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Featured: Anticipating ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ …this outta be interesting

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This week features the release of Michael Bay’s latest in Transformers: The Last Knight, a franchise that somehow keeps making gobs of money despite critical reaction. The Last Knight is the fifth installment in the franchise and according to its star Mark Walhberg, this is his and Bay’s last film in this series. Now, I’ve been on record of subjectively enjoying these films. They’re silly and ridiculous and feature robots fighting robots. I could care less about the human characters, but the lore of Transformers has always appealed to me and I find that element in Bay’s films to be interesting still. Optimus Prime isn’t the one from the cartoon, he’s more human and I love that about him. He’s the freedom fighter we’ve always known, but in Bays films, he is flawed and sometimes gets emotional – which makes him more relatable in a lot of ways. And Bumblebee has been the hilarious sidekick with a sarcastic attitude that I’ve enjoyed. The Autobots themselves, and even to a degree the Decepticons, haven’t been the problem in Bay’s Transformers.

The problem mostly lies in really terrible scripts that feature awful Bay humor, and the storytelling is flat out not a concern to the overall enjoyment of these films. Bay spends most of his energy in staging the action sequences – which is pretty excellent to be fair – and setting up comedic gags that are mostly offensive. As a result, Bayformers are mostly an exercise in creating visual eye-candy that has no substance. I could also understand if some audiences aren’t interested in the “eye-candy” aspect of it either, since it his CGI-overload. Personally, I don’t mind it since I love the robot characters as mentioned above, but I can sympathize with those who don’t find it interesting.

As for The Last Knight, this film on paper sounds crazy. Optimus Prime is off in space to meet his makers. On Earth, we’re getting robots, medieval knights and Nazi’s in the same film. Okay…I have no idea how that is going to work, but at this point, why the heck now? Right? If we’re going for silliness, let’s just go all out.

Usually this is where I ask for your expectations, but I’m guessing that most of you aren’t anticipating much for The Last Knight. I don’t blame you.

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Here’s what else is coming to theaters this weekend:

The Bad Batch (limited)
The Beguiled (limited)
The Big Sick (limited)

Podcast: Nerdin’ Out Vol 17 – Ep. 226 Bonus Content

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This week for our Episode 226 InSession Film Podcast: Bonus Content, DJ Valentine from Simplistic Reviews joins us to nerd out over the new Black Panther trailer, Wonder Woman‘s success, the Han Solo spin-off and more! Check it out!

NOTE: Our thoughts on the Han Solo news came strictly after the announcement of Phil Lord and Chris Miller leaving the project. Details on the the matter may have updated by the time you hear this.

Listen to Episode 226 by clicking here.

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Poll: What is the best performance from Daniel Day-Lewis?

Yesterday, we were hit with the news that the legendary Daniel Day-Lewis will be retiring from acting. His last film role will be in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread, hitting theaters in December. Day-Lewis is simply one of the all-time greats, with three Oscars to his name currently. Everything he did was gold and we will miss him on the big screen. Using that as inspiration for our poll this week, let’s talk about his best performances. He won three Oscars, but was nominated on five different occasions, the five roles we used for the poll. That said, what do you think was Day-Lewis’ best performance?

Vote now!


Movie Review: ‘Transformers 5’ is the cinematic Fyre Festival


Director: Michael Bay
Writers: Art Marcum (screenplay), Matt Holloway (screenplay), Ken Nolan (screenplay)
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins, Josh Duhamel

Synopsis: Humans and Transformers are at war, Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth.

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Recall the images of wealthy whippersnappers writhing after a musical event they attended – one with a name that rhymes with “liar” – got everything off-key. Harrowing photos and anecdotes popped up like daisies; the advertised “two transformative weekends” were exactly that by way of exposing people to (debatably) their first scam. Michael Bay must have read this news, translating the media from the Exumas to renowned mayhem and notions of enlightenment to a signature absence of them. Indeed, no mind enters Bay’s world to receive an expansion, but at least it is safe from shrinkage. That won’t happen with The Last Knight, though, a film that drains brains the same way Billy McFarland siphoned wallets back in April.

The advertising model is even the same to Fyre Festival, here and there some compelling plot beats and characters that all turn up in a lesser form. After Age of Extinction, Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) leaves Earth to find the Creators, an alien race that always has Earth in its hostile sights. He finds one, the wraith-like sorceress Quintessa (Gemma Chan), after crash-landed onto a Cybertron now under her reign. Human-sized, she may be, but a lightning bolt from her can get Transformers on their knees or just a slight caress will get Prime to reveal his nemesis persona. Powerful (and beautifully rendered, too), but ultimately non-threatening since she carries out apocalyptic deeds by being stationary a la Suicide Squad‘s Enchantress. This is not the only time The Last Knight  will borrow DCEU’s all-villain affair, a subplot – golly, another one – involves Megatron (Frank Welker) has him assembled a team where each obnoxious member is introduced with a title card.

Meanwhile, Earth has its fair share of events. Still having flashbacks to the Chicago attack, the government establishes the TRF (Transformers Reaction Force), led by Santos (Santiago Cabrera) and Lenox (Josh Duhamel), to shoot down robots with extreme prejudice. Never one to align with what society thinks, 14-year-old Izabella (Isabella Moner) finds more purpose being Rey to her BB-8 – a rackety Vespa Autobot called Squeaks – and repairing other robots. Texas-based Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg) has also become more salvager than inventor, keeping himself busy daily so the familial loneliness doesn’t creep into his muscles. Down in Cuba, a disgraced and sweat-drenched Simmons is angrily sipping iceless mojito, turning down soccer games with his NASCAR Autobots buddies and researching the appearance of oversized mechanical horns around the globe.

