“Everything Must Go” must go nowhere. I loved this movie. I can always tell a good film when listening to the trailer gets me excited all over again. “Everything Must Go” feels like a low budget film with a new side of Ferrel that stumps “Stranger Than Fiction”, which I know is saying a lot.

The trailer doesn’t allude much to the fact that Ferrel’s character is an alcoholic. I am assuming that this would have pushed a lot of folks away from the film. We like our heroes to be likable, not self-destructive. But the alcoholism doesn’t take away from the character or become too much of the focus in this film. It just offers a well rounded, honest character.

The color and look of this film are great, as you can see a preview of that in the cover art. The set is small which keeps the film interesting and the talent is so high that it captivates you. It’s funny to see a film where a garage sale is the climax, but similar to the film “In Good Company”, you don’t need a happy ending to walk away from this one feeling great. The character development and new perspective does that for you.

[STATUS REPORT]

BROAD vs. NICHE - I don’t think this is a hard movie to grasp, so I would suggest it to anyone. I put it in the broad category, but also understand that this is a bit of a drama and the topic of alcohol can feel a little overbearing or uncomfortable for some people.

WATCHABILITY - Very high. Interested in this film from start to finish.

WHEN TO WATCH - I watched this at 7:00 am on a Saturday morning and it felt great. I would definitely suggest a weekend morning to take this one in. It’s an interesting film that I really enjoyed, but the subject matter and characters were a little depressing so I’m not sure it really livens up a Friday night and might be too weighty for a weekday evening.

Daniel Craig… Harrison Ford… that kid from Avatar the Last Airbender… what more could you want?!? I guess actually you could want a lot more so I don’t know why I started it out this way. I wanted a nicer Harrison Ford, a more obvious antagonist, and better character development. My girlfriend however thought the film was flawless and for that I have to assume the movie has some strange audience of followers.

I’m not sure what I expected. The tension of the trailer gives off the vibe that you should prepare for a suspenseful action film with the uncovering of this Daniel Craig character. So I found it odd that I was never entirely sure who to root for. It was clear that Harrison Ford was an angry guy so I skipped on being excited about him. But at the same time, he’s forced into working with the supposed good guy Daniel Craig who has no past or present or memory at all. I’m not sure how to root for a character that has no direction.

I heard a rumor that John Favreau had a hard time getting this film to the screen, and I can understand why. A lot of the rotten tomatoes reviews in support of the film claim that it was a great idea but not the film that anyone expected. I couldn’t agree more. I think the interesting thing about alien movies like Independence Day for example is that our technology always leads to a cure. But in the olden days of pistols and bow and arrows, cowboys are pretty much trampled like bugs. Great idea for a film, but I feel like there were too many missed opportunities in where to take the story that you’re left feeling anxious and bored with no sign of hope for a way out.

[STATUS REPORT]

BROAD vs. NICHE - Believe it or not, I find this to be an extremely broad movie because it follows the basic rules of film despite missing the mark on a few of them. I try not to be too harsh on movies, especially when they’re not horrible. So I think other people will enjoy this movie, it should just be noted that this is not an action adventure film, it is a slow drama.

WATCHABILITY - This is one of those films I kept hoping would be over soon. Even the final fight near the end had me a little lost and it was hard to know when the fighting would be over. I may have also needed to use the restroom during a lot of this which doesn’t help. The pacing was just much slower then expected which can become a huge distraction when you’re expecting a high paced action adventure.

WHEN TO WATCH - This is a good Sunday midday movie. Something that’s not bad, but acceptable to ignore. Feel free to perform chores or laundry while watching this film. I also think it’s an acceptable film to watch with your girlfriend or family considering I watched this with mine and she was very excited to do so. She also loves “Justified” and “Downton Abbey” so who knows.

I officially quit watching this movie. This blog is for enjoyment and since only about 10 people read it to begin with… I’m not going to waste 2 hours of my life to affirm something I’m already fairly sure of. That being, “Bunraku” is the worst movie I’ve watched in a long time.

I wasn’t even fully aware of the premise when the film started, even after the 45 minutes of voice over exposition on top of poorly executed martial arts [block a punch, wood staff to the chest, duck, throw a guy, pose like a crouching tiger for dramatic effect]. It wasn’t until I played the trailer that I realized, the set up could have been cool, but the execution was a complete miss.

The entire time I’m watching this movie, I’m thinking of Six String Samurai and Black Dynamite. It looks like the kind of film that could have been made as a joke or that at the bare minimum play out as another campy action movie with over the top creative characters and fight scenes. Instead you get Woody Harrelson as a barkeep who makes pop up “funnies” for adults about spiders, super powers and “the power of responsibility” a.k.a. Spiderman.

