Like most people reading this, my first thought was, “What is there to debate? You start with “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace,” throw “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” in before the original films and wrap everything up with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” It’s simple, right?

But as we continued the back-and-forth text, I realized my friend wasn’t asking an obvious question about the “Star Wars” timeline. Instead, he wanted to know how I would introduce someone to “Star Wars” for the first time. Would I really lead with the prequels? Is it important to introduce Luke and Leia before or after you meet Anakin Skywalker?

I’ve heard some pretty compelling arguments for what at first seemed like random viewing arrangements, so I’m definitely not claiming I’ve found the perfect experience. But, to answer my friend’s question once and for all, here is my personal take on the right order to experience a “Star Wars” marathon.

“Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope“

It’s probably no revelation that I see Luke and Leia as the central figures of the “Star Wars” experience. Even though they don’t exist in the prequels, they’re still the characters that will eventually undo the tangled mess we find ourselves in after “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,” and the characters future heroes look to in “The Force Awakens.”

Maybe the next two movies will change my perspective, but as of today, I would begin a “Star Wars” marathon with the story that started it all.

“Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace“

Now that we know Luke and Leia, it’s time for a flashback.

I would switch to the prequels after “Episode IV” for two reasons. One, we just lost Obi-Wan Kenobi, and understanding his history will make his later, ghostly appearances a little more meaningful. And two, it seems important to meet Luke’s father for the first time as Anakin Skywalker. If anything, it explains why Luke sounds the way he does when talking about Tosche Station.

“Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones“

Full disclosure, I probably wouldn’t make someone sit through “Attack of the Clones” unless they were really adamant about seeing every movie.

Instead, I’d just talk through the highlights, skip to Yoda confronting his padawan — maybe show off the Obi-Wan and Jango fight and possibly some clone war scenes — and then move onto my next selection. To me, “Attack of the Clones” is the worst chapter of the “Star Wars” saga and telling a first-timer “Anakin and Padmé fall in love” is a lot easier to endure than hearing Anakin yammer on about how much he hates sand.

“Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back“

After slogging through “Attack of the Clones,” it would be time to come back to the original trilogy.

We won’t know exactly how Anakin becomes the coolest sounding bad guy in the galaxy, but hopefully, the additional backstory will lend some weight to that legendary father-son moment. Also, not knowing about the events of Episode III will go a long way in maintaining some level of sympathy for Darth Vader. Once we find out about the younglings and his history of domestic violence, there isn’t much that can be done to redeem the galactic baddie.

Oh, and one other note, Episode II is a pretty good lead-in for the emperor’s original trilogy appearance as well.

“Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith“

Moving from “The Empire Strikes Back” to “Revenge of the Sith” may seem especially bleak, but just think how much more rewarding “Return of the Jedi” will be after the back-to-back downers.

Not only does “Revenge of the Sith” end with the world in chaos, but it also depicts the pinnacle of both Darth Vader’s and the emperor’s villainy. Witnessing Yoda ultimately fall to Palpatine’s senate-throwing ways makes the supreme chancellor even more dangerous in “Return of the Jedi’s” finale. “Revenge of the Sith” also wraps up the Anakin and Obi-Wan story which is a great tie-in to Luke’s questions for Kenobi, and of course, it ends with the birth of our two original trilogy protagonists.

“Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi”

“Return of the Jedi” is really the final chapter to both the prequels and the original trilogy.

By this point, all of the good guys from the original trilogy have passed on, leaving Luke, Leia and Han to do what Yoda, Mace and Obi-Wan never could — bring down the emperor.

Personally, I don’t see “Return of the Jedi” as enough to redeem a child-killing whiney pants like Darth Vader, but it does celebrate Luke’s commitment to the light side of the force. By placing “Return of the Jedi” after “Revenge of the Sith,” instead of “Empire Strikes Back,” we’re able to see a direct comparison between the way Luke and Anakin deal with the temptations of the dark side.

Now that everything has wrapped up nicely, it’s time for something completely different.

“Rogue One“

After chatting with a few people about the proper order for a “Star Wars” marathon, I’ve found myself alone in believing “Rogue One” should come after “A New Hope.”

I get it — the Death Star’s weakness does seem like a bit of a plot hole without the backstory of Jyn Erso and her undercover dad. And, I understand Darth Vader’s closing “Rogue One” lightsaber spectacular is the perfect lead-in to “A New Hope.” But personally, I don’t see a good place to drop a 133-minute aside in the middle of the Skywalker saga. Even tacking it to the beginning of your marathon creates an especially long and not entirely relevant thread of exposition.

