Movie Review: Jupiter Ascending

Jupiter Ascending was one of those movies I did my chair dance for when I saw the very first trailer in theaters, and unlike with most movies, I also squealed like a little girl just about every time the previews came on TV. I don't think I had ever been so excited for a movie until this one. I know, I'm a giant dork. But if you're a regular that's probably why you're reading this review in the first place. :p If you're not a regular, fear not. This will be more than just fangirling.

Knowing how much I wanted to see this movie in theaters, my wonderful husband gave me $20 for my birthday back in December, assuring me that we would be seeing it. I grew more & more excited as the time to see it grew near, & finally, on Valentines Day weekend, we went to see it. I thought I might die of a heart attack resulting from the epic-ness of the movie, but I tried to stay calm, & here I am, alive. LOL, obviously we loved it, but of course as others have said, it's not the best movie ever made. But although the plot is slightly lacking, the visual experience totally makes up for it.

Andy & Lana Wachowski have wowed us before with brilliant films like V For Vendetta & Cloud Atlas, & of course the epic & mind-bending Matrix films. While I loved those films & their intensity, I also loved Jupiter Ascending, but in a different way.

So many people are bashing this movie, saying it's not good because it's not as intense & brilliant as the Wachowskis other films. But Jupiter Ascending is much more of a "blockbuster movie" & I believe it's geared more toward the younger generation, so if you look at the film like that, without expecting it to get too deep & without comparing it to other films, it IS a good movie.

The best thing about Jupiter Ascending is by far the visual effects. I was completely mesmerized for about 90% of the film. I'm not exaggerating when I say it's probably THE most beautiful film I have ever seen. The elaborate worlds & costumes are only part of it. Usually fight scenes tend to bore me after a minute or two, but with this movie I was so enthralled by the artistry of each laser & angle & explosion that most fight scenes sped by, leaving me breathless in awe.

Of course, there were some downsides of the film, & one of those downsides was that some of those fight scenes, while gorgeous, could have been cut to make room for more back-story. Sure, there was enough back-story to get a glimpse of what was going on, but it just sort of felt like an info-dump every time that back-story was mentioned. This could have been remedied with a couple flashbacks (which they obviously had the means of doing, since the film was by no means lacking in the visual department). Another downside was the repetition of certain elements, such as Jupiter falling from a building & Caine showing up out of nowhere just in time to catch her before she hit the ground. Once was cool, but after three times, it felt a little bit unbelievable. I mean come on, nobody's THAT perfect.

Obviously I'm not a fan of Channing Tatum, but while his character was hard to believe at times, & could have also used some more in depth back-story, Tatum actually did a good job in this film. & I have to agree with my mother in law, who said that the wolf look did him some good. & some of the ladies will probably enjoy the fact that he spends half the movie without a shirt. But the main thing is that while I was worried Tatum would ruin the film for me, & although I personally would have cast someone else to play his role, he still carried it well, capturing the tortured & heroic wolf-splice almost perfectly.

Of course, Mila Kunis was the star of the show. I knew I would love her as Jupiter, because she's great in everything I've seen her in (still waiting for a "Book of Eli" sequel with her character in the lead, BTW). She did a great job at encompassing the versatility & diversity required of her by the role, morphing from a helpless & tired modern woman to a strong willed & powerful force to be reckoned with. I don't know if they are planning a sequel or not, but I hope they are because I would love to see where her character goes later (not to mention some more of those glorious special effects).

The rest of the cast also did an amazing job, & you really got the feeling that Eddie Redmayne & his "partners in crime" had lived thousands of years, through make-up but also through their facial expressions & voices & stance. Again, I would have liked to see some more back-story on these characters, as well as some more about the splices, but I honestly can't think of one bad performance in the cast.

While the plot left me wanting more (especially back-story), & a few scenes were a little predictable, this film is a must-see in theaters, for the visual experience alone. So I hope you see it in theaters while you can, & I hope you're holding your breath & gripping the arm of your chair in awe, like I was. Bottom line, don't expect to be wowed by the plot or a glorious twist ending, but do expect to be wowed by the visual aspects of this movie. In fact, brace for it. ;)

2 shots of me geeking out over the poster, taken 2 months apart.

