Usually in any piece of media that involves superheroes, the concept of superpowers are usually seen as something supernatural. Since the only limit to making up these powers is imagination, the makers behind superheroes usually come up with fantastical powers that could not exists in real life. One that comes to mind is Dr. Strange and one of his abilities being that he can manipulate matter to his will. Although this is all fun, what if superpowers could actually exist in the real world? What would it look like in a superhero movie that is more grounded in reality? This idea is explored in the 2009 superhero film Push, starring Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning and directed by Paul McGuigan.

Story

The story takes place in a modern day world that is different from ours, where some people are born with supernatural powers. Depending on which type of power someone has, they are categorized into one of nine different groups:

• Movers have the ability to move objects with their mind, otherwise known as “telekinesis.”
• Pushers have the ability to implant false memories into someone’s mind in order to manipulate them.
• Watchers can see glimpses of future events.
• Bleeders emit super sonic screams that can rupture blood vessels and break glass.
• Sniffers can trace back the history of an object, which can also help them track down certain people.
• Shadows can block out the ability of Sniffers, preventing them from tracking someone down.
• Shifters can change the appearance of an object, but only temporarily.
• Wipers can erase the memories of others, either temporarily or indefinitely.
• Stitches have the ability to heal, or un-heal someone.

While having these psychic abilities sound like a blessing, in this world it’s more of a curse. A government organization called the Division are capturing people with psychic powers and turning them into weapons by enhancing their abilities via a drug. Because of this, psychics have to live in hiding from the Division, such as our main character Nick. (Chris Evans) He’s a Mover living in Hong Kong and lives a mostly normal life, while also trying to avoid the watch of the Division. However, all of that changes when he is visited by a teenage Watcher named Cassie. (Dakota Fanning) She tells Nick about a Pusher named Kira (Camilla Belle) who has recently escaped from the Division, along with a briefcase containing the ability enhancing drug. If the two manages to find Kira and get a hold of that case, then they would be able to put a stop to the Division. The rest of the film follows the two trying to find Kira and the case before the Division, and a Chinese gang who want the drug to sell it, finds her first.

I think that the premise of the movie, along with the superpowers itself, is very cool because of how grounded in reality it is. Of course psychic powers like these do not currently exist in real life, and probably never will. However, these powers aren’t too crazy and “out there” that it feels like it could possibly exist in real life. Especially since the story of this film is also based on real life experiments conducted by the US Government to control people with possible psychic abilities, such as Project Star Gate. The setting of Hong Kong is also an interesting choice for a superhero film, but I think it fits since this film is trying to be different from the other superhero films around this time. Not to mention, but this Hong Kong setting is also beautiful to look at and is popping with bright colors like red and green.

Despite the praise I’ve been giving Push so far, I also have my fair share of gripes with it as well. First of all, the film starts to become a bit hard to follow, well towards the end at least. This is because a lot of characters are introduced throughout the film with their own different motives and powers, that it starts to become difficult to keep track of what is going on. That and along with the Pusher’s ability to put fake memories into the minds of other characters, I started to think to myself at a certain part in the movie, (without spoiling anything by naming characters) “Wait, so is this character actually a villain this whole time, or are they thinking they’re a villain because a Pusher made them think that way?” That is not to say that the movie 100% does not make sense. Because this is one of these movies that you understand better on a second viewing. I usually enjoy movies like this because it feels very rewarding to fully understand the movie, not by someone else telling you, but by watching it again. Push is no exception, somethings does make a lot more sense upon second viewing. But I won’t lie and say that towards the end of the film I felt a little confused at the plot. That, and there are some moments or plot points in this film that I wish were expanded upon more. One of which being Cassie’s mom, who is one of the world’s most powerful Watchers, yet she is only mentioned a few times in the film and has only appeared for one scene. I would have LOVED to see and know more about her, but sadly that is not the case.

Which also brings me to my last gripe about the film, the ending.

(I’m going to try and not spoil anything about the ending. So if it sounds like I am leaving some details out, then that’s just me trying not to spoil the ending or any other important plot details.)

So the ending of Push does what a ending is supposed to do, provide a conclusion to the story. It does that, but at the same time it also feels a bit incomplete, like something else was supposed to happen after the ending. This is because the ending sets itself up for a sequel, which will sadly never happened. I would love for a sequel to Push because I find the world that this movie created to be so interesting and I would love to see more of it, along with seeing some “loose ends” being “tied up.” But because of the film making a little past its budget at the box office (Budget: $38 million. Box office: $48.9 million.) and negative reception from critics, we may never get a full conclusion to this movie which is a real shame.

Characters

In terms of characters, the main characters seen in Push are fun and have really cool abilities. But where this film excels at is character growth. Nick and Cassie have such great chemistry together and it is so endearing to see a comradery grow between them as the film progresses. I also like that at the beginning of the film, they both haven’t quite gotten the hang of their powers. Nick can levitate objects in the air for a short amount of time, while more experienced Movers can not only do this for a longer time, but also deflect bullets. Meanwhile, Cassie isn’t able to predict everything from the future. It’s great to see people with extraordinary abilities like these also have their own flaws. Because it makes them more relatable and adds some humanity to their character, despite having powers that no one in real life can have. The side characters in Push are also great and have their own interesting abilities, but like with Cassie’s mom I wish I got to know them more.

