Review: 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile', Zac Efron Slays As Ted Bundy

*NOTE* This is a reprint of my review from the Sundance Film Festival. The film hits Netflix on May 3rd. 

A sense of deja vu hit me while watching Joe Berlinger's buzzy Sundance film with the eye-catching title, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. The feeling that I had sat through a similar film at Park City with a lot of buzz, a loaded cast of stars, and a big name playing an infamous figure in celebrity history. That film, sadly, was Lovelace, and like it, Berlinger's movie doesn't have much going for it other than a charismatic, perfectly-cast lead.

Zac Efron's All-American good looks and boyish charm make him the right choice to play serial killer Ted Bundy, who seduced his way into murdering dozens of women. Even as charges mounted against Bundy in multiple states and he fought to defend himself in a court of law, women were willing to throw themselves at his feet, taken by his smile and magnetic personality. But Berlinger's film teases more than just a look at Bundy's prolific murder career. One woman totally swept off her feet by Bundy was Liz Kloepfer(Lily Collins), a single mother who let's him into her home and into her life.

Berlinger teases us with a movie that he gives up on way too early, one that explores Bundy's duality as a family man living with Liz, while hiding his darker side from her; a hug and a birthday celebration with a butcher knife clutched in his hand.  We see Liz falling in love with Bundy, and accepting his excuses as his name mysteriously comes up as a suspect in a series of killings, always of young women. Bundy's got an excuse for everything, and Liz is eager to hear them.

The perspective Berlinger chooses is a fascinating one and something we haven't seen before. Berlinger's documentarian instincts kick in exploring the personality of the one person who was duped by Bundy more than anyone.  But Berlinger doesn't show us how he won her over to such an extent that she was willing to overlook the obvious signs of danger. We see their first date, in which he picks her up at a college bar (the idea of Bundy stalking a place frequented by young women is chilling in itself), perhaps with the idea of killing her, if she hadn't revealed to him that she is mother to an infant. From there, Berlinger jumps ahead a few years just as the accusations are beginning to swirl, and it feels like some crucial context is missing.

Still, if Berlinger had stuck to his guns we'd be talking about a much better movie than the finished product. However, Berlinger can't help but veer into less-interesting, oft-covered territory. Soon the movie is less about Liz and more about Bundy's many arrests and the eventual circus trial in Florida, with much of the insane dialogue pulled straight from the actual televised event. Despite the title, which is quoted from the statement by Judge Edward Cowart (John Malkovich) when sentencing Bundy to the death penalty, we don't see any of the murders take place. The Bundy we see, at least in the beginning, is the caring man Liz fell in love with. Later, as certain revelations about Liz come to light, it makes the decision to show things from her point-of-view confusing.  Berlinger could almost be accused of romanticizing Bundy, especially by refusing to show his crimes, but I found him to be pretty heinous simply for the mental abuse he was willing to inflict on the women around him. I didn't need to see him in action.

As the film begins to drag on, Liz fades into the background although Berlinger keeps tabs through brief scenes of her downward spiral. Bundy won't stop calling her, despite having a new woman (Kaya Scodelario) ready to defend him privately and publicly. Liz drinks and smokes herself into a tailspin, but still manages to find a safe new boyfriend (Haley Joel Osment) who, we know instantly, doesn't stand a chance against the spectre of Bundy. As she sits riveted by TV coverage of the trial, we're also taken by the sheer lunacy of it. But as the credits roll minutes later, and Berlinger shows archival footage of the real events he just depicted on screen, it dilutes rather than enhances their impact. If Berlinger wanted to do a documentary, he should've. Oh wait, he did, and it's already available on Netflix.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Read More

Review: 'A Kid Like Jake' Starring Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, And Octavia Spencer

A Kid Like Jake stars Claire Danes and Jim Parsons as a married couple and parents to a gender nonconforming child. Outside of that subject matter, this movie takes a much closer look at how a situation like having a kid that doesn't adhere to traditional societal norms affects the parents and their relationship with one another.

