The Avengers Review

So last night I went out to the movies with a friend of mine and saw The Avengers finally just to see if it was any good. I will start by saying this...it is a solid film that being said I present to you my review of the film.

This is one of those films that you enjoy and it is worth a watch once and only once. To me The Avengers did not live up to any expectations I had for it going in. Director Joss Whedon took an approach that many will see is similar to his style especially in his television shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Around every scene there is a touch of humor and farce which kept me from really getting into the film. The humor at times was nice but it all seemed unnecessary and actually detracted from the story. A film as goofy as this one did not make me feel something emotional, it hid behind the veil of humor. The main villain in the film is Loki who many will remember from the Thor film that came out last summer...and this was to me a great choice, although he was not used to the potential he could have been. The character could have been scary, and impending, and seemed like he was in control but there was at no point a time where I thought he was going to win. His staff of impending doom was cool at the beginning of the film and the mind control element could have been awesome but he quickly just felt week even against just a few of the superheroes from The Avengers. He even gave himself up for a strange bit of reasoning which as soon as you really started to understand it, that plan was already given up. The only time he seemed scary was at the beginning of the film like I said earlier.

As far as the film itself the cinematography was ok, a lot of it being high key lighting and the only cool lighting parts was when Black Widow fought Hawkeye and that was it. The scene where Hawkeye finally came too and was normal again had a really strange bit of color correction to it that just was bizaare and felt like the opening to a television show that the editor decided to play around with the look of the first scene. That being said I come to my next point of this working much like a television show. Joss Whedon seems to have had a little bit too much television story structure on his mind when he made this film, a lot of it felt just like that, a series of tv episodes strung together. The editing had a lot of weird jumps that felt like they were expecting end credits for the tv show to go. Even some of the shot selection felt like something from a lost big budget episode of Buffy. Mr. Whedon did a solid job don't get me wrong but The Avengers felt too much like his shows and not enough like a genuine superhero action film and I hope due to the large success of the film other superhero movies do not take a page and emulate this style because it just doesn't work.

If you want to watch a great superhero film pop in the old dvd of The Dark Knight or wait for the sequel coming out in July. If you must go see The Avengers you will probably like it but it fails to pack the punch of a smart and amazing superhero film. It could have been so much more than what it was...maybe the sequel will have more of an emotional presence about it but if not I will be highly disappointed.

I give it a 7 out of 10.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

The Raid: Redemption Review

Over this past weekend, after all the fun and lunacy of filming I went out to the theaters to go see a movie I usually don't like to watch which is the genre of the action film. However I had heard some cool things about The Raid: Redemption so I went out to see it. Starting off for those of you who hate subtitled films don't see it because this is a foreign film and there are subtitles so just a fair heads up.

Anyway, this film is one of those rare gems that does not feel old or outdated like a lot of foreign films do, I say this because the process of getting a foreign film over to the states can take a while and by the time they do arrive they can feel stale. For Redemption I think it is slick and well shot, the director (Gareth Evans) definitely tries out some experimentation for the different angles and set ups of the camera. I love the fresh edge to a genre of movie that can feel somewhat cliche at times. The story itself is not something that will win an Oscar for writing but it keeps you a little bit on edge and has a few nice twists throughout. The harshest thing I can say about this film is the beginning which is drawn out a little too long and doesn't introduce enough characters to keep me surprised, for instance if we see one character at the beginning for more than a few seconds we are going to keep seeing them for a good chunk of the movie, and not just that but the few people we do spend some screen time on they disappear only to reappear later to do something good for our protagonist. The level of violence in this film is fairly high, I saw a mom take two kids into the theater who only appeared to be 10 or younger, don't do this to your kids, it is way too much for them. That being said I think that the interested ways people die are pretty sweet, they are clever and add the grimacing ouch reaction you want in a movie like this.

