Note: Minor spoilers throughout, but will keep them to a minimum.
I don't normally get into this type of movie, but due to the untimely passing of Anton Yelchin a few weeks ago, I decided to give it a go from hearing other reviews of the movie. It also didn't end up being quite what I thought it was, as I thought it was a horror/psychological movie, but I don't think I would quite put it in that category. I was thinking Hostel or maybe Saw, but I feel like it came off more like a survival/psychological movie, like Deliverance. I guess it was somewhere in the middle of the two types of movies, as there were aspects from each type throughout.
The film follows an indie band that is traveling around trying to make their mark, without becoming too famous. They do an interview for a guy, and then he tells them that he show has been cancelled, so they are out of a job. With no money and no gig, the guy throws them a bone and gets them a gig at a club out in the middle of nowhere, with some shady clientele. After their set, but before they can leave, they witness a murder, and so the club owner (played by the fantastic Patrick Stewart) spends the rest of the movie trying to get rid of them so they don't tell the cops. Locked inside the building, they get locked into a stalemate between the club owner and his men.
First off, the movie started a little slow for me. They were developing the characters a bit, but I didn't think it was that terribly necessary for this type of movie. It was a good half hour in before anything really happens and you start to see that things are going to go south rather quickly for them. The movie is only an hour and a half, and I guess they needed to fill some time at the beginning, but I just felt like I was waiting on something to happen for longer than I thought I should.
The acting in the movie was okay, but most of the actors were just kind of throw away actors anyway, so I guess I didn't expect a whole lot from most of them. Anton Yelchin and Patrick Stewart both did a really good job, being the main stars in the film, but nobody else really stood out to me very much. They all did their part well enough, they just weren't very memorable, and for those that met their untimely demise, I really didn't care that much.
Once the movie got rolling, there were some pretty intense moments. I was really drawn in as the stand off started to take place and you were seeing both sides try to jockey for position over the other side. It was a pretty good back and forth for a while, but then as things started to break down, that tension was throw off to the side for just a quick, violent moment. Nothing terribly over the top, but just sort of a lot of buildup to just off people rather quickly.
I wasn't that terribly impressed at the end, especially with the ending that seemed to come about as abrupt as a lot of the scenes I mentioned above, but I also am not normally that into this genre of movie. Based on that, I was interested and was sucked in a bit through the middle part, so I would say that it stood out to me more than a lot of other movies in this genre. If you are a big fan of this type of movie, I do think it was done pretty well and is well worth the watch, but it wasn't something I will be dwelling on much after the credits have gotten done rolling.
My rating for the film is 6/10
Friday, July 8, 2016
Movie - The Nice Guys
Note: Might be some minor spoilers, but will keep them to a minimum.
The Nice Guys is a traditional buddy cop movie, other than that the "buddies" in this one start off not so friendly towards each other. It is a pretty funny movie, but it certainly doesn't do anything ground breaking for the genre, but it does what it is supposed to and it does it well. I wasn't so sure about Russell Crowe in a comedic role, but he actually doesn't do most of the comedic heavy lifting in this one, and Ryan Gosling carries the bulk of it as only he can. Ryan Gosling is an underrated actor, in my opinion, and he shows in this film, and his many other films, that he can do just about anything that is asked of him.
The movie starts off with two run down private detectives working on seemingly different cases. But it doesn't take long before we realize that the two cases are in fact one in the same, and they soon cross paths. They are reluctant to work together at first, but over the course of the movie, they realize that maybe together than can be more than just the losers that they think they are. As the plot escalates and does a few twists and turns (unfortunately nothing that we don't see coming), the two realize that maybe their biggest problem was working on their own.
The performances by all everyone in the movie is what it should be. As I mentioned above, Russell Crowe doesn't do most of the comedy, he is more the straight guy in the act, but Ryan Gosling was very funny throughout. I was also rather impressed with the actress that plays Ryan Goslings daughter in the film (Angourie Rice), as she was rather young, but she never felt that she weighed a scene down, and actually normally even added to the scenes she was in. Not an easy task for someone in a movie with the likes of Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, but I thought she did a rather good job of holding her own.
The plot was ho-hum, and the movie was pretty predictable, but I thought that it was entertaining enough. It never tried to be bigger than it was, and I think it almost embraced that, and just relied on the actors to carry the movie along. Since I thought the actors did just that, it's hard to complain too much about the plot, as it did what it was supposed to do. I would have liked to have seen a little more from the overall plot, but I was entertained throughout, and so I guess that is enough to say the movie was a success.
I liked the movie, but I didn't love the movie. The acting was in place, the movie was pretty atypical of the genre, but overall I left the movie satisfied. I didn't go into this thinking it was going to change the way I watch movies, so I definitely wasn't disappointed. If you are just looking for a couple hours of fun, with some pretty decent humor thrown in, then you could do far worse than catching this one, but I would say you will get the same effect by just waiting until it hits DVD.
My rating for the film is 7/10
The Nice Guys is a traditional buddy cop movie, other than that the "buddies" in this one start off not so friendly towards each other. It is a pretty funny movie, but it certainly doesn't do anything ground breaking for the genre, but it does what it is supposed to and it does it well. I wasn't so sure about Russell Crowe in a comedic role, but he actually doesn't do most of the comedic heavy lifting in this one, and Ryan Gosling carries the bulk of it as only he can. Ryan Gosling is an underrated actor, in my opinion, and he shows in this film, and his many other films, that he can do just about anything that is asked of him.
