Cinematic Disasters - North

 

North is a 1994 comedy-drama adventure movie based on the 1984 novel, North: The Tale of a 9-Year-Old Boy Who Becomes a Free Agent and Travels the World in Search of the Perfect Parents by Alan Zweibel. The movie was produced by New Line Cinema and Castle Rock Entertainment and distributed by Columbia Pictures. North was written by Alan Zweibel and Andrew Scheinman and directed by Rob Reiner.

The story is North is a talented and bright kid but sadly his parents are always preoccupied with other things going on in their lives, this makes North feel very much ignored. So one day he decides to legally separate himself form his parents and travel the world in search of new ones.

My Thoughts

Now before I dive deeper into this movie let's talk about the character of North. Now, he's suppose to be this really smart kid we're talkin' academic level smart but for me there's nothing really smart about him. I mean it's not smart to leave your biological parents and go on a cross country trap to find new ones. If North was really smart he would've left his mom and dad and stayed with close relatives as suppose to his trip where he runs the risk of being kidnapped or worse.

Let's move on towards the other characters.......I felt nothing for them. I didn't love them nor did I hate them. There's nothing to feel with them. I just didn't care. Which says lot since at one point in this movie North is getting chased down by someone who wants to kill him, and I'm just sitting there like "Oh, we're doing this now...okay". How do you do that? How do you make me or anybody else feel nothing for characters?

Another HUGE issue with North is the horrible jokes. I mean it, this movie's attempts at comedy are just painful. Nothing about this movie is funny. I dare say it's worse than any theatrical released parody of the past. I'm talking Date, Epic, or whatever it's called movie. Yeah, the jokes are that bad.

What also makes me hate this movie is there's so many things about that don't make any sense. For instance, how is North able to get on a plane? He's an unattended child with no parents. How hasn't security or somebody not stop him? Then we have lines like this that say and I quote "As of next Monday, no parent will be permitted to see an R-rated movie, unless accompanied by a kid." What?! Out of all of the lines in this movie THAT was the one that left me confused and scratching my head.

The last thing I'll criticize North for is how bland it looks. From directing to cinematography there's not one shot that stands out or catches your eye. Every scene looks either uninteresting or generic. It's one thing that your movie is poorly written, it's another thing when it looks boring.

North truly deserved every single bit of negativity related to it. The character of North isn't everything he's cracked up to be, the other characters are just as uninteresting, the jokes are atrocious, nothing about it makes sense, and the overall look of the film is so boring.

My final rating is Destroy It!

So once again this was a very short Cinematic Disasters review. I promise the next one will be much longer and go into my details. Anyhow, come back on Thursday, App 22nd for What You Probably Didn't Know About The Dirty Dozen. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Underrated Films - Blind Fury Review

 

Blind Fury is a 1989 action film and a loosely modernized remake of the 1967 Japanese film Zatoichi Challenged. The movie was produced by Interscope Communications and distributed by TriStar Pictures. Blind Fury was written by Charles Robert Carner and directed by Phillip Noyce.

The story is a blind Vietnam War veteran named Nick Parker has finally returned home to the United States. He plans to meet up with his old war buddy named Frank Deveraux but only finds his son Billy and how tells him his dad's gone missing. When Nick finds out why he soon puts all of his years of training to the test and help find Billy's dad.

Why It's Underrated

Now I'm going to keep this brief as to way this film is underrated. You just never heard about it. Hell even I didn't know about it until January.

My Thoughts

One thing I liked about the movie was the action. It was very fun and thrilling. And I don't know about you but it did leave me guess and how is Nick going to pull this off despite being blind? I think my favorite scene is during the final fight when Nick has to go up against another swordsman.

Another thing I want to give Blind Fury credit for is the humor. Yeah there's quite a bit of comedic moments here and there. But what really made those scenes work is they were only there when it was necessary.

What also makes the film an enjoyable watch is Rutger Hauer's performance. Not only did he play a convincing blind man but, he also brought a lot of charm and charisma to the role of Nick Parker.