Final Thoughts

When I finished watching Push, I went to see what the critical reception was for the film. As I said before when discussing the possibility of a sequel, the movie gained a lot of negative reception from critics and Push currently sits at a 23% on Rotten Tomatoes. At first, I was surprised to see such a low rating. But at the same time I could see why some people would not like this movie. Although the makers of Push created such a fascinating and original world, complete with great characters that make it so engaging to watch them grow throughout the film. The plot still leaves out details that would’ve been so great to see in this film, but decides to leave them for a sequel that does not exist. It can also be hard to follow the story at first, but it helps to watch it a second time to get the full picture. So with all this said, would I recommend anyone to watch Push? Well, if you feel interested in the film from how I described it, then I think you should give it a shot if you come across it one day. Although I wouldn’t give it my full recommendation because of the flaws Push does have, I still think if you are the least bit interested in the movie then you should give it a watch. Because at the end of the day, I still liked and appreciated the film for the interesting world it created along with great character growth, despite having its setbacks.

Push is available for streaming via the Showtime app or online.

 

 

Well with Halloween over, it’s time to return with more wholesome, less scary films to digest. Although I’ll sure miss Halloween, (at least until next year comes around) it is nice to get back to watching movies that won’t have me jumping at almost every second. So with that said, for this week I chose to review one of my most favorite coming-of-age high school films, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, directed by Stephen Chbosky.

Story

The story follows an awkward high school freshman named Charlie (played by Logan Lerman), who has trouble socializing and making friends. He hasn’t had the best childhood and his high school experience mostly involves other students bullying him. Despite this, he manages to grow a connection with his English teacher (played by Paul Rudd) and two senior students, Sam (played by Emma Watson) and her stepbrother Patrick (played by Ezra Miller). The two invite Charlie to different social gatherings such as a midnight screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show. From then on, the film follows Charlie as he goes through the highs and lows of being a freshman high school student and dealing with what happened to him as a child. The film tackles heavy themes and subject matter, such as depression, anxiety, and loss.

First of all, I love how this film manages to portray real life. The situations these characters experience and how they react to said situations and to each other feels very real. I especially love the character growth of Charlie, but more on that later. As I said before, the film does not shy away from discussing heavy subject matter. Although it does not show it to an extreme extent, (this is a PG-13 rated movie after all) I still felt the film did a terrific job at addressing these themes. I know that so far I must be making this movie sound like a complete downer fest. This however is not true, as the film has a lot of funny moments that had me smiling with glee. Overall, I love this story and how it respectfully portrays these aforementioned themes.

Characters

As I’ve said before, the film follows a group of high school friends, Charlie, Sam and Patrick. Charlie is our main character and my personal favorite. He is shy and socially awkward, but he is also very smart and a caring person as well. At first, he doesn’t want to socialize with anyone, but that all changes when he meets Sam and Patrick. They help break Charlie out of that shell by taking him to different social events and introducing him to their friends. The reason I like Charlie so much is because it’s great to see him grow as a character throughout the film and to learn about his past. He goes through ups and downs during his freshman year and even makes mistakes, but it’s great to see him learn from these mistakes. This makes him feel more like an actual person rather than a character. Another reason as to why Charlie is my favorite character is because I can relate to some aspects of his personality. In high school, I was also really shy and didn’t know how to make friends or to not act awkward. Eventually, I did find my own clique and they helped bust me out of my shell. With that said, I am very glad that a character like this is portrayed in this film because it is rare to see characters like Charlie represented in a lot of coming of age films, especially as the main character.

Of course, I cannot forget about the other characters, Sam and Patrick, however. Both are extremely charismatic and have wonderful personalities and motivations. Sam is Charlie’s love interest and wants to enroll in a prestigious university, not only to receive a great education, but to prove to those that did not believe she could wrong. Patrick is more of the comic relief of this story. He’s very charismatic and funny, but he also has things going on in his life that he is dealing with, such as trying to keep his sexuality a secret.

The chemistry between this trio is also worth mentioning. The way they talk to each other feels so genuine, as if they are really friends. This is mostly thanks to the film’s writing and acting. The three actors portraying the main characters do a great job at pulling off the emotional moments seen here. The supporting characters are also good, but I found them to be a bit forgettable when compared to the main three. Except for Charlie’s English teacher Mr. Anderson. He doesn’t have much screen time in this film, but I am willing to say that he is still a very important character. My reason being one quote that he told Charlie early on in the film: “We accept the love we think we deserve.” I love this quote not only because it is a major factor in Charlie’s growth as a character, but also it’s just a great quote in general. I’ve seen so many unhappy couples and whenever I see them I just think: “Why are they together? They’re clearly not happy.” Then this quote comes to mind and I think the reason as to why they are together is because they think they’re happy, but really they aren’t. Overall, the characters here are great; anyone could relate to what they are going through, though some can be a bit forgettable and I absolutely love that quote from Mr. Anderson.

Music

Most of the music in The Perks of Being a Wallflower isn’t original, but I don’t think that is a bad thing. The songs featured fit well with the time period the movie is set in (the 1980s), but most importantly the music does a great job of establishing the tone of high school. Songs like Temptation by New Order or Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners are the kinds of songs you would hear being blasted out of a car during a teenage joy ride, which I believe fits this movie nicely.

Final Thoughts

In the end, I adored The Perks of Being a Wallflower. From it’s story of being in high school in the 80s, to respectfully tackling the problems that teenagers can face. It’s wonderful main trio, and a few good supporting characters that get a little overshadowed by our main characters. To a very thought provoking quote on love and relationships, and finally, it’s great selection of music. I recommend The Perks of Being a Wallflower to those who enjoy coming of age films. The film isn’t available for streaming  on any platform, so your best bet is to rent or purchase the film on DVD.

