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COLME AARON
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Movies In RevIew

Mid90s - Review

10/26/2018

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Release Date: October 19, 2018​​​​​​
Fall. Limp Around.

There has been an increase of slice of life films in the indie movie space. It seems to be the preferred storytelling medium for filmmakers to tell period pieces or used as playgrounds for social commentary. The key to making these stories compelling is in their attention to detail, whether that’d be through aesthetic or the believability of the characters. Mid90s tells one of these stories; a slice of life movie about a group of kids in LA during the mid-90s. It does not differ greatly from other movies in the space but does have an unparalleled commitment to its aesthetic.

The greatest achievement Mid90s has, lies in how it portrays itself. Shot on film(Super 16) at what looks like a panoramic 4:3 aspect ratio(1.33:1), the movie never wastes an opportunity to feel more authentic. From eerily accurate set design to the style of music in the soundtrack, Mid90s transports you to a time where today's offensive language was rampant and commonplace. It doesn’t hold back and provides an authentic look back in time.

A great companion piece to the trip down memory lane is the story and the characters in it. You feel like you’re peeking into the lives of these people and slowly discovering their true colors. The actors in the friend 
group do a great job portraying the various stereotypes appropriate for the time period that sells their friendship. It is surprising to hear that there were improvised scenes in the movie due to it feeling all planned out. This feeling of purpose does run out as the movie ends abruptly in an unceremonious fashion.

The reason the ending feels as abrupt as it does revolves around the movie not feeling complete. Unlike Manchester By the Sea, there was more to show but the movie didn’t have anything else left to say. It felt like the story wasn’t over and that the characters had more growing to do. This year’s Eighth Grade showed its protagonist become a different person while everyone in Mid90s felt stagnant. Fifteen minutes of wrap up is needed to give the audience closure, but instead, we get a compilation through a fisheye lens.

Mid90s is definitely a expertly presented movie; what it lacks in story, it makes up in aesthetic. This is not a movie you need to go to the theaters to see, you could definitely wait for this to come out on streaming. But if any of the subject matters speaks to you, an undeniable connection could be formed as you are transported back to the mid-90s where people made fun of things being from the 80s(the better decade).

7/10
Why the fish eye lens though, honest to god why

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Halloween (2018) - Review

10/23/2018

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Release Date: October 19, 2018​​​​​
Not Spooky or Scary

A sequel to a movie that came out in 1978 seems like Hollywood running out of ideas. But the horror legend needed to remind everyone of the thing they missed the most, the theme song. You can give a guy a white mask and knife, but it's the iconic song that filled the theater. Halloween (2018) had people ready for the holiday scares to return. A horror story back from the dead in its strongest incarnation yet. The trailers and promotion for the movie set the mood for the coming scarefest at a theater near you.

The ad campaign worked on me. I don't like horror movies and I was worried to go see this one. Reluctant to get my pants scared off, I held off on watching the movie, but now regret that decision. Halloween (2018) is probably one of the best examples of a rebooted franchise that introduces a new generation without sidelining what everyone came to see. Instead of Indian Jones's kid putting on the iconic hat at the end of the movie, the main characters ride away in the bed of a pickup truck together. The movie understands why you came to see it and tries its hardest to give it to you.
The one area where Halloween (2018) fails tremendously is in the horror department; it plays more like a limited action movie rather than a slasher film. This isn’t to say Michael Myers does not murder a lot of people in the movie, but the murders lack tension making each death feel like a popcorn moment. The movie makes a point to reference the first film where Michael kills five people; in the current movie, he kills at least double that amount to little fanfare. The majority of his victims are unimportant, random extras that elicit no reaction from the audience. When he finally threatens the main characters, I believed they were not in any real danger.

Other than the lack of tension and overall scariness, the movie is a mixed bag. There were plenty of well framed shots that made great use of lighting and some really great ideas in the movie that made it shine. However, those moments were weighed down by dialogue that felt dated and cliche relationships that Hollywood should have left behind.

Halloween (2018) wasn’t the scary movie I paid to see and it suffered for it. People wanted to be scared on a trip down nostalgia lane and good lighting won’t change their minds. If you really need to see a scary movie for Halloween, this might not scratch that itch. There is nothing that makes this movie a must see in theaters, though it’ll make a perfect rental down the road if you want to hear that theme song again.
6/10
That theme song though
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Bad Times at the El Royale - Review

10/13/2018

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Release Date: October 12, 2018​​​​​
At Pixar Animation Studios, they ask a question before they make a movie: why should this story be told. A lot of movies today answer that question with: it's a cool idea. Bad Times at the El Royale takes the same approach, where the idea is the driving force for the whole project. But the movie runs into a problem, and it doesn't know how to get itself out of it. The cool idea, the twist in the story, is revealed very early on in the movie. So that means it needs to keep you interested for the rest of the runtime. It is here where things get hard to watch.

The first act of the movie draws you in, illusions are shattered and mysteries take their place. It also creates dedicated story sections with title cards that break up the pace of the movie. I feel like this idea could have worked better without the title cards. Instead of cutting to black just show the next scene, the audience will get it. Plus, the driving force of the story is taken out of the movie, leaving an empty feeling.

