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McCoy on Movies: Rampage

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Rampage proves not all video games deserve to be movies … Especially when they’re this bad.

“Wait! Stop – I’ve got a better movie coming out soon!” Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) and George (Jason Liles) in New Line Cinema’s and ASAP Entertainment’t action-adventure RAMPAGE. Credit: © 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment.

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 

 


 

 



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Dwayne Johnson, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Naomie Harris, Jake Lacy, Malin Akerman, P.J. Byrne, Marley Shelton, Breanne Hill, Jack Quaid, Matt Gerald, Jason Liles, Demetrius Grosse and Will Yun Lee

WRITER(S): Ryan Engle and Carlton Cuse & Ryan J. Condal and Adam Sztykiel (screenplay), Ryan Engle (story)

DIRECTOR(S): Brad Peyton

 
WEB SITE: www.RampageTheMovie.comHERE’S THE STORY: Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) is a primatologist who loves working with his buddy George (an albino gorilla performed by Jason Liles) more than he does with people. But unbecknownst to him, the cunning and manipulative Claire Wyden (Malin Akerman) and her halfwit brother Brett (Jake Lacy) are the heads of a Chicago-based corporation that conducted an experiment that will soon change George’s life forever. You see, Claire and Brett have come up with a pathogen engineered by disgraced scientist Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) that can weaponize anything that comes in contact with it.


So, when George starts to grow in size and aggression, Davis is understandably concerned since he doesn’t know or understand what is happening to his friend. But, once government cowboy Harvey Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) tells him about the 30-foot wolf also on the loose, he starts to get an idea.


… Just wait till they all find out about what has started swimming off the coast of Florida …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Children under 18; people who just need a few explosions, fight sequences and simple jokes to make them happy, Jeffrey Dean Morgan fans; people who like gorillas

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Dwayne Johnson and Jeffrey Dean Morgan fans; anyone paying attention

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? Two things I’m going to admit right off the top of this review: 


(1) As a professional wrestling sports entertainment fan, I have for the better part of going on 20+ years been a fan of the man once known as The Rock, Dwayne Johnson. As my all-time favorite in-ring performer, I’ve seen nearly every TV and film role the man has done, save for The Game Plan, San Andreas and The Tooth Fairy – the latter two of which are regarded as, while somewhat commercially successful, among his worst work. (I mean there’s always The Scorpion King, but everyone has to start somewhere.)


(2) I grew up as a child during the 1980s, when arcades were plentiful and rich, glorious after school haunts where hordes of children would congregate to play the latest in the still relatively new technology of video games – and oh, how glorious those days were! There was Punch-Out! (long before Mike Tyson came into the mix), Paperboy, Dragon’s Lair … And then there was Rampage. The inspiration for the video-game-within-the-video-game-movie Wreck-It Ralph, Rampage was a simple, side-scrolling beat-’em-up that had a simple concept: Three human beings had been mutated – George into a giant brown gorilla, Ralph into a huge werewolf … And a woman named Lizzie into a huge alligator – by a mega-vitamin, radioactive lake or food additive. As you fight off military forces trying to stop you, you eat people hiding in buildings while smashing buildings, clearing a level once you had finished obliterating the structures present to little more than rubble. And if your character’s rampage stopped, you were reduced to a very embarrassed human being walking off screen with your hands covering the parts a leaf would if this were the Garden of Eden.


And that was it. A game simple enough in its execution and enjoyment that seemed as basic as your could get for 1986. Problem is, someone decided that classic by Midway Games needed to be a nearly two hour movie. Wanna know what 40 year-old me learned that nearly 10 year-old me didn’t know back then?


Sometimes its best to leave childish things to children … because as much as I love Dwayne Johnson and the Rampage video game, Rampage the movie is a prime candidate for the 2018 Golden Raspberry Awards and deservingly so. For this movie is an absolute gorilla-sized horrible excuse of a B (or F) movie that thankfully Harambe will never see.


I almost don’t even know where to really start with Rampage. I mean, Johnson tries his absolute best to make the film anything close to salvageable, but given the downright cartoonish brother-sister villain combo played by Akerman and Lacy (who also deserve Razzies for their “work”), the “I’m Negan 24/7 now” smiling slickness that is Morgan’s performance, the fake “I’m a soldier – I can’t listen to anything close to reason!” colonel that is Demetrius Grosse (channeling his inner Thunderbolt Ross right down to the high-and-tight mustache) and the “here’s the answer for everything even though I seem clueless as hell” scientist played by Harris, there is no other option even close to choose. 


George might not only be the best character but best actor in the film, which is either a CGI triumph or a travesty for his human counterparts, if not both. (At least Joe Manganiello had the common sense to take a role that obscures his face so that most people won’t even notice.)


Of course, the bad acting is only possibly outdone by the film’s dialogue – which sounds like a 12 year-old wrote it with the help of his slightly smarter but still immature older brother. Of course, when you make every scene predictable so you can sit in the audience and deconstruct it as it unfolds on the screen Mystery Science Theater 3000-style with direction that feels copycatted from just about any other monster movie you’ve seen, you can’t be surprised at the “how is the hero surviving moments that should have killed him five times over?!” action sequences. (Seriously, for a man with no superpowers, even Bruce Willis’ John McClane would have said “C’mon man – you’d be dead by now!”)At the advance screening I attended, there were more than enough audience members who laughed at a few of the film’s borderline-level dad jokes, liked the monster fights and ignored the straight illogical (even for the world the film creates) actions of the film’s characters. Then again, plenty of people once thought the world was flat … And many people who are not scientists (or who have never paid attention to science) still think it is.Unfortunately, the only thing flat is Rampage – because this film is so corny/ridiculous, it might make smart audiences go on one back to the ticket office demanding their money back.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

McCoy on Movies: Blockers

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Blockers brings mature-but-raunchy-when-it-needs-to-be fun, positive mentality to teenage sexcapades

“Help – I don’t have an opponent for Wrestlemania yet … And if I don’t find one, they’re gonna make me star in The Marine 7! L to R: Ike Barinholtz, John Cena and Leslie Mann star in a scene from first-time director Kay Cannon’s comingof age comedy BLOCKERS. Credit: Quantrell D. Colbert © 2018 Universal Studios.
 

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 

 


 




KEY CAST MEMBERS: John Cena, Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Newton, Gideon Adlon, Ramona Young, Sarayu Blue, Geraldine Viswanathan, Miles Robbins, Graham Phillips, Gary Cole, Gina Gershon and Jimmy Bellinger


WRITER(S): Brian and Jim Kehoe

DIRECTOR(S): Kay Cannon 

 
WEB SITE: https://www.blockersmovie.com/HERE’S THE STORY: The directorial debut of Kay Cannon (writer of the Pitch Perfect series), Blockers tells the story of two parents – Mitchell (John Cena) and Lisa (Leslie Mann) … And one they drag along for the ride in Hunter (Ike Barinholtz) – who accidentally discover their respective daughters Julie (Kathryn Aldon), Kayla (Geraldine Viswanathan) and Sam (Gideon Adlon) have made a pact to lose their virginity on prom night. And, as you might expect, the parents’ quest to stop their daughters from becoming women isn’t going to go quite as they would expect … But neither is the daughters’.


What ensues is a lesson in adolescence that might teach parents as much as it does their kids …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? “Cool” parents who are open with their kids about sexual situations and how they relate to their overall life; teenagers who are coming into their own; people who enjoy raucous comedies with heart/a positive message like Bridesmaids, The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Trainwreck, Superbad and Girls Trip; the LGBTQ community

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Anyone who does not want to think about the LGBTQ community, teenagers having sex and/or feels movies like this normalize young people have sex by promoting it (even though the film does not); anyone who does not want to support anything that allows sex out of wedlock (or at least a committed relationship)


SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? A film that is not what it seems – in a very good way – Blockers is the perfect, anti-#metoo movement sex-related comedy that is more mature than you might believe. 


Blockers works for a very simple reason: It explores a very common subject with a funny-yet-mature honesty missing from many films of its ilk coupled with a sense of non-stupidity in its approach. Sure, there may be a few scenes involving body parts, bodily fluids and a way 99.9% of its audience will most likely NEVER want to think about beer, but there are plenty of moments that approach the film’s core topics – sex, growing up and growing apart, etc. – that are as poignant as they are comedically profane. 


The three young actresses of the film almost serve as a bit of the straight(wo)men for Blockers‘ hijinks, leaving most – but not all – of the heavy lifting to Cena, Barinholtz and Mann who expose all the various fears parents have about their children leaving the nest. Whereas Cena plays his seriously muscular presence for laughs as a man with a overly sensitive nature, Mann goes tiger mom with Barinholtz being the screw-up who may be more sensible than the quote-unquote sensible parents. You get well-developed characters that grow over the course of the story, those whose problems may be outrageous but relatable and jokes that pop, shock and make you laugh. 