Instead, save it for the long break between Episodes VI and VII. “Rogue” can act as one of those “Oh, by the way” moments before you come back and say, “Now, let’s see what happens 30 years after the empire falls.”

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens“

I imagine there could be a creative case made for starting with “The Force Awakens,” but I think this film works best as the current cap of the series — especially if you really are running through this marathon before “The Last Jedi.”

At the time of writing this, I don’t know if Rey ties back to the earlier chapters in any significant way which means Rey, Poe and Finn are starting something entirely new. I guess I should add the caveat that if Snoke turns out to be the evil behind the first six movies, that could change where I place “The Force Awakens” in a future marathon as well.

Based on my current understanding, however, “The Force Awakens” is exactly where it should be.

Am I hoping “The Last Jedi” throws in a few twists that scatter this entire list? Absolutely. But until that happens, this is how I would run my own “Star Wars” marathon.

The post What is the perfect movie order to enjoy a ‘Star Wars’ marathon appeared first on Utah.Film.

The legendary Batman foe has been making comic books, video games, television and feature films more interesting since the 1940s, and almost 70 years later we’re still talking about him.

In fact, just recently Warner Brothers and DC announced writer Scott Silver (8 Mile) will be penning a Joker origin movie set to be directed by Todd Phillips (The Hangover) and produced by none other than Martin Scorsese (The Departed).

Who will play the clowned prince of crime you ask?

According to Variety, and a few other sources, Leonardo DiCaprio is the first name on a probably very short list of actors. This shouldn’t surprise anyone considering Scorsese’s involvement, but it’s still too early to know if DiCaprio would want to portray a character already defined by heavyweights like Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger.

If he says no, well there is still good news for WB and DC. As it turns out, John Clyde and I have been casually texting back and forth about who we think could step in should DiCaprio reject the project.

We’re fairly confident at least one of the following actors will be a great replacement. Here’s our list of 10 actors who could play the Joker should DiCaprio say no.

John Clyde’s List

Evan Peters

John: This may seem like an odd choice, but I really like Peters. You will likely recognize him as Quicksilver in the last couple of X-Men movies, but the kid has a solid resume. His sense of humor and comic timing are solid and that’s something that is vital to playing the Joker. Not only does his humor match, but you can just tell Peters has a maniac just waiting under the surface waiting to get out and cause some chaos.

Travis: I didn’t originally like John’s first pick, but the more I think about it, the more I believe a script currently being written with DiCaprio in mind would translate well to Peters. I’m not saying Peters is a younger DiCaprio or anything like that, only when I imagine DiCaprio’s interpretation of the Joker, it’s not all that different from how I imagine Peters approaching it. I’ll give John this one.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

John: Yes, I may have picked both of the recent on-screen Quicksilvers, but I don’t care. Aaron Taylor-Johnson has made some bad movies, but who hasn’t? Taylor-Johnson was nothing short of phenomenal in “Nocturnal Animals,” and there is just something about him that feels just a touch off-center and unnerving that would make him a fantastic choice for Joker.

Travis: You go too far, Mr. Clyde. I don’t know if it’s the “Kick-Ass” connection or if you just want to see a Quicksilver from Marvel play one of DC’s most famous villains, but I reject at least one of your Quicksilvers. Of the two of them, I like Peters better, so Taylor-Johnson is fired by process of elimination.

Charlie Heaton

John: So Charlie Heaton is not a household name and he has the least amount of experience of anyone on the list, but what does that matter? Heaton played Jonathan Byers on “Stranger Things,” and the odd loner he portrayed had a vulnerability and accessibility that drew you in and sympathize with him even though he still made you uncomfortable. Based on that alone I believe Phillips and a solid script could get a fantastic performance as the Joker out of Heaton.

Travis: I don’t have a lot to go on concerning Heaton. I really liked him in “Stranger Things” and he has a look that could work for a younger, up-and-coming villain, but I don’t feel like his take on Jonathan Byers was enough for me to comment on regarding such a demanding role. I imagine John has had the chance to see more of Heaton’s resume than I have, so I’ll just go with it. If Clyde says he’s a ringer, I’ll put my faith in his faith.