Overall the slow beginning and what would appear to be the lack of spellchecker on the subtitles really do hurt this film but in the end the action is what we came to see and it delivers on this on all cylinders. If you want to go see a well shot, scored, and choreographed film then this is the one to see. Fair warning the violence is high and subtitles are present but it all just feels so right. Go give this one a view, you won't be wasting your time.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Tree of Life Review

The Tree of Life is one of those films that comes along and it is made out of pure love by the director. In this case it feels as though every shot in this film was thought of for hours before it was filmed, and Terrence Malick perfectly crafts them together. The film to me only really loses the audience is when we are sent to Sean Penn's character, all grown up and lost in a modern world. I understand the concept of having a character lost in the world but we get it, after 20 minutes of flashing into his world I found myself very bored and wanting to go back to the world of his childhood. This innocent town takes place around the time of WWII and is magical with the people and the kids that occupy it. The strongest character in the whole film is Brad Pitt as a patriarch struggling with the decisions he made in youth and how to raise his own kids. Early in the film I had a lot of respect for him but the film very smartly shows that it is not just a case of bad kids but rather a case of bad fathering by Pitts character. The inclusion of space as well as even dinosaurs adds a huge space to this film but all the different metaphors are just too much for even me to catch. This film is like the closest thing you can get to watching a novel...it is like a smart book that you love even though you don't always understand it.

I found this movie visually amazing and the non conventional editing was pretty amazing. This is a special film but it is a shame that it is so hard to pry into. I want to say so much but I find myself at a loss for words because of the sheer epic scale of this film. It is a movie that will challenge you and if you don't mind a long film that seems to be constantly hiding something from you then check it out. If smart dramas just aren't your thing then this won't be for you. Give it a chance though, I did and didn't regret it one bit.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

21 Jump Street Review

On Friday it was me and my girlfriend Ashley's 4 year anniversary and out of the blue we decided to go see 21 Jump Street starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. In the film the two went to high school together and Hill was a nerd while Tatum was a jock. After high school both decide to join the police force and become friends because Tatum can't pass the mental exam and Hill can't pass the physical exam. After getting on the force the two are stuck doing day shift duty at a local park which is the exact opposite of what they wanted to do. One day they come accross a gang of bikers getting high at the park and think this is their big break to get on as a full time cop. After arresting one of the bikers in a hilarious chase scene Tatum and Hill forget to read the Miranda rights. Instead of being fired they are transferred to an undercover operation at a high school on Jump Street. From there they start unraveling a drug operation that threatens to get worse unless they find the supplier.

The film is directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller who have worked together on a lot of animated projects but this is the first feature length live action film for the two. I think the technical aspects are all solid in this film which is something I spend some time on if I feel as though it is less than good but in this case nothing really to complain about. The biggest issue of the film is the pace which can be a tad jumpy at times to the point where I literally jumped out of my seat a bit from the sheer unexpected nature of edits. Some of the gags were funny at first but wore thin by the end of there stints. Finally the most annoying character was Ice Cube who at first was hilarious but in some points just got downright annoying with the crazy captain schtick. However he was sprinkled around enough for me to forgive him.

Overall the film is funny and tries to stay away from any cliches of the comedies, maybe at times a little too much which sacrifices story at times. The pacing is hit or miss but overall works very well. The cameo by Johnny Depp is nice and unexpected even if you are expecting it. Finally the acting is solid if you are looking for a good comedy to go to this week, this is the one for you for sure. Go check it out!

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Hesher Review

It has been a lot of movie watching lately and last night I viewed the film Hesher directed by Spencer Susser. This film is great I must say...so let me go into detail:

The story of this film revolves around a young boy named TJ who is just having a terrible life ever since his mom died in a car crash. From the start this is hinted at but not actually shown until almost the end of the film. The character of Hesher played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt comes into TJ's life after TJ breaks a window of a house Hesher is squatting in. From there Hesher just shows up in TJ's house and begins to life there along with TJ's Grandmother and Father who don't really care. The father played by Rainn Wilson is a wreck who just sleeps all day and takes pills and the Grandmother is an old matriarch who does what she can to keep things normal but throughout the film her health slowly declines. TJ meets strange characters and gets into a lot of trouble alongside of Hesher but in the end it is the worst things that happen in life that make people the best possible versions of themselves.

