The History of Future Folk (2012)

Directed by John Mitchell and Jeremy Kipp Walker
Written by John Mitchell
Starring Nils d'Alaire, Jay Klaitz, Julie Ann Emery, April L. Hernandez and Dee Snider (Yup)

The possibly exaggerated origin story of the real life alien bluegrass band, Future Folk, that has been playing for NYC audiences for the better part of a decade.

The history of a relatively popular comedy duo from New York City, "The History of Future Folk" is definitely not short on imagination. A story about aliens sent to destroy Earth only to fall in love with music, which their planet did not have.

The music the duo creates is catchy and topped off with clever lyrics and catchy melodies. The idea of a couple of aliens adapting to Earth culture provides humorous imagery, particularly when they wander around a Cost-Co like store in amazement.

The film itself is nothing special. The acting of the protagonist is bland to the point where I can't tell if he's just bad at acting, or he feels that a hardened General from the plant Hondo would have a lack of emotion comparable to someone who has had too many Botox injections.

However, the creativity of this film, and the devotion of creating a back story to their musical duo was enough to make this film interesting. And regardless of it's catchy songs, it is an entertaining movie.

My Rating: 6/10

The Age of Adaline (2015)

Directed by Lee Toland Krieger
Written by J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Paskowitz
Starring Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Harrison Ford and Ellen Burstyn

A young woman, born in 1906 is involved in a freak accident which renders her ageless. As decades pass, she finds herself staying exactly the same as she was. Soon, people begin to notice, causing her to have to live her life constantly on the run. But after a lifetime and a half, she meets a man who might be worth exposing her secret to.

Unlike the titular character, this film keeps no secrets. In an incredibly coherent and detailed way, the cause and effect of what Adaline experienced is explained with uninhibited clarity. With each passing life event, the audience is told exactly where the protagonist stands. However, this does cause the plot to be very predictable.

Regardless of the lack of mystery behind what will happen next, I found myself wanting my prognosis to come to fruition. Everything that happens to the character is what is best for the story. It is most certainly a crowd pleaser.

Arguably, the most engrossing scenes of the film are those in which Harrison Ford first meets (or re-meets) Adaline. He shows an incredible vulnerability unlike I have ever seen from him before. It was as if it wasn't the same man who is Han Solo or Indiana Jones. He was completely unrecognizable in his mannerisms.

The man playing Ford's younger counterpart was incredible as well. He captured the deep, rumbling voice that many of us are accustomed too as well as the slight fluctuations that made it undeniable that this was William (Ford's character) in his 20s.

Blake Lively had the poise and sophistication of an old soul, creating a completely believable characters of a 107 year-old stuck in a 28 year-old's body. She commanded each scene with a grace that was reminiscent of the stars in the golden age of Hollywood.

It is definitely a film you have to be in the right mindset to see. As is the standard with all romantic films, many scenes are cringe worthy and filled with sappy one-liners. But where romances fail, as in the story and acting (I'm looking at you Nicholas Sparks!), this film exceeds expectations.

My Rating: 7/10

Movie Trailer Tuesdays - 3/24/15

Welcome back to Movie Trailer Tuesdays! This week, we bring back memories of trying to get the high score at the arcade so you could make your initials "A-S-S", I talk about my confusion of the story choice for the third installment of "Insidious", and we look at just how ridiculous "Mission: Impossible 5" looks. Here we go!

Pixels

Directed by Chris Columbus

Starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Peter Dinklage and Josh Gad

When aliens misinterpret video feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war, they attack Earth in the form of video games…

I'd be lying if I didn't say I think this looks awesome. It looks utterly ridiculous and filled with nostalgia. There is a 95% that this will be terrible, but screw it. I'll get excited for this one! I haven't been disappointed by a movie in a long time and I'm over due for one. "Pixels" hits theaters July 24th.

Man Up

Directed by Ben Palmer

Starring Lake Bell, Simon Pegg, Olivia Williams and Rory Kinnear

A woman who is mistaken for a stranger's blind date, goes along with the misunderstanding thinking it'd be harmless. But she finds herself caught up in the perfect relationship based on a lie.