Well, today’s a very special day. It’s a day where children get to pig out on sweets while dressed as their favorite super hero, role model or cartoon character. Meanwhile, those older get a thrill from being frightened, whether it be in a movie theater or a walk-through Haunted House. Yes, that special day, which is also one of my favorite holidays, is Halloween.

To celebrate this day that is very dear to my heart, I will in-turn celebrate what makes horror great, it’s monsters. For a horror film to be considered legendary, it has to have an equally legendary monster. Let it be their design, story, or how lethal they are, the monsters of a movie are the real stars of their respective films. First, I want to go over two rules for this list. As a first rule, the monster cannot be entirely human and has to have some supernatural power. So, no normal human psychopaths. (Sorry Michael Myers). As for the second rule, the monster has to be a single entity, it can’t be a species or race of monsters. (No zombies or the Xenomorphs from Alien, sadly.) So without further adieu, let’s get this list started . . .

5. Samara (The Ring)

To start off this, we have what I consider to be one of, if not, THE scariest vengeful spirt in all of cinema. Samara (or Sadako as she is called in the original film) is the ghost of a little girl that haunts a VHS tape. For those unfortunate enough to view the tape, they experience the most terrifying video they have ever seen. When the video is finished, the phone rings and there is only one answer, “Seven days.” When those seven days are up, the person (or people) that viewed the tape will mysteriously die.

I love many things about Samara. Although her appearance would be considered generic in this day and age, she pretty much kickstarted the “long, black haired, drooping over face, pale skin girl wearing a white dress” look so I’ll give it a pass. But what I absolutely love about Samara is her back story and her use of the cursed VHS tape. I don’t want to spoil her back story, but just know that it’s pretty sad and it makes you feel bad for Samara. The VHS tape she haunts is absolutely freaky. The full video is available on YouTube, so if your feeling brave then give it a watch. (Don’t worry it’s not actually cursed, at least, I hope its not.) I should also add that what happens after those dreaded seven days is something truly unexpected and frightening, although you most likely already know what happens at the end. The only thing that is keeping Samara from a higher rating is she doesn’t really have a personality. I’m not saying that she needs one to be memorable, but I just like it when my supernatural killers have something more than just being scary. Nonetheless, I absolutely love how creatively freaky Samara is and she takes my number five spot.

4. Pennywise (IT 2017)

So I’ll be honest, when I first saw the new remake of IT last year I went in without seeing the original. All I knew was that there’s this creepy killer clown named Pennywise who kills kids. At first this didn’t sound so scary because I’m not really afraid of clowns. But that may of changed, since this thing scared the daylights out of me. Pennywise may look like a ordinary clown, but he, or IT I should say, is much more than what he seems. It is actually this nightmarish being from another dimension that is taking is taking the appearance of a friendly clown to lure and kill children. What REALLY makes this thing scary are it’s supernatural abilities. Pennywise can suddenly appear ANYWHERE, none of the characters are safe no matter where they are. Without spoiling anything, one such scene that showcased this ability in a frightening, yet creative, way is in a certain projector room. For those who have seen the movie and know what I’m talking about, you know how much this scene startles you. Unlike Samara, Pennywise does have a personality. There is this sickening air of humor around him at all time, as if he takes joy in everything, even when traumatizing the main cast. It’s absolutely disturbing and I love it.

3. Freddy Kruger (Nightmare on Elm Street)

When making this list, I wanted to put both Freddy Kruger and Jason Voorhees in separate spots on this list. They’re both legendary horror icons and I felt they both deserved to be on this list. But, as I started to think of more horror monsters that I could add to the list, I decided to pick one out of the two to be on this list: Freddy or Jason? Ultimately, I had to pick good old Freddy. What I love about Freddy, that also separates him from Jason, is how he goes about terrorizing teenagers. While Jason is an immortal brute that can take blow after blow, Freddy prefers to be a supernatural entity that manipulates people’s dreams. The concept of a sadistic killer that can only kill his victims in their nightmares is such a crazy, yet wildly imaginative, concept that I can’t help but to adore. One of my most favorite scenes is the famous blood geyser from the first Nightmare on Elm Street. It’s such a crazy and out there scene, but it fits right at home with the 80’s horror style of the first film. Much like with Pennywise’s personality as well, Freddy has fun in every scene he’s in (except his death scene) which makes him all the more frightening. Lastly, Freddy’s appearance is such an iconic figure that I have to mention it. With his red and green striped sweater, his fedora hat, his gruesome badly burned face, and famous claw glove, Freddy Kruger has all the makings of a legendary horror villain.

2. The Thing (The Thing)

Oh my goodness this Thing is straight up nightmare fuel. The Thing from the movie of the same name is an extraterrestrial shape-shifter that can perfectly mimic any living creature. It can fit in with any group with ease, but that’s not the only thing that makes this abomination scary. I consider this creature to be the best example of “body horror.” Not all kinds horror can get under my skin, but films that deal with body horror can not only get under my skin, but also make it crawl. If you haven’t seen a movie that has the theme of body horror, here’s a scene from The Thing, but only watch it if you don’t get sick easily. Although it may seem like cheating for putting a monster this high on the list, despite not having one thing that I look for in a monster, such as some kind of personality, I included The Thing because I liked the concept and execution of this creature in the film so much.  (It mimics other people’s personality so I guess it technically counts. But other than that, The Thing mostly just lets out an utterly terrifying roar, like in the scene I linked.) The Thing is still a nightmare of cinema, and it earns 2nd place.

