Discogodfather9622 Reviews

Bessie (2015 TV Movie)

Awesome acting!

[7/10 · 21 August 2015]

Queen Latifah (Chicago) stars as the title character Bessie Smith in HBO's Bessie, a biopic on the life of the American legendary blues singer. The film focuses on Smith's transformation from a struggling young singer into the "Empress of the Blues," one of the most successful recording artists of the 1920's. Times were rough for ol Bessie growing up and even after her rise to fame. Her parents and brother died when she was young and was looked after by her older sister, this on top of the fact that she was black, bisexual and growing up in Tennessee in the mid 1900's… lets just say they could of gone a lot better for her. To help ends meet for her family Bessie and her brother sung and danced in a duet on the streets of Chattanooga. By 1912 Smith was a known singer in her part of town, delighting people with her voice and dancing, well… most people. Although she had a great voice a lot of people were judgmental about her appearance. One scene in the movie she is mortified during an audition when she is given the paper bag test. Basically they hold a regular brown paper lunch bag up to her face, if her skin tone is lighter than the bag, she passes. They only wanted light skin black preforming; Smith didn't pass and is laughed off stage. Little did the producer know that Smith had a volatile temper and proceeded to push him down to the floor.

Her temper was pretty notorious back in the day, not saying she would fly off the handle for no reason, no. As a matter of fact (from what the film showed me) all of her violent outbursts were for good reason. The opening shot of the film, Smith is in the alleyway of a performance making out with a man, he wants to take it to third base, Bessie doesn't, so the man punches her in the face and leaves a scar on her head. She returns the favor by cutting his thigh with a piece of broken glass. Her temper would catch up with her though, one night after a successful performance she and a large group of people are partying backstage when another man calls Bessie a "fat bitch." Bessie corrects the man by slapping him and is just about to bash him over the head with a vase when she takes pity and tells him to leave. The man waits hours for her outside and stabs her prison style as she leaves the party. She survives of course, but takes a licking.

I loved the movie Bessie for the most part. All the performances from everybody in the film were fantastic, literally everybody brought they're "A" game. The one performance I was most impressed with was Mo'Nique (Precious) as Ma Rainey, Bessie protégé. Rainey was the first person to give Bessie a job as a dancer for her troupe having already earned success as a blues singer. She would later take note of Bessie's great singing voice and move her up the ladder from dancer to singer. Mo'Nique absolutely nails it as Rainey, a fair but tough business lady. Before Bessie, Rainey was the hot ticket in town. She was so hot she was able to waltz into any white owned dance club and make a list of demands including higher pay, and they would give into her. This performance proves that her academy award for the movie Precious was well deserved.

One big drawback for the film was that it felt extremely rushed. I know it's often hard to make a two-hour film chronicling a person's entire life, but scene and characters seemed to come and go within a matter of minute. It has also been pointed out on many message boards that this film to a lot of liberty in what actually happened in Bessie life, mostly her relationship with Ma Rainey. In the film it makes it look like Rainey was the one that taught Bessie to sing, when in real life this wasn't the case. The DVD for Bessie is barebones; a short documentary into the making of the film featuring interviews with the stars is all we get. Picture and audio are top notch, but I would have liked some more extra features.

With all that said Bessie is still an entertaining film with excellent acting. It probably won't be one you go back to watch that often, but if you're a fan of the blues, this movie should tickle your fancy

The Water Diviner (2014)

Simply put... boring.

[5/10 · 18 July 2015]

