Tag: James Franco

Geekscape Movie Reviews: ‘Kin’

by AnalogJonesTOF

This Friday night I rented Kin – get ready for a dark, serious, science fiction film that misfires!

Directors: Jonathan and Josh Baker
Starring: Myles Truitt, Jack Reynor, Zoë Kravitz, and James Franco
Appearances by: Dennis Quaid, Carrie Coon, and Michael B. Jordan
Theater Release Date: August 31, 2018
Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes
Rated: PG-13

Geekscape Movie Reviews: 'Kin' | Kin Poster

Character Rundown
Myles Truitt plays Elijah Solinski, a young, adopted kid living in Detroit, and is our main protagonist.
Jack Reynor plays Jimmy Solinski, Eli’s brother who gets out of jail and plays our ever popular antihero.
Dennis Quaid plays Hal Solinski, a tough love blue-collar father and is a widower.
Zoë Kravitz plays Milly, a stripper that runs off with Elijah and Jimmy on their adventure.
James Franco plays Taylor Balik and is our main antagonist, a crime lord that supplies protection in prison.
Carrie Coon plays Morgan Hunter, an FBI agent that gets involved in a firefight at a police station.
Michael B. Jordan plays a “Cleaner.”

Quick Story Breakdown
While scrapping copper one day to sell, Eli finds a pair of futurist soldiers dead from a battle. Eli takes one of the soldier’s guns and brings it home. Jimmy, Eli’s brother, gets out of jail and needs a place to crash while he gets on his feet. Hal, Jimmy and Eli’s father, doesn’t get along with Jimmy. Hal warns Eli to watch himself around Jimmy after Eli gets kicked out of school for fighting.

While Jimmy was in prison, he needed protection and asked Taylor Balik, a local crime lord, to keep him alive while behind bars. Now, Jimmy owes $60,000 to the Balik brothers. Hal catches Jimmy and the Balik brothers trying to steal the cash out of Hal’s work safe. The robbery goes wrong, Jimmy grabs the money and runs off with Eli in Hal’s truck which leads to Taylor Balik chasing him the rest of the movie until the finale, a firefight in a police station.

Geekscape Movie Reviews: 'Kin' | Taylor Balik

Pros
The poster is badass! I’m an old video store kid, which means most of my movies are picked from the marketing. This film nailed the eye candy.

The gun that Eli finds is a dope weapon and does some severe damage. A fresh story point is that only Eli can use the gun, and its three destructive settings. Truthfully, the soldiers or cleaners look altogether is fun.

Speaking of Eli, Myles Truitt does an excellent job of secondary action. He delivers his lines well but always goes further to deepen his character with these thoughts behind his eyes and facial gestures. I hope to see Myles Truitt more in the future.

James Franco’s portrayal of the nasty and strange Taylor Balik is lovely to watch. I was more a fan of Taylor than Jimmy, which leads me into my cons.

Cons
Jimmy is a very unlikeable character. I’m not knocking Jack Reynor’s acting, he’s doing a solid job. Jimmy, on the other hand, keeps putting his brother Eli in terrible situations. The story tries to force you to like Eli and Jimmy with some brotherly mischief on this crazy road trip/chase. It’s not working, and you will find yourself cheering for Jimmy to leave Eli out of his stupid plan.

Zoë Kravitz and Carrie Coon are wasted in their roles. Kravitz plays a stripper that takes a liking to Jimmy and Eli, but I can’t tell why. Coon’s FBI agent does next to nothing. I’m wondering if her role was cut down for time.

Final Thoughts
I had a lot of hope Kin (2018) would be a quiet gem ever since I saw the trailer and the short film “Bag Man” from 2014 that Jonathan and Josh Baker did, which lead to this movie. Sadly, Kin is an action sci-fi that misses the mark and seems to be a prequel to a much better film. I know this is the Baker brothers debut film and I think there is enough here to build on. Hopefully, they get another shot and Hollywood doesn’t bury them for one failure.

Final Grade: C-

Thanks for reading, and check out our podcast Analog Jones and the Temple of Film. We are a VHS Podcast that breaks down the box art, trailers and behind the scenes.

– Stephen M. Bay

Geekscape Movie Reviews: The Disaster Artist

by MCDave

James Franco’s intimate examination of a talent-less auteur-turned-cult legend debuted as a “work in progress” selection at this year’s SXSW Festival. And although I avoided the screening while there, mostly due to the fact that I had never seen The Room before, as rumblings of its sharp-comedic effectiveness grew, so did my anticipation for the film’s release. The Disaster Artist has found its way to select screens, and while the effort is certainly a solid watch, it’s also a far cry from the comedic gold we’ve come to expect from Franco and his crew of usual suspects.

When a shy and timid actor named Greg (Dave Franco) stumbles across the fearless performer Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) in an acting class, he immediately reaches out to him in hopes of doing a scene together for class. Yet, as their bond grows, Greg learns of Tommy’s mysterious financial security and they venture to L.A. together with visions of making it big. But as the harsh realities of Tinseltown begin to set in, Tommy and Greg quickly discover that, if they want to be in a “real Hollywood movie”, they’ll have to make it themselves.