1.Dracula

Out of all the classic movie monsters, such as Frankenstein, the Werewolf, and the Mummy, Dracula is my most favorite out of the bunch. You may noticed that for this entry, there is no movie title next to Dracula’s name. That is because there are so many films that have their own vision of Dracula. Let it be the 1931 film, the Dracula in Hotel Transylvania or from Dracula Untold, there are so many versions of Dracula that I decided to dedicate this entire entry to just Dracula as a whole.

When he first appeared in the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, which later got adapted into the classic movie you know today, he was the first to bring the concept of vampires to the world. Since then, there have been many films on vampires that I love dearly, such as 30 Days of Night. But not only is this monster on this list just because he is influential, but also because I just love the concept of this character. The Dracula that I know is this otherworldly creature that drinks the blood of humans and has magical powers, such as the ability to turn into a bat and immortality. His appearance is also just iconic, with his black cape with red on the inside and his famous fangs, anyone can tell by these features alone that this man is Dracula. I know that the other characters on this list probably sounds more interesting to you, and I don’t blame you. But, simple based on how influential and important Dracula is to horror, I believe Dracula deserves this #1 spot.

Around this time of the year, Halloween haunts begin to pop up all around the country. For those who do not know, they are basically manmade haunted houses/mazes that have actors dressed up as monsters who jump out and spook attendees. They’re very popular attractions in October and are great fun, especially with friends. These haunts are usually harmless and no one gets hurt, but some, however, take things a little too far. Some haunts, known as “extreme haunts,” will get physical with guests. There are many examples of these attractions that can been seen on YouTube, but be warned, they are not for the faint of heart. I’ve known about these kind of haunts for a while, but I’ve never been to one of them (and never will). So for the longest time, I always thought that these extreme haunts would be an excellent premise for a horror movie. Luckily, my wishes were answered in the 2014 found footage horror film, The Houses October Built.

Story

The film follows a group of five life long friends, filming a documentary on Halloween haunts, while also trying to find the most extreme haunt. However, as their search continues, strange things start happening to the group. They start to be followed and stalked by a group of seemingly haunt workers in costume. Including a freaky porcelain doll lady, who I absolutely love the design for. As the story progresses, a question remains among the group, “Is this still a part of a haunt? Or are we actually in danger?”

First off, I absolutely adore this premise. It’s so unique and interesting and as far as I know, before this movie’s release, there hasn’t been a film that is centered around Halloween haunts. So kudos to the filmmakers for doing something original and making it really interesting as well. Secondly, I love how the film always kept me guessing. When the group is interviewing different people working at the haunts, you, along with the characters, learn some questionable things about these attractions. So when strange things start happening to the group, I kept thinking “This is still a part of the haunt . . . right?” Lastly, the haunts featured in the film are super cool, yet scary. The best part is that some of the haunts featured in the film are actually real life haunts that you can visit! Thankfully, they aren’t considered to be the extreme haunts like mentioned before, so I, and maybe some of you out there, may feel more comfortable visiting these attractions.

Characters

I felt that the personalities of the characters were a bit generic. The characters in the main cast are:

• Brandy. The person who interviews all of the haunt workers and the only female of the group.
• Mikey. A party animal and the lovable goofball of the group.
• Zack. Brandy’s boyfriend and is sort of the leader of the group.
• Jeff. The camera man of the documentary they are shooting.
• Bobby. Sometimes the voice of reason in the group besides Brandy. Also the real life director of this film.

I don’t think these characters are terrible; for the most part they get the job done are a well acted. I just feel for a movie that has such an engaging premise as this, this could have been something done a little better. But one thing that I do love about all of these characters is how their relationships with each other makes them feel like real friends. Which makes sense, since the real life actors are actually close friends and some of the scenes, when they are just having a conversation, aren’t scripted. Many of the interviews with people working at the haunts are actually not actors but real people. Despite the fact that the events in this movie are fictional, it is so well grounded in reality that if you went into this film completely blind, you’d have no idea if this was a real documentary or not.

Scare Factor

At times, The Houses October Built can be pretty creepy, but I wouldn’t say the overall film is downright terrifying. But I can say that the porcelain doll lady that I mentioned earlier does unnerve me a whole lot. The ending of the film has to be the scariest moment, however. Mostly because it has an abrupt ending that leaves the audience guessing what happens next. To some, this may be annoying, but I loved it because it definitely had be wondering what happened next.

 

Final Thoughts

The Houses October Built is a great horror film that blurs the line between reality and fiction. This is a movie that is so grounded in the real world, with an abundance of improvised dialogue and genuine reactions from the cast, that it will make audiences guess if this is a real documentary or not. Despite the characters’ individual personalities being nothing special, their relationships with each other are so genuine that you can’t help but to like them. But most importantly, this movie just oozes the spirt of Halloween. Overall, I think horror fans should give this film a watch. The Houses October Built is available on Hulu and DVD.

 

For this week’s blog post, I’d like to take a little detour from writing horror movie reviews, and instead write a little rant. It still sort of has to do with horror movies, and I have lot to say about this topic. So nonetheless, I hope you enjoy.

So last week, I reviewed the film Train to Busan. To give a brief summary, I gave it a glowing review and a recommendation for people to watch it. That same week, it just so happened that an announcement of an American remake of the movie is being put into production. This announce got a lot of negative feedback from fans. Many believe that this remake is unnecessary and the original is already perfect, and I agree with them. This isn’t the first instance where a foreign film has gotten the Hollywood remake treatment. Famous (or infamous I should say) examples would be:

• The Korean film Oldboy and it’s remake of the same name directed by Spike Lee.
• The Spanish horror film Rec and it’s remake Quarantine.
• The Japanese horror film The Eye and it’s remake of the same name.