The last thing I'll give Blind Fury credit for is the character of Nick Parker. Nick is a very zen and clam guy. What you'll really love about him is he's not angry that he's blind. In matter of fact he either treats it as a minor inconvenience or something he can use to his advantage. Hell, even when he finally makes up with his friend he's not angry with him despite what happened years ago, he's at peace with what happened to him and sets out to help his buddy with his problems.

Now Blind Fury isn't one of those greatest action films of all time that got swept under the rug but, the reason why I found it so underrated is because it is a good popcorn flick. You get some good action scenes, nicely used humor, Hauer's performance was really good, and the character of Nick Parker is very well written and you'll really like the guy.

My final rating is Good.

Okay everybody, I'm all done here. Come back on Monday, Apr 19th for my Cinematic Disasters review of North. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Other Fan Movements That Need Support

Every since I first joined the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement I've noticed and supported other's who have done the same thing but for different movies. Which makes sense, the Snyder cut movement after so many years finally got their wish with an announcement and we made it to the finish line when we all finally got to see Zack Snyder's Justice League on Mar 18th. Granted that spawn into a new hashtag (#RestoreTheSnyderVerse) because for whatever reason Warner Bros. are very stubborn when it comes to Zack or anything else related to his version of the DC Universe.

But I'm not here to talk only the SnyderVerse. I want to showcase other fan movements with their own hashtags that aren't only related to DC stuff. So here are the fan movements we should show support to and hope one day they two can feel the joy and excitement the Snyder cut movement felt.

So here they are, the fan movements that deserve more love and support.

NOTE: THERE IS NO PARTICULAR ORDER TO THESE. SO DON'T TAKE THIS AS SOME SORT OF COUNTDOWN OR RANKING SYSTEM.

#RelaseTheAyerCut/#DavidAyersSuicideSquad

Now this isn't a new hashtag in matter of fact I think it's been around such as long as the Snyder cut hashtag, but none the less it's still important.

This is a very similar situation to Zack Snyder and Justice League but way before Zack was working on it. Basically David Ayer (a director known for such films such as Training Day, End of Watch, and Fury) was working on Suicide Squad but because the negative reception that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice got Ayer was told to re-work the movie into something that was more fun and something with more jokes involved. Even though that wasn't what he originally intended.

I mean look the SDCC trailer from 2015.

Now compare it to the other trailers. There's definitely a shift in the tone, sure they have some sort of girt to them but knowing what we know now it's clear that the latter of the two was a more Warner Bros. studio movie than a David Ayer flick.

And with Ayer being more and more vocal about the changes that were done to his movie this movement does seem to get more and more attention. But from my point a view it does seem to get overshadowed by movies related to Snyder. Although this movie is now lumped into the newest hashtag #RestoreTheSnyderVerse. So maybe this cut will get more attention because of that newest hashtag.

#ReleaseTheSchumacherCut

Yes, even a movie released back in 1995 is getting the #ReleaseThe_______Cut. And rightfully so. Because apparently even back then Warner Bros. wanted their movies all chopped up.

You're probably thinking why would people want a director's cut of Batman Forever? Well because Joel Schumacher originally didn't want that movie to be the version we know. Originally he wanted the movie to be much darker and longer, coming in at 2 hours and 40 minutes. In matter of fact some of the stuff that was cut and that part that interest me was a focus on Bruce's psychological issues. If you want more of the changes that were done, FilmJunkee did a video about it.

Now I feel as though this movement's attention has falling down. I want that to change. So to anybody reading this please give this movement some attention. Not only for the fans but for Joel Schumacher who sadly passed away on Jun 22nd, 2020.

#AlitaArmy

Some of you are probably wondering what this one is about, well let me explain.

Basically this fan movement is all about getting the 2019 film Alita: Battle Angel a sequel. And after watching the movie and doing a review for it last year, I can see why. Sure it has its flaws but overall pretty good movie.

