Better Late Than Never..."The Flash: Season One"

The Flash (2014)

TV-PG

Starring Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Rick Cosnett, Tom Cavanagh, Jesse L. Martin,

The Story:

Barry Allen (Gustin) has grown up after a tragic childhood accident that claimed the life of his mother and saw his father wind up in jail. Raised by police detective Joe West (Martin), Barry pines away for the lovely Iris (Patton) but she thinks of him more as a brother than a potential love interest. When a freak accident occurs at STAR Labs, Barry winds up in a coma, and when he awakens 9 months later, he discovers he has superhuman speed. Aided by Dr. Harrison Wells (Cavanagh), Caitlin Snow (Panabaker) and Cisco Ramon (Valdes), they help Barry learn what he can do, as he tracks down others who were affected that night, and have decided to use their abilities in the pursuit of evil.

I don't usually watch TV, but when I do, it's on Netflix, and it's usually awesome.

So too is The Flash.

The amusing thing, everything that I don't like about the DC movie universe, is non-existent in the television universe.

It's light. It's fun. It's interesting. There is character development and characters that you actually care about.

Sure, there's drama, but there isn't a dark, somber brooding where you really begin to disassociate with the characters and begin to not really care about them.

Halfway through Season 1, and The Flash is living up to the hope and promise that I wanted it to have but was afraid I would be disappointed by it.

Little worry there after all.

In fact, the only thing that really has gotten on the nerves of the test audience at my house, Iris West is a bit of a spoiled self-centered brat. It appears the writers are trying to correct that as the series moves along, so that's a good thing.

My knowledge of The Flash from the comics isn't that great, having read only a few bits from the Mark Waid and Geoff Johns era, so I get to be surprised when certain characters names are mentioned and then I get to match them up to their costumed persona later on.

And it's great fun watching Cisco give these codenames out to the characters.

In fact, a lot of the enjoyment from the series is that Barry has a great support team from both STAR Labs and Detective Martin from the police department. They're all helping him adjust to his powers while helping him be a source of good for Central City.

And with the team-ups with Arrow, that's helped make me decide that perhaps that's the next TV show to watch when I've finished this season of The Flash.

Season 1 currently streaming on Netflix.

Final Grade: B+

The 2015 Turkey Of The Year Is...

First, thanks to my 2nd oldest for crafting today's image. She rocks!

Now, on with the countdown.

Another year has come and gone, and I've racked up my share of bad movies.

Amusingly, the 17 movies or TV shows that I raked across the coals are almost always my most read reviews.

Apparently you all like to feel my pain.

:)

So a quick reminder on how I make my choices:

I want to be entertained.

That's it, that's all.

I normally give all movies 20 minutes to woo me, but there are some occasions where I have to hit the eject.

However, most of those are low/no budget films that are trying to appeal to some demographic that clearly isn't me.

And since they have no budget, they really aren't going to be mentioned more than once on my site.

No, instead I want to celebrate the big duds that we all heard about, and maybe were excited to go see in a theater or at least at home.

And then you watch it unfold, and it can either be a trainwreck of epic proportions that you can't believe saw the light of day and cannot turn away, or so bad it's got to come out immediately.

So walk with me down memory lane and take a look at the Worst of the Worst that I endured between Thanksgiving 2014 and Thanksgiving 2015.


Honorable Mention:

Mr. Peabody & Sherman - No, not the movie, the dreadfully unfunny and ugly animated streamer on Netflix. Luckily, I normally countdown just the big budget films, so this one is safe. But boy, was it bad...

Now, on to the films:

6) Fury - Originally given a C-, I had a "what was I thinking moment" and downgraded it further. I'm not sure what's worse, a bad war movie, or a boring war movie. I'll pick boring. Because bad, you can write that off as "well, they tried." But boring?  A war movie should never be boring. Sure, you can have quiet moments in the film, but with a cast like this, I want to feel for the characters. I want to feel bad when they get picked off, instead of rooting for them to die so the end of the movie can get here that much sooner.

5) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -  What a spectacular mess. Some of my kids actually enjoyed this one for what it is, but I just couldn't wrap my head around this one. That there will be a sequel...ugh... But big, muscle bound steroid turtles just aren't my vision of what the turtles could, and should be. They weren't that funny, the voice acting left a lot to be desired, and it had Megan Fox. How many franchises can one woman ruin?

4) A Million Ways To Die In The West - I simply have to realize that Seth MacFarlane's over the top crude humor is just not my cup of tea. A little goes a very long way in my book. A 30 second gag is one thing, but 90 minutes of it is just a bit much. Were there funny parts? Sure. Again, he's got a great sense of humor, he just dials it past 11, and after a while, that one trick pony isn't as funny as it used to be. Most people I know loved this one. I'm happy for you.

3) Into The Woods - When I don't like a musical, you know you're doing it wrong. And this one hit it wrong almost from the word go. The musical numbers aren't catchy and you don't walk out of the movie humming or whistling their melody. Like the film, they are forgettable. Except Johnny Depp's number, which is just nothing short of creepy. You have to take a shower after watching that scene. If I gave out an award for worst actor, Depp would win, because this isn't his only turn on the list.

2) Chappie - I had high hopes. They were repeatedly dashed to bits as this movie wore on (and on...) Overlong. Over-stupid. They put RoboCop and Short Circuit in a blender, and sucked all the fun and heart from both of those movies and gave us this instead. Hugh Jackman tries his best to save the film from being anything short of boring, but it comes way too late in the movie to redeem this sucker.

And finally, the moment you've all been waiting for:

1) Mortdecai - The only film on this list that I simply could not endure another minute of. If it got better after the first 15 minutes, please don't tell me. Let me forget that I even tried to make it through this film. A waste of talent, and all involved should be ashamed of themselves. The set back the world of cinema at least 20 years. Unfunny from the start, and Johnny Depp is becoming one of my least favorite actors of all time by churning out dull and lifeless performances. All the hate that people direct towards Tom Cruise? You're looking the wrong way people, at least Cruise puts out decent films, regardless of how you feel about his acting chops. The best thing he's done since the cameo in 21 Jump Street, I had to search all the way back to Chocolat (2000) to find a movie he's starred in that I've enjoyed. Not a great track record.

So there you have it. The worst films of 2015.

Here's to another great year of movies, which will undoubtedly have a few clunkers.

I hope to see you all back here next year to revisit those.

The countdown begins...now!

A Little Quirky...A Little Cool... "Murder Of A Cat"

Murder of a Cat (2014)

Unrated

Starring Fran Kranz, Nikki Reed, J.K. Simmons, Blythe Danner, Greg Kinnear,

Directed by Gillian Greene

The Story:

Clinton (Kranz) investigates the murder of his beloved cat. This leads him to suspect Greta (Reed) and bring in the Sheriff (Simmons) to arrest her. However, it turns out the cat led a double life and hung out with both of them when he would wander from home to home. But someone murdered the poor feline, and these two want revenge! However, the death could be a cover-up for something even more sinister!

To be fair, this one started off a little slow, and a lot of odd.

Clinton is a kid in an adult body, so I don't know if they were trying to tackle a special needs case, or just that of a slacker.

:)

But I sat back and gave this one the full 20 minutes, and then I continued to stick around until the end.

They actually start the movie at the end of the movie, and then backtrack.

For a crime/suspense/comedy, they should have used a different camera angle and not revealed much of the suspense at first, but what can you do?

Just saw that it is streaming for Amazon Prime members as well.

Final Grade: B- / C+ range

There Was A Lot Of Hate Directed Towards "Avengers: Age of Ultron"

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle,

Written and Directed by Joss Whedon

The Story:

Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) enlists the aid of Bruce Banner (Ruffalo) to create a worldwide peacekeeping solution called the Ultron Program. However when the program becomes sentient and becomes Ultron (Spader), it decides that the Avengers are part of the reason why there is no peace on the planet and sets out to exterminate them.