Director Kay Cannon and writers Brian and Jim Kehoe deserve an equal amount of credit for delivering a body-positive, funny film that takes one of the most awkward things in life and trying to render it  part of growing up as it can. There are plenty of “OMG” moments, but they are all well-balanced by plenty of “wow – that makes a lot of sense” moments, too.


In other words, Blockers is a lot like sex itself the first time you have – only hopefully this experience is filled with more laughs.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

McCoy on Movies: READY PLAYER ONE

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Steven Spielberg delivers a visually stunning arcade experience long on
optical treats with his adaptation of Ready Player One

“This is probably not the right time to work on our Kid N’ Play kickstep dance moves, huh?!” Samantha (Olivia Cooke) and Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) in a scene from Warner Bros. Pictures’, Amblin Entertainment’s and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action adventure READY PLAYER ONE, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Credit: Jaap Buitendijk © 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Village Roadshow Films North America, Inc. and Ratpac-Dune Entertainment, LLC. – U.S. Canada, Bahamas & Bermuda.


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 

 


 

 



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Tye Sheridan, Mark Rylance, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, T.J. Miller, Lena Waithe, Hannah John-Kamen, Simon Pegg, Philip Zao, Win Morisaki, Susan Lynch and Ralph Ineson

WRITER(S): Zak Penn and Ernest Cline (screenplay); Ernest Cline (based on the novel by)

DIRECTOR(S): Steven Spielberg 

 
WEB SITE: http://readyplayeronemovie.com/HERE’S THE STORY: Based on Ernest Cline’s immensely popular best-selling book of the same name, Ready Player One stars Tye Sheridan as Wade Watts, a young man living in 2045 Columbus, Ohio. With most of society in a state of dystopia for unknown reasons, Wade lives in a slum known simply as “The Stacks” with his aunt (Susan Lynch) and her less-than-stellar current boyfriend (Ralph Ineson). And like many people, Wade spends most of his time by playing in an online video game system known as “The Oasis.” The creation of the eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance), the Oasis is more than just an online video game network, it’s the escape from reality of choice for just about everyone. 


And then Halliday dies – leaving behind a challenge that prompts just about any and everyone to log on to the Oasis: Find three keys and unlock an Easter egg that will result in the winner being given all the rights to Oasis. 


Wade – better known by his online avatar of Parzival  – is determined to win the prize as is his online best friend Aech (Lena Waithe) and fellow gamers Daito (Win Morisaki) and Sho (Phillip Zhao). But he’s not counting on is the presence of Art3mis (Olivia Cooke) and Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn); for whereas Art3mis is hoping to find the egg for a positive purpose, Sorrento is hoping to win to give his company Innovative Online Industries (IOI for short) the ability to monetize the Oasis and basically run the world. And since Sorrento has the help of I-Rok (T.J. Miller) to help him, the odds are heavily stacked against Parzival.


But then again, what’s a good video game without some impossible odds to overcome?

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? People who love Spielberg’s 80s work; those who love video games; those who liked the book and will be excited to see it brought to life on the big screen; fans of The Shining; people who love seeing 80s and 90s pop culture hidden like video game Easter eggs throughout a film

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People hoping for more details from the book; those who have zero interest in gaming, especially online gaming; parents upset that you can have one f-bomb in a movie and still receive a PG-13 film rating

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? A film that feels visually built for generations of video game enthusiasts while blending in elements of classic Steven Spielberg films, Ready Player One is a visual masterpiece … With just enough acting behind it to back up that optical appeal.


Make no mistake about it, Ready Player One follows a lot of classic Spielberg young actor-led films to a “T,” just in a modern (or futuristic, if you will) setting with eye-popping visuals. Almost like the veteran director’s own Avatar, the digital scenes in One are amazing. The race and Shining sequences are nearly worth the price of admission alone, showcasing the type of imagery the creators of 4K Ultra HD must have dreamed of while perfecting the technology. 


Visuals aside, Ready Player One delivers an easily digestible story that, as mentioned above, has all the elements of a Spielberg young-actor driven story: 

  1. A young man who’s disconnected and/or has lost the adults in his life (√);
  2. A young girl that is going to make that young man come out of his comfort zone and/or mature once he gets over his own nerves (√);
  3. A group of fellow, young misfits that will assist our hero along the way (√);
  4. A villain with cartoonish qualities (note: this is ONLY in Spielberg films where the protagonist is young and not Indiana Jones style affairs) (√); AND
  5. A sympathetic, simple older character (a la Goonies) that seems out of place in the real world and needs the young protagonist(s) to understand him or her (√).
Sheridan proves himself capable in his human and avatar form of moving the story forward, but it’s really a team effort as he is at his best when interacting with his fellow gamers – especially when in avatar form. Of course, if you are not up on gamer culture or your 80s references, much of the fun of One will likely be lost on you as a lack of a frame of reference will severely hurt your understanding.
If it seems like I’m not saying too much about the story or the acting therein, there is a reason: While competent, the film is more an ensemble piece of technology and story held together by the compelling (if not “here’s my depiction of the ultimate sweetheart nerd’) performance of Rylance and the fascinating, engaging world of the Oasis. TJ Miller nearly steals the show as Sorrento’s avatar hitman I-Rok, delivering his trademark sarcastic quips with humorous fury whenever he gets a chance. That’s what ultimately makes the movie more of a great visual experience than an emotional one: One’s characters are better developed in the digital world than in its real one, even though that’s the one the film attempts to get you to embrace.
Then again, the film is fun enough to forgive those foibles and keep you plugged in from start to finish that Ready Player One will likely be a multi-player experience audiences will enjoy for years to come.

 

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

Alicia Vinkander Shines in Tomb Raider

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“This … Was … NOT … What … I … Took … A … Crossfit … Class FOR!” Lara Croft (Alicia Vikander) hangs on for dear life in a scene from TOMB RAIDER. Photo credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. All rights reserved.

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 

 


 

 

Alicia Vinkander shines in Tomb Raider, but does the movie match her effort?

(In a word, “no.”)


KEY CAST MEMBERS: Alicia Vikander, Walton Goggins, Dominic West, Daniel Wu, Kristin Scott Thomas and Nick Frost

WRITER(S): Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Alastair Siddons (screenplay by); Evan Daugherty and Geneva Robertson-Dworet (story by)

DIRECTOR(S): Roar Uthaug

 
WEB SITE: http://www.tombraidermovie.com/
HERE’S THE STORY: Taking elements from the 2013 reboot of the long-standing video game series, the 2018 Warner Bros.’ take on Tomb Raider stars Academy Award®-winner Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft. A different Lara than seen in the Angelina Jolie years, this Croft has traded in her high education for work as a courier with daddy issues since her rich father Richard (Dominic West) disappeared 7 years ago when she was a young woman. 


Finally ready to sign the papers that will give her control of the Croft empire (and declare her father officially dead), Lara drops everything when she discovers a clue in a box given to her right before she closes the deal – leading her to naturally head to Hong Kong. It is there she encounters Lu Ren (Daniel Wu), son of the man Lara’s dad tried to buy a boat from …


Fast-forward a few scenes later and Lara and Lu Ren find themselves on a remote island off the coast of Japan. But they are not alone. For while Lara (and an in-it-for-the-money Lu Ren) are there to find their fathers, it seems someone has found them first: Matthias (Walton Goggins), the on-island leader for a mysterious group known only as Trinity. And why is Trinity on this island that Lara’s father tried to go to in the first place? To find the lost tomb of Himiko, a.k.a. the Queen of Death. For as Richard would tell Lara – while instructed her to burn all of his research in the event of his death – it is believed that her supernatural powers will help Trinity take over the world. 


But not if Lara can stop them first …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Alicia Vikander fans; those who enjoy movies where the heroine is the best thing about the movie; Nick Frost fans

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Angelina Jolie fans; fans of the Tomb Raider video games; those who hate action movies with familiar tropes

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? March, as many sports fans know, is college basketball season. One team that gathered attention this year is the Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball team – not because the team itself was that great, but because it had one star by the name of Trae Young that was CLEARLY the best thing the team had going for it. Even when he made a bunch of turnovers, he could deliver one electric play that could seemingly make the audience forget about the previous mistakes as his play was just that dynamic, dazzling and must-see. But ultimately, while his team did make this year’s NCAA tournament, they exited quickly with a first round defeat – called by yours truly in the two bracket pools he entered, by the way – to the little-regarded Rhode Island Rams.


If you haven’t figured out where I’m going with this, you will should you choose to watch Trae Young Alicia Vikander take on the role of Lara Croft in Warner Bros.’ reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise – because she is far and wide the BEST thing about the entire experience.


If you were to take away the Tomb Raider name from the movie, what you would be left with is, for the most part, a basic action movie. Likewise, the story is told in such a easy-to-predict foretelling fashion that the story itself – save for some standard-yet-still-interesting Indiana Jones/Mummy movie-series style traps – is ONLY interesting because Vikander is compelling as Croft. Her male counterparts, however, not so much.


