I wasn't sure what to expect before watching Green Room. I saw the trailer and was intrigued—a thriller combining touring bands playing raucous punk rock, and the evil kingpin being played by the illustrious Sir Patrick Stewart? You had me at thriller, you sealed the deal at Jean-Luc.
For this edition of METAL MARCH, Chris the Frog from CJLO's Sewer Spewer (Wednesdays at 1PM) runs down his top three must-see films with dark, heavy metal themes. Normal people beware!
Before we start this countdown, let's state the obvious: there are some great films released this year that I haven't gotten around to seeing yet. Also, this list is ever-changing, so as 2015 becomes 2016 you can check back as we update it via Letterboxd. A big thank you to guest contributor and movie aficionado Sean S.
There is no doubt that Brian Wilson is both extremely talented and an individual who is hurting deep down, as seen in Bill Pohlad's new film, Love & Mercy. The film succeeds at telling Brian Wilson's story, but at times the editing is very choppy. Paul Dano is convincing as a young Brain Wilson, however there are some issues with seeing John Cusack as a much older Brian Wilson. The songs are all there as they go through the surfer-boys phase, right up too Brain Wilson's Smile. Yes, Love & Mercy captures the musical talent of Brian Wilson and his personal issues, however it lacks the social background of the era.
Let me cut to the chase and just post my first initial reactions to Disney Pixar's new film Inside Out: Man tears flowed out of me while I reminisced on childhood days. Inside Out is the best film I have seen so far this year, and it is possibly one of the best animated features I have seen in a while. It finds the long lost spirit and heart of Pixar.
Universal Pictures 2015 - Directed by Elizabeth Banks and written by Kay Cannon
Oh no! It's the dread of having to review another sequel, which only means that it has to supersede its primary, the first one in the series. After the strong success of the first Pitch Perfect (2012), a sequel was bound to happen in the hopes to answer the fan's question, "whatever happened to The Bellas?" Luckily, Pitch Perfect 2 retains its core to showcase great musical numbers set to choreography, a great cast ensemble who make up The Bellas, and the witty banter of John and Gail. This film is a directorial debut for Elizabeth Banks.
Cop Car, directed by Jon Watts, had to be one of the best films screened at Fantasia this summer. Being a fan of dark comedies (a genre Fantasia serves up in abundance) and Joel and Ethan Coen, Cop Car resonated well with me. Let me take a moment to gush over what a fan I am of star Kevin Bacon, who is quite a reserved and humble individual. This is one of Mr. Bacon's darker roles, but he eases in and out of the bad-sheriff good-sheriff routine in a matter of seconds.
There have been many films in the horror genre over the years that deal with demonic possession and how the characters came be to possessed (The Exorcist, The Exorcism of Emily Rose), but never the aftermath of the ordeal, or how the victim's life and the lives of those around them are affected. With Ava's Possessions, screenwriter and director Jordan Galland tries to show how a character must answer for her actions in the aftermath of her possession. This dark comedy works the same techniques as most exorcism movies, but subverts the genre by adding humour and answering the unexplainable.
Disclaimer: The beliefs expressed in the film She Who Must Burn do not reflect the writer's own views, nor those of CJLO 1690AM, CJLO's editorial board, our partners and affiliates.
Sadly when the time came to catch the premiere of Ant-Man at Fantasia, I had to miss out because of work. Thursday night was the official film premiere and the theatre was packed for the first showing, that was presented in a 3D Dolby Atmos theatre. The crowd was gleamed with excitement as they traded Marvel factoids that made me wish I brought the Marvel Encyclopedia from my coffee table. Everyone including myself is asking the question will the comedic actor of the Judd Apatow franchise of films pull it off. All eyes were on Paul Rudd to make everyone forget Seth Rogen started in The Green Hornet.