"Final Girl" (2015) Not the Typical Final Girl

The Trailer:

Director: Tyler Shields
Cast: Abigail Breslin, Wes Bentley, Alexander Ludwig, Logan Huffman, Reece Thompson, & Cameron Bright
Plot Synopsis: William (Wes Bentley), a man who lost his wife and child to a murderer, trains Veronica (Abigail Breslin) from her childhood into her late teens how to be an assassin. As part of her final test to prove her capabilities to William, she must kill a group of teenage boys— Jameson (Alexander Ludwig), Danny (Logan Huffman), Nelson (Reece Thompson), and Shane (Cameron Bright)— who like to lure young, blonde women to a woods and then hunt them in the name of fun.

This is a film for people who appreciate aesthetic over content. If you go into this film simply for the story, you will be disappointed. Not that the plot isn't interesting, but it's not the strongest attribute about the film. Final Girl is a cinematic swirl lollipop: delicious and pretty to look at.

Let's first start with the plot. While not the strongest story, or most plausible, it is still intriguing. After her parents were murdered, Veronica meets William and is quickly vetted into becoming an assassin. William mentions that he is working for an organization, but it's never stated what organization and we never meet anyone else from it. So in the beginning of the film, we see a bit of Veronica's training with William. He trains/tests her in fighting, physical tolerance, and mental endurance. Though they have garnered a kind of parent-child relationship, it seems to have become more intimate as Veronica grows older (the feelings are one-sided though, as it seems William doesn't reciprocate her feelings). While seeing Veronica's training, we are also introduced to the boys (who I will refer to as the Tuxedo Boys when speaking of them collectively, as they wear tuxedos during their hunts) and their hunting habits. As Veronica's last test of training, she must become the Tuxedo Boys next victim in order to subdue and kill them. Simple enough, right? Nothing spectacular or groundbreaking, but a decent story nonetheless. There are a few details that make little sense, but I won't get into them. They're small details that can easily be overlooked, especially if you're watching out of admiration for the cinematography.

The acting is great. Abigail Breslin has proved time and time again that she is a great actor in her various roles, but this role of Veronica might be favorite. She is cunning, manipulative, and calculated while appearing as innocent as a lamb. Wes Bently doesn't spend too much time on screen, but the moments he does, as William, he is cold and distant, but gives of the impression that he genuinely cares about Veronica. The Tuxedo Boys are the best characters of Final Girl. Together, they're great: they're sadistic, a pack of hungry wolves. But apart, they are even better. Alexander Ludwig plays Jameson, the leader of the gang. He is the one who scouts for new girls to hunt, he is the one who lures them in. He is charming, handsome, but ultimately un-sympathetic. Logan Huffman plays Danny, a maniacal man with a winning smile. He is my favorite, not only because of his rockabilly vibes, but because he is totally unhinged in all the best ways. He doesn't attempt normalcy, he allows his crazy to out, front and center. And I love it. Cameron Bright plays Shane, the most human of the group. He is the only one with a girlfriend, proof that he isn't a complete monster like the others because he genuinely cares about her. His relationship with his girlfriend grounds him despite him being a murderous madman. And lastly, the creepiest of the bunch: Nelson played by Reece Thompson. Not only does he have a weird (perhaps incestuous) relationship with his mother, but he is a quiet, subdued sociopath. He enjoys what he does, internally and not externally like the others. He savors the kills to himself. Each actor portraying the Tuxedo Boys does a phenomenal job at their characters, they're convincing, sometimes so insane they seem like caricatures of what evil looks like.

Now for the pièce de résistance: the gorgeous, aesthetically pleasing look and style of Final Girl. After watching the film, I found out that this is director Tyler Shields debut, and he's a photographer. Which is quite apparent as all the scenes are attractively shot. There is this beautiful mix of wide shots and up-close shots, each fantastic in their own rights. The wide shots are great in the way that they capture the large emptiness of the various spaces used throughout the film. Not only are the spaces empty and uninhabited looking, Shields makes great use with lighting the spaces to create daunting shadows. It gives of a film noir vibe. Just look at this gif from the film:

Gorgeous, isn't it? Look at those shadows, and the utilization of the space: it's empty but not without purpose Some of my favorite lighting choices are in the woods. The woods are dark, foggy, and tangled. And there are these large beams of light that come, seemingly, from nowhere creating yet again these dark shadows and silhouettes. The lights also create this provocative, horrific sense of intrigue. It' sexy and dark, just what I like. Then there are these amazing up close, head on shots of the characters during dialogue. It's like a light is trained right on their face and they look directly into the camera, it's disconcerting but also perfect for this film. Additionally, there are scenes which include hallucinatory images that are creepy but not too over-the-top trippy, you know? *Sigh* I just can't get over how amazing tho overall film looks.

Overall, while the plot is interesting it's not entirely original but still watchable. It's the cinematography, the looks, the aesthetic that leaves me speechless and wanting more. I will be patiently (impatiently is probably the better term) for Tyler Shields' next project, film, short. Whatever he makes, I will watch it and hopefully enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Final Girl. Would I watch it again? Yes, repeatedly.