To link all of the above to Quintessa’s presence, the franchise’s new set of screenwriters – Art Marcum, Matt Holloway and Ken Nolan – introduces even more characters, in their triptych wisdom. See, Quintessa is missing one thing, namely a Transformers-built magical staff once wielded by Merlin (Stanley Tucci), and Arthurian expert Sir Edmund (Anthony Hopkins) and Oxford professor Viviane (Laura Haddock) know how to find it (what is it with part five and staff as the MacGuffin in 2017?). While there is much preaching about unity, segmentation is the fuel that operates the story; characters who have been around for a considerable amount time are dropped suddenly and brought back when they are least necessary. There is an irksome see-if-it-sticks mindset to the progression and shoehorning of immaturity into every moment possible. “If it blows, it works; if there’s a mess, care for it less” has got to be the writers’ room mantra.

All Marcum, Holloway and Nolan have done is confirming that today Bay is no longer a maker of films but of moments – recently those of inadequate quality more often than the other.

Exotic cars screech, people fly, robotic parts littered the landscape and blinding pyrotechnics – these are the reasons we go and see (or endure) Bay, but try and do that in The Last Knight. With six (six!) editors on board, all required to be caffeinated before entering the suite, stunts become blurs and certain happenings do some jarring teleporting, both telltale signs of directorial boredom. There was much hope when the franchise injects new blood in the photography front by introducing John Wick’s Jonathan Sela, but other than moments of Bay-isms – slow-motion, high-tech squad emerging from water and revolving hero shot – every editorial decision smears the camerawork. Also, what is aspect ratio, anyway? – the film asks.

The most consistent element here, which is also the most consistent thing in Bay’s filmography, is that if a character does not pass for “American,” “white,” “male,” or sometimes in that order, they shall be recipients of juvenile insults. A French robot (Omar Sy)? He sounds funny. A British butler android (Jim Carter)? You are a sociopath. Over the human side, there is a need to see the next acting luminary whom Bay will direct to insult Asian characters in Transformers 6.

It seems like anything of quality is The Last Knight’s Kryptonite. Moner’s vibrancy to her sassy Izabella is all extraneous when the script made her a false-protagonist. Haddock is the Mikaela we need (her make-up at one point has her identical to Megan Fox), but is reduced to the typical Bay-girl whose existence alone can court derogatives and whose eyes ogled at Wahlberg’s physique. The Bostonian actor, ever the opportunist, flexes his biceps hard at this moment. The oddly delightful King Arthur sequence that starts the film is a moment that turns out to be to elongate the film, a sneaky seed to what comes after this Transformers series – prequels and spin-offs unbound by time or characters.

Perhaps all this, the entirety of The Last Knight and its eventual spawns, is solid entertainment in an alternate universe. Still inhabiting 10 Downing Street in the film is a David Cameron look-alike, so safe to assume how in that dimension Blink-182 is currently performing in the Bahamas.

Overall Grade: F

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Hear our podcast review on Episode 227, coming soon.

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List: Top 3 Movies About Childhood Trauma

This week on Episode 226 of the InSession Film Podcast, inspired by our review of The Book of Henry, we decided to tackle our “favorite” movies about childhood trauma, a subject matter that isn’t so much celebratory, but the films that depict it do have a human core to them that is hard to deny. These films aren’t necessarily enjoyable on the surface, but through the lends of cinema they offer a truth that is relatable to our all of our lives. And we hope our lists reverberate that idea.

On that note, what movies would make your list? Here are the one’s that made ours:

*Keep in mind we have different criteria for each of our lists*

JD

1) Grave of the Fireflies
2) Beasts of the Southern Wild
3) The Lion King

Brendan

1) Mystic River
2) Short Term 12
3) Bambi

Matt

1) Short Term 12
2) The Exorcist
3) The Cell

Honorable Mentions (Combined)

Spotlight, Good Will Hunting, Starred Up, The Hunger Games, Ivan’s Childhood, The 400 Blows, Mommie Dearest,
Pan’s Labryinth, The Devil’s Backbone, My Girl, Harry Potter, Life of Pi, Mommy, Goodbye Children, Life Father Like Son, Inside Out, A Monster Calls, Chinatown, A Little Princess, Pinocchio, Magnolia, Stand by Me, E.T., The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Pather Panchali, It Comes at Night

Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. This list is obviously a difficult one to tackle, but as we mentioned on the show, there is something to take away from these films and we would highly recommend the one’s that made our lists. That being said, what would be your Top 3? Leave a comment in the comment section or email us at [email protected].

For the entire podcast, click here or listen below.

For more lists done by the InSession Film crew and other guests, be sure see our Top 3 Movie Lists page.

Podcast: The Book of Henry, Top 3 Movies About Childhood Trauma, The Naked Kiss – Episode 226

This podcast is brought to you by Score: A Film Music Documentary. Get your tickets today!

This week on the InSession Film Podcast, Matt St. Claire from The Filmscoop joins us to discuss Colin Trevorrow’s controversial film, The Book of Henry. Inspired by that film we discuss our Top 3 movies about childhood trauma and we honor a Patreon donation by reviewing the 1964Samuel Fuller film, The Naked Kiss.

The feedback to this show should be interesting. The Book of Henry has been heavily criticized by critics, and understandably that is fair, however we offer a slight defense for the movie that many seem to be passing over for whatever reason. Either way, the debate should be fun. Our Top 3 this week was daunting, but also very rewarding. And big thanks to Joe Campbell for his Patreon donation, which sparked our review of The Naked Kiss.

