Emily Nelson (played by Blake Lively) has always lived a secretive and secluded life. When she finally allows Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) into her life, they become quick friends. Then, Emily asks Stephanie to pick up her son from school one day, and never comes to get him. Everyone thinks Emily is gone on another one of her secret trips, except Stephanie. Stephanie goes on a mission to find her new best friend, and finds herself mixed up in something she never saw coming.
I am a huge Anna Kendrick fan, but I can't remember ever seeing a preview for this movie. I don't think it was overly advertised (at least not in Tulsa). When I finally heard about it, I knew I had to see it, and I wasn't disappointed...but I wasn't blown away either. It was a good movie. It starts out like a comedy with some good jokes from Blake and Anna. Then it goes on and slowly gets darker and more serious. There were moments where I was left wondering what was going to happen next. Blake Lively's character is super dark and super creepy, and next to Anna Kendrick's light, silly character, you're left on the edge of your seat.
Reviews are pretty good for this one. IMDb says 7.2/10 and Rotten Tomatoes is at an 81%. I probably would've rated it around a 6/10. Like I said, I enjoyed it, but I wasn't blown away. It wasn't one that I was left in shock and awe over, and it's not one I'll be rushing to the stores to buy. I did really love the ending. The way it ended made it seem like this was based on a true story, saying "where they are now." It's not a true story, but it is a book. Darcey Bell wrote and published the book about a year ago. It is her first and only published novel in her career. I can only assume the book is amazing and a huge hit since it was picked up and transformed into a movie within a year. That's really fast for movie-making, but there really isn't any special effects that would make production take longer.
Don't have much else to say about this one. Short, sweet, and to the point.
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Friday, September 21, 2018
The Predator
The Predator returns to Earth in a crash-landing in the midst of a military hostage retrieval mission led by Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook). When McKenna manages to incapacitate the Predator, he decides to take the Predator's armor, and mails it home where his autistic son Rory (Jacob Tremblay) receives it. Rory mistakenly calls more Predators to Earth, and these newer, genetically modified Predators are on a mission to find the boy that was smart enough to break into their technology.
I was really excited for this new Predator movie. The original Predator is a classic Sci-Fi that every science fiction nerd should see. To me, predators are extremely smart, hard to catch, and insanely strong creatures. The predators in this new movie, however, are extremely different. We see McKenna catch one in the first ten minutes, and he makes it look easy. Even the genetically modified predators we see later in the movie are easily killed or captured. I was extremely let-down and ashamed to even put this in the same movie series as the originals.
The original Predator was basically a one vs one combat movie. In this new movie, we have a band of military guys fighting these supposedly stronger and smarter Predators. The military guys are all off-duty guys that are either crazy (mentally), or they've been taken into custody for some other incident. These are not strong men that are clever enough to come up with traps to capture a predator, or smart enough to figure out how predator technology works. I even found the main character, Quinn McKenna, somewhat cocky and unlikable. It almost seemed like I was watching a comedy/wannabe Sci-Fi movie. The one-liners were enough for a giggle here and there, but who goes to see Predator for a laugh? I hated it. I was bored and confused the entire time.
Audiences around the world are agreeing with me as well. Rotten Tomatoes has this scored at a 48%. Ouch. IMDb has it at a 6/10, but scrolling through the first 20 reviews or so the majority of ratings are 1/10. I have no idea who would rate this movie over a 5/10. It's not a Predator movie, and it should be ashamed to call itself that. The worst part is that they set it up for sequels. I can't say I have any interest in a sequel. I truly hope that kids today don't watch this movie before seeing the original films because if they do I fear they never will go back to those classics.
I was really excited for this new Predator movie. The original Predator is a classic Sci-Fi that every science fiction nerd should see. To me, predators are extremely smart, hard to catch, and insanely strong creatures. The predators in this new movie, however, are extremely different. We see McKenna catch one in the first ten minutes, and he makes it look easy. Even the genetically modified predators we see later in the movie are easily killed or captured. I was extremely let-down and ashamed to even put this in the same movie series as the originals.
