Reviews by djprojexion

This ladies and gentlemen is how spinoff shows are done! Like Better Call Saul, it's all about taking things in a different direction while also maintaining the true spirit of the original show. This was a very tough act to follow, given the legacy of GOT, but it definitely did not miss a beat. The high points for me were the switch to a more centralized focus, instead of jumping from place to place, story to story like GOT. Also this season covers a lot of territory in 11 episodes, often jumping ahead years in time, which gives it a more lean feel overall. There's no throw away or pump the brakes episodes here. I do agree with the previous reviewer here that it didn't quite have the same level of iconic characters as GOT, which had an endless list of those. Not sure I agree that was necessarily the fault of casting, but moreso the characters themselves. Anyways, I can't recommend this series enough for GOT fans, and can't wait to see where it goes in subsequent seasons.

This was a fun movie that reminded me a lot of Project Power so much so that they should just make a Jamie Foxx Hawaiian Shirt trilogy at this point. I mean he even drives a similar blue pool cleaning pickup truck here, coincidence? What's the connection? This movie really is a plethora of action, horror, and comedy, featuring some great choreographed fight scenes (as if vampires suddenly have this explosive MMA background) and Michael Bay inspired car chases. The sun drenched, over-saturated visuals were also a nice treat. While those were all great, I feel that they really found a groove with the comedy, especially with Dave Franco and his transition from rookie to vampire to badass. He was great as the sidekick and comedic relief, busting out his comedic chops as we've seen in Neighbors and 21 Jump Street. Makes me wish they incorporated more of that into the overall product. Despite the high points, I felt the ending was a little lackluster, and not a big enough payoff considering the big action set pieces leading up to it. But all in all, it's a fun little popcorn movie that serves its purpose.

Hotel Artemis is a damn fine slice of midnight movie bravado, thanks in part to a heavy seasoning of John Carpenter aesthetics (think Escape From New York and Assault on Precinct 13), that I enjoyed watching way more than I thought I would.

The Awes:
- The overall concept was excellent: a den of thieves trapped in a building with the world crumbling outside of them
- Jodi Foster looking like a weathered Brad Dourif giving us one of her most memorable performances in years
- The atmosphere, suspense and sense of foreboding really keeps you on edge throughout
- Cliff Martinez' score, always menacing, always a joy
- Dave Bautista as a proud HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL, complete with a cholo accent

The Flaws:
- The riots and chaos going on outside the Hotel could have been amped up and made a little more threatening to give a more claustrophobic feel
- The ultimate showdown between tag team Bautista/Boutella and the Wolf King's goons was cut a little too short and wasn't satisfying enough as a finale

The Burn:
The newcomers do a good job here, but the veteran actors really steal the show (Foster and Goldblum are a joy to watch together, wish they shared more screentime), overall this is not for all tastes but as a late night popcorn B-movie you could do far worse.

Let me just set the stage for my recent viewing of Big after not seeing it since it was on cable tv in the 90's. I'm on a red eye to California. Sipping on a Brooklyn Summer Ale. Looking for something to watch on the in-flight movie menu. Really despise watching blockbusters and the like on a tiny, 11" screen. Avengers. Nope. Star Wars. Nope. Big... Big? Hmm. Yeah why not? Did the nostalgia of 1988 and lanky Tom Hanks get the best of me? You bet it did.

Unlike the Old and Young switcheroo craze that was going on around this time (see Vice Versa, Like Father Like Son, 18 Again, etc.) this was an individual switcheroo, kind of like that segment in Twilight Zone the Movie where the group of octagenarians at the old folks home become kids again. Except this is the other way around and there's no Scatman Crothers running around giddily exclaiming "Kids! Kids! Haha!"

Rather than get into a lengthy review about the story and yadda yadda, I'd rather just point out some key moments/observations that hit me seeing it this time around. Always interesting the perspective change when viewing a movie as an adult.

1. Tom Hanks at the peak of his early comedic career, smack dab in between such classics as Dragnet and The 'Burbs, and only five years before his Oscar winning performance in Philadelphia.
2. The inner city setting that the big-version of Josh has to endure is pretty darn scary and gritty. The pay-by-the-hour sleeze-tel room with gunshots and screams right outside the window and some hostile pimp banging on the door. Hanks barricading the door and getting under the covers really takes you back to being a vulnerable kid in a place like that.
3. Robert Loggia is the best damn boss you've never had. The way he takes to Josh and his kid-like antics is a joy to watch.
4. John Heard is the worst damn co-worker everyone has had. At some point. Typically a role with this level of dickyness would be reserved for say a Paul Gleason. But Heard does a great job, and we would later see him tapping into this menacing side in 187.
5. The dynamic of the Josh-Susan relationship is actually really interesting and unique as a love story. Throughout the film Josh gets more mature and Susan sort of reverts back to her younger self. The inevitable ending really hits hard.
6. That Zoltar machine. I recall as a child something similar to that at a Ground Round restaurant and yeah it was just as creepy as the one in the movie.
7. Josh and Billy's "Down down baby" song. It's like some strange paddy cake rap that apparently Hanks' son learned at camp. You can't help but embarrassingly recite it in your mind long after the movie is over.

Judging by the ratings this seems like one of those films that you either love or hate, there's not much in between. It really depends on how much you can tolerate gross slapstick humor bathed in arthouse aesthetics. Usually the two do not blend well, more like oil and water. But in the case of Swiss Army Man, I think the Daniels have crafted a truly unique (yes, it has flourishes of Cast Away and Weekend At Bernie's) experience on the arthouse, B-movie front. The film is endlessly creative and innovative, making great use of Radcliffe's corpse. It's crazy enough to take you out of your comfort zone, but directed so impeccably that you know you're in good hands. Dano and Radcliffe deliver the wackiest buddy comedy we've seen in ages, sure to become a cult classic if it hasn't reached that already. Highly recommended for fans of artsy B-movies peppered with gross humor and endless fart jokes.