Gone are the days where I could watch the news and hear about how Russell Crowe pummeled a random person or threw a phone at the face of a hotel concierge. What we have now is a much more subdued Crowe, so subdued in fact that I was starting to wonder what happened to him. Being once a leading man, he seems to be taking on smaller roles as side characters. That's all changed with The Water Diviner as he both directs and stars in this war film. Loosely based on the book by the same name, Crowe plays Joshua Conner, a simple Australian farmer/ Water Diviner (A water diviner being someone who can locate water under ground with a divining rod.) who is in the process of digging a well on his land. Four years previously, his sons have joined the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps at the battle of Gallipoli and our now presumed dead. Unable to deal with the grief, Joshua's wife commits suicide. Having nothing left, Josh travels to Turkey to bring back his sons bodies and bury them with their mother. Once in Turkey he finds out that Gallipoli is off limits to all civilians as the army is involved in a mass burial of the fallen, but Joshua meets a Turkish officer who takes pity on him and helps with the search. Throughout the film Joshua meets a cast of colorful characters and gets into a few battles all while trying to find his dead sons. Hearing all this you would assume that this sounds like a rousing crowd pleaser, the kind of movie you can take your grandparents to without the fear of a sex scene of too much swearing (Old people, am I right?!) For me, The Water Diviner was a huge letdown. Sure, it's probably a movie that old people will like, not too violent, romance instead of sex, strong family values, but for the younger crowd, I found the movie to be boring and cheesy as all hell. From the music to the acting, this film reeked of cheese, and not the good type of cheese like pepper jack, no, this reeked of Limburger. There's also the fact that the movie is called The Water Diviner, other than the beginning where he is digging the well, his ability to find water doesn't really factor into the rest of the movie. Now, I've talked a lot of smack on the film, but that's not saying the movie is completely terrible. It's beautifully shot and they made great use of Turkey and it's people, the war scenes are nicely done too, but that's where the praise ends. The Blu-ray of The Water Diviner is a little on the bare bones side when it comes to the special features, A "making of" and a documentary on the battle of Gallipoli are all that on the disk. The picture and sound is top notch as always being that this is a Blu-ray. At the end of the day, The Water Diviner is a forgettable movie that I'd be hard pressed that anybody would watch more than once, let alone own. Just wait till TNT airs it on television.

Focus (II) (2015)

Good rainy day film.

[6/10 · 29 May 2015]

Ficarra and Requa are former writers turned directors that have been pretty spot on with the movies that they've had their hands in making. From the underrated I Love You Phillip Morris to their screenplays for Bad Santa and the remake of The Bad News Bears, the duo has consistently entertained me. Focus is their newest movie, starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie (The Wolf Of Wall Street) this is a fun, if not overplayed, classic "one last score" con movie. Smith plays Nicky Spurgeon, a seasoned con man that is in the midst of his newest scheme when he spots and old flame from his past, played by Robbie. The two get romantic once again while conning targets large and small. Now most of the problems I had with the film were with the con's they were pulling. They ranged from believable to "you gotta be kidding me" ridiculous, and the ending was kind of a let down. Most con films play up to a surprise ending, this film kind of had that, but more along the line of "Eh, who cares?" In the end, Focus is a perfect rainy day movie. One you'll throw on, be entertained and afterwards forget it ever existed.

Lost River (2014)

Beautiful to look at. Thats about it.

[5/10 · 12 May 2015]

Warner Brothers is one of the best movie studios in the business. Putting out controversial movies such as, A Clockwork Orange, Natural Born Killers & One Eight Seven, it's clear that this is a studio that likes to takes risks with films. They prove it yet again with the directorial debut of Hollywood heartthrob, Ryan Gosling's art house flick, Lost River. I'll start by saying this about the film; it is absolutely gorgeous to look at. Gosling has an eye for camera placement and style, taking a page out of the David Lynch School of directing. Unfortunately that's where the praise stops, as this is one boring and rather pointless movie. The story centers on a single mom played by Christina Hendricks, (Mad Men) who lives in a virtually abandoned city of Lost River, with her two kids, one of which has run afoul of the local gangster played by Matt Smith. (Dr. Who) A Gangster so mean that it's widely know throughout the community his love for cutting off peoples lips who cross him. In the end it's clear that Gosling wants to shed his pretty boy persona and come across as more intellectual and thoughtful. Hopefully the next time he decides to get behind the camera he has a better script to film.

Metal Hurlant Chronicles (2012–2014)

Wack

[4/10 · 27 April 2015]

When a cheap looking Sci-Fi show comes around that I never heard of, I immediately fear the worst. Mutant Hurlant Chronicles came along- toting a big cast with recognizable names like Michael Jai White (Black Dynamite) Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner) Michael Biehn (Aliens) and John Rhys-Davies (Raiders Of The Lost Ark) I thought there might be a chance that it could be good. I was wrong. Based on the popular comic of the 80's, Heavy Metal, each episode is it's own story with a different cast that takes place on a different planet. This idea I love because it gives the viewer a new story every episode, the only problem is that almost every episode sucks. Bad writing, acting and special effects make it seem like something that would air after Sharknado on Syfy. (Fitting considering it's the same network.) Another problem is how they end each episode, there always has to be some type of M. Night Shyamaian twist that more often than not you see coming a mile away. One positive thing I can say about the show is that it looks great on Blu-ray.

