Dearest... 2016: Superfriends

 

Movie Dearest starts out 2017 by… looking back at 2016. First up: look up on the screen, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s… more superhero movies!

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice:
Is this Warner’s answer to the Marvel money-making machine? Do they really think DC Comics fans want a movie universe where Jimmy Olsen is shot in the head, Ma Kent is kidnapped and tortured and Lex Luthor is a babbling techno-brat? And great Caesar’s ghost, why do they keep letting Zack Snyder fuck it up so bad over and over again? The film’s only pluses are that Ben Affleck is actually pretty good as the Caped Crusader (how about that?) and he has nice chemistry with Gal Gadot as the big screen’s first Wonder Woman, attributes they’ll need heading into the first Justice League movie later this year. Hera help us if Warner hasn’t by then learned their lesson after this one and… (5/10)

If only the whole movie was as cool as this one shot.

Suicide Squad:
A critical punching bag when it first came out, this supervillain mash up is actually more entertaining than BvS, if only in a “can’t look away from the train wreck” sort of way. Too overstuffed (even without the pretty much superfluous Joker, played by Jared Leto as a grilled-up gangsta pimp daddy) and laden with an overly-complicated plot that makes the odd/fatal choice of pitting this ragtag team of ground level badguys and gals against a supernatural being who (shocker) wants to take over the world. Note to superhero scribes: not every outing has to involve an “end of days” scenario. Standouts in the cast: Margot Robbie as fan favorite Harley Quinn and a woofy Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang. (6/10)

"Howyoudoin'?"

Deadpool:
The other badboy superflick of the year turned out to be a box office smash and, more recently, surprise award season contender. What made it work was its gleeful subversion of cinematic superhero tropes that we've all become acutely aware of amidst this current genre glut. A labor of love for star Ryan Reynolds, who finally found a signature role perfectly fitting his sexy/snarky persona, yet one can only wonder how well this shtick will stick to the fan in its inevitable future installments. Oh, and we call bullshit on all that pre-release "pansexual" talk. (7/10)

Yeah, we said it.

X-Men: Apocalypse:
Upstaged by its loudmouthed red-suited stepchild, the latest outing of Marvel's merry mutants turns out to be the most comic book-y of all of last year's comic book movies, and I mean that in a good way. With a sprawling cast — including Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence (both looking like that can't wait to move on to other things), a finally bald James McAvoy and Oscar Isaac as the blue big bad — and action set pieces that span time and space, it feels like one of those multi-issue epic tales from back in the day. X-celsior! (7/10)

"Call my agent!"

Captain America: Civil War:
Following The Winter Soldier, the best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date, it's no wonder that Civil War doesn't quite live up to its predecessor as a Captain America movie, yet it is certainly a better Avengers movie than Age of Ultron was. Eh, semantics. The central conflict, that of these former superfriends on opposite sides of a vague ideological dispute, is rushed, and a hastily added subplot to introduce Spider-Man into the mix doesn't help the pacing of it all either. But there are plenty of terrific fight scenes, most notably a fanboy wet dream of a conflict at an abandoned airport that gives every hero a chance to show off their stuff. (7/10)

Oh, and it's about time somebody made that smug Tony Stark their bitch.

Doctor Strange:
I was never much of a fan of the "Sorcerer Supreme" in the comics, but I don't remember him being such a cut up. As opposed to the overly dour BvS, this movie takes it too far in the opposite direction, with Benedict Cumberbatch dropping lame one-liners and oh-so embarrassingly interacting with his Aladdin magic carpet-like cape. And when its not trying to crack up the Cumberbitches in the audience, it's trotting out the same three special effects over and over again and jabbering on about "astral planes" and other such New Age claptrap. By the time it gets to the so-called "Dark Dimension" (so brightly colored it must be powered by the Main Street Electrical Parade), I was too wearied by this computer generated smoke and mirrors show to care. (5/10)

"Must... not... fart..."

Reviews by Kirby Holt, Movie Dearest creator, editor and head writer.