The movie starts off with two run down private detectives working on seemingly different cases. But it doesn't take long before we realize that the two cases are in fact one in the same, and they soon cross paths. They are reluctant to work together at first, but over the course of the movie, they realize that maybe together than can be more than just the losers that they think they are. As the plot escalates and does a few twists and turns (unfortunately nothing that we don't see coming), the two realize that maybe their biggest problem was working on their own.
The performances by all everyone in the movie is what it should be. As I mentioned above, Russell Crowe doesn't do most of the comedy, he is more the straight guy in the act, but Ryan Gosling was very funny throughout. I was also rather impressed with the actress that plays Ryan Goslings daughter in the film (Angourie Rice), as she was rather young, but she never felt that she weighed a scene down, and actually normally even added to the scenes she was in. Not an easy task for someone in a movie with the likes of Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, but I thought she did a rather good job of holding her own.
The plot was ho-hum, and the movie was pretty predictable, but I thought that it was entertaining enough. It never tried to be bigger than it was, and I think it almost embraced that, and just relied on the actors to carry the movie along. Since I thought the actors did just that, it's hard to complain too much about the plot, as it did what it was supposed to do. I would have liked to have seen a little more from the overall plot, but I was entertained throughout, and so I guess that is enough to say the movie was a success.
I liked the movie, but I didn't love the movie. The acting was in place, the movie was pretty atypical of the genre, but overall I left the movie satisfied. I didn't go into this thinking it was going to change the way I watch movies, so I definitely wasn't disappointed. If you are just looking for a couple hours of fun, with some pretty decent humor thrown in, then you could do far worse than catching this one, but I would say you will get the same effect by just waiting until it hits DVD.
My rating for the film is 7/10
Monday, July 4, 2016
TV Show - Hell on Wheels - "Gambit"
Note: Major spoilers for the episode of Hell on Wheels. You have been warned.
In a strange move, this entire episode did not feature Cullen, and focused solely on the aftermath of the kidnapping from last week. The episode was focused primarily on Mickey, with a good bit of Durant as well. I like both characters, but we see so little of them these days on the show, it was just a little strange to see an entire episode focused on them, especially this late in the game. After this episode, there is only three episodes left, and we get nothing of Cullen? Seems like a weird choice for me, but just keeps furthering my thoughts on where this show is headed...anyway, on to the show.
The episode starts with a flash forward, showing Durant some years after the events of the show, and it looks like he is a bit down on his luck. He's selling a ring to make some cash, and then he goes to dinner with Huntington. Durant insists on picking up the check, and it becomes clear it is more than he really should be spending. He goes back to his home by himself, and apparently passes out or possibly just died alone. It wasn't very clear which, but I do think we can assume that Durant is going to likely die alone with all the enemies he has made over the course of the show, so I guess we will go with that.
Back to the current time of the show, and we are seeing the fallout from the botched kidnapping job from last week. Everyone is discussing what the best course of action is, while Mickey is talking to his cousin about how he messed up. We also get to see an old face, as Campbell shows up to deal with the problems going on. He says they won't negotiate, and sends out a search party to try to find Durant.
Meanwhile, Mickey comes up with a scheme of his own, telling Durant to trust him. They just have to give Campbell no other option but to pay the ransom. When the search party shows up at the cabin where Durant is being "held," a trap has been set and the building blows up when they enter. Another ransom note is left, telling them that they have to pay $250,000 or they will return Durant's dead body. Campbell agrees to pay the ransom, but is on to Mickey, as he has him followed.
Eva has also figured it out, and goes to talk to Mickey. She says that she knows he is involved, and Mickey tells her what he did. She tells him that he has to kill his cousin before anything else bad happens, which makes Mickey angry, probably because he knows she is right. Mickey goes to Campbell and tells him that he thinks his cousin may have been the one to take Durant, leaving his own part out of the story. Mickey returns to where his cousin is keeping Durant and tells him that he told Campbell. He says they should take the money and go back to Ireland.
Back at town, Louise tells Maggie that Durant was lying to her, and thinks that Durant set the whole thing up. This causes Campbell to hold off on paying the ransom, calling Durant's bluff. Telling the soldiers to bring Mickey to him, it is discovered that Mickey has left town and now everyone knows he is in on it.
Mickey tells Durant what he is planning on doing, and then Maggie shows up with $50,000 to take Durant back. Maggie realizes that it's Mickey, Durant takes advantage of the situation to try to get loose. In the process, Maggie gets shot, and Mickey kills his cousin. Maggie dies in Durant's arms, which is the ultimate sacrifice for all of his schemes.
Durant and Mickey return to town, and fabricate a story about what happened. Campbell asks Durant why Mickey's cousin didn't kill him as well, and Durant just says he doesn't know why. With nothing definitive, Campbell has no choice but to let Durant go. As Durant leaves, Campbell tells him that Maggie sold her hotel to save Durant. Durant doesn't respond, just walks out. Mickey goes to Eva and tells her that he did what she said he should do. And then they do the business, because that seems to be the answer to everything on this show in this final season.
