10th Anniversary of The Grand Budapest Hotel

 

              This is most certainly the first ever movie I ever watched from the list of Wes Anderson's filmography. To those, who are not familiar of Wes Anderson's work, the man has in what may be in all his films, has a bewildering sense of strange humor that sometimes is confusing but at times works for that essential period. And since this only movie I like of his, has reached a anniversary mark of ten years since the film’s release I figured why not watch this great comedy furthermore see if it still lives up to its name. I strangely remember watching this film ten years ago saving the film on a cable network aka Spectrum satellite for which was my parents and brother's final time to ever purchase anything that's related to Dish Network and Direct TV, and to be honest I was just loving the role Ralph Fiennes was portraying and thought that it was the most brilliant comedic role I've ever seen. 

              In the 1930's the Grand Budapest Hotel is a popular European Ski Resort, presided over by concierge Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes). Zero (Tony Revolori), a junior lobby boy, becomes Gustave's friend and protege. When one of Gustave's elderly lovers dies mysteriously, Gustave finds himself the recipient of a priceless painting and the chief suspect in her murder. 

              Now, I haven't seen a good portion of all of Wes Anderson's films, though in fairness some of them were all in either cable previews list, either way I didn't get much into his work because they somewhat in my stand point looked a bit weird or wasn't sure what to make of it such as a film where Bill Murray is seeking revenge on a shark. Furthermore, it wasn't out of a sense of disrespect or wanting to get into his work I just looked at most of his previewed films and thought that they weren't all interesting for me. That is until I got finding the Grand Budapest Hotel and was deciding in my best interest to give this movie a shot and really it was Ralph Fiennes performance that was the main reason why I dug this movie from start to finish. The film has a grand total of seventeen actors combined throughout most of them are in a grand sense cameo appearance. Anderson himself customarily employs a troupe of longtime collaborators, actors like Bill Murray, Adrian Brody, Edward Norton, Owen Wilson and even Jeff Goldblum, have worked on or more of his projects. According to Brody, who said that the most significant challenge was balancing the film's comedy with the otherwise solemn. If you really need a reason as to why I would recommend anyone to sit down and watch all two hours of Grand Budapest Hotel it's most certainly because of Ralph Fiennes performance as this bizarrely entertaining, yet ahead of its time, concierge M. Gustave. Mainly because of his out of this world humor unexpected punch lines that still give me a smile every time I watch him on screen and I believe during pre-production Fiennes was trying to get himself out of the villains portrayals from all the Harry Potter films he appeared in, and although he wasn't sure on how to approach the character, to me Fiennes was the main reasons as to why I never watched all of Andersons films until this film came along. And it isn't just Fiennes portrayal in the film countless actors like Adrian Brody who does an excellent antagonist almost out of the silent films with the crazy mustache, Edward Norton does a great job as well and even the newcomer Tony Revolori who plays Fiennes pupil furthermore has great facial expressions whenever Ralph says the most unexpected things through the course of the movie. Even after ten years of the film’s release, I still say that the film alone stands the test of time and maybe now I do need to make a point and watch some of Wes Anderson's filmography though not all of them just a few in terms of testing out the waters. But more importantly, I still rank this as a comedy of the 2010's and if you’re like me whose a bit unsure of Wes Anderson's work I would say to try this film to be your first obviously because of Ralph Fiennes performance but most importantly, it's a good stepping stone of wanting to get your feet wet in a sense of wanting to try and watch some of Wes Andersons work. 

           

Goon

 

                    Going back and finding some simpler kind of movies more like trying to find anything between an hour and thirty-minute or hour and fifty-minute films just to get myself prepared for the new year and since we're amid hockey season, I figured I'd take a whack at a hockey movie, something you'd never quite expect. I've been familiar with the movie Goon for quite a while after watching it for the first time in quite a long while. The film itself stars Sean William Scott in the well, I'm not sure if this is the unlikeliest of roles though something that I'm not sure if I would cast him in this role with all things consider I think this was a way for him to branch out of his side character's he's only been famous for, like I don't know American Pie?

