We are getting another live action Jungle Book movie, and I’m okay with it.
Everyone needs an origin story these days. Even Mowgli the little guy from The Jungle Book. Yes we are only a few years removed from Disney’s massive success that was the live action adaptation of this beloved child story, but this time Andy Serkis is taking the reigns. I’ll be honest if this was any other person, I would be concerned but the master of motion capture has my attention.
I know it’s tough to follow in the footsteps of the previous incarnation, at the time it was one of Disney’s highest grossing movies, critics and fan rejoice at the home run that Jon Favreau provided us with. So Andy has some pretty shoes to fill. But with him behind the scenes and the all star roster he has put together, this has the makings to be great. It will be so difficult to top the previous one, but this time around they are going dark and really digging into Mowgli’s origin.
They needed a fresh take on the subject matter, perhaps no signing no dance routines, more serious and grounded and that is kind of WBs bread and butter. I’m not going to write this movie off because the trailer didn’t absolutely blow me away, can’t be to critical and harsh on teaser trailers. This has all the makings of being a fun ride at the movies with some serious potential upside.
Ava DuVernay is jumping from one mega studio to the next. Disney to Warner Brothers, she is being eyed to direct their New Gods comic book movie!
Remember back in 2014, when Ava came bursting onto the scene with the critically acclaimed Selma? She virtually came out of nowhere, and scored a whopping 98% on Rotten Tomatoes with that film, and everyone instantly fell in love with this woman. Nominated for best picture at the Oscars and even took home best song that year, the movie was a smash hit and so was Ava.
Now a few years later she’s back on the scene with her latest movie, A Wrinkle In Time. Now this wasn’t met with the same response as Selma, but it was a big, bold, blockbuster type of movie, with a budget of over 100 million dollars. Now it hasn’t performed as well at the box-office as Disney was hoping, but visually it is being praised, and the flaws of the movie are a weak story. Well none of this seems to matter to Warner Brothers, as they are bringing on another woman to direct one of their projects. This time around, it’s The New Gods!
I don’t know a whole lot about The New Gods, but I know they were created by the legendary Jack Kirby in the 1970’s. So yeah, one of the greatest to ever be involved in the comic book industry is responsible for these characters and this story, so you know it’s fantastic. The source material will be great to pluck from, and now we finally might be able to see Darkseid, because you know, they left him out of the Justice League movie. But that’s a whole other conversation that we don’t need to have. There will be a ton of new and interesting characters to cast, and I hope that Warner Bros. is taking this seriously, because they could have a potential home run if this is done correctly. I’m intrigued, I certainly don’t think we need this movie, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want one in my life. This is a property and project that will need to be taken care of in the right manner, and if it isn’t, the whole thing will just fall apart and WB will have yet another flop and failure on their hands.
Didn’t really see Ava’s career going in this direction, certainly not after Selma. But, with what I saw visually from A Wrinkle In Time, she could be the right person to tackle this movie. It needs to be visually different and needs to stand out from anything we have seen before, in terms of a comic book movie. It is unclear whether or not this will be apart of the DCEU. Make sense because by the time this movie comes out, there may not be a DCEU anymore.
This is something I didn’t think I needed in my life, but something I totally need in my life.
People HATE Michael Bay movies. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t really love his work, but he’s made some pretty damn entraining movies in his life. Now, I go to his movies because they are a guilty pleasure. The last few Transformers have almost been unbearable to sit through in the theatres. Incoherent, and mass destruction everywhere, Michael Bay loves his explosions.
News broke today that Warner Brothers. is eyeing him to direct a Lobo movie. Well fans everywhere were losing their minds, and not in a good way. They don’t want to see him anywhere near a DC property and I guess there’s some merit to their complaints. He really hasn’t made a good movie in a long time, and the DCEU is already on thin ice as it is. Why bring in a guy to direct that most movie goers already despise and loath? Here’s the thing, Michael Bay is a ridiculous and bonkers director, and guess what? Lobo is a ridiculously crazy and bonkers character that this could actually be a match made in heaven. If there’s one person that could tap into Lobo, it could be Michael Bay. He knows how to make a big blockbuster, and if WB cracks down on him just a little bit, this could turn out okay. Another thing, this needs to be rated R. If this movie happens, Lobo is a rated R kind of guy. He swears, and kills and enjoys his pleasure. So again Michael Bay is perfect for the job.