Avengers, Assemble!

So, was Avengers 2 as good as the first Avengers film?

Absolutely not.

However, not for really a lack of trying.

Avengers was the first time that crazy concoction of teaming up all the characters had ever been done before, and it was lightning in a bottle.

But if you go back and look, you'll find glitches and plot holes abound in that one as well, fans were just eager to see the big-screen spectacle, we either didn't notice, or didn't really care.

This time around, the bar was already set too high, and it was bound to fail to reach those lofty heights, but you might as well try, right?

And they did.

And there is SOOOO much to enjoy about this film. The banter amongst the Avengers is wonderful, and it makes them human and it also foreshadows what's to come in upcoming films. There's a lot of different opinions and egos on this team, and it will come to a boiling point in the next film, and it should.

However, I happily watched this installment and walked away very happy.

The action sequences were well done, and the giant cast of characters seemed to share the screen and story in equal chunks so that everyone, and no one, is the absolute star of the film.

It was nice to see Hawkeye's (Renner) role fleshed out a bit more. I always enjoyed the Avengers that weren't super-humans, yet found a way to hold their own with the big boys, and Hawkeye and the Black Widow (Johansson) continue to shine in this role.

In fact, the only thing I didn't really care for was Ultron. Spader put too much personality or himself into the role, and it came across as...weird... I guess.

Ultron is a relentless program whose sole purpose is to upgrade, upgrade, upgrade in an attempt to be the best possible Ultron...and kill the Avengers...

Cracking wise... that's not Ultron.

My biggest gripe, but when he's the main villain, it starts to stand out as the film wears on.

Still, a good movie, but not the best Marvel film of the year.

Final Grade: B+

How About Another Sequel? "Tremors 5: Bloodlines"

Tremors 5 (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Michael Gross, Jamie Kennedy,

Directed by Don Michael Paul

The Story:

Burt Gummer (Gross) is filming his survivalist show when a new kid in town (Kennedy) rolls in to become his new cameraman. It's just in time, because it appears that Graboids have been discovered in South Africa, and they need Burt's expertise to save the wildlife preserve from the terrible menace.
Of so they would have you believe...
The little franchise that could!

Who knew there was a 5th (!!!) offering this year in the Tremors franchise?

Released to little fanfare, unless there is a Tremors fan club out there (and, I'm sure after typing those words, there has to be...) Tremors keeps chugging along and producing fun little B-Movie horror films that are pretty darn fun.

Michael Gross will hopefully keep churning these out as long as they want the franchise to keep moving forward.

Bringing in Jamie Kennedy allows the mantle to be passed if Gross can't or doesn't want to continue, but he looks like he's still having fun, so we'll see what happens next.

If you've seen any or all of the first 4 films, you know what to expect and you won't be disappointed.

Even if you haven't, you can enter the Tremors-verse here and you won't be left too far behind.

:)

I ordered the disc, and then Netflix added it to the streaming library, so there you go. No excuses to miss out.

Final Grade: B-

If You See "Land Ho!" Turn The Boat Around And Keep Going!!

Land  Ho! (2014)

Rated R

Starring Earl Lynn Nelson, Paul Eenhorn

Written and Directed by Aaron Katz & Martha Stevens

The Story:

A pair of ex-brothers-in-law set off on a road trip through Iceland to apparently rediscover their youth.

I say apparently because after 5 minutes, I was so bored, I didn't want to spend the next 90 minutes of my life watching this embarrassment of a movie or listening to the insipid dialogue being spouted by the barely believable actors.

It's times like these that I wish I had a time machine so I could go back and figure out what part of the synopsis made me think, "hey, maybe this could be entertaining" and just slap the notion straight out of my head.

I wasn't even going to review this one at all, but I figured, it can be the last bad movie that gets reviewed before the annual "Worst Movies of 2015" list.

It won't make it, because I tend to give those honors to the movies that had a budget and real actors and maybe even a premise that made you want to see it.

