Giovanni Ribisi | Geekscape

We Attended The Alamo Drafthouse ‘The Bad Batch’ Film Premier Event!

by AllieHanleyJune 20, 2017

Writer/director Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night) debuted her new film Sunday at a truly eclectic event venue just outside of Austin, called Stunt Ranch. There was a lot to see and do including a Q & A with Amirpour, the film’s star Suki Waterhouse, and Alamo Drafthouse’s own Tim League hosting from a chair wearing pajama bottoms. He discussed his love for Amirpour while also apologizing for his attire and emotional state as he is in the middle of recovering from several broken ribs and other injuries from an accident.

In the spirit of “keeping Austin weird” the event was just more than your standard screening with a “Q and A” session as it also featured a vast pit barbecue, trapeze (yes you read that right), ax throwing, zip lining, jumping into a huge air filled cushion bag from 30 feet up, pictures in front of a flaming van, a pool, and even more. In true Alamo Drafthouse style the event was also simulcast to other theater venues across the US so movie goers who live outside of Austin could enjoy the wasteland film.

The film “The Bad Batch” stars Suki Waterhouse, as well as four other high profile, actors, Jason Mamoa (starring in Justice League as Aquaman), Keanu Reeves (John Wick), Giovanni Ribisi (Avatar) and as a total surprise Jim Carrey (Dumb and Dumber) who was in a role that made him barely recognizable. You have to wonder just how did this apocalyptic film featuring cannibalism, capture the attention and the participation from such well known actors into a genre film?

The story can be described as a high bred of “Escape from New York,” “The Hills Have Eyes,” and maybe even a bit of “Mad Max.” This wasteland tale takes place in the badlands of Texas, but think more golf cart rather than supped-up hot rod.

When people don’t conform they are tattooed with a number and the initials BB for “Bad Batch” and dropped off into a place that looks absolutely desolate. Waterhouse is captured within the first few minutes of the film and brought to a town called “The Bridge” where god awful things happen to her. You won’t be able to look away.

Meanwhile in another town not far from The Bridge is Comfort, where Reeves character, The Dream (that’s his name) has a harem of pregnant, automatic weapon carrying women, who act as his personal guards. He delivers a life inspiring speech about the dream… “We aren’t good. We are bad. We are the Bad Batch!” in typical Reeves style where the dialogue borders on corny but at the same time is exquisitely perfect. The town throws nightly raves featuring free acid tabs and pounding beats.

If this hasn’t sparked your interest then consider ten scantily clad muscle bound men lifting weights, an awesome acid trip featuring stunning images of the night sky, an adorable gray bunny, a human being butchered, and a resounding sound track that at times makes you want to stand up and dance.

At risk of spoiling it no more details will be provided except to say that “The Bad Batch” is absolutely riveting. Amirpour’s breathless and mesmerizing story-telling has made me a fan for life. Amid a summer of rehashed tales and massive marketing campaigns for super hero films, I recommend stepping into something different. “The Bad Batch” won’t disappoint genre film lovers.

I want to see it again.

The film opens June 23.

This film premiered at Fantastic Fest last September.

Rating: R (for violence, language, some drug content and brief nudity)

Genre: Thiller, Horror, Genre
Directed By: Ana Lily Amirpour
Written By: Ana Lily Amirpour
In Theaters: Jun 23, 2017 limited
Runtime: 115 minutes
Studio: NEON

Geekscape Movie Reviews: Ted 2

by MCDaveJune 27, 2015

Animation guru, Seth MacFarlane, proved once and for all with his 2012 comedy hit, Ted, that he was capable of transitioning to a big screen director. And while his sophomore effort, A Million Ways to Die in the West, was an absolute disappointment, MacFarland attempts to get back to his comfort zone with the highly anticipated sequel, Ted 2. Regrettably, though, MacFarlane will have to continue trying to top his original work.