Island of Lemurs: Madagascar (2014)

Squirrel Monkeys

[6/10 · 25 March 2015]

My knowledge of Lemurs up until this point was simply that they existed. That and they look like squirrel monkeys. When I got the Blu-ray of this film, I groaned. "What is this? Looks like something trying to capitalize off of the Madagascar movies." Then I noticed that none other than God himself (Morgan Freeman) was doing the narration, so I decided to embrace it. I embraced it by doing what most people should before watching a nature documentary; I got really high. Island Of Lemurs is a short, enjoyable film with vast, sweeping landscapes of the beautiful Island of Madagascar and the adorable, aforementioned, squirrel monkeys. The Blu-Ray/DVD combo also features the film in 3D for those who are lucky enough to afford said technology. The only draw back to this documentary is the run time. It clocks in at just 41 minutes and for the asking retail price of $35.99, I feel that it's too steep to warrant a purchase. Unless of course you just bought a 70-inch high-def television with your income taxes and need a tester DVD to throw on and impress your friends, then Island Of Lemurs is right for you!

Class of 1984 (1982)

When does a dream become a nightmare?

[7/10 · 25 March 2015]

Exploitation films are my favorite genre. What's not to love? You got all the ingredients that make an entertaining movie, sex, Violence, drug use and sex. All of which are in full force with the cult classic, Class Of 1984. The generically named Lincoln High is the worst school in America, drug use, graffiti from head to toe and even prostitution. The sadistic, violence prone student, Peter Stegman, runs the school with his colorful gang of cronies that look like cast rejects from The Warriors. This school is run like a prison. Enter the naïve new music teacher, Mr. Norris. Norris believes he can reach out to these troublemakers by the power of teaching, something Stegman slowly points out that he doesn't want. When one of Norris prized students is prison shanked in the school cafeteria (a pre Family Ties, Michael J. Fox) and with no help from the facility or law, Norris takes matters into his own hands. Director Mark Lester (Commando) intentions were for this film to be a provocative think piece or "message" movie, now it's simply a fun, throw it on late at night with your friends while drunk… movie, and that's fine by me.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

Finally! Some action!

[7/10 · 18 March 2015]

"Waah! They split The Hobbit into three movies!" SHADDDUP! As if it comes to the surprise of nobody that Hollywood is in it for the money, not the art. I think I'm one of the select few that actually liked Battle Of The Five Armies. We finally get some action! No more constant walking and talking. Clerks II said it best with the Lord Of The Rings films, "Even the trees walk." In the newest installment, Bilbo and a bunch of midgets are forced into a war with Sauron's army of Orcs and other freaks as they try to protect lonely mountain… or something. Whatever, I was in it for the action, and action is what I got. The DVD/Blu-ray is awesome with great picture, sound and packed with special features. Although I suspect a Super, mega deluxe bullshit version is in the works. Say what you will about the newest Hobbit, that it doesn't follow the books to a "T" or that the whole trilogy was a cash grab. At the very least, you have to admit that it was entertaining. Dude rode on a giant moose/dear thing. That kicks ass!

1066: The Battle for Middle Earth (2009)

THey are trying to sell this as something from Tolkien

[6/10 · 7 March 2015]

This is the story of the battle of the Norman Conquest of England as told through the eyes of villagers and farmers that took place in the epic war. For those of you unaware of this war, it was an Invasion and occupation of England by armies of Normans, Bretons & the French led by Duke Williams II during the eleventh century. 1066 sports impressive acting, production value and fighting. This is where I would give the DVD a positive review, that is until the producers or whoever is involved in marketing this decided to pull the wool over the viewers eyes by trying to pass this off as something involved in The Lord Of The Rings universe. Lets start with the whole, "Middle Earth" thing. Upon watching this DVD, the title of the movie was just called 1066, it's clear that after this was made, they threw "Battle For Middle Earth" on the DVD cover. Then there's the cover itself, it looks Exactly like the poster for LOTR. Last but not least, the narrator on this film is no other than Mr. Bilbo Baggins himself, Ian Holm. Sad that they didn't think this film could hold it's own with the subject matter given.