"Wolves" (2015) Werewolves, More Like Borewolves (I know, I'll see myself out)

The Trailer:

Director: David Hayter
Main Cast: Lucas Till, Merritt Patterson, Stephan McHattie, Jason Momoa, & John Pyper-Ferguson
Plot Synopsis: A teenage boy, Cayden (Lucas Till), flees his hometown after he thinks he killed his parents. Before the murder and on the road, he is discovering a strange truth about himself, but wants to know more. With the help of a bizarre stranger, Wild Joe (John Pyper-Ferguson), Cayden heads to a small town called Lupine Ridge where he finds learns the strange truth of his family history.

Such potential, just executed poorly. Oh man. You know, I've never been a self-declared werewolf genre fan (Yes werewolf is it's own genre, alright!). But as I watch more and more werewolf films, I've found that I actually like the genre quite a bit and am very critical of movies posing to be as such. With that being said, I'm not an expert on the genre. I haven't watched every werewolf movie known to human-kind. But I definitely know a good one when I see it and a bad one when I see it. And Wolves is a bad one.

Where do I start? I guess with the plot. Have you ever heard of a more mediocre plot for a werewolf, action, horror flick? I mean, take out the werewolf bit and this could be the plot for any b-movie horror movie. It's dull. And what makes the story worse is that little of it makes any sense. I'm sorry about this but there are about to be some spoilers (!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!) Okay so shortly after Cayden gets to this little town of Lupine Ridge, he finds out that Conner (Jason Momoa), the head of a vicious werewolf gang, is his father, though Connor doesn't know this, thus making Cayden a werewolf. Not only that, but Connor took Cayden's mother "by force" (which I suppose is a PG way of saying rape) and then after she gave birth to Cayden, she killed herself. We later find out that Connor realizes he is getting older and wants to leave a legacy (i.e. a child) and so is going to take Angelina (Meritt Patterson), Cayden's new girlfriend (because of course he had to fall in love), "by force". This is also sanctioned by the leaders of the town as they don't want any confrontatiosn with Connor's gang. Once we find all this out, the whole trying to find out more about his family thing is completely thrown out the window so that the movie can now focus on how Cayden is going to save his new girlfriend. My gripe with this is that instead of Cayden trying to convince Connor that "hey I'm your son, so you don't need to rape Angelina" he just immediately decides I'm going to attempt to intimidate Connor into not hurting Angelina. Yeah, intimidate, not kill or hurt or anything like that: Cayden just wants to scare Connor into submission. And you know, I can see why Cayden would'nt want to approach Connor with the information that he's his son, but just the fact that that train of thought never crossed his mind is preposterous. Now for the biggest problem I have with the movie I have to go back and explain some things. Okay, so pretty early on we find out Cayden was adopted by normal parents (not werewolves). Later when we find out who his real parents are, we find out why he was put up for adoption: John (Stephan McHattie), Cayden's great uncle, didn't want Connor to raise Cayden. A while later, towards the end, we find out that John has a family tree type thing that lists various werewolf bloodlines. My question is why would they send Cayden off to be adopted by non-werewolf parents when they knew of other werewolf families? I mean they had to have known that one day Cayden wouldn't be able to contain his werewolf nature and would most likely hurt people because of it. That just doesn't make sense. (!!!Spoiler Alert Over!!!) So now that the ridiculous logic of the movie has been pointed out, we can talk about the sheer dullness of the film. There is little to no drama, and the drama that is present is near soap-opera levels that it becomes laughable. At a certain point, it almost becomes a children's movie with a let's outsmart the fox type of story. Ugh! And don't even get me started on the absurd dialogue. Oh, goodness, it is so bad. Mostly there is just a lot of cheesy one-liners that can only evoke a small chuckle, and not the intrigue and drama that the writer was going for.

Now for the production and cinematography. Production wise, the movie looks great for it's budget. It had a fairly small budget, but the creators used it wisely and made a fantastic looking movie. It's crisp, the colors are vibrant, sound is good, lighting is fantastic, the score is decent , etc., etc. Now, direction wise and cinematography wise, there are some questionable choices. Somehow it feels like multiple people were directing this movie. The way some scenes are shot don't match with other scenes: in other words there are various directing styles utilized. Now this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it fails when all the scenes were edited together. With all these various directing styles, it feels like the movie didn't know what it wanted to be. A horror? A drama? A coming-of-age tale? An action flick? What do you want to be? Overall the cinematography is incoherent and it's jarring to see these different styles trying to be meshed together. It just didn't work. Present also, are truly bad shots and camera angles, like all the scenes of Cayden on the motorcycle. Additionally, with the editing, there are some scenes shown in slow-motion that didn't need to be in slow-mo. And while, yes the slow-mo scenes are mostly during fighting sequences, it still wasn't needed. Furthermore, there is the use of a voice-over by our protagonist, Cayden, that served no purpose and was dropped sometime in the first half of the movie. The acting is decent, but nothing to talk about so I won't. The cherry on top of this underwhelming cake is the special effects of the werewolves themselves. Now I'm sure that it took some real skill and hard work to create the look of the werewolves, but they just weren't up to the standards that I would like them to be. They actually reminded me of the rippers from Tank Girl (which, by the way, if you haven't seen Tank Girl I suggest you watch it).

