“To Binge or Not to Binge: The Streaming Shows You May Be Missing Online"

“To Binge or Not to Binge: The Streaming Shows You May Be Missing Online"

Netflix

  

13 REASONS WHY

(2017, TV-MA, 13 episodes approx. 59 minutes each, NETFLIX ORIGINALS/KICKED TO THE CURB PRODUCTIONS)

In yet another example of why the entertainment industry needs to pay close attention to what Netflix is doing. The streaming service has produced a show that reaches even further than anything they have done yet. 13 REASONS WHY is the story of Hannah Baker, and the thirteen people which, in some way, contributed to her suicide. If this sounds like a heavy subject matter, it is. As good as this show is, it is not one I recommend binge watching. In order to fully appreciate the story, you need to take each truth, each story, each degradation and injury as individually as you can. There is much to absorb, to understand. The show hits on several levels; it can be grim, funny, bitingly satirical, and dark. It will make you sad, angry, occasionally happy and lighthearted… which is where the heart of this show lies. It takes great writing and a truly effective cast to tell a complex and detailed story of this type. To give you too many details would be to soften the scope and message of this program, so, as usual, no spoilers here. But this cast… Hannah is played by newcomer Katherine Langford. The show is strongest when either she or Clay (Dylan Minnette) are onscreen; they capture the doubt and struggles and the stress of high school beautifully, so much so that it is horrifically brilliant at times. Have no doubt—this is a serious show, with serious messages, all of which need to be witnessed, experienced, even mulled over. And yes, it is something you should watch with your teenagers, have you any; discussing the episodes afterwards may give you a better sense of what they are going through. After all, you went to high school way back… when you had to catch a brontosaurus in the morning…

Series Grade: A - (there is something about that ending, but I won’t get into it here—the entire show is worth the ride!)

Amazon Prime

FORTITUDE

(2015-, TV-MA, 21 episodes approx. 55 minutes each, FIFTY FATHOMS PRODUCTIONS/AMAZON STUDIOS)

Fortitude is the northernmost town in the country, and, apparently, sucks. Not only is it cold, but everybody sleeps around, the Russians are rowdy, and people are being killed. Oh, and someone dug up something that is killing the residents. Yeah: the town sucks. But watching it is fun as hell! With a stellar cast—my two favorites being the curmudgeonly Henry Tyson (the lovely Michael Gambon), a photographer who knows one of the darkest secrets of this tiny community, and investigator DCI Morton (the wonderful Stanley Tucci), who starts piecing together the intricate society and way of life in Fortitude. Their presences on this show, which is chock full of mystery, suspense, snow, and atmosphere, are welcome beacons of light when things start getting a bit gory. This is an interesting and rather intricate character study, but it also goes places you wouldn’t expect (like, say, INSIDE the thawing remains of a wooly mammoth), and the payoff is a climax straight out of Hollywood. Excellent production, and season two was just released this last week—this time with Dennis Quaid in the starring role. This show is rather absorbing, and is worth binge watching. The acting is great for what seems like a slow boil, low-budget thriller at first—I would like to stress the words “AT” and “FIRST”, by the way—but once you get to the latter-third of the first series, well… it’s like a really excellent book that you cannot put down.

-- T.S. Kummelman

‘Blu-ray or Bust’ - ROGUE ONE

‘Blu-ray or Bust’

ROGUE ONE (2016, PG-13, 133 minutes, LUCASFILM LTD/DISNEY)

When I first saw this STAR WARS film in a theatre, it left me with a dissatisfied view on where this series is headed.

I’m not one of those fans that has read all of the books and still has all of the toys—I am a fan, but of the original trilogy, and the effort made by J.J. Abrams. This time around, I wasn’t entirely sold on the concept of a one-shot, a film which stands as a direct prequel to the events which transpire in Episode IV. There were a few things I had issues with, and they were strictly from the production side of things.