Now the reason why I want this movement to get more support is back I feel as though it doesn't really get that much attention. Now maybe I'm wrong I'm just saying all of this from my point of view so don't get mad. Now this fan movement deserves it's time in the sun because why shouldn't they get a sequel to their movie? Especially since said movie has gathered a huge cult following and James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez themselves want to do a sequel.

And come on, this movement helped with the Snyder cut movement. Need I say more.

#ReleaseTheWebbCut

This is a movement I wasn't even aware of until I think a month ago.

Yes, it's not only DC movies that get butchered and getting hashtags about a director's cut but even Marvel faces this problem. So yeah, this movie is all about the two Amazing Spider-Man films getting things cut that probably would've helped made the quality of those films even better.

Like I said before I wasn't even aware of this stuff, but after doing some research and looking at the groups Twitter page there was a lot. A lot more stuff that got cut out than I realized.

Things such as more extended fights scene with The Lizard and we would've seen Mary Jane Watson (played by Shailene Woodley) in Amazing Spider-Man 2. I really want this movement not only to get more attention but I would also like to see a different version of those movies even though I really did like them for what they are currently.

#WeWantSpiderMan4

Yep, another Spider-Man hashtag. Only this one is about a film series me and many people like me grew up with. I'm talking about a the fan's demand for Spider-Man 4.

This movement's request is very simply, that just want Sam Raimi to be able to do a fourth Spider-Man movie. And I can understand that request. Because like the people asking for this I grew up with Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man. And if you watch this interview with Sam Raimi it's clear that he wanted to make this one better than the last movie.

And after watching that interview me and the rest of this movement would really like to see him do another movie.

#ReleaseTheMcGCut

Now this one I didn't even know about until a week ago.

So yes, apparently there's a cut of Terminator: Salvation that's not exactly like the one we saw in theaters. Now I'm not the biggest McG fan but I did kind of like Terminator: Salvation. Then I read this article about McG talking about his director's cut and it being darker than the theatrical cut, so that peaked me interest. Then I wanted this movement to gain even more support when I read this article by Brad Curran. Gotta say that's quite an ending.

Sure that original ending might have pissed people off but other than that I'm also curious about what else was cut during this movie's production. So I'm hoping this cut of the film and the supporters surrounding it gets it's time to shine and their cut of the movie released.

#DeathstrokeHBOMax

Now we switch over back to the DC side of things.

Basically what this movement wants is more of Joe Mangainello's Deathstroke. Because if you look back Joe Mangainello and director Gareth Evans (best known for The Raid and The Raid 2) had a project set and ready to go. I was really looking forward to that movie because Evans described it as a "dark and unforgiving story".

Now I would love to see this movement get a win because 1) Deathstroke is a great character that would make for a great movie. And 2) Mangainello himself said that a revival is possible. So fingers cross Deathstroke movement ya may get your wish.

#MakeTheBatfleckMovie

Okay, last DC fan hashtag.

This is is probably obvious but let me explain. This movement would like to see Ben Affleck's Batman movie be made. I want them (the movement) to have their wish come true because if you read about what this movie could've been, you yourself would want this movie.

We would've gone to Arkham, Deathstroke would've been the villain, and going back to Deathstroke his fights with Batman would have been something similar to the fight cutscene you'd see from Batman: Arkham Origins. Which means you would've gotten something like this,

And another reason why I want this fan movement to succeed his because Jay Olivia (director of animated DC films such as Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and storyboard artist for films such Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) has said it's the best Batman script he's ever read.

#ReleaseTheBlackCut

Now we have a fan hashtag that's neither DC or Marvel but one to a beloved franchise.

Basically this fan movement wants Shane Black's original vision for The Predator. Now I didn't mind the version we got but after doing so much research I realized we could've gotten more. Like for instance that pic up above. That's not some silly production photo no, the humans and two predators were going to team-up.

Sadly this movement isn't big, you probably didn't hear about until now. Which like many other movements on this list I do hope in due time they grow and grow, and their voices are heard. So to anybody reading this get on your social media accounts and start tweeting.

#ReleaseTheKinbergCut

This fan hashtag is sadly one I've even left but I hope in due time it's hashtag makes a big comeback.