What can be said about The Disaster Artist’s source material, The Room, that hasn’t been said already? The king of the “so bad it’s good” genre, Tommy Wiseau’s hysterically awful production proves to be a worthwhile central focus for director/actor James Franco. He tackles the strange and mysterious aura of Wiseau with immaculate precision. You can sense his passion and commitment for the project, which should be fully appreciated, but Franco’s performance also suffers from his usual bouts with hyperbole, even when portraying someone as outrageous as Wiseau. In fact, there were a few moments throughout the film where I caught myself favoring James’ brother, Dave Franco’s, onscreen work over his own Golden Globe and SAG-nominated performance. And from a pure story standpoint, The Disaster Artist struggles to get off the ground running. You’re forced to wallow through a stale first act before they finally jack-up the energy with the behind-the-scenes filming of The Room. To the movie’s credit, however, it does improve with every passing minute and concludes in a truly satisfying fashion. The Disaster Artist isn’t nearly as funny as I had hoped, but it’s still a strong and respectful homage to an unskilled visionary who somehow managed to make cinematic history.

GRADE: 4/5

For more reviews, trailers and movie lists visit MCDAVE’s host site

Watch The First Trailer For Hulu’s ‘11.22.63’ Adaptation!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: I feel very envious of you US-based readers right now.

As a Canadian, there’ll be no ahem-legitimate way for me to watch Hulu’s upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s 11.22.63, but it looks so damned cool I may just have to make the move stateside to see it (or, you know, use a VPN).

After teasing the series for some time now, Hulu has just debuted the first official trailer for the series.

11.22.63 is a thriller in which high school English teacher Jake Epping (James Franco) travels back in time to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy — but his mission is threatened by Lee Harvey Oswald, falling in love and the past itself, which doesn’t want to be changed.

The series also stars Chris Cooper, Josh Duhamel, T.R. Knight, Cherry Jones, Sarah Gadon, Lucy Fry, George MacKay and Daniel Webber.

Fittingly, 11.22.63 will debut on President’s Day, Feb. 15, 2016, on Hulu.

Take a look at the trailer below, and let us know if you’re looking forward to this enticing series!

https://youtu.be/NXUx__qQGew

Geekscape Games Reviews: ‘Guitar Hero Live’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Guitar Hero is back, baby.

Honestly, I left the Guitar Hero brand years ago. After spending far, far too many hours than what would be considered ‘healthy’ on Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero 2 (not to mention garnering far, far too many blisters over that period of time), Activision’s Guitar Hero 3 left me disappointed in its song selection and new mechanics, and in that, my attention shifted to Harmonix’ own Rock Band series.

At that time, all that I was interested in was playing songs with my friends (and staying far away from the microphone due to embarassment), and of course, at that time, Rock Band provided a far better group experience.

Obviously, both Guitar Hero and Rock Band disappeared for years after the all-too similar Rock Band 3 and Guitar Hero: World Tour, yearly updates, and an astronomical amount of expensive plastic controllers led to the entire rhythm genre all but disappearing entirely.

Now it’s late 2015, and both Activision and Harmonix have bet that we’re all ready to pick up our (new) plastic instruments and rock out once again, and boy were they right.

Guitar Hero Live and Rock Band 4 both launched within a few short weeks of each other, and thankfully this time around, both titles are completely different… Well, aside from the fact that you’re still playing plastic instruments.

This time, Rock Band 4 feels incredibly similar to 2010’s Rock Band 3 (but better looking, of course), and is banking on the idea that you loved Rock Band, want a similar experience, and also want access to the myriads of DLC that you likely purchased way back in the day. It’s a great idea, and the transferring of DLC alone is likely to ensure a lot of purchases from gamers who played the last game in the series, but again, things are pretty same-y with this iteration.

Guitar Hero Live? Well, it’s almost unrecognizable from any other game in the series, and it banks on an idea that I haven’t seen ever in the genre, and rarely anywhere else (well, since the 90’s, anyways): full motion video.

https://youtu.be/6SnIZgESm4c

And it’s absolutely incredible. It’s impressive to the point that during the game’s tutorial I began laughing wildly at just how impressive everything looked.

See, Guitar Hero Live removes the silly, cartoon caricatures, animated crowds, and insanely busy HUD of previous iterations, and replaces them with a simple interface and beautiful footage of real performers on real stages, performing to real crowds.

Again, it’s insane. The game is played from a first person perspective; you are the guitar player, and the HUD consists of only the fret board, the notes, and your current note streak. Gone is the gauge that tells you just how well (or poorly) you’re doing, and there’s no score onscreen either. So how do you know how you’re doing? The crowd (and your bandmates), obviously.

Play well, and your bandmates will look at you with sheer excitement as you put on the best performance of your lives. Play well, and the crowd will jump, cheer, sing along, and generally freak out. And then there’s the opposite. If you stink, your bandmates will look at you with sheer confusion, the crowd will go silent, and you’ll genuinely feel bad for what you’re doing. If you’re doing really poorly, your band will look completely pissed, and the crowd will actually begin to throw things at you.

Remember that this is Guitar Hero Live, so rather than flipping through a menu to select your music after playing just one song at a time, you’ll actually be playing setlists and different venues during two fictional festivals, SoundDial in the UK, and Rock the Block in the US. Instead of one track at a time, you’ll generally be playing three or four before returning to a menu. This is great because it keeps you in the action for far longer than in past games, and once you’re into the 2spooky4me harder modes in the game, it intensifies the challenge as your fingers are bound to get exhausted.

Speaking of fingers getting exhausted, this new controller was hard to get used to. This isn’t a fault of the controller at all, but it’s so different that it definitely impeded my playing for some time. See, instead of having five buttons across the neck of the guitar (one each for five ‘frets’), the new guitar has two sets of three buttons, one on top of the other. This means that the game should be more approachable for beginners, as they actually have to move less, but also far more challenging for expert players, as technically there’s an extra button along with the addition of chords. For me, it was kind of like trying to learn a bicycle that pedals completely differently from the kind that you already know how to ride. For instance, seeing a note coming at you on the left of the fretboard, and then on the right of the fretboard and now technically just two buttons apart, but being used to the older controllers, I’d instead reach across the neck for buttons that no longer exist.

https://youtu.be/bolwf2q9Vb8

Once I put in some substantial time with the controller, however, things were great, and I actually felt the new axe to be more comfortable than any I’d used in the past. Go figure.

