the belko experiment

Uploaded by James Gunn on 2017-01-18.

The premise of this movie is simply this... You are stuck in your office building and are told that you will die if you don't kill your co-workers. What will you do? It's basically inspired as a combination of "Office Space" and "Battle Royale." The kill or be killed dilemma isn't exactly a new theme, but I always find it fascinating to see this hopefully theoretical social experiment put into a story. The whole "in the end, everybody is in it for themselves" philosophy is something we must have considered at some point. Killing strangers is already one thing, but would you kill a friend, family, or love one, just to survive? At what point do you stop following your own human morals, just for the sake of survival? 

Written by James Gunn, and Directed by Greg McLean, this movie makes attempts at addressing those moral questions I brought up. However, it only really introduces those questions very briefly, and doesn't spend enough time on them to give the proper attention they truly deserve. There unfortunately isn't really a huge emphasis on the social commentary about your office work place environment being a battlefield of life and death. The movie is simply more focused on the "kill or be killed" dilemma first and foremost, which would be fine in itself if it wasn't for the fact that the deaths and kills are not as inventive as you probably hoped they could be. Although, people killing others using office supply instruments is always a plus. 

So the promise and potential of this movie's premise isn't quite up there as one of the dramatic greats, nor does it have the epic scope to see how far it could have really gone. With that said, the question has to be asked, was it still enjoyably fun to watch this twisted story play out? Yes. Yes it was. All the logical flaws, plot cliches, or underdeveloped characters, may be unavoidably present in this movie, but it's still guilty pleasure fun for what it is. From the kills, the escapes, the moral debates, all of that are automatically thought provoking and compelling just for the sheer fact of what they represent in the premise. Everybody watching this should have a strong opinion on what side they would choose, or what they would do themselves, and that gives this movie that extra edge for making it an entertaining thriller. 

Part of what makes this movie better is because of the cast of character actors that you would normally see in a supporting role in other properties. You will likely be motivated to start rooting for which character you would like to see survive, and root for which ones you want to see die. Some deaths were obvious. Some deaths were not. Either way, things get bloody. Bloody fun. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

girlfriend's day

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Write a card too clever, And someone might kill you! Ever wonder who penned the perfect words to the Mother's Day card you sent last year? Or the hilarious birthday card you gave your best friend? A master of words, that's who.

So Bob Odenkirk is in this just about from beginning until end, helped write and produce this movie, plus the character he plays is having a horrible time in life which can be amusing to watch. I should mention that this story is about a down on his luck greeting card writer, some proposed new holiday called "Girlfriend's Day," and the competition surrounding it. How often do you watch a movie about that? With Odenkirk's involvement and the quirky premise, I expected this movie to be something very worthwhile to watch. Unfortunately it just doesn't stick the landing. 

There are several plot points in this film that are off kilter enough to be entertaining, like how it holds some reverence and disdain to greeting cards (and it's writers), the bar where writers and poets go to, the lengths to what Odenkirk's character will do to delay his rent, and the somehow noir-ish plot turn that the movie takes. Even with the plot and the talented cast, it still somehow manages to just be mildly amusing at best, which is disappointing to say the least. When the funniest thing I took out from the movie are the two reformed racist characters, then you know there are issues with the direction of this film. Thankfully it's a really short movie at 65 minutes, even though it feels like it's longer than that. 

loveditenjoyedititsokay  IT'S MEH  itsterrible

kong: skull island

Discover how Kong became King. Watch the official Comic-Con trailer for #kongskullisland, starring Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman, and John C. Reilly. #SDCC2016 #WBSDCC -- KONG: SKULL ISLAND In March 2017, the producers of Godzilla transport audiences to the birthplace of one of the most powerful monster myths of all in KONG: SKULL ISLAND, from Warner Bros.

There are certain things about this movie that people will simply not like. The script isn't exactly the best thing here, and it's just plot points strung together. The dialogue is more focused on exactly three things; exposition, humor, and "cool monologues." The character development is more like undeveloped characters. The social commentary it does have are simply presented to us in this story, but not completely explored. The Michael Bay style of quick cut editing are going to annoy many. With all that said, if you are looking for a simply told action-adventure monster movie, that doesn't really aspire to be more than just an action-adventure monster movie, then you may have come to the right place. 

Simple premise and characters aside, I thought this was very entertaining to watch. This story of a motley crew of people exploring and trying to survive in a mysterious island, that has a very prominent giant ape that's the size of a building, that's fighting other giant monsters, or helping other giant monsters, is like the kind of premise you would find in a low budget gonzo B-movie monster flick, in some geek's fan-fiction, or in the imagination of an 8 year old boy. If you can accept that spirit of this movie, then you should have a fun time with it. Yes it can be accused for being a bit too shallow of a film, but I honestly thought it gave me enough depth to care about what's going on. 

