotion, weapons, fire, and above all complete passion.  I went into this movie reading a few things about it and people saying that it is fantastic - I hate going into movies with high expectations because it leaves room for disappointment.  This film does everything but disappoint.  

I am not going to break this review down into story and acting because they work so perfectly well with each other that it will be the same paragraph repeated.  When I left the theater, completely involved with what I had just viewed, I tried to think about what I did not like about the movie and I could not think of anything.  The pace is spot on for what is happening on the screen, the run time could have ran for three more hours and I would not have complained, cast was amazing, visual effects are stunning, and this unbelievable plot was very believable and I bought in completely.  

When I started to wonder what I did not like it hit me - Had I experienced something that I did not like while watching it, I would have known it right then.  Movies have a way with connecting with us and blurring the lines of reality or they are disconnected with certain people and its a feeling in your gut.  This movie pointed out to me, as movies have in the past, that some movies don't have to have something wrong with them if you were enthralled with it as it should have made you.  This is one of those movies.  

The one thing out of this movie that I would love to see happen is to give these motion capture actors a shot at an Oscar Nomination.  Not only are their voices coming across with so much emotion, their actual actions are being captured as well - which makes you fall in love and absolutely loathe these characters.

This is a film to see on the big screen.  The only way to get the full experience out of this action and emotion packed film is to watch it alone.

Drew Oliver

Life Itself

100%

"...And the Oscar for Best Documentary goes to....Life Itself, Directed by Steve James." 

Richard Roeper said that Roger never spoke of a movie after they watched it and left it for the show.  When they saw Monster, Ebert said "There is your Best Actress.".  Well...here is  your Best Documentary. 

I will be completely honest in telling you that I have no idea how to write this review.  No one should be able to tell you how they wrote it or how they judged it - because it was straight from the man who lived it.  Life itself is Roger Ebert's life.  Life itself is Steve James' documentary.  

Roger documented so much of his life that all Steve James had to do was put it together and show us what Roger wanted us to see.  This brilliant piece of work shows Roger Ebert narrating his own documentary thanks to the audio version of Life itself.  It is tied together with Steve James gathering the characters from Roger Ebert's movie (his life) and getting them to talk about their performances in this man's film.  Roger says, at the beginning of this film, that "he was thrown into the movie of his life"...and later people talk about him not just being a character in this film, but he is also the director.  This movie (life) inspired a lot of people and truly made people understand film a lot more.

The brilliance of this documentary is the audio book of Life itself.  This, to me, is the most important part.  You are seeing these events in Roger's life happening and you are hearing about them, from him, years later in his life.  You can't hear his tone, but you hear his words and every word has a meaning.  

This film takes your before Roger Ebert, the film critic, and takes you to Roger the teenage writing prodigy that he was.  You meet his friends in the newspaper game, you meet his adversaries in the newspaper game, you meet drunk Roger, sober Roger, asshole Roger, husband Roger, friend Roger, blogger Roger, deep friend Roger - You meet Roger Ebert.  

Roger documented his life and obviously wanted to share his story.  He trusted Steve James to do this.  This story is not complete without what Steve did to get people that knew him to talk about their experiences.  More importantly this movie would not exist if you did not feel that you were with Roger during the worst time possible for him health-wise, but one of the best times possible for his excitement.  You are literally with him on his death bed with Chaz, and if you were a fan, it makes you that much closer to an idol and an icon.

This is a film that I will revisit at least once a year and ponder what he would have thought about films today.  I watched Life itself on VOD and I know that Roger cherished films on the big screen, but this is how he would have watched it in his final days.  

One of the biggest inspiration that Roger Ebert gave me was the E.T. affect.  You can only have a first viewing of a movie that moves you one time and you can never get that feeling back.  I can honestly say that I can watch Life itself again and still feel like a 12 year old watching Siskel and Ebert on television and being inspired.  

He found his voice in film, he was the voice of film, and he lost his voice in film. 

Hey. Roger, I'll see you at the movies.

VOD is brilliant as it gives you a chance to sit alone with the medium and truly be alone with it.  Grab your headphones and your laptop and be alone.

Drew Oliver

Deliver Us From Evil

91%

In an era that gore and quick thrills cluster the theaters, Deliver Us From Evil is a breath of fresh air.  The movie follows a police officer who is investigating a series of events that are connected by what appears to be evil.  The cop has lost his faith, disengaged with his family, and has devoted his life to his work.  The events of the film and the help of a hip, modern priest help him realize that there is something else out there, something more powerful than any of them.

The movie is completely content based and does not rely on cheap thrills to get your skin to crawl.  There is one quick action that does make you jump, but nearly the entire movie has you tense and makes you think - especially with the "Inspired by actual events" tagline.  When you think of horror movies that are content based, the main one that comes to mind is The Exorcist.  If The Exorcist was released today, it would not hold it's place on the pedestal that it is on, because of the less sensitive audience.  If this movie was released at an earlier time, it would hold almost that same place.  There is an element at the end that brings the family closer and brings peace to the police officer.  I want to meet the police officer and this priest and learn as much as I can about these events.