But the movie keeps going, and it's a long one as well, coming in at two hours and twenty minutes. I don't know exactly what to cut, but the movie needed to be at least twenty minutes shorter. It feels like the story didn't
 know where to go after setting up all of the characters. It adds a plot line that doesn't seem like it belongs. There is a constant tug of war happening between interesting, and uninteresting plot developments.
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When the movie finally ends, you will not feel satisfied. Sure, you get some decent performances. The guy who works at the hotel was a sleeper hit for me and became one of my favorite performances. John Ham continues to look amazing but not create enough of a presence for me on screen. Everyone else seemed like they could be doing a better job. Whether that came down to how they were directed, how the movie was edited, or whatever their agents want to say, it all seemed weak.

This movie balances out though. There are lots of small moments where the movie clicks. Small moments where characters get to strut breathes life into the movie. The aesthetic is pleasing but doesn't go as far as I wanted it to go. It tries to be a movie that plays with expectations but doesn't do enough different to come off as smart. The overall experience comes up short which makes it easy to point out all of its flaws. Bad Times at the El Royale is not a bad movie, it just isn't a decent one.
5/10
Do I have to remind you that a 5 is neutral, neither positive nor negative?

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A Star is Born - Review

10/5/2018

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Release Date: October 5, 2018​​​​
There Really Was

The first trailer for this movie really set the tone for me. It was powerful and had a great song, making me really excited for this movie to come out. To my surprise, the movie opened with a song; obviously, I knew that there would be singing in the movie, I just didn't realize how much. The music becomes an integral part of how the story is told, becoming a plot device to bring characters together, drive them apart, and expose emotions otherwise not expressed.

A Star is Born is a good movie; not only is it really watchable, but it's a joy to do so. It makes you laugh and feel for all of the events that transpire. But I keep coming back to the music because of how much impact it has. For example, if you were to listen to the soundtrack, you would be able to grasp the entirety of the story. It acts as the anchor for the whole movie, pulling the audience deeper, making them invested quickly.

I am glad that the awards season has started off so strong. Someone said to believe the hype, but I haven't seen much of it. So I wanted to make it clear that this movie is definitely worth watching. Sure it's a slow burn, but it's important for you to understand the stakes that are built up.
I did ask what the movie was about at one point and got my answer within 20 minutes. It's definitely a slow burn, but you have to let it take its time.
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I will be listening to the soundtrack for the next week because the movie has some amazing music. Bradley Cooper does a great job singing, acting, and directing here, but huge props to Lady Gaga for being able to cry on camera. Cooper had one "cry" scene and didn't even shed a single tear. Watch A Star Is Born, really good stuff.
7.5/10
​The music and visuals are great but the story is lacking a true driving force

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Venom - Review

10/4/2018

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Release Date: October 5, 2018​​​
Better Than You Heard

I honestly can't believe the reception this movie is getting. I knew from the trailer that the movie was going to have problems, but people are straight up lying. Venom is an enjoyable movie, simple. It scratches an itch for me I didn't know I needed to be scratched. A comic book movie that has a plot with characters.

Venom is an origin story for a character that movie-going audiences haven't really been introduced to before. The dynamics set up between the characters really work to bring this movie to life. The conversations that Venom and Eddie have together are hilarious. The mannerisms and all the acting done by Tom Hardy is really convincing. The movie does a lot to have a lighter tone which makes it easier to enjoy. They even seemed to fix some of the janky CGI from the trailer making it look better.

Some things about the movie that could have easily been improved were: the music choice during the first third of the movie, the transitions to different scenes, and to hold off on all the slow-mo. It's not like these were the only things wrong with the movie, but the rest is more of a general complaint. It doesn't have the strongest plot, pretty generic, but it got the job done. A lot of this movie comes down to it being good enough with fun sprinkles. It's the sprinkles that really pushes this into the positive for me.
I need to address issues people have with this movie that I don't feel are justified. To the complaint about the movie being PG-13 and not rated R, buy the extended cut when it comes out on Blu-Ray. Plus, gore would not make me change how I felt about the movie. Maybe it might for others who didn't like it as much as I did, but I honestly don't believe the movie needed it. To the people complaining about the plot of the movie, sure it's pretty typical for a superhero movie, but guess what, SO ARE ALL THE OTHER MOVIES IT'S JUST LIKE. Plus, I would take this ok plot over the non-plot of Infinity War any day. My final address is to the people complaining about comic book accuracy. You are probably some of the worst people out there. You complain about these things only when it suits you. You let Marvel get away with changing things and praise them for it. Take your non-argument and shove it down your throat.

Venom is fun, watchable, and is getting a bad wrap. Tom Hardy does a great job acting in it. It is totally worth a watch whenever you want to go see it. Stay for the two after credit sequences, they are pretty cool.
6.5/10
The most unbelievable thing about the movie was having a serious boyfriend, six months after being engaged.

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