Be the lightning,

Kylie Jude.

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Imaginarium 2014 - Review from a Film Festival Queen.

The first annual Imaginarium Convention is over, and we are both exhausted and exhilarated. It was my first convention, so I don't have much to compare it to, but my gut tells me it went extremely well for a first year convention. Word of mouth seems to state the same, so that's quite exciting. We've also heard ravings about how well the convention area was laid out, with most of the panels and events being centered in the same hallway, making it easy to find the room you're looking for. It's so great to hear that so many people enjoyed Imaginarium, and it definitely makes us excited for the coming years.

When we volunteered to help our friend Stephen Zimmer with this event, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We ended up being deemed "King and Queen" of the Film Festival, a title we will gladly be reprising next year and hopefully for many years to come. Working the Film Festival requires late hours as some of the films run until 1 or 2 A.M. but we don't mind at all because it's so great to be able to sit in on some of the films being shown, and to appreciate people's work with them.

In addition to the wonderful authors we met at Imaginarium, we also met some great filmmakers. And there were plenty of awards given out for the Film Festival during the banquet on the final day of the convention (see the winners HERE). But for us, the winner of most memorable moment from the Film Festival definitely goes to our friend and fellow Eastern Kentucky native, Jeffrey Reddick (creator of Final Destination and much more), who sat in on a short film he wrote called "Paralyzed" (Directed by Aaron Sims) and when we experienced some technical difficulties with the film, Jeffrey handled it like a pro, rolling up his sleeves and joining Eric on the floor to help fix the problem. So major kudos to him and his team for that :)

And I also have to mention Amy McCorkle's film "Letters To Daniel" which, in addition to its announced award, also had the best turn-out of the whole weekend. Also, "Scenes From A Gay Marriage" (Written and Directed by Matt Riddlehoover) which won the most awards, and deservedly so. Its characters were so well written and so well portrayed that you could have sworn they were real. And of course Jackie Gamber's short film "America's Got Superpowers" which was an awesome take on the popular reality competition show "America's Got Talent" and had a surprisingly touching theme.

To those filmmakers who we weren't able to sit with for their films, it wasn't because we didn't want to, but we just had so much to do during those times. In addition to running the Film Festival, we also ran errands for Stephen and his crew, opened doors for people with heavy loads, and other various odds and ends like making and holding up banners.

No matter what we were doing, we had a blast, because not only were we honored to be part of the beginning of something as epic as Imaginarium, but just being around so many like-minded and artistic people made everything awesome. You could literally feel the positive vibes in the air, and I think everyone there got the sense of belonging, which is a rare thing to be felt all around. Kudos to Stephen and the rest of the team for making us feel so at home, and for putting this amazing convention together. We really are excited for what's to come and can't wait to see Imaginarium grow even more epic with each coming year. :)

Speaking of coming years, don't forget to join us for Imaginarium 2015! It's gonna be awesome. I'll add the exact dates when they're revealed. Keep an eye out. ;)

I leave you with some photographic highlights from the weekend: 

 

Some shots of us in our shirts on day one.

On "guard duty" on day one.

Part of the vendor hall.

 

Watching the table for Hydra Publications.

Story time with T. Lee Harris in the smoking area.

Some shots from the Masquerade Ball on night two.

More shots of us working the Film Festival.

The Awards Banquet on the last night.

  The final post, as promised HERE, & a group hug.

See you at Imaginarium 2015!

Be the lightning, 

Kylie Jude.

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Film Review: Lucy

Lucy is one of those movies that I did my excited chair dance for after seeing the first trailer in theaters. As usual, when I do that, I (and the people near me) know I will be trying my best to see it in theaters. When asked to choose just one movie to see between June and December, I picked Lucy. Then, on opening night, I started seeing a wave of negative reviews coming in online from some people who had seen it. I was shocked. And I was almost swayed by their opinions. But then I remembered that people also gave most of Shyamalan's films negative reviews, so I said TO HELL WITH THE PEOPLE, and the day after it hit theaters, we made the long and stressful trip to finally see Lucy.

