Rare is it these days that you get a horror film that manages to elevate itself into being a great film. Sure there are those that are scary, and many are competently made. But every once in a while you get something that is the perfect combination of craft, scares, and spirit that you can’t help but acknowledge its greatness. The Conjuring, the new film by James Wan, is the first horror film in a long time that I’ve been so thoroughly entertained by every aspect that even when I was scared shitless I was in awe of just how well made of a film it was.
Twitter and Facebook have been places of intense discussion for the past several days, most of it revolving around the George Zimmerman verdict and Cory Monteith’s death. But there’s been just as much discussion regarding Pacific Rim‘s box office and whether the third place finish signals death of new material. Also on the Twitter is convos surrounding Crystal Fairy, a movie I loathed out of Sundance. I initially hadn’t planned on commenting on Pacific Rim or Crystal Fairy (cause I’d love to forget about the latter) but after seeing two people I respect and am friendly with advocate for these films, I had to share my opinion.
Fanboys seem to be having an interesting week. Pacific Rim has arrived to wildly divisive response, Comic-Con fever is about to hit and we’re in the thick of the summer movie season. But the biggest news of the week was derived from an interview with current Spider-Man star Andrew Garfield in which he tells Entertainment Weekly that he talked with his director about the possibility of MJ being played by Fruitvale Station actor Michael B. Jordan. Not only would Spidey then get a male love interest but have an interracial relationship, which is rare on screen in any movie, let alone a superhero one.
This review was originally published at Awards Circuit during the Sundance Film Festival.
Every so often as a critic you get the opportunity to witness a film that’s so ingrained in your experience that it becomes difficult to even comprehend how you feel about the film. On one hand, Fruitvale Station is a rich, if slightly problematic, retelling of the day in the life of Oscar Grant, the Oakland man who was shot by police officers on New Year’s Day 2009. On the other is innate sense of personal relevance. I can still tell you exactly where I was sitting when I heard about him getting shot, the worry on my parent’s (and to speak the truth, all Black parents) faces that something like this could happen to me (their children), and the anger, not just African Americans, but most Bay Area residents felt when the officer who shot him was only sentenced to two years jail time. There’s no way to divorce those experiences from watching a film like this. However the movie doesn’t ask you to, it just wants you to be in the moment as it tells it’s story. For those reasons, Fruitvale Station is a feat of movie making, something that operates well within the medium and invites you to bring your emotions along for the ride.
I’m too tired to give this film a full review right now so here’s the best thing I can do. Review: Pacific Rim = (Transformers + Godzilla x a million fanboy orgasms/ Charlie hunnam’s shitty acting) x REALLY LOUD NOISES Good 3D tho
It’s been a pretty slow Monday here at the blog cause I’m trying to get ready for Comic-Con, moving, and preparing my spirit for an epic episode of Teen Wolf. But speaking of Comic-Con, did you guys see that the full schedule is up? I am very excited to attend again so I decided to pull together a sample schedule of what I might like to see. And just like last year it’s madness. Please take a look at what I will be doing for the 4 days and preview night.