Horrible Bosses 2 (2014)

Better than the first.

[6/10 · 18 February 2015]

I was not a fan of the first Horrible Bosses, so naturally when I heard they were making a lazily named sequel I ignored it. The bad ratings certainly helped with my decision-making as I sat smugly behind my computer congratulating myself on not throwing more money into the Hollywood machine. I was wrong. Horrible Bosses 2 is a funny movie and a HUGE improvement over the first and I think we can thank director Sean Anders for that by focusing more on laughs and less on the lame plot. Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis & Jason Batman reprise their roles as friends and now business partners who create a bathroom accessory called the "Bathroom Buddy." Approached by father/son investors Chris Pine & Christoph Waltz, the three friends think they finally made it until at the last minute it's reviled they have been ripped off. The DVD's bonus features consist of deleted scenes and various featurettes as well as the film itself being an extended cut. The plot is secondary in this sequel and rather boring, but it's made up by the fact it's filled with a lot more laughs than the first. Plus we get the added bonus of hearing Jennifer Aniston talk dirty… oh, so dirty.

The Case Against 8 (2014)

Great story, boring documentary.

[5/10 · 24 January 2015]

Filmmakers Ben Cotner & Ryan White documents a five-year in the making legal battle to overturn California's proposition 8 law banning same sex marriage. Following around real gay and lesbian couples, we watch their highs and lows as they fight for equality and the ability to get married like any other couple in America. Packed in this documentary are behind the scenes footage of the Hollingsworth VS. Perry case in which the voter- approved ban on same sex marriage was deemed unconstitutional and overturned. Joy and prosperity were returned to the land of California, letting them tackle bigger issues such as how to properly ignore the homeless epidemic and why they voted in the guy who starred in Hercules Goes Bananas. For me there was a big problem with the documentary, it's boring. So. Damn. Boring. This was a two hour film that should have honestly been a forty five minutes to an hour at best. All we really watch is court proceedings and sit downs discussing politics until it reaches the inevitable outcome that we already know. Kind of like watching all the boring parts of the Star Wars prequels.

Rudderless (2014)

Nice movie with a lot of heart.

[6/10 · 22 January 2015]

Actor William H. Macy (Boogie Nights) makes his directorial debut with the low-key drama, Rudderless. Billy Crudup (Watchmen) plays Sam; a successful ad executive who's life seems to be right on track, he has a loving wife and a song writing son in college. After closing a business deal, Sam invites his son out for drinks, only to find out that a shooting has taken place at the school he goes to and that he's one of the many people killed. Sam's life goes downhill, turning to the bottle and in the process losing his job and wife. Two years later, he's living on a boat and loathing in misery. Going through his son's things he finds old demo tapes of songs he recorded. Wanting to honor his memory, Sam goes to a local club and sings his songs on an open mic catching the ear of Quentin (Anton Yelchin) a young man roughly his son's age. Following him home, Quentin begs Sam to start a band with Sam as the writer. Lawrence Fishburn, Selena Gomez and Felicity Huffman fill out the supporting cast. The DVD is rather bare bones with deleted scenes and a music video. Rudderless may be a movie that will be forgotten as time goes, but those who catch it will find a nice, little indie film with a lot of heart and good music.

The Judge (2014)

A movie your grandparents will like. Thats about it.

[5/10 · 21 January 2015]

Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) is a successful defenses attorney with a humble upbringing from a small town in Indiana; he is also having a bad day. His brother Glenn (Vincent D' Onofrio) calls to inform him that their mother died, this hurts all the more considering Hank is going through a divorce and custody battle. At the funeral, his father (Robert Duvall) who is also the town Judge barely acknowledges him other than a handshake and hello, it's clear that the two have a strained relationship. Wanting to clear his head Hank heads to the local bar where he meets his old high school flame (Vera Farmiga) as the two wax on about old times. Ready to return home, it's brought to light that the Judge was involved in a hit and run where the other party died. Now on trial, Hank becomes his father's attorney much to the chagrin of Duvall. David Dobkin directs your grandparent's favorite movie with The Judge. If it weren't for the R rating, I would swear this was a Hallmark or Lifetime movie. In the end the Two and a half hour running time leaves you wondering why a movie so small is so long. In the next five years I would be hard pressed if anyone remembers The Judge.