The episode was okay, and it really showed that nobody in this show gets to have a happy ending, as everything just keeps getting worse for everyone. Even though Cullen was nowhere to be found, we still got to see Durant lose the only good thing left in his life, all because of his own stupidity. And we get to see Mickey fall apart of sorts, as he had to kill his cousin and live with the consequences of his own actions. But now, I wonder why the episode happened at all. The kidnapping, and then this episode entirely, seem like side notes that could have happened several seasons ago even, not at almost the end of the series. I don't feel that these characters need fleshed out more, instead, they need to have their final resolutions put in place, and I don't think this episode was that. Three episodes to go, and I continue to say "we will see what happens," but I feel that this excuse is starting to get old. The last three episodes can't get here quick enough, so I can finally see where all this is headed and I can move on. And no, I don't mean any of that in a good way at this point.
My rating for the episode is 6/10
In a strange move, this entire episode did not feature Cullen, and focused solely on the aftermath of the kidnapping from last week. The episode was focused primarily on Mickey, with a good bit of Durant as well. I like both characters, but we see so little of them these days on the show, it was just a little strange to see an entire episode focused on them, especially this late in the game. After this episode, there is only three episodes left, and we get nothing of Cullen? Seems like a weird choice for me, but just keeps furthering my thoughts on where this show is headed...anyway, on to the show.
The episode starts with a flash forward, showing Durant some years after the events of the show, and it looks like he is a bit down on his luck. He's selling a ring to make some cash, and then he goes to dinner with Huntington. Durant insists on picking up the check, and it becomes clear it is more than he really should be spending. He goes back to his home by himself, and apparently passes out or possibly just died alone. It wasn't very clear which, but I do think we can assume that Durant is going to likely die alone with all the enemies he has made over the course of the show, so I guess we will go with that.
Back to the current time of the show, and we are seeing the fallout from the botched kidnapping job from last week. Everyone is discussing what the best course of action is, while Mickey is talking to his cousin about how he messed up. We also get to see an old face, as Campbell shows up to deal with the problems going on. He says they won't negotiate, and sends out a search party to try to find Durant.
Meanwhile, Mickey comes up with a scheme of his own, telling Durant to trust him. They just have to give Campbell no other option but to pay the ransom. When the search party shows up at the cabin where Durant is being "held," a trap has been set and the building blows up when they enter. Another ransom note is left, telling them that they have to pay $250,000 or they will return Durant's dead body. Campbell agrees to pay the ransom, but is on to Mickey, as he has him followed.
Eva has also figured it out, and goes to talk to Mickey. She says that she knows he is involved, and Mickey tells her what he did. She tells him that he has to kill his cousin before anything else bad happens, which makes Mickey angry, probably because he knows she is right. Mickey goes to Campbell and tells him that he thinks his cousin may have been the one to take Durant, leaving his own part out of the story. Mickey returns to where his cousin is keeping Durant and tells him that he told Campbell. He says they should take the money and go back to Ireland.
Back at town, Louise tells Maggie that Durant was lying to her, and thinks that Durant set the whole thing up. This causes Campbell to hold off on paying the ransom, calling Durant's bluff. Telling the soldiers to bring Mickey to him, it is discovered that Mickey has left town and now everyone knows he is in on it.
Mickey tells Durant what he is planning on doing, and then Maggie shows up with $50,000 to take Durant back. Maggie realizes that it's Mickey, Durant takes advantage of the situation to try to get loose. In the process, Maggie gets shot, and Mickey kills his cousin. Maggie dies in Durant's arms, which is the ultimate sacrifice for all of his schemes.
Durant and Mickey return to town, and fabricate a story about what happened. Campbell asks Durant why Mickey's cousin didn't kill him as well, and Durant just says he doesn't know why. With nothing definitive, Campbell has no choice but to let Durant go. As Durant leaves, Campbell tells him that Maggie sold her hotel to save Durant. Durant doesn't respond, just walks out. Mickey goes to Eva and tells her that he did what she said he should do. And then they do the business, because that seems to be the answer to everything on this show in this final season.
The episode was okay, and it really showed that nobody in this show gets to have a happy ending, as everything just keeps getting worse for everyone. Even though Cullen was nowhere to be found, we still got to see Durant lose the only good thing left in his life, all because of his own stupidity. And we get to see Mickey fall apart of sorts, as he had to kill his cousin and live with the consequences of his own actions. But now, I wonder why the episode happened at all. The kidnapping, and then this episode entirely, seem like side notes that could have happened several seasons ago even, not at almost the end of the series. I don't feel that these characters need fleshed out more, instead, they need to have their final resolutions put in place, and I don't think this episode was that. Three episodes to go, and I continue to say "we will see what happens," but I feel that this excuse is starting to get old. The last three episodes can't get here quick enough, so I can finally see where all this is headed and I can move on. And no, I don't mean any of that in a good way at this point.
My rating for the episode is 6/10
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Movie - Cell (2016)
Note: Minor spoilers throughout, will try to keep them to a minimum. Fair warning.