Bill Skarsgård

John: So I am going on faith here, but Skarsgard comes from an acting family and he landed the coveted role of Pennywise the clown, and if there is any truth to the reviews he’s gaining now, there is no reason he couldn’t be the clowned prince of crime. This is a blind pick for me, but I’m confident in it none the less.

Travis: John and I both kind of cheated with our picks by making the obvious connection between Pennywise and Gotham’s agent of chaos. To be honest, were Tim Curry 30 years younger, he’d be on my list as well. That said, I’ll be playing the same card I did with Heaton. I’m not familiar enough with Skarsgard to really comment one way or another, and John and I won’t be seeing “It” until Wednesday night, at which point I’ll know better if I agree with the Skarsgard-for-Joker campaign.

Ben Foster

John: So Ben Foster is an incredibly talented actor that doesn’t really get the credit he deserves. If you don’t recognize his name, just know he’s that crazy guy you saw in that one movie. That’s what Foster does. The man plays crazy better than just about anyone, ever. Some examples include, “Hell or High Water,” “Hostage,” “3:10 to Yuma” and “Alpha Dog” to name a few. I honestly believe Foster is one of the most talented actors working today and I believe he could stand there with the likes of Nicholson and Ledger when it comes to The Joker.

Travis: Unlike lists past, I have to say I don’t hate any of John’s picks. Yes, we have to drop at least one Quicksilver, but at the end of the day, I see why Mr. Clyde would consider Taylor-Johnson and I even get why he’d go with someone like Foster. He’s probably the least obvious pick physically, and would probably get the Ben Affleck-Batman fan reaction were he to be announced, but on a whole, I’m going to give John a tip-of-the-hat on a list well considered.

Travis Poppleton’s list

Ansel Elgort

Photo by David X Prutting
CFDA Fashion Awards, Arrivals, New York, America – 06 Jun 2016

Travis: I am not the biggest Ansel Elgort fan. In fact, even though I really liked “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Baby Driver,” I think Elgort has a tendency to pose when he should be acting.

So, in some ways, I think the Joker can help Elgort out more than Elgort is the perfect fit to play the Joker. There’s a role in Elgort’s future that’s going to push him passed pretty-face status and this could be exactly the project to make that happen. If it is, then the Joker origin movie would be one of those examples where both the movie and the lead actor are better off for each other.

John: So, I really liked “Baby Driver.” Like, really liked. More than a friend even, but it wasn’t because of Elgort. He didn’t make the movie worse, but I also don’t think he did anything special. I don’t dislike the guy, probably a cool dude and he’s making a fine career for himself, but I’m not sold on this pick. Sorry, not sorry.

Nicholas Hoult

Travis: I agree with most movie fans who say Hoult’s take on Nux in “Mad Max: Fury Road” was a bit much. But, in all fairness, was there anything about “Fury Road” that wasn’t a bit much? Could his performance there be just as much George Miller as it was Hoult?

If Hoult can find that balance between vaudevillian crazy and the soft-spoken nerd he’s usually playing, I think there’s a Joker in there somewhere.

John: Apparently Travis and I both like picking superheroes from the X-Men universe. Personally, I’m a fan of this pick. I really like Hoult and I think he’s an incredibly versatile actor who would bring a unique perspective to such an iconic character.

Alfie Allen

Travis: I know, if I’m doing a “Game of Thrones” cast member it’s supposed to be Iwan Rheon. It’s been said before and it will be said again.

However, Rheon’s take on Ramsay Bolton already felt like a 14-episode audition for the Joker, and I don’t need to see any more of it. Alfie Allen, on the other hand, didn’t play his crazy card and was still able to pull off the most extreme character arc of the GoT series. He’s got the physical features and the potential range for the DC character.

John: I know this will ruin some of my street cred, but here it goes. I’ve never seen one episode of “Game of Thrones.” With that said I can’t say too much about Allen. I did see “John Wick,” which I really liked, but Allen was not the standout to me. I think he has the look and reminds me of my Charlie Heaton pick. I can get on board with this one.

Will Poulter

Travis: Had Will Poulter not been attached to “It,” he probably would’ve flown under my radar. But the leap from one crazy clown to another seems pretty obvious, and now that he’s choosing projects like “Detroit,” he’s beginning to become a more credible candidate – much more so than when “Narnia” and “We’re the Millers” were the best things on his resume.