There’s a myriad of tracks available in Guitar Hero Live, and I’m not sure if I’m just getting old, or if I just don’t listen to any current popular music, but I certainly recognized far fewer songs that I would have in earlier games in the series. Don’t get me wrong, they’re definitely not bad, but I did’t have the ‘oh, I already love all of these songs’ feeling that I did with earlier titles. Tracks range from classics like Warrant’s ‘Cherry Pie’, The Who’s ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’, The Rolling Stones ‘Paint It Black’ and more, and there are also tracks that I never thought I’d see in a Guitar Hero game (and that I don’t even really know) like Eminem’s ‘Berzek’, Skrillex’ ‘Bangarang’ and many more. In any case, the game’s current setlist is right here.

So that’s Guitar Hero Live. You’ll note that I didn’t mention anything about actually playing with friends, racking up crazy scores, or anything like that.

Well, Guitar Hero Live is actually only half of the game.

Actually, the first thing that you’re presented with each time you boot up Guitar Hero Live is which mode you’d like to play, Live, or TV.

GHTV actually feels far closer to the mechanics of Guitar Hero games of generations passed; multipliers, hero powers, and customization all make a triumphant return, but again, instead of cheesy characters and a one-song-at-a-time philosophy, GHTV becomes the ultimate party game by having you simply play over top of music videos. It’s freaking brilliant.

As of now, you have two different live channels to choose from, the aptly named GH1 and GH2. Each has different programming on at different times, so if you’re not feeling the indie tracks on GH1 at the moment, you’ll find something else entirely running on GH2. I should probably give you an ample warning about GHTV, however: it is unbelievably, undeniably addicting. Numerous times, I picked up the guitar and expected to play through a few videos before moving on with my day, and those good intentions turned into me pulling the Netflix classic ‘just one more’ for what felt like several hours. Another addictive element is the completion aspect of GHTV. Because it’s always online, you’ll see how you’re performing in your current song compared to 9 other players that are at your skill-level. This led to me swearing at my TV far, far too often as I messed up a note streak, and also had me giddy with excitement as I made some unexpected comebacks.

A great progression system certainly keeps you coming back for more, as you can unlock alternate fretboards, new hero powers, player cards, as well as in-game currency that lets you play songs on demand.

https://youtu.be/4fQccRAO40U

Here’s where Guitar Hero Live’s GHTV mode has been receiving some controversy that I really don’t understand. Gone are the old days of spending cash on DLC that you’ll either play all the time, or just a handful. Sure, this old model ensured that you could have instant access to tracks that you loved whenever you wanted to play them, but it did absolutely nothing for another very important aspect of these games: music discovery. You downloaded everything you knew and loved off of the store, and ignored everything else, because you weren’t willing to spend a few dollars on something that you weren’t already familiar with. This is totally natural, and it totally makes sense, but how much great content did you miss out on because the old games simply had no real discovery system?

GHTV is amazing because it’s almost all discovery. You play through hundreds, and hundreds, of music videos, many they’ll have never seen or heard before, and you’ll absolutely fall in love with many of them. I know that I now have plenty of bands, songs, and albums on my phone that I would have never even heard without the help of GHTV.

So the controversy comes from the fact that you never really buy anything. Every song that you play earns you in-game currency, which you can use to play any song in the game’s expansive library, on-demand. There’s no way to simply say ‘Hey, I really love Boston’s ‘ More Than A Feeling’, and pay an actual amount of money to have it in your library, forever. You access the track with the in-game currency that you’ve already earned, or you can pay some real money for a buttload of said currency.

The big thing to note here, is that in the many, many hours that I’ve played the game, I’ve never actually felt like I actually had to spend money. The game rewards you with currency at a very steady rate (after every single song you play, in fact), and it’s not tough whatsoever to buy a pack of ‘Play Tokens’ that allow you play through whatever the heck you want.

https://youtu.be/Pk69OcbOJDQ

I may be in the minority, but I actually feel like this model is incredible. Instead of spending actual, real money to download a song that I may or may not play a handful of times, I just have to play the addictive as hell GHTV channels, which I’d be doing anyways to earn the ability to play whatever I want. I actually find that I generally gravitate towards GH1 or GH2, and only actually jump into an on-demand track when I feel like I need a break, or I’ve just found a song that I’d like to play again. As of this writing I have nearly 50 Play Tokens available to me (and enough currency to buy more), and I haven’t spent a single dime. So yes, while these are technically micro-transactions, they’re definitely micro-transactions that are far, far different from a game that you’ve downloaded for free on your smart phone.

GHTV also offers very intriguing ‘Premium’ content, which you can access, again, with real money, or by completing in-game challenges. Premium content includes anything anything from new music videos in GHTV to live concert footage that you can play along to. It seems pretty neat, and if I was going to spend real money on the game, I’d rather have it be to play along to a live performance of one of my favourite bands, rather than to simply download one of their songs.

GHTV also, of course, supports multiplayer. Grab another guitar controller, and you can compete with your local friends, and you can also hook up a microphone in order to let someone perform vocals. It’s just as much fun as you’d expected to be, and it’s just as much fun as you remember from previous games. It may even be a little bit cooler, as the fact that you’re simply playing over-top of music videos is really, really slick.