Once again we have a movement wanting to see the director's cut of a movie. But this is one is what was going to be the big finale of the X-Men film series. Now I liked the theatrical cut of Dark Phoenix, it wasn't too bad it was just an okay film. But like movie other movies I want to see the director's original vision. Because that's the one he (Simon Kinberg in this case) wanted us the fans to see.

So I really hope this fanbase gets to see the Kingberg cut of this movie. Especially since they didn't get to see much of the original Dark Phoenix.

Now there's many other fan hashtags that I most definitely forgot about, so for that I'm sorry. But don't complain to me please, please, PLEASE go on social media and tweet! Tell all the studios and executives you want to see the filmmaker's vision not the studio's vision.

Anyhow, that's going to do it for me. Come back on Thursday, Apr 8th for my Underrated Films review of Blind Fury. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Godzilla vs. Kong Review

 

Godzilla vs. Kong is a monster movie and a sequel to both Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla: King of the Monsters as well as the fourth film in Legendary's MonsterVerse. The movie also is the 36th Godzilla film, the 12th King Kong film, and the the fourth Godzilla movie to be produced completely by a Hollywood studio. The movie is produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Godzilla vs. Kong is written by Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein and directed by Adam Wingard.

The story is for some unknown reason Godzilla is causing a path of utter destruction around the world. A special team has decided to find Kong and have him put a stop to Godzilla. Now it's an epic battle as the unstoppable force and the immovable object collide and only one can stand tall. The world isn't big for two kings so, which one will fall?

Initial Reaction

Now I have loved what the MonsterVerse has been doing. I've liked it from 2014's Godzilla all the way to 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters. So of course I would be excited for Godzilla vs. Kong, in matter of fact sometimes on my Twitter account I would tweet how I was basically begging for a trailer to be released. And when the trailer was finally released oh boy was I pumped. Then I began to count the days to when the movie would arrive.

Cons

I've got nothing to say. Let's move on.

Middle Ground

Now you'd probably heard complaints about the human characters, so here's what I've got to say.....they're fine. That's really the best description for them. Their storylines they're fine, they're personalities are fine. The human element to this film is overall okay.

Pros

Now to get to the more positive things about the movie and that's the visual effects....wow. Those were great. There was so much details in them that my words really don't do them any sort of justice. Another thing that deserves praise is Adam Wingard's directing. The dude really gave us a beautifully shot movie and I was in awe with some scenes. I would go into detail about those scenes that had I that left in awe but they're a bit spoilery so I'm not. What also loved about Godzilla vs. Kong was the runtime. It was short, sweet, and to the point. And despite that a lot still happened. The last thing to praise the film for is THE ACTION! Oh my god the fight scenes in this was awesome. They were truly a blast, and I almost felt like a little kid again whenever I saw both Kong and Godzilla go head-to-head.

Guys, Godzilla vs. Kong gives you everything you wanted. Great visual effects, good directing, fun action scenes, and it's all wrapped up in a nice and lovely quick runtime. The human characters are okay. There's really nothing too much to complain about them. Because at the end of the day you're not here for them, you're here cause you want Godzilla fighting Kong.

My final rating is Good.

Okay, that's going to do it for me. Come back on Monday, Apr 5th. For that post I'll be talking about fan movements. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

History of the Cancelled Godzilla vs. Kong Films

 

With Godzilla vs. Kong SO CLOSE (seriously you have no idea how pumped am I for this movie) I thought it'd be fun to tell you the story of not one but two cancelled movies about these two titans going head-to-head again.

Continuation: King Kong vs. Godzilla

Because of the 1962 film, King Kong vs. Godzilla was such a huge success naturally the studio would want to make a sequel. In matter of fact that's pretty much as deep as to why the sequel was being made.

Toho immediately wanted production to start on the next Godzilla movie. And because the 1962 film did great the studio wanted to repeat that success, so Toho decided the next Godzilla movie should be a rematch between the King of the Monsters and King Kong. Screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa submitted a screenplay with the working title of Continuation: King Kong vs. Godzilla back in 1963.