Alex is an ex-attorney, now stay-at-home mom who, on the surface, doesn't think much of her son's interest in things that are normally associated with girls, like wearing dresses and a love of Disney princesses. She more or less exists in her own reality where not calling attention to the fact that her son is different shields him from the harsh realities of the world; she doesn't want to acknowledge the fact that he is different, she would rather Jake come to her on his own with that realization.

Greg is a bit more realistic. He's a therapist that doesn't spend as much time with Jake as I'm sure both he, his wife, and Jake would like for him to. He seems more comfortable with the fact that his son is different; he believes that the earlier it gets acknowledged, the better the help can be to aid Jake in navigating through the world that he is already coming into contact with.

This of course creates a lot of tension and conflict between the two parents because they both believe that they're way of handling things is what is best for Jake. As things unfold, what we begin to see is that their son is just the tip of the iceberg and that the situation revolving around Jake actually exposes the many cracks in their marriage, bringing to light the things that they have kept hidden for some time.

Though the main story revolves around this conflict between the parents, I loved that we still got to be a part of Jake's world. A lot of the scenes involving Jake without his parents were a lot more slowed down, blurred, fluid, and employed more close-ups than were used in the film; it almost felt like an entirely different movie. I also loved how they showed that at the end of the day Jake is just a kid that's worried about fruit roll-ups and playing with his friends; he's very free in that sense and I think that that's something that's really interesting to think about.

As kids we're so carefree and everything seems limitless, but as we grow older a lot of the problems that we experience stem from our need to be accepted mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially. Jake doesn't see himself as being a "problem", though, I'm sure by this point he is starting to notice that he is viewed differently, he's still very innocent, and it's that innocence that is so beautiful and also scary to witness.

This movie really taps into the current zeitgeist when it comes to gender. It's timely and raw; it's heartwarming and frustrating; it's fearful, but also very hopeful. This is a well-written and well-acted movie that I believe can be a treat for everyone if they allow it to be and also a lesson for parents that perhaps will help them re-evaluate how they parent(ed) their own kids, "normal" or not.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Read More

'A Kid Like Jake' Trailer: Jim Parsons & Claire Danes Raise A Gender Variant Child

While we've definitely begun to see a breakthrough in the way transgender people are portrayed on the big and small screen, the new film A Kid Like Jake is treading still unexplored territory. One of the most talked about films at Sundance, it's directed by trans filmmaker Silas Howard, who has previously been behind episodes of Transparent and This Is Us. Howard's film takes a look at how children first begin to realize their sexual identity, and the factors that influence their perception of it.

The cast Howard put together is impressive, with Jim Parsons, Claire Danes, Octavia Spencer, Priyanka Chopra, Ann Dowd,  Amy Landecker, and newcomer Leo James Davis leading the way. The story follows Alice and Greg, New York parents whose 4-year-old son Jake likes fairy tales and wearing dresses. When the preschool director suggests his "gender expansive play" may be more than just a phase, his parents must begin to reexamine their roles as parents.

This is already turning out to be a big year for LGBTQ representation on the big screen, but A Kid Like Jake, which opens June 8th, looks like another huge step forward.

Read More

Review: 'Hidden Figures' Starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, And Janelle Monae

Ever since The Help won a bunch of Oscars a few years ago there has been a backlash against the sanitized depictions of racism in Hollywood movies. That's understandable; racism shouldn't ever be glossed over and it should make the audience uncomfortable to witness it. That said, a movie like Hidden Figures, a sweet, somewhat trite charmer about three under-appreciated women in the realms of space exploration and civil rights, tells such an important story that as many people as possible should see it. How's the saying go? "You attract more flies with honey..."?