On that note, check out this week’s show and let us know what you think in the comment section. Thanks for listening and for supporting the InSession Film Podcast!

The Book of Henry Movie Review (5:39)
Grades
JD: B
Brendan: B
Matt: D-

Top 3 Movies About Childhood Trauma (39:46)
Inspired by The Book of Henry, we decided to tackle our “favorite” movies about childhood trauma, a subject matter that isn’t so much celebratory, but the films that depict it do have a human core to them that is hard to deny. These films aren’t necessarily enjoyable on the surface, but through the lends of cinema they offer a truth that is relatable to our all of our lives. And we hope our lists reverberate that idea. That said, what would be your top 3?

Top 3 Sponsor: First Time Watchers Podcast

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RELATED: Listen to Episode 225 of the InSession Film Podcast where we discussed It Comes at Night!

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The Naked Kiss Movie Review (1:28:51)
Grades
JD: C+
Brendan: C
Matt: C

– Music

Treehouse Inventions – Michael Giacchino
The Bathtub – The Lost Bayou Ramblers
Lilli’s Theme – Paul Dunlap
The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson

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InSession Film Podcast – Episode 226

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Next week on the show:

    Main Review: Transformers: The Last Knight
    Top 3: TBD

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Movie Review: ‘Rough Night’ is, well, pretty rough


Director: Lucia Aniello
Writers: Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs
Stars: Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin, Holliday Grainger, Iain Glen

Synopsis: Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, Zoë Kravitz

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Watching Rough Night will probably render a rough night for a lot of audiences. Lucia Aniello’s directorial debut is overly clichéd with dry characters and a tedious narrative. If you are waiting for a movie that will match the caliber of Kate McKinnon’s comedic abilities, you will unfortunately have to wait a little bit longer.

2017, in particular, looks very promising for women directors with several shattering genre expectations. Aniello – of Broad City fame – is still able to demonstrate her comedic strengths in similar ways that makes Broad City such a great and funny show. For example, Broad City is great in how it spreads its humor around, which Rough Night was able to achieve, but it lacks a consistency that stifles the overall experience.

As stated above, the plot really kicks in when a male stripper becomes involved, and if you’ve seen the trailer, you know bad things happen quickly. Let us backtrack, however, to how the girls get to this point. Jess (Scarlett Johansson) reunites with four of her best friends (Jillian Bell, Zoë Kravitz, Ilana Glazer, Kate McKinnon) reunite ten years later for a wild bachelorette weekend in Miami. The first 25 minutes is the same Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V of things we have seen many times before. I am all for flipping the script and showing that men are not, the only ones allowed to have this type of fun but will not defend poor execution.

The stripper scene itself, while some humor is to be had, it overall feels demeaning and is somewhat mean-spirited. Once the chaos unfolds, the movie takes a huge nose dive and tries its hardest to keep you entertained but merely does not work. There is side plot with Jess’ fiance, Peter, that involves diapers and sexual activity that does not work. The stripper essentially becomes a prop for most of the film and the way Aniello uses it comedically is hit or miss.

Rough Night is a comedy that relies heavily on dirty jokes that become excessive and tedious by the end. The film’s screenplay – written by Aniello and her partner Paul W. Downs – deploys some of its jokes in a way that feels rather regressive socially. Aniello is more than capable of making a pure comedy without the overuse of dirty comedy as a punchline. In the few moments where the film focuses on the camaraderie between the characters and tackles this idea about living in the past, that’s when the film is at its best, it just comes too late to make a difference.

Scarlet Johannsson does not have the same comedic chops as the other woman, and is outclassed in almost every way. Kate McKinnon and Ilana Glazer deliver the best two performances and show that you do not need crass humor all the time to be funny. Jillian Bell plays the same sex-driven, drug-snorting character she always does.

I expected much more from Aniello than this snooze fest. Broad City showcases her potential and hopefully she can find her voice in a more streamlined manner in the future.

Overall Grade: C

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Podcast: Safety Not Guaranteed, My Cousin Rachel – Extra Film

This week on the InSession Film Podcast: Extra Film segment, in preparation for The Book of Henry hitting theaters this weekend, we look back at Colin Trevorrow’s debut film in Safety Not Guaranteed. We also review the Roger Michell indie My Cousin Rachel starring Rachel Weisz.

The Book of Henry has been smashed heavily by critics this week, but it hasn’t completely tampered our excitement for the film, mostly because we are huge fans of Safety Not Guaranteed. As you’ll hear, it was one of our favorite films of 2012, and this was a good excuse to give that film a proper review on that show.

On that note, have fun listening to this week’s Extra Film segment and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Hope you enjoy and thanks for listening!

Safety Not Guaranteed Movie Review (8:02)
Grades
Brendan: A-
JD: A

My Cousin Rachel Movie Review (33:43)
Grades
JD: B-
Vince: B-

This week’s episode is brought to you by our great friends at the True Bromance Film Podcast, Next Best Picture and The Atlantic Screen Connection Podcast.

– Music

Time Machine – Ryan Miller
Memory of a Happy Day – Reel Jones
The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson

We try to make this the best movie podcast we possibly can and we hope you enjoy them. Subscribe today on iTunes and Stitcher and please leave us a review on iTunes. You can also find us on Soundcloud, PlayerFM and TuneIn Radio as well. We really appreciate all your support of the InSession Film Podcast.

