Reviews

Nikola Tesla was a very unique individual, especially for his time. He was well-known by most for his revolutionary inventions and brilliance. Despite his widespread notoriety, his personal life was (and still remains) largely obscured to the public, even those closest to him. In complete contrast to his rival, Thomas Edison, Tesla didn't like the limelight. Rather, his focus was on the accomplishment itself rather than the accolades. Thereby, he chose an extremely reclusive lifestyle where he could perform experiment in solitude. Ironically, his efforts to stay out of public eye fueled public interest and earned him an enigmatic reputation.

I was originally drawn to this film because I was curious which direction the film makers would go with this. Since little was known about Tesla's inner sanctum, the writers/director were, by proxy granted a fair amount of creative freedom to essentially "create" Tesla, even if just based on speculation.

Unfortunately, the production team chose not to touch this aspect of Tesla's life. They even went as far as to actively avoid it altogether. i.e. Tesla (Hawke) never gives speaks a narrative, soliloquy, inner dialogue etc throughout the entire movie. Instead, the story is told as a biography by a peripheral character who properly functions to tell the tale but fails to entertain.

The acting and production value are acceptable. The movie comes off as very slow-paced due to the matter-of-fact style employed vs a traditional narrative with a build-up, climax, and resolution.

I really don't want to say that this is a 'bad' movie. It's just a shame; this had so much potential that it didn't take advantage of. IMO, this movie is best suited for those who don't know much about Tesla's professional life. While not necessarily entertaining in the traditional sense, it's hard to describe his life as anything short of interesting and worth learning.

The trailer for this movie honestly didn't grab my attention. It didn't look boring, but nothing about the plot really piqued my interest. Ultimately, it was the lead actor who drew me in, famous for his role as "Jaime Lannister" in Game of Thrones.

Only during the credits did I find out that this movie was written/directed by Ric Roman Waugh, who has made several other Prison-based movies. If you've seen his works like "Snitch" or "Felon" (and enjoyed them as I have), you'll likely enjoy this movie too.

The cast of this film was impressive. There were a fair amount of big/recognizable faces even for smaller parts, which was appreciated.

Largely, I appreciated that the plot wasn't heavily focused on the main character's time in prison. The movie begins with the protagonist, a hardened man being released from prison. We see character development by means of intercut flashbacks, showing significant moments in his life.

As a result, the movie carries great momentum and keeps the story suspenseful to the end. I can say that it's rare, if not refreshing to have an ending that is: Unpredictable, plot-resolving, plausible, and remaining in line with the characters' core beliefs. I think Shot Caller accomplished that.

8/10* If nothing else, if you're familiar with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau from GoT, it's amazing to see the wide range this great actor can cover.

Just when I thought I'd seen every Time Travel concept already used... this little gem makes it small but unique debut.

As a fan of the sci-fi genre, I really have a true appreciation for sci-fi movies that retain "scientific accuracy", to the best of our knowledge anyway. In that aspect, this movie doesn't disappoint.

The movie itself isn't always... engaging (even at a runtime of only 72 minutes) and it may lose the audience's attention briefly from time to time (no pun intended). However, this is certainly forgivable as we are ultimately rewarded at the end.

The acting, use of story-telling, and narration are all certainly sufficient enough to properly showcase the writer/director's clever vision.

If you're the type who watches/enjoys "actual" Time Travel documentaries on TLC/History/etc, I can all but guarantee you'll appreciate this.

8/10 ******** for presenting a small, but original, well-thought take on Time Travel.

I think we've officially reached the pinnacle in the abundance of Sci-Fi Futuristic Anime shows, especially since Netflix started contributing. A genre which I loved, but over the years I've become jaded on. While the shows were all unique in some fashion, they nonetheless begin to blend together over time.

However, it was Gen:Lock that unexpectedly reignited my spark for the genre. I was immediately engaged and had that long-lost "Hell Yeah!" feeling.

The graphics are brilliant, as is the music. The sci-fi futuristic technology is cool albeit not entirely original. The voice-acting is well received with fun and interesting characters.

On the other hand, many similar shows have also successfully achieved these same elements, so I found myself wondering, what made THIS show stand out?

Simply put, Gen:Lock got the formula right.

As opposed to many of its predecessors, it doesn't dwell on a long-winded, convoluted history of the reasons of why "Side A" is at war with "Side B". The backstory we are given is that there's a governing body and a resistance, and frankly it's enough to go on without raising unanswered questions.

Having cut that initial larger backstory, the show isn't bogged down by many simultaneous plots or a mountain of characters to try and keep track of.

Rather, the focus (in addition to the futuristic tech) falls on the cast of roughly 5 or 6 characters. And of course, less backstory dialogue leaves room for more jaw-dropping action sequences =) It truly is a show you can hop right in to!