See this cult trash pic for the acting and the fearless audacity of director Lee Daniels. Not an easy movie to watch, very disturbing at times but ultimately a rewardingly ballsy piece of cinema. Nicole Kidman and John Cusack turn in tour de force peformances, as well as an impressive Zac Efron. It's sweaty, it's dirty, it never shies away from the material and delivers probably the most intense non-contact sex scene in cinematic history. The beach scene will also induce cringes and laughs in equal measure. Daniels peppers the proceedings with pure 1970's B-movie bravado, right down to the grainy film stock and off-kilter camera angles. In terms of retro-style, it made me think of Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects, in terms of story and setting I was reminded of Deliverance, Southern Comfort, and even Wild At Heart. All in all, kudos to Lee Daniels for pushing the envelope and giving us one hell of an experience.

This was the movie that Harryhausen was like "screw it, I'm gonna put every possible mutant/animal creature I can think of into this movie, regardless of how ridiculous it is." I mean he throws everything in here but the kitchen sink, actually by the end I was expecting to see a stop-motion kitchen sink attack Sinbad and his crew. This movie has it all: it's got alien skeletons, a young Jane Seymour running around in little belly dancer outfits, acting and line delivery that's so bad it's funny, and a stop-motion baboon that will kick your ass in chess. I never really noticed this before but poor Minoton, after being brought to life the guy spends half the movie rowing a boat and then gets crushed by a huge block. Kudos to Harryhausen for his amazing work here, fans of Clash Of The Titans take note, this makes for a great companion piece.

HBO has a long history of distributing some amazing films and this Ozploitation piece is no exception. I can remember first watching it with my cousin while sleeping over my grandmother's house and being scared shitless. Because this story could happen anywhere, any time. And apparently it did. For real. It remains one the most visceral, haunting, and at the same time empowering movies ever made about teachers and students. Rachel Ward is excellent as the maternal teacher doing whatever she can to protect her cubs against the evil Father Christmas and his cartoon-masked cronies. Screenwriter Everett De Roche has a certain panache for Outback mayhem (see: Razorback, The Quest) and here he weaves a tale that takes the viewer along for a harrowing ride that you won't soon forget. Part survival adventure, part Lord Of The Flies descent, it really is a one of a kind experience. My only criticism is for the awkward music score which at times is quite off-putting, nonetheless an 80's Ozploitation classic that definitely deserves a proper updated DVD release.

Here's 10 reasons why Casino is a criminally overlooked Mob Epic and is to Goodfellas as The Godfather II is to the original:

1) Joe Pesci playing yet another Napoleon-like maniac complete with blue eyes and a midwest accent that makes the f-bombs and m-and-f-ers that much more enjoyable.

2) Robert Richardson's cinematography. It beautifully captures the glitz and sparkle of 1970's Las Vegas.

3) The at times whirlwind narrative that takes us through the inner workings of the casino and it's many players. "The shift boss is watching the pit boss..."

4) Lester Diamond. Nobody portrays scumbags better than James Woods. His back and forth banter with Ginger and Amy is pure gold.

5) A plethora of pre-CGI gore effects that would satisfy even the most hardcore of horror fans. The pen-neck, head-vise, cheater's justice, and cornfield scenes set a new standard for mob-flick brutality.

6) Ace & Ginger's doomed trainwreck of a relationship. Deniro's battle scenes with her are his true shining moments in the film.

7) The soundtrack. Scorsese throwing music at us like some crazy drug-addled DJ. It's one of the oft-overlooked keys to his craft.

8) Scorcese's mother in her last cameo and perhaps one of the funniest moments in the film. Here we have a character telling her son not to curse in a film that broke records for cursing. Classic!

9) Frank Vincent's revenge. Here's a guy who at the hands of Joe Pesci was beaten to a bloody mess in Raging Bull, and then again in Goodfellas while also being stabbed, shot, and buried, finally gives it back to Pesci in a big way.

10) The House Of The Rising Sun by The Animals. Scorcese trumps his Layla body count montage in Goodfellas with an even more powerful and haunting montage of death scenes.

I recently watched Vice Versa after not seeing it since my childhood and I gotta say, for the most part it holds up pretty well today. It belongs to that beloved 80's sub-genre "Yuppies In Peril," as mentioned in my review of Funny Farm. It also attempts to cash in on a typical Yuppy malady, the mid-life crisis that can also be seen with Dudley Moore and Kirk Cameron in Like Father Like Son. Hell, even George Burns got in on the action with 18 Again. For the uninitiated, these films feature a younger and older person switching bodies, reaping the benefits and suffering the consequences leading to some funny moments and self-realizations.

I feel like Vice Versa is probably the best of the bunch, mainly because the two leads really embody their counterparts. Judge Reinhold with his dopey, immature antics is perfectly matched by Fred Savage's smarmy, pissed off adult. The early scenes of their switcheroo are pure Comedy gold from Marshall/Savage telling his ride to school that he's had better days and being called a Raccoon turd by the man's son to Charlie/Reinhold jamming out in the middle of a department store.

The biggest problem I have with this movie is that it coasts along on this father-son switcheroo for a while and then in the final act completely derails and becomes a typical cheesy 80's action flick. Once "real ballbuster" Swoosie Kurtz and her bumbling henchman David Proval show up the cozy comedy ends and the dumb action begins.

If you can forgive the ending, then Vice Versa deserves it's place among 80's Comedy gems. It also has a great message about Yuppy fathers not paying enough attention to their kids. And it's got Corinne Bohrer, an underappreciated 80's babe. Plus an early cameo by Jane Lynch.