Hidden Figures celebrates the story of three African-American mathematicians; Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer, also of The Help) and Mary Jackson (soul singer Janelle Monae), who were instrumental in NASA's space exploration activities during the Cold War. It's a story almost nobody had ever heard of, including writer/director Ted Melfi (of the equally saccharine St. Vincent), until Margot Lee Shetterley's eye-opening novel. Set at a time when the Russians were kicking our butt in the space race, and the civil rights movement was just gaining traction, the film occupies an interesting space for African-Americans. On the one hand, how practical is it to look towards the stars when there's oppression taking place right here at home? That idea is driven home early on when all three ladies have a car breakdown while on the drive to work at Langley, and they are approached by a white cop with an attitude. Of course he's suspicious at these three black women claiming to work for NASA, but they eventually turn the tables on him and end up with a police escort to work. It's the entire movie in a microcosm, while also subtly making the point that the tension between blacks and police hasn't changed much in fifty years.

The trio faces discrimination on multiple fronts. Being a woman is enough of a roadblock to any advancement in NASA's all-boys club, but being a black woman makes it nearly impossible. Melfi draws out his characters in broad strokes, both the heroes we'll be championing and those who stand opposed. Johnson is quiet; a gifted intellectual known as "The Computer", and a single mother trying to make things meet. It's a change of pace role for Henson, especially if you're used to seeing her moxie on Empire every week. Vaughn is the tough one and a natural leader vying for a supervisor position she's more than qualified for. And Jackson has an eye on becoming an engineer, something no woman at NASA had ever done before.

These women were the brains behind the launch that sent the late John Glenn (played by a constantly smirking Glenn Powell) into orbit, but because of their skin color those accomplishments remained in shadow. The film is about how they came to change hearts and minds within NASA by displaying their worth on a regular basis, even when it made others around them uncomfortable. The centerpiece character is Johnson, who ends up working alongside the Space Task Force's chief, Al Harris (Kevin Costner), a gruff, no-b.s. kind of guy who only cares about the work and beating those Russkies. We expect he'll be one of the main antagonists but instead that role falls to Jim Parsons and Kirsten Dunst, who shade their characters with enough grey to keep them from becoming total caricatures.

Melfi is a seasoned vet at exactly this kind of material; lightweight but with a strong, endearing message that audiences can't help but respond to. So you aren't going to find anything too ugly here; other than dirty looks and condescending comments hurled at the women. The most unfair example of their segregation is mostly played for laughs as Johnson must run miles to the nearest "Blacks Only" restroom, Pharrell's distracting '60s track "Runnin'" playing in the background. This does eventually give way to the film's centerpiece emotional breakthrough when Johnson is questioned about her long breaks, a powerful moment that will almost certainly air when Henson is nominated for Best Actress.  Spencer is of course terrific; I think we've reached the point where she can always be counted on to give an excellent, down-to-earth performance. But the standout has to be Monae, who along with her unforgettable turn in Moonlight is having the kind of year any actor would kill for. Her Moonlight co-star Mahershala Ali also has a solid role as a military man who comes around to realizing what an amazing woman Johnson is. While it's not his movie, Costner shouldn't be overlooked just because the brusque character he's playing is kind of what we expect from him. Costner's just so good at it that he fits in with the film's lighter tone seamlessly.

Ironically for a movie about a bunch of math nerds, Hidden Figures simplifies the solutions for these pioneering women. However, it's also a movie that pays worthy tribute to their brilliance and determination in the face of overwhelming social odds, and does so in a way that engages emotionally.  The film also reminds us there used to be a time when being an expert, being intellectual, was something to be rewarded for, not held up as a sign of elitism. The women of Hidden Figures overcame the prejudice in front of them by being the best, and that's a lesson that is always worth teaching.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Read More

Samuel L. Jackson Enters 'Unicorn Store',Jim Parsons Is 'Brother Orange', Lauren Lapkus Joins 'Holmes & Watson'

Samuel L. Jackson is joining Oscar winner and fellow Marvel-ite Brie Larson in Unicorn Store. This actually marks their second collaboration as they have Kong: Skull Island next year. Also coming aboard are Joan Cusack and Bradley Whitford in the story of a troubled young woman who moves back in with her parents shortly before receiving an invitation to a peculiar store that tests her ideas of what growing up really means. [Variety]