Goggins, who has played his share of great villains in his day, is pretty much a standard issue crime boss in Tomb Raider from snarl to actions alike. Likewise, West’s “loving” father routine plays out a bit too syrupy at times as Lara’s father – sometimes to an uncomfortable, near-incestuous level. Wu is somewhat the male standout as Lu Ren in his limited scenes, in which he fortunately strikes a good balance between bravado and common sense.


Then again, the actions of just about every other male character either (1) don’t make sense or (2) almost undo the motif of the story. Since this review stays spoiler-free, let’s just say some things require a grand suspension of disbelief even within the world the movie establishes, which is saying something. (The games have more believable storylines than the movie does, right down to the twist at the end I figured out 8 minutes before it was revealed to the rest of the audience.)

Don’t get me wrong, the movie is not bad; it’s just that in an age of movies where Wonder Woman and Black Panther have set a higher standard for female superhero characters, Tomb Raider makes progress in a bad way by putting a great woman in a mediocre movie. Then again, given that March is women’s history month, maybe it’s fitting Tomb Raider proves a strong woman can outdo her male counterparts.


It’s just a shame she has to in every scene to make her journey try to reach the heights it should have naturally.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 
 

Oscar Winner A FANTASTIC WOMAN Opens Friday at THE NEON!

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Hello Everyone!

I’m very excited that we’re opening one of my absolute favorite films of 2017 this Friday – A FANTASTIC WOMAN. This beautiful film just won the Oscar for “Best Foreign Film,” and A.O. Scott of THE NEW YORK TIMES wrote, “The title of Sebastián Lelio’s new film might seem a bit on the nose. It’s a fantastic movie. Daniela Vega, the star, is fantastic in it…” If you still need to see Sally Potter’s new film THE PARTY, you’ll need to hurry. Thursday will be the last day for it at THE NEON. That said, I, TONYA just keeps on performing well. Though we thought Sunday would be its last day, we will bring it back for one show a day starting this Friday. The darkly funny and chilling THOROUGHBREDS will stick around for one more week.

Synopsis for A FANTASTIC WOMAN: “Marina and Orlando are in love and planning for the future. Marina is a young waitress and aspiring singer. Orlando is 20 years older than her, and owns a printing company. After celebrating Marina’s birthday one evening, Orlando falls seriously ill. Marina rushes him to the emergency room, but he passes away just after arriving at the hospital. Instead of being able to mourn her lover, suddenly Marina is treated with suspicion. The doctors and Orlando’s family don’t trust her. Orlando’s ex-wife forbids her from attending the funeral. And to make matters worse, Orlando’s son threatens to throw Marina out of the flat she shared with Orlando. Marina is a trans woman and for most of Orlando’s family, her sexual identity is an aberration, a perversion.
So Marina struggles for the right to be herself. She battles the very same forces that she has spent a lifetime fighting just to become the woman she is now – a complex, strong, forthright and fantastic woman.” Click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

“Massie Creek Paddlers and Tomfoolery Outdoors present the 13th annual PADDLING FILM FESTIVAL on Thursday, March 22 at 7:30. Since 2006, The Paddling Film Festival has been showcasing the very best paddling films. The World Tour screens in more than 120 cities around the world. Join us for this year’s best paddling films. You’ll be inspired to explore rivers, lakes and oceans, push extremes, embrace the paddling lifestyle and appreciate the wild places.” Tickets are $11 each and are available via this LINK.

On Thursday, March 29 at 7:30, LeKeisha Nicole of Ambition Magazine is hosting a fun, special event at THE NEON. “Ambition Magazine is bringing Welcome Week vibes to Dayton for its 6th anniversary with a screening of Spike Lee’s SCHOOL DAZE in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the movie’s premiere. We’re just going to kick back and enjoy one another as we celebrate both anniversaries with food, friends and even a few vendors with some great products.” (from press release) Tickets are $8 each and available at THE NEON’s box office. You can also get tickets online via this LINK.

On Tuesday, April 3 at 7:30, there will be a one-time special screening of a film from Bosnia. “OUR EVERYDAY LIFE dramatizes the day to day lives of one family in Sarajevo the unsolved political situation and the economic hardships of postwar Bosnia. An entire generation of people in Bosnia, who are now in their forties, lost their youth in war, but today they are offered neither freedom, successful jobs, nor hope in their society. Their lives are stagnant. Appearing in numerous film festivals throughout Europe and North America and winner of many film awards, OUR EVERYDAY LIFE is a must see for people in the Dayton area who seek a clear and authentic understanding of the lives of people today in their sister city, Sarajevo, after the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords in 1995. The highly acclaimed director, Ines Tanovic, who is from Sarajevo, will attend the screening to discuss the film and answer questions. This screening is made possible with a grant from the Faculty Endowment Board at Wittenberg University and is sponsored by Duh Bosne, a non-profit organization which publishes the bilingual online journal “Spirit of Bosnia / Duh Bosne.” Its mission is to preserve and honor the long-standing traditions of social and civil order that created Bosnia’s noble heritage.” (Keith Doubt) Tickets are $5.50 each and are available at THE NEON’s Box Office.

Dayton & Montgomery Public Health will kick off Minority Health Month at THE NEON on Saturday, April 7 from 10am until 1pm. In addition to providing Free Health Screenings, they will have a FREE screening of THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS – starring Oprah Winfrey. Special guest Marsha Bonhart will host a post-screening dialogue about great minority pioneers in the health industry and how we can self-advocate for quality health care. Tickets for the screening will be first come, first served on the morning of the event.

Steve Heman has rented our space to premiere his new work on Sunday, April 8 at 5:00. “The 4th work by local experimental film-maker Steve Heman, WANT YES, NEED NO, is presented as a trailer to a non-existent film. In it, contemporary culture is reimagined in order to provoke an array of questions about our values, our sexual mores, and the nature of evil in our society. His work is best described as contemporary video art with roots in the non-narrative, avant-garde film tradition, combining in equal parts his background in music with his passion for words and imagery both poetic and theatrical. The effect his work produces is a kind of compartmentalization of words, music, and distinct images that willfully defies the conventional subservience of these elements in the narrative film tradition. Admission is free and seating is limited. Please arrive at THE NEON as early as 3:00 to reserve a seat. Also, please be advised this movie contains nudity and aberrant language. Attendees under 17 will be admitted with adult supervision. A Question and Answer Session will follow.” (Steve Heman)

So many of you have asked about Djuna Wahlrab’s film that was shot in Dayton…and we’re happy to announce that it will finally have a public screening on our big screen on Thursday, April 12 at 7:30. “WE’RE DOING FINE, a feature film written and directed by Dayton native and Stivers grad Djuna Wahlrab, is a story about an unlikely friendship between two people from Dayton, OH: one who left and one who stayed. When they first meet, their hometown seems to be all that Gertie and John share. But as each faces the loss of a single parent, they connect, gaining just enough confidence to hear, ‘Just keep going. You’ve got this. You’re doing fine.’ Shot entirely in the Dayton area by fellow Stivers grad Adam Miller and scored by R. Ring’s Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery, WE’RE DOING FINE also features songs by Dayton-origin bands such as Motel Beds, Heartless Bastards, Buffalo Killers, Lou Barlow, Real Lulu, Me Time and The Judy Blooms. Q & A to follow with the filmmakers.” Tickets, just $10 each, are now available at THE NEON’s Box Office. Click the image below to visit the film’s official site.

Thank you for your continued support!
We hope to see you this weekend,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Tuesday, Mar 13 – Thursday, Mar 22:

THOROUGHBREDS (R) 1 Hr 32 Min
Tuesday-Thursday (Mar 13-15): 3:15, 5:30, 7:40
Friday & Saturday (March 16 & 17): 12:30, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30
Sunday (March 18): 12:30, 5:10, 7:20
Monday-Wednesday (March 19-21): 5:20, 7:30
Thursday (March 22): 5:20

THE PARTY (R) 1 Hr 11 Min
Tuesday-Thursday (Mar 13-15): 3:30, 5:15, 7:30
FINAL DAY – March 15!

A FANTASTIC WOMAN (R) 1 Hr 44 Min
Friday & Saturday (March 16 & 17): 12:20, 2:40, 5:00, 7:20, 9:40
Sunday (March 18): 12:20, 2:40, 5:00, 7:20
Monday-Thursday (March 19-22): 3:00, 5:20, 7:40

I, TONYA (R) 2 Hrs
Friday, Saturday, Sunday (March 16-18): 2:30
Monday-Thursday (March 19-22): 2:50

PADDLING FILM FESTIVAL (NR) 2 Hrs
Thursday (March 22): 7:30

COMING SOON:
(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear)
March 30 – THE DEATH OF STALIN
April 6 – ISLE OF DOGS
April 6 – LOVELESS
April 20 – FOXTROT
April 27 – YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
May 18 – RBG
TBD – LEISURE SEEKER

And The Oscar Goes To…

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Tonight, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences salutes films concerning social relevance, military achievement, high stakes journalism, coming-of-age, empowering vengeance, and more at the 90th Academy Awards. Without a doubt, 2017 was a fascinating and progressive year for film, evidenced in outside-the-box pleasures from the timely horror of Get Out to the beautifully unique romance between a woman and a sea creature in The Shape of Water. Although the Academy dropped the ball in some respects (Mudbound snubbed for Best Picture remains perplexing), there are a slew of worthy nominees to root for. Expect Hollywood to bring ample attention to the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements during acceptance speeches, and let’s hope Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway get it right this time when the Best Picture is revealed. If there’s ever been a year in which you’ll want to stick around until the very end this is it.

