NIGHTCRAWLER Movie Review - Javi's Take

NIGHTCRAWLER

Directed by: Dan Gilroy

Written by: Dan Gilroy

Starring: Jake Gylenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, and Riz Ahmed

Synopsis: A con-man discovers and thrives in the underworld crime news world in LA. 

ABC's OF DEATH 2 Review - Jonesy's Take

ABCs OF DEATH 2

Directed by: a bunch of people

Written by: a bunch of other people

Starring:: So many people

Synopsis: A compilation of shorts each featuring a death starting with letters of the alphabet.

A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT Trailer Drops!

I'm not sure what it is about filmmakers from overseas, but they seem to really understand how to create a tense atmosphere and tone for scary films. This trailer is no exception. It's eerie yet fascinating.

Here's the synopsis:

Strange things are afoot in Bad City. The Iranian ghost town, home to prostitutes, junkies, pimps and other sordid souls, is a bastion of depravity and hopelessness where a lonely vampire stalks its most unsavory inhabitants. Cinema's first Iranian vampire western, Ana Lily Amirpour's debut feature basks in the sheer pleasure of pulp. A joyful mash-up of genre, archetype, and iconography, its prolific influences span spaghetti westerns, graphic novels, horror films, and the Iranian New Wave. Amped by a mix of Iranian rock, techno, and Morricone-inspired riffs, its airy, anamorphic, black-and-white aesthetic and artfully drawn-out scenes combine the simmering tension of Sergio Leone with the weird surrealism of David Lynch.

Check the trailer after the break!

A COUP IN CAMELOT Review- Jonesy's Take

A COUP IN CAMELOT

Directed by Stephen Goetsch 

Synopsis: An in-depth examination with new evidence about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. 

Ever since his assassination, controversy and conspiracy has surrounding John F. Kennedy. Numerous specials and films have tried to shed light on the events on that fateful day in November. A COUP IN CAMELOT is another such documentary, but instead of bombarding us with conspiracy theorists and wild accusations, the filmmakers used previously unseen documents, information, and technology to piece together the events.

The film is broken up into five sections: the secret service, forensics, transportation of the body, the autopsy, and Lee Harvey Oswald. Each section is rich with facts, most of which the audience weren't familiar with. For example, the standard secret service protocol for a motorcade was very different than in previous instances. It takes us step-by-step of what the process should have been and what it ended up being, which helped seal the president's fate. There are some particularly graphic images during the autopsy section which aren't for the faint of heart. Even though they are vivid, they're important to attempting to solve this mystery.

There are only a handful of experts who provide the talking heads throughout the film, which helps to not feel as overwhelmed with the amount of information that's being conveyed. This documentary could have easily gone the conspiracy theorist route with testimony from people believing various ideas about who/what organization was responsible for the assassination. However, Goetsch was smart in keeping with experts in various fields looking at the evidence. Some experts just reexamine the evidence while others use new technology to view the evidence is a new light.

The famous Zapruder film is put through a modern digital upgrade which makes the images crisper, thus we're able to see even more detail of the assassination and the movement of JFK's body when he got shot. The movement is important because it unravels the lone gunman theory and opens up the possibility of someone else pulling the trigger from another location.

One aspect the film touched on but could have spent more time diving into was the reason why all of this happened. There's no doubt there was foul play surrounding Kennedy's death. It was very clearly a compartmentalized operation, but what was the ultimate motivation. Also, who developed this whole plan? All of these thoughts could easily be explored in another film, but COUP leaves us with some lingering questions. Most logical people could look at the evidence and know something fishy went down, but knowing motivations would bring about a closure that hasn't really happened yet.

This film is easily one of the most eye-opening documentaries in recent memory. It would have been easy to write off this film as just another documentary about the Kennedy assassination, but the filmmakers went with a more compelling, fact-based approach which makes this a must see for anyone interested in this mystery.

The Local Haps: October 27th - November 2nd

It's Halloween week! You bought your candy yet? How awesome is your costume? There are plenty of excellent film events this week, including the showing of one of my favorite Halloween comedies as my pick of the week. So stuff as much candy in your mouth as you can and enjoy!

Netflix Instant: TV and Movie Picks

Was it me, or did this week feel super long and jam packed? Maybe it's just my work. In any event, if you're not starting your Halloween festivities early this week, then here are some great funny films for you to sink your teeth into.

The Local Haps: Alamo Drafthouse Dallas Groundbreaking Screening!

The only thing better than living 10 minutes driving distance from the Texas Theatre will be to live 10 minutes biking distance from a new Alamo Drafthouse.  Despite the theater a year away, the folks at the Drafthouse want to maintain momentum until then. We just got word that there will be a rather unofficial groundbreaking ceremony that sounds like it will be a rad time. Check out the details after the break!