The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons will produce and star in Brother Orange, an interesting collaboration between Buzzfeed and Warner Bros. The film centers on the titular internet phenomenon involving Buzzfeed editor Matt Stopera, who in 2014 had his IPhone stolen, only for it to turn up in China where odd photos began appearing on his photo stream. Some of those photos included a serious-looking man in front of an orange tree. Stopera wrote a series of articles about it that quickly went viral. Stopera eventually found the man with help of others online, and went to meet him. The two became instant celebrities and unexpected friends. [THR]

The Will Ferrell/John C. Reilly Sherlock Holmes comedy Holmes & Watson has added Lauren Lapkus as the female lead. Lapkus, who has been seen in Jurassic World and Orange is the New Black, will play Millie, a woman who has a mind to rival Holmes', which makes him obsessed with her. The Etan Cohen-directed comedy finds Ferrell as Holmes with Reilly as Watson. [Deadline]

Read More

Trailer For NASA Drama 'Hidden Figures' With Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, And Janelle Monae

As Nate Parker's Birth of a Nation faces sudden backlash because of a dark situation in his past, other movies centered on the African-American experience are getting a chance to possibly move up in the eyes of Oscars voters. One is Jeff Nichols' Loving, which has already released an excellent trailer. The next one that looks like a definite contender is Hidden Figures, Ted Melfi's drama about three brilliant African-American women who played a major part in one of NASA's most crucial missions.

Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae star as mathematicians Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson who overcame racial prejudice and gender bias to aid in NASA's 1962 Friendship 7 mission that made astronaut John Glenn the first American to ever orbit the Earth. This is the kind of uplifting story that audiences and voters tend to gravitate to, and I won't be surprised if this gets a ton of attention in the coming months.

Also starring Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Mahershala Ali, Jim Parsons, Glen Powell, and Aldis Hodge, Hidden Figures opens January 13th 2017.

Read More

Kevin Bacon Joins 'Patriots Day', Jim Parsons To Star In 'Hidden Figures' And 'Man-Witch'

Bacon makes everything better. Look it up, it's a fact. And now the Boston Marathon drama Patriots Day is getting better with the addition of Kevin Bacon to the growing cast. He joins Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman, J.K. Simmons, and Michelle Monaghan in the film directed by Peter Berg that centers on the events leading up to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and the subsequent manhunt to find the terrorists. Bacon will play FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers. Patriots Day opens later this year on December 21st. [Variety]

The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons is expanding his presence on the big screen, signing up to star in two upcoming films. The first is race drama Hidden Figures, which stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae as three African-American  women who were integral to NASA's first orbital space launch. The incredible true story also stars Kevin Costner and Kirsten Dunst, with Ted Melfi directing. Parsons will play NASA engineer Paul Stafford.

Parsons will also headline Man-Witch, the long-developing comedy that once saw Jack Black and Zach Galifianakis set for the title role at different points. But now Parsons is in the lead, playing a schoolteacher with supernatural abilities who is invited into a coven. Convinced to attend a school for witches, he discovers all of his classmates are women.  Parsons will produce the film as well, but so far there's no word on a director. Back when Warner Bros. first picked up the project they had Todd Phillips attached but he backed out to direct The Hangover. Yeah, that's how long this has been in the works. [THR]

Read More

Review: 'Home' starring Rihanna, Jim Parsons, Jennifer Lopez and Steve Martin

DreamWorks is back again with another new animated feature or franchise, this time with Home. Now I really didn't expect much from this movie. All I knew was the super nerdy guy from The Big Bang Theory, a show I detest, was voicing an alien that’s with a black girl voiced by Rihanna. What I got though when watching it was some weird animated movie that has a mix of themes that all tangle together, but I don’t know if they actually got resolved. This is a kids' movie about an alien invasion of earth that has no violence at all. It’s really too sweet with such a frightening concept but hey it’s a kid buddy movie so let’s jump in and enjoy the 3D projected ride.