The original Predator was basically a one vs one combat movie. In this new movie, we have a band of military guys fighting these supposedly stronger and smarter Predators. The military guys are all off-duty guys that are either crazy (mentally), or they've been taken into custody for some other incident. These are not strong men that are clever enough to come up with traps to capture a predator, or smart enough to figure out how predator technology works. I even found the main character, Quinn McKenna, somewhat cocky and unlikable. It almost seemed like I was watching a comedy/wannabe Sci-Fi movie. The one-liners were enough for a giggle here and there, but who goes to see Predator for a laugh? I hated it. I was bored and confused the entire time.
Audiences around the world are agreeing with me as well. Rotten Tomatoes has this scored at a 48%. Ouch. IMDb has it at a 6/10, but scrolling through the first 20 reviews or so the majority of ratings are 1/10. I have no idea who would rate this movie over a 5/10. It's not a Predator movie, and it should be ashamed to call itself that. The worst part is that they set it up for sequels. I can't say I have any interest in a sequel. I truly hope that kids today don't watch this movie before seeing the original films because if they do I fear they never will go back to those classics.
 |
| The new Predator's have dogs that can track humans. They also turn out to be a huge let-down, and bad addition to this movie series. |
Monday, September 17, 2018
Searching
When a 16-year old girl goes missing, her father is left alone to discover what happened. Did she run away, is she dying in a field somewhere, did he know his daughter at all? He breaks into her computer to discover where she may have gone, and learns that he may not have known the real Margot after all.
Why are you reading this blog right now? If you have not yet seen Searching (and I know it's been out for weeks now), then you need to leave your phone or your computer and go to the movies right now! This movie was phenomenal. 10/10 I would see it again one thousand times and it would never get old. The work that went into making this film is amazing and so unbelievably well done that I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I had chills for most of the movie, nearly cried three times, and ended up staring at the credits with OMG circling around my head. Critics across the board are raving for this movie, and you have to see it to believe it.
At first, I wasn't sure how this movie was going to be. Instead of actors and a video camera, as all movies are, this one is all through social media. So we watch it through FaceTime, Facebook, or YouTube, etc. There were even apps that I had never heard of before, but the way that they are all brought together is amazing. It took over two years to put everything into order, but the actors did all their parts in less than two weeks. Also, because we are seeing it all unfold through social media, it adds to the suspense. You aren't right there as it's happening. You have to wait, and then they drop the bomb on you and you don't know what's going to come next. I sat frozen in the theater with nothing other than oh my God going around and around in my head, and it continued as I drove myself home afterwards.
I absolutely loved how real this movie is, and how it portrays our society today. How when something bad happens everyone jumps in to give their two cents even if it's all a lie. Yes, she was my best friend! Even though a week ago I told her father I don't really know her. Why do we do that? It happens all the time, and I am so glad this movie included it. It just made the whole thing more real to me. I have grown up with social media and I know how it changes people to fit into their social norms. It's easy to pretend you're something you're not when a trauma happens because the person who could call you out for it isn't there.
From the acting to the cinematography, this is not one to miss. IMDb gives it a 7.9/10 and Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 90%. I give it a 10/10, and it WILL be a part of my movie collection someday. I will also watch my future children like a hawk when it comes to social media and their friends. I will never question whether I know who my kids really are, and I will know each and every one of their friends.
Why are you reading this blog right now? If you have not yet seen Searching (and I know it's been out for weeks now), then you need to leave your phone or your computer and go to the movies right now! This movie was phenomenal. 10/10 I would see it again one thousand times and it would never get old. The work that went into making this film is amazing and so unbelievably well done that I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I had chills for most of the movie, nearly cried three times, and ended up staring at the credits with OMG circling around my head. Critics across the board are raving for this movie, and you have to see it to believe it.
