This week on the InSession Film Podcast: Extra Film segment, we discuss Ewan McGregor in Last Days in the Desert and Daniel Radcliffe in the small indie, Imperium.
Forgive us for this episode being late but we were traveling this weekend (Go Blue!) and we weren’t able to get the show edited in time. That said, we had some great discussion on these two films and we hope you enjoy the direction it goes. One of these films, we’ll just say, is less than the other and we had fun with that on the 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!
– Last Days in the Desert Movie Review (3:25) Grades
Brendan: B+
JD: B+
– Imperium Movie Review (28:25) Grades
Brendan: C-
JD: D
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.
To hear this Extra Film episode and everything else we do, download our apps on the Amazon Market for Android and the Podcast Box app on IOS devices. The mobile app covers all of our main shows, bonus podcast’s and everything else relating to the InSession Film Podcast. Thanks for your wonderful support and listening to our show. It means the world to us!
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Director: Adam Wingard Writers: Simon Barrett Stars: James Allen McCune, Callie Hernandez, Corbin Reid
Synopsis: After discovering a video showing what he believes to be his sister’s experiences in the demonic woods of the Blair Witch, James and a group of friends head to the forest in search of his lost sibling.
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It was revealed at San Diego Comic-Con 2016 that The Woods is really a direct follow-up to the breakout 1999 film, The Blair Witch Project. Those unfamiliar with the previous film, it tells the story of film students, Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams and Joshua Leonard, who travel to Maryland to investigate the legend of the Blair Witch. In this day and age, it is very hard to keep anything a secret, so the fact that this film was successfully able to remain secret for almost a year is impressive. Now that the cat is out of the bag, does Blair Witch has the same flare as its predecessor after 17 long years?. Director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett (the team behind You’re Next and The Guest) invites back to the same woods.
For some odd reason, James (James Allen McCune) thinks that after 22 years that his Heather is still alive after he sees supposed footage of her in a YouTube video. Based on the footage displayed in the video, there is no way I would even remotely go close to that place. Nevertheless, James convinces his three friends, Lisa (Callie Hernandez), Ashley (Corbin Reid) and Peter (Brandon Scott), to travel to the same woods. The technology gap is very apparent from the first film to now as the team uses several devices that allow them to capture the action from different devices and angles. GoPro’s, iPads, and even a drone are used to capture the action and it’s a welcomed addition because on of the best scenes comes via the angle of the drone. The team is joined by the pair who found the DV tape—Lane (Wes Robinson) and Talia (Valorie Curry). You know the story, the longer the group stays in the woods, the worst it gets for them. Once nightfall comes, the group begins to hear strange unexplained noises at night and waking up with mysterious stick figures surrounding their campgrounds.
The challenging thing about horror movies is obviously scaring the audience. We have pretty much seen it all, the familiar eerie music, the out-of-nowhere loud noises, all in order to create cheap, predictable jump scares. Wingard uses those techniques and the popularity of The Blair Witch franchise to create good scares. Mixing in various camera angles with loud noises, and it makes for an uncomfortable situation, especially being lost in the woods at night. Blair Witch may not be as scary as other films, but for most of its running time it creates anticipation. The film takes its time building up each night, like Paranormal Activity, where things get stranger and stranger, or in this case louder and louder.
The characters in this film are not as memorable as Heather but they still put in convincing enough performances as they run frantically in the woods.
Blair Witch, no matter how good it is, just cannot replicate the same buzz as the first one because since you know the title, you already know what to expect and there are very few changes from the original plot. The climax of this film tries to incorporate a supernatural aspect and it comes across as convoluted.
I would love to see this director-writer duo take on another original idea in this genre because although they bring new elements to this franchise, however, after 17 years I just don’t think it was necessary to retell this story. Blair Witch is simply going to be for anyone who enjoyed the first film and wants a slightly above-average movie sequel. It’s not great but it’s enough to satisfy.
This weekend on Episode 187, we’ll be discussing Oliver Stone’s latest film, Snowden. Stone is no stranger to controversy, so the story of Edward Snowden just made sense for him to tackle. Stone has certainly been polarizing over the year’s but it’s hard to deny his craftsmanship and passion for the stories he is interested in telling. Despite his politics, films like JFK, Born on the Fourth of July, Wall Street and Nixon are compelling interpretations on topics that matter to him. Additionally, other films like Natural Born Killers, Any Given Sunday and The Doors have opened up Stone’s range and give insight into other matters besides politics. Stone, similarly to what I talked about with Clint Eastwood last week, has slipped in recent year’s but overall he’s a prolific filmmaker with a solid resume.