Here are my predictions in the top six categories.

BEST PICTURE
Call Me By Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Get Out
Lady Bird
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Overlooked: A Quiet Passion; Battle of the Sexes; Beach Rats; The Beguiled; Detroit; The Florida Project; God’s Own Country; I, Tonya; Mudbound; Patti Cake$; Wind River

Will Win: Shape of Water
Should Win: Get Out

Three Billboards and Shape of Water were captivating character-driven showcases, but Shape has the momentum to go all the way. Even so, no other nominee generated as much thought-provoking discussion across the country as Get Out.  The film was simply a cultural game-changer akin to last year’s champion Moonlight.

BEST DIRECTOR . 

Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread
Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
Jordan Peele, Get Out

Overlooked: Miguel Arteta, Beatriz at Dinner; Sean Baker, The Florida Project; Kathryn Bigelow, Detroit; Sofia Coppola, The Beguiled; Terence Davis, A Quiet Passion; Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, Battle of the Sexes;; Craig Gillespie, I, Tonya; Luca Guadagnino, Call Me By Your Name; Eliza Hittman, Beach Rats; Geremy Jasper, Patti Cake$; Francis Lee, God’s Own Country; Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; Dee Rees, Mudbound; Taylor Sheridan, Wind River

Will Win/Should Win: Del Toro

Gerwig and Peele are Academy darlings, but Del Toro will triumph for his highly imaginative and fanciful depiction of love with a colorful nod to bygone Hollywood.

BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name
Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Overlooked:  Steve Carell, Battle of the Sexes; Jason Clarke, Mudbound; Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread; Harris Dickinson, Beach Rats; James Franco, The Disaster Artist; Andrew Garfield, Breathe; Jake Gylennhall, Stronger; Tom Hanks, The Post; Hugh Jackman, The Greatest Showman; James McAvoy, Split; Jeremy Renner, Wind River; Demetrius Shipp Jr., All Eyez on Me; Algee Smith, Detroit

Will Win: Oldman
Should Win: Chalamet

Oldman’s portrayal of Winston Churchill is pure Oscar bait, but 22-year-old Chalamet was truly riveting and heartbreaking as a teenager coming to terms with his sexuality. The mesmerizing final close up said it all.


BEST ACTRESS
Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Saisore Ronan, Lady Bird
Meryl Streep, The Post

Overlooked: Annette Bening, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool; Judi Dench, Victoria & Abdul; Salma Hayek, Beatriz at Dinner; Sally Hawkins, Maudie; Nicole Kidman, The Beguiled; Danielle Macdonald, Patti Cake$; Shirley MacLaine, The Last Word; Carey Mulligan, Mudbound; Cynthia Nixon, A Quiet Passion; Brooklynn Prince, The Florida Project; Catherine Pugh, Lady Macbeth; Emma Stone, Battle of the Sexes

Will Win/Should Win: McDormand is a sure bet for her phenomenal, applause-inducing portrayal of a mother seeking justice.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Overlooked:  John Boyega, Detroit; Siddharth Dhananjay, Patti Cake$; Armie Hammer, Call Me By Your Name; Garett Hedlund, Mudbound; John Lithgow, Beatriz at Dinner; Jason Mitchell, Mudbound; Rob Morgan, Mudbound; Ray Romano, The Big Sick; Sebastian Stan, I, Tonya; Michael Stuhlbarg, Call Me By Your Name

Will Win: Rockwell
Should Win: Dafoe

Rockwell’s impeccable turn as a bigoted, closeted cop nearly stole Three Billboards from McDormand, but there were amazing subtleties and understated charm within Dafoe’s superb portrayal of a gruff yet concerned hotel manager in the underappreciated Florida Project.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Mary J. Blige, Mudbound
Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Leslie Manville, Phantom Thread
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

Overlooked: Hong Chau, Downsizing; Jennifer Ehle, A Quiet Passion; Bridget Everett, Patti Cake$; Beanie Feldstein, Lady Bird; Carrie Fisher, Star Wars: The Last Jedi; Danai Guaria, All Eyez on Me; Holly Hunter, The Big Sick; Laura Linney, The Dinner; Tatiana Maslany, Stronger; Julianne Nicholson, I Tonya;  Miranda Richardson, Stronger; Kristin Scott Thomas, Darkest Hour; Bria Vinaite, The Florida Project

Will Win/Should Win: Janney

Although I couldn’t help but think of Mo’Nique’s equally visceral performance in Precious, Janney’s comical and harrowing tour-de-force as Tonya Harding’s mother was a true knockout.

The 90th annual Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will be telecast live Sun. March 4 on ABC at 8 pm.

 

 

 

YOUNG KARL MARX, THE INSULT and OSCARS Galore at THE NEON!

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Hello Everyone!

This has been an incredibly strong Oscar Season at THE NEON.  We brought you THE FLORIDA PROJECT, FACES PLACES, LADY BIRD and THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI before the holidays.  Then we brought THE SHAPE OF WATER, DARKEST HOUR, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, PHANTOM THREAD, I, TONYA and all the OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS.  It’s been one nominee to next…and Sunday will give us the winners!

We’re squeezing in two films that we initially didn’t think we’d have room to program. On Friday, we’ll open THE INSULT (a brilliant courtroom drama that’s nominated for “Best Foreign Film” at the Academy Awards) and THE YOUNG KARL MARX (for which A.O. Scott of The New York Times just wrote a glowing review). Audiences loved FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL, so we’ll hold it for limited screenings along with I, TONYA for one more week. If you still need to see the ANIMATED or LIVE ACTION OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS, Thursday will be your last chance to catch them at THE NEON!  And don’t forget about our FREE OSCAR PARTY this Sunday (more details below).

Synopsis for THE INSULT: Nominated for “Best Foreign Film” at this year’s Academy Awards! “In today’s Beirut, an insult blown out of proportion finds Tony (Adel Karam), a Lebanese Christian, and Yasser (Kamel El Basha), a Palestinian refugee in court.” A.O. Scott of THE NEW YORK TIMES wrote, “There is something undeniably exhilarating about the film’s honest assessment of the never-ending conflict between decency and cruelty that rages in every nation, neighborhood and heart.” Click THIS LINK to visit the film’s official site.

Synopsis for THE YOUNG KARL MARX: “In the mid-1800s, after decades ofthe scientific and economic marchof the Industrial Revolution has created an age of both new prosperity and new problems, a 26-year-old writer, researcher andradical namedKarl Marx embarks,with his wife Jenny,on the road to exile. In Paris in 1844 they meet young Friedrich Engels, the well-to-do son of a factory owner whose studies and research has exposed the poor wages and worse conditions of the new English working class who operate looms, printing presses and other engines of industry that enrich their owners while punishing laborers. The smooth and sophisticated – but equally revolutionary and radical – Engels brings his research, help and resources to provide Marx with the missing piece to the puzzle that composes his new vision of the world.” A.O. Scott of The New York Times wrote that the film is, “Both intellectually serious and engagingly free-spirited.”

It’s Almost OSCAR Time! This Sunday, you’re invited to THE NEON’s Annual Oscar Viewing Party! The pre-show begins at 7pm, and we will begin seating as close to 7pm as possible. (The actual Oscar ceremony traditionally begins at 8:30.) Completed ballots (which are now available in our lobby) must be turned in before the first Oscar is given. YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR PRIZES. You can reserve a spot and your place in line by dropping off your ballot when we open our doors on Sunday, March 4. One Ballot/Reservation Per Person! We’ll have fantastic prizes all night long, and our grand prize will once again be donated by our friends at Square One Salon & Spa with additional prizes from Always Ballroom and James Apesos M.D.

SAVE THE DATE! On March 22, Cliff Fawcett is bringing back the wildly successful PADDLING FILM FESTIVAL (formerly known as THE REEL PADDLING FILM FESTIVAL). This festival of short films that all take place on waterways around the world has garnered quite a following. More details soon!