This thing could also turn out to be one of the worst comic book movies ever made, but again this is just “in talks” so even if it happens we are looking at a 2021 release date, at the earliest. I’m all for it, because like I said, I go to every single Michael Bay movie, I loved Pain and Gain, and I’m not afraid to say it. This will most likely end up being a complete and utter disaster but I stand by my guilty pleasures and so should you. The biggest make or break for the movie, who they cast as the titled character. Maybe Mark Wahlberg? Probably not because Lobo is 6’4, so that wouldn’t exactly work out. Who on Earth could play Lobo?
Really curious to know how they got the rights to all these characters.
So the new trailer for Ready Player One just dropped and it’s a real doozy. Being a massive fan of the book, when I heard this was being adapted into a feature length film, I was pretty happy to say the least. When they debut the first trailer at Comic-Con this summer, I wasn’t really that impressed with what I saw. I have changed my mind about this movie after this trailer, because it really does look spectacular.
Now I know going into this movie, it can’t be exactly like the book, but from this trailer a lot of things I was hoping would pop up did. There are actually too many characters to even name that appear in this trailer, and I’m really excited to see all these people on screen together. Look it’s Steven Spielberg, you already know it will be an enjoyable film. But he has the ability to make a truly special piece of film, and I think he might be hitting a home run with Ready Player One. It’s got a great cast and it’s based off a phenomenal book. This has all the makings to be extremely successful. Let’s hope so!
So you’re telling me Dwayne Johnson is going to fight a giant ape, wolf and crocodile? Sign me up
(WARNER BROTHERS.)
People we have a new king of the jungle and it’s this giant ape George. Look out, we might have a new front runner for best movie adapted from a video game! Yeah I know, it was only the first teaser trailer, but Rampage starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson looks like a A TON OF FUN. Seriously though, let’s not take this thing too seriously here, it’s about giant mutated animals running wild around the streets of Chicago. But if I know one thing, Dwayne Johnson movies work like 60% of the time and this is one of those times. Based off the Rampage the 80’s arcade game, it looks like we will have a highly entertaining summer movie on our hands.
From the same director (Brad Peyton) who did San Andreas along with Dwayne, I actually really like that movie. It was a fun summer blockbuster, it looked pretty fantastic, so instead of an earthquake, you’re replacing it with giant animals? Just take my money now Warner Brothers. I know he has a tendency to do kind of the same movie over and over again, like world ending, disaster, destruction, cheesy popcorn flicks, but it suits him. That’s what The Rock does best in my opinion and Rampage looks and feels no different. Everyone here seems to be having fun, the cast is really good, with Naomi Harris (James Bond Girl), who is just excellent and so lovely. We got Jeffrey Dean Morgan doing well Jeffrey Dean Morgan things, its Negan without the baseball bat. I actually hope the trailer didn’t ruin his apparent death in the movie? Because I want as much JDM in Rampage as humanly possible. Finally we have Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike) who is so badass and awesome, and I’m so excited to see him side by side with The Rock.
You can’t sit there and tell me you weren’t a little entertained by the trailer? I’m not picky when it comes to movies and like I said, this will be just another mind numbing summer blockbuster, that you see on the big screen, have a good time doing so, and then never watch the movie again. Sometimes that’s what movies are all about, and for me, this looks like it will be a wild ride.
Simply marvelous, one of the best science fiction movies of the decade. Unlike anything I’ve ever seen
(WARNER BROTHERS)A sequel 35 years in the making, some people have been waiting their wholes lives for a follow up to the masterpiece that was 1982s Blade Runner directed by the legendary Ridley Scott. It’s crazy to think about a sequel being made 35 years later, and it turns out to be one of the greatest sequels in the history of cinema. This is why we go to the movies; it’s movies like Blade Runner 2049 that make people like myself realize why I love film so much. It had everything I want in a movie it is simply marvelous. This dark and twisted, futureristic, neo-noir film, that is exstential in every sense of the word, is just all around stunning. Denis Villeneuve directs the follow up, and he is fast approaching becoming one of the best, if not the best director in Hollywood right now. Villeneuve’s track record right now is uncanny and something I can’t really fathom at this point. Every time he steps up to the plate, he hits a walk off home run. I think it was a mistake not getting this man to direct Episode IX because he is the perfect man for the job, especially after watching this science fiction masterpiece. Blade Runner 2049 is the kind of movie that inspires young filmmakers, or creates new ones. This will be a vague review because I don’t want to spoil a single thing about this movie, you need to go experience this for yourself, because it’s unlike anything I have ever seen. I knew it would be one of the most beautiful movies, but it even exceeded my expectations in that regard.