Visually this movie is quite spectacular to look at, despite the aforementioned Michael Bay style editing by film editor Richard Pearson. Cinematographer Larry Fong gave us some excellent eye-candies of camera shots and angles here, from amazing close ups of faces, fantastic use of reflections, to incredible vistas. The CG work by Industrial Light & Magic, Hybride, Rodeo FX, and the rest, are also phenomenal and deserves a lot of credit for bringing the monsters and the island to life. The action sequences wouldn't be as good as they are without these visual effects teams. 

Despite the obvious negatives that this movie has, there are three takeaways from seeing this. King Kong is awesome to see being this huge, John C Reilly is always entertaining to watch, and expect more monster on monster action to come in the near future. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

before i fall

http://beforeifallfilm.com/ What if you had only one day to change absolutely everything? Before I Fall is out in theaters March 3rd! What if you had only one day to change absolutely everything? Samantha Kingston has it all: the perfect friends, the perfect guy, and a seemingly perfect future. Then, everything changes.

If you can get past the obnoxious and frustrating first 20 minutes of watching teenage girls doing annoying, vapid, trite, frivolous things, that comes with High School adolescence, then you might be rewarded with a movie that just might offer you something that may enrich your outlook in life. That of course depends on whether you are watching this as a young person hitting puberty, or as an adult that has already lived way past that part of his life. Needless to say, this reviewer is not this movie's target audience. 

I decided to see this movie because is has that story gimmick that I enjoy, which is that the protagonist has to re-live the same day over and over again, a la Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day," or Tom Cruise in "Live Die Repeat: Edge Of Tomorrow." I thought maybe this might be able to add something new, creative, and worthwhile to that premise after all. No, it's pretty much as derivative as you'd expect. However this does feature the always entertaining Zoey Deutch in the lead role, and she is arguably the best thing here in this very flawed movie. 

While the cast of actors are generally good in this movie, they are still held back by playing archetypal roles. There are some elements of making each one slightly more interesting than they appear to be, but it doesn't really expand too much over the superficial elements. It also doesn't help that an actress like Elena Kampouris has to look and act like the most cartoonish outcast of a teenager in that school, whose presence only undermines the more serious tone that this movie is trying to achieve.

Kampouris' character is just one of many examples of this story being way too on-the-nose and too transparent with the lessons it's trying to teach the audience. However, as predictable and as unoriginal as it is, I can't deny that the moral thematic lesson of this movie is worthwhile and admirable anyway. It's heart is in the right place, and some teenage kid might actually benefit from being exposed to seeing this movie. I won't begrudge this film for that. It's just unfortunate that the characters of this movie tend to make questionable decisions that only makes me go "Really?! That's what you're going to do?! Why don't you just do this instead?!" Kudos on trying to do the right thing with this story anyway. 

loveditenjoyedititsokay  IT'S MEH  itsterrible 

logan

Logan In Theaters - March 3, 2017 Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Dafne Keen Directed by James Mangold SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/FOXSubscribe Connect with Logan Online: Visit Logan on our WEBSITE: http://fox.co/Logan Like Logan on FACEBOOK: http://fox.co/LoganFB Follow Logan on TWITTER: http://fox.co/LoganTW Follow Logan on INSTAGRAM: http://fox.co/wponx About 20th Century FOX: Official YouTube Channel for 20th Century Fox Movies.

People expecting this to be a typical comic-book movie may be surprised to learn that it's really not. The liberal use of the F word and the brutal non-cartoony violence may cement that point as well. The character of Logan is an ornery man with claws for weapons after all, so this movie not holding back from those elements actually makes a lot of sense. It should be pointed out that there are still some comic book easter eggs, and acknowledgement of the general X-Men mythology, so the movie doesn't completely ignore it's roots. However, the Wolverine in this film is now old, full of regret, and is tragically a mere shadow of his former glorious super-heroic self.

The more melancholic tone and careful pacing that Director and co-Writer James Mangold gave this, is what sets it apart from other comic book movies. As a longtime fan of these characters, it was easy to feel a sense of sadness in seeing their twilight years as depicted in this story. The premise itself of a reluctant man trying to just disappear from the world, who encounters a young girl in trouble that upends his desire to be left alone, is simply quite engaging. This man who represents the past, and this girl who represents the future, is a very effective combo and the heart of this movie. Thematically, this film offers a lot of compelling things to consider.

Story-wise, I wanted this to keep going past it's running time of 137 minutes. From the brutal opening that sets up the kind of action sequences that's to be expected from this, the chases and escapes, the quieter moments of people having dinner together, to the many scenes of Logan being an a-hole, plus Laura kicking ass, there's definitely a lot that I really liked about the plot. Especially those action set pieces. Overall the journey this movie took me from beginning to end was absolutely worthy of my time. 