The technical aspects of this film are rock solid to say the least. Audio design is spot on with ambience where it needs to be and music in the perfect spots. The camera work while mainly handheld is still awesome and well placed. The cinematography is great with just subtle lighting throughout the film creating a nice effect. Also editing is just great and is used very effectively. Like I said before the technique of the film is great.

The acting again is amazing. Gordon-Levitt is amazing as Hesher, Devin Brochu as TJ is a strong young boy lead character, Rainn Wilson is on spot, and Natalie Portman adds a great soft touch to cap off an awesome cast.

My final point is the story which is poetic and destructive all leading up to an ending that will make you cry as much as it will make you laugh. It is a bittersweet movie that delivers on every cylinder. Look for the scene where the accident happens, it is the most brilliant point of the movie where amazing editing, acting, and the fact that you know what is going to happen make it so tense. That is the great thing about this movie it builds on every point made early on in the film, almost like a well built structure.

Go see it tonight!

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Silent House Review

Yesterday I saw the film Silent House and it was one of those films that I am going to defend against all the negativity I am hearing from people. This film is 88 minutes of one long take that being said for a horror style film this is pretty remarkable especially considering the limitations of lighting for video. The story is seemingly simple but at the same time not at all, especially in the end which is something I will bring up in a second.

Anyway back to the main points first of all is lighting which as I said earlier I think was done fairly well in this movie although some of the points where there is pretty much no light was just a tad bit too dark and almost created a feeling of serenity for viewing which didn't help the tension build. The next point is score which to me was way too campy and kind of ruined the effect of the ambient sound. This film would have been way more engaging with just ambient sound, however I guess the filmmakers felt it would make the film boring for viewers or something. Next up is the acting which at times was good and bad, the worst point was the crying scenes for Elizabeth Olsen it almost seemed as though she was laughing which kind of makes sense if you take into consideration the ending but I feel is a small detail no one will really pick up on. The camera work of the film was a bit too handheld at times and instead of feeling engaging was a bit too jarring for me they could have used a preset in After Effects or something to help make the footage a little less shaky. Now time for the ending which is the most frustrating point of the film...not because it is bad but because so many people are not going to catch onto it. The ending is super duper pyschological and so much so that they average viewer is going to not understand it which will lead people to hate it. As I was walking out of the theater so many people were talking about how dumb the ending was...it is not dumb just as a heads up it is just something you will have to think about for a second, if you aren't willing to do that then don't go see it. Overall I don't think it is a must watch but is an enjoyable film with a good twist ending that to me makes the simple nature of the film even better. Check it out but be prepared to think about the ending.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Martha Marcy May Marlene Review

Martha Marcy May Marlene is an intriguing look at the life of a woman who has just escaped a pretty bizarre and dangerous commune of people. The very start of the film she decides to leave and from there we see her interactions with her sister and fiancee. The story is consistently switching back between Martha's life on the commune and life as it is now. This style of film making can get very confusing but the audience is very politely eased in to the past as well as the present from visual or audio cues and occasionally a slow fade out. It is a simple story and a very simple way of making a film but yet it is very effective and the 70s style tint over the film is a pretty cool touch. The acting is great, the story is shocking yet very believable, and the interactions between characters add to the alarm of the film. The ending many people feel leave you wanting more but to me it ends at a great point where you could decide to debate as to what would happen or accept the fact that this is where the film ends.

As great as the story and film itself are again I am going to harp on the sound design which is very lacking. At points during the film I would have to turn the volume up insanely high then instants later turn it back down because everything would get ear piercingly loud. Many of the shots are long takes but it seems like they didn't even boom because the things closer to the camera are really loud and the things further away are very quiet which hints at the fact that they may have used an on camera microphone. I pray this is not the case but the way everything sounds certainly suggests that. Other than that though everything else is a solid package. I say it is worth a watch if you can deal with a slow paced dramatic film. Otherwise it is not really for you.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Submarine and Bellflower

I have been putting off two movie reviews for some strange reason, but without further ado here are reviews for Submarine and Bellflower.

