by Kush Bansal | Oct 29, 2018 | Opinion & Reviews
Ah, the 60s. JFK, Martin Luther King, the rise of NASA, and Jazz, the 60s were the time that defined America. But also the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the space race showed America’s true colors. However, on July 16, 1969, USA won the Space Race. Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong floated from Earth to the Moon to be the first to approach the Moon and the first to walk on it. And while there are many conspiracy theories regarding the moon landing, keep them to yourself, as Damion Chazelle (Academy Award for Best Director) believed this truly uplifting story, and created his most unique tale yet.
Damion Chazelle (who also directed Whiplash and La La Land) wanted to create a story that revolves on Armstrong and Armstrong only. Apart from a few sequences in space, the entire story is set on Earth, showing the hardships that Armstrong went through and how, despite his stoic and irregular emotions, is someone who is hurting. Before we get to the performances, script, and directing, the best thing I can say about this movie is that the Space scenes looked and felt like they shot it in space (fun fact: the moon landing scenes were actually shot at a park at night, using the biggest light ever used in a Hollywood film). The close-ups and the constant camera movement physically made you sick but also on the edge of your seat for what happens next. And this all leads to the beautiful moon shot, as the camera pans around the landscape, showing the true sense of what space really feels like. Going to the performances the main stars are Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy (playing Armstrong’s wife). Both of them created a stoic, damaged, bleak but supporting relationship. As she worries for Armstrong, she also has to experience the impacts of the moon landing with her friends. And, without going into spoilers, there are some decisions this movie makes that are both respectable but may differ based on your perspective. This leads me to my main issue with this film, which is that the script cannot balance Armstrong’s life, the NASA subplot, and focus on creating an entertaining movie, as a good hour or so can be described as boring and very, very bland. This was disappointing because I expected more from the movie, coming from a praised director. However, is this a deal breaker? Absolutely not.
While I think this movie has many issues regarding its pacing and script, I definitely think this movie is a must-watch. I rate it a B+. It is rated PG-13 and you can watch it in theaters today. Thank you guys for reading and comment below on more movies you think I should review.
by Kush Bansal | Oct 24, 2018 | Opinion & Reviews
After 10 terrible movies and 40 years, we got it. The true sequel to Halloween 1978 (this movie ignores all the other movies). And what can I say, it was AWESOME! After 40 years, we see Nick Castle return as Michael Myers as well as Jamie Lee Curtis returns as Laurie Strode in this 1-hour 44-minute film. This movie is directed by David Gordon Green and takes place 40 years after the original where Michael Myers returns from prison to kill more people to get to his number 1 enemy, Laurie Strode. And while on this adventure there is action, comedy, and dram, plus a lot of gruesome deaths (more on that later). Let’s start off with the directing.
David Gordon Green uses a different way to pace this movie. The first 30 minutes of this movie is setting up the next hour, introducing the characters, the plot, and the environment. This is my main issue with this movie because it felt very slow, granted it was fun seeing returning older characters. Apart from this the rest of the movie was incredible. Right, when the first kill happens it is a non-stop ride. This was the best part of this movie in that the kills and action were authentic and masterfully done. From the suspense building to the final kill, it put me to the edge of my seat. The acting and comedy were also awesome as Jamie Lee Curtis does an excellent job at making me care about her character, not to mention the comedy being done at just the right parts. John Carpenter’s score (fun fact: John Carpenter directed the first Halloween movie) as well as the editing and homages to the original were also done well and added even more positives to this movie. From a script perspective, the writers were able to craft a story that was able to set up the next hour that showed Michael Myers in his true form, while also adding new subplots and character development that pays off later. I recommend you see this movie soon with more people or bring a friend along (shout out to Ryder) so that then you are able to enjoy the experience for anticipating the next kill even more.
Despite the slow beginning, this is the best horror movie of this year and I highly recommend you check this movie out soon. I’m going the rate this movie an A. It is rated R (caution: there is a brief scene of nudity that may be offensive and/or too inappropriate for some users) and is playing in theaters now. Thank you guys for reading and don’t forget to comment below on movies you want me to review and as always, have a great day.
by Kush Bansal | Oct 24, 2018 | Opinion & Reviews
It’s October, AKA SPOOKY MONTH! Halloween, Trick or Treating, and even clown attacks (well, in 2016 anyway). While we live in the capitalist world of 2018 where every horror movie is a cash-grab for more green in the bin. In 2018 alone we had the Slender Man, Truth Or Dare, The Nun, Venom (though it’s a comic book film), and The First Purge, and these are just the start of the terrible, jump scare gimmicks these cash grabs have to offer. But no, forget those atrocities, the best horror movies are the classics. The scariest movies to watch on Halloween are The Shining (1980) and the original Halloween (1978).