The movie stars Felicity Jones (THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, INFERNO) as Jyn Erso, a troublemaker recruited to the cause of The Rebellion. Seems there are plans for a certain Death Star that need stealing, and she knows the designer of the battle station personally. The story itself is fine, albeit chock full of the usual storytelling elements: redemption, revenge, justice, bad kid goes good. These points are all necessary, and the script by Chris Weitz (THE GOLDEN COMPASS) and Tony Gilroy (the entire BOURNE series) never gets preachy or heavy-handed. The acting is on par with every Star Wars film (the good ones, at least); indeed, the biggest standout here is the voice (and body movements) of Alan Tudyk as Imperial droid K-2SO. Also, the characters of Baze and Chirrut (Wen Jiang and Donnie Yen) have the best chemistry since Han and Chewie. You kind of wish that, for certain characters, this was not a standalone film.

At times—especially the end, a wonderful spectacle of beach warfare that involves Stormtroopers that actually have good aim—the movie looks more like a WWII epic, complete with Army-issue helmets and flying sand. Therein lies part of my problem with this film: in an effort to recreate the human moments of Abrams’ THE FORCE AWAKENS, director Gareth Edwards (MONSTERS, GODZILLA) and the production team may have taken things too literally. From Jyn Erso’s rap sheet (should the words “resisting arrest” ever be in a Star Wars film? Isn’t there a better galactic phrase for it?) to the helmets, there are times in which you wonder if planet Earth is going to make an appearance at some point. Don’t get me wrong; seeing an AT-AT trudging along a beach is just as breathtaking as seeing an X-wing zipping across a lake. But part of the magic of the entire saga is that this is all happening in a galaxy far, far away.

The other thing that bothered me in the theater, but isn’t really an issue in the transition to the “small” screen, are the effects shots of two characters from “A New Hope” that make appearances here. Both characters looked horribly computer generated in IMAX, but they look much better here. Yes, I know; the technology isn’t quite were it should be to recreate human characters from movies made forty years ago. Which brings up my other point: if the technology isn’t quite there yet, why bother with the shot? Why create something so fake-looking that it is a distraction to the entire film? Especially when that franchise is one of such notoriety and fame? Alas, it does look better on a smaller scale; so don’t let my technologically biased brain hinder your viewing experience.

The special features are production and character friendly—apparently, the entire team was sold on the technology being just fine for the facial mapping. Yet it is an interesting look into the technical aspects of filmmaking, and seeing behind the closed doors if Industrial Light and Magic is a nerd’s dream come true.

Again; not a bad film. Despite the Star Destroyer that defies gravity and physics…

Grade: B

Special Features:

Blu-ray Necessary: Most definitely. (just…maybe…not for those two characters…)

-- T.S. Kummelman

The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic: GHOST IN THE SHELL

The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic: 

on GHOST IN THE SHELL (2017, 107 minutes, PG-13)

The Quick of It -

Hollywood continues their exploration in live-action anime films.  Of them, GHOST IN THE SHELL requires a higher level of attention since there is a strong fanboy following, and they’d have no problem rioting and setting the Hollywood sign on fire.  They would rather watch the world burn, trust me.  I am not sure if this film totally pulled it off, so keep your head down and no vacation stops to Hollywood.

The casting was terrific.  Scarlett Johansson is always a safe bet.  She leads the cast as Major, a potential evolutionary step for their futuristic technology in cybernetics.  She is saved after an accident, but only her brain is salvageable.  Research scientists place her brain in a cybernetic body, a ‘shell’.  They believe this to be the future of human evolution, as the soul, the 'ghost’, can transfer to new bodies, progressing beyond the frail human form.  She is placed in Section 9 as a weapon against terrorists and major criminals.

Pilou Asbaek, of LUCY, A HIJACKING, and R, plays Batou, a well-placed compliment to Major.  Keep an eye on him, but not those weird goggle eyes.  He is going places.  Asbaek has a certain charm that people will come to crave.  The rest of the supporting cast doesn't get much attention beyond progressing the plot, but the potential was there and their acting did not disrupt the flow.  I find this is a constant problem with story arcs that expand well beyond what a movie can offer time-wise.