So the movie follows Blade Runner, Agent K (Ryan Gosling) as he is investigating a case from the past. As he learns more about the case and himself, he starts to question everything he knows and his beliefs. The case ultimately leads him to Deckard (Harrison Ford) and the two of them must work together for the common good. I’m really going to leave it at that, and not getting into any specific plot points, because going in and just experiencing this movie is what it’s all about. Everyone knows that Ryan Gosling is an A-list actor, a movie star, but he reaches new heights in this. It’s weird, I don’t think anyone else could have been in this role, Gosling does so much acting in his face, and he really is a master brooder. He really showed that he could lead a franchise, that he is more than just a love interest in a rom com. Like I said, everyone already knows this, but I don’t know I was just really blown away by his performance, and he worked really well alongside Harrison Ford. Imagine playing a character 35 years later. I thought he might mail it in here, but Harrison Ford was simply delightful as Deckard again. He did not take any scenes off and he seemed to relish being back playing this character. This is his best performance in a long time, I know he came back as Hon Solo, but this role and performance is vastly superior to his in The Force Awakens. I think Ford fed off Ryan’s intensity and they just complemented each other so well here, and I would really love to see them work together again. The rest of the cast is fantastic, Dave Bautista is great, and he just keeps on impressing me after his shift towards becoming an actor. Some of the cast has very minor roles, where they are only in a few scenes, but the scenes that they are in, they are all in for their roles, and that’s what you need in a movie like this. Everyone committed and wants to be the best they can be. Robin Wright as Joshi, who is K’s boss is also great, she’s good in every thing, so that should not shock anyone. Jared Leto who plays Niander Wallace is good. It’s Leto and I think there’s a fine line between people really loving Leto and people who are just sort of “mehh.” I like Leto so I thought he was great as the bad guy Wallace, I guess he really isn’t a bad guy; it’s hard to describe his character. The two people I was pleasantly surprised about were Ana de Armas who plays Joi; I’m not going to go into detail about her character, because it’s actually really interesting and unique, so I will just say that I thought she did a fantastic job. She’s in a ton of scenes with Gosling and they were so good together. But for me besides the two leads in Gosling and Ford, the best performance has to go to Sylvia Hoeks, who plays Luv. She is Wallace’s assistance/body guard, and she is menacing and just really stood out in the movie. Again I don’t want to say to much, but after the movie, I thought this women, just got a lot of people’s attention and we will be seeing her in more things to come.
But the real star of the movie is the cinematographer Roger Deakins. I can’t overstate how beautiful this movie is. At times and certain moments the visuals are actually distracting because of how beautiful they are, you’re almost not paying attention to the actual movie, but rather taking in all the scenery. Without doubt the best cinematography that I can ever remember seeing in the movie theatre. Some of the visuals and imagery are breathtaking and I couldn’t really believe what I was looking at. The movie takes place in the year 2049, and I swear, there wasn’t one moment where I thought, yeah that looks fake, or that’s too much CGI. It’s flawless, and perfect and so crisp looking. The detail and the colors are so incredible, and again it’s just something you need to go see, because it’s so hard to describe and put into words. Just give Roger Deakins his Oscar now, like don’t even bother having the cinematography category this year, because there really is no dog in this fight other than Roger. This movie will win a bunch of Oscars, the score and the sound is also perfect. You need to go find the biggest screen you can, that has the loudest speakers, get a large soda and popcorn and just get transported to this world. The reason I go to the movies is to escape from life, you want to be transported to another world, and this is exactly what happens. Blade Runner 2049 is a film from start to finish. One of the best parts about this movie is that it just wanted to be its own movie. They didn’t try to build this massive universe that will have a ton of other sequels or spin off movies. They had an idea in mind for the movie and they executed that plan to mere perfection. You just get immersed into this world and you don’t want to leave, I know I didn’t. At a run time of almost 3 hours, it flew by, because you just want to keep seeing these incredible landscapes and I felt that the movie was paced beautifully. The movie is also very thought provoking they ask you questions and challenge your way of thinking. Just like the original, they want to open your mind and that’s exactly what happens.
I really can’t express enough how much I loved this movie; it’s one of the best sequels ever made and also one of the best science fiction movies ever made. It’s a shame that I don’t think a lot of people are going out to see this movie, so I think with word of mouth that could change. I can also see this movie not being for everyone. This is a piece of movie art that will live on forever. I really can’t wait to see it again. This is one of the best movies of the year! GO SEE THIS MOVIE.