It surprised me.
 In a good way.

Lucy is a feast for the eyes, ears, AND mind, and is also an in depth lesson on science, history, and biology. Not to mention, a lesson on human nature. And the way it cuts back and forth between time and space, and the way the transitions cut from one thing to something completely different and yet somehow connected, is genius on the part of cinematographer Thierry Arbogast as well as Luc Besson (who happens to be the film's writer, director, AND editor!)

Reviewers have said that Scarlett Johansson's acting was mediocre in this film, claiming she doesn't show enough emotion. But I mean, come on. She's playing someone who begins to essentially lose touch with what it is to be human, including emotion, so in that case I think she did a great job. And she shows plenty of emotion in the beginning of the film, before the drug is implanted, and even a couple times afterwards, as she exhibits genuine love and sorrow. I admit that even I was worried if she was the right choice to play Lucy, but After seeing it, I think she was perfect. Morgan Freeman also did a good job as the professor (as expected), and I was pleasantly surprised to see Amr Waked in this film, who previously stole the show for me in the movie Salmon Fishing In The Yemen. I'm excited that he's getting more work, and hope to see him in more films soon.

Reviewers have also said the special effects are bad, and while I agree that there is a little glitch in visual quality when she reaches 70%, I thought most of the other effects were pretty well done. That or I was too distracted by how the movie made me FEEL to notice any other bad special effects. 

This movie definitely had a strong impact on me, and it had me in tears twice. One thing is for certain, Lucy is an important one to see in theaters. If you're anything like me, you will leave this movie with a better perception of the world around you and the people inhabiting it, and with a sense of why we're all here. And if you're lucky, you might even unlock a bit more than 10% of your brain just by seeing it ;)

My husband Eric loved the movie too, while his mother, who saw it with us, didn't like it quite as much as she thought she would. I think this is because she was wanting and expecting a fun, entertaining movie, and while it did have some funny moments (I even heard her laughing), I think it ended up being a bit deeper than she expected. That's just speculation, of course. And I'm guessing that others who didn't like the movie might have also been expecting something a bit more light hearted. So if that's what you want in a movie, then I guess maybe Lucy isn't the movie for you. But if you like movies that are beautiful and entertaining while also making you think, Lucy is for you. Please see it.

Be the lightning,
Kylie Jude.


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Film Review: Edge Of Tomorrow

Edge Of Tomorrow is the newest Science Fiction hit that I think is destined to be a classic, as well as one of my favorites. It's based on a book called All You need Is Kill by  Hiroshi Sakurazaka and stars Tom Cruise as a futuristic soldier who dies in battle and is then forced into a Groundhog Day like scenario, which I was worried might be a little boring and repetitive, but they made it wonderfully entertaining, and even comedic at times. The editing was damn near perfect in those sequences, and when I found out later that it was edited by my favorite editor James Herbert, that was no surprise. Love all of his work, and this movie is no exception.

Yes, this film stars Tom Cruise, who is an outspoken Scientologist, but that is no reason not to see it. Sure there are some glimpses of Scientology in it, such as evil aliens and some messages about destiny and memory, all of which were also in my favorite Tom Cruise film Oblivion, but it's not too over the top. You won't be brainwashed if you see it, I promise. And Cruise gives a solid and believable performance in the leading role. While there are a few small similarities to Oblivion, as I said, Edge Of Tomorrow is still it's own movie, and the Cage character is completely different from Cruise's character in Oblivion.

When I found out Emily Blunt would be playing the "full metal bitch" in this movie, I was instantly excited to see her in a new light. Sure, she's done some action/scifi films before (such as Looper), but never anything this badass. I was almost worried she wouldn't be right for the role, but I think she did a wonderful job and we got to see a whole new version of her, which I think (and hope) will take her stardom even further.