These independents that get made for $20 bucks and a handshake with a bunch of independent film critics to rave about how great the movie is...

Color me skeptical.

Maybe it's time to see the movie poster with all the fake accolades on it, and take names of the people who are obviously telling outrageous lies in order to make ends meet.

I'm wary of you, film festival reviewers.

"Uproarious" - GQ

"B.S." - Me.

Complete waste of time.

Final Grade: F-

Bittersweet Farewell... "Furious 7"

Furious 7 (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Kurt Russell, Sung Kang,

Directed by James Wan

The Story:

Deckard Shaw (Statham) is pretty upset about what Dom (Diesel) and his guys did to his little brother in the last film. So he begins his revenge, first by killing Han (Kang), putting Hobbs (Johnson) in the hospital, and then targeting the rest of the family for extinction. With a little help from the Feds (Russell), Dom assembles the crew for one last ride to stop Shaw and save themselves.

Well, that was a bit anti-climatic.

Justin Lin steps away from the franchise, and the film feels like it loses a little something in the process.

Or, it's the giant elephant in the room of losing Paul Walker mid-filming that hangs over this seventh installment in what is quickly becoming the most entertaining non-superhero, superhero franchise of them all.

A lot of things get thrown at, and through, walls this go round to see what sticks.

If you've been along for the entire ride, you'll be mostly satisfied. If you're starting from the ground up here, you might be in over your head.

Personally, I would have liked to have seen more of Hobbs, but that's purely selfish.

Just give him his own franchise already.

:)

I would also have to commend Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris for putting a lot of the fun moments into the film. Gibson, especially, as Roman brings the laughter, even when you know it's going to be funny, somehow his delivery or actions make it even better.

Everything is different now, but that's okay.

The Furious Franchise is all about family.

Families change over time, but they are still family at the end of the day.

So too are the fans.

Can't wait to see what happens in Furious 8.

Final Grade: B+

"Hollywood And Wine" Will Be A Pass For Just About Everyone Else

Hollywood And Wine (2011)

Rated R

Starring Chris Kattan, Nicky Whelan, Chazz Palminteri, Norm MacDonald, Horatio Sanz, Leslie Easterbrook, David Spade

Directed by Matt Berman and Kevin P. Farley

The Story:

Jack (Kattan) has a great girlfriend, Diane (Whelan) who is an aspiring actress who just happens to look an awful lot like a famous actress that everyone hates. When Jack becomes jealous due to an old friend returning to her life, he gets talked into getting a loan from Geno Scarpacci (Palminteri) so he can treat her to a better life. When he is unable to repay his debt, he convinces Geno that he can get him a date with the famous actress and all debts will be forgiven. Just how good of an actress can Diane be?

When your movie stars Chris Kattan, most people are going to pass.

As I've always said, I try and give SNL players, especially those that I've watched over the years, the benefit of the doubt with their movies.

And while not horrible...

It's an odd mish-mash of a tale that combines odd characters, MacDonald's porn director for starters, and throws them all into a blender to see what they can mix up.

There are a few laughs to be had, and Palminteri can play a mob guy in his sleep.

But, unlike some movies I've watched this year, I made it all the way through, so that's saying something, right?

Final Grade: C-

Didn't Quite Hit The High Notes Of The First One..."Pitch Perfect 2"

Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins,

Directed by Elizabeth Banks

The Story:

The Bellas are back, and the 3 time champs are on a roll and performing for the President when a wardrobe malfunction by Fat Amy (Wilson) gets them banned from further competition by the A Capella Governing Board (Higgins & Banks). They make a desperate gamble: if they win the European Championship, they are fully reinstated. It's a big task as no American team has ever beaten Europe's finest.  Can they pull off the greatest upset of all time?

If you've never watched a movie before, the suspense might kill you.

For everyone else, it's a foregone conclusion. :)

I make no apologies that I loved the first film. I don't remember if it made my Top 10 list the year it came out, but it was definitely an honorable mention film.