Although the plot is straightforward, I don't want to leave the impression that the show is dumbed-down or one-dimensional by any means. I've only seen 3 episodes so far and there is already plenty of allusion to the secrets and mystery of the experimental technology, as well as the characters themselves, all of which are progressively unfolding.

*As an aside, being that this is an American show, I do appreciate that I can better relate to the show's culture, characters, and dialogue etc. However, I won't say that that aspect alone makes the show "better". For me, I just consider it icing on the cake*

10/10 **********

Netflix suggested this movie based on my love for the Post-Apocalyptic setting.

If you can go into this movie with the knowledge that you won't be getting the likes of Mad Max, Book Of Eli, Terminator, etc, then you might enjoy it for its (unintended) comedic value. If you want something serious, stop reading now.

Initially, I had no idea what to expect with this movie. On one hand, the movie had pretty good production value, a seemingly serious tone, and John Cusack!

However, the OTHER hand soon appears; It consists of wooden acting, glaring details totally incongruent with a supposed P-A world, and a nice spoon-fed plot narration by the bad guys... in case you're having trouble following along.

I quickly realized that the intended demographic for this movie is the "Twilight" generation. The movie takes itself very seriously but is willing to sacrifice realistic aspects for the aesthetics of keeping the main characters attractive at all times... in a post-apocalyptic world. Example: the main male lead has frosted tips in his hair, which no one ever makes a joke or mention of.

Basically, if you can laugh at things like that (unintentional humor), the movie is palatable. It never actually gets boring or painful to get through. As the director probably did, you too, will often forget that the movie even takes place in a war-torn world.

Verdict: This movie would be great fodder for MST3K/Rifftrax ****4/10*** for making me laugh more than the recent Netflix comedies.

Upon reading the tagline for this movie, the idea sounded like a winner, reminiscent of The Last Samurai, a movie which I loved.

However, The Outsider lacked one major thing that The Last Samurai achieved, theatricality, that is, the sense of a movie.

Consider the differences between reading a great book vs. watching a screen adaptation of that very same story at a movie theatre. With the book, you, the reader, dictate how the story is presented and the feelings that it brings. However, a screen adaption of that same book can't necessarily elicit the same reaction by simply showing the events of the story without emotion behind it.

This is the importance of a good director, to fill in the blanks with everything else that we fill in when reading the book:

Thematic cinematography/orchestration to capture a setting, directing actors to create compelling personas that we can empathize with, properly adjusting levels of suspense to pace the film so it won't become stagnant, etc, etc.

The Outsider unfortunately heavily lacks most of these components. The director may have had a certain vision but it was clearly lost on me.

Rather than being presented as a suspenseful, thriller, or epic film, it's directed as a subtle 'matter-of-fact' biographical movie. The story itself is interesting enough but falls short with the director's choice to have the acting stilted/underplayed, leaving the audience apathetic towards the characters. Just to clarify, the acting isn't bad, just purposefully dulled/undersold as part of the director's vision, which was a poor decision IMO, Leto has so much to offer as an actor but his talent isn't allowed to shine in this movie.

Continuing the theme of subtlety/minimalism, you'll notice that most scenes in the movie don't have any background music/score, leaving a sort of empty void. I found that to be particularly strange considering that the film isn't dialogue-heavy. As a result, there are a fair amount of silent parts without interesting visuals to compensate.

The Verdict: While the director may be talented in his own realm, I think he was clearly the wrong choice for this movie. There is a place for minimalistic direction, but it's not here. Given a different director with a more ambitious vision, this movie could've been better IMHO. This movie may be worth a watch if you're diehard Jared Leto fan, but don't expect any 'Requiem for a Dream' type of performance.

4/10*** Interesting enough to string you along but never really pays off.

I don't want to spoil anything about this well-written movie so I'll be as indistinct as possible in this review.

I was lucky enough to find this gem when I blindly searched the word 'amnesia'. While this movie doesn't try to hide that it uses the construct of 'amnesia', it tactfully uses it as a stepping stone to something much bigger.

At its base, this movie is a fantastically paced mystery-thriller that never loses momentum and keeps you guessing until the very end. While the story as a whole holds its own, I think I especially liked this movie b/c I truly found myself experiencing all the emotions that the protagonist experiences. Yes, I know, (duh) that's the goal of every actor/director, right?

It's not easy but if you can get the audience emotionally invested in the characters, they will genuinely care what happens to them next, all you need is a good story to go along with it. I believe this movie encompasses just that.

If you like movies told in first-person POV narratives like 'Oldboy', you'll love this one!

