Football Recommendation: What Carter Lost

 

                    

                          Football season is finally here and we're all excited, I hope. Well, as for finding a Football film worth recommending it’s kind of hard to take a good look at some of them and say this is worth recommending but yet you find out that there's not another one recommending in the foreseeable future. So, with some of the Documentaries that ESPN's 30 for 30 has done, well I guess this one I believe is the better version of when it comes to HS Football in Texas was like, well have to do. What Carter Lost is basically a retelling of the opponent team Dallas Carter that won against Odessa Permian the main architype for the bestseller Friday Night Lights, if I can find any words to describe this more of a Greek Tragedy, but most importantly surprising the very people who don't expect much, and sure I know it sounds corny but when you get the chance to ever watch something like this on Hulu or ESPN Plus you'd be amazed of what went down. 

                          What Carter Lost, directed by Adam Hootnick for ESPN Films 30 for 30 series, is the saga of that team, the 1988 Dallas Carter Cowboys. Somehow, Carter managed to win it all on the field, and somehow, they threw it all away.

                          In all honesty what I like most about this story is that it’s a hundred percent fact and doesn't over dramatizes the events that took place, unlike the movie or the TV Show in which it just overdramatize so much little things that really shouldn't be overdramatic and to be fair I have nothing against the movie itself I just wish they simply told the truth when it comes what happen to Odessa Permian and Dallas Carter and not just say oh these two teams meet in the State Championship when they really meet in the semi-finals and hell even the Book itself explains that these two teams played against each other in the semi-finals so I clearly don't understand why Hollywood would even say hey let’s make this better and say these two will meet in the State Championship. Anyway, enough talk back to the documentary itself, when I say that this story is a Greek tragedy meaning this was the definition of a HS Football team winning it all, but yet letting the ego lifestyle those player been carrying throughout their life take a holed of them and do the most unthinkable thing they could ever imagine and sure you can use different point of views as to why they would do such thing or what would pose them to make these bad choices but in the end it's really unexplainable because when Football is such a big thing in the heart of Texas it's really no secret of how much rock star royalty theses students get and probably still do now which sure it does sound weird because there's other sports to follow when it comes to Texas but deep down I'm from Nebraska so, I can't deny that I will ever understand it. So, in closing if your ever in the mood for a football film to watch in days were they're is not any games on I would recommend What Carter Lost because no matter how much I can trash on how terrible the show of Friday Night Lights was this was probably the only side-story, other than Friday Night Lights story as a whole that I can look at and say they speak the honest truth about what when down in Texas.  

                         

Reminiscence

 

                               Lisa Joy co-creator of Westworld also married to Jonathan Nolan whose brother is Christopher Nolan, who decided to finally after three seasons of Westworld decides to make her film debut, and I shamefully say this was kind of, boring to say the least. Look, it not just about the concept idea of what makes the film at first intriguing it’s the list of actors and actresses that failed so badly yes I'm talking about Hugh Jackman the same Wolverine whose only great non-Wolverine film was The Prestige, but let’s face it all this man ever cares about is wanting to dance and sing furthermore wants to act like he's tough but fails so miserably at it. What Reminiscence truly is, is a half and half of Westworld and The Maltese Falcon. And sure as a fan of Chris Nolan and Jonathan Nolan's work I did find this intriguing at first but then I began to feel a little different to it.

                               Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman) is a private investigator of the mind, navigates the darkly alluring world of the past by helping his clients access lost memories. Living on the fringes of the sunken coast of Miami, his life is forever unchanged as he uncovers a violent conspiracy while trying to solve the mystery behind a client who disappeared.

