Well, it's been awhile but I'm finally back with this segment. Let's begin.
Why Didn't I See Elvis?
I'm probably gonna get a lot of backlash for this, but I'm not an Elvis fan. It's nothing personal, I'm just simply not a fan. However, that doesn't change the fact that I know he did a lot for the music industry, and deserved his spot in the history books and rightfully became a musical legend. Now with that out of the way, with me not being a fan, I wasn't interested in seeing the movie. But with some good reviews, it seemed like I missed out on something.
What is Elvis?
Elvis is a biographical drama movie. It was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, Bazmark Films, and The Jackal Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Elvis was written by Baz Luhrmann, Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, and Jeremy Doner and directed by Baz Luhrmann.
The story is for the longest time Elvis has spend his life at the poorest parts of Tupelo, Mississippi and wants to turn his life around. After being discovered by Tom Parker, Elvis soon rises to unprecedented rock n' roll stardom. However, he also is having trying to maintain a partnership with Parker, while at the same time wanting some happiness to go along with the money and fame.
My Thoughts
The Good: One thing to praise is the performances. Especially from Austin Butler and Tom Hanks. Tom as always gives an outstanding performances, but I feel as though Austin is the truly best. The guy does a spot impression of the legend, and yes, that was him singing too. That is crazy. There was actually a good portion of the movie, where I completely forgot about Austin. Yes, he truly just disappears in this role. One of the two biggest things going for this movie is, while we still do get to see the legendary Elvis, we get to see the man behind that. I went in thinking this movie was gonna be your standard biopic. Like the typical greatest hits playing, and stuff. Sure we get that, but like I said, we get to know more about his childhood, his rise, and his personal life. So I was very surprised and engaged to see his story. Sure some it is Hollywoodized, but that didn't ruin the experience for me. The last thing I'll praise is how the story is told and the tale it tells. The twist for this biopic is, it's not Elvis telling the story, but his manager Colonel Parker. And the way he tells the story, it's basically him saying he's the hero, he's the one who created the legend that is Elvis. And like I wrote previously, that is a cautionary tale. There are managers, producers, etc. you'll take advantage of a rising star just to benefit themselves. So that was another thing I dug about this movie, and also helped put a spin on the biopic genre.
The Bad: I've got nothing.
The Okay: One okay thing is the editing. There's a good portion of the movie where it's really good. Then there's some very odd moments. Like in the very beginning, the opening almost comes off an acid trip, with some spins, and such. It was really odd. Then there's the pacing. It's very good in some areas, others it can be really slow.
Final Verdict: Good.
Why Didn't I See The Black Phone?
Unlike the last movie, I really did want to see this. Mainly because Scott Derrickson [the director] has made some pretty good stuff. Things such as The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Sinister, and Doctor Strange. So I was excited for this, sadly, there wasn't a showing.
What is The Black Phone?
The Black Phone is a supernatural horror movie, and an adaptation of Joe Hill's 2004 short story of the same name. It was produced by Blumhouse Productions and Crooked Highway and distributed by Universal Pictures. The Black Phone is written by Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill and directed by Scott Derrickson.
The story is a serial child abductor and murder called "The Grabber" is stalking the streets of a Denver suburb. He has currently kidnapped a boy named Finney (aka Finn) and put him in a soundproofed basement. Now, Finney must find a way to escape, or be killed by this monster.
My Thoughts
The Good: One thing I really liked about this movie was, the first act is mainly just character. We really get to know who they are, what they're going through, how their connected to previous victims and etc. Not only was it well done, but now, all of that gives us a reason to care for them and feel absolutely terrified when they're in a life threating situation. Much like with the Elvis review, the first thing I'll praise is the performances. I especially give props to Mason Thames (he plays Finn), despite this being his first movie, he nails it. His performance was very believable. Then there was Ethan Hawke as the Grabber. What made his performance so amazing, was for like, I don't now, 99% of the movie his face is covered. No matter what type of mask he's wearing throughout the movie, his face is covered. So he mostly has to rely on his eyes and voice, and does a fantastic job. The last thing I'll praise is how unsettling this movie is. While there is some blood and other forms of violence, the movie's scare factor primarily relies on how claustrophobic it is, and also making us constantly question if, or when, the Grabber is gonna snap and just straight butcher the kid. Not too mention, the movie also has a very realistic scare factor. Leaving out the supernatural part, this is still a very real thing that could happen. The kidnapping and everything. Which I think makes the movie even more terrifying.
The Bad: I've got nothing.
The Okay: Once again, got nothing.
Final Verdict: A Must Watch.
Okay, that was pretty fun. Come back on Thursday, Jun 29th, for our review to Road to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, for my review of the 2014 reboot simple titled, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.
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