The Shining is a Stanley Kubrick film starring Jack Nicholson. It was the most hated movie when it released, with critics calling it boring, repetitive, and not very creative (granted this was before film today where everything is a mystery). However, over the years, it has gained a cult following, with famed directors such as Steven Spielberg praising this film for its creativity by Stanley Kubrick, as well as the ecstatic performance by Jack Nicholson (fun fact: he played Joker in the 1989 Batman). The movie takes place at a hotel and is about a psychopath murderer threatening the hotel, along with other supernatural forces. That’s all I can say without diving into spoilers. This movie is a must see. It evokes the haunted house atmosphere that you and even a friend can watch, home alone, in the middle of the dark (for a spooky tone). The Shining is on Netflix and is rated R (because no good horror movie is rated PG-13).
John Carpenter had only one vision for this movie: suspense. The original Halloween, released in 1978 (which is getting a direct sequel which releases in theaters in 2018), was created on a $325,000 budget. In today’s terms, that wouldn’t even cover the poster for a major motion picture. This started the genre of slasher movies as this movie for its time was so brutal regarding the violence with a knife that it almost got an NC-17 rating (AKA only for people 17 and above). The plot for this movie is Michael Myers, a serial killer ever since he was 6, attacks babysitter Laurie Strode. He tortures her by murdering all of her friends, then she’s next. This movie is fantastic because it reinvents the horror genre in that before you only got scared because of haunted houses after this movie released no one even felt safe in their homes. This movie is rated R and you can find it to rent, buy, or watch on TV.
The movies I have talked about today are only the couple out of hundreds and thousands of horror movies (good and bad) that you can watch today. I hope you enjoyed this article and are looking forward to watching these movies. As always, comment below on more movies you want me to review and of course, have a Happy Halloween!
by Kush Bansal | Oct 4, 2018 | Opinion & Reviews
What are movies? Some view it as throwaway entertainment. Some see it as an art piece. And the group I’m in is the group who doesn’t care about either, who just want to enjoy it. Over this year I will be reviewing movies based on popularity, theme, or just for fun. This month I’m going to work on the best movies relating to school. There are a huge number of school movies out there, but to be honest, they’re all horrible. None of them commit to the idea of knowing what a student does; rather, they use general stereotypes, such as how all students are constantly on their phones, to categorize what they think is a student. However, there are 2 movies that are perfect: The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
The Breakfast Club is about one Saturday detention. The rebellious kid is John Bender, the rich bratty princess is Claire Standish, the loneliest, weirdest outcast is Alison Reynolds, the stuck-up nerd is Brian Johnson, and the somewhat humane jock is Andrew Clark. John Bender is the troubled kid and is abused at home, so he vents out in school by pulling fire alarms, fighting with every teacher, and, well, cracking some edgy jokes. Claire Standish is the rich, annoying, spoiled girl who takes everything for granted, yet she doesn’t know how to live by society’s norms. Brian Johnson is a nerd and is pressured by his parents to get all A’s so when he gets an F, he tries to kill himself. Andrew is the jock who by his friends and family has to conform to the typical stereotypes, going even as far as to public defame and harass other students. Finally Alison, well, she has no life, so she comes to every Saturday detention, because why not. All of the students are held down by the principal whose ego is built around subsequently “molding” the students who don’t go by the school rules and to shape the “children” of tomorrow, but if something doesn’t go his way, he will go to any length in order to torture every student to his liking. The film explores the corner of each school stereotype and how, at certain times, just because someone is labeled as one thing does not mean that they cannot be something else, which can even relate to you, too. If you want to check out this movie (which I highly recommend), you can watch it now on Netflix or you can buy or rent it.
The other great movie about school is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It’s about a kid named Ferris Bueller and his mastermind plan to escape school for a day to go to the city of Chicago with his friend and girlfriend. He works with his school and classmates to fool the teachers into thinking that he is sick; however, the principal is not buying it, so he goes on a chase to track down the truth. This leads to the biggest gags in this movie. This movie is different than The Breakfast Club because it’s more humorous. While it still uses a school setting and the stereotypical student characters, it emphasizes the idea of having fun regardless of school and not being stressed. This is why at the time it released it was so popular. Every student appreciated the fact that school isn’t all about studying but also to have fun, at least in the 80s anyway. If you want to watch it, you can find it on Starz or buy/rent it.
This is why The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off are the best movies about school and why you should check them out. Next month I will be talking about more movies so I hope you enjoyed and are convinced to check out these movies.