This movie was certainly a deviation from the recent DC Batman movies. It lacked that epic 'holy sh*t!" feel that we've learned to love in flicks like "Batman: Under The Red Hood" or even "Son of Batman."

The movie is more akin to "Batman: The Animated Series" or at best "Mask of the Phantasm." Entertaining enough to watch but not to rewatch.

I liked the idea of having Batman set in a different era, but ultimately the concept falls short and is used purely for novelty rather than a vehicle to introduce Batman in a new light. There are so many different ideas, characters, themes, etc that could've been used and twisted to make something truly unique... but instead it didn't take any risks. Why even have a movie set in an alternate timeline if you don't do anything unique with it?

In a nutshell: It gives us the familiar Batman from the animated series that we know and love but fails to pass it off as something 'new' by merely changing the setting. If you liked the Animated Series, you'll get some entertainment out of this.

5/10***** - Worth a rent, but certainly not a buy.

(My Own 2 Cents on Rebooting Superheroes): If you are planning to reinvent The Batman (or any superhero) in a self-contained story, go wild with it and don't hold anything back. I understand the risk, thinking that changing the storyline and characters TOO much may yield a movie too unfamiliar/unrelatable for existing fans to want to watch/buy. But taking that same risk (especially if the story is already self-contained) may do the exact opposite, 'wow' existing fans and gain new audience demographics altogether.

Example: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller

This movie is essentially The Expendables but tastefully tuned down:

• Not as hokey, fewer big names, and fewer unnecessarily large explosions

The casting was decently balanced with a mix of B/B+ actors, most being recognizable but not necessarily known for only playing quintessential badass roles.

Once you're branded a badass actor (albeit not necessarily untalented), it's hard to break that mold in Hollywood, even if the actor is multifaceted. Willis is a great example if you look at some of his earlier work (Sixth Sense).

That being said, you know what to expect of modern-day badass Willis. As far as the supporting cast, it was appreciated to see some of the lesser-known unconventional actors 'earn' badass status in this movie.

I hope Hollywood realizes that you don't need to cast a well-built actor to play a badass role (unless body-type is pivotal to the plot).. But hell, look at Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad!

The verdict: Great action, decent acting/casting, contrived plot.

5.5/10

Preface: Don't let the name of this anime mislead you. Honestly, the "Cry-baby" part almost deterred me, giving me the false impression that the series may be too silly and lighthearted for my tastes. Quite the contrary....

DMCB is one of the best anime's I've seen in years. It focuses on modern society's view of *good vs. evil* along with honest commentary of our own ignorance or refusal to acknowledge morality as a spectrum instead of an absolute. Based on the contrasting words in the title. you probably guessed that the series' focal point is the morally ambiguous gray area in between.

What this series IS:

• A beautifully told epic about the value of lasting friendship along with some occasional laughs as we see the characters going through the awkward ups and downs of adolescence.

• A non-stop adrenaline ride of suspense, fantasy/sci-fi with a healthy dose of awesomely choreographed action

• A brutally honest view of mankind's depravations:

**HyperSexuality, Visceral Violence, Envy, Hate, Superiority etc.

What this series ISN'T:

• Appropriate for younger audiences due to the 'stylized' **sexual and violent tones. Although I wouldn't describe the amount of mature content as "distasteful" since it follows the overriding theme of depravity, however it's still more graphic than the average TV-MA anime. As described above: "Brutally Honest"

• A 'Feel-Good" cookie cutter anime series, after all, it's not meant to be. It takes place in a real world with plausible characters who make real-life choices to reject or embrace sin and moreover, to what degree.

The end result: A mixed bag of emotions and unpredictable plot turns

Will it leave a smile on your face throughout? No Will it entertain you with story and suspense? Absolutely. Will it make you reflect a little bit about life? I don't know but I'm hoping so.

If you like Anime like: Death Note, Evangelion, Berserk, Parasyte, etc, you'll probably like this.

I've been a fan of Aronofsky's since his visceral "Requiem for a Dream". As I've watched more and more of his movies, I can't say that I've 'loved' every one of them, but I certainly always appreciate the vastly different themes or elements that (I think) he wants to showcase.

Example: 'The Wrestler' - Uncomfortably Raw Empathy 'Black Swan' - The Reality of Paranoia vs. Madness

Lastly, my favorite, "The Fountain" - Multiple Abstract Views of a single storyline.

While the entire plot is never quite crystal clear, Aronofsky balances that abstract curiosity with enough deliberately placed elements to allow the viewer to come up with their own feasible conclusion(s).

It's a fine line between making abstract/interpretive movies with a hidden gem inside vs. spilling into convoluted story lines, the latter of which forces the viewer to find a conclusion where one doesn't rationally exist. "The Fountain" and "Mother!" fit amongst the former.