I am absolutely in love with this game. After a much needed, years-long break, Guitar Hero is back, and it’s better than ever. There’s really nothing not to love about Guitar Hero Live, from its incredible full motion video-based Live mode, to the insanely addictive nature of GHTV, and at this point in 2015, it’s probably the most fun I’ve had with any video game this year. Really, I can’t wait to jump back into it, and I can’t wait to see how the game and how GHTV’s already impressive offerings evolve as time goes on.

Guitar Hero Live scores an encore-worthy 5/5.

https://youtu.be/123m8R16p04

Celebrate The Launch Of ‘Rock Band 4’ With A New Trailer For ‘Guitar Hero Live’!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: All this has happened before, and all of it will happen again.

Yes, the plastic instrument war begins anew this month, with the launch of Rock Band 4 today and Guitar Hero Live on October 20th.

Rock Band 4 may have Guitar Hero Live beat when it comes to release date, but none of the ads I’ve seen for Rock Band 4 have had as much influence on me as this Guitar Hero Live video does.

See, Rock Band 4 looks largely similar to the games that preceded it (though with a much, much larger library this time around), while Guitar Hero Live looks to be doing something completely different, focusing on an actual concert experience with real crowds and real reactions (as well as the social GHTV, which sounds interesting as hell).

In any case, today’s video shows James Franco and Lenny Kravitz duking it out in the game’s ‘Win the Crowd’ mode, which looks like so much fun. Take a look.

https://youtu.be/ev66m8Obosw

So, are you looking forward to the resurgence of these instrument-powered titles? Or is this a niche that would wish would stay dead?

Geekscape Movie Reviews: True Story

by MCDave

Whenever you hear a cast headlined by Jonah Hill and James Franco your natural instinct is to expect a comedy, but nothing could be further from the truth in Rupert Goold’s Sundance selected drama, True Story. Despite Hill’s and Franco’s reputations as comedic powerhouses, both have proven that their more than capable of handling dramatic work. The duo, along with last year’s Best Actress nominee Felicity Jones, form a trio of performing talent that undoubtedly elevate True Story to respectable heights.

The film is based on the real life story of a former FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted, Christian Longo (played by Franco), who was apprehended in Mexico and found to be living under the name of Michael Finkel (Hill), a recently dismissed writer for the New York Times. Once Finkle discovers this bizarre reality, he meets with Longo and the two form an unusual relationship as the prisoner awaits trial for the murder of his wife and three children. Longo grants the writing pariah exclusive rights to his story as Finkle dives deeper and deeper to learn the truth of what happened that fateful night.

true story 1

True Story is an immensely gripping crime drama comprised of worthwhile performances and a stellar screenplay. At its core is the cerebral chess match so perfectly executed by the onscreen duo of Jonah Hill and James Franco. Writer and director Rupert Goold’s well-crafted story does a fantastic job of taking the audience on Finkel’s blind journey into the mind of an accused killer. The story regularly shifts back and forth between believing in Longo’s innocence one moment, and then doubting it the next. True Story has all the appeal of a CSI crime show with top-flight acting and an edge-of-your-seat script.

true story 2

Despite the film’s strong performances and captivating screenplay, True Story finds flaws in various other areas. While The Theory of Everything star, Felicity Jones, is a remarkable talent, her efforts become nearly wasted in a melodramatic role that never provides an appropriate platform to shine. In addition, the film’s concluding scene is completely unnecessary and a hokey way to wrap up an otherwise solid feature. However, it wasn’t the only poor decision by Rupert Goold. The filmmaker also uses some peculiar camera angles and shots sporadically throughout the film that were head-scratching to say the least.

True Story is loaded with both bright spot and shortcomings, confirming it’s far-removed from an awards contending drama. Yet, fantastic performances are on display and a grisly story will keep you engrossed in the film. Before the summer blockbuster season kicks off on May 1st with the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, True story is an early-year release worthy of viewing.

GRADE: 3.5/5

Check out MCDAVE’s list of the Best Jonah Hill Films

Geekscape Movie Reviews: The Interview

by MCDave

By now the enormous controversy surrounding the Sony hack and the theatrical release of The Interview is old news, therefore, catching the latest effort from the team that brought us This Is the End was right at the top of my Christmas morning wish list. Yet, rather than mocking themselves like they did in their 2013 end of the world comedy hit, the trio of James Franco, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg set this new film’s focus on North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un. The rest is about as crazy and ridiculous as one might expect.

When producer Aaron Rapaport (Rogen) decides that he wants the face of his news show, David Skylark (Franco), to deliver more respectable news stories, the duo end up landing a coveted face-to-face interview with North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un (Randall Park). After news of the upcoming interview begins to spread, Aaron and David are approached by the CIA to assassinate the U.S. enemy. However, with these two dimwits as the mission’s only hope of success, a disaster is all but inevitable.

interview 1

After the entire circus surrounding The Interview‘s release, needless to say, Sony Pictures must be thrilled over the publicity its film has received. And now that I’ve finally viewed the highly anticipated comedy with my own two eyes, this cash cow is a major letdown on just about every level imaginable. Outside of a sluggish second half that’s beyond far-fetched and over the top, The Interview is barely anything more than a tiresome compilation of “dick” jokes and Lord of the Rings references. The film’s R-rating is earned solely through raunchy humor that is neither clever nor developed. James Franco constantly spews such ridiculous nonsense, hence,  those rare instances where he actually makes a comical retort are quickly squandered by his next rapid fire of  clear “misses”. Randall Park has a few shining moments as Kim Jong-un, but still he and Seth Rogen are hardly bright spots to the film, making The Interview one of 2014’s biggest comedy duds.

interview 2

In fairness, The Interview is a tale of two halves. The first is an engaging precursor which does a commendable job of setting up an abomination of a second portion. And since this Christmas movie theaters are packed with plenty of other prominent titles to choose from, I highly suggest picking something different. But if you’re desperately seeking a legitimate source of laughs, then Chris Rock’s Top Five would be a much better option. Or if an Oscar-bound drama could do the trick, then I’d highly recommend checking out either Wild or The Imitation Game.