The top photo is a werewolf from this movie and the picture below is of a ripper from Tank Girl. Do you see the similarities? Or is it just me? I don't know. Anyways, not only are the werewolves not super cool (but professionally and aptly created nonetheless) there is no great transition scene. You know most werewolf movies have it; a scene where you see all the gory, bone-cracking details of what it takes to transition from human to wolf. That one scene is usually what makes or breaks a werewolf film. And yet, Wolves doesn't have one. I mean sure we see small clips of hair growing out of their backs, of their nails growing longer, but never a full, sequence which is a bit disappointing.

Overall, I wasn't impressed. For creators to make a movie with a creature that we've seen many times before, and that's been done better before, their movie has to be so amazing and well-done that it is set apart from all the others. It's gotta be able to pay homage to the classics, but still be original enough that the fans of the classics and new fans will enjoy it all the same. The one thing I did like about Wolves is the mythology that explains certain things about the wolves, such as the original bloodlines and how to become one and all that fun stuff. Would I watch this again? Nah, not even on a full moon.

"Last Shift" (2015) The King of Hell

The Trailer:

Director: Anthony DiBlasi
Main Cast: Juliana Harkavy
Plot Summary: Jessica Loren (Juliana Harkavy) a rookie cop who on her first day of work has to work the last shift of a closing police station. She is told by Sergeant Cohen (Hank Stone) that her only duty is wait for a HAZMAT team who will be there to dispose of material evidence that is no longer needed. After the Sergeant leaves, she is left alone to discover the horrors that dwell within the station.

You don't know how long it's been since I've seen a decent horror film, let alone an amazing one. Until I watched this little gem, that it. And though it's fairly popular and talked about among the horror community, few people have seen it. So I'm telling you right now to watch it. Don't bother reading the rest of what I've written, go watch this freaking awesome film! There's so much to like about Last Shift: it's host to genuinely unsettling atmosphere, solid acting by Juliana Harkavy, an intriguing story with depth, character development (or character regression, perhaps), and in a creepy setting, though it's a setting we've seen before.

I'm going to first discuss the setting. We've seen films set in police stations before. In November of last year I reviewed Let Us Prey, which is another horror flick set in a police station. And in that review I mentioned another film The Traveler, which is also set in, you guessed it, a police station. So that location is not a new idea or anything, but it hasn't been overdone and it still really entices me. The police station adds an extra layer of fear, because of the connotations that come with it. When we think of a police station, we think of someone going there to report a horrendous crime such as murder, rape, assault, burglary. Or in other words, real life horrors. Also even the simple notion of having to speak or being interrogated by an authority figure such as a cop might provoke feelings of fear or nervousness. So with just the small detail of being set in a police station already brings with it some kind of uncomfortable feelings. Not only that, but add to it that the police station is vacant save for the main character, Officer Jessica Loren. Other than her, there is no one else there, the station is empty. It's not just the locale, either. There's a certain fascination that comes with the idea of a police officer, someone who is typically very logical and practical, will fall victim to something paranormal. It's these details that are the foundation of the film that begin to manifest a tangible fear within us. And I'm all for it!

Now for the story and/or plot. While at times it does fall into the typical formula of abandoned-building-with-a-haunted-past type of film (sorry for the long hyphenated term), there is still something about Last Shift that sets it apart from the others. I think it may be the fact that it never tries to be anything that it isn't. You know what I mean? The creators really understood that what they were making was a straightforward, psychological horror film and never tried to be more than that. The spirit of this film is very stripped down, not too over-the-top, and simple. Plus, the way that the film centers around one character and utilizing various aspects and details of her life to create this kind of hallucinatory, psychological air of fear is fantastic and aptly produced. Furthermore, the lone character of Jessica Loren is relatable and real. She rarely dips into the clichés of females in horror films, and instead is smart, grounded, and passionate about her job. Which makes her descent into madness all the more interesting. The detail I love the most about Officer Loren is how she whispers the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics to herself in times of despair in order to reassure herself, because that shows the level of competence she feels she has to live up to as an officer. Thus adding to the depth of her character. And Juliana Harkavy plays Officer Jessica Loren with such conviction and authenticity. I mean, to watch her become completely overcome with paranoia and terror when having realizations at various parts of the film is compelling and you'll feel scared along with her. Oh, so good!