John: Whenever Travis and I do these lists together one of usually texts immediately to call dibs on one specific actor and the other person is left cursing his phone for not texting first. That pick this time was Will Poulter. I have been a huge Poulter fan ever since I saw him in “Son of Rambow” as a 14-year-old kid and I’ve been watching him ever since. Poulter was originally cast as Pennywise in “It” before Skarsgard, but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. This would be a solid makeup. This may be my favorite pick on the list.

Ferdia Walsh-peelo

Travis: Yes, yes I did just choose Walsh-peelo because I like “Sing Street.” And, maybe because he wore makeup and played an outcast. But mostly because I like “Sing Street.”

John: I also like “Sing Street,” but I’m not sure that means he should be Joker, but then I also thought Ledger was a terrible choice to begin with, so I’ve obviously been wrong before.

The post 10 people who could play the Joker if Leonardo DiCaprio says no appeared first on Utah.Film.

As the story goes, Descartes was a guy who danced to his own beat, regularly sleeping in until noon and lazily inventing different forms of geometry. Then one day a queen, fascinated by some of his writings, paid to have the famous philosopher travel to Sweden, where he would teach her a great many things early in the morning. He came, she made him wake up early, it was cold, he got sick, and then he died.

When telling the story, most teachers will emphasize the waking up early part as Descartes’ primary cause of death. That or he was poisoned, but most likely it had to do with waking up early.

And the queen? Well, who cares. She was a sleep depriving torturer whose only claim to fame was the man she killed, right?

As it turns out, the answer to that question is no — not even close. In fact, Descartes is hardly a footnote in the story of this fascinating historical character, and the less you know about Kristina of Sweden, the more drawn in you’ll be to Mika Kaurismäki’s “The Girl King.”

As always, let’s chat about the highlights:

The BBC movie

If I had to give a crude overview of the movie’s presentation, I’d say this looks like an expensive BBC mini-series. This is neither here nor there when it comes to quality storytelling. In fact, tell the wrong person Colin Firth’s Mr. Darcy suffered from the BBC makeover and you’ll end up staring at your still beating heart. However, if you’re expecting the gluttonous budget of a Hollywood period piece, the presentation will take some getting used to. Know what you’re getting into before the lights dim, and you’ll enjoy the film that much more.

Malin Buska

If this film serves no other purpose than to place a spotlight on Malin Buska, it has a lot to be proud of.

Buska believes in every scene she walks through and controls the tempo of each interaction, as any respectable monarch should. In the few cases where “The Girl King” slips into melodrama, it’s during Buska’s absence, and when the story is at its most compelling, you guessed it, Buska is front and center.

I have no idea what Buska’s professional aspirations include, but there are countless projects Hollywood’s kicking around right now that would be better because of her.

The story

On a high level, “The Girl King” is a fish-out-of-water story — only the fish happens to be ruler over the land mammals, and a highly educated one at that.

Set in the 1600’s, “The Girl King” follows Kristina of Sweden (Buska) as she succeeds her father at the age of 6 and begins her rule at 18. As Kristina questions her faith, her sexuality and her purpose as a member of the human race, she is forced to face the burdens that come with overseeing a kingdom that doesn’t entirely understand her. At its heart, this film is very much a biopic that places subject over story, and for those who love characters above all else, it will absolutely work. However, if you’re someone who demands central conflict, and a beginning, middle, and ending, well, move along to the next section.

Where its weak

To be clear, “The Girl King” does not buckle under the weight of some of its issues, but it definitely gets wobbly knees from time-to-time. One glaring problem specifically comes with the occasionally disjointed script by Michel Marc Bouchard.

Instead of focusing on a few key moments of Kristina’s life, or grounding the story with a single overarching conflict, Bouchard instead tries to capture as much of the queen’s life as possible. As a result, audiences might be confused by random set changes, or sit scratching their heads as unusually convenient resolutions unfold in order to push Kristina to another key moment in history.

Again, a few clumsy moments are hardly a knock-out punch for the story, but audiences will notice some unnatural pacing and arranged outcomes.

Conclusion

Audiences who love their historical dramas should definitely look to spend time with Kristina of Sweden in “The Girl King.” While a few moments suffer from uneven storytelling, the intriguing premise, timely themes and stand-out performance from Buska more than makeup for the occasionally jarring presentation. We Flix Junkies have never established a firm rating system, so let me simply call this a worthwhile, 3-out-of-4 star, 1.5 thumbs up.