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Safety Not Guaranteed, My Cousin Rachel – Extra Film

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Movie Review: ‘Cars 3’ shows up with tread marks of glory

It could not be more against the message that Cars want to send, but there is less sputtering when only Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) receives the attention. See what happened when Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), No. 95’s go-to tow-truck, was given all the lanes in the sequel? “More of what you love” never hurts, but Pixar bewilderingly applied that concept less to the drawing board and primarily to the toy shelves. Must be why Planes got the green light, and the less said about that project the better, even if the manufacturing was all Disney.

Imagine the shock when McQueen ends his third run with a blazing podium finish.

For all of his flair, fans and friends, Lightning is “fading, fading fast,” losing out to the next generation of souped-up and stylish Piston Cup Racers. The swiftest and sleekest of them all is Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer), owning a passive-aggressive, master-of-all attitude that would render him the cinematic Winklevoss twins’ vehicle of choice. While revving hard to avoid seeing instant nemesis’s tail-end, Lightning wrecks himself in a notably harrowing sequence featured in the first trailer. And although the sequence impresses through its intensity and loudness, it is first-time director (but experienced animator) Brian Fee’s lingering on the silence afterward that commits the events to memory. Whereas every moment the audio eases off in the first Cars is to highlight animated-automotive beauty, Cars 3 does that and concurrently install a resonant thematic note. A promise delivered: The new phase of our anthropomorphic stock car begins here.

Blast the nature of numbering things, for real, as the narrative of Cars 3 renders it the true Cars 2. That World Grand Prix and posse of lemons business is made-for-TV stuff. Should any element feels like they are about to expand the universe, writers Kiel Murray, Bob Peterson and Mike Rich will not include it. The approach is appropriate since “old out, new in” is the theme here; for McQueen to enter the new age he has to let go of certain things, whether they are tangible – like his Rust-eze sponsors, Rusty and Dusty (Tom and Ray Magliozzi) – and otherwise – days when skill determines winning chances and not Natalie Certain (Kerry Washington)’s statistics.

The minimizing serves up poignant parts where Lightning exhibits his newfound ability of self-reflect, which sometimes also doubles as Pixar beautifully paying tribute to Doc Hudson (the late Paul Newman), but it lessens the impact of Jackson as Lightning’s foil and his high-tech ilk as exterminators of racing’s senior figures.

“He’s obviously an impostor. He looks old and broken down. And with flabby tires,” mockingly remarks racer trainer Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo) straight to Lightning’s face in their first meet. The feisty canary yellow Jaguar-like is the Gunnery Sgt. Herman of high-end Rust-eze Training Center, albeit a firm believer on motivating others through fluffy clouds and car-eobics instead of colorful insults. Overlooking the facility is the silver-tongued suit Sterling (Nathan Fillion) who wishes to see Lightning revives his glory the “Chef Skinner” way: plastered on Rust-eze products.

Perfect doesn’t even begin to describe the casting of Alonzo and Fillion, the former’s passion-laden voice and the latter’s apparent channeling of his Browncoat persona really give their models a scene-chewing ability. Cruz gets to carry out most of the script’s jokes and an expected identity crisis moment – she wanted to be a racer until life intervened – but Fee designs these moments with efficiency in setting and lighting that the vocal performances’ emotions come through first.

As a creator of spectacle, however, Fee does not disappoint. A six-year break between the last installment and this equates to a fantastic tune-up of the cars’ sheen, the environments’ ever-photogenic trait and, most importantly, the cinematography. Cars 3 has a much more engaging, and at times borderline daring, camerawork that sees the velocity breaking the fourth wall and our eyes briefly believing Pixar’s pixels are reality. Look for the destruction derby sequence for a culmination of animation wizardry, hilarity and electricity as Lightning, under the muddy guise of Chester Wipplefilter, whipping around the figure-eight, dodging hyper cars and a crazed school bus (Lea DeLaria).

In Cars 3, variety is to the fun parts while purpose is to the closing. Legacy, as Stirling emphasizes, is important, and in this aspect the film locks down the best kind, one that sees Lightning becoming the truest sense of the word “leader.” Fee may have taken a page from the debut of this universe at this key part, but it is how the character’s arc discovers completion.

Needing an end point, too, is the Cars franchise. Fee has found the perfect spot. Should the returns of this film ignites the idea of “one next ride,” let’s hope Cruz will become real to get Pixar back on track by showing why the studio must push harder than its competitors: originality.

Or maybe a fluffy cloud will suffice.

Overall Grade: A-

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Hear our podcast review on Extra Film, coming soon.

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Movie Review: ‘My Cousin Rachel’ is unfortunately more forgettable than forbidding


Director: Roger Michell
Writers: Daphne Du Maurier (novel), Roger Michell (adaptation)
Stars: Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin, Holliday Grainger, Iain Glen

Synopsis: A young Englishman plots revenge against his mysterious, beautiful cousin, believing that she murdered his guardian. But his feelings become complicated as he finds himself falling under the beguiling spell of her charms.

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The mysterious Rachel (Rachel Weisz) arrives in Cornwall to meet her cousin Phillip (Sam Claflin), the adopted son of her recently deceased husband. Phillip is determined to subject Rachel to an intolerable visit having received frenzied, scrawled letters from the late Ambrose revealing that Rachel is a danger to his life, only to find on her arrival that she is a beautiful and charming young woman with a generous spirit. Phillip is intoxicated by Rachel and soon alters the terms of his inheritance to give the family home to her when he turns 25 years of age. He is under Rachel’s spell; she is his sickness, but is she all she appears?