American Sniper (2014)

Good movie with a TERRIBLE ending.

[6/10 · 13 January 2015]

Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry) directs the true story of Chris Kyle, touted as "the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history." Bradley Cooper plays Kyle, an average every man who after watching the terrorist attacks on the twin towers decides to sign up for the Marines. He is told he should try his hands at being a Navy Seal, which he passes with flying colors and becomes a sniper for the group. Sienna Miller (Layer Cake) plays Coopers wife, Taya. Miller does an excellent job as the no nonsense but loving housewife. I enjoyed American Sniper for the most part; it was interesting seeing Kyle return home to the mundane and adapting to family life after being told that he has had 160 confirmed kills. Having said that, there were a few eye rolling, hoorah, cliché moments but that's to be expected in most military movies. My biggest gripe was the absolutely TERRIBLE ending. It literally comes out of nowhere and feels rushed. Coming down to a simple text on the screen explaining what happened to Kyle. It's almost as if Eastwood forgot that a movie was supposed to have an ending and quickly threw something together. An ending for me can make or break a movie; this ending goes down as one of the worst for a major motion picture.

A Most Violent Year (2014)

Good movie if you're not expecting what the title eludes to.

[6/10 · 12 January 2015]

This is going to be one of those films that a lot of people aren't going to like. Not because it's a bad movie, but because the title and the trailer make it sound like it's going to be violent and action filled, that its not. J.C. Chandor (All Is Lost) directs a movie that would be better suited to the decade that the film takes place, as I fear it will be lost in the instant gratification era that we live. Set in 1981 New York during one of the highest years of crime on record, Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis) plays "Abel Moralles" a sharp dresser and family man who has inherited a heat oil company. Life is going great until unknown assailants begin to hijack his oil trucks, and send him threats. His wife, played by Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) only complicates things as his company's bookkeeper and all around ball buster, constantly belittling him for not taking matters into his own hands. This is a quite, thinking mans movie, all the more reason most people will be turned off by it as it's being marketed as something more… violent.

Inherent Vice (2014)

I like the trailer better.

[5/10 · 11 January 2015]

I'm not angry, Paul Thomas Anderson, (Boogie Nights) I'm just disappointed. I guess I have myself to blame for putting you on a pedestal for so long, talking you up to all my friends and loving everything you've done. I knew eventually that there would be a swing and a miss… this is it. Inherent Vice, adapted from the book of the same name tells the story of Doc Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) a private investigator and full time pothead who takes a job where he helps prevent a wealthy real-estate developer from being committed to an insane asylum by his scheming wife. The movie was an overlong, confusing and mostly boring mess. One of the drawbacks was the fact that you need to watch every second so you're not completely lost. New characters are being introduced every 15 minutes to further complicate the plot. If you have to go to the bathroom, good luck keeping up with it. The lengthiness makes it all the more frustrating considering the movie is 2 and half hours. With an all-star cast that includes Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon and Benicio del Toro, I was expecting something better that the excellent trailer didn't live up to.

Foxcatcher (2014)

Carell at his best!

[8/10 · 9 January 2015]

Based on the book of the same name, Foxcatcher is the weird, true crime story of eccentric multi-millionaire John Du Pont (played by Steve Carell) and his efforts in hiring and trying to win over wrestling champions and brothers, Dave and Mark Shultz. (Played by Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo.) Director Bennett Miller (Moneyball) does a fine job directing, leaving enough room for the actors to do their thing, acting the s h i t out of this movie. Du Pont is your classic elitist, one percenter and heir to the Du Pont chemical fortune. Like most obscenely rich people, Du Pont wants something money can't buy and to him it's winning trophies and awards. With a hard-on for wrestling, Du Pont uses his extreme wealth to amass his own team hell bent on Olympic glory. Enter the Shultz brothers, who are already Olympic winners and the desire of Du Pont, they are flown to his estate to live and train. It's here that Du Pont starts to lose his mentor like grasp on the one brother while being jealous of the other. If I'm being vague with the plot, it's for good reason. I highly suggest that those who have little to no knowledge of this true story keep it that way and go into it fresh.