                                In all honesty I give Lisa Joy points for coming up with an intriguing idea. But deep down, this movie kind of when from intriguing to absolute boredom. Now technically this isn't Joy's fault, for many reasons this is really her husband’s fault and her brother in law's fault as well, because while watching this film I am suspecting that the two men lied to her and thought that this was great when deep down they were lying just to make her feel pleased, for which this needs to be clear to all dudes who are married female filmmakers, is to give them your honest opinion don't be a schmuck and lie to them just to make them happy, even if there mad at you just tell them you’re giving your honest opinion because you love them even if it means you have to sleep outside or find a shitty motel. And I'm sorry, but there comes a point where men need to grow a pair of balls and give the love of your life your honest opinion because that's the only way they can make this movie any better, furthermore the way I think of this movie is that the Nolan brothers read the first two drafts and said "I loved it". Hugh Jackman, I honestly can say fails so miserably at life, I mean it doesn't bug me that his character is in love with lady who are both 18 years apart but what bugs me is the fact that his character becomes infatuated with the leading lady in Rebecca Ferguson but wants she leaves or disappears he just has in obsession in finding her all because of one maybe two one night stands for which I'm guessing his character was just thinking with his manhood. And that's why we went on this journey of boredom. Speaking of cast I actually wished Joy would of borrowed her brother in law's casting director because yes Thandie Newton was amazing in Westworld but she played a real boring sidekick and so did the entire cast as well because honestly they all tried to want me to care but I honestly didn't want to care after the hour of the film passed. So, deep down all I can say is that this film is trying to be a entertaining and new update to the film noir genre but it just failed miserably when it comes to storytelling and borrowing a lot of twists and turns from Chris Nolan, furthermore in closing if you want to find something to watch on a movie night I would find something else and pass on Reminiscence for many reasons it’s like going on a journey through the realm of boredom land, but you began to realize that your already in hell.

   

September Recommendation: Promising Young Woman

 

                             There are times were my movie critique knowledge is put to the ultimate test, well in this my September Recommendation this was without a doubt the ultimate test of my movie watching knowledge. I heard about Promising Young Woman though the Academy Awards this year, and was intrigued that the writer/director of the film was pregnant during the making of Promising Young Woman, though sure that sounded like a strange way to be intrigued, but I thought that this woman has some guts to make this happen. Then months past then I saw the film was already out on DVD despite the fact I couldn't find a copy of it on Blu-Ray at Wal-Mart which is weird because I would usually think they would have everything, but he that what happens when you live in the central part of Nebraska. Then I thought to myself ah what the hell, I see what this movie's got see what makes this film amazing and then I watched the whole movie through and I was just shocked and terrified all at once furthermore I thought to myself that I would never in a million years be married and would just stick to being a good person, go to church and never mess with women because you'll never know how crazy they are when you come across one, hell especially when an unknown woman is wanting to follow you and want to be your friend right away despite the fact that you don't know then at all. But re-watching the film again with the Emerald Fennell's commentary in the background I now have in understanding and appreciation for the movie’s ton consider this one of the greatest movies of all time in my book.

                            Nothing in Cassie's (Carey Mulligan) life is what it appears to be -- she's wickedly smart, tantalizing cunning, and she's living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs from the past.