[STATUS REPORT]

BOMB AND A HALF - This movie is garbage, and with a million and one Jackie Chan and Japanese Low Budget films available on Instant Queue with REAL Martial arts and not just dancers with wooden swords… There is no reason that you should watch this movie, ever. Seriously, you’re better off watching day time television or reruns of the Mummy films with Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson.

I heard about “The Future” a couple months ago when it was playing at a second run theater. I immediately got the vibe that this would be an interesting movie, but probably not one that would be easy for a broad audience to digest. I was probably right.

The disappointing thing about “The Future” was that first of all it was listed as a comedy. I’m not sure why Independent Films all get categorized as a comedy. It’s like they’re too quirky to be considered dramatic and so when they catch a light joke here and there they just assume it’s meant to be funny and they just didn’t catch the humor. But like always, these independent “dark” comedies are always filled with tension and sadness.

“The Future” has a cool set up in my opinion. A mid-30’s couple decides to adopt a cat which spirals into a conversation about life and how it seems like they’ve more or less reached their prime. So when the cat heals in a month and is ready for adoption, that’s the end of their life, more or less.

What seemed like a humorous, “Shoot for the stars! Now’s the time!” kind of plot, turned into a chaotic reckless lifestyle with a downward spiral towards sadness. And where some films can nail this concept by presenting something honest and difficult, I feel like some of the aspects of this film were a little forced to create tension and emotion. 

I don’t mean to rock the film to hard, it was an enjoyable and complicated film with great talent and unique perspective. There’s also the lovable yet creepy “Paw-Paw” the cat who makes a few appearances and adds a new layer of depth to the story and meaning of the plot.

[STATUS REPORT]

BROAD vs. NICHE - Definitely a niche film. I enjoyed this movie, but it’s not the kind of film I would feel confident sharing with a lot of people. The tension and dark side of this movie make it a little less consumable for a broad audience.

WATCHABILITY - The first 20 minutes of this film were pleasant and easy to fall in love with. Shortly after this, the film takes a bit of a dip and the direction gets a little off centered. The last 30 minutes or so I just felt like I was desperately waiting for resolution. 

WHEN TO WATCH - I think this is a good movie to watch on a plane where you need to pass the time and feel like thinking a little outside the box. I enjoy writer/director/actor movies so for that reason it was also interesting to take in. I dont’ really have a great time to watch this film, but it doesn’t suck so if you find yourself in a room full of people interested in different perspectives and you want a safe choice that errs a little on the dark side than pick up “The Future” in confidence.

“Crazy. Stupid. Love.” was crazy stupid wonderful. I’m amused by how often I seem to watch the same actors doing the same sort of thing in the same types of movies, but “Crazy. Stupid. Love.” has a little more pizazz and depth than afore mentioned “Date Night” First of all, apparently I love Ryan Gosling. He’s recognized as a bit of a ladies man and I think after his performance in the Notebook girls sort of claimed him as theor own and a lot of the guys really didn’t seem to care. 

Your basic story is that people are depressed and they want to be happy. It’s a simple premise and while you may catch one or two predictable moments of humor, a lot of the writing, dialogue, and character development is very well executed and is sure to spur on a range of emotional responses. “Crazy. Stupid. Love.” creates a full bodied tension followed by a full bellied laugh. 

I loved this movie because I cared so deeply about all of the characters. While a few of their impulses were a little off center, most of the film feels honest and in my opinion offers a clear representation of what happens when life gets hard and nobody knows how to respond. The character development alone in this film is worth the watch and I can’t recommend a Red Box movie more highly.

[STATUS REPORT]

BROAD vs. NICHE - This is definitely a broad audience movie, but it has the intensity and talent of an independent film. I truly loved everything about this film and Kevin Bacon plays an exceptionally creepy nice guy. I think this is one for the whole family minus anyone in grade school, but that’s up to you. Sex is an interesting topic. 

WATCHABILITY - There may be one or two dry moments that last a total of five minutes and that’s only because I had seen so much of it from the commercials. As a whole, this film is so good that each scene leaves you desperate for more resolution.

STATUS REPORT - Go watch this movie! This is a great film for kids who are coming home from University and want to spend a night relaxing at home with the parents. It’s a great film if you’re a new couple and spending the holidays together for the first time and you want to know what real life can look like. It’s a great movie if you’re ok with things not working out and you see yourself as someone who can rise to the occasion. This is also a great film if you thought Ryan Gosling looked like a total bro and you wanted to be just like him… hopefully this film will help you grow up too.