Thank you for your continued support!
We hope to see you this weekend,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Tuesday, Feb. 27 – Thursday, March 8:

I, TONYA (R) 2 Hrs
Tuesday-Thursday (Feb 27-Mar 1): 5:10
Friday & Saturday (Mar 2 & 3): 11:50, 4:50, 9:40
Sunday (Mar 4):11:50, 4:50
Monday-Thursday (Mar 5-8): 5:10

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS: ANIMATION (NR) 1 Hr 23 Min
Tuesday (Feb 27): 3:15, 7:30
Wednesday & Thursday (Feb 28 & Mar 1): 5:20
FINAL DAY – March 1

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS: LIVE ACTION (NR) 1 Hr 39 Min
Tuesday (Feb 27): 5:15
Wednesday & Thursday (Feb 28 & Mar 1): 3:15, 7:30
FINAL DAY – March 1

FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL (R) 1 Hr 45 Min
Tuesday-Thursday (Feb 27-Mar 1): 3:00, 7:40
Friday & Saturday (Mar 2 & 3): 2:30, 7:20
Sunday (Mar 4): 2:30
Monday-Thursday (Mar 5-8): 3:00, 7:40

THE YOUNG KARL MARX (NR) 1 Hr 58 Min
Friday & Saturday (Mar 2 & 3): 2:10, 7:20, 9:50
Sunday (Mar 4): 2:10, 7:20
Monday-Thursday (Mar 5-8): 2:50, 7:50

THE INSULT (NR) 1 Hr 53 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday (Mar 2-4): 11:40, 4:50
Monday-Thursday (Mar 5-8): 5:20

COMING SOON:
(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear)
March 9 – THE PARTY
March 16 – A FANTASTIC WOMAN
April 6 – ISLE OF DOGS
April 6 – LOVELESS
April 20 – FOXTROT
April 27 – YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
May 18 – RBG
TBD – THE DEATH OF STALIN
TBD – LEISURE SEEKER

Black Panther Delivers Definitive Superhero Experience That Transcends Race

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Director Ryan Coogler, cast deliver definitive superhero experience that transcends race in Black Panther

“Quit asking me if I know Catwoman … Or I will claw your face off!” T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) stares down a foe as his royal alter ego in a scene from BLACK PANTHER. Credit: Matt Kennedy © 2018 Marvel Studios. All rights reserved.

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 

 


 

 



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Forest Whitaker, John Kani, Sterling K. Brown, Florence Kasumba and Daniel Kaluuya

WRITER(S): Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole (Screenplay); Stan Lee & Jack Kirby (based on the Marvel comic by)

DIRECTOR(S): Ryan Coogler

 
WEB SITE: http://movies.disney.com/black-pantherHERE’S THE STORY: Introduced to the Marvel Universe in Captain America: Civil War; Black Panther finds T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) still reeling from the loss of his father T’Chaka (John Kani) during a terrorist attack in Vienna. Now preparing to take the throne, T’Challa return home to his native Wakanda for the ceremony where he will officially become king over the most technologically advanced nation on Earth.


And the rest of the world believes Wakanda to be a third world nation, Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) knows the truth. An arms dealer, Klaue wants to steal the rest of the vibranium – the fictional metal that is the rarest in the world in the Marvel Universe – on which Wakanda has built a marvelous empire. And since Klaue led a fatal attack against Wakanda many years ago during T’Chaka’s reign, T’Challa and many of his fellow Wakandans – including W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya), elder statesman Zuri (Forest Whitaker), T’Challa’s mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett), his technologically wiz kid sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), Wakandian spy/T’Challa’s former lover Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Okoye, (Danai Gurira), the head of the Dora Miljae, Wakanda’s female military specialists who essentially serve as the king’s secret service. 


But while T’Challa and company are concerning their selves with protecting Wakanda and taking on Klaue, there is another threat brewing that they don’t even know about that is much bigger and much deadlier – and this threat has a personal connection to T’Challa no one knows.


Then again, with a nickname like “Killmonger” (Michael B. Jordan), what else would you expect? 

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? African-American comic book readers, Marvel Universe fans; people who really enjoyed Captain America: Civil War; those hoping to see a positive but not preachy African-American dominated superhero movie that is also consumable for all audiences

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? The alt-right/anyone who only gets their information from Breitbart/Fox News; people who hate the liberties taken with the backstories – which vary from their comic book origins – of Ulysses Klaue and Erik Killmonger; anyone who has their mind made up heading in what the movie is or should be.

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? Look, I don’t want to take a lot of time overly lauding Marvel Studios or its head Kevin Feige for making what The New York Times accurately called “a landmark event for Black America.” (Seriously – click the link; it sums up everything from why Blade and Hancock were superheroes whose blackness felt coincidental and how the forgotten Blankman and Meteor Man lack the combination of storytelling, poignance and for lack of a better word, coolness of Black Panther) has. 


So, instead, what cane someone say about Black Panther without getting into its larger fit into a culture where a reality TV star – who has been married multiple times and delivered one of the most crass sentences ever heard about women before being caught calling countries like the fictional one at the center of the film … you know – is president and the alt-right’s attempted boycott of the movie had thousands of supporters? It’s simple, really.


Black Panther is a solid superhero film with a fictional country and fictional metal that address very real modern socio-political issues in a way comic book fans – and people who just consider them selves movie lovers – can enjoy.


With Fruitvale Station and Creed under his belt, co-writer/director Ryan Coogler has proven he knows how to handle both socially conscious scripts and action sequences – and never have the two mixed together on screen than they do in Black Panther. From his examination of the ideas of the responsibilities of the haves to the have nots to how vital women can be to any man’s success, Black Panther is a showcase of how to tell a story where multiple characters are critical to its overall vibe – all within the context of the Marvel Universe. Of course, Coogler’s kudos wouldn’t exist without a phenomenal acting job by all the parties involved. 


Bozeman – in one might argue is his best on-screen performance yet – creates T’Challa from the ground up (yes, there are decades of comics to draw from, but there was no real-life person to research unlike his previous roles). Nothing feels like a parody of a man, let alone a superhero; T’Challa is man on a familiar mission but Bozeman makes his Wakandian warrior unique. This is why he plays extremely well against the former Johnny Storm Jordan in his second Marvel outing, as his Tupac-like Killmonger feels both menacing and yet, at the same time, justified in his destruction. You know what he’s doing is ultimately wrong – and T’Challa asserts as such – but you completely understand why, which makes his whole presence much more attention-grabbing. Serkis adds a ton of humor as Klaue in playing a more-traditional evil doer, but Jordan’s role is the one that takes over when it’s time.


The rest of the film’s supporting cast is just as strong in their work, the ladies especially. One could write an entire dissertation on how the performances of Wright, Gurira and Nyong’o are three best African-American female roles in a film not named Hidden Figures in terms of their reveals of strength, intelligence, humor and emotion (I would try but it would be a disservice as I am nowhere properly equipped to do so). That being said, Gurira makes sure all her Walking Dead-fans know she is as strong and lethal in Wakanda as she is Virginia as Michonne, Wright plays the Lisa Simpson-smart kid role better than anyone outside of Yeardley Smith herself and Nyong’o balances the two out perfectly. 


Non-leading man wise, Martin Freeman gets a chance to shine as CIA Agent Everett Ross who’s growing appreciation of Wakanda serves as a subtle appreciation for learning someone’s culture. Meanwhile, Winston Duke – who’s character’s comic book origins were a source of concern for the makers of the film – brings a nice sense of levity to his M’Baku character while the Oscar®-nominated Kaluuya and Bassett make the most of their limited yet functional roles. If my about-as-subtle-as-a-grenade-thrown-through-your-front-door rant above didn’t tip you off before, it is impossible as an adult to not think about Black Panther in the larger context of the world today and the points it does make in a very non-preachy manner. As opposed to discussing that, I will simply let you know Black Panther entertains and then, when the opportunity is ripe, seizes the moment in delivering some of the most common sense, pro-humanity messages while at the same time making us think about why some African-Americans could all be Erik Killmonger given recent, ongoing atrocities even if they want to be T’Challa. But make no mistake: You DON’T have to be black to enjoy Black Panther nor do you have to listen to or even pay attention to the larger implications, but it certainly will add to your experience if you are or discuss it with a black friend.

In adding the first true black superhero to the Marvel Universe, Black Panther‘s cast and crew have proven that judging a character’s content is much better than just the color of their costume.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

Award Winning Documentary Filmmaker To Speak at Wittenberg

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In celebration of Black History Month, Wittenberg University welcomes Elisabeth Haviland James, documentary filmmaker, to present the visual arts residency at 7:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 5-6, at the Springfield City School District’s John Legend Theater at The Dome, 700 S. Limestone Street, as the 2017-18 Wittenberg Series continues.

A screening of her films Althea and The Loving Story will be shown each day, respectively, followed by a discussion with James, a film producer, director and editor based in Durham, N.C., where her company, Thornapple Films, is headquartered. The screening of Althea on Feb. 5 also honors National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which takes place Feb. 7.

In 2014, she launched The Falconbridge Collection LLC with her spouse and partner, Revere La Noue, to house their new documentary project, Overland, about falconers around the world and the stories that connect across borders.

In 2015, James was named one of two film fellows in the state by the North Carolina Arts Council. She is the producer and editor of Althea, a feature documentary about pioneering tennis icon Althea Gibson, which was the season opener for PBS’ prestigious American Masters series in September 2015.