At first, I wasn't sure how this movie was going to be. Instead of actors and a video camera, as all movies are, this one is all through social media. So we watch it through FaceTime, Facebook, or YouTube, etc. There were even apps that I had never heard of before, but the way that they are all brought together is amazing. It took over two years to put everything into order, but the actors did all their parts in less than two weeks. Also, because we are seeing it all unfold through social media, it adds to the suspense. You aren't right there as it's happening. You have to wait, and then they drop the bomb on you and you don't know what's going to come next. I sat frozen in the theater with nothing other than oh my God going around and around in my head, and it continued as I drove myself home afterwards.
I absolutely loved how real this movie is, and how it portrays our society today. How when something bad happens everyone jumps in to give their two cents even if it's all a lie. Yes, she was my best friend! Even though a week ago I told her father I don't really know her. Why do we do that? It happens all the time, and I am so glad this movie included it. It just made the whole thing more real to me. I have grown up with social media and I know how it changes people to fit into their social norms. It's easy to pretend you're something you're not when a trauma happens because the person who could call you out for it isn't there.
From the acting to the cinematography, this is not one to miss. IMDb gives it a 7.9/10 and Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 90%. I give it a 10/10, and it WILL be a part of my movie collection someday. I will also watch my future children like a hawk when it comes to social media and their friends. I will never question whether I know who my kids really are, and I will know each and every one of their friends.
Monday, September 10, 2018
The Nun
Prequel to The Conjuring and Conjuring 2, The Nun takes place in Romania in 1952. A priest with a background in exorcisms, played by Demian Bichir, and a young woman about to take her vows to be a nun (Taissa Farmiga), are sent to investigate the death of a nun at the abbey. What they discover is an abbey haunted by an evil presence, and grounds that are anything but holy.
I am a fan of the Conjuring series, and have been from the beginning. I see a lot of horror movies, and for some reason, the Conjuring always stood out. The Nun is no exception. I enjoyed it from start to finish. I wouldn't say it is the scariest movie I've ever seen, but it was still really good. Most of the scares come from the unexpected appearances that made me jump every time. My only dislike in the movie overall was that it was very dark the entire time. If you were to watch this at home in the middle of the day, good luck seeing anything. At times, I thought to myself that the lights along the walkways in the theater were too bright, but if that was the only problem, oh well.
For some reason, reviewers are hating on this movie. IMDb gave this a 6/10 and Rotten Tomatoes is at a 48% audience score. I would have given it a 7 or 8 out of 10. Reading through those reviews left me just as stumped. Some people were laughing at the Nun (played by Bonnie Aarons) and saying that the scares were predictable. Who are you people? That nun is creepy AF. If that thing was coming towards me in a creepy corridor I'd scream and run, but not you. No, you can stand there and laugh and be eaten by her. As long as it's not me! Yes, I will say some of the scares were predictable. We all watched the previews multiple times and knew that nun was coming from the side of the screen, but I still jumped. No matter how much I prep for these movies, I'm a jumpy person. Maybe you aren't, so you won't find this movie as creepy as I did, but my friends that aren't jumpy still loved this movie. One even said he'd buy it when it comes out on DVD sooooo yea...
The Nun came out on September 7, so that was 4 days ago. Anyone want to take a guess at the box office numbers?? The production budget was pretty similar to all the others in the series at around $22 million. That's two million more than the Conjuring (just for reference). The box office has brought in close to $54 million in the last 4 days alone. The Conjuring brought in a little over $137 million in its entirety. In four days, this movie has brought in close to 40% of the box office numbers for the Conjuring. So while all you haters are out there rating movies super low, the rest of the world doesn't care. If you enjoyed the previous movies, then you will enjoy this one as well.