(There are film remakes, however that I, along with others, consider to be very good. But I’ll go over that later.)

The foreign films listed received generally good responses from audiences, while their remakes aren’t as positively received. The biggest reason being that the remakes don’t do the original justice. There will be so many changes made to this one when compared to the other that the remake will just feel like a completely different film. It could either be because the director wanted to make the remake better than the original, or try too hard to be like the original.

So why would an American studio decide to put their own spin on a foreign film? I couldn’t find a solid reason online, so if I have to guess it would either have to be to make money or to introduce American audiences to these films. The “to make money” may sound generic, by I find it to be a solid reason. A lot of these films became popular and even became cult classics, so studios may find this as a way to sell on an already popular idea. Then there is the second idea, and if true, then I do find it commendable wanting to introduce more audiences to a film. But as stated before, there is so much change in these films that it does not accurately represent the original.

However, at this point it may sound like there are NO good American remakes at all. Well, . . . not really. There are some very good ones out there, masterpieces even. Movies such as The Departed directed by Martin Scorsese which is based on a film from Hong Kong, Internal Affairs. Scorsese’s film drew critical acclaim among critics, sitting at a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, and even won four Oscars, including best picture. But since I haven’t seen either film, I can’t really talk much about it. One film remake that I did see however, that I also absolutely love, is The Ring, based off the Japanese horror movie, Ringu. Now I don’t find The Ring to be better than Ringu, but I don’t think Ringu is better that its remake either. I think this is better than the remake being inferior to the original.

With all of this said, am I looking forward to the remake of Train to Busan? Not really. Although I just gave two examples of good film remakes, I still don’t see a remake of Train to Busan as necessary, or any foreign film remake for that matter. But who knows? Maybe I’ll be surprised.

 

Since my last film review was a horror film, I’ve decided that I might as well review horror films for the rest of October. Tis’ the season after all . . .

Unless you’ve been living under a tombstone, one of the most popular horror genres currently out there is the zombie genre. This genre started with George Romero’s Night of The Living Dead and continues on in the present with shows like The Walking Dead. Despite being such a popular trend and genre (not only in film and television, but also books, comics and video games), some people have been getting tired of seeing zombies everywhere, and I’m not talking about tired co-workers. With the abundance of zombie media going around, some people have been getting a case of “zombie fatigue” and if I may be honest, I was starting to get it too. It wasn’t always like this though, there was a time in my life where I was OBSESSED with zombies and consumed everything about them. But eventually, I started to grow tired of them, that is until I saw this one film that rejuvenated my excitement for zombies. That film was the 2016 Korean zombie horror movie, Train to Busan, directed by Yeon Sang-ho.

 

Characters

For this review, I’ll be doing something different. I’ll be talking about the characters first, then the story. Why? Because unlike other zombie movies, the characters in this film are interesting and great.

Our main father character, played by Gong Yoo, is not only a great actor, but his character is very realistic, likable and relatable one at that. At the beginning of the outbreak, he only focuses on his own safety, but more importantly his daughter’s safety. He doesn’t really think of the other passengers at first. But as the movie progresses, he grows to learns that he and the rest of the passengers are all in this together. I always like seeing this growth in horror film because usually it’s the monster that’s the most interesting and not the characters. But here however, not only are the zombies cool, but so is our main characters.

Now, I just want to talk about the daughter character, actor Su-an Kim, because she absolutely kills it. In the film, she is this really smart kid that made me concerned for her safety throughout the film. But what was most important was her performance towards the end of the film. I won’t spoil anything, but you’re definitely going to cry. Unless you’re dead on the inside like a zombie.

If there was one minor gripe I had about the characters, is the main antagonist. Besides the zombies, the film’s villain is decent and is certainly despicable at some parts of the film. But sometimes I felt he was a bit too much of a cartoony bad guy, and less of a realistic protagonist. Thankfully, this did not bring down the entire movie for me.

Story

This film takes place in modern day South Korea and follows a man and his young daughter traveling by train to visit his recently divorced wife in Busan. While on the train however, a zombie outbreak takes place and all the passenger have to do everything they can to survive. At first glance, this may seem like a generic zombie movie. You have your average man who is suddenly in the middle of the zombie apocalypse and has to rise to action to protect others and those dear to him. What makes this tale of the undead different however are three things:

1. Characters and how they grow.
2. The setting.
3. The zombies.

You already know about the characters, so let’s talk about the zombies first because they are terrifyingly awesome. What make the undead menace in this film scary when compared to other films, is that these guys don’t slowly walk towards their prey. Oh no no no, they run. Scratch that, they SPRINT towards their food. Now this isn’t the first instance of running zombies, as other films before like 28 Days Later had them. But I can’t think of many films besides this one that do have running zombies, which is a shame because they are much more scarier here than in other films. The undead in this film are also very durable. There are scenes where the zombies fall from huge heights, one where a normal human could not survive. Yet, they still get up as if nothing happened. The undead cast of this film is without a doubt, ruthless. I love it.

I also absolutely adore the train setting of Train to Busan. Reason being that it is a unique setting the characters (and filmmakers) fully utilize this environment to their advantage. For instance, there is a scene where a group of survivors have to get through a narrow train car that is full of zombies. Instead of fighting them off one-by-one, which would be a stupid idea, they decided to be smart and crawl above the baggage shelves where the zombies could not see them. I really like how the filmmaker knew they were filming in a train and was able to use all of this environment to the best of their filmmaking abilities.