                    Though a misfit among his brainy family members, Massachusetts bouncer Doug Glatt (Sean William Scott) has a knockout punch that lands him a spot on a minor-league Canadian hockey team.

                    Having re-watched the film now I will say that this film is at true a decent film from start to finish, that being said though, I would of made a ton of changes with the movie needless to say maybe replace Sean William Scott or change his character in terms of being a complete moron and I get it, the character is supposed to be this dimwit bouncer whose only known for fighting and that's what gets him success of being a hockey player. But I would rather have the character at least stand up to his parents at least moreover have some conflict in terms of is he really being treated as a goon or want to give more as a hockey player. And just some of these little tips can make your hockey movie about enforcers or goons be a good or great movie and it's not that hard. In the world of Hockey there is always that role of being an enforcer or goon, players like most recent Ryan Reaves or can go back in time and talk about past legends like Dave Schultz or even Claude Lemieux and with the changes in the NHL of course the goon's role is in a sense left out because all there made to do is fight nothing else and I think with a movie like this you do have a sense of story that needs to be told in a different stand point. The one actor in this movie that really saves the movie and no it's not Eugene Levy, it's surprisingly of all actors you'd expect saving a movie is Liev Schreiber who does a fantastic job playing the veteran goon on the verge of retirement but most importantly gives a lot of advice to Scott's character and really I kind of wished we had more of his character in the movie but granted he's supposed to be the antagonist/mentor so I guess you can't always have what you want in life. If you’re ever feeling the sense of finding that one feels good movie or any sports related film, I would recommend watching this movie and only this movie, for reasons why I say this movie alone is because there's a sequel and I don't believe anyone needs a sequel to this film, but if you’re not a big fan of Sean Williams Scott, for which I can totally understand there is another movie/documentary that explores the enforcer/goon role called Ice Guardians I would also recommend watching that film if you’re not feeling of for 90’s dead weight like, Sean William Scott. Though I would recommend not buying this movie, more like if it's free on any streaming service you've subscribed to then you can most certainly watch the film, from that standpoint.

 

                          

Reacher

 

                 A show that me and my brother started watching, I believe back in November of last year and this is most certainly one of those shows that I believe is a love letter to all those 80's cheesy action movies that we've all grown up and loved over the years. A lot of you are probably familiar with the show Reacher, me I only heard about the Tom Cruise movies to the point where I didn't really care because I wasn't really wanting to waste my time with Ritalin crazed Cruise man. But then again, it was one of those times where me and my brother had this thing where we both watch one television show together from start to finish and surprisingly enough it's not too bad.

                Reacher (Alan Ritchson) is a former U.S. Army Military Police Major, who prefers to live as a drifter, traveling from town to town across the United States. Though everywhere he turns trouble seems to be coming to him or trouble doesn't know what they’re dealing with.

                Watching this show I'll admit did kind of make me laugh in a sense of the choice of actor, because Alan Ritchson in case you haven't seen the former Spike TV show Blue Mountain State, Ritchson plays the linebacker whose insanely dumb (maybe gay?) at times the obnoxious bro but his infamous shouting of GET OUT! aka screaming like a girl, is what haunts my dreams as well as every time I see him or watch him on the big screen. Sure, I can accept the guy is turning himself into a different person as well as getting a wider known role instead of Blue Mountain State but deep down just watching the guy doesn't go away in terms of this being the same guy who obnoxiously screams like a girl. Though in the end this show is impressive especially Ritchson as an actor despite him taking his shirt off constantly because all the ladies have to see this guy without a shirt, though I wish we can have more women taking their shirts off, just me personally. I don't know what the best way to describe the movie other than this is a show about a man with an unknown background but is an unstoppable wrecking machine, I mean basically all the cheesy action movies you love from films like any Arnold movie, Chuck Norris film or even a Sylvester Stallone flick where the entire film is just a predictable storyline from the first episode to the final episode, and you know that the character of Reacher is going to kick these bad guys a**s like there's know counting on that but it's really the story as well as each episode is what makes it worth seeing. I will say the entertaining part about watching the show is the predictable sex scenes they have with each season granted season 1 only has one but, when we get to like season 2 then I was literally on the edge of my seat, screaming and wanting Reacher and his love interest to start hitting the slow saxophone music, because I just knew it was going to happen and of course me, when they do it I'm just screaming "yes" as if I just won a bet, I mean basically it brings back to all of those years of me being forced to witness any Grey's Anatomy show or any Soap Opera show on ABC, so either way I do feel proud of myself in the end. I've never read any of Lee Child's book series of Jack Reacher but as a show by itself I would most certainly recommend watching the show from season one to the upcoming season three, I mean it has all those great elements on what makes a great action show but most importantly it does have tribute feel to all those 80's action movies as well as predictable sex scenes for which I hope in season three that we have a three way with season one love interest and season two love interest that's defiantly what I'm hoping would happen and if not that's fine I'm not worried.