Reverend's Reviews: Movie Awards 2016 - Is Hollywood Finally Embracing Diversity?

 

The Screen Actors Guild, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Broadcast Film Critics Association and many critics groups across the US have been busily proclaiming the best movies of 2016. Yet to come are selections by the Directors Guild of America, the Producers Guild and, of course, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

Thus far, three movies are dominating the major award categories: Manchester by the Sea (my pick for the best film of 2016, see below); the splashy musical La La Land; and the understated, deeply personal Moonlight. While the first doesn’t offer much in the way of diversity when it comes to ethnicity or sexual orientation, the other two boast African-American performers as well as, in the case of Moonlight, a central character who is both black and gay.

Filmmakers and studio chiefs have been under tremendous public pressure this past year to make more movies that incorporate racial, gender and sexual diversity. Things exploded a year ago when, for the second year in a row, all 20 of the Academy Awards’ acting nominees were white. Perceived as more than an issue of oversight, many American films have been accused of purposefully failing to reflect reality in a nation where ethnic minorities now make up the combined majority.

Things improved in 2016 in terms of the depiction of black stories and lives on screen. While Moonlight may be the most significant of these, The Birth of a Nation, The Fits, Hidden Figures, Loving and Denzel Washington’s film version of the play Fences have all also been met with acclaim. Unfortunately, studios haven’t made as much recent progress when it comes to Latino, Asian or LGBTQ stories.

Historically, progress has been made in fits and starts in Hollywood, not unlike society as a whole. As society and movies tend to reflect one another’s needs and concerns, cinematic stories will continue to become more diverse and inclusive. The impending presidency of Donald Trump may well fuel and further this development rather than impede it.

At least three awards-bestowing groups are also doing their best to move progress along. The African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) has annually honored the best in black-themed movies since 2003. Their pick for best film of 2016? Moonlight, which could be considered a recognition of the movie’s gay elements as well.

Meanwhile, GLAAD presents its Media Awards each year to films, TV shows, online programs and other positive depictions of LGBTQ lives. The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA), founded in 2008, has done the same with its annual Dorian Awards while also honoring mainstream movies and TV programs. Both GLAAD and GALECA will announce their 2016 nominees and winners this month, with Moonlight all but assured of receiving multiple nominations.

It is a good sign that GALECA, which I currently serve as Vice President, has garnered increased attention from the major studios during the past few years. Universal, Focus, Paramount, Fox Searchlight, The Weinstein Company and Lionsgate/Summit are among those who now recognize GALECA as an official critics’ group. But a few major studios remain frustratingly resistant to our efforts to consider their releases for our Dorian Awards.

No, the road to progress and diversity in Hollywood and the media at large has never been a smooth one. Here’s hoping those driving the bus (or in some cases pushing it) will continue to accelerate in the new year, assuring greater representation by LGBTQ and all Americans.

Since I’m sure you are wondering, here are my personal picks of the best movies of 2016 as well as their remaining awards prospects:

1) Manchester by the Sea. A sometimes devastating, sometimes comical, always authentic exploration of grief by writer-director Kenneth Lonergan. Look for lead actor Casey Affleck (Ben’s younger brother) to be nominated for and potentially win Best Actor, as well as Lonergan’s screenplay.

2) Life, Animated. Disney had a stellar year with such blockbusters as Finding Dory, The Jungle Book, Moana and Zootopia. My personal favorite was their rather radical “re-imagining” of Pete’s Dragon. However, the very best Disney film of the year wasn’t actually produced by them. It is this independent documentary detailing how a young, autistic man learned to communicate again via the animation giant’s past masterpieces.

3) Moonlight and The Fits. Two unique, equally great explorations of black young people coming of age, one a gay man and the other a girl on the brink of adolescence whose dance team becomes afflicted with a mysterious ailment. Both become empowered characters in overdue, empowering films. Moonlight is bound to continue to sweep nominations and awards in various categories.