I did my chair dance every time we saw the trailer for this movie, and when the time came to finally see it, I was beyond excited. But I was also nervous. Turns out I had good reason to be nervous. Here's why:

But, even though we were sort of tricked into seeing a tiny, blurry, 1950's version of Edge Of Tomorrow, we still loved the film. It had everything a Science Fiction nerd like me could ask for (time travel, aliens, cool gadgets/armor/weapons); everything the filmmaker in me appreciates (creative script, gorgeous effects, well knit editing); and everything any movie should have, really (action, drama, comedy, romance, ETC). I would love to see it again in a "real" theater to get the full effect. I'm sure I would have loved it even more that way. Trust me when I say this film is worth seeing in theaters. Seriously. See it.

I leave you with a short video I made of the hubby and myself playing a little game inspired by the movie. It's a little glitchy, but hopefully you get the idea. It can be hard, especially while performing tasks (like "grass-fishing" as seen here), but it can also be lots of fun. And you know what they say, couples that play together stay together. So, whether you're married or just bored, try it sometime. ;)

;)

Be the lightning,

Kylie Kerosene (Jude)

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Film Review - X-Men: Days Of Future Past

 Having been a fan of X-Men since I was 10 years old, I really wanted to see the new one in theaters. I kept saying to my husband, "But, but, it has Sentinels! We have to see it on the big screen!" But our schedule kept getting in the way, until I finally accepted that we would have to wait until it came to TV. But then, this past Saturday (5/31/2014) my sweet hubby surprised me with a visit to our old haunt, the movie theater in a nearby town, which is apparently going out of business because it looks and feels so abandoned now, but hey, as long as it plays movies, we don't mind. 

The Dying Theater.

We got there early, so we waited around for a while, taking pictures to kill time, and the closer the time came for the movie to start, the more people started filling in to see it (again), and the more we got excited. 

A happy Kylie with her sweet & thoughtful hubby.

 Okay, so, let's get to it shall we? Below is my review of the film. I've split it into 2 parts. The first part is spoiler free for those who haven't seen it yet, and the second part contains spoilers so don't read that part unless you've seen it. Enjoy!

Part One - Spoiler Free:

We finally saw X-Men: Days Of Future Past, and loved it. It was great to see the original cast again, and with the time travel aspect of this film, we got to see the original cast of characters teaming up with the younger generation that we saw in X-Men: First Class. This was a real treat, especially for long-time fans of the movies and comic books like myself. 

I loved how the beginning of the film (and throughout) showed how the future X-Men worked together when fighting the Sentinels. The strategy they used, with a couple characters in the background as support and a couple characters fighting on the front lines was brilliant, reminding us that everyone has a special role to play in a team. It can almost be compared to filmmaking in that the actors and director are on the front lines and are recognized, but you also have the writers, editors, composers, etc - those who work behind the scenes, and are just as important. 

One thing that bothered both my husband and me was that they didn't refresh our memories about how Xavier was still alive in the future X-Men. So, that ended up being a little confusing for those of us that hadn't done an X-Men marathon before seeing this one, but after reading up on the previous films and refreshing our memories later, it makes more sense. It would have been nice to have a reminder though. Still, loved the effects, acting, and storyline. A great one to see on the big screen if you can.

Part Two - Contains Spoilers:

While it was nice to see some old faces, I kept wondering why we hadn't seen Rogue (Anna Paquin) or Cyclops (James Marsden). Obviously I knew Jean (Famke Janssen) wouldn't be in it, as Wolverine killed her in X-Men: The Last Stand, but as the movie went on, I just started assuming we wouldn't see Rogue or Cyclops at all. Until the end, after they went back in time and changed things. We then got to see all three of them for a moment, and although it was brief, I was glad that they were included a little bit. One character that didn't resurface was Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming), as well as a couple others, but it was still nice to see some favorites, and the present cast did an awesome job.