Hugh Jackman is amazing playing the role as the weary and ill-tempered old man Logan. Patrick Stewart is fantastic as the very old Charles Xavier, and adds some welcome comedic moments. Dafne Keen is also quite incredible playing the very dangerous Laura, and people might just be shock to see how deadly this young girl can get. The supporting cast of Stephen Merchant and Boyd Holbrook are also good in their roles as well. 

Could "Logan" be one of the best "comic book movies" ever made? That may be a debatable argument in the general sense, but I can safely say for sure that this is the best movie that features the Wolverine. 

LOVED IT  enjoyedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

a united kingdom

IN UK CINEMAS 25TH NOVEMBER 2016 Starring David Oyelowo (Selma) and Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl); and directed by Amma Asante (Belle), A UNITED KINGDOM tells the inspiring true story of Seretse Khama, the king of Bechuanaland (modern Botswana), and Ruth Williams, the London office worker that he married in 1948 in the face of fierce opposition from their families and the British and South African governments.

Love, Marriage, Racism, Controversy, Leadership, Politics, Government, and Determination. This movie tells us a powerful true story that shaped a country and helped moved a people towards the goal of equality. As most biopics go, the narrative has to condense several years of history into less than two hours, but thankfully Director Amma Asante was able to keep the plot moving and engaging throughout.

Another major factor that helped this movie was the amazing performances by David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike. Both actors were able to showcase the love and respect Seretse and Ruth had for each other, as well as the strength to overcome all the opposition and hardship that faced them. It is truly a wonder for them to stay together, when it seems like the whole world wants them apart. It was very easy to sympathize with the two characters, and then to feel the joy for their happier times. The theme of "love conquering all" is as cliche as it can get, but it didn't bother me one bit here. 

As a historically educational film, it's important that this story reaches more people. As a movie about two star-crossed lovers, it's very inspiring and only makes you want to aspire to find a love like theirs. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

collide

CollideFilm.com What would you do for love? Collide is in Theaters February 24 After a heist goes terribly wrong, Casey Stein (Nicholas Hoult) finds himself on the run from a ruthless gang headed by mob boss Hagen (Anthony Hopkins). Now Casey has precious cargo that belongs to Hagen, who will stop at nothing to retrieve it.

With all the car sequences, criminals with guns, and a protagonist that would do illegal activities but with good intentions, it seems like this is trying to be Europe's version of a "Fast and Furious" type of movie. Sure the "ends justifies the means" reasoning found in the story is morally flawed, but hey look at all those spectacular stunts and car crashes! Once you get pass the first portions that sets up the characters and all that, the rest of the movie are a series of exciting action sequences. It's not setting a high bar or anything like that, but they were perfectly enjoyable enough to watch. 

Nicholas Hault and Felicity Jones may be the primary characters you would want to see have a happy ending by the conclusion of the movie, but it's really Ben Kingsley as Geran and Anthony Hopkins as Hagen Kahl that you will want to see more of. They steal the show. Kingsley and Hopkins look like they are enjoying themselves hamming it up for the camera, each showcasing their own colorful ways of making their characters stand out more in entertaining fashion. Kingsley with his pop culture references, to Hopkins doing a stereotypical Bond villain type. Fun stuff. 

Many will fault this movie as having an uninspired cliche filled story, and looking too generic to bother seeing. There are also the obvious flaws and unbelievably stupid situations that will make you want to do a face palm in disappointment. Not to mention all the bad guys who constantly try and shoot our hero, but can never seem to hit their target. A lot of suspension of disbelief here. However, look at those cars going really fast and crashing on the autobahn! 

loveditenjoyedit  IT'S OKAY  itsmehitsterrible

get out

Get Out - In Theaters This February http://www.getoutfilm.com In Universal Pictures' Get Out, a speculative thriller from Blumhouse (producers of The Visit, Insidious series and The Gift) and the mind of Jordan Peele, when a young African-American man visits his white girlfriend's family estate, he becomes ensnared in a more sinister real reason for the invitation.

When the movie "Jaws" came out in the 1975, it made swimmers think twice before getting in the water. When the movie "A Nightmare On Elm Street" came out in 1984, it made kids feel unsure about wanting to go to sleep. When "The Blair Witch Project" came out in 1999, it made people wonder about what bad things might happen in the woods. When "Paranormal Activity" came out in 2007, it made people a little uneasy about the home they are sleeping in. With the movie "Get Out" in 2017, it's probably going to make Black people think twice about visiting their white girlfriend's isolated suburban town that's populated by white people. 