Cell is a movie based on the book by Stephen King. If you read my reviews of the television show 11/22/63 a few months back, then you already know how big a fan I am of Stephen King. He is my favorite author of all time, and I generally go into his movies a little more optimistic than I should be, as they really have a bit of a hit and miss factor to them over the years. This one went straight to video on demand, so I did go into it with a little less optimism, but I still feel that it has a strong cast in John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, and it is based on one of my more favorite books by Stephen King.
The movie follows Clay Ridell (played by John Cusack), a graphic novelist who has been having a rocky marriage, but is trying to get his life together. He just gets back from a big deal with one of his books, and is wanting to visit his wife and son, but the wife is reluctant because of their past. His phone goes dead while talking to her, but that turns out to be a good thing, as all of a sudden, the airport he is in goes absolutely crazy, as people start attacking each other. He quickly realizes that it is everyone that was talking on their cell phone, and so he attempts to get out of the airport. He ends up in the subway under the airport, where he meets Tom McCourt (played by Samuel L. Jackson), and they leave together. From there, the movie follows Clay's attempts to get to his family to find out if they are okay.
There are a lot of similarities to the book, but there are also a good bit of differences. I don't remember Tom playing as big of a role in the book as he did in the movie, but since they had Samuel L. Jackson playing him, it made sense to give him more of a prominent role. I did think that both of them did well in their roles in the movie, but the supporting cast was subpart for the most part.
The movie has kind of a B-movie type of feel to it, and I think that was a good thing. It felt a bit campy, but it never really felt absurd in what was going on. You could tell that the budget wasn't huge on the movie, but I don't think the movie suffered because of it. Overall, I felt that the movie was better than most movies that go straight to video on demand or straight to DVD. I wish there had been a bigger budget to it, as I think they could have really done more with the movie, but given the overall script, I don't know that the movie really warranted it.
I do think they accomplished what they wanted to accomplish with the movie, and for the most part, I liked the movie. I was hoping for more, but coming into it with lower expectations than a wider release film, I also wouldn't say I was disappointed. As I said above, I really liked the book, but the big problem I had with the book was the ending. They completely changed the ending in the movie (as they normally do with Stephen King books, for better or worse), and I was happy that there was full resolution, but I don't know if the ending was better off or not. I did feel that the ending was a little bit abrupt, and they should have done a little more with fleshing it out.
My rating for the movie is 6.5/10
Cell is a movie based on the book by Stephen King. If you read my reviews of the television show 11/22/63 a few months back, then you already know how big a fan I am of Stephen King. He is my favorite author of all time, and I generally go into his movies a little more optimistic than I should be, as they really have a bit of a hit and miss factor to them over the years. This one went straight to video on demand, so I did go into it with a little less optimism, but I still feel that it has a strong cast in John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, and it is based on one of my more favorite books by Stephen King.
The movie follows Clay Ridell (played by John Cusack), a graphic novelist who has been having a rocky marriage, but is trying to get his life together. He just gets back from a big deal with one of his books, and is wanting to visit his wife and son, but the wife is reluctant because of their past. His phone goes dead while talking to her, but that turns out to be a good thing, as all of a sudden, the airport he is in goes absolutely crazy, as people start attacking each other. He quickly realizes that it is everyone that was talking on their cell phone, and so he attempts to get out of the airport. He ends up in the subway under the airport, where he meets Tom McCourt (played by Samuel L. Jackson), and they leave together. From there, the movie follows Clay's attempts to get to his family to find out if they are okay.
There are a lot of similarities to the book, but there are also a good bit of differences. I don't remember Tom playing as big of a role in the book as he did in the movie, but since they had Samuel L. Jackson playing him, it made sense to give him more of a prominent role. I did think that both of them did well in their roles in the movie, but the supporting cast was subpart for the most part.
The movie has kind of a B-movie type of feel to it, and I think that was a good thing. It felt a bit campy, but it never really felt absurd in what was going on. You could tell that the budget wasn't huge on the movie, but I don't think the movie suffered because of it. Overall, I felt that the movie was better than most movies that go straight to video on demand or straight to DVD. I wish there had been a bigger budget to it, as I think they could have really done more with the movie, but given the overall script, I don't know that the movie really warranted it.
I do think they accomplished what they wanted to accomplish with the movie, and for the most part, I liked the movie. I was hoping for more, but coming into it with lower expectations than a wider release film, I also wouldn't say I was disappointed. As I said above, I really liked the book, but the big problem I had with the book was the ending. They completely changed the ending in the movie (as they normally do with Stephen King books, for better or worse), and I was happy that there was full resolution, but I don't know if the ending was better off or not. I did feel that the ending was a little bit abrupt, and they should have done a little more with fleshing it out.
My rating for the movie is 6.5/10
TV Show - Hell on Wheels - "61 Degrees"
Note: Major spoilers for the episode of Hell on Wheels. You have been warned.
With this week's episode, we pick up where last week left off, which is with Cullen and Mei in bed, talking about how what they are doing is dangerous. This would be a pretty common theme throughout the episode, as everything that Cullen is doing at this point is dangerous, and continues to propel him down this spiral that he seems to be destined to be heading down.
In a continuous effort to finish this railroad, apparently no matter the cost, Cullen has found a solution to the mountain problem that they have run into, and that is to used nitroglycerin to blow it up. This is to the dismay of Jim, whom says it is too dangerous, but Huntington realizes that he needs to see progress and now, so he goes along with Cullen. Cullen asks Jim to show him how to mix it, just one batch, and Jim reluctantly agrees. In doing so, we also find out what happened to Jim's eye, as he explains that he lost it in an explosion many years ago.