The post Movie review: 'The Girl King' appeared first on Utah.Film.

True Lies (1994)

To those closest to him, Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger), is a husband, father, and computer salesman. To those who really know him, he is a spy for the United States. While on the trail of some stolen nuclear weapons that have found their way into the hands of terrorists, Harry begins to suspect his wife, Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), is having an affair with a used car salesman. In the true art of balancing it all, Harry must find a way to simultaneously take down the terrorists and save his marriage.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

Mike Meyers plays Austin Powers, a British spy from the 60’s, who volunteers to be cryogenically frozen after his nemesis, Dr. Evil (also played by Mike Meyers) escapes and is also cryogenically frozen. When Powers is woken up in the 90’s he is teamed up with Vanessa Kensington (played by Elizabeth Hurley), in order to find Dr. Evil and stop his plan of world domination.

Get Smart (2008)

Based on the 1965 television series of the same name, “Get Smart” stars Steve Carell as the intelligent, but inept, Maxwell Smart, and Anne Hathway as the straight-laced and beautiful, Agent 99. The movie revolves around the pair’s attempts to thwart the terrorist organization KAOS. Though Maxwell’s blunders makes it seem as their task will inevitably fail, they manage to pull it all off in the end.

Despicable Me 2 (2013)

With the voice talents of Steve Carell as Gru and Kristen Wiig as Lucy, “Despicable Me 2” brings Gru into the world of the Anti-Villain League when they recruit him to assist in an investigation. Gru is paired with AVL agent, Lucy, and together they track down Gru’s number one suspect El Macho (voiced by Benjamin Bratt) and find a little love along the way as well.

Spies Like Us (1985)

Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd star as Emmett Fitz-Hume and Austin Millbarge, two Pentagon workers whom meet while taking the Foreign Service exam, which they ultaimately do poorly on. The Defense Intelligence Agency takes them in and makes them agents to send out to the field as decoys to distract from what the team of real agents is doing, of course the part about being decoys is kept quiet from Emmett and Austin. All but one agent from the real team is destroyed, but the bumbling team of Millbarge and Fitz-Hume survive. They team up with the surviving member of the real team, Karen Boyer (Donna Dixon), and continue the mission.

Johnny English (2003)

Rowan Atkinson stars in the parody of the James Bond films in which MI5 is attacked and his character, Johnny English, is left as the only remaining British spy. English is incompetent as a spy, but he and his sidekick, Angus Bough (Ben Miller) take on the case that Agent One was working on prior to his death – a plot to steal the Crown Jewels. Mishap after mishap ensues, and English and Bough eventually work with Interpol agent, Lorna Campbell (Natalie Imbruglia), to save the Crown Jewels from resting on the head of a criminal.

The post Six Flix List: Spy Comedies appeared first on Utah.Film.

With the end of school quickly approaching I want to address those movies that cover something everyone goes through: high school graduation. My own graduation was not a big deal. I received my diploma, I didn’t trip walking up or across the stage, and I wore a horribly white graduation gown. White is not my color.

Here are six movies that make the whole graduation thing seem a bit more exciting and emotional than my own moment was.

Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)

After four years of pining, Preston (Ethan Embry), learns that the object of his affection, Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt), has recently been dumped by her jock boyfriend, Mike (Peter Facinelli). Preston drags his best friend, Denise (Lauren Ambrose) to the party for support, even though it’s the last place she wants to be. Everyone hits on Amanda during the entire party, which frustrates her, and once Preston works up the nerve to profess his love, she turns him down. Hard. Denise gets stuck in a bathroom with her former friend, Kenny (Seth Green), and you can guess what happens with them. Eventually Amanda realizes dissing Preston as she did was a mistake and she goes looking for him. And that’s how things went down at all those high school parties you were never invited to. Exactly like that.

Toy Story 3 (2010)

The Disney-Pixar movies are very good at making you feel all the feels. In “Toy Story 3” Andy is preparing to leave for college and is sorting through everything in his childhood room. He bags up all his old friends Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Slinky, Hamm, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, and Rex, but is interrupted before he can get them in the attic and they end up the garbage instead. The toys end up in a day care center, with an evil bear acting as they guy in charge. Attempts to escape are thwarted, but in the end the toys end up where they belong. Which isn’t where any of them expected to be. “Toy Story 3” includes the voice talents of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton, and many more.