Basically, if you like movies with bizarre, intriguing elements presented in a beautifully abstract way, like "The Fountain", you will almost certainly like this movie too.

Despite the minimal amount of dialogue in the movie, Jennifer Lawrence still pulls off a beautiful, believable performance. We see the world through her eyes, which deliberately makes us taste her sense of discomfort and unease. Despite that though, I still wouldn't have classified this as a "Horror" movie.

The concept of a reformed criminal seeking redemption is nothing new. This movie is no exception with the small addition of a time frame, hence the title.

I found this movie to be much better than the average revenge/redemption flick though. It reminded me of a lesser John Wick. It's clear that the director knew the formula to make an entertaining film like JW:

• A simplistic plot giving the bare necessity of background info to set up the story.

• Largely action heavy, well-choreographed action/fight scenes, no CGI. Like JW, mostly guns and knives.

• With a run time of only 95 minutes, the pace of the movie never really slows down once it kicks off. Kudos to the director for not adding any fluff.

• Like JW, this movie is Gritty. Thankfully, no corny one-liners. The action scenes don't really hold back. Again, well choreographed, no CGI.

• Lastly, I really appreciated the casting...

It's so easy now to cast actors who we already associate as being badass (Jason Statham, for example) for the main role. Don't get me wrong, I like Statham but we've seen him play this role so many times that it's hard NOT to envision him as a badass.

That was one thing I liked about JW, Keanu Reeves isn't 'built' nor does he have the reputation of a badass actor. This gives the audience a fresh perspective since they don't really know what to expect or what a non-badass actor is capable of.

Ethan Hawke was a great choice for the lead. Frankly, I've always liked and respected him as an actor. In the few non-action scenes where acting actual matters, Hawke delivers. He doesn't do the JW 'deadpan, man of few words' character but certainly plays the convincing role of a bad-ass.

Overall - The movie is reasonably predictable, but considering the title, you probably came to see some action, not for a riveting plot. If you liked the dark, gritty, and visceral atmosphere of John Wick, you'll almost certainly like this.

7.5/10.

To reboot a classic movie for a new generation is lazy and disgraceful.

To come up with a new conceptually outside-the-box movie with a cohesive plot is extremely rare and is a true gem. The most recent thing example I can think of is 'The Matrix', unprecedented concepts, albeit still lacking some cohesion.

'Infinity Chamber' falls into a third, middle-ground category: Borrowing new elements/concepts from other movies as a means to create a "original" movie.

IMO, any such movie would still fall into a sub-genre of the original movie it borrowed its defining elements from. The new movie can still be original (in its own right) if it uses the borrowed concept only as a launchpad to branch off into creative laterals.

The Good:

'Infinity Chamber' is largely a one-man show. Thankfully, the lead actor does a great job of keeping the viewer entertained. Interestingly, the dialogue between the man and the computer is what gave the movie its charm. The computer has all the qualifying intellectual attributes of a real person:, mannerisms, personality, relatability, voice etc. It's easy to forget that the dialogue isn't between two people, despite the computer's limitation to only give pre-programmed or abstract answers.

Whether friendly or hostile, I've always appreciated movies where man and machine can form any sort of progressing understanding towards the other.

The Bad:

This movie isn't without some obscurity and unanswered questions. While this may turn some viewers off entirely, I found them to be forgivable due to the entertaining themes and aspects of the movie as a whole.

If you like movies like "Moon" or "Ex Machina", I'd venture to say you'd find this movie interesting, if not entertaining.

8/10 stars for this low-budget sci-fi movie that brings forth an entertaining sub- original storyline in a world of countless and shameless Hollywood reboots.

If you loved the original Berserk (1997) manga adaption as much as I did, you'll no doubt be drawn to this long anticipated continuation

As a preface, this series lacks everything that made the original series great:

A sense of relatability with these flawed but human characters, an emotional, beautiful musical score, and a well-paced story with haunting glimpses of the unknown within an otherwise realistic world.

On a positive note, the new series does contain some new characters of intrigue and sheds some light on some elements from the original series that weren't fully explained.

As a negative, the story moves too fast in contrast to the original. Any recurring characters from the original are barely recognizable, having lost the original personality traits that defined them, making us hard to care about them. Lastly, the CGI animation is atrocious to say the least, just watch the trailer on youtube.

But ultimately, as a whole I got very little enjoyment/fulfillment from the series and at times found myself forcefully trudging through just to get to the end. .

The bottom line:

If you are a Berserk fanatic, but not a manga reader and simply MUST see where the story goes, it is worth a watch. Just take it with a grain of salt that this new series shares just the title of the original, but none of the same substance.