                            I knew that this was some kind of rape revenge film, but what I didn't expect this was going to take a lot of psychological toll to my brain moreover not going to lie when I say this but through the course of watching the film for the very first time my mouth never shut back up because of how shocking and somewhat disturbed with fear. And Mulligan's character was just terrifying that I would never in a million years want to cross a woman like her. Speaking of Carey Mulligan, yes this is another movie of hers that I'm recommending in my monthly recommendation but this is her best work ever, this is probably one of the many movies that I look at and say this was her best, she really dives into the role of a woman who is so angered by the injustice of how people look the other way when it comes to rape, and the way she's able to terrorize her victims is just freighting but yet ingenious at the same time. Deep down what makes this film amazing as well is that Fennell's does a great job of creating a revenge film but toning it to a much realistic tone and not including the gun for which I think makes it more interesting for many reasons just killing the person is way too easy and nothing scares people more than exposing them of their darkest secrets or making feel the worst fears they can possibly imagine.  I didn't realize this at first when watching the movie for the second time with the director's commentary and it makes sense that Fennell's was making this as a biblical/Greek tragedy, for which there's a lot of moments where I see a lot of resemblance of the crucifixion's or Cassie having a Halo hovered around her, and to be honest I like the fact that Mulligan's character is given her victims the choice of forgiveness or punishment. Alright, now let’s talk about Emerald Fennell, I honestly don't know a whole lot about her other than she's a writer on a BBC show called Killing EVE and a actress on the Netflix show The Queen, but after watching her film debut I now can know all I need to know in a good way possible. The fact that she was able to create a story that's a breath of fresh air, but most of all giving the film a dark sense of humor along with creating a set environment that springs bright colors and yet shows you the dark and harshness of what comes into the world of Promising Young Woman. Moreover the fact that Fennell included Paris Hilton's song Stars are Blind deserves a lifetime of bonus points because yes I recognized a lot of pop songs in the movie but I never thought in a million years I would hear that song again. Speaking of music, Anthony Willis does a fantastic job as well creating an eerie and creepy themed music to the whole music because yes as we all know the things that happen in the movie are just wrong and shocking but holy crap watching the film for the first time and hearing the music just gave me chills beyond relief. I know the people who seen this film will tell you that this wasn't what they'd hoped to be because we'd all hope for poetic justice, but in all honesty I look at this film differently and just think that the idea that you would have to live with the things you did, that you'd wished to forget I think that's more worse than death furthermore having your life ruined is a much better revenge than just death. So, listen if you’re looking for something new and different I can't promise you that this will give you the ending you would want but I promise you, you'll be shocked and terrified until the final frame. 

   

The Suicide Squad

 

                             I'm a little burned out of Warner Bro's trying to revamp the DC Universe into live action films, so sorry not sorry when I say that I haven't seen Zach Snyder's Cut of the Justice League right away or the latest Suicide Squad. Well, as fate would reach out to extend its hand, I was told that it was a great movie and should look at the film. Staring familiar cast of characters, such as Viola Davis, Margot Robbie, and Joel Kinnaman. With newcomers like Idris Elba, Sylvester Stallone, the ever great and talented Peter Capaldi and a man I feel disgusted in saying because this is only great film so here it goes, John Cena, and let’s be honest this is his only film worth seeing because Cena is a side character in this film. Though sure Cena's not the only one who’s terrible at his job but aside from Jai Courtney and Pete Davidson but while watching this I'll admit there were moments that gave me a more satisfying glimpse of Hope. So, without further ado let’s talk about the Suicide Squad.

                             Kind of like the first film in terms of storyline goes, only this time Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) summons Task Force X to take down a government that's dealing with something that's out of this world needless to say but let’s not forget something dangerous. 

                              In terms of comic book series and ideas, the Suicide Squad is one of the most ingenious ideas DC comics has ever created, furthermore in terms of bringing this to the big screen it's also one of the most simplest ideas as well in a great example just think of this as the Justice League combined with the dirty dozen. And that right there is how you should always see the Suicide Squad as, but the 2016 film they tried to make this more of a cookie cutter film and marketing it for everyone to watch and that something you should never do with a movie like this. And thank the good Lord, James Gunn came along to give this movie a clean slate, because this was a hundred percent better than that 2016 film for many reasons this is more violent and more deranged than the other film plus its marketed in the right way possible then the last film. Even if you’re not a huge comic book guy or gal, the movie itself explains all the rules for you when it comes to the Suicide Squad especially when they have to follow orders or they die furthermore a ton of betrayal comes into this movie as well. I think of all of the actors that are in the film Idris Elba really stands out of all of them, for many reasons I always think of him as the underappreciative Denzel Washington, because he always delivers in role's like this and then he get shoved off of the table and really this is one of those great roles where he shows off his acting chops even more, also he makes fun of John Cena so what can't you not love about him in this film. Viola Davis as always is a gifted actress and really owns the character of Amanda Waller and the same goes to Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn though if I had to give some props to a recurring character return, it would be Joel Kinnaman as Col. Flag and he at least gave a improved performance than the last time he was Flag but this time he at least gave him more of a sense of humor and not always being serious all the time which I thought he did a great job. But deep down if there was anyone who I would declared stealing the entire film in the right way, was the ever great and talented Peter Capaldi as the thinker and despite the fact that he was only in the film for a short time he made a powerhouse of a scene and brought me back to a time when he was amazing in shows like the thick of it and Doctor Who furthermore In The Loop. Hands down in terms of the best DC Universe movies since the end of the Dark Knight Trilogy I would say both Wonder Woman and The Suicide Squad are both even at number one, and despite this film being amazing as it, its thanks to James Gunn weirdness and incorporating elements from Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s probably the only one superhero film worth seeing this year, because deep down I have little high hopes for Marvels next upcoming films and don't really see the need. 