The cast is perfect.  Eric Bana plays a great stern police office that clearly has a chip on his shoulder.  Olivia Munn is a great wife that feels her husband is disconnected from the family and, although she is clearly on his side, her performance tells you she needs more.  Joel McHale who is usually hilarious, steps out of his comic role and into a partner that is just as stern as Bana.  Edgar Ramirez is the real star here.  He is a hip priest that has been affected by his work and is very down to Earth.  You really connect with him as a human being before you see him in action as a priest.

I can tell that this is a movie that will go unseen by a lot of movie-goers.  I am not a religious person, but this film is captivating on many levels and had me sucked in.  If you are religious and enjoy horror movies, this movie will absolutely terrify you.  If you are a non-believer and enjoy horror movies, this movie will terrify you.  It's a film that stays with you and will leave a mark.

This is the kind of movie that deserves attention.  Due to it not thriving on cheap instances that scare you (and sometimes make people laugh due to their jumping), there is no sound in the theater and you could hear a pin drop.  The theater was not full, but everyone there was alone watching this film.

Drew Oliver

Earth To Echo

69%

Earth to Echo gave me the opportunity to watch some of my favorite movies rolled into one, which got me excited, until I realized these elements are loosely tied together with no emotional support.  The movie follows 3 kids (a fourth joins later on) following a map that their phone "barfed" up to find an alien that needs to get home after it's ship was shot down.  Oh and they film their experience to share it with the world that would never believe them.  

This movie takes it's idea from three children adventure movies.  The found footage aspect comes from Super 8.  The children find and befriend an alien and make it their business to get it back home is taken from E.T.  Tie this adventure together with this happening on the last night these friends will see each other because their housing addition has been purchased by the government was lifted from Goonies.  Three great child adventure films that can be revisited any time and still feel the same as it did when you were 12.

The elements of these three movies are great, but not when you just push them together to evoke nostalgia - and have no nostalgia.  The plot of this movie starts with learning about these 3 friends and it somewhat assumes that you already knew them as it just shows them together.  One is a foster kid, one is touted to be "different," and the other is the leader of the group.  Due to them just jumping into these kids worrying about the map on the phone, the film disconnects us with the characters and gives us no emotional connection to any of them and makes it hard to cheer them on.  These children turn out to be excellent criminals and can go undetected in a house where people are five feet away.   The best element of this group comes halfway through when a girl that they go to school with (who's house they broke into) joins the group on their adventure.  The alien isn't even the best part of the movie, it is actually pretty minimal in its appearances and actions.

The kids in the movie, other than Alex and Emma, were cast wrong in these roles as well.  This helped disconnect me from the film and really care about these characters.  There is a bit of romance element at the very end, but never builds or is noticed in the beginning.  The interaction of the kids and the government is minimal and pretty much hatred - until the government decides "maybe these kids should help our agenda."  This tension is rushed because it takes so long for the kids to find the alien and help build it's key.  

Earth to Echo is a slow paced build up to an accelerator climax and an immediate final action.  Instead of trying to be subtle in taking its ideas from classic adventure movies, it should have showcased them proudly.  If you have children and plan on seeing this film, please show them E.T., Goonies, and Super 8 first so that they do not compare those movies to this one and they compare Earth to Echo to these films.  

A matinee is a great time to see a film with minimal interruptions.  Movies like this could have children in them that get loud and interrupt your viewing.  Sit away from the crowd, zone in, and be alone in the theater.

Drew Oliver 

Premature

55%

"This is Groundhog Day meets American Pie."  This is the statement that made me want to watch this film, and then that statement made no sense.  This movie is about a teenager that has an experience with a girl, that appears to be his dream girl in school, and he prematurely 'finishes his business' and then wakes up to experience the same day over again.  He experiences the day again maybe 2 more times before he understands what is happening.  Once he sees that he has lived this 4 maybe 5 times, he immediately jumps into being an asshole - and an asshole he is throughout the rest of the movie.

This may seem in pieces and I apologize, but this is all I could think about during this film.  There was a lot that could have been covered and fulfilled a lot of viewers dreams of "what if I could go back."  As pieced together this movie is...as is my review...kudos to Katie Findlay.  

I love the performance of Katie Findlay as the best friend (and should have been love interest in the beginning), but I truly hated every other character as they developed, or in this case, stayed the same. 

This film had a lot of potential to show what every high school kid could have went back in time to get right, but it goes back to do nothing multiple times.  

I am someone who would love to relive a few days that I had in high school - to get them right - but this kid just goes back and doesn't care.  

The only good thing about him going back that we are looking for is Katie Findlay, and every time it should break our heart because she deserves better.

A movie that is big or small deserves your fullest attention.  Headphones can give you the surround sound that you may need which is how I was alone in the theater. 

Drew Oliver



Please leave comments if you found a way to be alone in a theater to watch this.  Agree or disagree is fine when we are all alone viewing it..