I only teared up one time in the entire movie, and that was when young Xavier (James McAvoy) met with old Xavier (Patrick Stewart) in his mind. The acting in that scene was particularly believable, and you really felt the struggle of young Xavier. And when old Xavier gave him words of advice about dealing with pain, and embracing it, I immediately related. I live with chronic pain every day, and I am also empathic (which means I pick up on the pain and emotions of other people), so when old Xavier said that bit about embracing the pain and how it will make you stronger, it hit home for me. It was a lesson I had already learned, but it was a good reminder. I tried hard to remember those words throughout the rest of the movie, as the pain of sitting for so long grew sharper and sharper in my back and legs, but by the end of the movie, I was so entranced that I'd almost forgotten about the pain.

We sat all the way through the credits (as everyone should, especially with Marvel movies), and when the post-credit sequence played, showing that epic scene of Apocalypse rising to power as a child, and building the great pyramids with his mind, I was blown away. It made me excited to see the next X-Men movie, which is currently titled (appropriately) X-Men: Apocalypse. I hope we get to see more of the Egypt story, at least in flashbacks.

There were a few small details in this movie that were similar to some things in my upcoming novels, and there were a couple inconsistencies here and there, but overall I enjoyed the movie. Great effects, tons of emotion, and as usual, some really good messages about the character of people, the importance of acceptance,  and the persistence of hope.

My fancy new Photoshopped 5 star rating system.

Hope you enjoyed my allovertheplace review!

Until next time...

Be the lightning, 

Kylie Kerosene (Jude).

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Movie Review: Oblivion

Once in a while, a movie comes along that you've been waiting your whole life for. A movie that makes you feel something deep inside that you can't quite explain, all you know is that you want to share this feeling with the world. A movie that you never get tired of watching, no matter how many times you see it. A movie that you learn new things about each time, and with each time, you love it more. For me, that movie is Oblivion.

So what is it that makes this movie so special? Honestly, I'm not really sure.

Maybe it's the theme. Oblivion is crafted from the fibers of my favorite genre, Science Fiction. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world, which I love, and features a man on a mission, sent to retrieve Earth's remaining resources after a war has destroyed the planet, and along the way he discovers things that make him question himself and his purpose. And there is a splash of romance thrown in... Well, possibly more than a splash. And of course, every woman loves a little romance, whether she will admit it or not. And the way they go about the romance in this movie is uniquely moving. But there are plenty of Science Fiction movies out there, even some that are laced with romance. So, that can't be it.

Maybe it's the music. In fact, at first, it WAS the music for me. When I first watched the film, I kept turning to my husband and saying "OMG, this music is gorgeous!" and "Best soundtrack ever!" LOL. Needless to say, we ended up getting the soundtrack, which is an immaculate work of art by the amazing M83 and Joseph Trapanese. I literally spent weeks immersing myself in the musical masterpiece that is the Oblivion soundtrack. My favorite tracks are "Starwaves" (which is so breathtakingly gorgeous and moving and intense that it singlehandedly inspired what is probably the most disturbingly romantic scene in the entire Scifi saga I've been writing), "Earth 2077" (an inspiring and uplifting almost Mass Effect sounding song), "I'm Sending You Away" (sorrow and joy wrapped into one crescendo like a hurricane - it doesn't really get interesting until the half way point, but after that, it's beautiful), and of course the title track "Oblivion" featuring Susanne Sundfor (which I didn't love when I first heard it in the credits, but it quickly grew on me when I blasted it in my headphones for 3 days straight. I've never heard anything quite like it. It is amazing. I also plan to make a Dragon Age video to it someday - weird choice, I know, but for me, it works.)

Phew! This could have been a blog just about the soundtrack. Obviously it's one of the things that makes this movie (as any movie) great, but there is still more to a movie than the music, so that can't be it either.

Maybe it's the cinematography. Claudio Miranda's use of light and the color choices in this movie are brilliant, making Oblivion a feast for not just the ears, but the eyes as well. Most of the movie has a sort of grayish tone, except for certain key moments, which are ablaze with color. It connects you subconsciously to what is happening at those moments. I didn't even notice it until probably my third time watching, and I love it when a movie can pull that kind of visual subtlety off. 