I haven’t read any early reviews for Snowden yet, but the trailers feel very “Oliver Stone” and it looks to be a return to form, of sorts. The cinematography looks reflective of the digital themes this story will explore and the trailers purposefully highlight the controversial angle’s Stone is known for addressing in his films. Overall, based off Snowden‘s marketing, it looks well directed. Additionally, the performances come off as well-committed. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is doing is best impersonation, which could be distracting initially, but Gordon-Levitt is a good actor and will deliver what the character needs. Shailene Woodley is in this film, enough said there. Melissa Leo and Zachary Quinto also provide supporting roles here, two actors I also enjoy.
Does any of that make for a good film? Of course not. As mentioned, Stone’s recent outings have proven to be less than stellar, if you ask me. I liked World Trade Center enough but Stone’s typical presence hasn’t been felt since Any Given Sunday. On paper, Snowden could be the comeback we all want to see but I’m still dubious given Stone’s latest offerings, which have meandered and left too many questions on the table. We’ll see soon enough.
What about you? Are you excited for Snowden?
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Here are some other films you can catch at the box office this weekend:
Bridget Jones’s Baby
Blair Witch
Hillsong: Let Hope Rise
Wild Oates (limited)
Mr. Church (limited)
Silicon Cowboys (limited)
This weekend on #187, we’ll be discussing Oliver Stone’s latest film, Snowden, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Stone is no stranger to conspiracy and he’s not stranger to controversy, so the story of Edward Snowden just makes sense for him. Regardless of what you think of his politics, it’s hard to ignore Stone as a director. He’s made some really powerful and thought-provoking movies that have reverberated over the decades. With that as our inspiration this week, what is your favorite Oliver Stone film?
Director: Clint Eastwood Writers: Todd Komarnicki (screenplay), Chesley Sullenberger (based on the book “Highest Duty” by) Stars: Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney
Synopsis: The story of Chesley Sullenberger, who became a hero after gliding his plane along the water in the Hudson River, saving all of the airplane flights 155 crew and passengers.
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On January 15, 2009, a familiar scene brought an uneasy feeling to the people of New York. It was on that frigid day that US Airways Flight 1549 makes an emergency landing in the Hudson River after striking a flock of geese. Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) was the pilot that made the life-saving choice to attempt that landing and miraculously, all the 155 passengers and crew survive the harrowing ordeal. Is Sully a hero or could that whole incident have been avoided? Sully is directed by Clint Eastwood and stars Tom Hanks and Aaron Eckhart.
Saving the lives of 155 people is a heroic act and for anyone on the outside, there is no question that what Sully did was nothing short of fantastic. Sully focuses not on the known but rather the investigation into Capt. Sully and First Officer Jeffery “Jeff” Skiles (Aaron Eckhart). I personally didn’t know that there was any controversy regarding this situation because of the Miracle on the Hudson.
Without diving into spoilers, it’s evident that Eastwood knows how to shift perspectives because at times I found myself questioning briefly if Sully made the right decision. The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) investigators led by Charles Porter (Mike O’Malley) ask very tough questions about Sully’s personal life and rather he was going through issues at the time of his flight.
The camera shots in Sully have beautifully positioned angles when the airplane is in the frigid river that gives you different perspectives as well. Having these varying shots of the airplane on the river makes you appreciate the impressive rescue even more. A sense of realism helps strike that emotional chord with you during the entire duration of the flight from take-off to the abrupt landing.
Tom Hanks has been in similar roles before where he is facing high-tense situations and again he nails his role to perfection. Aaron Eckhart adds great support as First officer Jeff Skiles.
There is no doubt that Sully sticks its landing, but it loses points for me in a few areas. Eastwood uses various flashbacks, with two of them feeling a bit incoherent due to their timing, which throws off the pacing of the film slightly. The biggest issue, however, is the portrayal of the NTSB. The film makes it seem like they were trying to devalue what Capt. Sully did when in reality that was not the case. The investigation was just a standard procedure and the hard questioning is necessary when it involves safety. I’m afraid that when people watch this film, they are going to get the wrong idea about what the NTSB does and I do not want that to happen.
Sully nevertheless is a fantastic film that gives us the insight into the events surrounding the Miracle on the Hudson.
This week on Episode 186 of the InSession Film Podcast, we reviewed Clint Eastwood’s new film, Sully. Going off of that, we thought it would be fun to discuss our favorite moments from Eastwood directed film. And despite his last four outings, Eastwood is a proven director with a lot of rich material on his resume. There are many scenes one could choose from for this list and we found some great scenes to talk about. It’s clear that Eastwood has a robust vision in many of his movies, and our discussion here is very representative of that fact. We were also joined by ESPN’s Adnan Virk for this specific discussion, who was a great guest with wonderful insight.