While setting the charges for the first time, we get to see just how dangerous it can be, as one of the charges doesn't initially blow, and ends up killing three of the men. Jim uses this to show just how dangerous it is, but Cullen says that he will monitor the charges himself, to make sure that nothing bad happens again. Huntington agrees, but says Cullen can't watch it entirely by himself, and so he volunteers Jim to help, but Jim refuses. This ends up causing Jim to lose his job, and he and his family have to leave the railroad. Jim says to Cullen, "I was your only friend," which clearly hits Cullen right in the feels, mainly because he knows that Jim is right.
Later, as Jim is packing his things, Cullen shows up to say that one of the live charges is stuck in the wall. Despite his intents to leave Cullen to his own problems, he gives in and tells Cullen that he needs to drill a hole near the live charge and set up a new charge to blow them both. Cullen and Mei do this task together, and it goes off without a hitch. At this, there is also light showing through from inside the mountain, and it looks like Cullen's plan has worked, and they have made it through the crew on the other side.
Meanwhile, Durant has gotten himself into trouble, as the men he sold land to are upset that Cheyenne is no longer the main depot along the railroad, and so they come looking for their money. They give Durant two days to get the money, and so he sets up a plot to have Mickey hire someone to kidnap Durant and then have the government pay a ransom, which he will use to pay off the angry men. Mickey hires his cousin, which is a stupid idea, and foreshadows how well the scenario is going to go, and so it goes as we expect. Delaney gets killed in the process, Durant is taken, and Louise is left with the ransom note.
To end the episode, we see Cullen and Mei talking, and he gives a very good speech about his leg, saying that everyone he comes in contact with is gone, and all that is left is the scars. I thought this was a well done speech, and really speaks to where Cullen has gotten to in his life. At this point, he really only has Mei and the railroad left, and so that is too much for Cullen to have. And so, we get a knock on Mei's door, and it is Chang. Cullen leaves and tells Mei to get his people in order, to throw off Chang of what is really going on, but it is apparent that Chang is now suspicious. This can only end badly for Cullen and Mei, which is what I've come to expect from the show at this point.
Overall, the episode was fine, but it just feels like the show is cruising into a lackluster finish at this point. There are four more episodes at this point, and it just keeps getting bleaker for our main characters. I can only assume at this point that Cullen will lose Mei, and I'm starting to wonder if he is even going to get to see the railroad finished. If he does lose Mei, and the railroad is all he has left, then I can only guess that in the final episode, Cullen is going to die before he gets to see the end of the line. I don't know how I feel about that, and I guess we will just have to see how the final four episodes play out, but I'm really starting to lose hope in this show. I hope they can recover and give a coherent ending that makes sense, but I am really having my doubts.
My rating for the episode is 6/10
With this week's episode, we pick up where last week left off, which is with Cullen and Mei in bed, talking about how what they are doing is dangerous. This would be a pretty common theme throughout the episode, as everything that Cullen is doing at this point is dangerous, and continues to propel him down this spiral that he seems to be destined to be heading down.
In a continuous effort to finish this railroad, apparently no matter the cost, Cullen has found a solution to the mountain problem that they have run into, and that is to used nitroglycerin to blow it up. This is to the dismay of Jim, whom says it is too dangerous, but Huntington realizes that he needs to see progress and now, so he goes along with Cullen. Cullen asks Jim to show him how to mix it, just one batch, and Jim reluctantly agrees. In doing so, we also find out what happened to Jim's eye, as he explains that he lost it in an explosion many years ago.
While setting the charges for the first time, we get to see just how dangerous it can be, as one of the charges doesn't initially blow, and ends up killing three of the men. Jim uses this to show just how dangerous it is, but Cullen says that he will monitor the charges himself, to make sure that nothing bad happens again. Huntington agrees, but says Cullen can't watch it entirely by himself, and so he volunteers Jim to help, but Jim refuses. This ends up causing Jim to lose his job, and he and his family have to leave the railroad. Jim says to Cullen, "I was your only friend," which clearly hits Cullen right in the feels, mainly because he knows that Jim is right.
Later, as Jim is packing his things, Cullen shows up to say that one of the live charges is stuck in the wall. Despite his intents to leave Cullen to his own problems, he gives in and tells Cullen that he needs to drill a hole near the live charge and set up a new charge to blow them both. Cullen and Mei do this task together, and it goes off without a hitch. At this, there is also light showing through from inside the mountain, and it looks like Cullen's plan has worked, and they have made it through the crew on the other side.
Meanwhile, Durant has gotten himself into trouble, as the men he sold land to are upset that Cheyenne is no longer the main depot along the railroad, and so they come looking for their money. They give Durant two days to get the money, and so he sets up a plot to have Mickey hire someone to kidnap Durant and then have the government pay a ransom, which he will use to pay off the angry men. Mickey hires his cousin, which is a stupid idea, and foreshadows how well the scenario is going to go, and so it goes as we expect. Delaney gets killed in the process, Durant is taken, and Louise is left with the ransom note.