Or, maybe it's the editing. As a video editor myself, I get so mad at movies when they don't change a shot or scene to the music. Sometimes lazy editing can even ruin a whole movie for me. But I didn't notice it with this movie. And again, about the third time watching it, I began to notice how fluidly and seamlessly the scenes and shots changed to the music, thanks to Richard Francis-Bruce, and how the music reflected what was happening in the scene perfectly.

But I'm getting back into music now. Ahem. Moving on... 

I know what it's not. It's not the fact that Tom Cruise stars in the movie. No offense to him or anyone that likes him, but he's never been my favorite actor. In fact, I'll often opt out of seeing a movie just because he's in it. However, I think this is probably the best role he's ever played. He was so convincing in the part that I was able to forget I was watching Tom Cruise and really believe he was the character. And the rest of the cast is amazing in this film, especially Olga Kurylenko and Andrea Riseborough. Both ladies have such emotion and believability in their faces, and even in their eyes. It really helps you connect to what their characters are going though.

But still, it's not my favorite cast. None of my favorite actors or actresses are in this film. So what is it?

Maybe it's the thought-provoking quotes throughout the film. Some of my favorites (hopefully without giving too much away) are "It's our job not to remember... Remember?" and "It's just a machine... I'm the weapon." As well as a line near the end that says "Everybody dies... The thing is to die well." And a beautiful quote from the very end of the film "If we have souls, they are made of the love we share - undimmed by time, unbound by death." 

The movie also borrows a quote from Macaulay's depiction of Horatius in "Lays of Ancient Rome" which is probably the most repeated and most popular quote from the movie - "And how can a man die better, than facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his fathers, and the temples of his gods." 

All of these quotes not only make the movie gripping and believable, but get you to think about the meaning of life and why we are here. Our purpose. Both as individuals, and as a species. This movie sparked some really great conversation between my husband and myself, and when we showed my mother in law, she was still bringing it up days later. It's the kind of movie that sticks with you, and I think a large part of the reason for that is quotes like this, and the writing in general.

Speaking of the writing, this movie also has some great plot twists, which I always love in movies (it's one of many reasons Shyamalan is my favorite writer/director - and no, he didn't work on this movie - Oblivion was written and directed by Joseph Kosinski). It leaves you speechless, wondering what happened after the events of the movie, and again, contemplating the meaning of life and all that jazz. 

But as good as the writing is, it's not just that either. Maybe it's a combination of all of these elements together that makes me love this movie so much. That, and the underlying message, which I also think every good movie should have. Whether it's accessible to the average viewer's mind or not, a good film always has a message. You feel it tugging at you deep inside, urging you to live your life to the fullest, to strive for greatness, to be a better person. Oblivion does that. I personally think the underlying message has to do with the government and media trying to control us and strip us of our humanity, which if you haven't noticed yet, they are slowly but surely succeeding at. 

Some say the underlying message in this film is Scientology related, since Tom Cruise is in it, but I'm not so sure. And NO, I am not a Scientologist. Nowhere near it. I just think there is much more to this movie than that. I think that at its core, it's trying to do the exact opposite of controlling the viewer's mind. I think it's trying to open the viewer's mind to the notion that there ARE forces out there trying to control us, and I think it's urging us to take a stand against those forces and fight to keep our humanity intact.

But don't take my word for it. If you haven't yet, see it for yourself. You will either love it or hate it, but either way, you will be forever changed by Oblivion. Whether you know it or not. ;) 

Stay Frosty, 

Kylie Kerosene.

Movie Review: Pacific Rim

Here is my review of Pacific Rim from GetGlue, redefined: 

When news of this film began circulating, I immediately wanted to see it. Not only is it right up my alley (as the novels I'm writing involve robots among other things) but Guillermo del Toro was behind it. When the trailer hit, I was sold. It looked so epic, & it didn't even try to hide the fact that they were trying to be epic, with the trailer's tagline "Go big or go extinct." - They definitely went big with this movie, & I'm sure its effects will not go extinct any time soon.