On that note, which Clint Eastwood directed scenes would make your list? Here are the one’s that made ours:
*Keep in mind we have different criteria for our lists as well*
JD
1) Jimmy Markum discovers his daughters fate – Mystic River
2) The Kid reveals the truth to William Munny – Unforgiven
3) Robert / Philip run into family – A Perfect World
Brendan
1) Jimmy Markum discovers his daughters fate – Mystic River
2) Japanese soldier / American soldier have a conversation – Letters from Iwo Jima
3) Ending shootout – Unforgiven
Adnan
1) Ending hospital scene – Million Dollar Baby
2) Ending shootout – Unforgiven
3) Jimmy Markum discovers his daughters fate – Mystic River
Honorable Mentions (Combined)
Raising of the Flag – Flags of our Fathers
Ending Sacrifice – Gran Torino
Sniper / Child Scene – American Sniper
Bar Scene – American Sniper
“I want my son back!” – Changeling
Tsunami Scene – Hereafter
Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. Clearly there are a lot of other great Clint Eastwood scenes that battled for our lists, that just missed the cut. That being said, what would be your Top 3? Leave a comment in the comment section or email us at [email protected].
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This week on the InSession Film Podcast, we review Clint Eastwood’s new film Sully, starring the great Tom Hanks. ESPN’s Adnan Virk also joins us to discuss our favorite scenes in Eastwood directed movies and we finish off the show debating which Tom Hanks role represents him the most.
HUGE thanks to Adnan for joining us this week. He was absolutely wonderful and we had a lot of fun discussing both Clint Eastwood and a little college football with him on the show. Brendan and JD also throw blows at one another in our discussion segment, which was a somewhat unexpected, but we think you will enjoy that debate.
On that note, check out the show and let us know what you think in the comment section. Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting the InSession Film Podcast!
– Sully Movie Review (6:41) Grades
JD: B
Brendan: C
– Top 3 Scenes in Clint Eastwood (Directed) Movies (38:36)
Despite his last four outings, Clint Eastwood is a proven director with a lot of rich material on his resume. There are many scenes one could choose from for this list and we found some great scenes to talk about. It’s clear that Eastwood has a robust vision in many of his movies, and our discussion here is very representative of that fact. On that note, what would be your top 3?
RELATED: Listen to Episode 185 of the InSession Film Podcast where we discussed our 2016 Fall Movie Preview!
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– InSession Film Showdown (1:27:19)
For our showdown this week, we each pick a Tom Hanks role that we feel is the most representative of the Tom Hanks brand that we all know and love. Hanks is an actor with many iconic roles in his filmography, but what role is quintessential Hanks? Well, we debated that question on this week’s showdown. And as mentioned above, the conversation gets a little heated about one of these picks.
Main Review: Snowden
Top 3: Movies About Privacy / Surveillance
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Help Support The InSession Film Podcast
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!
This week on the InSession Film Podcast: Extra Film segment, we discuss Craig Robinson and Markees Christmas in Morris from America and also the great Micheal Fassbender and Alicia Vikander in The Light Between Oceans.
These two films couldn’t be more juxtaposing from one another but we had some great banter on both of them. The Light Between Oceans is the film that officially kicks off the fall/awards movie season for 2016, which is pretty exciting.
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!
– Morris from America Movie Review (6:21) Grades
Brendan: B+
JD: A-
– The Light Between Oceans Movie Review (33:05) Grades
Brendan: B-
JD: B
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.
To hear this Extra Film episode and everything else we do, download our apps on the Amazon Market for Android and the Podcast Box app on IOS devices. The mobile app covers all of our main shows, bonus podcast’s and everything else relating to the InSession Film Podcast. Thanks for your wonderful support and listening to our show. It means the world to us!
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Help Support The InSession Film Podcast
If you want to help support us, we would greatly appreciate it! For more info, CLICK HERE.
This weekend on Episode 186, we’ll be discussing Clint Eastwood’s new film, Sully, starring the great Tom Hanks in another Captain role. Overall, Eastwood has proven himself to be an evocative filmmaker with emotional prowess behind his direction. If you’ve seen Forgiven, Mystic River or Million Dollar Baby, you’ll know what I’m talking about. However, his latest outings in American Sniper, Jersey Boys, J. Edgar and Hereafter have been less than stellar. I know some of you will come after me about American Sniper, and while it’s not a “bad” film per se, a lot of that film is manufactured, especially from an emotional standpoint. It may be the best of the films I just listed above, but it’s far from Eastwood’s best work overall.