To end the episode, we see Cullen and Mei talking, and he gives a very good speech about his leg, saying that everyone he comes in contact with is gone, and all that is left is the scars. I thought this was a well done speech, and really speaks to where Cullen has gotten to in his life. At this point, he really only has Mei and the railroad left, and so that is too much for Cullen to have. And so, we get a knock on Mei's door, and it is Chang. Cullen leaves and tells Mei to get his people in order, to throw off Chang of what is really going on, but it is apparent that Chang is now suspicious. This can only end badly for Cullen and Mei, which is what I've come to expect from the show at this point.
Overall, the episode was fine, but it just feels like the show is cruising into a lackluster finish at this point. There are four more episodes at this point, and it just keeps getting bleaker for our main characters. I can only assume at this point that Cullen will lose Mei, and I'm starting to wonder if he is even going to get to see the railroad finished. If he does lose Mei, and the railroad is all he has left, then I can only guess that in the final episode, Cullen is going to die before he gets to see the end of the line. I don't know how I feel about that, and I guess we will just have to see how the final four episodes play out, but I'm really starting to lose hope in this show. I hope they can recover and give a coherent ending that makes sense, but I am really having my doubts.
My rating for the episode is 6/10
Friday, June 24, 2016
TV Show - Hell on Wheels - "Two Soldiers" and "Return to the Garden"
Note: Major spoilers incoming for the first two episodes of the last half of the final season of Hell on Wheels. You have been warned.
The moment I have been waiting for and sort of hoping would never come officially happened, and I don't know what my exact feelings are now that the deed is done. I really thought (and still think) that this episode should have been saved for the series finale, but I understand why they wanted to go ahead and get it out of the way and start wrapping up all the other storylines. I just feel like the tension they were going for would have felt much bigger if you didn't know if Cullen was going to come out of the episode as well as the Swede, but that part of the episode was just lacking for me.
So, first we get some back story with Thor Gundersen, and get some extra explanation as to why he is what he is. I don't know that it added a whole lot to the story other than to give you a little more pity towards Thor, despite all the terrible things he has done. He has always been a complicated character, and I guess this did add to that, I just don't know if it was all that necessary to the big picture. Next, we see what is going on at that Hatch farm, and we get to see the demise of Naomi's parents at the hands of Thor. But before Thor can get to Naomi and William, Cullen shows up to save the day.
Naomi and the baby run off to the woods, with Thor right behind them, and Cullen right behind him. This leads to Cullen getting shot, and fighting the Swede in the river. Cullen looks as if he is going to kill the Swede and then thinks better of it and instead decides to take him in so he can stand trial. Cullen is still badly hurt, but he makes the journey anyway.
There are some pretty good scenes along the way, as Thor and Cullen converse back and forth, and we really get the feeling that this battle between these two is finally going to come to an end. Which is exactly why I thought that surely the Swede is going to get out of it, like he seems to always do. But, that was not to be the case this time. Cullen stands by as the Swede is hanged from the neck until he dies. And with that, the best part of the show is no longer with us, and there are still six episodes to go.
I felt that the episode was very strong, and it really felt more to me like how I envisioned the series coming to an end, but the decision to put it right in the middle of the final season just feels weird to me. Like, I'm trying to think about what I look forward to at this point, and I can't figure out just what I want to see happen. Do I want Cullen to go back to work for Durant and finish the railroad? Do I want him to go be with his family and live happily? I really don't know, so I guess I will have to let the show tell me over the course of the next six episodes.
The next episode picks up with Cullen getting back to the Hatch homestead, where he discovers that Naomi has fallen in love with another man, and they have made vows to each other, as she thought that Cullen was gone for good. He explains that he left the railroad and was trying to find her, but she says it is too late now. He decides to help them go back to Brigham Young's community, and see if he will take them back in.
We also get to see a little bit of what is going on with the rest of the cast, which feels like it has been forever since we have even seen them. Eva is dreaming of something bigger than running the whore house in town, Mickey is looking to get out of the bar ownership business, and Durant is just trying to finish the railroad and be done with it. Once again, not sure how much I care about the rest of the cast and where they end up, as the focus has been off of them so long now, that it almost feels like a completely different show when they are on screen.
As Cullen and the others arrive at Brigham Young's community, he speaks with the Mormon leader and convinces him to take Naomi and her family in. Brigham also tells Cullen that if he doesn't find love, he will die alone and a wretched thing. Seems like some foreshadowing, but guess we will see about that. Naomi decides to tell Cullen that she has been lying and wants him to take her away and they can be together. However, this time, Cullen is the one that has decided that they would be better off without him, and so he tells his family goodbye and leaves to go back to the railroad.
He arrives back at town, and everyone looks on at the returning Cullen, almost in disbelief that he has returned. We also got a little bit of a look inside Mei's life since Cullen left and her father died. She has been miserable, but when Cullen returns, she seems to light back up a bit. She goes to his house and she disrobes and they look to do the business as the episode ends.