Despite the fact that I did enjoy this movie, I actually do not think that this is the best and scariest horror film that I've seen in a long time. In fact, I'd go as far and say that I didn't really think it was that scary at all. With that said, I have to admit that this is an expertly written and directed movie that mixes social commentary about racism effortlessly within the horror genre. The build up, the set up, the plot reveals, all were done very well. Although I'm downplaying the scare factor, the premise of this movie is still technically scary, but it's really more in the creepy category of scary. Creepy people. Creepy dialogue. Creepy visuals. Creepy interactions. Creepy awkwardness. Truly the creepy factor is this movie's strength, and those are the moments that will haunt your thoughts after seeing this. 

It has to be said that I truly appreciated it that Writer-Director Jordan Peele used very minimal cheap jump scares. Speaking of tired scare tactics by typical modern scary movies, people who are looking for pure terrifyingly horrific scenes might be a little disappointed. There are some gore, but nothing that traumatizing. There were some tense moments, but it never really got too intense. Add in some good comedic moments with supporting actor LilRel Howery, and we've got here a very well made horror movie that shouldn't be too frightening for those who are easily scared off by this genre. 

LOVED IT  enjoyedititssokayitsmehitsterrible

fist fight

Ice Cube and Charlie Day star as high school teachers prepared to solve their differences the hard way in the comedy "Fist Fight," directed by Richie Keen ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia") - in theaters February 17!

There's one big issue with this movie, and it's that it just wasn't that funny. There were jokes and sight gags that constantly happen in it, and my brain did register that they were suppose to make me laugh, but the problem is that I couldn't find it in myself to actually laugh. Maybe I did laugh for one, two, maybe three of the jokes, but I think that's it. The movie seemed obsessed with trying to be outrageous and edgy, that it forgot that it can't just rely on that method alone, and actually needed to make it funny as well. I know comedy is subjective, but c'mon now! 

I was ready to write off the whole movie as an absolute waste of my time, but it managed to salvage the experience during the last twenty minutes. Specifically speaking, there is one scene towards the end that involves actress Alexa Nisenson that I genuinely enjoyed, and of course there's the teacher fight that actually was fun and entertaining to watch. Those two set pieces were like the main pay-offs to everything that happened before them. They could have saved us a lot of time and just released those two parts online as short films that would have worked on their own without the rest of the movie. 

Despite the numerous issues I had with "Fist Fight" (should have just been called "Teacher Fight"), I can't blame the cast at all. The cast did as good a job as they can for the roles given to them. Big kudos to Charlie Day and Ice Cube for looking like they still gave it their all, even if the film didn't really live up to their talents. I actually did like the premise of the movie, the social commentary about teachers, students, and the school system, about standing up for yourself, and having accountability, all that I liked. I just wished all that would have ended up in a much better film. 

loveditenjoyedititsokay  IT'S MEH  itsterrible

resident evil the final chapter

映画『バイオハザード：ザ・ファイナル』新予告編！ 全世界待望の『新予告』完成！ 人類の命運はアリスに託された―。そして、遂にアリス誕生の秘密が明かされる！ 今までストーリーの詳細は謎に包まれていた『バイオハザード：ザ・ファイナル』だが、新しい予告ではストーリーを紐解く重要なシーンが公開された。 地獄のような炎、水中から襲い掛かってくるアンデッド― 悪夢と現実のフラッシュバックで目を覚ましたアリスに、一体何が起きたのか？ いま、アリス最後の戦いが幕を開けるー そして、ついにシリーズ完結へ！ 『バイオハザード：ザ・ファイナル』 出演：ミラ・ジョヴォヴィッチ、アリ・ラーター、ウィリアム・レヴィ、ルビー・ローズ、ローラ、ウィリアム・レヴィ、イアン・グレン 監督：ポール・W・S・アンダーソン 原題：Resident Evil: The Final Chapter 日本公開：12月23日（金・祝）世界最速公開 全米公開：2017年1月27日（水） 公式サイト：http://www.biohazard6.jp/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/biomovieJP Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BiomovieJP/

Can I just say that this is a terrible movie and call it a review? No? You want me to waste more time on this movie and give you a few more words? Alright. How about... The action sequences were terribly choreographed, and incredibly unexciting. The visuals were generally uninspired and boring to watch. There were practically no real scary moments in this movie, short of some jump scares and sudden loud noises. The story was insipid and contrived, with things just happening because they had to happen. I didn't care about any of the characters, although Milla Jovovich's Alice looked like she at least tried to play her poorly written part as best as she could. Speaking of which, there was one very brief plot point towards the end of the movie, that gives a much needed resolution to the Alice character that I really did appreciate. Besides that one single positive thing, this movie was a complete waste of my time. 

loveditenjoyedititsokayitsmeh  IT'S TERRIBLE