This movie is essentially "Godzilla" meets "Power Rangers" but 100 times more epic than both of them put together. The graphics are top of the line, delivering spectacular eye candy that you can't help but marvel at, & the score (composed by Ramin Djawadi) creates a beautifully heroic backdrop for the story & the events that unfold. I also loved how the song in the end credits (written for the film & titled "Drift") goes perfectly with the film score. It's this kind of attention to detail I love about films such as After Earth & Sucker Punch, & I feel like this movie is in the same elite category. Parents should know that the human violence in this movie is very minimal & there is absolutely no sexual content, making it a great movie for the whole family.

There is one image from this film that sticks out more than anything to me, of a little girl walking alone through a decimated city. It's such an iconic image of the destruction & chaos we sometimes find ourselves in, & what happens afterwards is a symbol of hope. It says to the viewer that no matter how dark things may seem, there is always hope. Lots of little messages like that run through this movie's veins, but I think the main message is unity. 

The Jaegers need 2 people to operate them, & in order to do this, they have to be completely in sync. I think the song in the end credits says it best when it says "United we can never fall." - It's the oldest trick in the book (united we stand, divided we fall), but somewhere along the way, humanity has begun to lose its grasp of the concept of unity. We can accomplish so much more together than we can apart. We can defeat greater challenges together than we can alone. I think that's what this movie tries to communicate, & it pulls it off well. & did I mention beautifully? See it on the big screen. You will not regret it. 

If you haven't seen the trailer, marvel here: 

Random Review: M. Night Shyamalan

My review of M. Night Shyamalan from Get Glue: 

In my opinion, M. Night Shyamalan is the greatest writer/director that ever lived. All of his films are so intricate & captivating, & I can't understand why so many people don't like him & his films. 

From "The Sixth Sense" to "The Village" Night is a genius when it comes to the twist ending, & this is the trait for which he is most well-known. Then there are films like "Signs" & "Lady In The Water" that produce a strange new outlook on the world. He is so good at instilling magic & faith & hope into the viewer's soul. & that is hard to do through film.

Night is reportedly a joy to work with as well, which makes for a happy cast & crew, which in turn makes for a wonderful film. He is still fairly young & already has an impressive resume of films, & I can't wait to see what he does next!

 
Night has inspired me so much over the years, & I don't think he's going to stop any time soon! He is & will always be my hero :)

And here's my review of Night's movie "The Village" also from Get Glue:

 This film beautifully depicts love in its truest most innocent form, & says something profound about human nature. I truly believe The Village has one of the best scripts ever written, with beautiful quotes, such as my favorite: 

"The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe." 

With gorgeous & haunting cinematography, a mind blowing twist, & amazing performances by Joaquin Phoenix (also in Night's film "Signs"), Bryce Dallas Howard (also in Night's film "Lady In The Water"), William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Adrien Brody & more, this film is a diamond in the rough. 

Many people were too small minded to enjoy the film & pick up on the moral of the story: you can take people out of the darkness but you can't take the darkness out of people. I love it. I even made a music video of it years ago. Here it is: 

And don't worry, there are no spoilers in the video, in fact, it's more like a trailer than anything, and people who have seen the video who haven't seen the movie have told me it made them want to see it. So even if you haven't seen it, you should have no reason not to watch the video. ;)

Night's most recent masterpiece is a film called "After Earth" which I finally got to see recently. Here's my review of it from Get Glue: 

I was so excited when I heard Shyamalan was making a new movie, but I was even more excited when I heard what it was about! I love scifi as well as anything post-apocalyptic, & After Earth combines the 2!

Others, however, weren't so excited. They still don't trust Night as a filmmaker. But I happily ignored the critics & saw it anyway, counting the minutes till it started & doing my little chair dance when it finally began.