  

Capone

 

                            I'm going to be brutally honest with you when I say this, but I did not expect what I witnessed when watching this latest film of the legendary gangster Al Capone, I honestly didn't think this was going to turn into what I thought it would be which is where going through the rise and fall of Al Capone with Tom Hardy at the helm. Unfortunately, this turned into the last furthermore his final days of his life and sorry not sorry about spoilers his health was going down the crapper and not figuratively more literally if you know what I mean. But I'm not going to lie when I say this in case I'm repeating myself I really thought this was going to be like Legend the last Mob movie that Tom Hardy did, regrettably this is just in hour and forty-eight-ish minutes of a great actor like Tom Hardy playing a Al Capone just a few maybe weeks till he kicks the bucket. Now god bless my aging Uncle right now whose living in a retirement home, who is down syndrome and has Alzheimer's disease and deep down watching this all the way through it felt like watching my uncle whom I had to help my mom and dad take care of furthermore not that I'm complaining but if I'm really interested in watching that last moments of a person's life I would just live them right now, instead of watching a man like Al Capone in his final days coming to an end.

                          So as I said before the film is about the final days or maybe months to Al Capone finally kicking the bucket while have some subplot points where the FBI doesn't believe he's dying and Capone is having hallucinations of his past. That's pretty much the plot so, yeah.

                          Now having not realized what this movie was, I guess it wouldn't have been fun then I thought. And I know that your all going to look at me like what is this person talking about but deep down I thought this was a laughable movie about a man's final days and Tom Hardy chewing the entire scenery up to where the entire movie set is no more and let’s not forget shitting his own pants and while in the bed. But what also makes this film kind of funny is that there few moments where I'm getting a lot of Fight Club, to where everything is not real especially Matt Dillon's character in which I don't even know why he's in it at all for only reason I can think of right now is that he believes in his own mind that he's tough and wants to proof that to the writer/director of the movie but will get to him in a little bit. Then there's the side plot of the story where the Feds are tapping into Capone's phones because they believe that he's faking it for some bizarre sense moreover they know he's hiding a big stash of money somewhere and they want to find it and granted Capone has done some horrible things but he's dying! Furthermore the fact that they don't believe is somewhat laughable because well the Feds work for the government and no doubt stupid but holy crap if you haven't seen this guy's condition I would of been that guy to just say "THE MAN IS DYING YOU MORONS, GET A GOOD LOOK AT HIM BEFORE YOU THINK OF ANY THING IDIOTIC, JUST LET THE MAN DIE IN PEACE AND LET GOD DECIDE OF HIS FATE". And in all honesty if or FBI can't understand that concept then there's a good reason why our country is not in the best condition for many reasons we have way to many stupid people who I believe need to leave in stay in Antarctica. Now in my honest defense what I didn't expect in finding out is that the director of Capone was none other than Josh Trank aka the director of Fan4stic who I may have heard that he was high while making Fan4stic, in which I was blown out of my mind when I found out because I didn't realize he was getting more work, though I applauded him when it came to making a different type of gangster movie and giving me a few laughs along the way. Now was this a movie that should have been made. No, for many reasons but this is one of those films that was completely unnecessary to make because nobody wants to see a well-crafted actor like Tom Hardy shit himself on screen, but it was also Lawrence Bender aka Quentin Tarantino producing buddy through Quentin's earlier films, to even give a guy like Trank money to make this film happen in the first place but on a positive spin to this it was amazingly funny to watch, just to see Hardy chew up the entire film set. So, if you want to have a laugh I would highly suggest watching Capone but if you don't want to that completely fine, but as the Blu-Ray copy that I have well, at least it’s going to stay in a special place with the first two Black Scorpion films as it should or if not I'll secretly build an Ark of the Covenant.