American Graffiti (1973)

Cruising, mischief, decisions, and mysterious blondes – all things that make a young man wonder if heading off to college the next day is the best decision. Set in 1962, Curt (Richard Dreyfuss), is undecided as to whether or not he wants to leave his hometown of Modesto, California in order to attend college. The night before Curt is scheduled to leave he meets up with his friends, Steve (Ron Howard), John (Paul Le Mat), and Terry (Charles Martin Smith). The night takes the four young men on their own mini journeys, and they each man up and make some decisions about their immediate future.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick), wants to take one day off from school to hang with his best friend, Cameron (Alan Ruck,) and girlfriend, Sloane (Mia Sara), before they head their own ways after graduation, so he pretends to be ill and his parents agree to let him stay home. Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane the day traipsing around Chicago, narrowly avoiding parents, and hijacking parades. Ferris’ younger sister, Jeanie (Jennifer Grey), is determined to catch Ferris in his lie, and ends up defending her home from an intruder who actually is the school principal, Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), who is also just trying prove Ferris is lying. There’s a brilliant chase scene of sorts at the end between Jeanie and Ferris as they both strive to be the first one home. If you’re of a certain age and have never seen this movie, then I don’t want to know you.

Grease (1978)

Ah, to be young and in love in the 1950’s – it gives me chills, and they’re multiplying. After spending a romantic summer together Danny (John Travolta) and Sandy (Olivia Newton-John), must go their separate ways. Danny, the coolest of the cool, returns to his senior year of high school at Rydell High, and as far as he knows, Sandy returns to her life Australia. Imagine Danny’s surprise when the Pink Ladies (Stockard Channing, Didi Conn, and Jamie Donnelly) push Sandy into his arms after a school bonfire. Sandy’s the ultimate goody goody and Danny the stereotypical bad boy, so how will their relationship ever work? Are they willing to change for each other? Well, y’all find out at the end of the year. Now excuse me while I go sing a little.

American Pie (1999)

Jim (Jason Biggs), Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) decide make a pact to lose their virginity before their high school graduation, so they set their sites on prom night. Is there any better way to end some of the most awkward years of your life with awkward attempts and wooing a girl into your bed? I think not. The road to their goal is a bumpy one, but somehow they all manage to keep the pact in the end.

The post Lacey's Six Flix List : High School Graduation appeared first on Utah.Film.

And it was at first. I was totally into it. The set up was more creepy than the original and I was ready for the crazy ride they were setting up. But then it fell flat — like a rollercoaster taking you straight up only to level out at the top, shooting you along a straight rail at 25 mph, with only a slight curve or two till the end.

Unlike its predecessor, there’s no real setup, especially when it comes to the characters. It comes in at 93 min, and they tried to jam a lot into it.It would have been beneficial to maybe add 10 minutes to the film to set up the family dynamic. Instead, it was so rushed that at the point the daughter disappeared, it almost seemed like no one really cared.

Now my biggest concern, and let me step up on my soapbox here for a moment, is Ghost House Pictures just doesn’t know how to make a good horror film. Look it up. They lucked out early on with “The Grudge,” but they’ve been making bad movies ever since. They seem to believe that in the horror genre, more equals scarier. They want you to see what is making that bumping sound in the night. Ghost House needs to take a look at what Blumhouse Productions is doing — the people behind “The Conjuring” and “Insidious.” What the audience can imagine going bump is scarier than actually seeing a ghost on screen. Ghost House doesn’t know when to edit themselves. They end up cramming so much onto the screen that there’s nothing left to be afraid of. And, the CG is so bad you can’t even call it eye candy.

Before the film started I heard some people talking about how because Sam Raimi produced it, so it was going be great. Well guess what, Sam Raimi is overrated. There I said it. He made one decent movie in his career and people now think he is the king of horror. But I’ll stop there. I could go on forever about this but I’ll hop off the soapbox for now.

Do I think this movie will find an audience? Yes. Especially the younger generation unfamiliar with the original. And to be fair, I watched the original with a group of people a few years ago and it didn’t really hold up to today’s horror standards. In the 80’s though it was awesome.

So here is my recommendation. If you love the original, don’t bother with the remake. If you’ve never seen the original, I’ll just say I didn’t hate this remake, but it missed so many great opportunities. This is really a case of squandered potential.