Even though I sort of expected it to be great, I was still absolutely blown away. I was tearing up within the first 10 minutes! Night has done it again. In fact, I think he's even surpassed his other films with this one. Not only is it visually stimulating & absolutely gorgeous, but it has great acting from Will Smith & his son Jaden, & a great story with a great message: Danger is real, but fear is a choice. Among others.

We all need to see this. Absolutely see it. The critics are just mentally challenged, as usual. Best movie I've seen in a long time...

Here is the amazing trailer: 

I could go on and on, and rant about how much I love Night's other movies as well, but I've ranted enough. I apologize if it was a bit repetitive, but that's the beauty of copy and paste. ;) Needless to say, I love this man's work, and I hope he continues to amaze and inspire us with his creative mind for many years to come!

This has been a (not so random) review, from your friendly neighborhood Kylie Kerosene. Stay epic, and be the lightning. ;)

Random Review: Looper

My husband Evol Eric knew how excited I was to see Looper. Frankly, everyone did. I had made it blatantly obvious since the first time I saw the trailer. So, on September 29th, after some lunch and some Halloween shopping (during which I bought the hat in the picture below), Eric surprised me with a date to see the movie. Needless to say, I was pretty happy. ;) 

Here's my review of Looper from Get Glue:

When I saw the trailer for Looper in theaters, I was so impressed and excited that I did a little dance in my chair when the trailer ended. That's the only time that's ever happened! So naturally, I had to see it. And today, I have.

I was hoping Looper wouldn't disappoint, and it definitely didn't. Everything from the acting to the special effects to the writing to the score was so amazing and well done.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt did a stellar job handling the lead role, as expected, and Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt were really good in it as well. The prosthetics on Joseph (applied to make him look like Bruce Willis who plays the older version of him) were very well done too. He looks so different in this film, and it was executed so well that you almost forget it's not his real face. 

 In my opinion, there could have been a little more back-story on some of the aspects in the film, but other than that, it was a really good film, with stunning visual effects, heart wrenching acting, good writing and some cool twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat, really cool action sequences, and a score that sets a hypnotic and futuristic mood for the film.

If you love science fiction and action, or if you're just a fan of good movies, I definitely recommend it!

 I leave you with the infamous trailer:

 I rest my case.

Random Review: Another Earth & The Saw Lady

Here is the review I wrote of "Another Earth" on Get Glue::

When I first heard about this film during the Sundance Film Festival in 2011, I was immediately intrigued. And when I saw Brit Marling for the first time, talking about the movie, I saw a fire in her eyes that is only found in the most talented of filmmakers, and intrigue melted into determination. I knew I needed to see Another Earth. And today I finally have.

It was even better than I expected, with amazing and unique cinematography, believable and heart grabbing performances, and a beautiful storyline. I was completely sucked into this world, and I found myself surprisingly attached to the main character (played by Marling). This was probably due in part to the way the film was shot (mostly handheld with an in your face technique that many films don't use often), and in part to Marling's stunning and talented portrayal of her character. 

Yes this is an independent film, and yes it moves slowly for the first half, but then it picks up in a big way. I think it's definitely worth watching, especially if you're a fan of science fiction, or just a fan of good movies in general.

Watch the trailer for "Another Earth" here: 

Also, there is a scene in the film where one of the characters plays a saw like a violin. When I saw this, I was floored. Being a musician myself, and having been brought up surrounded by many different cultures and styles of music, I have seen a lot of things, but never something like this. It was one of my favorite scenes in the film. The idea is so unique and innovative, and the music is one of the things that made "Another Earth" great. It's amazing how such beauty can be pulled from a saw.  

Below is a video of "The Saw Lady" Natalia Paruz, 
who played the saw for the film. Prepare to be amazed:

You can find Natalia on Facebook and Twitter, as well as on her website. 

Keep your eye on the sky. You never know what might be out there. ;)

This has been a Random Review, 
from your friendly neighborhood Kylie Kerosene. 
Have a good week!