 

Final Thoughts

You may realize that unlike my other reviews, I do not have a music section here. That’s because the music isn’t really all that memorable. It gets the job done by setting the tone, but it was nothing that I find myself humming to. Well, there is this one song that whenever I hear it, I think of this movie. That song being “Aloha Oe.” If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll understand why.

In the end, definitely give this movie a watch this holiday season. Not only are the zombies awesomely terrifying, but it is so engaging to watch this great cast of characters survive this ordeal within such a unique setting. Even if you have “zombie fatigue” like I had, you should still give this movie a watch. You won’t be disappointed. But please, don’t wait for the recently announced American remake to come out. Like most remakes, it won’t live up to the original, along with being completely unnecessary.

Train to Busan is available for streaming on Netflix.

As a child, I hated horror movies. This should be expected of a child, but compared to other children, I was a real chicken. As I would grow up however, I started to become pretty fond of horror movies. It became fun to get scared and I’ve developed an appreciation for how horror movies are made, specifically to frighten the living daylights out of their audience. I absolutely adore films like The Shining, The Babadook and The Conjuring. Recently however, I feel that horror films are becoming stale. Don’t get me wrong, there are still great films out there that bring the word of “horror” to justice, like 2017 It. But I feel like horror movies nowadays are trying too hard to scare the audience. A popular trope that shows that and is in about every horror flick out there, would be the overuse of jumpscares. I find them to be a cheap way to scare the audience, when a much better way would be to keep tensions high for the audience, letting the dread and fear crawl right up their skin. A good recent example of doing horror films like this, and the review for today, is 2016 The Witch, (or The VVITCH as seen in the marketing material) directed by Robert Eggers. Huh . . . fitting that my first movie review for October is a horror movie.

 

Story

The story takes place in 1630 and follows a pilgrim family who has been banished from their village, on suspicion of being cursed. As the family retreats to their new home in the woods, they soon become stalked by a witch living in said woods. Over the course of the film, this extremely religious family and their relationship slowly falls apart. Because of this, The Witch could also be considered a drama. You are experiencing this family that is being torn apart and eventually turns against each other, all because of this supernatural force that they themselves cannot fully explain. It’s honestly hard to watch this fall out occur, and I love it.

Horror movies usually do not have this kind of family drama. In horror movies where a group is being stalked by a monster, that group is usually just a group of friends. However, this is not to say that there were never horror movies that focused on a family. Popular examples are Poltergeist and the aforementioned The Conjuring. But here in The Witch, this focus on the family is the best I’ve seen in a while. There is also this unrelenting sense of dread throughout the film.  I fell the film was also very well researched, at least to my knowledge. The characters speak in an Old English language and their clothing, along with the house they are living in, looks authentic for the time period.

Characters

At first glance, the characters in The Witch, can seem a bit basic. But as you get to know them and begin to piece things together during the movie, they turn out to be much more complex characters. Out of the main cast, the characters that stick out the most are Thomasin the eldest daughter, Caleb the middle son, and William the father. Not only are they the most interesting characters in the whole film, but the actors that portray these characters provide an amazing performance. Especially Caleb’s actor Harvey Scrimshaw, who is an amazing child actor and there is one scene that he is in that chilled me to the core. William and Thomasin, however, are probably the most complex characters in terms of writing. The actions they take during the events of the film, although questionable, makes sense when real thought is put into it. The film does not explain everything however, which may be a good thing or a bad thing to some. I’m not saying there are any plot holes concerning characters, but you probably will have to give this film a second viewing to get the full picture. Especially since the characters speak in Old English, which although it is historically accurate, it can be hard to follow at some points, so I recommend subtitles. Additionally, I do like how the director does not spoon feed the audience all the information needed to understand the film because it is so satisfying to learn everything on our own. However, even if you watch The Witch in a single viewing, you’ll still find it a delightfully horrifying movie.

Sound Design

The score in The Witch is perfect for a horror film. You may of notice that I changed the title of the section from “Music” to “Sound Design.” This is because there really aren’t any songs in the film, besides for one during the credits. But oh my goodness, the score is so tense. In some scenes, the music does a terrific job of building tension, it just builds, and builds, and builds. Not only is the score good at building tension, but also at keeping the audience on edge.

Final Thoughts

The Witch is an utterly terrifying, yet well made horror film. It is well researched and tells a simple story, yet it weaves together such deep characters with the theme of religion. All of this, coupled with a strong score, creates a horror film that will keep people awake at night. I should add, if you are a very religious person, you’re most likely not going to like this film. I myself am religious, and there were some scenes that were hard to watch. But, if you also love horror films like I do, definitely give The Witch a watch. This film is available for streaming on Netflix.

Recently, Netflix has been adapting or localizing popular anime (Japanese animation) franchises into live action films. Examples would the American adaptation of Death Note or the Japanese adaptation of Full Metal Alchemist. The responses to these films have been . . . less than positive, and I agree with the majority of them since I have seen the source material. So when I heard that the anime Bleach was getting an adaptation, I actually didn’t know what to think. I have never read the Bleach manga (Japanese comics) and I only seen like three episodes of the anime. But when this adaptation was added to Netflix, I decided watch it without watching the original anime. I felt it would be interesting to view this film as someone who have not seen the source material, especially since Bleach is 100+ episodes. I would have to dedicate a whole lot of time to that. But I was still cautious, there has been times where I’ve watch a film adaptation before indulging myself in its source material and ended up hating it. (Such as Dragon Ball Evolution, yuck.) After viewing this film however, I found a really fun and enjoyable action film.