So  Home’s story is about this little alien race called the Boov who. because they are shook ones, are on the run from the alien Gorg. When Gorg finds them again their leader Captain Smek, voiced by the great Steve Martin, takes his race to earth. The one Boov who is most excited by this is called Oh, voiced by Jim Parsons. He’s looking for a new start on a new world. He’s a misfit of the Boov; no one likes him because he makes mistakes. After arriving the Boov suck up all the humans on Earth and put them in Australia.  Now I have no idea how 7 billion people fit into Australia but ok. Oh makes a huge mistake and gets shunned and has to run from all the other Boov, and during this he runs into Tip (voiced by Rihanna), a young girl living on her own who escaped relocation. Tip wants to find her mom (Jennifer Lopez), and Oh obliges to help her so that he can continue to run from his people.

To be honest this feature looks alright and what I mean is the characters and world are all designed well. Boov seems to be designed with kids very much in mind. They look amazingly squishy and expressive and they change colors. All that said I’m very much a cynic and get that all this is really great for toys and I also wouldn't be surprised to see some cartoon series come out of this movie like all the other DreamWorks Animation films. The humans all look really good with a lot great work, especially on Tip’s hair. Not only is it rare to see a black lead in an animated film, being that this is the first one for a CG movie I’m glad they did a great job on that.  While the world is made really well it’s also pretty generic in look. The City is a city with no distinguishing features and the relocation town is like standard issue looking houses you’d see in a pharmaceutical advertisement.

All the voices are pretty good performance-wise, being that the movie really only focuses on a few characters, mostly on Oh and Tip, a lot of the weight is on those two. A lot of the humor is carried by Parsons or Martin when they need Smek to do something completely absurd.  Now for me the whole movie is bugged. I couldn’t scratch the feeling that the movie was talking about colonialism in some really big ways. The Boov think they are better than the humans and can improve their lives because they are stupid savages. That idea hang throughout the whole movie and the characters point some of this out but then the theme shifts to the nature of a home and individuality. If it took to the time I think to really hone in one of these ideas more maybe the whole thing would’ve been a true smash but as it is right now it’s just an ok feature. Just think last year we were watching the amazing Lego Movie. Le Sigh.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Read More

Review: Zach Braff's 'Wish I Was Here'

When Zach Braff made his directorial debut a decade ago with Garden State, it was the rare occurrence of an actor finding his voice immediately as a filmmaker. Say what you want about the film and the indie pop-laden, melodramatic copy cats that followed, the truth is that Garden State was a cornerstone film that inspired those of a certain age and disposition to dream a bit greater. So it's a little odd that Braff took so long for his follow-up, Wish I Was Here, and while the film has similar aesthetic touches and tries to say too much, it's a heartfelt clarion call to arms for those with dreams that will never fade.

Braff took a lot of heat for his record-breaking Kickstarter efforts, and frankly a lot of the criticism has been undeserved. But there's something to be said about the freedom it gave Braff to do basically anything he wanted, and that becomes a recurring issue right from the start. He plays Aidan Bloom, a failed actor whose best gig was a TV commercial and little else. Months have gone between gigs meaning he's not making any money, putting the financial burden on wife Sarah (Kate Hudson), who works a job she hates but endures out of necessity. Aidan is more than just another adult who never really grew up, he's someone who comes off as selfish and pre-occupied with his own dreams to worry about others. That disregard extends to his children, who attend a private Hebrew school paid for by Aidan's father Gabe (Mandy Patinkin) until he gets too sick to pony up the cash. Aidan's first reaction is to worry about himself and whether finding a job would distract from those all-important auditions.

And that's really just the start as Braff piles on even more subplots that often strike at something true but just as often get in the way from a clearer narrative. Josh Gad brings a little bit of humor and a lot of sadness to his role as Noah, Aidan's technologically talented brother who has withered his skills away as a blogger (nice cheap shot, Zach!). Gabe doesn't think much of Aidan at all but he really can't stand what Noah has done with his life. In broad strokes Braff explores issues of masculinity, faith, and midlife crisis with sincerity and real heart. Nobody can say Braff doesn't put everything he has into his work, even going so far as to blend in a few sci-fi sequences that hint the fantasy world in Aidan's mind. Aidan fancies himself a hero but as a father with responsibilities he's unprepared for the new heroic parameters.