That said, Sully looks really great and the early buzz from critics is promising. The cinematography, which looks bland at first, seems to mirror a lot of where this story is going to go as far as its murkiness. The thing I appreciate about Sully the most, based off of its marketing, is that the story will focus more on the aftermath of Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger landing the plane in the Hudson River. How does all of this attention effect Sully? How does he cope with this investigation and the pressures that come along with that? Those are the questions that Eastwood seems to be the most interested in and I love that. Additionally, Tom Hanks looks to embrace that idea significantly in his performance. In the first trailer for Sully, you just see a disheartened Sully staring into a window lost with himself, unsure of what to do. It sets the tone perfectly for me, rushing those questions to the surface. Robert Zemeckis’ Flight, starring Dezel Washington, did the same thing a few years ago. It’s not about the plane “crashing”, or in this case landing in the Hudson, but rather it’s about how one man did the impossible and is both praised and criticized for his actions. If you ask me, that is ripe for Eastwood, who has proven before that he can viscerally depict that kind of inner turmoil.
My biggest precautions going into Sully, is more about Eastwood from an aesthetic standpoint. Will he get too caught up in design like he did with J.Edgar or perhaps the extreme opposite of that as we saw in American Sniper? The “toy” baby was a bit too obvious Eastwood. C’mon, you’re better than that. Eastwood does have an eye for detail, he’s proven that over and over again. The last few films, however, have not lived up the the standard he set for himself.
Despite any precautions, Sully does look like a return to form for Eastwood and I’m excited for that. On top of that, you have Tom Hanks once again playing a captain, which is a role that he owns and works perfectly for his brand. Sully has a lot of potential and we look forward to talking about it this weekend. What about you, are you excited?
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Here are some other films you can expect to see at the box office this weekend:
The Wild Life
When the Bough Breaks
The Disappointments Room (limited)
Other People (limited)
Transpecos (limited)
London Road (limited)
We offer our bonus content for free, but we do encourage and appreciate a small donation of $0.99 as a way to help support the show. Click on the PayPal button below to donate and thanks so much for your support. You can also hear all of our Bonus Content via our mobile apps. See the information at the bottom of the post for more details.
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During one of our breaks on Episode 185, we had some fun banter talking about the fall and specifically how Rogue One: A Star Wars Story plays into our expectations. For our InSession Film Podcast: Bonus Content this week, we thought it would be fun to hear that discussion. Check it out!
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Well, it’s a new week and that means a new poll for us to discuss this weekend on the show. On Episode 186 this weekend we are discussing Clint Eastwood’s new film, Sully, starring the great Tom Hanks. And as I noted on Episode 179, Tom Hanks is great at playing movie captains. He’s done it several times now and they are some of his best roles. He is perfect at capturing what a captain needs to do in the most dire of circumstances. That said, for our poll this week, we are pinning his three “captain” roles against one another. Yes, I understand that Jim Lovell’s technical title is “commander” but that is literally the same thing as “captain” and his role functioned as such. So, with that said, which Hanks “Captain” role do you prefer?
Director: Travis Knight Writers: Marc Haimes (screenplay), Chris Butler (screenplay) Stars: Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Matthew McConaughey
Synopsis: A young boy named Kubo must locate a magical suit of armor worn by his late father in order to defeat a vengeful spirit from the past.
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Laika studios may not have a deep resume but so far it’s very respectable. Coraline is a really good film from 2009, followed by ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls, which are slightly inferior but still good in their own right. And now here we are with Kubo in the Two Strings, which is their best film so far. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that Kubo in the Two Strings is one of the best films we’ve seen in 2016, period. The film is bursting with a pathos that lingers from the opening frame, coupled with Kubo‘s stunning visuals, making for one of the best experiences you’ll have this year.
Kubo (Art Parkinson) is a young boy taking care of this mother, who is slowly losing her memory. One day, after his aunts arrive and try to steal him away, Kubo’s mother sends him on a journey to locate a magical suit of armor that was worn by his late father. This magical suit is the only way to defeat his vengeful aunts and grandfather. With the help of a talking monkey (Charlize Theron), brought to life by his mother’s magic, Kubo begins his journey. They soon find the aid of Beetle (Matthew McConaughey), an ex-Samurai warrior who also suffers from memory loss after being cursed into his insect life-form. The three of them eventually learn secrets of who they actually are and that narrative is interwoven with such grace, wit and heart.
Marc Haimes and Chris Butler’s screenplay perfectly captures the heart of this story, but not without having a little joy along the way. They smartly inject humor that not only works well for these characters but also the narrative at large. The timing of it doesn’t always work but overall Haimes and Butler succeed in giving Kubo the needed fun that balances well with the film’s drama.