Now for the horror aspect. I know I've said, stated, proclaimed, and professed my complete dislike of jump scares but this fucking movie has changed my mind forever on the matter. Now here, in Last Shift, these are jump scares done right. I have three reasons why I appreciate and was genuinely scared by them. One: The jump scares are not super in your face. They're subtle and without the usual buildup (you know the score that gets increasingly intense all the way up into a crescendo that announces a jump scare is about to happen). It's like the scare just happens and you're truly not expecting it and so it actually takes you by surprise. Two: Quite a few of the jump scares are only for us, the viewers to see. Example: the lights will flash off then come back on and there will be a frightening visual that is literally right behind Officer Jessica Loren, but she doesn't see it. That's fucking terrifying because there's a danger that she's not aware of and we can't warn her about it, you know? Three: The film would be just as terrifying without the jump scares. This is the number one, most important reason that makes the jump scares in this film work. If all of the jump scares were taken out, the film still has atmosphere, bizarre, creepy, imagery, and a good story. So bravo, Last Shift creators for changing m mind about jump scares. (I still don't like shitty jump scares) Moving on, speaking of bizarre, creepy imagery this film has a boat load of it. There's blood, mangled and/or distorted bodies, cult-like gatherings, and etc. What more could you want? But, oh there's more! There's these other strange characters that don't have any explanation, yet each add yet another layer of fear either simply because of their outward presence, their insane rantings, or their enlightening conversation. Whatever the case may be, each of those strange characters push the film further into the psychological abyss. And then on top of all this, the director and cinematographer worked together to shoot certain scenes (at least two scenes, that I can remember) utilizing little to no horror visuals, they purely play off of our own imagination and fears. Thus generating scenes that are only as horrifying as our imaginations will allow, which in my case is pretty fucking scary! Oh and, since Officer Loren is waiting for the HAZMAT team to come, there is sense of time being whittled away, like she only has to make it until a certain time and then she'll be home free, you know? So we, and she, knows that as long as she stays strong enough to get through the few hours allotted for her to be there, and survives, she will be okay. But because of that abstract timer, the further along we get into her shift, the more we realize that things are just going to get increasingly worse and worse and so we wonder, will she get out? All these different elements of fear create this overall psychological whirlwind that just sweeps you up and holds you tight until the very end.

Last Shift is not this great horror masterpiece, but it is very close. I was terrified the entire time, from beginning to end and I loved every second. Seriously if you haven't seen this film, you need to watch it! Like right now! I don't even know why you're still reading this, you should already be watching the movie!!! Would I watch it again? Uhh, yes!!! 

"Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival" (2015) Always Alleluia

The Trailer:

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman
Main Cast: Paul Sorvino, Adam Pascal, & Emilie Autumn
Plot: Lucifer (Terrance Zdunich) and his carnies enact a plan to finally dismantle God (Paul Sorvino).

Ahhh, so amazing!!! I can't tell you how long I've waited for this film to come out and finally watching it made the wait so totally worth it. It is everything I expected and more! The songs are fabulous, the new characters are entertaining, the sets are eye-catching, and the story brings to light God's inherent desire to keep all his denizens in check by any means necessary. Alleluia! is sometimes a sequel, but most times a prequel to what we saw in The Devil's Carnival.

The creating duo of Terranze Zdunich and Darren Lynn Bousman did it again. They created a gorgeous world that serves as their vision of Heaven. The sets and designs are well crafted, almost seedy. Heaven has this gritty, 1930's speak-easy feel to it. There is a warm, fuzzy glow to everything, but that fuzzy dreaminess only seems to be there to mask what's going on just beneath the surface. God rules over his angels as a tyrant would: he walks around with this false benevolence, as though he actually cares about his denizens. Underneath his jolly charm, though, he is a cruel master who forces his angels to bend to his every whim under the cloak that it is for the betterment of Heaven. He holds this sentiment that his angels should feel so lucky to exist in his Heaven, and so should never question his actions or authority. He is much like an abuser in that way: he intimidates his angels into submission, making them believe that when they are punished, for seemingly silly things, it is their fault. This God is not the wonderful God we hear of in daily life, this is a cruel God who abuses his power to get what he wants. This cruelty lends itself to the reasons why Lucifer seeks to destroy God and his Heaven. This film isn't a direct follow-up to what happened in The Devil's Carnival, but instead starts a few months after Lucifer has been sending trains full of "redeemed" sinners to Heaven, much to God's dismay. But Alleluia! also works as a prequel to tell the story of one of Lucifer's carnies, Painted Doll, or June as she is called in this film, (Emilie Autumn) and her fall from Heaven. And while there is some going back and forth between past and present, it never becomes confusing. Though, I will say, that the film spends much more time in the past than in the present, but that's not without purpose. The purpose of showing so much of June's time spent in heaven is to capitalize how much of an oppressive ruler God is over his Heaven. The Aesop Fable chosen to highlight June's life in Heaven is The Ass and the Lapdog, a tale which the writer chose to tweak a bit to fit the overall plot of the film, but not so much that the story's moral lesson is altered. I won't go into detail about the plot as it is much better, in my opinion, to go in and let the story unfold in front of you rather than you knowing before hand what it's about. I will say, though, that it is tragic and heartbreaking.