     

Beerfest

 

                A New Year has come my friends and to be truthfully honest I was in a bit of a letdown with Christmas coming and going, though don't get me wrong I know it's part of life but I was going through a funk phase of being laid off, from my job in November, not really wanting in a best essence to go finding a new job so, to make a long story short I wasn't feeling in the best way possible all because of what the new year will hopefully bring. So, I had to find one movie that can give me a fresh relief in life. And this movie was no doubt one of the greatest decisions I've ever made in my entire life, especially when you are in a funk. Furthermore, I knew I had to get my dad involved in watching this amazing film, if you aren't familiar with the Super Trooper's movies or Tacoma FD show I'm sure you've watched this film in your college years and thought this movie was the greatest film in all the world. 

                Two brothers (Erik Stolhanske, Paul Soter) from America happen upon a secret and centuries-old beer-games competition during a visit to Germany's Oktoberfest. After losing badly, they return to America, assemble an impressive team of brew-lovers and return to Germany for a rematch. 

                The concept of the film's premise starts really with one of the simplest of ideas, basically going on trips or re-living a memory. Jay Chandrasekhar director of the film as well as part of the writing team Broken Lizard who all four men wrote Beerfest, states "We were at a Beer Garden in Australia (wearing our Police uniforms) and we went on stage and challenged the top five drinkers in the room to a chug off. The place exploded. We were winning, but then Paul Soter started drinking and we quickly lost. Then we had an arm-wrestling contest. Then Steve Lemme insulted national treasure, Russell Crowe and we had to be escorted out by security. We thought that would be a fun movie. The drinking part", for which the rest becomes history if you ask me. Now going back and watching this movie along with my dad. I will say that this is the most underappreciative movie ever made and for me one of the best comedies ever assembled, and the fact that you have critics that view this movie is the worst comedy ever, and I feel like these critic's obviously haven't watched this film all the way through and if you want to talk worst comedies try looking at films like A million ways to die in the West, or Don't mess with the Zohan. The Broken Lizard crew are exceptional writers and comedians I mean the fact that these guys have been doing it for quite a long time is impressive as well as underappreciative because all of these guys films aren't perfect but there most certainly funny and entertaining from start to finish almost the modern-day Mel Brooks or Harold Ramis. The other thing in what makes these guys great is that they cast some of the most unexpected actors/actresses to make the film work hell Donald Sutherland is legendary in this movie even though he's only in the opening part of the film and it was a much better performance than watching Invasions of the Body Snatcher's personally. But the best for last is Cloris Leachman who does a fantastic job in the movie playing the inspiration for her young Grandsons in a great comedic way possible and even though she passed away four years ago, she's no doubt one of the greatest comedic actresses out there along with Madeline Khan. So, ladies if you want to find a good idea of what makes a great comic actor it's called having a great sense of humor and if you don't believe me, watch this movie as Leachman shines throughout the movie. Super Trooper's is defiantly a great comedy you can watch over and over again the same with its successor despite that it's a shame premise but Beerfest is most certainly that one comedy that you can watch over and over again from its great opening scene to its iconic one liners, this is most certainly a comedy that you can watch for months on end and feel refreshed whenever you’re in a depressing mode and Beerfest is most certainly that comedy that needs to be seen to be understood by a wider audience. The movie is on Tubi and so I would highly recommend watching this with your own father because it gave my dad something to laugh at and I'm certain it will give your own father tears of joy.