Some will be quick to write the film off as merely Garden State redux but they may be surprised. Yes, you'll hear an endless stream of indie bands underscoring every crucial life moment, but the tone is considerably more spirited and upbeat, a tough thing to pull off with so many weighty themes. That seriousness is balanced by Braff's well-practiced comic timing, especially when paired up with the equally funny Patinkin. Braff still comes off as unnatural dramatically but he's better than when he starred in The Last Kiss some years ago.

The relevance of modern Judaism is explored in surprising detail, mostly through Aidan's daughter (Joey King, truly excellent) who faces an identity crisis similar to her father. It's one of the few subplots that really click, whereas others, like Noah's sudden love affair with a hot cosplay chick (Ashley Greene) feel tacked on and don't really go anywhere. The same goes for a pointless diversion about Sarah being harassed by a workplace colleague. Braff has enough material here to pad out a third movie and that's probably what he should have done. Surely a good chunk of that Kickstarter money is left over because this couldn't have cost but so much. Even if there isn't, Braff's fans who adored Garden State will find something to love in Wish I Was Here and will probably chip in a few dollars for another movie.

 Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Read More

New Trailer for HBO's 'The Normal Heart' Starring Mark Ruffalo and Julia Roberts

Next month HBO is going to drop something big on us on a Sunday night. No, it's not another episode of Game of Thrones, it'll be Ryan Murphy's AIDS drama, The Normal Heart, featuring a cast as strong as any you'll see on the big screen. And with only a few weeks until it hits, a new trailer has been released.

Starring Julia Roberts, Mark Ruffalo, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, Matt Bomer, and based on Larry Kramer's award-winning stageplay, the story is set in 1980s New York amidst the fear and confusion of the HIV/AIDS outbreak. Ruffalo is Ned Weeks, who sees the disease ravaging those in the gay community and seeks to raise awareness while politicians and the media keep silent. HBO has done a lot of great films on the subject (And the Band Played On is a personal favorite) and this looks to be another one.

The Normal Heart airs on May 25th.

Read More

First Trailer for Zach Braff's 'Wish I Was Here'

There's very little elbow room when it comes to Zach Braff's directorial debut, Garden State; you either love it or you loathe it. Sure it was trendy and came to symbolize the sort of maudlin, pretentious indie flick that became a thing for far too long, but it also featured some great performances along with a point-of-view that was uniquely Braff's. It's taken him a decade and a pile of Kickstarter cash, but he's finally back with his follow-up project, Wish I Was Here, and basically if you dug Garden State then this is for you.

Debuting in January at the Sundance Film Festival, where critics were either lukewarm or downright deadly to it. Braff plays a struggling actor (hey, how novel) with a wife and kids, who decides to home school his children to save money. Not that you'll get any of that out of this trailer, which looks more like a music video for an indie band than a music video. The score is actually provided by The Shins, who got their big break with Garden State and probably worship the ground Braff walks on at this point.

Also starring Kate Hudson, Ashley Greene, Josh Gad, Mandy Patinkin, Jim Parsons, Joey King, and Donald Faison, Wish I Was Here opens July 25th.


Wish I Was Here Teaser by Stuff We Like

Read More

Zach Braff's 'Wish I Was Here' meets its $2M Kickstarter goal

Ever since the incredible success Rob Thomas achieved with his Veronica Mars Kickstarter campaign, the backlash against the crowd-sourcing site has been significant. So there have been a lot of eyes on Zach Braff's campaign to fund his directorial follow-up to Garden State, a film titled Wish I Was Here. Braff hoped to raise $2M to ensure he could maintain complete creative control, and based on the results from over the weekend, he'll have that and considerably.

Read More