There’s no doubt that the media hype circulating The Interview will drive audiences to the limited number of theaters releasing the film as well as the streaming options all over the internet. Sony Pictures is in for a huge payday with this one. However, you’d be better served skipping on this over-extended and minimally funny effort from a usually reliable team of comedians and looking elsewhere for your holiday cheer.

GRADE: 2/5

Check out a list of the best Seth Rogen and/or James Franco movies at MCDAVE’s host site

James Franco To Direct A Film Based On The Making Of Tommy Wiseau’s ‘The Room’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Here’s some interesting news for a slow, slow Saturday (aside from that cool Gotham casting anyways).

James Franco’s Rabbit Bandini production company has just picked up the film rights to The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, a book that digs deep into the production of what many consider the worst film of all-time, Tommy Wiseau’s The Room.

Here’s the synopsis for the book, which was written by actor Greg Sestero and journalist Tom Bissell:

Nineteen-year-old Greg Sestero met Tommy Wiseau at an acting school in San Francisco. Wiseau’s scenes were rivetingly wrong, yet Sestero, hypnotized by such uninhibited acting, thought, “I have to do a scene with this guy.” That impulse changed both of their lives. Wiseau seemed never to have read the rule book on interpersonal relationships (or the instruc­tions on a bottle of black hair dye), yet he generously offered to put the aspiring actor up in his LA apart­ment. Sestero’s nascent acting career first sizzled, then fizzled, resulting in Wiseau’s last-second offer to Sestero of costarring with him in The Room, a movie Wiseau wrote and planned to finance, produce, and direct—in the parking lot of a Hollywood equipment-rental shop.

 

Wiseau spent $6 million of his own money on his film, but despite the efforts of the disbelieving (and frequently fired) crew and embarrassed (and fre­quently fired) actors, the movie made no sense. Nevertheless Wiseau rented a Hollywood billboard featuring his alarming headshot and staged a red carpet premiere. The Room made $1800 at the box office and closed after two weeks. One reviewer said that watching The Room was like “getting stabbed in the head.”

 

The Disaster Artist is Greg Sestero’s laugh-out-loud funny account of how Tommy Wiseau defied every law of artistry, business, and friendship to make “the Citizen Kane of bad movies” (Entertainment Weekly), which is now an international phenomenon, with Wiseau himself beloved as an oddball celebrity. Written with award-winning journalist Tom Bissell, The Disaster Artist is an inspiring tour de force that reads like a page-turning novel, an open-hearted portrait of an enigmatic man who will improbably capture your heart.

 Franco has signed on to direct the film, and Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (who we’re recently in the news themselves for a long-awaited project) are set to produce?

Have you seen the film? Would you watch a movie about its creation? Sound out below!

http://youtu.be/yCj8sPCWfUw

Source: Deadline

Geekscape Movie Reviews: This Is the End

by MCDave

Seth Rogen’s first legitimate major motion picture impact came in 2005’s The 40 Year Old Virgin. It’s hard to believe that Rogen’s stranglehold on the comedy market hasn’t even lasted a full decade yet. However, the actor/writer and now director uses his latest platform, This Is the End, to reiterate the fact that he’s not quite done yet.

When the longtime friendship between Canadian-born pals Seth Rogen & Jay Baruchel begins to slowly wither away, Baruchel takes one last trip to California to salvage the relationship. Desperate to include Jay in his new group of friends, Rogen invites his childhood buddy to a party at James Franco’s pad. But rather than spending the evening renewing their friendship and, from Rogen’s standpoint, building new ones, the party full of celebrities must find a way to survive the apocalypse.

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Crude, vulgar and downright hilarious, This Is the End is a refreshingly pleasing comedic affair. While some pundits may argue that the film offers nothing more than cheap jokes and excessively immature humor, I would refute that writers/directors Seth Rogen and childhood friend Evan Goldberg stay loyal to their story. Even by the film’s satisfying conclusion (prior to the strange cameo-filled finale), This Is the End is a movie about “friendship”. Surely the jokes are overtly simple and frequently vile, yet they’re also plentiful and consistent. One huge selling point to the comedy is the fact that its characters are based on the real-life actors, actresses and entertainers we’ve grown to love over the years. In doing so, the cameo’s are absolutely hysterical and the viewer becomes transported into the story. Perhaps the finest one comes from Michael Cera. The scrawny and pale actor is uproariously funny playing the party animal role. Cera’s brief but impactful cameo is just one of many effective elements in the summer blockbuster.

Despite the fact that This Is the End is a worthwhile flick, its weaker elements certainly can’t be ignored. For example, the film’s midsection clearly drags on while the plot appears indecisive about where it wants to go. Therefore, the comedy feels every bit of its 107 minute running time. Moreover, since This Is the End addresses apocalyptic themes, there are a great deal of special effects needed to sell the feature. Some are convincing, but many aren’t. But although the movie includes a slowly progressing storyline and weak visual effects, This Is the End accomplishes its ultimate goal of generating a plethora of laughs.

end 2

The beauty behind This Is the End is the hilarious interaction between its celebrity stars. Danny McBride, Jonah Hill and Craig Robinson all deliver valuable supporting turns that aid in welcoming the moviegoer into the inside joke that is the film. With no shortage of laugh-out-loud moments and a purposeful “message” hidden somewhere in its moderately flimsy story, This Is the End feels like a summer comedy standout. If you find yourself searching for a fun-filled good time, I suggest taking a shot on This Is the End. Just make sure that you go in with tempered expectations.