I really just don't know what to say about this episode. I felt like it was all over the place a bit, didn't really fit in with all the characters as we have come to know them, as they were all sort of going against their normal behavior. Cullen spending all that time to get back to his family, Naomi saying that she wanted to be with him, and him just leaving was very strange to me. Maybe best to have left it at her lying to him so he didn't know her true feelings, but I guess it was done to show that Cullen has lost pretty much everything and destroys everything he comes in contact with, as Thor told him, and as Brigham told him. What does that mean for the railroad? I assume he will still finish it, but maybe he won't quite get there either. Seems like they are headed down a dark path for the ending to this series, and maybe Cullen is going to really lose everything by the end. Sadly, I'm kind of interested, but at the same time, not sure if I really care anymore. This show has been up and down for me over the years it's been on, so I guess it's fitting that it's going to do it all the way down to the wire.
My rating for the episodes are 7.5/10 and 6/10
The moment I have been waiting for and sort of hoping would never come officially happened, and I don't know what my exact feelings are now that the deed is done. I really thought (and still think) that this episode should have been saved for the series finale, but I understand why they wanted to go ahead and get it out of the way and start wrapping up all the other storylines. I just feel like the tension they were going for would have felt much bigger if you didn't know if Cullen was going to come out of the episode as well as the Swede, but that part of the episode was just lacking for me.
So, first we get some back story with Thor Gundersen, and get some extra explanation as to why he is what he is. I don't know that it added a whole lot to the story other than to give you a little more pity towards Thor, despite all the terrible things he has done. He has always been a complicated character, and I guess this did add to that, I just don't know if it was all that necessary to the big picture. Next, we see what is going on at that Hatch farm, and we get to see the demise of Naomi's parents at the hands of Thor. But before Thor can get to Naomi and William, Cullen shows up to save the day.
Naomi and the baby run off to the woods, with Thor right behind them, and Cullen right behind him. This leads to Cullen getting shot, and fighting the Swede in the river. Cullen looks as if he is going to kill the Swede and then thinks better of it and instead decides to take him in so he can stand trial. Cullen is still badly hurt, but he makes the journey anyway.
There are some pretty good scenes along the way, as Thor and Cullen converse back and forth, and we really get the feeling that this battle between these two is finally going to come to an end. Which is exactly why I thought that surely the Swede is going to get out of it, like he seems to always do. But, that was not to be the case this time. Cullen stands by as the Swede is hanged from the neck until he dies. And with that, the best part of the show is no longer with us, and there are still six episodes to go.
I felt that the episode was very strong, and it really felt more to me like how I envisioned the series coming to an end, but the decision to put it right in the middle of the final season just feels weird to me. Like, I'm trying to think about what I look forward to at this point, and I can't figure out just what I want to see happen. Do I want Cullen to go back to work for Durant and finish the railroad? Do I want him to go be with his family and live happily? I really don't know, so I guess I will have to let the show tell me over the course of the next six episodes.
The next episode picks up with Cullen getting back to the Hatch homestead, where he discovers that Naomi has fallen in love with another man, and they have made vows to each other, as she thought that Cullen was gone for good. He explains that he left the railroad and was trying to find her, but she says it is too late now. He decides to help them go back to Brigham Young's community, and see if he will take them back in.
We also get to see a little bit of what is going on with the rest of the cast, which feels like it has been forever since we have even seen them. Eva is dreaming of something bigger than running the whore house in town, Mickey is looking to get out of the bar ownership business, and Durant is just trying to finish the railroad and be done with it. Once again, not sure how much I care about the rest of the cast and where they end up, as the focus has been off of them so long now, that it almost feels like a completely different show when they are on screen.
As Cullen and the others arrive at Brigham Young's community, he speaks with the Mormon leader and convinces him to take Naomi and her family in. Brigham also tells Cullen that if he doesn't find love, he will die alone and a wretched thing. Seems like some foreshadowing, but guess we will see about that. Naomi decides to tell Cullen that she has been lying and wants him to take her away and they can be together. However, this time, Cullen is the one that has decided that they would be better off without him, and so he tells his family goodbye and leaves to go back to the railroad.
He arrives back at town, and everyone looks on at the returning Cullen, almost in disbelief that he has returned. We also got a little bit of a look inside Mei's life since Cullen left and her father died. She has been miserable, but when Cullen returns, she seems to light back up a bit. She goes to his house and she disrobes and they look to do the business as the episode ends.
I really just don't know what to say about this episode. I felt like it was all over the place a bit, didn't really fit in with all the characters as we have come to know them, as they were all sort of going against their normal behavior. Cullen spending all that time to get back to his family, Naomi saying that she wanted to be with him, and him just leaving was very strange to me. Maybe best to have left it at her lying to him so he didn't know her true feelings, but I guess it was done to show that Cullen has lost pretty much everything and destroys everything he comes in contact with, as Thor told him, and as Brigham told him. What does that mean for the railroad? I assume he will still finish it, but maybe he won't quite get there either. Seems like they are headed down a dark path for the ending to this series, and maybe Cullen is going to really lose everything by the end. Sadly, I'm kind of interested, but at the same time, not sure if I really care anymore. This show has been up and down for me over the years it's been on, so I guess it's fitting that it's going to do it all the way down to the wire.
My rating for the episodes are 7.5/10 and 6/10
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Movie - Popstar:Never Stop Never Stopping
Note: There may be minor spoilers throughout, but with a movie like this, does that matter that much anyway? Anywho, you have been warned.