Submarine: This film can best be described as a coming of age story that is not exactly coming of age...if that makes any sense. The film centers around a young school boy who doesn't exactly have a great life (in essence he is a loser). His home life is boring but not bad, it is just school that sucks from being bullied to the butt of all jokes. He soon falls in love with a strange girl named Jordana and in order to impress her he picks on a heavyset girl. His strategy works and he gets to "date," Jordana. Throughout most of the film we follow their relationship and at the same time the relationship of Oliver's parents who seem nothing short of his mom cheating on his dad. So while in his relationship he is trying to watch over his parents. After Jordana's mom gets diagnosed with cancer she wants Oliver to visit her mom in the hospital and when he does not show up or answer her calls she breaks up with him. The story goes from there but I don't want to spoil the rest.

The visuals in the film are quite good short of a few unnecessary zoom in and outs which I almost want to feel good about but I just hate zooms (personal nitpick of mine). There are some cool effects done such as the frame staying still while the camera pans around the screen. Overall the cinematography is pretty spot on and quite beautiful (especially the beach scenes between Oliver and Jordana). The acting is well done across the board and the dialogue is great. This film captures the awkwardness of young love and of discovering sexuality for the first time amazingly; the fast talking dialogue only enhances the great effect. The story is really well put together and keeps pace throughout. I even wanted to mention the typography used which was very French New Wave, so I do love that. The ending to me though was very poetic but it left me wanting a little bit more but it is a fun watch that is not hilarious or laugh a minute but I think you will get something out of it. Rent it sometime.

Bellflower: This is a film that is both great and flawed at the same time. The story centers around a guy named Woodrow and his best bud Aiden who want nothing more than to live in a post apocalyptic wasteland much like the one envisioned in Mad Max. Woodrow ends up finding love at a bar during a cricket eating competition with a girl named Milly. Their first date Milly wants to go to the worst restaurant Woodrow knows of which he claims is out in Texas, so from California they go all the way to Texas to eat at this terrible place. On the way back they decide to trade in a car for a home built motorcycle and everything is great. Fast forward to months later things aren't as great as they were, Woodrow seems suspicious of Milly who is keeping her phone away from him. He lies and tells her that he is going to be away for a few days and then hours later comes back home to discover her having sex with another man. Things blow up and Woodrow speeds off where he is hit by a car on his motorcycle (which he is wearing no protection on). Now Woodrow has to deal with a terrible injury and the fact that Milly was cheating on him. From there comes some pretty shocking elements of the film which simmer down to a very almost silent style ending.

As far as the film goes the style and storytelling I both love! The story is great and is filled with the whole emotions of being a young adult, finding yourself in the world, and the downfalls of relationships. The way in which everything comes to a close is a very almost Fight Club kind of ending where you question all of what happened at the end, for me it was a great moment of realization that is a metaphor to me for the uncertainty of life as a young adult. The biggest issue and flaw of this film to me was sound design which I felt was really badly done, I don't know if it was a boom issue or microphone issue or even a post issue but the sound was like listening into a tin can at times. I had 150 dollar headphones in, the nice ones and it sounded bad which is a shame because the visuals and storytelling are awesome. The acting is good throughout except almost at the very end which felt like the actors didn't know what to do (maybe it was the first day of shooting). That being said it is still a great movie to watch especially if you are a young adult. Find it somewhere online and give it a look see.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Chronicle Review

This Saturday I saw the film Chronicle with my girlfriend Ashley and I was very impressed. Going in to the film I was very nervous because of the way it was filmed (in the style of found footage). I was nervous by this because it is very easy for filmmakers to take the easy route with this style that being the typical ending of breaking the camera, footage stopping, wtf, the end. That drives me nuts and I am happy to report this does not happen in the film Chronicle thankfully. What does happen is a pretty fast paced film that seems to make all the right turns in storytelling. Introducing us to the correct characters at the best points and even taking a step out of the found footage realm and into what I think is an amazing first step for this type of filmmaking. In the film not only do we see the footage captured from out protagonist's camera but also the cameras of everyone involved in the story or watching the story unfold. For instance at a party scene a young girl is recording the main character Andrew and we switch between his recording and her recording of the conversation. This is a genius way of getting a two shot in a movie made like this. The most genius moment is towards the end where there is a big showdown so Andrew grabs the phones, ipads, and cameras of everyone recording the big battle and now we see about 8 or 9 different angles of what is going on. This is something many will watch and enjoy but the fact that the filmmakers took advantage of a world where everyone has a camera is quite amazing. This film is clever, funny, dramatic, and inspirational all at once and so far this year it is the best film to go see. If you haven't already you should go out and watch Chronicle!