Men, Women & Children (2014)

Much ado about nothing g

[4/10 · 8 January 2015]

The newest film from Jason Reitman (Up In The Air) is much ado about nothing; as a matter of fact his last three movies have come and gone from theaters with little to no fanfare. A long way from his overrated, hipster dialogue driven, Juno. Adam Sandler, Jennifer Gardner and others star in Reitman's newest, all give great performances but the trouble lies in the script itself, its all potatoes and no meat. The story revolves around high school teens and their parents in this Internet driven, Facebook loving era that we live in. Basically the movie can be summed up by sex, infidelity and eating disorders. Like an "R" rated version of the "Very Special Episode" from the sitcoms of the 90's. Worst yet, a few of the story lines in Men, Women & Children are never resolved and some seemed to be shoehorned in. As for the DVD, it comes with the extras one would expect, deleted scenes and two featurettes, nothing groundbreaking. If you want to see a better movie that dealt with finding intimacy in today's wired world, check out Disconnect. Or if you want to see Sandler masturbate at his teenage sons computer desk, check out this movie.

Boyhood (I) (2014)

More like long, pointless, boring...hood.

[6/10 · 30 December 2014]

Director Richard Linklater (Dazed And Confused) creates a risky concept movie with Boyhood. The story is not all that special, it's a typical coming of age movie, but rather the risk factor comes from the fact that the movie was filmed over a course of 12 years using the same cast of actors. Amazing considering anything could of happened to the actors in that stretch of time. The "boy" in the title is Ellar Coltrane, who plays "Mason." The viewer watches as he develops from a boy to a young man over the course of the film. Ethan Hawk and Patricia Arquette play his parents who are divorced and share joint custody. Hawk does a great job at playing the hippie-esque father, where as Arquette plays the repressed housewife who has taken in a new, abusive lover. The DVD is nothing to write home about in the way of special features, Q&A with the cast and a "Making of" is all there is. Makes sense considering the movie is almost 3 hours, a lot to fit on a BLU- RAY/DVD combo. Check out Boyhood for yourself and watch something that probably won't be attempted again.

Dear White People (2014)

Boring movie

[3/10 · 30 November 2014]

DWP is the feature directorial debut for Justin Simien, having previously raised most of the film's budget from the crowd-funding site Indiegogo. The film is a satirical story about a group of black students at a fictitious Ivy League school where tensions reach a boiling point when white students throw a black, "ghetto themed" party. To be blunt, I didn't like the movie. I went into it with a "sock it to me attitude." What I got was a watered down wannabe Spike Lee joint. It's clear that Simien is a Spike Lee fan right down to the directing style, but when it comes to the in-your-face attitude, it falls flat. The "show down" at the aforementioned party was a joke. Some bottles were broken, a few stereo speakers knocked over, and a face was punched; that was about it. The one star that shined from the movie was Tyler James Williams, formerly from Everybody Hates Chris, playing the socially awkward, gay character, Lionel Higgins. He just wants to be himself while cliques try to claim him as their own. Do yourself a favor and watch, "Do The Right Thing" instead.

Nightcrawler (2014)

Best movie of the year

[8/10 · 30 November 2014]

Dan Gilroy makes an explosive directorial debut with, what could very well be, the best sociopath put to screen since Hannibal Lecter. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Louis Bloom—a smart, down on his luck thief who steals manhole covers and chain link fences to sell for scrap. After a night of thieving, he witnesses a film crew shooting the aftermath of a car crash. The following day Lou steals a bike and pawns it for a camcorder and a police scanner. He films a victim of a carjacking and sells it to the local news, thus starting his new career. Most of the films success lies in the writing and Gyllenhaal's excellent portrayal as the aforementioned sociopath. Louis will stop at nothing to get what he wants whether it be to advance his career or try to negotiate sex out of his boss, Rene Russo, the morning news director to whom Louis sells his footage. Nightcrawler is a great slow burn of a film, one that doesn't come along too often.