So let's move on to the many famous faces we see in Heaven. We are introduced to a slew of new characters, characters I hope will be returning for the next film. In Heaven, first we have Cora (Lyndon Smith), an applicant in Heaven and June's friend. Then there's the Publicist (Ted Neely), who serves as a sort of radio broadcaster to broadcast the songbird's songs that teach of God's greatness. Next is the Designer (David Hasselhoff) who designs all of God's and the angels clothes. Then there's the Librarian (Tech N9ne), who protects the books of God's word, and makes sure everyone is living by the book. Then there's the Agent (Adam Pascal), who is quite literally God's lapdog, kind of like an assistant. Then the Translators— Translator Batez (Chantal Claret) and Translator Bentz (Jimmy Urine)— who are the ones who dole out punishment for anyone going against the word of God. Last of Heaven's denizens, there is the Watchword (Barry Bostwick) who is like Heaven's TMZ. Now in Hell, first there is the Smith (Danny Worsnop), the blacksmith who creates weapons for Lucifer's attack on Heaven. The Rosy Bayonettes— Click (Brea Grant), Lock (Carla Harvey), and Twist (Heidi Shepherd)— who are the warriors of Hell. Then of course we have all the characters who we were introduced to in The Devil's Carnival. The Scorpion (Marc Senter), the rebellious badboy of Hell. The Twin (Nivek Ogre), who can shapeshift into any person. The Ticket Keeper (Dayton Callie), who keeps Hell running smoothly and is like Lucifer's assistant. Ms. Merrywood (Briana Evigan), one of the lost souls sent back to Heaven. The Major (J. LaRose), leader of the Hell Harmonic. The Magician (Bill Moseley), who is a bad magician. And lastly, The Fool (Mighty Mike Murga), who apparently fools people. As you can see there are quite a few characters, most of Hell's characters, or actually Lucifer's carnies, don't spend a lot of time on screen in Alleluia!, (they had their chance in The Devil's Carnival) but remain as lovable as ever. Most of Heaven's denizens, or angels, have a bit of screen time. Most of them have a chance to sing their own song which serves as an introduction to them and what they do in Heaven. Overall, all of them did fantastic jobs at their parts and sang wonderfully. The songs, by the way, are just as amazing if not better than the songs in The Devil's Carnival. My favorite being Hoof and Lap/ The Devil's Carnival sung by Emilie Autumn :

Don't you just love that German chorus? But in all honesty, all the songs are my favorite. I literally listened to the soundtrack on repeat for about a month straight before I ever even saw the movie. Like most fans and followers of The Devil's Carnival, I ordered the soundtrack months ago as that was the only way I could become familiar with the film when it wasn't out for sale yet.

I know, I didn't tell you much about the film. Especially if you're not familiar with The Devil's Carnival franchise (is it a franchise? that seems like such a commercial word for what these films are), this may not even register to you as praise or recommendation. But trust me, this is a film you don't want to miss. If you love movie musicals, especially those with some fun horror elements, you have to watch this. Though I would recommend you watch The Devil's Carnival first, then Alleluia!. But beware, once you watch you will be obsessed. And you will definitely have to pick a side: are you a sinner, or a saint? Anyways, this film is fucking amazing and I can't wait to see how the battle between Heaven and Hell, Lucifer and God, will go down. (Side Note: I am definitely a sinner and hope for Hell's victory! Hail!!)

"The Devil's Carnival" (2012) You Can't Help But Fall

The Trailer:

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman
Cast: Sean Patrick Flannery, Briana Evigan, & Jessica Lowndes
Plot Summary: Three lost souls— John (Sean Patrick Flannery), Ms. Merrywood (Briana Evigan), and Tamara (Jessica Lowndes)— find themselves in the depths of Hell in the Devil's Carnival. Each are faced with the sins they committed in life and must decide if they will continue with their sinful ways, or will they allow themselves to be redeemed?

Okay, so this devilishly wonderful film is one of my personal faves. I've watched it about a million times: I love it that much. I decided to talk about, though, because I just received the sequel in the mail the other day (I pre-ordered it sometime in December) and plan on discussing that one in a future blog post. But I couldn't just talk about the sequel without y'all knowing my feelings about the first one, right? By the way, this film is a musical, so if you're not into that, don't watch it.

I'm first going to discuss the creating duo of Darren Lynn Bousman (director) and Terrance Zdunich (writer/actor). This is the second project they've done together: The first being Repo! The Genetic Opera, which is another one of my faves. The world that they create here in The Devil's Carnival is glorious and magical. A carnival in hell, while not an entirely original concept, is frightening and executed to a tee. The set is lavishly decorated with carnival games, booths, tents, and etc. There is a warm glow to everything, rich colors and a slew of crazily costumed characters that complete the look of every scene. The separate stories of these three lost souls (who, if mentioned collectively, I will refer to them as the Sinners) are intriguing, though a little confusing at first. The first fifteen minutes or so are a tad bit puzzling as it's hard to decipher whether the Sinners' stories are going to converge or stay separate. And only gets more confusing as John and Ms. Merrywood latch onto each other, while Tamara never makes contact with them. But once you accept that Tamara is going to remain alone in her journey through the carnival, it'll be smooth sailing from then on. To further explain the types of people the Sinners are, Lucifer (Terrance Zdunich) uses Aesop's Fables to help convey the sins they committed in life and how they struggle now in Hell with those same sins. As a fan of literature in general, I am pleased at the allusions made between the characters of Aesonp's Fables and the three Sinners we are presented with in this film. The Sinners, with parallels to their respective fables, are each met with a challenge/test that will determine if they're worthy of redemption or if they will continuously cycle through the carnival committing the same sins over and over again for all eternity.