Story

The movie takes place during modern day Japan and follows a high schooler named Ichigo. Unlike others in his school, Ichigo as a special gift that he had since birth. He can see and interact with spirits of the dead. Because of this special ability, he comes across a mysterious, sword weilding, supernatural warrior named Rukia. She is a part of a secret society of warriors known as Soul Reavers. This society helps guide souls into the afterlife, while defeating spirits that have been corrupted by dark forces. In an unexpected turn of events, Ichigo becomes a Soul Reaver and the rest of the film follows him training to improve his skills. Personally, I really enjoyed the world that this story created. The concept of the Soul Reavers is both unique and interesting, and judging by how long the anime is, the movie is only scratching the surface. How the plot is conveyed in this film really makes me want to indulge myself into its source material.

Characters

The characters in Bleach are good, albeit I find the main character a bit generic. The main character Ichigo is a tough guy with a heart of gold, which is a common trope in other anime shows. Popular examples would be Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z or Seto Kaiba from Yu-Gi-Oh!. Despite not being completely original, I still found him to be a likable character. When done right, I do find that trope enjoyable and I think it is done well here. Mostly because he’s not a selfish character, his actions are usually as a result to protects others. Because of this, I found myself rooting for him during fight scenes.

Besides being my favorite character in the film, Ichigo’s teacher Rukia is somewhat similar. Since she is the one that accidentally brought Ichigo into the Soul Society, Rukia has to teach him how to be a Soul Reaver. At first she cannot stand being Ichigo’s mentor, but a friendship does eventually grow between them. What makes her my favorite character however is the actress that plays her. The actress’ name is Hana Sugisaki and I felt she did a great job portraying her character. (Reminder that I am comparing this performance to three episodes of Bleach that I watch. So I could be wrong.) Ichigo’s actor, Sôta Fukushi, is also talented, but there is one thing that did bug me a little.

Now I’m not going to blame this entirely on the actor, since this is mostly likely a decision by the director. But usually in live action anime adaptions, some of the cast acts like how a real anime character would. Examples would be exaggerated expression and movements. I know that this is a movie of pure fiction and not everything has to be realistic. But it’s just that somethings do not transition well from its source material to its adaptation, and this is one of those instances. This does not completely bring down the whole movie for me, nor does Sôta’s performance, but it is something that did stick out to me.

Side characters are also fun and there mostly for comic relief, but I felt they did not get enough screen time. That probably does not matter however, since the ending sets itself up for a sequel, that is if this film does well. The antagonists, who I won’t go much into because I feel like doing so will go into spoiler territory, are a surprise when revealed and I would love to learn more about them.

Production/Special Effects

Being that this is a film adapted from an action oriented anime, the fight scenes have to look great. Thankfully, I can say that the fight scenes are just that. They are fast and frantic, but my favorite part has to be how the movie uses the environment the characters are in. Take this scene for example: Ichigo is trapped in a bus while a giant monster picks up that bus. How Ichigo fends of the monster’s appendages and how the camera turns upside down to signify that the bus is literally being flipped is really cool. This all makes the battle really engaging and fun. Concerning the CGI of the monsters, it’s ok. Usually the CGI in Japanese films don’t look as good when compared to American films. This film does have some of the better looking CGI in a Japanese film however, but you can still tell that the monsters aren’t real. I do like the unique designs of the monsters however. They have bodies made up of organic material (for instance one of the monster looks to be made up entirely of hair) while their face looks to be made of bone or wood. It’s such an otherworldly yet original design that I really like.

Music

There isn’t a lot to be said about the music in Bleach. Most of the music here is from the genre of rock or punk, which sounds good and sets the tone when used, but there’s nothing memorable. I do wish the composer used music from the anime, such as the song that plays during the first intro to Bleach. I absolutely love that song and I wish it was in here as sort of an homage.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I had a good time with Bleach. Despite some setbacks, I liked the main characters, the concept of the Soul Reavers, and the really fun action sequences. If you’re a fan of Bleach, I recommend you give this film a shot. Keep in mind however this is coming from someone who has not finished season one of the anime. If you have not seen an episode of Bleach at all, then maybe you should skip this. This feels like a movie that was made for fans. But if you like what I said and REALLY want to give this film a try, then perhaps give season one of the anime a watch since the film only covers that season, or so I hear. That, or just jump straight into the film, I’m sure it’ll be fine either way.

The film and the anime series is available for streaming on Netflix, while only the anime is also available on Hulu.

I am a firm believer that at least everyone living on planet Earth have seen a Disney or Pixar film at least once. Meanwhile, I believe I’m in the group that has seen almost every Disney film. I absolutely love everything Disney, especially the animated masterpieces made by the fellows over at Pixar. I’ve been watching Pixar films since I was a little, so I have a very personal connection to these films. Which is why for my first “Ramblings” post, I’ve decided to list my top 5 personal favorite Pixar films.

Before I go into the list, I will have to be honest. I am going to be a little bit biased when listing these films. So for some films that are listed higher, it will mostly be because of nostalgia. But nonetheless, they will all still be amazing films that you should watch, if you somehow haven’t already.