The most striking thing about Roger Michell’s adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s novel is the outstanding beauty of the cinematography. The film presents its audience with breathtaking sweeping shots of the Cornish coast imbued with sandy, stony hues. The contrast of the film’s frequent use of dark rooms with flickering candlelight to the dazzling brightness of the cliffs and the daylight sky is jarring. It makes us uneasy; as does everything else.
The film’s score invites the audience to give over to paranoia and doubt Rachel’s intentions as much as Phillip does not. Rael Jones’ soundtrack is foreboding to say the very least and does a great deal of the work in surrounding Rachel’s presence with an air of distrust. Of course, Du Maurier’s compelling narrative conjures a sense of suspicion too; who swears revenge on someone only to immediately fall head over heels for them and sign everything away in the name of love?

Michell limits what his audience are able to see, creating a claustrophobic space that reflects the sudden intimacy of the central two characters. Whilst faces and expressions are often only visible by dim candlelight, the shot-reverse-shots of conversations are very shallow in focus. We see a face, a flame, pearls bouncing down a staircase and often have access to little else. It is a suspicious love story; a story that is about all the things we don’t know as well as what we see. There is an air of suppressed eroticism that is beautifully handled for the film’s first two acts until, unfortunately, a scene in which the pair are depicted rutting away in a field of bluebells. The mystique somewhat dies from hereon.

A crucial plot point to the film’s final revelation is laid on so thickly that you will see it coming a mile off and as beautiful as the film is aesthetically this is unfortunately not mirrored in the dialogue, which is clunky in places and occasionally weighed down by plot exposition. There is also moment of sudden coarse language from Phillip’s manservant Seecombe (Tim Barlow) that has no place in the film; it is entirely out of keeping with the 19th Century setting and baffling given that the object of his outburst is a Christmas tree.

Rachel Weisz is a fantastic casting choice for the curiously enticing Rachel and she is such a fascinating screen presence that the other performances get a bit lost in her shadow and in the fragmented plot, played out through conversations that alternate between dark bedrooms and beaches. Holliday Granger’s performance stands out second to Rachel Weisz’s as Louise, the young girl Phillip ought to marry. With limited screen time Granger delivers a well-rounded performance as the supportive friend whose suspicions are shared with the audience and whose heartbreak at Phillip’s new affections are painfully masked.

The film was a few plot and script tweaks away from an erotic and eerie gothic whirlwind of a film but, alas, My Cousin Rachel is a little more forgettable than forbidding.

Overall Grade: B-

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Hear our podcast review on Extra Film, coming soon.

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Featured: Anticipating ‘The Book of Henry’ and ‘Cars 3’

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This week on the InSession Film Podcast, we’ll be reviewing Colin Trevorrow’s The Book of Henry, starring Jacob Tremblay and Naomi Watts. Early responses for the film are, well, let’s say mixed at best, however there is much about the film on paper that peeks my curiosity. For example, I’m excited to see Trevorrow back to doing smaller-scale work. Jurassic World was a corporate disaster, but his directorial debut – Safety Not Guaranteed – was an indie gem back in 2012. So I’m itching to see what he can do once again with a modest budget and a story that focuses more on emotion and whimsy. Regardless of Trevorrow’s politics or controversial comments, he’s proven to me that he has talent as a filmmaker, and that’s what I’m interested in seeing in relation to The Book of Henry.

Additionally, and this is perhaps the biggest thing for me, The Book of Henry features Jacob Tremblay and Jaeden Lieberher in significant roles. I still argue that Tremblay’s performance in Room is one of the best child-acting performances in modern cinema. He was remarkable in demonstrating child naivety and energy. And then you have Jaeden Lieberher, who starred in Midnight Special, a film that still holds a tight grip on my heart. The way Lieberher emulated tranquility and innocence among urgency, and how that rubbed up against Michael Shannon’s performance is something I will never forget. Both Lieberher and Tremblay have won me over in pretty big ways, and to see them working together in the same movie is somewhat mind-blowing for me. On top of that, it should be fun to see them working alongside Naomi Watts and Sarah Silverman.

There is also a fundamental human element to The Book of Henry‘s narrative that on paper couples very well with this cast and Trevorrow’s sense of reverberating subtle emotion, as seen in Safety Not Guaranteed. Again, you may not like Trevorrow and his comments about Hollywood, and I sympathize with that sentiment, but in terms of craft I’ve liked his work in the past. Speaking objectively, with biases aside, The Book of Henry does have a lot to offer on paper.

Also coming out this weekend is Pixar’s Cars 3, the sequel that nobody asked for after Cars 2. We will be reviewing Cars 3 on next week’s Extra Film, but in the meantime I am excited to see it his weekend, despite Cars 2 being the worst Pixar film to date. The trailers for Cars 3 look to be fixing some of the narrative problems that suffocated Cars 2, namely staging Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) in a some isolated location, which hopefully keeps that character limited. The story overall seems to be melding well with Pixar’s identity in creating pathos among its fun world building as well. Lighning McQueen will be dealing with a transformation of sorts, that appears to be physical, mental and emotional – something Pixar knows how to do well.

I don’t expect Cars 3 to be great, but it would not surprise me if it’s the best of the three and somewhere in the middle-ground of Pixar’s filmography. Count me in, it looks fun.

What about you? Are you excited for The Book of Henry or Cars 3?

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Here’s what else is coming out this weekend:

Rough Night

All Eyez On Me

47 Meters Down (limited)
Score: A Film Music Documentary (limited)

Podcast: Settling the Score Vol 8 – Ep. 225 Bonus Content

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Listen!

This week for our Episode 225 InSession Film Podcast: Bonus Content, Mark Hurne is back for another edition of Settling the Score, this time talking blockbuster themes! Since the era of the blockbuster began back in the mid 1970’s, movie scores have become synonymous with big summer fun, and we dive into some of the most iconic tracks to come out of that movement. Check it out!