Now for the acting. The actors portraying the Sinners are fantastic as are the actors who portray the carnies. Sean Patrick Flannery is amazing as John, a grieving father who couldn't deal with the death of his child, or the guilt he felt for his son's death rather, and chose to end his life because of it. Throughout the film he insists that his son is lost in the carnival and that he must find him. He is a frazzled, nervous, sad man which Sean Patrick Flannery captures vividly and with such anguish. Ms. Merrywood on the other hand is a kleptomaniac, stealing anything and everything she can get her hands on. She is a manipulative, conniving woman with no regards for others. Her brash attitude is portrayed with such vigor by the wonderful Briana Evigan: no one else could play that part as well as she does. Tamara, the last and least sinful of the sinners, is sent to hell for being a gullible teenager. She constantly finds herself in situations where she puts too much trust in others and ends up getting hurt for it, and does the same thing upon waking up in the carnival. Jessica Lowndes has a naive innocence about her that works perfectly for this character. Other actors include Dayton Callie, Emilie Autumn, Marc Senter, Ivan Moody, Nivek Ogre, Alexa PenaVega, Bill Moseley, & Paul Sorvino. Everyone has screen time, though most aren't on screen very long. But they all leave an impression, which carries over into the sequel. On top of their great acting skills, the singing is just as impressive. All the songs in the film are catchy and fun with sometimes silly lyrics or sometimes very dark lyrics. Eaither way, each song gets across a point and is sung with soul by each and all of the characters. My favorite song is probably Grace for Sale, which you can listen to here:

But every song is pretty fucking amazing!

What I love most about The Devil's Carnival is it's take on Heaven and Hell, God and the Devil (interchangeable with Lucifer in this film) . Here we are shown Lucifer to be magnanimous and generous though still devious, while God is shown to be careless and cruel. I also kind of like the implied idea that God may not be as wonderful and pious as he's always portrayed to be, that he may be more vicious than the Devil. This first installment in the series (they hope to make three films) is the introduction to hell and the start of a war between Heaven and Hell, a war that God isn't prepared for. In the end, the film might not be the best produced piece of cinema ever made, but it's made with a lot of heart and a lot of love. Everyone who is working on this project is doing it because they have a passion for the story and what it stands for. The only bad thing about I'll say about this film is that it is only fifty-five minutes long. Like, what? How can you tell a story this grand in under an hour? But I suppose that is due to budgetary reasons. Anyways, like I said this is one of my favorite films ever in life and I have already watched multiple and will continue to watch it multiple times. It's that fucking good.

"Dope" (2015) I'm Eating Good

The Trailer:

Director: Rick Famuyiwa
Main Cast: Shameik Moore, Kiersey Clemmons, & Tony Revolori
Plot Summary: Three young geeks—Malcom (Shameik Moore), Diggy (Kiersey Clemmons), and Jib (Tony Revolori)— living in Inglewood, California have a life changing adventure after attending a local drug dealer's birthday party.

There is only one word to describe this film: DOPE! I cannot get over how much I like it. This is the first movie in a long while where it's a constant five star masterpiece through and through. There is not one dull moment, every scene has a purpose. Dope is a coming-of-age tale for a new generation, the generation of millennials who lack a true knowledge of a world without technology and who are immersed in internet culture. And while, yes there is plenty of drama, the writers were not afraid to pile on the laughs, which there are plenty of.

The first thing I have to comment on is the acting. Shameik Moore, Kiersey Clemmons, and Tony Revolori are realistic reflections of youth today. You know how sometimes you watch movies about teenagers and the whole time you're thinking "what teenager acts like that? dresses like that? talks like that?", but Dope captures teenagers of today in a fresh, genuine, funky way and I am so happy for it. I mean, I knew kids like this when I was in high school (which was only four years ago). Oh, and they aren't a bunch of thirty year olds trying to pass off as high schoolers, they all look young which is so helpful in keeping us focused on the story at hand. And I credit these realistic characters not only to the writers, but to the actors who embody their characters so wholly and give us each a convincing performance that never dips into clichés or stereotypes. Malcolm is a smart, do-gooder, with a strong moral compass and dreams of a higher education at Harvard, who was raised by a single mother living in a bad neighborhood. He is nothing like the other kids living in his neighborhood and finds himself as an outsider most of the time, along with his two friends Diggy and Jib. Diggy is a lesbian whose family has tried to pray the gay out of her, and who has naive ideals about political correctness, and a strong sense of loyalty. Jib is a funny, chill yet nervous kid who also has dreams of a higher education despite being from a bad neighborhood. Each character displayed beautiful parabolic character arcs that not only forces each of them to believe in themselves, but also solidifies their friendship to one another. That's what I love most about these characters: their friendship. I have faith in their loyalty and the real love they feel for one another. And in a world where everyone is living with the sentiment of "every man for himself", this is a heartwarming and refreshing reminder that with people who we truly love, we can accomplish anything. Also, let me just say that with this film, each actor laid down a solid foundation for very promising careers. So let's give them a round of applause, y'all!!

Now for the plot. So as I said in the summary, Malcom, Diggy, and Jib attend a local drug dealers party, despite their better judgement, and end up in possession of a large amount of drugs. In an attempt to rid themselves of the drugs, they end up getting into more shenanigans: some of it ridiculously funny, some of it terrifyingly dangerous. I won't get into any of the situations they find themselves in, because then what would be the point of watching it, right? But I will say that through this plot we, the audience, are posed with a lot of valid questions about American society, racism, and political correctness. And the film does this without being preachy or condescending. They simply lay the questions out there so we can figure out the answers to them for ourselves. The direction, cinematography, and editing of the film is brilliant. The story and execution of it is amazing and created a space for the actors to give organic performances. The cinematography is gorgeous: every scene has bold colors, is crisp, and just chock full of vivid visuals. The editing might be the best part of Dope: there are scenes that will be shown, and then a flashback of what lead to that moment and it's just perfect. Plus the meme montage!! I mean, are you kidding me? Memes are so relevant to internet culture and utilizing that makes the film very fresh and new. Although I do realize that the usage of memes will inevitably age the movie— let's be real, we all know one day memes will be a thing of the past—, but I appreciate that time stamp. This film will always be a reflection of what 2015 was for the younger millennial generation and will serve as a reminder for us when we watch this movie at an older age. Oooh, and then the soundtrack is out-of-this-world, fantastic! It fits the story well and might just be the best soundtrack to a film ever! The moment I heard Korn in the film, I knew that this soundtrack was going to be unsurpassable by any other film score/soundtrack. Especially the songs that were produced for this film performed by Malcom, Diggy, and Jib's band "Awreeoh" are amazing. They're so good, I'm about to go download them right now!