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Minimester Time

Well today is the start of the minimester for me at Towson University. I was basically forced to do it because I was 8 credits behind this past semester and kind of need to take 2 courses just to catch up. Luckily though next semester I could pick whatever I wanted except for one course which was MATH (my worst enemy!). However it should be chill just 2 classes a day Monday-Thursday 3 of the 4 days staying until 10:30 at night. Sounds bad, but I can handle it, the nice thing is parking won't be an issue since almost no one does the minimester at Towson.

In addition to that I came to the realization that this week I probably not be able to start my reviews as planned due to my computer issues. The nice thing was the guy who built it finally figured out the problem which was one bad stick of ram. That one bad stick was causing constant freezing and restart issues. I did have 16gb now it is just going to be 12gb of ram but from what I saw online 12gb should be more than enough for me. I hope it was just one stick though he wasn't really too specific on the matter. Either way the computer works and I should have it by Friday finally done. After that I gotta go into overkill mode to get through the Corporate video project which was supposed to be done like a month ago...I will get it done.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Phew...I Am Tired

Well since the New Year I have been really just trying to focus on my needs over the whole video thing at least for a little bit. With my extra free time I have been spending more time with my girlfriend and also hitting the track at lot more. I have been eating less and watching what I eat a ton more. It has been nice to really just put my mind at ease and focus on my own life, I forgot what it meant really to have my own life.

On the other hand I have also been keeping in mind that I wanna start reviewing movies soon too and I hope that by this Friday I will be able to go out and watch one of two films. On one side there is The Devil Inside which looks to be another low budget but creepy horror film in the vein of The Blair Witch Project or The Last Exorcism. On the other hand there is Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy which looks to be a very smart spy film which I have high hopes for. My girlfriend wants to see the horror film but a good friend of mine Joe wants to see the spy one. At this point I am at a crossroads but in the end I might not be able to do either since my computer is currently acting crazy. So we will see.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Love and Sherlock Holmes

So yesterday I spent the majority of the day hanging out with a good friend of mine Joe just running around going to a few places. I got to shoot my first handgun which I sucked at from the start and then after that owned. We went to the Science Center which was awesome when I was a kid but kinda sucked now that I am older (should of expected that). Finally we saw Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows which I felt was better than the original in some regards and in others not so much.

This new film goes much further into the psyche of Holmes and decides to point out more of his quirky methods at time to the extreme for instance when he is drinking embalming fluid but other hits it right on the nose when he hates riding on the horse. I felt like the use of slow motion like in the first to show his thought process was again a very smart trick but when it was used on things such as a gun about to fire a huge explosive device it became a bit overused. The scene in the woods of them running away from the Germans was amazing and this by far was the best use of the slow motion effect in the whole film. The introduction of Moriarty was not overdone at all (as it can be in the Holmes universe) and his character was written in very well to fit the way the books had described him (he is a man who never gets his hands dirty). The ending is nothing short of a very Hollywood style but it still fits within all the workings of a Conan Doyle story. I would recommend a watch either in theaters or at home when it is on DVD. Not worth a rush to the theater really but it is still an enjoyable Sherlock Holmes film.