 

5. Ratatouille

Starting off this list is the film that got me to appreciate the craft of a chef. Ratatouille first released in 2007 and is about a rat who aspires to one day become a chef. As silly as this premise sounds, I find it to be one of Pixar’s most adult films. Mostly with the ideas present, such as the scene towards the end where the film’s antagonist, a food critic named Anton Ego, gives a speech on the work of a critic. Watching this as an adult, I’m surprised that something as wise as this can come from a children’s film. Ratatouille is also a great film for children as well, with funny characters and colorful animation.

Despite the characters being lovable, some of the cast can be a tad bit forgettable when compared to other Pixar characters. I’m mostly talking about some of the other chefs at Gusteau’s Restaurant. I remember their personality, but I don’t remember doing much in terms of contributing to the plot. The film also doesn’t have as many tearjerker moments as in other Pixar films. To some, that may be a good thing, but for me, I live for those scenes. Other than that, Ratatouille gets its number five spot for its themes aimed at an older audience while also being great fun for kids.

4. Toy Story 2

I find the Toy Story trilogy to be one of the best trilogies in all of film. Each film is amazing and deserve a watch, but which film do I think is the best? That would be (you guessed it!) Toy Story 2. It is hard for sequels to surpass their predecessor and they usually fail to do so, but that is not the case here. Toy Story 2 completely surpasses its predecessor by introducing new great characters, (with the same lovable cast from the last film present as well) a brand new engaging story, and raising the bar of emotional moments. Want to know the saddest scene in Toy Story 2? Then look no further than Jessie’s heartbreaking backstory. If you have not seen Toy Story 2 yet, or the whole trilogy for that matter, give it a watch. You won’t be disappointed.

3. Finding Nemo

Ahhhh yes. Here is the first biased fueled entry on this list. I first saw this movie when I was either five or six and I still love it to this day. Finding Nemo takes place in the ocean, as a father clown fish named Marlin tries to find his lost son Nemo. Firstly, for an animated movie that came out in 2003, the movie still looks great today. The underwater scenery is varied and beautiful, ranging from a colorful coral reef, to a dark and unwelcoming minefield. As with every Pixar film, characters are all great, with the standout being Dory played by the lovely Ellen DeGeneres. Whenever she is on screen, I can’t help but to smile.

For these last few entries, I have not been talking much about the music in the Pixar films. As much as the score presented in the films are great, there wasn’t any tracks that stood out to me. (besides the song that plays through Jessie’s backstory) Here however, the music in Finding Nemo is absolutely spectacular. I don’t know how to properly explain it, but the music in Finding Nemo is like if the entire ocean were converted into audio format.My personal favorite tracks are Nemo’s Egg and Haiku for an example. Also, since this is a Pixar films, it definitely contains its fair share of emotional scenes. A great example being the movie’s flipping OPENING. You know you’re in for a great time when the opening is getting you choked up. Overall, Finding Nemo is superb and you gotta give it a watch if you haven’t already.

2. Up

SPEAKING OF SAD OPENINGS. Up is infamous for its ability to emotionally destroy you in its first few minutes. But does that mean one great opening means the rest of the film will be bad? Absolutely not. The movie follows an old man named Carl Fredricksen as he escapes from going into a retirement home by attaching thousands of balloons to his house making it fly. He then soars off to a place called Paradise Falls, where he and his late wife always wanted to visit since they were a child. Up is one of Pixar’s greats for MANY valid reasons: its characters, story, animation, music, overall message. It is all absolutely amazing. To go more into detail on its message, it is about how the relationships we make with other people in life are the real adventure. I absolutely love that message and it is conveyed perfectly here. On the topic of music, the track that plays during the opening, Married Life is the standout track from the movie. I cannot help by get choked up whenever I listen to it. Up is just a terrific film for the whole family and just a great film in general.

1. Monsters Inc.

Finally, my absolute favorite Pixar film, Monsters Inc. Like Finding Nemo, I saw this film years ago and I still have a strong affection for it. Monsters Inc. takes place in a world completely inhabited by monsters. Their job is to scare human children by coming out of their closet that is also connected to the monster world. This is made possible by . . . Magic? Science? Okay it’s never full explained but whatever its a kids movie. However the monsters are not scaring the children for entertainment, but because the screams of children help fuel the monster’s city. I just wanna say that I absolutely love that concept as a kids and still do today. Anyway, the story follows a monster named Sully, who is a scarer, and his best friend Mike. Sully one day accidentally frees a human child into the monster’s world, so it is up to him and his pal Mike to bring the child back to her room.

My affinity for this film definitely comes from the imaginative concept of the film, and the execution of said concept. Having a human child come into the monster’s world leads to so much potential of being able to see this strange world and they definitely achieved that potential. The characters’ relationships with one another are also a major plus. Mike and Sully’s conversations with one another really makes it feel like they are real friends, and Sully’s friendship with the human child is so heartwarming that I feel like melting whenever I watch this movie. Although Finding Nemo possibly has my most favorite soundtrack of the Pixar films, Monsters Inc. soundtrack is also great. The tracks that send me straight back to my childhood are the Main Theme and If I Didn’t Have You, sung by Billy Crystal and John Goodman, the voice actors of Mike and Sully respectively. I love that last song because it does a great job at portraying the friendship between Mike and Sully. Monsters Inc. is not only one of my most nostalgic films ever, but most importantly a legitimately amazing animated feature.

Conclusion

Well that’s my list! I hoped you agreed the choices I’ve made here. If not, then that’s okay. That’s the beauty of Pixar films, no matter which film is your favorite, there are people who will humbling respect and recognize it even if it is not their favorite. Pixar films are THAT good. (Except for Cars 2 and Monsters University. No one likes those.)