Her documentary feature-directing debut, In So Many Words, premiered at the 2013 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival and has screened at festivals, museums and conferences around the country. James was also the producer and editor of The Loving Story for which she was short-listed for an Academy Award and won a George Foster Peabody Award and an Emmy Award (Best Historic Program).

A consulting editor to the Farmer Veteran Project and a creative advisor to Sundance darling, Private Violence, James is a graduate of the M.A. program in documentary film and video at Stanford University, where she produced and directed four award-winning short documentaries. Her thesis film, Net Loss, was awarded the Nicholas Roosevelt Award for Environmental Journalism. Her other short films include Flaunt, Worms at Work and Precipice, a national finalist for the 2002 Academy Award in the student documentary category. Other recent credits include producer of The Good Fight and co-producer of The Lord God Bird.

James has worked as a director, producer, cinematographer and photographer with a number of media clients including La Noue, Rex Pix Films, Augusta Films, Roland Films, HBO, PBS, MTV, White Mountain Films, Paul Alexander, National Geographic, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Burt’s Bees and others. Additionally, she has taught documentary filmmaking at Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies and as an artist in residence at the Oklahoma Arts Institute.

Liam Neeson’s Latest Thriller “The Commuter” Reviewed

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Liam Neeson takes a familiar ticket to ride with latest action movie entry

“Hold on – this workout is phenomenal for your core!” Michael (Liam Neeson, in suit on right) tries to help a train conductor separate passenger cars in a scene from THE COMMUTER. Credit: Jay Maidment © 2018 Lionsgate Publicity. All rights reserved.

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WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 

 


 



KEY CAST MEMBERS: Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth McGovern, Andy Nyman, Sam Neill, Colin McFarlane, Shazad Latif and Ella-Rae Smith

WRITER(S): Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (screenplay); Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell (book, The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made on which the film is based)

DIRECTOR(S): Jaume Collett-Serra

 
WEB SITE: https://www.thecommuter.movie/HERE’S THE STORY: Michael MacCauley (Liam Neeson) has had a very rough day at work. Sure, he did get to hang out with his old police partner Alex Murphy (Patrick Wilson) for a bit, but with the news he gave him, it wasn’t exactly a happy occasion. But at least it will all be over soon, for all he has to do is catch the train so he can get home.


There’s just one problem – a mysterious woman (Vera Farmiga) has just given him a curious hypothetical question to ponder: Would he help find a person on the train named Pryn in exchange for $100,000. There’s just one other little problem if he does – that person is likely going to be in a lot of trouble. 


Thus, once Michael realizes the question isn’t hypothetical and the mysterious woman has now threatened his family’s safety, is watching him at all times and already exited the train, he is left with no choice but to do what she says … Unless he can find a way out.

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Die-hard Liam Neeson or 80s/90s action movie fans; people who like whodunit movies 

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People who thought the messing with Liam Neeson’s family train (no pun intended) should have stopped with Taken 3

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? At this point in his career, you can watch about 30 seconds of a Liam Neeson trailer and nine times out of 10, you will come to the same conclusion: This is a Liam Neeson movie where Liam Neeson does Liam Neeson things – especially if someone has messed with his family. Don’t believe me? These guys immortalized Neeson before going they’re separate ways onto bigger and better things. 


And there you have just about everything you need to know about The Commuter – for it is simply the latest entry into the world of movies that prove illustrate the mantra “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” … Even if the formula may finally be at its breaking point as it the time may have come for Neeson to move on to something else. 


Neither Neeson nor director Jaume Collet-Serra try to reinvent the cinematic wheel at any point in The Commuter; instead, they just try to hit the usual beats in a movie of its ilk as best they can without being too insulting to the audience to try to keep most of its plausibility somewhat plausible. Neeson does his best to make Michael a classic put-upon figure forced into an impossible, damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t-situation. He’s in disbelief at first, then desperate before launching into eventual “now you’ve done it – I’m not playing your games!” mode. (He even says the line in the film, for goodness sake).


Essentially a paint-by-numbers action movie, The Commuter doesn’t make waves, it just rides along its familiar tracks for its in-and-out journey before arriving at a climax that is rather anti-climatic, all things considered. It’s not horrible by any means; it just is everything you’d expect it to be. It’s like riding a cinematic bike – even if there are times it feels like the training wheels need to come off. 


It’s one thing for Liam Neeson’s action movies to be immortalized in a Key & Peele sketch; it’s another thing for his movies to almost feel like they have become a parody of their selves. Thus, while the ride isn’t quite bumpy, it’s not quite that smooth, either … That is, unless, you’ve become so accustomed to it all you care about is getting home at the end of the day.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

FilmDayton To Host Screenwriting Workshop

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FilmDayton will present a 3 hour screenwriting workshop hosted by Screenwriting Staffing’s founder, Jacob N. Stuart on Tuesday, January 23rd starting at 6:30pm at the Dayton Metro Library.  This class is open to anyone interested in writing for film, age 16 and older.

Pixar’s films, while always predictable, are box office successes — that know how to make us laugh, love, and cry in 90 minutes. There story beats have proven to work. Blake Snyder, the author of Save The Cat, has also alluded to the same adage. Many major studios use his book as a template on all major films.

The workshop will discuss all the major story beats: Opening Image, Theme Stated, Set-up, Catalyst, Debate. Break into Two, B Story, Fun & Games, Midpoint, All is Lost, Dark Night, Break into Three, Finale, Final Image.

Once you understand what works, you’ll learn how to  break the rules.
You can’t write a blockbuster until you know how to format a script. Using David Trottier’s best-selling book, The Screenwriter’s Bible, we will breakdown each element of formatting an industry-standard script. We will go back and forth from softwares Final Draft and WriterDuet. We will also compare spec scripts vs shooting scripts.

Now that we have a formatted script, it’s time to cut. Having a formatted script will open the doors, but it’s not enough to create a sell. We will discuss how to pare down your prose to have a quick and easy read. White space is king. Say more with fewer words. How to keep the reader “reading”. How to manipulate “formatting” procedure to make your script read faster.

We will discuss Scott Myers (Trojan War, K-9) “writing scene description, think poetry instead of prose” theory. Maximum impact, minimum word. The great thing about screenwriting is we are not slaves to grammar. Our goal as a screenwriter is to convey our message visually, period. But, it’s not as easy (and lazy) as it sounds.

Now that we understand these notes, we will review 4 scripts that I believe nail this formula brilliantly (note: we will not review the actual movie, just the spec script): Whiplash, Slow West, Annabelle, & The Visitor. I’m a firm believer reading screenplays is more important than watching films, if you are a screenwriter.

We will spend our last hour discussing: how to sell your work outside of Hollywood, navigating your way through the screenplay contest/film festival world, writing for the low-budget, indie film world, utilizing the new wave of streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, YouTube Red, Facebook, etc), how to write a compelling query letter, the types of industry pros to network with, finding paid screenwriting work, and how to use social media to your benefit.

Jacob N. Stuart is an award-winning screenwriter, with over 20 scripts optioned and/or produced to screen, airing in over 10 different countries. His films have appeared in over 45 film festivals. He has taught screenwriting professionally at the Hollywood International Film Academy, was a longtime contributor with Creative Screenwriting Magazine and Screenwriting Standard, has spoke extensively at film seminars and film festivals across the country, including Universe Multicultural Film Festival, San Diego International Kids’ Film Festival, WriteStuff Writers Conference, among many more, and was previously the Screenplay Contest Director for the Cincinnati Film Festival. He graduated from The Los Angeles Film School in 2010, with a concentration in Screenwriting. He is currently a Board Member at the Historic Plaza Theatre in downtown Miamisburg.

Jacob is most notably known for being the Founder ofScreenwritingStaffing.com, an online screenwriting community that has facilitated over 150 screenplay sales, options, representations, and collaborations.  For more on Jacob: www.imdb.me/jacobnstuart

Seminar is $40 for FilmDayton Members, $75 for nonmembers.
Register by 12/31/17 and save $5. Ticketing will be live on 12/19/17.

Online registration here.

$10-a-Month Film A Day Pass

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If you’re a fan of going to the movies, actually in the theater, Movie Pass is for you!  For just $10/month you can see a movie a day.

Created by  Netflix co-founder and former Redbox president Mitch Lowe, launched the service in 2011, but at $50 a month it didn’t get a lot of buzz.  Then this past summer they lowered it to $9.95/month and guess what- it’s taking off.   I tried to join in September, but kept getting kicked off the website when I tried to sign up.  And then over Thanksgiving weekend I tried again. It went through and less than a week later I got my card in the mail.  I was ready to check out some flicks.

Here’s how it works, you must download the Movie Pass app and allow it access to your location.  It will then tell you what theaters in your area accept the pass.  I live in Springboro and when I logged in  I have the option of using the card at the Dayton South Rave, Huber Heights or The Greene, The Neon, Regal Hollywood Stadium 20 at Fairfield Commons, The Plaza Theatre in Miamisburg the Byjo Theatre in Germantown, the Little Art in Yellow Springs and more.