The post Curt's quick thoughts on 'Poltergeist' appeared first on Utah.Film.

Isn’t it great when you find something fun while mindlessly scrolling through your various social media feeds? This happened to me last night as I found myself sucked into the world of 8-bit Cinema.

Created by the folks at Cinefix, their 8-bit Cinema shorts are the recreation of popular movies in 8-bit form. Basically, it’s like you just dusted off your NES and popped in a cartridge, but instead of Donkey Kong you get a four-minute summary of the Titanic or Guardians of the Galaxy.

They’re all kind of awesome, and I’m telling you to check them out if you haven’t yet.

Here’s the Titanic 8-bit Cinema:

The post 8-bits of wonderful appeared first on Utah.Film.

Thelma & Louise (1991)

Starring Susan Sarandon as Louise and Geena Davis as Thelma, this road trip begins with two friends wanting a break from the everyday. When they stop for a drink Thelma is almost raped and Louise ends up shooting and killing the man responsible. Instead of going to the police, they decide to flee to Mexico. Along the way more crimes are committed, they meet (and are robbed by) the then unknown Brad Pitt, and then there’s that iconic ending.

National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

In the first of the National Lampoon Vacation movies, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) decides to take his family from Chicago to L.A. in order to visit the Wally World theme park. Clark decides to drive there, rather than fly, in order to spend more quality time with his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) and kids (played by Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall). Of course, as is the case with all Clark’s ideas, things don’t go quite as planned.

Fanboys (2009)

A group of old high school friends Eric (Sam Huntington), Linus, (Chris Marquette) Hutch (Dan Fogler), Windows (Jay Baruchel), and Zoe (Kristin Bell) go on a cross-country trek in order to break into Skywalker Ranch hoping to watch a rough cut of The Phantom Menace so Linus, who has cancer and only months to live, can see the film before dying. Along the way they encounter geekdom gods, trouble, and tests to prove that they are truly fanboys.

A couple for the kids:

Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985)

Paul Reubens stars as Pee-Wee, whose adventure begins when his prized bicycle is stolen. A psychic tells Pee-Wee the bike is in the basement of The Alamo, so Pee-Wee begins hitchhiking to Texas in order to retrieve it. Along the way he meets a whole host of characters. “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” was also the debut of director, Tim Burton.

Finding Nemo (2003)

This one is technically not a road trip, but when was the last time you saw a clown fish drive a car? Their fins can’t reach the pedals! When clown fish Nemo (voiced by Alexander Gould) is captured by humans on his first day of school, his over-protective father, Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks), immediately takes action and sets out to find him. Along his way he encounters Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), a fish with short-term memory, and she becomes his companion. Meanwhile, Nemo has become the newest addition to a fish tank in a dentist’s office. Marlin, with the help of Dory, becomes the stuff of legend and his tale makes it back to Nemo, who then becomes motivated to attempt an escape of his own.

And because John told me to:

Rubin and Ed (1991)

According to John, he is one of twelve people who have seen this movie. I’d never heard of it, so I went looking for the trailer. It stars Cripsin Glover as Rubin and Howard Hesseman as Ed. Rubin is a bit of a hermit, and lives in his mother’s motel. Ed is a salesman. Rubin’s mother forces her son to find a friend to bring to dinner, so when Ed shows up on his doorstep, it’s kismet. They end up going out to bury Rubin’s dead cat in the “prefect spot,” and this leads them on a crazy, hallucination filled adventure across the Utah desert. It actually looks just strange enough to be good, so I’m going to hunt down a copy and give it a look see.

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But when I saw the trailer, it peaked my interest big time. I like Tom Hardy and the trailer just looked so freaking nuts that I asked, “How can this not be a fun movie?”

And it was. Pure craziness of fun.

But while I liked this movie a lot, I didn’t love it and here are some points to illustrate what I mean.

Why I liked it

The pace. The pace of this movie was insane. I was trying to think of a movie that goes this fast throughout pretty much the whole film and came up with nothing. Right from the get-go the movie puts the pedal to the metal and never lets up.

The action was pretty incredible. I feel like George Miller spent the last 30 years thinking of the craziest action he could create in the desert and then strung all his ideas together.

The acting was great. Tom Hardy was perfect for the role of Mad Max and Charlize Theron is phenomenal. Another person that was creepily fantastic was a guy that I’d never heard of before the movie, Hugh Keays-Byrne, who plays the main villain Immortal Joe. Fun fact here: he was also in the original “Mad Max.” But while I loved the action, it also leads into why I can only say I liked the film.