GRADE: 3.5/5

Check out other MCDAVE work at his host site Movie Reviews By Dave

Watch The First Clip From ‘This Is The End’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Following the hilarious red band trailer from last week, Columbia Pictures has released the first clip from their upcoming end-of-the-world comedy, This is the End.

This is the End opens June 12th, and stars Seth Rogen, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, and Danny McBride. It also seems to have cameos from everybody else in Hollywood.

I haven’t seen the clip, as it’s region-locked and I’m in Canada, but check it out below, and… describe it to me? Please?

Source: MTV

Watch The Red Band Trailer For ‘This Is The End’

by Derek Kraneveldt

On December 21st of last year (remember, the day that the world was set to end?), a hilarious teaser trailer for This is the End released online to much fanfare. The teaser had Seth Rogen and James Franco in a bomb shelter, apparently after the apocalypse on December 21st.

Today, a red band theatrical trailer for the movie has been released. This preview gives us a much better idea of what (and who) to expect from the feature, which looks like an absolute blast.

This is the End opens June 12th, and stars Seth Rogen, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, and Danny McBride. It also seems to have cameos from everybody.

Watch the new trailer below, and let us know what you think!

As the world unravels outside, dwindling supplies and cabin fever threaten to tear apart the friendships inside.  Eventually, they are forced to leave the house, facing their fate and the true meaning of friendship and redemption.

Geekscape Movie Reviews: Spring Breakers

by MCDave

If you’ve seen the trailer for Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers, chances are you’re somewhat intrigued. You’re probably wondering if the outlandish looking crime-drama is a laughable farce or an original piece of filmmaking from a director best known as the writer of the controversial 1995 film Kids. Truth be told, Spring Breakers is a lot of both.

Childhood friends Faith, Brit, Candy and Cotty (played by Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, Vanessa Hudgens and Rachel Korine) want nothing more than to escape their small town life and travel to Florida for Spring Break. Having saved nowhere near enough money for the trip, the three girls (minus a somewhat ethical Faith) rob a local restaurant and secure enough funds to embark on their journey of personal discovery. However, while enjoying their time in the sun a little too much, they end up arrested and charged with some hefty fines. Consequently, a local drug-dealer/rapper named Alien (James Franco) bails the ladies out of jail and introduces them to a world of crime.

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Attempting to stand out as an original art-form, Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers offers a unique approach backed by very little substance. With overly repetitive dialogue (I swear you hear the sound clip of James Franco saying “Spring Break” about a hundred times) and a minimally progressing plot, the film serves as nothing more than a platform for director Harmony Korine’s artistic expression. However, the director takes full advantage of the opportunity and conjures up a rare stylistic gem. With enough quick-cuts in the editing room to trigger a seizure, Korine continually interweaves images of the present moment with short glimpses of the future. It becomes a highly anticipated and clever way of approaching an otherwise hollow story. Given such a bland foundation to build from, Spring Breakers blends together a high-octane score (courtesy of Drive‘s Cliff Martinez and Skrillex) and profound direction that can definitely be classified as avant-garde.

Another glowing aspect of Spring Breakers is a convincing enough cast that helps transform a ridiculous concept into an engaging movie. Most notable is an often up-and-down James Franco who never disappoints in his role. I was blown away by the actor’s Oscar Nominated performance in 2010’s 127 Hours, but still await a return to such heights. Although Franco’s onscreen efforts are by no means as transcending as his 2010 work, they represent a glimmer of hope that the potential to achieve similar results is still there. In addition to Franco, it deserves mention that all four of the girls leave their own impression on the story. Through the cast’s ability to generate memorable personas, it’s evident that director Harmony Korine has a deep understanding and purpose for each of his film’s characters. Yet, as a writer, Korine fails to deliver a reasonable enough script and dialogue to elevate Spring Breakers to something better than a lavish tale of social deviance.

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When you look back on Spring Breakers you’ll appreciate the feature for its innovative direction, rare style and memorable imagery. However, the memories will far surpasses the level of enjoyment you’ll experience while watching the film. This unorthodox consequence is the result of a flimsy foundation built on a one-dimensional story concerning multi-dimensional characters. Spring Breakers proves to be immensely bittersweet. You appreciate Harmony Korine’s keen vision, yet his work never feels as groundbreaking as it should. It’s worth waiting for Spring Breakers on DVD unless you’re absolutely dying for a disoriented rave-like party with some Dolby Digital sound mixing.

Grade: 3/5

For other work from MCDave you can visit his personal site Movie Reviews By Dave

Geekscape Movie Reviews: Oz The Great And Powerful

by MCDave

It’s safe to say that famed director Sam Raimi likes to “dabble”. He burst onto the scene in 1981 with his cult-classic horror film The Evil Dead. Continuing down a similar circuit for over the next 15 years, Raimi tweaked his strictly horror approach with 1998’s well-received crime thriller A Simple Plan starring Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton. From there, the director tried his hand at a sports film (For Love of the Game) and a superhero franchise (Spider-Man). But now, in 2013, Raimi has ventured somewhere very few people have ever gone … somewhere over the rainbow.