If Simon Pegg made a movie in which he painted a room white with three coats over the span of an hour and a half, I would see it. He probably brings the most humanity to his style of comedy out of any actor I'm familiar with. So, I would see this for him alone. Lake Bell is just a plus. Even if she is doing a weird British accent (weird for her at least). "Man Up" will be at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 19th. No release date has been set for the U.S.

Insidious: Chapter 3

Directed by Leigh Whannell

Starring Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Angus Sampson and Leigh Whannell

A prequel set before the haunting go the Lambet family that reveals how gifted psychic, Elise Rainier, reluctantly agrees to use her ability to contact the dead, in order to help a teenage girl who has been targeted by a dangerous supernatural entity.

This looks cool and all, but what happened to the family at the end of the second one? Where Specs and Tucker visit that hispanic family, and Elise Rainier (as a ghost) sees something in the shadows of the corner? That is what really intrigued me about a third installation. But now, they;re going back to before the first movie? I wanted the story they teased at the end of the last one. Oh, well… Maybe that'll be Chapter 4. "Insidious: Chapter 3" hits theaters June 5th.

Broken Horses

Directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra

Starring Anton Yelchin, Chris Marquette, Vincent D'Onofrio and María Valverde

The bonds of Brotherhood, the laws of loyalty, and the futility of violence in the shadows of the US-Mexico border gang wars.

This definitely looks intriguing, but I can't say I'm impressed with the trailer. It doesn't help that it opens with James Cameron telling us to go see the movie. and I also feel it tells too much. But who knows. Perhaps this is just the tip of the iceberg. "Broken Horses" hits theaters April 10th.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie

Starring Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Alec Baldwin

Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate - an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying IMF.

"Hey! I have an idea for a 'Mission: Impossible 5'"

"We can't make another, Tom! How are we gonna top having you swing from a rope on the Burj Khalifa? It's the tallest building in the world!"

"Well, what if I and holding onto a plane… while it's flying!"

That's how I imagine the pre-production meeting for this movie went. And I'm not mad. This movie looks fun as hell and I am looking forward to seeing it. "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" hits theaters July 31st.

Thanks for checking out this weeks trailers. Be sure to come back next week when we'll have more. In the mean time, check out some of my reviews. You might find a movie you have never heard of before.

The Man Who Laughs (1928)

Directed by Paul Leni
Written by J. Grubb Alexander and Walter Anthony
Based on the Novel by Victor Hugo
Starring Conrad Veidt, Mary Philbin, Olga Baclanova and Cesare Gravina

When a proud noble refuses to kiss the hand of the despotic King James II in 1690, he is cruelly executed and his son is surgically disfigured to have a perpetual smile. When the child is adopted by an old man, he becomes a sideshow at fairs across the country and gains much fame.

This is not the dark story I was expecting after reading exerts from the novel. And nowhere close to as depressing as we have been accustomed from Victor Hugo, this film is teeters on the edge of it's brooding source material, but never falters. Made for a pre-great depression audience, I can only assume the tragic tones of the book were not favored in the production of this classic movie.

It is categorized as horror, although only by the silent-era's standards. But it fails to create the unsettling tones of other films in the genre back then. Films like "The Cabinet of Dr. Caliagari" and "Nosferatu" were proof that America had a long way to come before equaling the quality of German silent-horrors, in which they were unmatched.

That is not to say that "The Man Who Laughs" is a bad film. There is a reason that the film studios didn't destroy the copies of this film to make space for newer movies (which sadly was quite frequent). This is a classic. Although I would categorize it more as a romantic-drama by today's standards. It fits better in that genre, in my opinion.

And at times, comedic.

Conrad Veidt was incredible as the titular character. He perfectly encapsulated a man insecure with his own appearance, who wanted nothing but to not be laughed at. To think of how many hours he worked with that huge smile on his face, but also having to express sadness through his eyes is truly astonishing.

With all of these silent films I have been watching, I am beginning to believe that the golden age of cinema was, in fact, the silent era, not the 40+ years following it. The scale and ingenuity of these films make them incomparable to any films to come in later years. The amount of emotion they expressed with no works, apart from the few shown on title cards, is and impressive feat.

And, yes. The Joker was inspired by the character design of Gwynplaine.

My Rating: 6/10