A few years have passed and John (Mark Wahlberg) has divorced while Ted’s ties the knot with his grocery store check-out co-worker, Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth). With a shaky marriage brewing between the Teddy bear and his foul-mouthed wife, they decide that having a child is the only way to reconcile. However, in order to adopt a child (due to Tami-Lynn’s drug-destroyed ovaries), Ted must prove that he’s a person in a court of law. So they enlist the help of a novice trial lawyer named Samantha Jackson (Amanda Seyfried) and take on the almighty powers that be.

Ted 2‘s brightest moments occur when Seth MacFarlane sticks to his mantra of one-liners and merciless zingers regarding pop culture icons. The writer-director is massively effective when it comes to constructing these kinds of jokes. However, MacFarlane struggles to develop a cohesive and sensible story to help put his comedic prowess on display. He completely misses by continuing his blind loyalty to actor Giovanni Ribisi. After Ribisi’s character nearly spoiled the franchise’s first installment, there is absolutely no need to revive “Donny” in this sequel. While the blame deserves to land solely on MacFarlane’s shoulders, as Ribisi has proven that he’s a capable actor, Ted 2 suffers from an unforgivable second act that’s plagued by unnecessary subplots and an over-extended script that pushes the comedy far past its desirable limits.

The third feature from Seth MacFarlane isn’t all doom and gloom, however. Just like the original, Mark Wahlberg gives a fully committed performance once again and demonstrates his natural ability for eliciting laughs. Yet, despite Wahlberg’s fine work in the film, trading Mila Kunis for Amanda Seyfriend is ultimately a bit of a loss. While Seyfriend is merely serviceable, Ted 2 uses a long list of cameos from Liam Neeson, Jay Leno and Tom Brady to keep the jokes fresh. But in the end, all of these shining bright spots become inevitably overshadowed by a flimsy story that provides a brittle foundation for the comedy.

Of course Ted 2 will make you laugh, much like anything MacFarlane has his hand in. Nevertheless, you’re honestly better off revisiting the first film or soaking in some classic Family Guy episodes. This latest effort from Seth MacFarlane is by no means a complete bombshell, but it’s definitely a long-winded affair that offers very little more than a solid barrage of first-half laughs and a steady stream of second-half yawns.

GRADE: 3/5

Check out other work from MCDAVE at his host site

Geekscape Movie Review:s ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West’

by Dennis FinocchiaroMay 23, 2014

Seth MacFarlane’s newest film, A Million Ways to Die in the West, is absolutely hilarious and covers every single persons’ sense of humor. Need a laugh? You should definitely see it.

Of course, like his show Family Guy, it has over-the-top, crossing-the-line humor throughout. Dumb laughs? Of course. Physical comedy? Quite often. Funny song? Check. Pop culture references? Duh! Sarcasm galore. Dirty humor. High brow laughs. And of course, it has its fair share of poop and fart jokes. This movie has laughs for everyone’s sense of humor, no matter what.

What else really made the movie were the piles of cameos, both those that were spoiled for me (thank you so much, Internet) and the ones I somehow avoided by ignoring the trailers and spoilers. Some were random, others were completely planned out and precise, but overall each and every star who appeared in the film made it even funnier.

Even better? Sure I’m telling you to avoid the trailers, but much like those of Bad Grandpa, the Million trailers show parts of the funny scenes, but not the whole moment. The ice block scene? The shooting gallery? These are so much better in the film. Luckily, this is not one of those movies where all of the funny parts are given away in the trailer.

The actors were hilarious as well. Seth MacFarlane is always funny, but Charlize Theron doesn’t always get to be comedic and does an excellent job. Plus, with the likes of Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman and Neil Patrick Harris, you know it will be jam-packed with laughs.

Plus, I have a feeling it has many “How did I miss that?” moments when watched a second time. Since I’ve only seen it once at a sneak preview, I can’t be sure…but I have a feeling that kind of humor was there too.

My only advice is to try your best to avoid spoilers. Don’t watch the extended trailers that are sure to start coming out. Don’t cross the “spoilers below” line in articles. And definitely don’t talk to your loud mouth friends who saw it before you. A lot of the humor relies on the surprise.

Overall, this movie gets 5/5 on the humor alone. See it as soon as possible! A Million Ways to Die in the West hits theatres on May 30th!