       

Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order

 

                               When I was a kid and received my first PlayStation 2 system, one of the first of many games I've ever played moreover didn't stop playing were anything Star Wars because well, as we all know if you were a teenager like me and when the prequals came out that was pretty much the only thing I was consumed in playing I didn't need any God of War or Grand Theft Auto all I need are Star Wars games. And sure through the course of each system there's been less of Star Wars games to play but I have to say replaying this game was as always fun to play but also having great knowledge about life and struggles when overcoming the fears we have with ourselves. Moreover once I get to what makes this game amazing, I will hopefully convince people of the Star Wars fanbase that when you’re a young age you'd always think that the Sith and Empire were the coolest but deep down were all Jedi when it comes to goodness. 

                               Set five years after the fall of the Republic and the Jedi Purge, young Jedi Cal Kestis is hiding from the Empire in a distant planet salvaging ships from the Clone Wars, unfortunately after saving a friend. Sith enforcers also knowns as Inquisitors track him down, but later rescued by a fallen Jedi and a Caption of the Stinger Mantis. Cal begins to learn that there is hope for the Jedi and goes on a quest of a lifetime for which decides the fate of the Jedi but also discovers what it truly means to be a Jedi.

                                At first I'll admit when I first played the game I was hoping to play the some of the meditation training unfortunately you have to beat the game in order to play that part but through the course of playing the story mode I have to admit while going through the course of the journey I didn't get the whole meaning of being a Jedi until after I finished playing the game and felt like wow. My mind was just blown, and truly deep down when you think about it when you’re a star wars fan at a young age you'd always loved the Empire mainly because they were the perfected costumed antagonists furthermore guys like Darth Vader were always shrouded in mystery where you don't know where they came from, and granted I still look at Darth Vader as my all-time favorite character but when you get to a mature age like I've become, you realize that oh I don't want to be what the Sith is, because of all the pain and suffering you have to endure and the madness that goes with in while a Jedi shows more meaning to life especially when you’re looking at yourself in the mirror, and one of the meaningful words of wisdom is when there cutting to one of the many flashbacks in the game for an upgrade to your character you hear who I look as the greatest Jedi Master Jaro Tapal during a training young Cal says "I just keep failing, Master" and Tapal reply's "Do you? Good. Keep failing, keep getting back up. That is the only way to succeed. Don't allow yourself to be weighed down by ego and pretense. Let go of what you fear to lose and rise up." Hell, if years of Catholic teachings haven't taught you anything about life thank God Star Wars is able to guide you along the way. Furthermore that's really the one true reason why Star Wars is the greatest Sci-Fi/Fantasy of all time, there just know franchise in the world that can give you a deeper meanings towards life and general plus create some great stories as well and translate them to movies, tv shows and games. So, if you’re ever waiting on getting a PS5, I would highly recommend digging this game out or if you don't have it. At least purchase this great game and play it and master the ways of the Force. And for the record, I am replaying the game right now because I want to be the final boss with on try instead of having to die all the time.