AVENGERS: THE AGE OF ULTRON Trailer Drops And The Internet Explodes!

It's here. Finally. No more waiting and guessing what we will see. Through not the best of circumstances, the first teaser for AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON has been leaked onto the web. It's full of everything you could want in a teaser, and will make the waiting over the next six months very, very painful.

Check it out after the break.

DEAR WHITE PEOPLE Review - Zed's take

 

Directed by: Justin Simien

Written by: Justin Simien

Starring: Tessa Thompson, Tyler James Williams, Teyonah Parris, Dennis Haysbert

Synopsis: The lives of four black students at an Ivy League college converge after controversy breaks out due to an ill-conceived campus Halloween party.

The Local Haps: October 20th- October 26th

As always, there are some awesome movie events happening this week including a showing of a stage play, a dance party, classic horror films, and an opportunity for a drive-in experience!

The Local Haps: October 14th - October 19th

Do you have your Halloween costume picked out yet? Only a couple more weeks left. In The Local Haps for this week, there are a plethora of Halloween movies to see, a shorts feature, and, in my pick of the week, a classic film playing in glorious 35mm.

Enjoy!

Fantastic Fest 2014 Review: MY LIFE DIRECTED BY NICHOLAS WINDING REFN- Jonesy's Take

MY LIFE DIRECTED BY NICOLAS WINDING REFN

Directed by Liv Corfixen

Synopsis: A documentary about Refn while he's trying to make and produce ONLY GOD FORGIVES. 

Netflix Instant: TV and Movie Picks

This weekend feels like a relaxing weekend. Halloween season is upon us, and it's time to bust out the decorations and start stocking up on the candy. I have a couple of TV series for you this week, plus a fun indie movie. Enjoy!

ANTHONY BOURDAIN: PARTS UNKNOWN
We all fell in love with the snark of Bourdain during No Reservations, but since that show isn't on anymore, he has a new series on CNN called PARTS UNKNOWN. Each episode features a place, anywhere from Detroit to Myanmar, and he explores the local cuisine and culture. He doesn't just go to fancy restaurants either, but he'll step into someone's home and experience more home-cooking in all of these areas. The snark is still there as always.



ARROW
My cohort cannot stop talking about this series. And he isn't the only one. Superhero TV series seem to be the new thing, but I keep hearing how amazing and down right good ARROW has been. Time to check it out!



IN A WORLD...
This is a sweet, little film about a young woman, Lake Bell, trying to make her mark as a voice over artist. Apparently, that's a very difficult business to break into. It's funny and very eye-opening about this part of the entertainment industry that most of us aren't familiar with. Check out my review here.

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TOMORROWLAND Teaser Trailer Teleports Out of Nowhere

I know I'm not the only person that completely forgot about director Brad Bird's TOMORROWLAND movie. I think one of the LOST guys is attached to write it and the plot is super mysterious? Who knows. Regardless, this seems like a fairly corporate movie by Disney to try to recreate the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN success but this time instead of a movie based on a ride, it will be a movie based on an entire park! The teaser trailer was just released out of nowhere today via the Disney Movie Trailers Youtube page, and you can check it out after the break.

Fantastic Fest 2014 Review: OPEN WINDOWS - Javi's Take

OPEN WINDOWS

Directed by: Nacho Vigalondo

Written by: Nacho Vigalondo

Starring: Elijah Wood and Sasha Grey

Synopsis: A disgruntled fan is blackmailed by an anonymous hacker to harass a famous actress. 

The Local Haps: October 6th- October 12th

Now that the storms are over here in Dallas (hopefully), it's time to get out to the local theatres and enjoy some great events. There are plenty of great films going on this week, with my pick happening on Wednesday.

Fantastic Fest 2014 Review: NIGHTCRAWLER

NIGHTCRAWLER

Directed by: Dan Gilroy

Written by: Dan Gilroy

Starring: Jake Gylenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, and Riz Ahmed

Synopsis: A con-man discovers and thrives in the underworld crime news world in LA. 

Netflix Instant: TV and Movie Picks

We have officially entered one of favorite months for most movie nerds. But if Halloween isn't your cup of tea, I have some light-hearted picks for you this week that you can curl up on the couch and watch.  Enjoy!

INHERENT VICE Trailer Drops!

Director Paul Thomas Anderson is coming out with a movie and people are freaking out. And since it seems that it's the concensus that THE MASTER was a good movie, there's some excitement that he has reunited with Joaquin Phoenix, the lead of the aforementioned movie. The trailer seems like it has a really fun almost Coens-esque vibe to it with the darkly comedic tone. Check it out after the break.