While just about the entire cast returns for the sequel, much of the charm and fun of the first film is gone, because we know what to expect.

That's not to say you won't enjoy this one, because you will, just not as much.

But this one has a lot of juggling to do as they are ready to let this group of Bellas graduate, but they bring in one lone recruit (Steinfeld) who will need to carry the franchise going forward if there is indeed a Pitch Perfect 3.

If there is, it has to have the duo of Higgins and Banks providing commentary again because they are the brightest spot in the movie, and the two never fail to entertain with their insane and inane commentary.

Final Grade: B-

Ashes To Ashes..."Cinderella"

Cinderella (2015)

Rated PG

Starring Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Sophie McShera, Holliday Grainger, Richard Madden

Directed by Kenneth Branagh

The Story:

Ella (James) loses her mom at an early age, and when her father remarries, she tries to please her stepmother (Blanchett) and two step-sisters (Grainger & McShera). Ah, but tragedy strikes again, and soon their disdain and contempt shine through and Cinderella earns her name as she is ground under the boot of her family. If only a Prince Charming (Madden) would come to the rescue...

Ultimately, disappointing.

Where Disney struck gold with Maleficent doing a live action version of Sleeping Beauty, but presenting a different take on the tale, Cinderella becomes a boring paint by numbers retelling of the story with little left to the imagination.

Clearly the animated classic was better, and for that matter, so was the far superior Ever After which told this story, and much better, back in 1998.

I must say though, I will give Blanchett credit for being an exceptionally cruel stepmother. There was no real reason for her behavior, and she dialed it up to 11. Thoroughly detestable.

But it's Disney, and their hype machine is in full swing, and all the little girls out there will no doubt wish to see this version.

Meh.

So be it, but this makes me nervous about all the remaining live-action reboots that Disney is churning out at an alarming rate.

I will proceed with caution.

And so should you if you're looking for a version of Cinderella to watch with the family.

Final Grade: C

"Back In Time" Could Have Been So Much Better...

Back In Time (2015)

Documentary

Starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale

Directed by Jason Aron

The Story:

Everyone by now has seen Back to the Future, or at least I would hope. This documentary, released just in time to coincide with "Future Day" from Part 2 brings a lot of behind the scenes interviews with the cast, crew and the fans of Back to the Future.

It rehashes some things you might already know.

It will bring out some things you probably did not.

And overall, as a Kickstarter backed movie, it's a really good effort to try and tackle one of the best films of the 80s, of all time, you qualify it, and Back to the Future fits.

A movie so good, the script is used as reference for screenwriting courses in college.

Where I sort of lost interest with the film is when they concentrated on the fans of the films and spend time looking at conventions and recreations of the movie.

Meh.

While nice, I would have preferred more meat about maybe the entire trilogy, and save the fans for a bonus feature.

Thankfully, the film is streaming on Netflix as of this writing, so that saved me $25 bucks ordering blind from Amazon.

:)

Certainly worth a watch if you're a fan, and really, who doesn't love this movie?

Just know that the documentary loses a bit of focus, for me anyway, after the halfway point.

Final Grade: B

Just A Typical Commute To The Office..."Mad Max: Fury Road"

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Rated R

Starring Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne

Directed by George Miller

The Story:

Max (Hardy) returns to the silver screen, only this time, he really sucks at driving, crashing and getting caught. He is taken prisoner but escapes in time to join Furiosa on her trek across the desert wastelands. However, Furiosa has her mind set on escaping the clutches of Immortan Joe (Byrne) and taking his young brides with her as they escape back to her lush, green homeland.  Naturally, Joe isn't going to take this treachery easily, and he launches a full out assault across the desert to reclaim what is rightfully his.

I saw everyone praising this movie and remarking how wonderful it was and  how they were going back to see it on the big screen multiple times when it came out.

Naturally, it's hard not to let a movie like this build itself up in your mind and ultimately be disappointed that it doesn't meet those expectations.

Therein lies my issues with Mad Max.