My favorite part by far was how it wrapped around to the other stories. We finally get to see where it all began. The tie-in at the very end was perfect. I have always loved Ed and Lorraine Warren's story of exorcisms and creepy dolls that come to life, and the Nun shows us exactly how they came to be involved with the Perron family from the first film. It was beautifully done, and I don't think I could have seen a better ending. Please give this one a shot. I promise that if you liked the Conjuring and Conjuring 2, then you will like this one too. Just don't expect to wet yourself with the scares. Unless you pee when you jump at scares, then bring a diaper...
I am a fan of the Conjuring series, and have been from the beginning. I see a lot of horror movies, and for some reason, the Conjuring always stood out. The Nun is no exception. I enjoyed it from start to finish. I wouldn't say it is the scariest movie I've ever seen, but it was still really good. Most of the scares come from the unexpected appearances that made me jump every time. My only dislike in the movie overall was that it was very dark the entire time. If you were to watch this at home in the middle of the day, good luck seeing anything. At times, I thought to myself that the lights along the walkways in the theater were too bright, but if that was the only problem, oh well.
For some reason, reviewers are hating on this movie. IMDb gave this a 6/10 and Rotten Tomatoes is at a 48% audience score. I would have given it a 7 or 8 out of 10. Reading through those reviews left me just as stumped. Some people were laughing at the Nun (played by Bonnie Aarons) and saying that the scares were predictable. Who are you people? That nun is creepy AF. If that thing was coming towards me in a creepy corridor I'd scream and run, but not you. No, you can stand there and laugh and be eaten by her. As long as it's not me! Yes, I will say some of the scares were predictable. We all watched the previews multiple times and knew that nun was coming from the side of the screen, but I still jumped. No matter how much I prep for these movies, I'm a jumpy person. Maybe you aren't, so you won't find this movie as creepy as I did, but my friends that aren't jumpy still loved this movie. One even said he'd buy it when it comes out on DVD sooooo yea...
The Nun came out on September 7, so that was 4 days ago. Anyone want to take a guess at the box office numbers?? The production budget was pretty similar to all the others in the series at around $22 million. That's two million more than the Conjuring (just for reference). The box office has brought in close to $54 million in the last 4 days alone. The Conjuring brought in a little over $137 million in its entirety. In four days, this movie has brought in close to 40% of the box office numbers for the Conjuring. So while all you haters are out there rating movies super low, the rest of the world doesn't care. If you enjoyed the previous movies, then you will enjoy this one as well.
My favorite part by far was how it wrapped around to the other stories. We finally get to see where it all began. The tie-in at the very end was perfect. I have always loved Ed and Lorraine Warren's story of exorcisms and creepy dolls that come to life, and the Nun shows us exactly how they came to be involved with the Perron family from the first film. It was beautifully done, and I don't think I could have seen a better ending. Please give this one a shot. I promise that if you liked the Conjuring and Conjuring 2, then you will like this one too. Just don't expect to wet yourself with the scares. Unless you pee when you jump at scares, then bring a diaper...
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Kin
When Jimmy Solinski (Jack Reynor) is released from prison, his father and adopted brother don't have high hopes for his future. Jimmy has people to pay off from before his arrest and no money to pay them with, so he falls back on old ways. Him and his adopted brother Eli (Myles Truitt), end up on the run from a gang led by Taylor Balik (James Franco). What they don't know is that they are also running from a mysterious group of soldiers that are searching for an otherwordly weapon Eli found in an abandoned warehouse.
I saw the trailer for this movie maybe two times before I went to see it. This was not one that was overly advertised, which was surprising since it has so many big names. Dennis Quaid, James Franco, Zoe Kravitz, and others all play important roles in this film. I'm also pretty sure that there will be sequels, even if I'm not sure they deserve to make them.