At the heart of that drama are these notions of memory and how they are used as a coping mechanism when we experience pain and suffering. It’s in these ideas where Haimes and Butler, and director Travis Knight, succeed the most. The way they are able to balance the surface level story, Kubo finding this armor, while expertly laying out these powerful themes of memory underneath is quite extraordinary. Additionally, those ideas tie provocatively to the Japanese lore depicted in Kubo, which was a perfect vehicle to carry out this story. As a result, the film’s climax is poignant, visually captivating and is sure to satisfy both children and adults alike.
Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey are great supporting voices but it’s Art Parkinson who steals the show. Parkinson’s vocal performance as Kubo is really something else. He confidently illustrates this longing Kubo has for family as well as this desire to just be a kid. Kubo is mature beyond his years but he is also a vulnerable young soul who longs for parental love. You feel every bit of that in Kubo and a big reason for that is Parkinson’s robust delivery. It is also why the film’s themes resonate so powerfully by the end.
Kubo and the Two Strings isn’t a film that relies on emotion, but rather it earns its affection by delivering a fun story that is engaging and moving in its demonstration of how family, and our memories of them, function when we need them the most. Memories sometimes fade but through storytelling, it keeps them alive as well as the people in them. It’s a powerful idea elevated by Dario Marianelli’s stirring score and the lush stop-motion animation provided by Laika studios. I cannot begin to reiterate enough how wonderful the visuals are in Kubo. It’s simply fantastic.
This week on Episode 185 of the InSession Film Podcast, we looked ahead to the fall and discussed our most anticipated films as we finish out the year of 2016. For a lot of people, the summer may have been a bummer for mainstream films, but the fall looks promising on that front. It looks even better for indie films, which have been stellar this year, and that trend looks to continue this fall. If it all lives up, the rest of 2016 could be special.
On that note, which 2016 fall films would make your list? Here are the one’s that made ours:
*Keep in mind we have different criteria for our lists as well*
JD
1) Silence
2) The Birth of a Nation
3) Certain Women
4) Manchester By The Sea
5) War on Everyone
Brendan
1) Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
2) Lion
3) American Honey
4) Silence
5) Manchester By The Sea
Nick
1) Hacksaw Ridge
2) The Birth of a Nation
3) The Magnificent Seven
4) Allied
5) Sully
Honorable Mentions (Combined) A Monster Call, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, La La Land, Arrival, Loving, The Founder, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The Handmaiden, Nocturnal Animals, Moonlight, Personal Shopper, The Accountant, Moana, Gold, American Pastoral, Mascots, Passengers
Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. Clearly there are a lot of other contenders coming this fall that battled for our lists, that just missed the cut. That being said, what would be your Top 5? Leave a comment in the comment section or email us at [email protected].
This week on the InSession Film Podcast, Nick from the Epic Film Guys podcast joins us to discuss our most anticipated films coming later this fall and we also debate the best years in film.
Nick was an excellent guest and brought some great banter to the table this week. If you enjoyed him on our show, and it’s impossible not to, you will love his show. Epic Film Guys is one of best movie podcast’s out there and we highly recommend it. We had a lot of fun discussing films coming out this fall, and boy does the fall look great on paper. There is huge potential as we finish out the year, let’s hope it makes up for whatever the summer lacked.
On that note, check out the show and let us know what you think in the comment section. Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting the InSession Film Podcast!
– Top 5 Fall Films 2016 – Picks #5 / #4 / #3 (8:42)
As mentioned above, the summer may have been a bummer for mainstream films, but the fall looks promising. It looks even better for indie films, which have been stellar in 2016, and that trend looks to continue this fall. If it all lives up, the rest of 2016 could be special. For the first part of our Top 5 this week, we discussed our 5-3 films that we are most anticipating for the rest of the year.
– Top 5 Fall Films 2016 – Picks #2 / #1 (39:24)
To finish off our Top 5 this week, we discussed our #2 and #1 fall films that we are anticipating the most. We also threw out some fun honorable mentions with a side discussion on Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
– The Best Years for Movies (1:24:06)
For our discussion segment this week, we decided to talk about some of the best years in film. Coming off the heels of last week’s show where we discussed the best films of 2009, we wanted to take a look at the year’s that were considered the best. There have been several transcendent years for film, but there are a few that seem to stand above the rest.
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!
Director: Mark Osborne Writers: Irena Brignull (screenplay), Bob Persichetti (screenplay) Stars: Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Mackenzie Foy
Synopsis: A little girl lives in a very grown-up world with her mother, who tries to prepare her for it. Her neighbor, the Aviator, introduces the girl to an extraordinary world where anything is possible, the world of the Little Prince.