While I do realize that the path the characters take in Dope isn't a recommended path to success, I believe it's more about what they learn from their journey. It's about the beautiful character arcs each of them had, and how it made them stronger, more dependable, loyal people who realized that they did want a better life than what is expected of them. They are not going to fall into the stereotypes of people who grow up in the hood, they are going to be better. But not out of a desire to prove people wrong or show them that despite where they come from they can be something, they want a better life because that's what everyone should want: not just poor kids from a bad neighborhood. And that's what I love about Dope. It's a film that demonstrates that who you become isn't only because of your circumstances, it's because of your choices also. Would I watch this film again? Hell fucking yeah!

"The Wiz Live!" (2015) Ease on Down To The Wiz

The Trailer:

Director: Matthew Diamond & Kenny Leon
Cast: Shanice Williams, Elijah Kelley, Ne-Yo, David Alan Grier, Amber Riley, Mary J. Blige, Queen Latifah, & Uzo Aduba
Plot Summary: Dorothy Gale (Shanice Williams), a young girl whisked away from her Kansas home to the land of Oz, must find her way to the Wiz (Queen Latifah) with the help of the Scarecrow (Elijah Kelley), the Tin-Man (Ne-Yo), and the Cowardly Lion (David Alan Grier) all while trying to avoid the wicked witch of the west, Evillene (Mary J. Blige). Based on the 1975 Broadway musical "The Wiz", which is a modern retelling of the Wizard of Oz using only black actors.

Have I ever told you that one of my favorite movies of all time is The Wizard of Oz? Well it is, and due to the immense love I have for that movie, I refused to watch any retelling and/or reboot of it: meaning I've never seen the 1978 movie musical, The Wiz. I was afraid that either I would love it more than The Wizard of Oz, or that I would be so offended at their inability to capture the magic of the original, or that my undying love for the original wouldn't allow for me to watch a remake without bias. Then when I heard that NBC was going to do a live production of The Wiz, I was both excited and hesitant to watch it. And you can see how long my ambivalence about watching it lasted as I barely watched it two days ago, even though it came out in December of last year. And now I'm questioning why I waited so long? The Wiz Live! is absolutely dazzling and full of life.

Every single aspect of this NBC production is flawless. Everything from the acting, singing, costumes, sets, and etc. goes above and beyond to create a world of magic and soul. I sat there open-mouthed and wonder struck at the sheer magnitude and entertainment value of it. And when I say magnitude, I mean that there is this bigness to the show despite it being filmed on a small rotating stage. And, might I add, I one hundred percent respect the director's for choosing to use a small stage space instead of multiple sound stages: with a small stage that mimics a real theater show, it makes the whole production feel that much more authentic and helps us realize how much work was actually put into this show. The sets, with the help of digital screens for the background, are the most wondrous things to ever hit the small screen. You'll really feel as though you've been transported to a mystical land. Adding the attractive sets are the befitting costumes: the costumes are colorful, bright, glittering, and envy-inducing (well maybe only envy-inducing for me since my only life wish is to live in a musical). The poppies being my favorite costumed-characters in the show:

Not only are they everything I wish my wardrobe to be filled with, they are seductive yet sweet. And then the makeup is the ultimate topping on the visuals. The Scarecrow, the Tin-Man, and the Cowardly Lion are so flawlessly made up, they'll leave you in awe.

Now for the actors involved with this tremendous project. This is Shanice William's first ever performance, live or on screen. And I couldn't even tell. She has this presence on that stage that demands an audience to watch her because she is so outstanding as Dorothy Gale. And her voice is like a songbird, elegant and crisp. Elijah Kelley as the Scarecrow is perfect: he embodies this beloved character who doubts his own intellectual abilities while also being endearing and sweet. Ne-Yo who, despite I never being a huge fan of (I don't dislike him so much as I am indifferent about his music career), blew me away as the Tin-Man: his dancing, singing, and acting are all on par with the rest of the cast and is just pure fun. Then David Alan Grier as the Cowardly Lion is probably my favorite character (funny enough, the Cowardly Lion is my least favorite character in The Wizard of Oz); he is a cool cat full of soul and groove, I love him. His song "Mean Ole Lion" might be favorite song of the entire show! Amber Riley, who plays Addapearle, has only a small part in the beginning and the end of the show but is such a character with her silly antics and "magic" abilities that I feel she should've had more screen-time, but I suppose that wouldn't fit with the rest of the story. Mary J. Blige as Evillene is the most wickedly wicked witch that ever was, and that's all I have to say about her. Queen Latifah as The Wiz is my favorite rendition of the wizard I have ever seen: she's funny, horrendous, and her costume is to die for. And then Uzo Aduba as Glinda, the good witch of the South has her one song to shine, and does so like a supernova. Adding to their impeccable acting abilities that bring all these well known characters to life, but all of their singing is absolutely amazing!!! I am not disappointed one bit about the casting choices because I think each actor brought their own singing and acting skills and weaved them together seamlessly. But let's not forget about the dancing, their dancing is just as impressive as their singing and acting. Especially those in the ensemble, I mean did you see those Cirque De Soleil dancers as Evillene's Winged Warriors? It's just a small moment, but they're doing flips and whatnot on bouncy stilts, like what? It's totally magical. It's like I mentioned before, every little detail and aspect of this live show adds to the overall magic of the show.