From the previews, I thought I was walking into a Sci-Fi movie. It is in fact listed as an Action, Sci-Fi movie on IMDb. What I got was a heck of a lot of talking, some action scenes here and there, and an amazing ending that left me wondering what in the world I just witnessed. Never in my imagination did I think I would be sitting in the theater for an hour and a half before watching fifteen minutes of action/sci-fi. Where was the action?! Where was the Sci-Fi?! I feel like if you're going to classify a movie as Sci-Fi it needs to include more than fifteen minutes of aliens, or weird weapons, or whatever I saw because even now I'm not sure what was going on at the end. The only reason I want a sequel is to get some clarification. Who were those "alien-esque" soldiers? Where did the gun come from? Why was this movie created? So many questions to warrant a sequel, but I don't totally know if I could watch another 2 hours of boring talking.
This movie is getting a lot of mixed reviews, and I understand that completely. IMDb has this rated as a 5.7/10 and Rotten Tomatoes is at a 63% audience score. Not good enough to make a sequel. There just isn't enough Sci-Fi, and the brotherly connection you would expect from a movie titled Kin is lame. This movie was directed by two brothers, yet the two brothers in the film aren't brotherly. Jimmy is a horrible role-model, and Eli is too young to have any connection to someone he barely knows and that is twice his age. I mean my brother and I are only five years apart in age and we sometimes don't agree on things, but if I was twice his age, then we definitely wouldn't get along. Different times and different viewpoints, and I just didn't get a whole lot of feels from these two. All I know is that I would never want a brother like Jimmy. "I just got out of jail, let's go steal some money from bad guys!" "Oh, you'll like this. Let's go watch strippers!" The kid is like thirteen years old. He should not be watching strippers, you loser.
I really don't think this movie is worth your time or money, but hey maybe you'll disagree with me and be one of the people giving this film ten stars. I don't know. All I know is I need answers to the finale of the movie, but I won't be watching this one again any time soon.
I saw the trailer for this movie maybe two times before I went to see it. This was not one that was overly advertised, which was surprising since it has so many big names. Dennis Quaid, James Franco, Zoe Kravitz, and others all play important roles in this film. I'm also pretty sure that there will be sequels, even if I'm not sure they deserve to make them.
From the previews, I thought I was walking into a Sci-Fi movie. It is in fact listed as an Action, Sci-Fi movie on IMDb. What I got was a heck of a lot of talking, some action scenes here and there, and an amazing ending that left me wondering what in the world I just witnessed. Never in my imagination did I think I would be sitting in the theater for an hour and a half before watching fifteen minutes of action/sci-fi. Where was the action?! Where was the Sci-Fi?! I feel like if you're going to classify a movie as Sci-Fi it needs to include more than fifteen minutes of aliens, or weird weapons, or whatever I saw because even now I'm not sure what was going on at the end. The only reason I want a sequel is to get some clarification. Who were those "alien-esque" soldiers? Where did the gun come from? Why was this movie created? So many questions to warrant a sequel, but I don't totally know if I could watch another 2 hours of boring talking.
This movie is getting a lot of mixed reviews, and I understand that completely. IMDb has this rated as a 5.7/10 and Rotten Tomatoes is at a 63% audience score. Not good enough to make a sequel. There just isn't enough Sci-Fi, and the brotherly connection you would expect from a movie titled Kin is lame. This movie was directed by two brothers, yet the two brothers in the film aren't brotherly. Jimmy is a horrible role-model, and Eli is too young to have any connection to someone he barely knows and that is twice his age. I mean my brother and I are only five years apart in age and we sometimes don't agree on things, but if I was twice his age, then we definitely wouldn't get along. Different times and different viewpoints, and I just didn't get a whole lot of feels from these two. All I know is that I would never want a brother like Jimmy. "I just got out of jail, let's go steal some money from bad guys!" "Oh, you'll like this. Let's go watch strippers!" The kid is like thirteen years old. He should not be watching strippers, you loser.
I really don't think this movie is worth your time or money, but hey maybe you'll disagree with me and be one of the people giving this film ten stars. I don't know. All I know is I need answers to the finale of the movie, but I won't be watching this one again any time soon.
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