However the studio ultimately cancelled the project and instead replaced that with an idea of Godzilla going up against a giant version of Frankenstein's monster and titled it Frankenstein vs. Godzilla (this story is better saved for another time) but, even that got cancelled and was broken up into two different projects. One being Mothra vs. Godzilla in 1964 and the other being Frankenstein vs. Baragon in 1965.

Godzilla vs. King Kong

The next movie isn't a sequel to the 1962 film but a remake of it. Back in 1989 the movie Godzilla vs. Biollante had a mediocre box office performance, so now Toho felt the absolute need to make the next Godzilla film be as profitable as much as humanly possible. They came up with the idea to look back at their past, in this case they looked at their most successful Godzilla movie which is, that's right, you guessed it King Kong vs. Godzilla. So Toho decided to make a remake of this movie titled Godzilla vs. King Kong. There's not much to know about the plot, the only thing we do know about it was during an interview with designer Shinji Nishikawa. During that interview he revealed that King Kong would've fallen in love with a human scientist, who would later turn him into a cyborg.

So why was this movie never made? Simply put....legal issues. You see during this time Turner Entertainment owned the rights to the original King Kong. Turner later approached Toho and demanded royalties for the use of Kong. But Toho decided they didn't want to pay up and instead tried something else, that something else was to use Mechani-Kong (King Kong's robot counterpart from 1967's King Kong Escapes) but, Toho found out that even using Kong's likeness was rather difficult as well. So instead of continuing this hassle Toho just pulled the plug on the project.

Okay everybody I'm all done here. I hope you enjoyed reading about this just as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's always fun for me to look up movies that could've been but never were. Anyhow, come back on Friday, Apr 2nd for my review of Godzilla vs. Kong. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Looking Back at the Films of 2020 Part 3 - Bloodshot & The Way Back

 

Hey everyone. And welcome to part three of Looking Back at the Films of 2020. Today's movies are Bloodshot and The Way Back. So, let's get started.

Why Didn't I See Bloodshot?

Now I was planning on seeing Bloodshot along with my best friend but then COVID starting popping up. Then we heard the theaters we shutting down so me and my friend decided to cancel our plans because at that rate what was the point of trying to find a place to watch it.

What is Bloodshot?

Bloodshot is a comic book movie based on the Valiant Comics character of the same name. It's intended to be the first in a cinematic universe based on the Valiant Comics. The movie was produced by Columbia Pictures, Bona Film Group, Cross Creek Pictures, Annabell Pictures, The Hideaway Entertainment, Original Film, Once Race Films, and Valiant Entertainment and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. Bloodshot was written by Jeff Wadlow and Eric Heisserer and directed by David S.F. Wilson. The story is after a successful mission Marine Ray Garrison and his wife take a trip to the Amalfi Coast, however their trip turns into a nightmare when a group of mercenaries kidnaps them and kills them both. But Ray then wakes up in a lab for the organization Rising Spirit Tech and they fill his body with nanite technology. Even though he know has no memory, Ray will push his new powers to their limits, find out who he is, and find the people who killed his wife.

My Thoughts

The Good: One thing I did like about the movie was the action. I had a lot of fun with it, although at the beginning I was worried at first because there was a tiny bit of shaky cam but luckily it was only for one scene. What I also liked about the movie was the technology side of this. Seeing how things work and seeing the tech in action was really cool and I really dug that sci-fi aspect of the film. The finally thing I'll give Bloodshot credit for is there is some sort of entertainment value in it. Which is why I roll my eyes when I hear people say it's "one of the worst comic book movies ever made". Because when I think worse that also means I found no entertainment in it.

The Bad: I got nothing.

The Okay: One thing that was alright with the film was the villains. Their actions towards Bloodshot are indeed awful but they could've used more development. Another mix bag with the movie was the CGI. There are times when it's really good and yeah, you can tell with other scenes. The final thing I'll say about Bloodshot was the acting was alright. It wasn't the worst I've ever scene but at the same time it was the greatest of all time.

Final Verdict: Okay.