Check ya later
Nate’s Movie Tour Reviews – Blade Runner 2049 = 96/100
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Ben Affleck was born to play Batman.
(WARNER BROS.)
Warner Brothers. really saved the best for last didn’t they? Has any comic book movie been under more pressure, and had more going on behind the scenes than any that have come before it. There is a TON of pressure on Justice League, from fans, critics, box-office success, and just over-all people being happy and this finally leading the DCEU in the right direction. All I want is for this movie to be successful, I love all of these characters, we deserve a great Justice League movie, and I think this was a really fantastic last trailer. Things are finally taking shape and really coming together for this movie, and this trailer showed us that, and I think the die hard fans will be pleased, but I also think those that were on the fence about this movie will come back around and be intrigued enough to be in the theatre opening weekend.
There is a ton of new footage here and plenty of stuff we have already seen. I feel like we got the Joss Whedon effect in the trailer, in terms of everyone seems to be happy and smiling and even The Dark Knight himself was cracking jokes. It feels a little lighter in tone, but it does remain to have that dark presence, and this still feels like a Zack Snyder movie and that is totally okay with me. This will still be his movie, but Joss came on just to like decorate the cake. Zack baked it, but now it just needs its finishing touches. 40 more days until we all finally get to sit down and experience this for ourselves, and I’m just pretty nervous for everyone involved, like I said above, there is just a lot riding on the success of this movie.
Once again I think Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller were the highlights, they seem to really stand out from everyone else in the league. Aquaman might already be the coolest superhero we have ever seen in a comic book movie. The man is a rock star and everything we have seen so far of him has just blown me away. Ezra Miller will truly be the comic relief for this film, and he’s just got some great comedic timing. The visuals are simply stunning, the shot of Batman standing in front of the Batwing was so badass. We all knew the visuals would be top notch, it is a Zack Snyder movie after all, but now with 3 trailers, I think they just got this right. The trailer proved to us, and it was Warner Brothers. telling us that, it’s okay fans, we got this. I couldn’t be happier we didn’t get to see Superman, and the dream sequence was the perfect way to tease him. We don’t need that big reveal in the trailers, that was really well done by the marketing team.
So buckle up because this movie is going to be a roller coasting and November 17th needs to just get here already, because this wait has been killing me.
A video game movie, based on another video game. Probably not going to work.
(WARNER BROS.)
Film studios never learn. They just keep making movies based off video games and they just keep striking out. Have to give them some sort of credit I guess, there’s no lack of trying on their end. So here we go again, Tomb Raider is back, and I haven’t even seen the originals, so to say I care about this in the slightest is well spot on. I didn’t even play the video games growing up, but everyone knows this franchise, because well Laura Croft is a smoke.
I’m getting a real Uncharted meets Cast away vibe here. Which in reality sounds like an amazing movie, but we will see how they do on the execution part. I’m not going to go over any plot details from the trailer, because just give it a watch yourself and you’ll find out!
They didn’t disappoint either in the reboot because Oscar winner, yeah you read that correctly, Alicia Vikander (🚀🚀🚀) is playing the title role for this upcoming movie. Okay, so I know they are extremely similar but this looks like Uncharted to me, and if you are unfamiliar with that video game franchise just look it up. I know Tomb Raider is way before Uncharted was a thing, but I’m talking the style and the tone of the movie, match it perfectly. I’ll say this, I didn’t hate the trailer, in fact this doesn’t look half bad. That has to come with a grain of salt considering this movie is based off a video game and we all know how these things usually turn out. Besides Alicia we have a pretty stellar cast, Walton Goggins looks to be playing the villain a role very well suited for him, because he makes playing an asshole look pretty damn easy. We also have Dominic West (McNulty from The Wire) who is just fanatastic, and if we get him drinking Jameson and singing Irish folk tunes, I’m all in.
This has the potential to be a half decent movie, with a great cast and some pretty good looking action set pieces and effects. It’s just hard to get excited for something that has such a terrible track record. Only time will tell I guess, but I’ll give this trailer some credit, it really looks like they are trying harder.
The perfect blend of 80’s nostalgia, a classic horror tale and honestly just an overall really fun and scary movie going experience.