Once you figure out what movie you want to see, you drive to the theater and then when you are within 100 feet of the entry you check in to the movie you want.  This loads money onto the card that will pay for your show when you swipe the card like a credit card at the counter.  (Just an FYI- your check in doesn’t guarantee you a seat- so you must still arrive early).

 

I had some concerns that perhaps Movie Pass might hurst local theaters, so I asked Jonathan McNeal from The Neon about it.  Here’s what he had to say:

“MoviePass has been around for quite a while and THE NEON has accepted it for years.  When they lowered their membership price, a bunch of free press created much wider awareness.  It does not hurt our bottom line.  The transaction is completed like a traditional credit card, and the entire ticket amount gets paid to THE NEON.

There’s a bit of a learning curve that comes with the card.  Don’t let their tag line fool you. “Any Theater. Any Movie.  Any Day.”  That’s not entirely true.  You can’t just pull it out and use it any old time at the box office.  You must first install an app and approve the transaction before you approach the ticket counter at the cinema of your choice.  (Of course we hope your choice is at THE NEON.)”

 

So far in the first month I’ve had the card I’ve seen five movies- so do the math, that’s $2 a flick- a true bargain!  And I have to admit, there is something great about seeing films on the big screen without any distractions.   The only drawback is, if you go with friends, each of you have to purchase your ticket individually, so be aware, might not be great on a date.  It’s also not valid on 3D or Imax films.

So bottomline, while I can’t figure out how this company will every make any money on this, I highly suggest getting or giving MoviePass to your friends who love films.

Brilliant FACES PLACES Among Jonathan’s Favorites Coming to THE NEON!

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Hello Everyone!

We have had a terrific year with many big successes. Our two current attractions are garnering a lot of raves from critics and audiences alike, and I still hear people talking about other films from earlier this year like MAUDIE, THE BIG SICK, FLORIDA PROJECT, THEIR FINEST, I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO, and LOVING VINCENT (we still intent to bring this film back for a handful of shows when we can squeeze them in). Thus it might be hard to believe that the best films of the year are still on their way to THE NEON. Among them is a little gem called FACES PLACES. If you’ve been here in the past month, you’ve seen the trailer for this enchanting and uplifting documentary. It will open this Friday and play for just one week! Don’t miss it! On Thursday of next week, we will have preview screenings of THE SHAPE OF WATER (one of the absolute best films of the year – and certain to be a “Best Picture” contender) and DARKEST HOUR (almost certain to win an Oscar for Gary Oldman).

Many folks have been asking lately for my favorites of the year. 4 films immediately come to mind. Films that stood out that I can’t stop thinking about…and can’t wait to see again. FACES PLACES is one of them. The other three haven’t yet played anywhere around us but will soon be on their way – THE SHAPE OF WATER, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME and A FANTASTIC WOMAN. I’ll be sure to keep you in the loop.

Synopsis for FACES, PLACES: “89-year old Agnes Varda, one of the leading figures of the French New Wave, and acclaimed 33 year-old French photographer and muralist JR teamed up to co-direct this enchanting documentary/road movie. Kindred spirits, Varda and JR share a lifelong passion for images and how they are created, displayed and shared. Together they travel around the villages of France in JR’s photo truck meeting locals, learning their stories and producing epic-size portraits of them. The photos are prominently displayed on houses, barns, storefronts and trains revealing the humanity in their subjects, and themselves. FACES PLACES documents these heart-warming encounters as well as the unlikely, tender friendship they formed along the way.” Click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

If you need gift-giving ideas for the film lover in your life, we’ve got you covered. NEON gift certificates are available at our box office in denominations of $5 and $10. We also just got in a new batch of NEON t-shirts with our slogan “Good To The Last Frame” on the back. Hurry in and get ’em while you can!

We also are helping The Rubi Girls by selling their annual wall calendar. The Rubi Girls are a charity-driven comedic drag troupe in town, and 100% of all calendar sales will go back to The Rubi Girls and the causes they champion. Calendars are $15 each or 2 for $20.

Our FAMILY HOLIDAY FILM SERIES has just one film left. Admission is free for children 12 and under, and general admission is just $2. This Saturday, December 16 at Noon, we’ll wrap up the series with HOME ALONE – can you believe this comedy classic starring Macaulay Culkin is already 27 years old?!? Tickets are first come, first serve – available 45 minutes before the screening.

Mark your calendars and please help spread the word. CHAVELA, a beautiful, award-winning documentary about Mexican singer Chavela Vargas, will have two special screenings in late January. On Saturday and Sunday, January 27 & 28 at Noon, director Daresha Kyi (who grew up in Dayton and graduated from The Miami Valley School) will present her documentary and participate in a Q&A. Ticketing details will be available soon. To learn more about the film, please click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

Thanks so much for your continued support.
We hope to see you soon,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Tuesday, Dec. 12 – Thursday, Dec. 21:

LADY BIRD (R) 1 Hr 33 Min
Tuesday-Thursday (Dec 12-14): 3:00, 5:10, 7:20
Friday (Dec 15): 12:50, 3:00, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30
Saturday (Dec 16): 3:00, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30
Sunday (Dec 17): 12:50, 3:00, 5:10, 7:20
Monday-Wednesday (Dec 18-20): 3:00, 5:10, 7:20
Thursday (Dec 21): 3:00, 5:10
FINAL DAY – Dec. 21!

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE… (R) 1 Hr 55 Min
Tuesday-Thursday (Dec 12-14): 2:50, 5:15, 7:40
Friday & Saturday (Dec 15 & 16): 12:20, 5:00, 7:30, 9:55
Sunday (Dec 17): 2:20, 5:00, 7:30
Monday-Wednesday (Dec 18-20): 5:00, 7:30
Thursday (Dec 21): 5:00
FINAL DAY – Dec. 21!

FACES, PLACES (PG) 1 Hr 29 Min
Friday-Thursday (Dec 15-21): 3:00
Final Day – Dec. 21!

THE SHAPE OF WATER (R) 1 Hr 59 Min
Thursday (Dec 21): 7:30 – Preview Screening!

DARKEST HOUR (PG-13) 2 Hrs 5 Min
Thursday (Dec 21): 7:40 – Preview Screening!

HOME ALONE (PG) 1 Hr 43 Min
Saturday (Dec 16): Noon

COMING SOON:
(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear)
Dec. 21 – SHAPE OF WATER
Dec. 21 – DARKEST HOUR
TBD Possibilities – NOVITIATE, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, PHANTOM THREAD,
FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL, A FANTASTIC WOMAN, 

 and the return of LOVING VINCENT

James Franco’s The Disaster Artist

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James Franco delivers loving lampoon pseudo documentary fitting of The Room with The Disaster Artist

“I did not flub that line … I did naaaattt!” Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) attempts to get one of the most infamous lines in The Room right in a scene from THE DISASTER ARTIST. Credit: Justina Mintz, courtesy of A24.


WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 

 



KEY CAST MEMBERS: James Franco, Dave Franco, Paul Scheer, Ari Graynor, Alison Brie, Jacki Weaver, Josh Hutcherson, Zac Efron and Seth Rogen 

WRITER(S): Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (screenplay); Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell (book, The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made on which the film is based)

DIRECTOR(S): James Franco

 
WEB SITE: https://a24films.com/films/the-disaster-artistHERE’S THE STORY: A film based on the book of the same name about one of the most infamous films of all-time, The Disaster Artist stars Dave Franco as Greg Sestero, a struggling actor living in San Francisco that just can’t find a way to channel his energy into his craft. That is why he admires Tommy Wiseau (James Franco), a wanna be actor who throws everything he has into every scene in every production he’s in. There’s just one problem with that: Tommy is an absolutely, equivocally terrible actor by every stretch of the imagination with no grip on just how bad he is. 


Striking up a friendship with Tommy, Greg soon comes to discover his eccentricities: There’s his unique accent, which rings more European than New Orleans as Tommy claims to be … There’s his seemingly endless supply of money despite having no discernible source of income and the apartment in L.A. that Tommy just says Greg should move into when they head to Hollywood to make it big. But while Greg lands a few small roles with a possible shot at the big time, Tommy is not so lucky … Which leads the latter to coming up with an idea that will change both of their lives forever: Write and star in their own movie to show Hollywood they can make it on their own.


If you’ve seen the actual movie they made – The Room – you know what they made. What you may not know, however, is just how crazy the film’s shoot was and how it has become what is often referred to as “the Citizen Kane of bad movies,” but you will … 

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Just about anyone who has seen The Room with a group of people Rocky Horror Picture-style; James Franco fans; people who will come to love this film based on what they later discover about The Room; those will embrace the film’s loving homage to a well-intentioned disaster

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People who haven’t seen The Room so that they can properly understand the lovable lunacy of the original film

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? James Franco was nominated but ultimately did not win the award for Best Actor when 127 Hours was released back in 2010. His performance, which chronicled the near demise of Aron Ralston, the hiker who had to amputate his own arm in order to survive an ill-fated trip to Blue John Canyon in 2003. The film required Franco to channel what was arguably his (at the time) most serious effort on celluloid. 