It was good, but nowhere near as great, for me, as everyone else I know seemed to find it this year.

The other issue I had was that apparently there was some sort of backlash against the film because it really wasn't about Mad Max, but it was about Furiosa.

Therefore, it was about a strong female lead and the star of the film actually played second fiddle to the story.

So, if you felt that way, obviously you hate women and blah blah blah blah blah...

Oh my goodness, that's about the dumbest argument that could be made right next to if you don't like the policies of a president, it's because of his color not his policies.

Sure, there's probably a percentage that felt that way, but to paint everyone with that brush is stupid.

First, of course this film was about Furiosa and her story.

What Mad Max film, besides Mad Max, has been about Max?

None of them, except the first one.

Every film since then has been about Max's journey across the desert and his helping the people he runs across to find a better life for themselves.

It's what keeps Max from truly becoming mad. In this crazy post apocalyptic world, his humanity hangs by a thread, but he still does the right thing and helps those in need.

Don't believe me, re-watch The Road Warrior or Thunderdome again. It's their story, Max is but a player in it.

Now, if you want a movie that takes place about a group of cars (elaborate, crazy designed cars no less!) racing at breakneck speeds through the ravaged desert, you look no further than George Miller.

At this point in his career, he can do that in his sleep.

The addition of a Soundtrack Car was a stroke of genius as well.

So when it's all said and done, it was a really good movie, just not a great one.

However, I'm happy to see the franchise still has some legs and that a whole new generation of fans have something to be excited about.

Final Grade: B

I'm Really Enjoying "Last Man Standing"

Last Man Standing (2011)

TV PG

Starring Tim Allen, Nancy Travis, Hector Elizondo, Alexandra Krosney, Molly Ephraim, Kaitlyn Dever, Christoph Sanders

Created by Jack Burditt

The Story:

Mike (Allen) is a successful photographer/marketing guru for a sporting goods company. His wife, Vanessa (Travis) has gone back to work and winds up with a big promotion that means more time away from home. However, Mike's boss Ed (Elizondo) grounds Mike from traveling so that he can focus on making the company website better. This works out for the family so he can help watch over his three girls (Krosney, Ephraim, and Dever) in his own particular way of parenting.

Welcome back to ABC, Tim Allen. After over a decade since Home Improvement went off the air, Allen continued to star in box office hits and misses before returning as Mike Baxter, a man's man.

Yet this time, he's not the befuddled handyman, Tim Taylor. No, he's more akin to the smarter cousin because while he can be gruff and macho, he's not a klutz who gets lucky at his job.  He's an accomplished marketing manager who brings his grumpy touch to the company website and instantly makes it a hit.

So yes, he's basically playing a similar character to the one we knew before, but I think I like Mike even more because he's not the victim of his own stupidity...usually. :)

His ego might cause a few things to go awry, but that happens to the best of us.

I'm mid-way through the first season, and I find myself consistently amused and laughing with the show. His banter with Elizondo is some of the funniest buddy comedy you'll find in a sitcom.

Each of the daughters has their own unique personality and feel more fleshed out than the Taylor boys ever did. Nancy Allen slides easily into the wife/mother role and doesn't miss a beat. At first I was concerned because it seemed like she smiled or laughed a lot at Allen's lines and jokes in the show.

Then I realized, that's what we do if we have a spouse or partner that constantly keeps us amused because you just don't know what they're going to say next.

So far, so good and with an episode or two every few days, I know I've always got something good to watch if I find myself with less than an hour or so before I want to go to bed and want to settle in for a good night's laugh.

I hear that the oldest daughter gets replaced in Season 2, so we'll see if that changes the dynamic of the show or not. Currently that character is my least favorite in the entire series, so I don't know how much of an effect it will have on me.

:)

Currently streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: B+

The Place To Go To Learn "FAQ About Time Travel"

FAQ About Time Travel (2009)

TV-14

Starring Chris O' Dowd, Mark Wootton, Dean Lennox Kelly, Anna Faris,

Directed by Garreth Carrivick

The Story:

Ray (O'Dowd), Toby (Wootton) and Pete (Kelly) are best friends who decide to cheer up Ray at the pub after he was fired from his latest job. In the pub, Ray meets Cassie (Faris) who claims she's a time traveler. Ray assumes his friends are setting him up as he is a huge science fiction geek. But when Pete goes to the bathroom and travels to the future, something is definitely amiss at the pub!

Well, that was pretty fun!

O'Dowd continues to kill in just about any performance I've seen him in. This time, he actually has some funny support with Wooton and Kelly as they react with amusement to the business of time travel, and then continue to change their tune as the time travel issues continue to crop up for them.

As with all time travel stories, the less you hear about them, the better they are.

Let's just say, I don't think you'll be disappointed with this one.

Currently streaming on Amazon Prime, and I don't think Netflix even has it as a disc rental. Shame.

Final Grade: B

Gone Way Too Soon..."I Am Chris Farley"

I Am Chris Farley (2015)

Documentary

Directed by Brent Hodge, Derik Murray

The Story:

The life and times of Chris Farley, as related to us by his friends and family. Through the use of archived footage of his career, it's easy to see why Farley is so beloved by friends and fans to this day. It's hard to watch because it's so funny, yet you know how the story ends. Much like one of his idols, John Belushi, this talented Saturday Night Live veteran hastened his own demise and robbed us all of years of his work.

It's always revealing when the cast of Saturday Night Live pulls back the curtain on what they do each and every week. The majority of the cast were also writers, except for Farley. He simply hoped his friends would write him a great part, then he would go out and give it his all.

In turn, he stole the show, but they were willing to keep giving him the laughs because it was such a joy to be a part of. 

Of all the people they interview, I know they all take it hard, but it probably affects two of them even more than the rest:

The first, Dan Aykroyd. While not an immediate name you might think of, he's had to see this twice in his lifetime because once an SNL cast mate, always an SNL cast mate. He lost Belushi, then after co-starring with Farley in Tommy Boy, he lost Farley almost identically.

The other would be David Spade. If you're going to be Belushi, you need an Aykroyd, and that was Spade's job with Farley. Tommy Boy is a masterpiece of comedy, you can't fail to laugh any time you watch it.

Their second outing together was too rushed and nowhere near as funny.

Sadly, they never got the chance to give it one more shot.

Life can be cruel, but at least we got to enjoy Chris Farley for that brief moment in time.

Final Grade: B+

The Drive Behind The Success Of The Beach Boys..."Love And Mercy"

Love and Mercy (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti, Jack Abel

Directed by Bill Pohland

The Story:

Brian Wilson (Dano) struggles with the voices in his head that drive him to make music. The problem, his latest idea, "Pet Sounds" is something unlike the Beach Boys have ever done before.

Brian Wilson (Cusack) meets Melinda Ledbetter (Banks) at a car dealership and he is smitten. He begins taking her out, but their relationship continues to be stifled by the domineering presence of Dr. Eugene Landy (Giamatti).

The two stories will weave in and out of one another, almost seamlessly as the audience is taken to the 60s and 80s watching Wilson's life fall apart, and ultimately, come together.

While I'm not a huge fan of the Beach Boys, there is no denying they churned out their fair share of hits throughout their illustrious career, and many snippets will fill the soundtrack of this film.  It's interesting to see how Wilson constructed Pet Sounds and as with all things ahead of its time, the respect it receives now is nowhere near the reception it received upon arrival.

While the 60s show Wilson's descent, thanks in no part to his own father, it is the 80s that shows us a Wilson that has hit rock bottom and it is only through the kindess and love that Melinda develops for Brian that she ultimately is able to save him.

Giamatti is only missing the moustache to twirl as he relishes his role as villain in this piece.  Dano and Cusack both bring their best to showcase Brian's vulnerability and drive to the screen.

And yes, I will have to grudgingly up my respect for the Beach Boys after seeing this.

Final Grade: B