Why Didn't I See The Way Back?

Truth be told I was really looking forward to this movie because I really wanted to support Ben Affleck especially since last year I read he was going through a lot of stuff in his life. But sadly my theater wasn't interested in showing this so I had no choice put to call it quits.

What is The Way Back?

The Way Back is a sports drama movie. The film was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, Bron Creative, Mayhem Pictures, and Film Tribe and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The story is Jack Cunningham is an alcoholic ironworker and has separated himself from friends and family. One day he gets a call from Father Devine from his old Catholic high school and ask him to coach the school's basketball team, at first Jack is reluctant to do so but soon accepts. Now Jack seeks a path towards redemption as he helps the program from his teenage years back to it's glory days.

My Thoughts

The Good: One thing I want to praise The Way Back for and this is the biggest thing going for the movie is Ben Affleck's performance. He really nails this character and what the struggles Jack is going through. Which makes sense since Ben Affleck himself has said he's had a long struggle with alcoholism. Another thing to praise the movie for is Gavin O'Connor's directing. This is my first time watching one of his movies, I haven't seen his previous ones such as The Accountant or Warrior. I'll fix that soon but anyhow, I like dug what he did here. The directing has a very somber tone to it. Which makes sense given the subjects that are in this. Another aspect of The Way Back that makes it so good is the very relatable struggles. And it's not just alcoholism that movie touches upon but other things that can really break you down. Those struggles in this can touch people who have also been effected by things such as alcoholism, a sick child, and parents who don't seem to support what you're doing. The last thing I'll praise the film for is it's hopeful ending. Despite everything that happened to Jack whether it's in the past or now the movie does end with us thinking that there's still a chance for him to fix up his life. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I like when some movies do that. I like when even though everything is dark there's still a light at the end of the tunnel.

The Bad: Nothing to put here. So move on.

The Okay: Now this movie's story can be very formulaic but, but it does take some risk. Just when you think you know where the story is going a curveball is thrown your way. I mean this movie does have the big epic yes they won moment like many other sports dramas but that was the end of the second act. The last moments in this movie was something I wasn't expecting, and I liked it for that. 

Final Verdict: Great.

Okay guys. That's going to do it for me. Come back on Monday, Mar 29th for a special post regrading cancelled Godzilla vs. King Kong movies. That one's gonna be in celebration of Godzilla vs. Kong. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Is It True? - The Aliens from Signs Aren't Really Aliens

 

Hey guys and welcome to a brand new edition of Is It True?. This time I tackle a theory regrading the aliens from M. Night Shyamalan's 2002 movie, Signs.

What is Signs?

Signs is a 2002 science fiction mystery thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It tells the story of farmer Graham Hass and his family have discovered weird crop circles at their home. As time goes by more crop circles appear but not only at their farm but around the world. Now Hass wants to find out why this is happening while at the same time keeping his family together.

The Theory

This is how the theory goes, that the aliens from Signs aren't aliens but they're demons. The reason for this theory is because the movie relies heavily on religion. The character of Graham Hass is a former priest and many have noticed quite a lot of biblical imagery and allegories. In matter of fact one allegory is that the aliens first form of attack is to stop their victims from breathing, which some of interpreted as a biblical reference to some people thinking the creation of man to have come from God's "breath of life". Another reason for this theory is that the alien's weakness is water, which if that stuff gets on them it burns them. This has been interpreted as holy water burning demons.

Is The Theory Believable?

This is actually a hard one for me to decide on. Because Signs is one of those movies that have been analyzed in many different ways. But let's say the theory might be possible. It does make you want to view the movie is a different perspective. Really all I can say is I'm not too sure about this theory myself, the best answer I can come up with maybe there's a possibility. But until Shyamalan says something this theory's conclusion is up in the air.

So that's going to do it for me. Sorry if this one didn't leave you satisficed but this one was actually tough for me to come up with a logical answer. Anyhow, come back on Thursday, Mar 25th for part three of my review series Looking Back at the Films of 2020. The movies I'll be reviewing for that one are Bloodshot and The Way Back. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.