With The Disaster Artist, Franco could earn his second acting nomination while earning his first directing one – for The Disaster Artist is a comedic, loving homage made to a film that likely should have never been made that fortunately inspired one of the most entertaining releases of 2017.


Make no mistake about it: The Room is a bad movie. Like, really bad. Like “How in the world did someone think this was a good idea, let alone reportedly sink $6 million of their own money into it?!” bad. But it was done with such earnest sincerity that while it is incredibly easy to make fun of, there is (dare I say) an all-American “can-do” spirit to it that one almost has to admire it – or at least now can from afar. Capturing this spirit is what Franco (James more so than Dave only because the elder brother also directs the picture) do so well with The Disaster Artist: Showcasing just how bad and insane everything was at conceivably every turn while yet capturing the simple dream of making something that will be a classic that Wiseau (and Sestero) had hoped to make. 


An obvious student of the film, Franco lets no nuance or moment go unnoticed (a fact which makes the post-credits montage so entertaining) while at the same time carefully riding the line between roasting and showing pity upon its two main subjects. From the insane wardrobe to the unnecessary sets/bad camera work to the weird dialogue, fans of the original Room will be thrilled to watch the moments recreated by the in-on-the-joke Franco and company that Wiseau was blissfully unaware he was creating. Whereas the younger Franco brings all of Sestero’s concerns to life in empathic fashion, Franco nails every moment as the completely unaware yet admirable for his efforts Wiseau, down to his body movements, reactions and his unmistakable vocal inflections. 


Throw in great supporting performances from Rogen as an utterly confused crew member and others as equally stymied cast players and The Disaster Artist is part lampoon and part pseudo-documentary, building to an ending that shows how Wiseau ultimately did what he set out to do … Even if it was not how he imagined it all.


But if you’re looking for a film so creative it’s no longer becomes hard to imagine anyone being willing to make one about one of the worst movies of all time, The Disaster Artist proves one man’s trash is audience’s treasure if the right amount of love and lunacy are present.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

2 Big Hits at THE NEON – LADY BIRD & THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

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Hello Everyone!

The weekend after Thanksgiving is usually pretty soft at the box office…but not for us this year at THE NEON. Many thanks to all of you who have come to support our two big hits! Both LADY BIRD (which is now the best reviewed films ever on the RottenTomatoes site) and THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI will stick around for another week! Visit each film’s official site be clicking the links above.  You can watch the trailers here:

 

If you haven’t been to THE NEON after dark in the past several days, you may not have seen that our parking lot has undergone some significant lighting work.  We know you’ll feel even better about parking your car there after sundown.  Many thanks to the City of Dayton and the Convention Center for seeing to these improvements!

If you need gift-giving ideas for the film lover in your life, we’ve got you covered. NEON Gift Certificates are available at our box office in denominations of $5 and $10. We also just got in a new batch of NEON t-shirts with our slogan “Good To The Last Frame” on the back. Hurry in and get ’em while you can!

We also are helping The Rubi Girls by selling their annual wall calendar. The Rubi Girls are a charity-driven comedic drag troupe in town, and 100% of all calendar sales will go back to The Rubi Girls and the causes they champion. Calendars are $15 each or 2 for $20.

Our FAMILY HOLIDAY FILM SERIES was off to a nice start this past weekend, and we still have two more family-friendly films to go. Admission is free for children 12 and under, and general admission is just $2. This Saturday, December 9 at Noon, we’ll watch the holiday classic – MIRACLE ON 34th STREET – starring a young Natalie Wood. On December 16 at Noon, we’ll wrap up the series with HOME ALONE – can you believe this comedy classic starring Macaulay Culkin is already 27 years old?!? Tickets are first come, first serve – available 45 minutes before each screening.

Mark your calendars and please help spread the word. CHAVELA, a beautiful, award-winning documentary about Mexican singer Chavela Vargas, will have two special screenings in late January. On Saturday and Sunday, January 27 & 28 at Noon, director Daresha Kyi (who grew up in Dayton and graduated from The Miami Valley School) will present her documentary and participate in a Q&A. Ticketing details will be available soon. To learn more about the film, please click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

Though our two current attractions are much-loved and doing great business, I’m excited even more for films yet to come.  THE SHAPE OF WATER, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, FACES PLACES and FANTASTIC WOMAN are favorite films of the year…and they’re still coming down the pike.

Thanks so much for your continued support.
We hope to see you soon,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Tuesday, Dec. 5 – Thursday, Dec. 14:

LADY BIRD (R) 1 Hr 33 Min
Tuesday-Thursday (Dec 5-7): 3:00, 5:10, 7:20
Friday (Dec 8): 12:50, 3:00, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30
Saturday (Dec 9): 3:00, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30
Sunday (Dec 10): 12:50, 3:00, 5:10, 7:20
Monday-Thursday (Dec 11-14): 3:00, 5:10, 7:20

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE… (R) 1 Hr 55 Min
Tuesday-Thursday (Dec 4-7): 2:50, 5:15, 7:40
Friday & Saturday (Dec 8 & 9): 11:40, 2:15, 4:50, 7:30, 9:55
Sunday (Dec 10): 11:40, 2:15, 4:50, 7:30
Monday-Thursday (Dec 11-14): 2:50, 5:15, 7:40

MIRACLE ON 34th STREET (NR) 1 Hr 37 Min
Saturday (Dec 9): Noon

COMING SOON:
(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear)
Dec. 22 – SHAPE OF WATER
Dec. 22 – DARKEST HOUR
TBD Possibilities –
FACES PLACES
NOVITIATE
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
PHANTOM THREAD
The Return of LOVING VINCENT

Mexican Culture & Music Come To Life in Coco

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Pixar Brings Mexican culture, music to life in animated smash Coco

“We have no Auto-Tune … I hope we’re good!” Aspiring musician Miguel (voice of Anthony Gonzalez) teams up with a charming trickster named Héctor (voice of Gael García Bernal) to unravel a generations-old family mystery. Their extraordinary journey through the Land of the Dead includes an unexpected talent show performance of “Un Poco Loco,” an original song in the son-jarocho style of Mexican music written by co-director Adrian Molina and Germaine Franco for the film. Credit: © 2017 Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved.

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 




KEY CAST MEMBERS: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renee Victor and Jamie Camil

WRITER(S): Lee Unkrich, Jason Katz, Matthew Aldrich and Adrian Molina (original story by); Matthew Aldrich and Adrian Molina (screenplay)

DIRECTOR(S): Lee Unkrich & Adrian Molina

 
WEB SITE: http://movies.disney.com/cocoHERE’S THE STORY: Miguel (voiced by Anthony Gonzalez) is a boy who loves music … and that’s a problem because in his family – in the wake of his great grandfather Ernesto (Benjamin Bratt) who left them to become the greatest musician the world has ever known – music is seen as nothing short of pure evil that rips relatives apart. Miguel, however, is undeterred in his quest to become a musician himself, which is why on the Day of the Dead – in which families visit the graves of their lost loved ones – Miguel sneaks over to the mausoleum containing a guitar that once belonged to Ernesto. But once Miguel plays the guitar, he  – along with his faithful dog Dante – finds himself now in the land of the dead, which is where he sees several family members including his Mamá Imelda (Alanna Ubach), who will only give Miguel her blessing to return to the land of the living on one condition: He give up his dream of becoming a musician forever.


Of course, this makes Miguel hightail it away from Mamá Imelda and the rest of his family, which is how he runs into Hector (Gael García Bernal), a trickster desperate for Miguel to return to the land of the living and take his picture with him. Why you ask? All will be revealed throughout the course of the night.


All Miguel has to do is stay alive in the land of the dead long enough to bring our story full circle.

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Disney•Pixar fans; people who will find the story culturally respectful and enriching


WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Those who will see the film as somehow not following enough realities of Mexican culture

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? At this point, Disney•Pixar has pretty much proven anything they release is gold; Coco – a film that cleverly reveals its title’s significance late in the story – is just evidence that the company can make it regardless of what language/culture its character make speak or from which they come.  


Coco features superb visuals, an original story with enough twists to entertain adults while making children smile; then again, it wouldn’t quite be a Disney•Pixar movie without some testing of your tear ducts, so one should expect the heartfelt story to make having a box of Kleenex close by a good idea. The vocal cast – Gonzalez in particular – nails each of their roles to the point you forget you are watching an animated film as the exploration of the Land of the Dead is fantastically splayed across the screen. There is enough depth to each of the critical characters to keep the story moving along at a brisk pace, all while co-writers/directors Lee Unkrich & Adrian Molina provide a rich landscape of both music and humanity akin to Disney classics of yesteryear.


In short, if there is a flaw with the film, it may be that the film wraps up so succinctly you wonder how in the world its creative team will come up with a sequel worthy of Coco itself; for one will likely be heavily inclined to want to spend time with its characters again.


Who knew a journey to the Land of the Dead could be so life affirming?

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):