Listen to Episode 225 by clicking here.

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Poll: What is your favorite threequel?

Last week for our poll we had the really difficult task of deciphering the best film from A24 – something we tried to tackle on Episode 225 – and I would argue that our poll this week is equally as challenging. Inspired by Cars 3, we’re looking at the best threequel’s of all-time. From Return of the Jedi to Return of the King to Toy Story 3, there are some really great films out there that make this a difficult poll as well.

That said, what is your favorite threequel? Vote now!


List: Top 3 Movie Scores That Illicit Fear

This week on Episode 225 of the InSession Film Podcast, inspired by our review of It Comes at Night and our interview with Matt Schrader (director of Score: A Film Music Documentary), we talked about our Top 3 movie scores that illicit fear. I’m not going to lie, as much as we love movie scores, this was a harrowing task. Listening to movie scores that purposefully attempt to illicit fear isn’t something I seek out on a daily basis. It took every ounce of energy to not run away in fear, but that was just part of the fun in doing this Top 3. There are a lot of great scores that fit this particular context, and hopefully we wrangled in some great options.

On that note, what movie scores would make your list? Here are the one’s that made ours:

*Keep in mind we have different criteria for each of our lists*

JD

1) John Williams – Jaws
2) Mica Levi – Under the Skin
3) Jerry Goldsmith – The Omen

Brendan

1) Bernard Hermann – Vertigo
2) Francis Ford Coppola, Carmine Coppola – Apocalypse Now
3) Jóhann Jóhannsson – Sicario

Honorable Mentions (Combined)

Bernard Hermann – Psycho
John Carpenter – Halloween
Krzysztof Komeda – Rosemary’s Baby
Jerry Goldsmith – Alien
Jerry Goldsmith – Poltergeist
Ennio Morricone – The Thing
Harry Manfredini – Friday the 13th
Jed Kurzel – The Babadook
Fernando Velazquez – Orphanage
Johnny Greenwood – There Will Be Blood
Mark Korven – The Witch
Clint Mansell – Requiem For a Dream
James Newton Howard – Signs

Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. Fear is a response that is triggered differently for many people, so your list could end up being very different than ours. That being said, what would be your Top 3? Leave a comment in the comment section or email us at [email protected].

For the entire podcast, click here or listen below.

For more lists done by the InSession Film crew and other guests, be sure see our Top 3 Movie Lists page.

Podcast: It Comes at Night, Top 3 Movie Scores That Illicit Fear, Matt Schrader Interview – Episode 225

This podcast is brought to you by Movie Pass! Sign up today and get 40% off of your first month’s subscription!

This week on the InSession Film Podcast, we review the latest film from A24 and Trey Edward Shults in It Comes at Night, starring Joel Edgerton. We also feature an interview with Matt Schrader, the director of Score: A Film Music Documentary, which is hitting theaters in the next week or so. Using both that interview and our featured review as inspiration, for our Top 3 this week we talk about our favorite movie scores that illicit fear.

Our thanks again to Matt for joining us. This was actually his second time on the show. He first joined us on Extra Film all the way back in February of 2015 when the project was first getting off the ground. It’s been neat to follow Score from its beginning stages to the final rollout, and we cannot wait to see the film. Also, go see It Comes at Night.

On that note, check out this week’s show and let us know what you think in the comment section. Thanks for listening and for supporting the InSession Film Podcast!

It Comes at Night Movie Review (6:02)
Grades
JD: A-
Brendan: A

– Matt Schrader Interview (40:32)

If you’ve listened to the show, you’re probably aware that we are huge film score fans. So imagine our excitement when the director of Score: A Film Music Documentary, Matt Schrader, decided to join us to talk about his new film all about the world of movie scores. As mentioned above, this is Matt’s second time on the show and it was an absolute blast to talk to him once again.

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RELATED: Listen to Episode 222 of the InSession Film Podcast where we discussed Alien: Covenant!

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Top 3 Movie Scores That Illicit Fear (1:08:29)
So, I’m not going to lie. We love movie scores, but this was a harrowing task. Listening to movie scores that purposefully attempt to illicit fear isn’t something I seek out on a daily basis. It took every ounce of energy to not run away in fear, but that was just part of the fun in doing this Top 3. There are a lot of great scores that fit this particular context, and hopefully we wrangled in some great options. That said, what would be your top 3?

Top 3 Sponsor: First Time Watchers Podcast

– Music

It Comes At Night – Brian McOmber
Lost But Won – Hans Zimmer
Halloween – John Carpenter
The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson

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InSession Film Podcast – Episode 225

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Next week on the show:

    Main Review: Cars 3
    Top 3: TBD

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If you want to help support us, there are several ways you can help us and we’d absolutely appreciate it. Every penny goes directly back into supporting the show and we are truly honored and grateful. Thanks for your support and for listening to the InSession Film Podcast!

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Podcast: Norman, Lovesong – Extra Film

This week on the InSession Film Podcast: Extra Film segment, we discuss Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer, or Norman for short, and also one of the latest indies on Netflix, Lovesong.

While these two films are vastly different, there is a similar motif between the two films that blew Brendan’s mind once Vince offers up this intriguing notion. It’s pretty great. Also, don’t forget to vote on this week’s poll as we lead into Episode 225 this weekend.

On that note, have fun listening to this week’s Extra Film segment and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Hope you enjoy and thanks for listening!

Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer Movie Review (5:50)
Grades
Brendan: B-
Vince: B

Lovesong Movie Review (30:50)
Grades
Brendan: A-
Vince: A-

This week’s episode is brought to you by our great friends at the True Bromance Film Podcast, Next Best Picture and The Atlantic Screen Connection Podcast.