I want to preface this with my love for the Lonely Island, which may cause at least some bias towards this movie. But at the end of the day, this movie is really just the Lonely Island by a different name anyway, so if I didn't already like the Lonely Island, then I don't know that I would have even watched the movie to begin with. And I'm guessing that most people that watch the movie are at least familiar with the group, so I would say that most people already have an opinion of the movie before they even walk into it. That either works completely in the movie's favor, or completely against it, and I don't know that Andy Samberg and the boys would have it any other way.
The premise of the movie is that there is a film crew following this fictitious band (by the name of Style Boyz), and chronicling the career of the one member that has gone solo after the band broke up (Conner4Real, played by Samberg). The other two members are of course played by Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, the other two members of Lonely Island. The movie is basically making fun of all the music documentaries that have come out over the last several years, following around the likes of Justin Bieber and Katy Perry. The movie picks up right before the release of Conner's second album, where he has gone completely out on his own and is trying to do his own thing, which results in the album release being a total failure. The movie then follows the fall of this once very popular artist as he tries to wrestle with failure, and tries to recapture the success he once had.
The beauty of the movie is how accurate it feels to the source material it is making fun of, if not blown completely out of proportion to up the humor in the movie. Lonely Island is known for taking absurd things and amping them up to an 11, and this movie is no different. Conner and the other members of the Style Boyz are over the top characters, but at the same time, you can still relate to them in some of the things you see in real celebrities in the media these days. The thing about Andy, Jorma, and Akiva is that they can see the absurd in things, but still find a way to make it relate to the average person that is watching the movie or listening to their music.
As much as I enjoyed the movie, I also find it hard to think of who in my personal life I can actually recommend the movie to. It's one of those types of movies that not everyone is going to get into, and so for me to go out and tell everyone they need to see it is just not something I can do. If you have seen other things by the Lonely Island in the past and haven't enjoyed it, then there is nothing in Popstar that is going to change your mind. Heck, even if you have enjoyed some things by Lonely Island in the past, this hour and a half trip into the minds of these three may be too much for most people. I think the most likely people to enjoy the movie are those of us that have had some of their albums in the past, or enjoy over the top, raunchy comedies such as the Hangover movies or Bridesmaids.
Overall, the movie is a nice 90 minute escape from the daily routine to make fun of the ridiculousness of celebrity and the general public's seemingly obsession with people that we know nothing about. It stays true to the source material it is making fun of, while providing their own specific brand of humor, and for that I applaud whoever green lit this movie knowing that it was going to only appeal to a certain group of people. I like it when a movie knows what it wants to be, does it no matter what others are going to think, and then doesn't apologize for itself, and Popstar is exactly that.
My rating for the movie is 7/10
I want to preface this with my love for the Lonely Island, which may cause at least some bias towards this movie. But at the end of the day, this movie is really just the Lonely Island by a different name anyway, so if I didn't already like the Lonely Island, then I don't know that I would have even watched the movie to begin with. And I'm guessing that most people that watch the movie are at least familiar with the group, so I would say that most people already have an opinion of the movie before they even walk into it. That either works completely in the movie's favor, or completely against it, and I don't know that Andy Samberg and the boys would have it any other way.
The premise of the movie is that there is a film crew following this fictitious band (by the name of Style Boyz), and chronicling the career of the one member that has gone solo after the band broke up (Conner4Real, played by Samberg). The other two members are of course played by Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, the other two members of Lonely Island. The movie is basically making fun of all the music documentaries that have come out over the last several years, following around the likes of Justin Bieber and Katy Perry. The movie picks up right before the release of Conner's second album, where he has gone completely out on his own and is trying to do his own thing, which results in the album release being a total failure. The movie then follows the fall of this once very popular artist as he tries to wrestle with failure, and tries to recapture the success he once had.
The beauty of the movie is how accurate it feels to the source material it is making fun of, if not blown completely out of proportion to up the humor in the movie. Lonely Island is known for taking absurd things and amping them up to an 11, and this movie is no different. Conner and the other members of the Style Boyz are over the top characters, but at the same time, you can still relate to them in some of the things you see in real celebrities in the media these days. The thing about Andy, Jorma, and Akiva is that they can see the absurd in things, but still find a way to make it relate to the average person that is watching the movie or listening to their music.
As much as I enjoyed the movie, I also find it hard to think of who in my personal life I can actually recommend the movie to. It's one of those types of movies that not everyone is going to get into, and so for me to go out and tell everyone they need to see it is just not something I can do. If you have seen other things by the Lonely Island in the past and haven't enjoyed it, then there is nothing in Popstar that is going to change your mind. Heck, even if you have enjoyed some things by Lonely Island in the past, this hour and a half trip into the minds of these three may be too much for most people. I think the most likely people to enjoy the movie are those of us that have had some of their albums in the past, or enjoy over the top, raunchy comedies such as the Hangover movies or Bridesmaids.
Overall, the movie is a nice 90 minute escape from the daily routine to make fun of the ridiculousness of celebrity and the general public's seemingly obsession with people that we know nothing about. It stays true to the source material it is making fun of, while providing their own specific brand of humor, and for that I applaud whoever green lit this movie knowing that it was going to only appeal to a certain group of people. I like it when a movie knows what it wants to be, does it no matter what others are going to think, and then doesn't apologize for itself, and Popstar is exactly that.
My rating for the movie is 7/10
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