 

Oz the Great and Powerful follows Oscar Diggs (played by James Franco), a small-time circus magician with extremely questionable morals. But when his one true love is proposed to by another man, Oscar is whisked away from Kansas to the Land of Oz where he meets three witches (played by Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz), a monkey named Finley, a “China Doll” and a whole bunch of munchkins who help turn him into a great wizard and an even greater man.

 

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With all due respect to the Late-Great King of Pop, Michael Jackson, director Sam Raimi’s journey to the Land of Oz serves as the most memorable addition since 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. Raimi’s repeated and systematic approach offers moviegoers a friendly reminder of childhood nostalgia without ever breaking much new ground. An over-pouring of visual effects and vibrant imagery make for embellished technological achievements and diluted substance. Hence, Oz the Great and Powerful plays out like a living conundrum. For each of the film’s various glowing aspects, there lurks revisited ideas and flashy visuals. Much like the original journey to Oz that we’re all so familiar with, Raimi pays attention (and homage) to its distant predecessor by molding the entire experience around a wholesome and well-intended “moral to the story”. In doing so, Raimi’s Oz the Great and Powerful makes for a rather fun and affectionate film.

 

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Although Oz the Great and Powerful can be chalked up as an acceptable prequel, many of the feature’s shortcomings keep the movie straddling the line of mediocrity. While many will and should expect a visual extravaganza, the special effects aren’t all fantastic. The audience’s introduction to “the wicked witch” is a rather big letdown. Visually unappealing and completely unrealistic-looking, the big “reveal” becomes one of the picture’s most notable disappointments. In addition to some faulty visual aspects, Oz the Great and Powerful suffers from an almost unforgivable amount of poorly-acted scenes. Even relatively well regarded cast members such as James Franco and Rachel Weisz deserve an occasional “shame on you”. However, neither of the two disappoint as a much as an immensely miscast Mila Kunis. Despite many blatant flaws, Oz the Great and Powerful utilizes a simple brand of innocent humor and a kind-hearted nature to almost force the audience into a thumbs-up submission.

 

Sam Raimi’s broad perspective on filmmaking helps make for an enjoyable return to the Land of Oz. Even though Oz the Great and Powerful will never come close to standing up to the towering effect of the original, Raimi wins over the moviegoer by serving up a reminiscent and similar enough story. While I would normally suggest waiting for DVD for a film of this standing, most of its visual mastery warrants a trip to the big screen. If you’re up for the prolonged 130 minute journey, then take a chance with Oz the Great and Powerful.

 

GRADE: 3/5

 

To view more work from MCDave visit Movie Reviews By Dave

SXSW 2013 Review: Spring Breakers

by Brent Moore

Modern art makes me uncomfortable. I often feel like an imposter and intruder at museums, as I scan the wall, desperately hoping I’m not found out. Hoping no one asks me what I think of a piece and finds out I have no idea how to process the information. It’s just not a language I’m comfortable with. So much modern art seems to be trying to create meaning in a purely sensory way. I don’t operate well in a sensory world. I tend to be introverted and withdrawn. I interact with my environment in an intellectual and emotional way, but always a step removed. I don’t seek out hallucinatory or mind altering drugs. I have a hard time listening to many forms of electronic music whose main purpose to move you on a physical level. I rarely let myself just experience, I always analyze. I need a narrative and a context.

As such, I have been guilty of dismissing many forms of this sensory art, whether it be music or painting or film. I’ve called it lazy. I’ve accused it of only giving the illusion of meaning. But really the problem lies with me, and my dismissal is a shield.

So, what does that have to do with Spring Breakers? Spring Breakers, like most of Harmony Korine’s work, is an almost totally sensory experience. It is an art film through and through. It’s a barrage of color and shape and there is clearly meaning there, it just requires a different brain than mine. That’s not to say I don’t take anything away from it or that I dislike it, it just works on a different level than I’m comfortable with and requires extra effort on my part to derive meaning from it.

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This may seem like a strange disclaimer for a movie that seems to be marketed as a fairly conventional crazy party film filled with popular starlets, but anyone familiar with Harmony Korine should know better. The eccentric writer/director has never been anything close to conventional and he doesn’t start here.

The story of Spring Breakers, such that there is one, is about a group of four girls who are sick of their town and mundane lives and dream of going to Florida to experience the spring break that MTV and Girls Gone Wild have always told them about. Unfortunately they don’t have the money, so they do the only logical thing and rob a fried chicken joint. Now, with pockets stuffed, they head down to Florida and quickly find themselves in with a bad crowd. Sex and violence ensues.

The way this story is conveyed is what makes Spring Breakers unique. Korine makes heavy use of repeated imagery and sounds. Sometimes the same line of dialog will loop 4 or 5 times, usually juxtaposed with imagery that reveals a hidden truth about what’s being said. Much of the dialog comes in the form of voice over. We hear the girls talking dreamily about how perfect and life changing this trip is. About all the great people they’ve met. About how they’ve finally found themselves. All the while we are seeing images of slow motion bouncing breasts as alcohol is poured over them or images of violent crime.

There are some truly depraved images and sequences in this film, but they are set against this backdrop of naive musings and pop music that you would expect to see in a typical teen coming of age comedy. The film clearly has something to say about the misguided aspirations of today’s youth and the perversion of the American dream. It shows that there is a very thin line between the mind of a teenage girl and a hardened gangster. It shows the hidden danger of innocuous pop culture. Does it really have a concise message about any of this? Maybe. I’m honestly not sure, but it gets you thinking.