Why I didn’t Love it

The movie to me was 85% action and only 15% story. It was almost as if they designed the whole movie as an action film then went through and added a story where they could. I personally would have liked to see a little more story development, not a lot more, but enough to make me invest more emotionally in these characters. Which brings us to Nicholas Hoult. I went from loving Hoult’s character to hating him during the film. I can’t say much about it without spoiling the movie, but I feel they sorely missed the mark with his character.

There are a few other details I would love to dive into as well but it might spoil the movie so I won’t. You are welcome.

Overall, this was a fun film. You will enjoy watching it. Is it the best movie you will see this year? Probably not. Will it be a movie you’ll have fun with? Yes. Just go in knowing you are pretty much getting the same craziness you saw in the trailer and some more craziness piled on top.

The post “Mad Max: Fury Road” is crazy, but in an entertaining way. appeared first on Utah.Film.

Bridesmaids (2011)

“Bridesmaids” is loaded with funny females. Starring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Ellie Kemper, and Wendi McLendon-Covey, we’re taken down the road every maid of honor travels down. Okay, maybe not every maid of honor, but if you’ve been there you know how stressful it can be and how much you kind of want to throttle the other friends of the bride. It happens. Annie (Wiig) is down on her luck when it comes to work and love, but when her best friend, Lillian (Rudolph), announces her engagement and asks her to be her maid of honor, Annie takes on the task. Annie meets the rest of the bridesmaids and immediately becomes jealous of Helen’s (Byrne) friendship with Lillian. Helen one-ups Annie throughout the preparations, which ultimately causes Annie to have a meltdown and be kicked out of the wedding party. Helen doesn’t know what she’s doing though and ends up seeking Annie’s help when Lillian goes missing.

Baby Mama (2008)

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are probably one of the most well known comedy duos around today. In 2008 they starred in the comedy, “Baby Mama,” about a single businesswoman, Kate (Fey), who decides that it’s time to have a baby. When Kate learns that she has a small chance of being able to conceive she hires Angie (Poehler) to be her surrogate. Shortly after Angie shows up on her doorstep looking for a place to live. Their personalities totally clash, so obviously they end up besties in the end, as that’s how friendships work on film. This movie also poses the ultimate question, “Is that poop or chocolate?” However, when looking for your answer I propose a sniff test rather than tasting the substance in question.

Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997)

Before social media took over the world, and you knew what your former classmates were up to on a daily basis, you had to wait for your high school reunions to catch up and try your hand at impressing those you studied calculus with. Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow star as Romy and Michele, two friends living together in L.A. and not making much of their lives. When they find out their 10-year high school reunion is approaching, they decide to come up with a story to impress the girls that bullied them in high school. The same girls who made them miserable expose their lie, but ultimately Romy and Michele end up learning the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. And after watching this movie you’ll never be able to listen to the song “Time After Time” without thinking of the awesome dance Sorvino and Kudrow shared with Alan Cumming.

Big Business (1988)

Beware the elderly nurses in the maternity ward; they may just mix up your identical twins with another set of identical twins. And no one will notice until forty years later, when the two sets of not-so-identical-any-more twins stumble across each other in New York. Confused? Well, that’s what makes the movie fun. Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin star as the mismatched twins – one set grew up in luxury in the big city, while the other set grew up in a small town in the country. When the plans of the rich twins threaten the town of the small-town twins, it sets things in motion for their meeting. To make things even more confusing, both parents named the Bette Midler twins Sadie and the Lily Tomlin twins Rose. What are the odds of that? Movie logic gets me every time.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Musical comedies! One of my favorite things, like ever. This is also one of the earliest movies I remember watching. Marilyn Monroe plays Lorelei Lee and she ain’t nothin’ but a gold digger. Jane Russell plays her best friend Dorothy Shaw and she’s looking for a man who does not sport a “dadbod.” The two of them are showgirls who are headed to Paris for work. Lorelei is engaged to the wealthy Gus (Tommy Noonan), but he is under the control of his father, Edmund Sr., whom doesn’t think Lorelei is a good match for him. A detective is hired to follow the girls, and you know how it goes, hijinks ensue. “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” is also the movie that revealed to us that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Cause shiny things are fun.

What movie would you add to this list?

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