The other film I watched yesterday was entitled Love which is a very intensely slow drama piece about a man up in space who slowly learns he is going to be up there for a while. It can be assumed that back on Earth man is slowly killing themselves through war. At the same time there are flashbacks to a civil war soldier who is on the quest for a mysterious ship that is near the Mississippi river. Throughout the film we watch this lone mans decent into madness as he has no human interaction aboard the space station. There is no real villain in this film or not secret he really finds. It is just a slow paced strange film which is not terrible but a bit too philosophical for its own good at parts. Sometimes shots get repeated but from different angles which is excusable but the fact that these shots are shown in slow motion several times make it very apparent that we have seen them before. It comes to an end in a less than satisfactory ending and the only real way to have it make sense is if you use the excuse that he must have died. I really love the concept and the majority of the execution considering how indie this film is. I'd say if you can get past the slow pacing and the almost cheesy soundtrack from Angels and Airwaves at times it makes for a very good film. If not though stay away it is not going to pick up the pace at any point really.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Academic Superstore Sucks

So after my second order from Academic Superstore I will never shop there again. Don't get baited by the so called low prices they offer, after the order is placed they charge an arm and leg for shipping as well as sales tax, so more times than not you pay more than say a site such as Newegg. Also things that should be processed in a day never get processed at all leaving you to play the waiting game. Only after about 5 emails with them did they even ship out Adobe Production Premium CS5.5 and now I am trying to get Microsoft Office Professional which they are making a nightmare as well. Their academic verification process is a nightmare and the so called instant verification doesn't do anything. When you talk to their customer service you get a different representative every time and these people are complete idiots. They try to run you in circles to get you confused on purpose and not until you finally start yelling do they listen. Here is my story:

I ordered Adobe CS5.5 on December 3rd and by the time the 20th came to I was getting worried. I sent an email out and they told me that maybe I didn't get the confirmation that it shipped. After explaining to them that I check my email daily and it didn't just slip past me they then lied and said it shipped out the 15th according to their records. I explained how I wasn't even charged yet and then they finally fessed up that it hadn't shipped out yet. Finally after all that a lady came to and said I should be receiving shipping info on the 22nd which I did but after all that I pay for shipping it still isn't getting here until the 28th. What kind of crap is that?

Now I am trying to cancel my Microsoft order which I hope I can do. Bottom line, DON'T SHOP AT ACADEMIC SUPERSTORE!

Thank you for the support,
Daniel Hess

It is Official

So starting January 6th and continuing on every Friday from there I am going to do a weekly movie review where I pick one film opening that week and give it a nice brand spanking new review. I have always wanted to do movie reviews and doing this seems like a perfect fit. I want to start doing a simple video review and then also doing a written review as well here on the blog. So that is two reviews for the price of one. If things pick up and I get a lot of people checking out my stuff I hope to expand and also do dvd reviews every Tuesday in the future. This way I can capture the dvd and new film review market.

I hope this is as exciting to everyone else as it is to me because I can't wait to start reviewing films!

Thank you for your support,
Daniel Hess

Paranormal Activity 3

So last night I decided to see Paranormal Activity 3 with my girlfriend Ashley. I went in with almost no expectations even though I did enjoy the first two, especially the original. I am not here to give away the story but it starts out right before the events of the second one and you see Katie drop off all these old vhs recordings which neither seems to remember. And then after the whole robbery scene in the second one it switches over to the tapes. Again here the theme is that tension builds up from the beginning in a very strange way, at the start of the film this is achieved beautifully which has a pretty cool effect. However directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (of Catfish fame) begin to stick to a predictable scare/plot factor which seems all too familiar. Things get crazier we start finding out more than the biggest thing that hurts this film is when they leave the house and stay the night with Julie's grandmother...this is where the film loses all the steam. At this point the plot becomes so easily predictable it almost hurts, there is not subtle way to say it. As soon as they got there I thought "Oh it is becoming one of those movies." I understand Joost and Schulman wanted to take it another new direction but the reason no one took the films the way they did is because it begins to make the film more like a conventional horror film which sucks. Plus there are almost no 'little' scares in this film, all of that is traded off for big over the top more crowd pleasing thrills. These young directors are fresh in their careers and it seems as though this franchise was just too much for them to take on. If there is a fourth incarnation in this series hopefully they will release the horror comes from keeping it contained and small; that is why the first one was so successful.

Pass on this one or wait until dvd.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess