Reviews: The Gallows, Southpaw, Pixels
Initial speculation on my part concerning The Gallows had me thinking it would be nothing more than another redundant found-footage film with cheap scares and a predictable plot. Let’s face it, I guess that goes without saying since pretty much every horror movie is predictable. If we really had a problem with that though, we’d stop seeing them all together, wouldn't we. But we don’t. With that said however, The Gallows is an absolute blast. Yes, it's a found-footage film, which some feel is an exhausted medium. To speak honestly I’d have to agree. However, The Gallows does a great job of utilizing the found-footage style in a way that is both suspenseful and scary.
The story isn’t anything amazing, but it lends to some
creepy moments and memorable imagery. Twenty years after a horrific accident
during a small town school play, students at the school resurrect the failed
show in a misguided attempt to honor the anniversary of the tragedy - but soon
discover that some things are better left alone. It’s a supernatural thriller
much like the Paranormal Activity franchise in which characters deal with the
mischievous aspects of unseen entities. In this movie, four high school
students roam around a darkened high school while trying to avoid the
malevolent being seeking to end their lives via a hangman’s noose.
Honestly, the acting isn’t superb, and some of the scares fall a bit flat, resorting to mostly jump scares, but what this found-footage
horror movie does that most don’t is that it relies heavily on building the suspense in order to heighten the
scare. There are a lot of moments that come off as predictable, meaning you can
sense that “ok, something is about to happen here.” Then, unexpectedly, when the inevitable
scare is supposed to come (in your mind), the filmmakers give you an extra
beat, allowing you to briefly come down off your built-up tension, then BAM!
They catch you off guard. There aren’t many of these moments, but they’re
genius moments nonetheless.
What surprised me the most about this film was its rating.
The movie is rated R for “some disturbing violent content and terror”, which is
interesting. Content-wise, there is no foul language (at least no F-bombs), no
sex, no nudity, and really no blood or gore. In essence, the movie is rated R
because of how scary it is. It’s the most clean horror movie I’ve ever seen,
and frankly I found that refreshing. Is this movie that scary though? I’ve seen
scarier. Which begs the question…was the MPAA committee that viewed this a
bunch of pansies? I mean, there are definitely moments that are quite disturbing, but really? There are PG-13 movies with far more disturbing content. Anyway,
enough about that.
If you’re looking for a fun movie to watch, check out The
Gallows. It’s creepy, suspenseful, and surprisingly not too jarring (as
found-footage movies can be). It’s always fun to get scared at the movies,
right? If that’s your cup of tea, then drink up.
I had the pleasure of seeing Southpaw in advance of its release with a packed theater, and it was an experience, let me tell you. Antoine Fuqua’s boxing film is formulaic but powerful. Jake Gyllenhaal is an acting force to be reckoned with. Like a fine wine, his chops get better and better with every project he does. His physical transformation in this movie is enough to make your head explode. He’s completely ripped, but not “movie ripped”. What I mean by that is he doesn’t just look like a beefed up dude for the sake of looking ripped, but he looks like a boxer. Plain and simple. He trained twice a day for months as if he was in fact a boxer, and that dedication alone added so much to the believability of the piece that it wasn’t hard to open yourself up to the story and allow yourself to go on the emotional ride with Billy Hope.
The movie follows boxer Billy Hope, a hot-headed
undefeated champ, as he turns to trainer Tick Willis (Forest Whitaker) to help
him get his life back on track after losing his wife in a tragic accident and
his daughter to child protection services. It’s a freakin’ sad movie people.
Bring your tissue. My wife even cried, and for those who know her, that’s
pretty amazing for a movie to do that. The emotional roller coaster of this movie is so intense that it’s
so hard NOT to feel what the characters feel. To pull such powerful
performances from a fairly straight-forward story is pretty awesome. Each actor
brings their A-game, even Rachel McAdams who has the smallest part. Though
Gyllenhaal is a for sure stand out, every other actor is able to elevate the
other, bringing the best out of themselves as well as their acting compadres.
Of course there’s credit to be given to director Antoine
Fuqua, who has directed fantastic movies like Training Day and The Equalizer.
With every project he does, you can tell that a lot of passion and depth goes
into his story telling. Southpaw is no different. Yes it’s straight-forward
and formulaic but the emotions of the story and the portrayal of the characters
truly brings the story to life. Not to mention that Southpaw has some of the
best boxing scenes since Raging Bull and Rocky.
Southpaw is a true experience. The cinema is really the
place to see it. The score of the film is amazing and moving, amplified by the surround
sound, it helps make Southpaw an immersive experience. Not only could you feel the emotion emanating from the screen, but you can sense it in the theater as each and everyone there gets sucked in on the ride. I strongly recommend
this film. It will move you.
Unless you’re a cold-hearted ogre.
The sci-fi comedy Pixels has arrived. Man, is it…interesting.
Let me just start by saying that I had a blast watching
this film. Mainly due to the nostalgia that oozes forth from the screen. The
premise behind this movie is so far-fetched that you can’t, at any moment, take
this movie seriously. If you do, you’ll hate it. It’s a drastically flawed, decently-acted
fun ride that is so ridiculous, you can’t help but smile all throughout.
When aliens misinterpret video feeds of classic arcade
games as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth in the form of those video
games. It’s up to the nerds from the 80s to save the world. That’s all you
really need to know. It really doesn’t matter who’s in it actor-wise (I don’t know
if that’s good or bad), because it doesn't really rely on character development, but it’s fun regardless. As it sits though, you get the
Happy Madison Production posse led by dynamic duo Adam Sandler and Kevin James,
as well as Josh Gad and the always amazing Peter Dinklage. I love all of these
guys, but unfortunately you get the same sad-sack that Sandler usually plays in
all of his comedies, and you get Kevin James as the president of the United
States. Look, Kevin James is like my brother from another mother, and I can see
him in just about any role, but something about seeing him as the president
just doesn’t fit. But that’s ok, because you don’t need to worry about things
like that with this movie because its much more than just the casting that
makes it fun. Josh Gad’s loner nerd is hilariously awkward and Dinklage steals
the show every time he’s on screen. As a matter of fact, he’s probably the best
part of the movie. So I guess there's some credit to be had about the cast.
From a technical standpoint the movie gets dumber as each
minute passes, yet it still manages to stay thoroughly engaging and funny regardless.
The pixelated alien video games are really cool and the battle scenes between
the characters and the various “games” are clever and funny. There’s a
particular battle scene where Sandler and Josh Gad take on a massive game of
Centipede that was about as epic as you can get. It made me want to jump in there and be a part of the action.
In reality, and reiterating my early point, the movie
hits you with it’s nostalgia factor. Kids of the 80s who grew up playing
Pac-Man, Centipede, Defender, etc. will get an absolute kick out of this movie,
as will most people who see it. Pixels touches on the idea that greatness is in
everyone and that it will manifest itself at some point in our lives. Whether
it’s to run for office, or invent a world-changing device, or to finally prove everyone wrong that those hours spend playing video games can actually be
applied to saving the world, Pixels will strike some inner chord. It’s also one
of the few films that is great for the whole family to see together, something
that doesn’t come as often as most may like. That alone makes it a worthy
watch.
Comments
Post a Comment