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Animations have always held their place in our hearts. They typically appeal to the innocent nostalgia of our childhood, and there’s always a larger meaning hidden beneath the surface teaching us a valuable lesson we should be utilizing in our every day lives as adults. Every animation film should hold this peaceful center ground between being aimed towards children, and having a creative element that appeals towards adults. The Little Prince captures this healthy middle ground, and dazzles visually while doing it.
The Little Prince revolves around The Little Girl (Mackenzie Foy) whose mom has devoted her time to absolutely making sure that her daughter is accepted into what they call “The Academy.” This type of hard work, dedication to studying and working from when she wakes up until she goes to sleep. After a horrific failure at her initial interview with the academy, the little girl and her mother move into a new house, the little girl meets a man who simply goes by The Aviator (Jeff Bridges). The Aviator has seen a whole new foreign version of the world that The Little Girl has lived in forever. The Aviator has a story that revolves around him crashing his plane in the Sahara Desert and meeting the boy simply known as “The Little Prince.” After a terrible accident, this leaves The Little Girl alone, ready to search for The Little Prince in hopes to rekindle the relationship between The Aviator and The Little Prince.
With a wide variety of different animation styles, The Little Prince is an absolute joy visually. The film holds a lot of very serious undertones that create an incredible connection with the audience. Whether the audience is a young child, or a grown adult, the film has something that everyone can relate to and understand. The film only slams this idea into our heads further by having these immaculate visuals. With a modern animation style in the reality of the film, to the stop motion almost papyrus aesthetic when The Aviator tells his story, the film advances and broadens it’s spectrum visually. Giving something for everyone to enjoy.
As for a story, the idea is an incredibly interesting one, evolving from an almost Orwell 1984 dystopian city life, to the dream state glorified masterpiece that is the dream world and then finally we return to the Orwell style, showing the brutality of growing up and forgetting about people, and memories that meant a lot to you as a child. We see various different outlooks on the world our characters live in, and this adds another dimension to the film. Whole other universe’s are created, literally, and it is just pure essence of joy. We as an audience also connect seamlessly with these characters so once again props to the writers. It feels that in a lot of films that have been released this past year we seem to lack more and more connection with the characters causing the emotions that the film makers attempt to create to fall short. We cannot understand or even enjoy or dislike events that happen to a character if we don’t care about them at all.
The Little Prince is another wonderful little gem hidden within the canyons of Netflix’s selection. A diamond in the rough if you will. However, it’s an easy film to watch and comprehend, the film dazzles visually and emotionally giving us a copious number of emotions to feel and exhale as we finish the film. The film makers build us up, forcing us to feel for the characters and understand and share their happiness together. They also bring that happiness to a screeching halt and throw us down this rabbit hole of depression and anger, but only to bring us back to a glorious happy go lucky ending. In essence, The Little Prince film for audiences of all ages to enjoy.
This week on the InSession Film Podcast: Extra Film segment, we discuss the new film from Mike Birbiglia, Don’t Think Twice as well as the Barack and Michelle Obama “date movie” Southside With You.
No guest this week but we do want to give a shout out to our good friend Matty Negs who launched his new website, NextBestPicture.com, which will specialize more on the awards season as well as reviewing new films each week. It looks really great and we are very happy for him.
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!
– Don’t Think Twice Movie Review (7:02) Grades
Brendan: A
JD: A-
– Southside With You Movie Review (34:53) Grades
Brendan: B
JD: C+
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Director: Fede Alvarez Writers: Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues Stars: Stephen Lang, Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette
Synopsis: A group of friends break into the house of a wealthy blind man, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect heist. They’re very wrong.
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My top movies so far this year are Green Room and 10 Cloverfield Lane. Both of these movie are beautifully acted and directed, and they have to be since they take place primarily indoors. Having a film take place in one primary location is a huge challenge because you need to keep the audience entertained for the entire running time. Thrillers like these I find enjoyable because it creates that psychological horror which to me is much more effective than your typical films in this genre. One of the reasons that Green Room and 10 Cloverfield Lane are successful is because they both have a strong antagonist and a strong heroine. I can’t say this enough, but I am all about strong female characters, and I love how more female characters are in roles that are usually reserved for men. Green Room has Patrick Stewart and Imogen Potts and 10 Cloverfield Lane has John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Don’t Breathe is the next great thriller of 2016 and despite its flaws should be considered one of the best horror films of 2016. Don’t Breathe is directed by Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead (2013)) and stars Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, and Stephen Lang. Like Stewart and Goodman before him, Lang provides a bone-chilling performance as The Blind Man.
