Alright we got another edition. So let's not waste any time and get to reviewing.
Why Didn't I See Weapons?
The reason being is my theater didn't have a showing. By the time they did the movie was already out for like, I don't know, three weeks? So it was too little too late to give a review that's far more recent.
What is Weapons?
Weapons is a supernatural mystery horror movie that was produced by New Line Cinema, Subconscious, Vertigo Entertainment, and BoulderLight Pictures with Warner Bros. Pictures being the distributor. Zach Cregger both wrote and directed.
The story is, Wednesday night at 2:17am seventeen children ran out of their houses and vanished into the night. Everyone is trying to figure what happened to the children and what could've caused them to do this. But as pieces of the mystery start getting solved, we'll see a community that's far more fractured then one would realize.
My Thoughts
The Good: This is my first time watching a Zach Cregger film and I gotta say, for a new director he's really good. He really knows how to build suspense through long tracking shots, tight framing, and some subjective POV shots. Now for the scare factor of the movie. Honestly after watching the movie I feel as though it was mislabeled. Because while it does have some violent moments it's not so much of a horror movie as it is a thriller. Which isn't a bad thing. Because since it's more of a thriller movie you get a great story on the mystery of the children's whereabouts, paranoia, and grief. Not to mention but there were a lot of moments that were scary not because something violent but because you got this uneasy feeling and much like the characters you're scared because you don't know what's going on until you put the pieces together. The last thing I'll praise is the performances of Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, and Amy Madigan. Julia really brought out Justine's sense of isolation and because of her acting you can't help but feel bad for her. Josh Brolin brought a great amount of raw intensity as the increasingly worried and exhausted Archer and Madigan as Gladys was phenomenal. At one point she's charismatic and campy, then she's menacing. I heard prior she was a standout in this movie and I can finally understand why.
The Bad: I've got nothing.
The Okay: It's the pacing. The story is told in a non-linear style so the characters who play a part in the mystery. Now this is a clever way to tell the story, it keeps you guessing and makes it fun to connect the dots. However some characters' chapters are uneven. Justine and Archer's chapters have plenty of room to breathe, but some of the other characters' stories are much quicker. So the rhythm of the movie isn't always consistent because for the first half is slower than the rest.
Final Verdict: Great.
Why Didn't I See Caught Stealing?
The reason is there wasn't a showing at my theater at all. It didn't come out days later or weeks later, there wasn't a single showing at my theater. Which sucks because going by the trailers it looked and felt very different from the usual Darren Aronofsky film.
What is Caught Stealing?
Caught Stealing is a black comedy crime thriller movie based on Charlie Huston's 2004 novel of the same name. It was produced by Columbia Pictures and Protozoa Pictures and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. Darren Aronofsky directed while the very same Charlie Huston wrote the screenplay.
The story is, Henry aka Hank is a former baseball player turned bartender who's been put in charged to pet sit his neighbor's cat while Russ (the neighbor) returns to London to see his ailing dad. What was at first seen a simple task turns into something else when mobsters are demanding to know where Russ is. Now Hank must find out what's going while at the same time try to survive.
My Thoughts
The Good: One aspect to praise is the dark comedy. There were a lot of funny moments throughout the movie. One favorite moments is apparently everyone just hates the neighbor Dwayne in one way or another. I also like to give credit to the pacing. The movie actually goes by at a nice brisk pace. Nothing was too fast or slow. You get a story at just the right time. The last thing I'll give credit to is Austin Butler's performance. Not to sound like I'm discrediting anybody else in the cast but Butler carries the entire movie. He shows Hank's easy going charisma while at the same time showing the character's vulnerability as well. Because of these aspects you're actually rooting for Hank to win even when it seems like the odds are continuing to stack against him.
The Bad: I yet again got nothing.
The Okay: The story is the biggest decent part of the movie. It's a very basic pulp escalating structure movie. Which isn't bad, not bad at all. It's just the story really isn't doing anything revolutionary here. However, I wasn't bored. Even when I knew the story wasn't breaking new ground I still had a really fun time with this. Getting from point A to point B was a joyride instead of a chore.
Final Verdict: Good.
While that's gonna wrap things up. Come back on Saturday, Aug 29th, for my review of the newest Looney Tunes animated movie, Coyote vs. ACME. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.
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