I will say my favorite character is Takeshi Kitano (of THE BLIND SWORDSMAN: ZATOICHI and the BATTLE ROYALEs) as Aramaki (as 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano).  He is the man in charge of Section 9.  He didn't have a large part but you just knew his calm reserve is only a facade.  He is like the Hulk... "always angry".  You find out he is a 'clever fox', a total bad ass in governmental etiquette and on the streets.  I would like to see a movie about his rise to power.

Unfortunately for me, the sense of uniqueness for GHOST IN THE SHELL is somewhat lost as the storyline is similar to other films, such as AEON FLUX, betrayal at its heart.  The eye candy for cybernetic enhancements and the epic cityscapes push it far above the others futuristic imaginings with its rich and highly detailed setting.  But, there are no surprises as to how this story develops or concludes.  Director Rupert Sanders, only other major film being SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, does this genre justice visually, but a tired plot is still just a tired plot.

Grade: B-

‘Blu-ray or Bust’ FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

‘Blu-ray or Bust’

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (2016, PG-13, 133 minutes, WARNER BROTHERS)

J.K. Rowling may be the smartest woman alive.

Leaving the tale of Harry Potter behind—or, since BEASTS takes place prior to the particular tale, leaving it to the future—she has taken the world in which Potter (eventually) inhabits and spinning it upon its proverbial head. And by setting the latest installment of the Potterverse in America, we are treated to a slightly different interpretation of that world by the creator and author herself.

BEASTS is the tale of Newt Scamander, an English wizard freshly arrived in New York City with what could be the greatest suitcase EVER. He stumbles into an ever-growing problem in the city, one that threatens the exposure of the magical world to the city that secretly harbors the head of the American contingent. He quickly makes friends and alliances, including that of Jacob, a factory worker with big dreams. Played by Dan Fogler (“Hannibal”, “The Goldbergs”), Jacob is more than just the comic relief—he is the secret heart of this film. He may be a muggle, but he’s a muggle just like you and me, and the wonder and heartbreak that we see in his eyes mirrors our own.

And there is absolutely no other actor that could play Newt than Eddie Redmayne (THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING). He plays the lead with a nearly eccentric air—but when you realize what is really going on with the character, you might be even more surprised at how many of the mannerisms Redmayne adopts, which reveal the true nature of Newt.

He is the most socially awkward character in recent cinema history. And it’s awesome. Rowling has not only added to her universe with some grandiose and brilliant touches, but she has also given us a character whom delivers on so many levels that I doubt there are few that don’t connect with him in some way. That is one of the wonderful secrets of this film: the characters. While the Potter films could not quite capture the intricacies of each individual, this film, written specifically for the screen, is a more grownup approach to the characters. “Queenie”, played by the gorgeous and confident Alison Sudol (“Transparent”), is a fun and carefree soul, truly a ray of sunshine in nearly every scene she is in.

And of course, there are the beasts themselves. Housed within Newt’s magical suitcase, the interior of which looks like literal movie sets based upon whatever environment the beasts need to survive, is a traveling zoo of magical creatures. We are given just enough time within this mini world to appreciate how much Newt connects with animals better than he does with other people. But not nearly enough time to explore all of its wonders. Another stroke of genius—Rowling has given us a zoo just as awesome as the school her wizards were taught in. It is a fair and amazing replacement for the moving staircases and hallowed grounds which make up Hogwarts.

The special features start off with Ms. Rowling herself, and she is present throughout most of the documentaries. This is a smart move on WB’s part; by giving the viewer access to her brain, we are afforded a detailed look into how differently she approached this part of the Potterverse. And, it pays close attention to the characters, just like the script did.

Consider this new chapter in the Potterverse a welcome addition. It is a darker look into that world, but with these characters to guide us, the outcome looks more than promising.

Film Grade: A

Special Features: A

Blu-ray Necessary: Most Definitely

- T.S. Kummelman