– Music

Norman – Jun Miyake
Love After Love – Jóhann Jóhannsson
The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson

We try to make this the best movie podcast we possibly can and we hope you enjoy them. Subscribe today on iTunes and Stitcher and please leave us a review on iTunes. You can also find us on Soundcloud, PlayerFM and TuneIn Radio as well. We really appreciate all your support of the InSession Film Podcast.

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Norman, Lovesong – Extra Film

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Featured: Anticipating ‘It Comes at Night’ and (ugh) ‘The Mummy’

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This weekend sees the release of another horror film by the great studio A24 in Trey Edwards Shults’ It Comes at Night. This is exciting on many levels. One, A24 is a studio that is quickly revolutionizing its own identity, similar to Pixar. If you look at their filmography, it’s an embarrassment of riches, which is why our poll question this week has exploded – it’s an impossible question to answer. Additionally, A24 is no stranger to the horror genre. The Blackcoat’s Daughter received decent reviews, but Green Room and The Witch were both very successful critically and financially. The Witch in particular really struck a chord with me, and eventually it ended up in my Top 10 of 2016. And if you’re in that same camp, then prepare yourself as by many accounts It Comes at Night is similarly structured as The Witch in terms of approach and characterization. If that’s true, my anticipation couldn’t be any higher, especially in the hands of A24 and the great directors they work with creatively.

Speaking of, another reason to be excited for It Comes at Night is Trey Edwards Shults, who directed last year’s Krisha. Krisha isn’t a conventional horror film, but the emotional terror of that film is its main driving force. So to see Shults dive head first into the genre directly is no surprise. If Shults is able to capture the visceral and gripping tension of Krisha, and combine that with the same psychological and familial torment of The Witch, It Comes at Night could be very special.

Last but not least, another big reason to be excited for Shults’ new film is its cast. Joel Edgerton is also no stranger to horror, and by God does he look wonderful in this film. His ability to render fatherhood in the midst of tragedy looks very promising based on the trailers for It Comes at Night. In a general sense, he’s a great actor, and one that is on fire right now with his performances in Loving, Midnight Special, Black Mass and especially The Gift – another horror film of sorts. Alongside Edgerton, we’ll also see Christopher Abbot, Carmen Ejogo and Riley Keough, so a pretty great lineup there.

If the reports are true, It Comes at Night could be one of the year’s best films so far and it’s hard to not be excited given the aforementioned reasons.

The Mummy on the other hand, oof, that looks terrible. And reviews are not good. Like at all. Some critics have even claimed that it could be the worse movie of Tom Cruise’s career. Either way, if there’s a legitimate debate there, that’s not good. I also can’t say that I’m surprised given that The Mummy is directed by Alex Kurtzman, a first time director for a tent-pole film and a writer with horrible credits to his name – including The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Transformers, Cowboys & Aliens and others.

Universal’s Dark Universe was “supposedly” to kick off with Dracula Untold, however given the failure of that film, they decided to simply reboot everything. Despite a great cast and a bigger budget, it doesn’t look like The Mummy is going to have a better start. That said, The Mummy will feature Jake Johnson, and that already makes it better than Dracula Untold.

Which film are you most excited for this weekend? (Please say It Comes at Night)

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Here’s what else you can see at the box office this weekend:

Megan Leavey
My Cousin Rachel (limited)
Churchill (limited)
Beatriz at Dinner (limited)
The Hero (limited)

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ICYMI: On #224 we discussed the greatness of Wonder Woman and our Top 3 acts of heroism in film!

Movie Review: Wonder Woman is riveting on every level


Director: Patty Jenkins
Writers: Allan Heinberg (screenplay), Zack Snyder (story by)
Stars: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen, David Thewlis

Synopsis: Before she was Wonder Woman she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained warrior. When a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, she leaves home to fight a war to end all wars, discovering her full powers and true destiny.

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Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman is the best installment in the DC Extended Universe and also the first incredible summer blockbuster of 2017. With a charismatic cast, thrilling action sequences and just an absolutely enjoyable film all around, Jenkins and the rest of the Wonder Woman team seem to have broken the DC mold. Crafting a heartfelt and honest story, Wonder Woman takes us back to the classic superhero origin story.

When Diana (Gal Gadot), princess of the Amazons, rescues a World War 1 pilot from drowning she is thrust into a war that is meant to fulfill her destiny. Chasing down Ares, the God of War, Diana begins her hunt for the malicious god right in the heat of the first world war. Chock full of emotional moments and powerful storytelling elements, Wonder Woman has a little bit of something for everybody.

The first thing that Wonder Woman smacks you with is how straight forward its story is. Instead of taking the usual DC approach, shoving in a ton of pointless characters, attempting to open up pointless subplots, etc. Patty Jenkins and her team go with a simple, straight forward origin story. Focusing solely on how Diana began her life as a young amazon girl who desperately wants to train in the ways of battle. To her being trained vigorously to become the greatest warrior of them all. And finally to her courageous and heroic effort and ultimately defeat of Ares. Wonder Woman does not take the focus off of Diana for even the slightest moment, the film begins with her in the spotlight and ends with her in the spotlight.

Which leads into the incredible performance that Gal Gadot gives as Diana. Gadot is absolute dynamite on screen. With her innocence to the outside world, I.E. the ice cream scene, to her being just an absolute badass in every single fight scene, Gadot masterfully takes up the Wonder Woman mantle and wears it proudly. Giving emotion on literal opposite ends of the spectrum: joy, anger, sadness, anything and everything in between Gadot nails it. Her nuanced facial expressions and subtle vocal switches when delivering dialogue prove that Gadot is a force to be reckoned with and deserves to wrangle in every role ever.