4) Hail, Caesar! The Coen brothers’ latest left many viewers cold but I loved its satiric approach to Hollywood politics, religion and big-screen epics of the 1950’s. Its great cast includes Tilda Swinton as dueling, twin gossip columnists and Channing Tatum as a singing and dancing Communist spy. The Coens could possibly net an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay if their subject hasn’t hit too close to home for some modern-day studio heads.

5) Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, Political Animals and Women He’s Undressed. Three excellent documentaries on major LGBT figures: artist-photographer Robert Mapplethorpe; lesbian legislators Christine Kehoe, Sheila Kuehl, Jackie Goldberg and Carole Migden; and Oscar-winning costume designer Orry-Kelly. They are very different from one another stylistically but should not be missed by anyone with even a passing interest in LGBT history.

6) Love & Friendship. An exquisite and very funny adaptation of Jane Austen’s Lady Susan, involving a matchmaker and her ensuing assortment of love triangles. Wittily directed by Whit Stillman (The Last Days of Disco), with Stillman regular Chloë Sevigny appearing as an American in England who fears being scalped if forced to return to then-primitive Connecticut. Out British actor Stephen Fry makes a typically amusing cameo.

7) Captain Fantastic. This truly original story features a father (an excellent Viggo Mortensen, who could draw Oscar attention) raising his children in the wilderness, far from the “contaminating” reaches of modern society. When his wife commits suicide, they must leave their pristine environment to retrieve her body. Social, legal and family conflicts galore result in Matt Ross’s perceptive, insightful film.

8) Arrival. A gripping cut above typical alien invasion fare, with a dash of time travel mixed in. Likely Oscar nominee Amy Adams shines as a linguist drafted to try to communicate with extraterrestrial visitors with possibly hostile intentions. Director Denis Villenueve keeps audiences guessing and on their toes until the very end.

9) La La Land. An often dazzling pastiche of/homage to movie musicals of the 1960’s. The plot will be familiar to anyone who has seen A Star is Born but talented writer-director Damien Chazelle brings it up to date with the help of photogenic leads Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. I predict this will win the Oscar for Best Picture, given its many successful ingredients and glamorization of old-school Hollywood. GALECA members are eating it up too.

10) 10 Cloverfield Lane and The Witch. I’m notoriously picky when it comes to horror/suspense films, but these serve up a creepy and genuinely unpredictable 1-2 punch. Together, they make evil aliens and witches frighteningly believable while revealing how the “normal” and well-meaning among us may pose the worst threats.

And the worst movies of 2016, in no particular order of non-distinction: The Dressmaker, Cell, The Girl on the Train (despite a superb performance by Emily Blunt), You’re Killing Me, The Lobster, The Blue Hour, You’ll Never Be Alone and Like Cattle Towards Glow.

By Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film and stage critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend's Reviews: Holiday Treats on Stage

 

'Tis the season for all manner of Scrooges, sprites and Santas to take over performance spaces across the country.  It wasn't so long ago that the only productions one could find this time of year were of The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol.  Today, though, there are so many adaptations of popular holiday-themed movies as well as original works that they all couldn't possibly fit into Santa's largest sack.

One that has been on Broadway and tour for several seasons now is Irving Berlin's White Christmas. It is now playing for one week only at Los Angeles' Pantages Theatre before moving on to other cities in the western US.  Two things become quickly apparent in this stage adaptation of the classic 1954 film.  One is that its post-World War II storyline is pretty darn dated, and book writers David Ives and Paul Blake seem to have had no interest in updating it in the slightest.  The second is that the musical really has nothing to do with Christmas aside from the opening number, "Happy Holiday," and the climactic title song with requisite decorated tree and snowfall.

The plot, for those somehow unfamiliar with the movie, involves a male song & dance team, Phil and Bob, who have become stars 10 years after serving in the Army together.  They cross paths with two singing sisters, Betty and Judy, who are en route to perform at a Vermont ski lodge over the Christmas holiday.  But there turns out to be one big problem: Vermont is having a heat wave and no snow is in the forecast, so the girls find their engagement cancelled in the absence of guests.