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This effect is reinforced by the casting of popular “safe” teen starlets. The casting of Disney alums Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens could be seen as a stunt, but I think it helps drive home a message. In a typical movie, these girls would be in over their head and see the folly of their ways but Spring Breakers is out to surprise you. It shows that the mind of a teenage girl “pretending it’s a video game” and trying to be a “bad bitch” is much more depraved and dangerous than a criminal just trying to make some illegitimate cash. Basically, Gucci Mane has got nothing on Ashley Benson.


The girls go a long way towards destroying their teen image, or at least using that image to disarm you. The only one who gets off clean is Selena Gomez who plays an innocent christian who gets out before things get too crazy. Gomez doesn’t so much as say a single curse word in the film, while her co-stars go all in with sex, nudity, drugs, violence, and true amorality.

Their spirit guide on this journey is James Franco as the rapping drug kingpin “gangsta mystic” Alien. Franco has an incredible amount of fun with the role and its exciting to watch. It’s impossible for him to be too over the top in a movie such as this and he takes that as a challenge.

All this bad behavior is backed by some truly incredible visuals and music. Korine has said that he wanted to world to look like it had been lit by candy and this definitely shows. The neon glow of the world calls to mind films like Enter the Void, which unsurprisingly used the same cinematographer, and the soundscape is straight out of Drive, which also utilized the genius of Cliff Martinez.

All in all, this is an audiovisual sensory experience that you should definitely seek out. You may, like me, have some trouble making logical sense of everything but perhaps approaching the movie intellectually is completely misguided. Just take it in and let yourself feel, if you can.

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Travel To Oz With Seven New ‘Great And Powerful’ Stills!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Disney today released a handful of new stills for their highly anticipated fantasy Alice In Wonderland Oz: The Great and Powerful. Sam Raimi directs a plethora of stars including James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, and more.

As similar as some of the visuals may look to Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, Oz does look rather gorgeous. The film tells the extremely intriguing story of just how Oscar Diggs became the wonderful wizard. Check out the new stills below, and let us know what you think!

Are you looking forward to this one? Again, Oz: The Great and Powerful hits theatres on March 8th.

Source: Lebanese Cinema Movie Guide

Watch The Hilarious Red Band Teaser For ‘This Is The End’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Just one day before the world is yet again set to end (yeah right), Sony Pictures has released a teaser for another movie about the apocalypse.

This is no Roland Emmerich disaster film however, This is the End looks absolutely hilarious. The film stars James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Michael Cera, Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari, and Craig Robinson, and Emma Watson. What a cast!

Watch the trailer below, and let us know what you think! This is the End hits theatres on June 14, 2013 (if we make it that far).

Brand New Trailer For Sam Raimi’s ‘Oz: The Great And Powerful’ Arrives!

by Shawn Madden

A second visually stunning trailer has been released for Sam Raimi’s Oz: The Great And Powerful. Check it out below!

Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot–fame and fortune are his for the taking–that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity–and even a bit of wizardry–Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

Oz: The Great And Powerful hits theaters March 8th, 2013.

Complete Giant Poster Revealed For ‘Oz: The Great And Powerful’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Back in October Disney released the first piece of a huge triptych poster for their upcoming Oz: The Great and Powerful. The image has now been released in full, and I have to say that it looks rather stellar!

Are you planning to check out the film when it releases in March? What’s been your favourite trip to Oz so far? The Original Wizard? MJ in The Wiz? What about Tin Man?

Click for an insanely large version!

When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

Watch The First Trailer For ‘The Iceman’ Starring Michael Shannon

by Shawn Madden

Check out the first trailer for the The Iceman, starring Michael Shannon and directed by Ariel Vroman (Rx).  The film chronicles the life of Richard Kuklinski, a professional hitman who kept his work secret from his family. The contract killer was called “The Iceman” because he froze the bodies of his victims to disguise their time of death in order to throw the authorities off track.  The film also stars Chris Evans, Ray Liotta, Winona Ryder and James Franco.

The Iceman is the true story of Richard Kuklinski: loving husband, devoted father, ruthless killer. He is believed to have killed more than 250 people between 1954 and 1985.

No theatrical release date has been announced yet.

Winona Ryder In Talks To Join Statham And Franco In ‘Homefront’!

by Shawn Madden

It appears that Winona Ryder (Girl Interrupted), is in negotiations to join the cast of Homefront, an action flick written by Sylvester Stallone. Sly is just all over the place these days isn’t he? Ryder would be starring along Jason Statham (The Expendables 2) and James Franco (Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes) in the movie based off of Chuck Logan’s book of the same name. So, what’s this one about?

The project, based on a book by Chuck Logan, centers on a an ex-DEA agent (Statham) who moves to a small town in the hope of a quiet life but runs afoul of a villainous meth kingpin named Gator (Franco).

It appears that Ryder and Franco will be playing the role of villains this time around. It’s reported that Ryder will be playing the role of a former biker chick that is teamed up with Gator (Franco). Homefront will be directed by Gary Fleder (Kiss The Girls) and start production September 24th.

Source: THR

Sam Raimi’s ‘Oz The Great and Powerful’ Floats In a New Teaser Poster!

by Jonathan

Just as I was missing Sam Raimi the most (yesterday while watching “Amazing Spider-Man”), the universe has its way of telling me that everything will be alright.

The poster for Sam Raimi’s “Oz The Great and Powerful” has been released, the Wizard of Oz prequel starring James Franco and Mila Kunis that releases next March. Check out this gorgeous teaser poster, tap your shoes together and say “there’s no director like Sam… there’s no director like Sam…”

And now look behind the curtain!