The plot is pretty straightforward as it tells the story of three Detroit teenagers, Alex ( Dylan Minnette), Money ( Daniel Zovatto) and Rocky (Jane Levy) that make a living breaking into people’s homes and stealing only valuables, not cash. Once learning about a blind military vet winning a huge $300,000 cash settlement, and figuring he’s an easy target, the trio invade the man’s secluded home in an abandoned neighborhood. Once inside they quickly learn that the blind man does an excellent impression of Frank Castle and Matt Murdock.
Although the plot is pretty straight-forward (and I may have already said too much), movies like this cannot be spoiled because the acting, cinematography (in particular the effective camera angles) and the intensity of the situation is something that needs to be seen to be believed. Fede Alvarez pays homage to several classic and recent thrillers including The Silence of The Lambs, Jaws, and Cujo. Alvarez’ camera is set up perfectly in almost every frame.
It’s important to mention that this film is more visually driven than anything else as the film probably has a total 25 minutes worth of dialogue, but trust me, the movie really takes off as soon as the blind man wakes up. I have been giving a lot of praise thus far but there are a few issues in the plot that are bigger than the Detroit ford buildings.
Jane Levy needs to be cast in more films asap as she was absolutely phenomenal as Rocky. I think Warner Bros. needs to give her a call because the part of Pamela Isley needs to be fulfilled in the DCEU. Stephen Lang delivers a home-run performance as The Blind Man and between these two performances are in line with Green Room and 10 Cloverfield Lane’s female-male duo.
Don’t Breathe is much better than I expected and is a beautifully shot and directed film that will give you chills for most of the running time.
Overall Grade: A
[divider] Hear our podcast review on the Next Best Picture podcast:
For this particular post, I’m not going to be ranking my most anticipated since we’ll be doing that on Episode 185 of the InSession Film Podcast. However, here are some titles coming out this fall that I’m very much looking forward to, which sounds really great on paper. A lot of people were disappointed with the summer movie season, but the fall looks promising and should make up for what the summer gave us.
This weekend will be begin the fall season and the film that will kick things for us is Derek Cianfrance’s The Light Between Oceans. Early reviews for the film has been mixed, but several people have already reached out to me to forewarn me about the film’s potent emotional undercurrent. For those who listened to Episode 176, you’ll know that I wear my emotions on my sleeve and it sounds like this film is going to destroy me. Good or bad, I at least have that to look forward to this weekend. Also coming out in September are the biopics Sully and Snowden. Clint Eastwoond, in my humble opinion, hasn’t made a good film in awhile but I am keeping hope for Sully. The trailers look great. Disney’s Queen of Katwe also hits theaters later this month and there is some early awards buzz surrounding Lupita Nyong’o and her performance for that film. The final weekend of September sees Peter Berg’s Deepwater Horizon starring Mark Wahlberg. I haven’t seen much marketing for that film, so it should be interesting to see how that plays out. That same weekend sees Andrea Arnold’s new indie, American Honey, which has been getting good reviews from early screenings. The last film of note for September is one of my most anticipated of the entire year, and that is John Michael McDonagh’s War on Everyone. Most of us will probably see it in October, but it technically has a limited release date of September 30. Mark that one down on your calendar folks.
As we move to October, the first weekend gives us Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation, which has had a crazy year in terms of hype for this film. Coming out of Sundance, this film was put on a very high pedestal, but given Parker’s recent rape scandal, things have shifted quite a bit. This is one of those instances where we may have to separate the man from the art. The Birth of a Nation looks like a very important film that will be hard to ignore. Also coming out that same weekend is Emily Blunt in The Girl On A Train. Later on in October is one of our most anticipated films of the fall and that is Gavin O’Connor’s new film, The Accountant, starring Ben Affleck. I’m a big fan of O’Connor’s work and this film looks utterly incredible. It may surprise a lot of people. October will also see Jonás Cuarón’s Desierto. The last project that Cuarón worked on was that little film back in 2013, ya know, called Gravity. Desierto is obviously much smaller in scale but looks well made. Another filmmaker that I look forward to seeing is Kelly Reichardt, who has a new film called Certain Women. Reichardt is a talented director and this film sounds really compelling. Most people weren’t too high on Park Chan-wook’s English-language debut Stoker, but I was a big fan. His latest film The Handmaiden sees him return back to his Korean roots and he’s proven himself there, so I’m fine with that. The last one I’ll mention for October is a new documentary from Terence Malick called Voyage of Time. I think I was the only one who kind of liked Knight of Cups, but hey, I’m sure Voyage of Time will be worth your time.