After watching The Wiz Live! I realize that the intention of the The Wiz wasn't to replace the original The Wizard of Oz, but merely to serve as a different perspective on a classic tale. The heart and soul of the original movie and story is still there, but with a lot more soul and grooviness. I loved every minute of this particular live production, and still love The Wizard of Oz as much as I did before. They're two completely tellings of the same story, but should be treated as individuals rather than companions or two things to be compared. Also, if I may add, I appreciate that The Wiz Live! stays truer to the book with the inclusion of the winkies, and the two good witches rather than just Glinda, and Dorothy's silver shoes. That's awesome and duly noted. Would I watch it again? Yes, I just have to ease on down the road back to the Wiz.

"Selma" (2014) A March To Freedom

The Trailer:

Director: Ava DuVernay
Cast: David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, & Tom Wilkinson
Plot Summary: A film that chronicles Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s (David Oyelowo) efforts to ensure the equal voting rights of black Americans through instigating and carrying out the long march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.

You know how I said Behind the Candelabra was an emotional roller-coaster and left me wanting to cry just thinking about it, well that was before I had seen this poignant film about the brave souls who tirelessly fought for the freedoms we have today. And maybe I'm just over emotional, but whenever I see, or read, something about a group of people who go against all odds and obstacles and put themselves at risk to stand up for what they believe fills me with such pride and overwhelming sadness. Pride because without them, we wouldn't live as freely as we do today. Sadness because I know that many of these marchers didn't live to see the fruits of their labor and that's really unfortunate.

The film starts with tragedy: a bombing at a church in Birmingham, Alabama which killed four young girls. That's the moment we realize that we are watching a film that isn't afraid to get up close and personal to the ugliness of the blatant racism during the Civil Rights era. And I was in tears. Selma does an amazing job at showcasing the horrors and cruelties of the racism that ran rampant in the south while also displaying the resilience of the people who were affected by it. I was impressed by the cinematography that, while not in the style of films made in the sixties, is suggestive of that time period. There is an overall warm tone to the visuals that is reminiscent of old photos and film taken during the sixties. At times the film also feels like a documentary as there is unsteady camera work, nothing distracting but enough to magnify the fact that we are watching a reenactment of real events. Since Selma is about such a tragic era in American history, there are plenty of scenes that are almost too hard to watch, namely the scene on the bridge when the marchers are attacked with various means of abuse. But with every horrid scene, there are good scenes as well. Every moment when David Oyelowo, acting as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., gives his sermons or speeches calling people to action, every moment of small victories, the moment when people from all over the U.S. came to march in solidarity with Dr. King, all these moments are beautiful and make watching all the horrors of the film worth it. And it's worth it because we aren't only subjected to the nasty face of the opposition of the Civil Rights Movement, we are shown the unwavering courageousness of the movement as well. Also, can I mention the soundtrack? It is fantastically fitting. Every song elevated every moment it was the background for, especially all the moving gospel songs. Each song creates an air of powerful perseverance that the people of the Movement aptly portrays.

The acting is phenomenal through and through. David Oyelowo portrays Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. so convincingly and with such dedication. Any time he spoke, it was like listening to recordings of Dr. King. He captured Dr.King's mannerisms and his effective speech-giving and his quiet, strong demeanor. And despite not looking all that much Dr. King, he did an amazing job. Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King is fantastic as well, though she doesn't make too many appearances throughout the film. She embodies a woman who fears for her and her husbands life, but stands tall with him as he ventures out into danger. Through her character we are shown how Dr. King's protests and commitment to the Civil Rights Movement affected his family life, the rifts that it created between him and his wife. Tom Wilkinson as Lyndon B. Johnson, again only a small part, but done so well that it's easy to see him as a president, he has that politicians disposition. And the supporting cast is absolutely amazing as well. There are so many to name, but everyone went above and beyond to portray their characters and I was immensely impressed. And I just have to mention Tim Roth's impeccable accent ability, his southern accent being amazing in this film.

While I do feel like some details may have been glossed over and/or completely removed from the film, I praise every person who helped in the making of this film and even more I applaud the people whom this film is based on. I do wish that maybe I had been more educated about this particular march before watching the film, and it's something I suggest you do, though you don't have to. Upon the end I was filled with so much joy and pride and astonishment at the sheer bravery of these heroes who fought and won a tumultuous battle. Would I watch it again? Hell yes!!