The one hurdle that Wonder Woman does not make it over is the runtime. The past few DC films typically go on a tad too long and Wonder Woman also sadly drags a little. Now this does not ruin any of the overall enjoyment or impact of the film, there are just a few dragging moments that could be cut either shorter or completely out. That being said every other flaw that past DCEU films have had, are no where near any of the content in Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman is its own cinematic universe and soars high above Suicide Squad, Batman VS Superman AND Man of Steel.

One thing that is clear and present in this film is sustainability. A problem shown with all superhero movies lately, not just DC, is the ability to have that film stand on its own. Typically the superhero films that release now a days must set up their larger universe and have a loose ending that will allow setup for the next film in said universe. Wonder Woman does not take this approach. Showing Diana in present day, to the entirety of her origin and then returning to present day Diana, the film bookends flawlessly. With no plot holes or loose ends that they have to worry about tying up in the next film, Wonder Woman ends on a perfect note. Creating a world that is solely Gal Gadot’s and Patty Jenkins’ is both refreshing to see and immaculately crafted.

Wonder Woman is a near perfect superhero film, that lacks just a bit in its runtime. Despite its few dragging scenes, the action is intense and entertaining, the story is simple and emotional, Gal Gadot is absolutely dynamite in the role, and everything about the film is spectacular. Proving the point even further that we should have both female lead action films and female directed blockbusters, Wonder Woman does not disappoint in anyway shape or form. Resurrecting the DCEU and giving hope to both fans and non-fans of the DCEU, Wonder Woman is the first smash hit summer blockbuster.

Overall Grade: A

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Hear our podcast review on Episode 224:

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Poll: What is your favorite film so far by A24?

Good luck on this one. That’s all I can really say. In all honesty, we have no idea how this poll is going to turn out. Maybe Moonlight will win since it’s probably the most top of mind film of these selections? Oh, and it’s very, very good. Or maybe Spring Breakers? However, Under the Skin is one of the best sci-fi films of the decade. Same could be said about Ex Machina too. But then there’s The Witch, one of the best horror films of the decade so far. Swiss Army Man and The Lobster are two of the weirdest films, but also very good. And let’s not forget Room with Brie Larson, a powerfully moving experience. This poll really could go anywhere, and justifiably so. Regardless, it’s safe to say that A24 has quite the resume.

Good luck. Be safe out there. Vote now!


Movie Review: ‘It Comes At Night’ is terrifying and masterfully crafted


Director: Trey Edward Shults
Writers: Trey Edward Shults
Stars: Joel Edgerton, Christopher Abbott, Carmen Ejogo, Riley Keough

Synopsis: Secure within a desolate home as an unnatural threat terrorizes the world, a man has established a tenuous domestic order with his wife and son, but this will soon be put to test when a desperate young family arrives seeking refuge.

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I’ll be honest; initially after seeing It Comes At Night I was perplexed at what I saw and was unsure of what to make of it. The film weighed on me all night, and after wrestling with it for awhile, things became apparent. Trey Edward Shults has created an experience that will cause nightmares. If Shults does not cause your mind fear, then you must have skipped out on Krisha last year. Shults’ style latches onto our emotions like a vise grip, and in It Comes At Night the grip is tightening.

It Comes At Night is one of those rare movies that will make you ask questions about what was going on, and you’re never exactly sure where it’s going to go. It’s a testament to Schults’ style that varying opinions will come from this film. It Comes At Night is not only a viscerally gripping horror film aesthetically, but an astounding character study that touches on different emotional and physical psyches of a person facing the end of civilization. The varying perspectives offer an extensive look into the dark recesses of our minds where we start to question the every action in the film.

Travis (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.) lives with lives in a secured and heavily armed home with his parents Paul and Sarah (Joel Edgerton and Carmen Ejogo.) The opening sequence is fantastic and shows the great lengths Paul is willing to go through to protect his family. The film plays out like most movies in this setting; we see the day-to-day life of this family, and with the limited dialogue between them all we can feel the tension start to creep into our skin. One terrifying night things start change and eventually it leads them into meeting another young family. The addition to the household adds more paranoia and pairing that with an eerie score makes things interesting.

The Red Door is featured heavily in the promotion of this film and rightfully so as it’s the only way in and out of this boarded up house. Most of the intense scenes happen in the narrow hallway in front of it. If you’re expecting jump scares or zombies, you will be disappointed. In terms of pace and character, It Comes At Night is more in line with The Witch – another A24 horror film – that relies on gripping tension that methodically builds over the course of the film.

Without spoiling too much, the film is at its most visceral in nightmare sequences that frequently appear throughout the film. These dreams have a different feel and look to them to distinguish them from the main story. It’s the paranoia manifesting itself in Travis’ real-life that makes those scenes uncomfortable to watch.

Taking place in the woods is scary enough, Schults ups the ante by having light coming from lanterns or lights mounted to guns. The barely illuminated scenes will constantly have you peeking into the darkness wondering what’s going to happen next.

What lengths are you willing to go to protect your family? Not giving us much about the characters pays off for Schults in the second act. There is an event happens that causes a rift between the two families; whose side do we believe? The questions this film raises and how it forces these characters to react is quite fascinating.

It Comes At Night is another masterpiece for A24 and one that puts Trey Edward Schults as a major player in this genre.

Overall Grade: A

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Hear our podcast review on Episode 225, coming soon.

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