Early November will feature Marvel’s Doctor Strange, which is a film I’m getting more and more excited for. Benedict Cumberbatch is always a treat and I’m excited to see what Marvel does with this new era of the MCU. Jeff Nichols has already had a stellar year with Midnight Special earlier this year but also coming out in early November is his film Loving. Subjectively speaking, it’s doubtful that anything will top Midnight Special for me personally but Loving will get more awards attention. And knowing Nichols, it will all be very much deserved. The last time we saw Ang Lee, he won an Oscar for Best Director. Well, he’s back with a new film called Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, which sounds really interesting. The film also stars one of my favorites working today in Kristen Stewart. Later on in November, we are welcomed back to the world of Harry Potter in the spinoff film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Despite what you think of the trailer, if you’re a fan of this world, it’s just exciting to know we get to visit it again. The film is also directed by David Yates, who arguably did the best work in the original Harry Potter series. For that reason, I can’t wait for Fantastic Beasts. Also out in November is Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester By the Sea, another Sundance film people raved about earlier this year. There is awards talk surrounding Casey Affleck’s performance as well, which doesn’t surprise me given his talent. The last weekend of November is something else. First up is Disney’s new film Moana. As much as we love Pixar, the last five years have been dominated by Disney Animation and Zootopia reminded us of that earlier this year. I expect that trend to continue with Moana. Gracing the big screens that same weekend is Robert Zemeckis’ Allied, starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. Also worth noting for the last weekend of November is the indie film, Lion, starring Rooney Mara and Dev Patel. To top off November is both Brendan and I’s #1 most anticipated film of the year, and that is Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival. All the way back in January, when it had a different name and we hadn’t seen any footage yet, we still raved about this project. Villeneuve is a director who is batting 1.000 for us and has made some incredible waves the last few years. The trailer for Arrival only confirmed our suspicions. It looks fantastic.
December isn’t technically “fall” but since we are given a short preview of the rest of the year, we like to include it. I especially have to mention it becuase the first weekend of December is Damien Chazelle’s La La Land and holy crap does that film look amazing. Words cannot describe how excited we (and the world) are for that film. Also coming out in December is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and we all know what were getting into with that film. Should be a lot of fun though. To date, we haven’t seen any trailers for Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt’s new film Passengers. That is not a good sign, especially since that film has a somewhat significant budget behind it. Pretty soon Sony is going to have to kick things in high gear for that film. December will also feature Justin Kurzel’s Assassin’s Creed starring Michael Fassbender. I really enjoyed that duo last year in Macbeth, so here’s to hoping they can change the fate of the video game genre. I’m mixed on the trailer but here’s to hoping for the best. Peter Berg’s second film this year with Mark Wahlberg, Patriots Day, is also slated for a December release. As for some indies in December, Stephen Gaghan’s new film Gold is worth noting. It stars Matthew McConaughey, Bryce Dallas Howard, Edgar Ramírez and Toby Kebbell. Also coming in December is John Lee Hancock‘s The Founder, starring Michael Keaton. If rumors are true, Keaton could possibly see awards attention as well. You remember that Martin Scorsese guy? Well, he’s back with a new film called Silence that sounds awesome.
The last film I’ll mention here is J.A. Bayona’s A Monster Calls. The trailer for this film is one of the best I have ever seen, period. Regardless of how the final product turns out, the trailer for A Monster Calls is so beautiful and poignant, telling its own grand story of a boy learning to cope with tragedy. It looks wonderful and I cannot wait. My expectations for this film is probably too high, to be honest, but boy did the trailer move me.
I’m sure I’ve missed a lot of names and titles but this will give you a descent look at what this fall will look like. And as I mentioned, on paper, it sounds really fantastic. I’m not sure how the “bigger budget” films will fare this fall but the indie and awards film look very promising. That said, what fall films are you looking forward to the most?
This weekend on Episode 185, we will have a special show featuring Nick and Justin from the Epic Film Guys podcast, and we will be debating the best years that the film industry has seen over the decades. Depending on who you ask, maybe that is 1939, 1994 or perhaps even as recent as 2007. There have been some great years for film but there are a few years that stand shoulders above the rest. For our poll this week, we want to know which year you think was the absolute best. We threw out some potential options here, but if you have a different year, feel free to let us know in the write-in option!
For our latest Guest Appearance, both Brendan and myself were honored to join our great friend Matty Negs for his last show on Negs Best Thing Film Podcast. We are super fans of Negs and it was a huge pleasure for us to join him on this special occasion, as he prepares for the next big thing he’s currently working on. Additionally, we had a lot of fun discussing the next horror film that people are raving about in Don’t Breathe. We don’t plan on discussing this film on our show but you can hear our full review here. We also discussed our Top 3 Blind Characters in film. This show was a blast and we are excited for what Negs has next. Give this show a listen!