Leave it to Phil and Bob to come up with a plan to save the girls' engagement as well as the resort's bankruptcy-facing owner, who happens to have been their commanding officer during the war.  They recruit their fellow former soldiers to come to Vermont for Christmas with their families and enjoy a spectacular show, thereby raising enough money to bail everyone out.

White Christmas features plenty of retro-feeling flag waving, spirited tap dance numbers courtesy of director-choreographer Randy Skinner (his non-tap choreography is less impressive), and a cast that is so aggressively energetic they often threaten to go over the top.  This latter observation is especially true of Lorna Luft -- yes, Judy Garland's other daughter -- who overpowers with her Ethel Merman-esque turn in the role the late, great Mary Wickes played in the movie.  Carrie Robbins' costumes are colorful and serviceable enough but can't compare with Edith Head's eye-popping cinematic versions.

It is hard to imagine anyone under the age of 60 being blown away by this show despite its generation-bridging lineup of Berlin standards that also includes "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," "Sisters," "Snow" and "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm."  Still, if its a holiday chestnut one is looking for then White Christmas is a good one to roast.

L. Frank Baum may be best remembered as the author of The Wizard of Oz and its many sequels, but he also offered his own fanciful take on a Yuletide legend.  The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, published in 1902, follows its title subject from birth to near-death and rebirth as the perennial face of Christmas gift-giving.

Local writer Jo McLachlan has adapted Baum's book for the stage and it is now having its premiere production courtesy of Long Beach Shakespeare Company.  The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus runs through December 11th at the Richard Goad Theatre in Long Beach.  As evidenced by the reactions of several children present at its opening night performance, this delightful play with music is a must-see for families and anyone else eager for an infusion of holiday cheer.

We meet the man who will become Santa as a newborn baby abandoned in the mysterious Burzee Forest (which is actually located in the land of Oz).  Adopted by one of the elves and christened "Claus," he grows up under the tutelage of other woodland creatures. Once the Forest King, Ak, takes Claus on a trip around the world, the young man decides to leave the forest and serve his fellow human beings with his developing skills as a toymaker.  However, Claus must first escape the clutches of the evil Awgwas who kidnap him.

McLachlan has done an impressive job of streamlining Baum's lengthy narrative into a kid-friendly 60 minutes.  The addition of a few songs (one features lyrics written by Baum set to music by Edmund Velasco) and dance numbers help hold children's attention.  For me, the best and funniest piece of Ramzi Jneid's choreography involves two reindeer: one is a professional ballerina (the lovely Ashley Wilkerson) while the other reindeer (Amy Paloma Welch) is decidedly, hilariously not as adept.  Dana Leach's colorful costumes and Tim Leach's assortment of clever special effects, including falling "snow" during the show's finale, catch the eye of youngsters and adults alike.

This production also benefits from an assortment of gorgeous projections that evoke the forest setting, complete with snow flurries.  Another more active projection accompanies Claus and Ak on their high-speed global journey.  Long Beach Shakespeare Company has often used such visuals during other performances I've attended but these are their best such effects to date.

Ultimately bringing the fantastical story to life are its great cast members.  In addition to the aforementioned Wilkerson and Paloma Welch, who play a variety of other roles, are Tate Howell as the younger Claus, Andy Kallok as Ak and the older Claus, and Leonardo Lerma as King Awgwa and other characters.  Two students at nearby Lakewood Christian School, Kate Dougherty and Giancarlo Roldan, round out the cast and are making their professional theatre debuts.

All children who attend will be invited to sit in the first row of the audience.  I sat in the second row on opening night so had not only a bird's eye view of the stage but of the youngsters present as well. The continuous expressions of joy and excitement on their faces were proof enough to me that The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus is a theatrical winner.  For tickets, visit LBShakespeare.org or call 562-997-1494.  The company will also be presenting Orson Welles' radio adaptation of A Christmas Carol, as they do every year, the weekend of December 16th-18th.

Reverend's Ratings:
Irving Berlin's White Christmas: C+
The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus: A-

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film and stage critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Movie Dearest Calendar Wallpaper for December 2016: Dreaming of a.....