(WARNER BROS.)Seriously, what is is with clowns anyways? They’re fun, they’re creepy, and they have honestly made me lose more hours of sleep then I care to remember. I’m now a grown man, and I find it hard to believe that Stephen Kings newest adaptation would cause me such pain. Well guess again Nate, because Andy Muschietti’s IT really scared the crap out of me. It’s been a long time since I was this excited walking into a movie theatre, this has been years in the making. Being in production hell, going from one director to another, and casting and recasting the famous Pennywise The Dancing Clown, I wondered if they would ever get around to making this happen. Finally things started coming together when director Andy Muschietti got on board with the project, and even helmed part of the script himself. Having grown up with the 90’s TV mini-series, I fell in love with Pennywise, and was also terrified of him. I can remember watching it when I was very young, probably younger than one should be when watching IT, but props to my grandfather who decided to hell with it, and now here we are 27 years later, and Pennywise still gives me goosebumps. The story is pretty simple, 7 loser battle a clown that brings out their deepest darkest fears in the town of Derry Maine. Boy I would not want to take a vacation to that place.
So like I just mentioned its been 27 years since Tim Curry made parents wash more bed sheets then they could ever dream about. Did you know that in the novel, Pennywise actually comes back every 27 years, I found that very neat. I’m not going to spoil anything in the movie, but this is drastically different from the TV mini-series, and I’ll say this movie is more faithful to the source material, and that made me happy and sad. I was expecting certain things to happen that didn’t and they take certain things in other directions, which in the end I was fine with, because I know they just didn’t want to rehash everything that went on in the mini-series. For instance, I’m going to start with the main attraction, Mr. Pennywise himself. I recall when the first images of Pennywise were released, everyone and their mother threw a massive hissy fit about the way he looked. Well lets just toss this out the window, because take a bow Bill Skarsgard, because you had pretty big shoes to fill, more like clown shoes (I AM RIGHT!) Sorry I couldn’t go this entire review and not toss that pun in there. I don’t want to sit here and compare the two Pennywise’s, that’s not fair to either actor, they are both completely different interpretations of a character. I will say I enjoyed this Pennywise more, he was certainly way more creepy, and people forget that Pennywise is a shape-shifting entity from another dimension, he is more than just a clown. Tim Curry’s portrayal felt more clown like, where Skarsgard’s felt like he was portraying a super natural being. He brings it though, the first 5 minutes of IT, you are sitting on the edge of your seat. You can tell he really put everything into this role, and the kids seemed genuinely afraid of him, almost like they weren’t acting in certain moments, there was real fear inside of them. He was creepy to boot, funny at times, and part of me was kind of rooting for him in moments. He really sucks you into the movie, the very moment you lay your eyes on him. I had one very small gripe with Pennywise, and that was simply just not enough of him. Just the way he was able to put his whole body into his performance, from contorting his body, to using different voices. He was so animated that it made Pennywise so much creepier, and seemed so much more unhinged, that I I wanted to see more, because every time he was on screen, you didn’t know what he was going to do or say. A little more interaction with the kids would have been nice as well, but those are small nitpicks in an overall fantastic movie. There is about a 7 minute stretch, that involves Pennywise, that is some of the most disturbing and scariest stuff I have ever seen in a movie. It sums up his role, and is the purest form of what I want in my dancing clown.
Now for the Losers Club. Bravo to the casting director of IT, because they casted the Losers so damn well. I couldn’t believe the chemistry and the camaraderie between all the kids. They felt like just a bunch of friends, who happened to be in the same movie together. I’m not going to go over seven different performances, but they all deserve credit. For me the stand outs were Finn Wolfhard who plays Richie Tozier. Who serves as the comedic relief for the movie. He has so many incredible one liners, that involve dick jokes, mom jokes and just easing the tension, and I found myself laughing a lot throughout the entire movie. IT is actually a really funny movie, there are a ton of laughs to be had, which makes sense, because it’s about a group of kids. Remember when you were a kid, you knew all the swear words, but you would only say them around your friends. These kids have really foul mouths, and I loved every second of it. Besides being really funny, the movie has so much heart. There are just some real endearing moments, about kids really becoming young adults, and overcoming what scares them most. All around IT just has such a nice blend of different genres and themes, that it makes you appreciate what the director was able to pull off. Sophia Lillis plays Beverly Marsh, and I thought she did such a wonderful job in this role. Her character goes through the most development in the movie I’d say, and she really seemed mature for her age. She has some really tense, emotional scenes, and she showed her acting chops in those scenes. But my man, my guy, Jack Dylan Grazer who plays Eddie Kaspbrak, the geek/germaphobe. I think this kid as a hell of an acting future, there’s just something about him, maybe he reminds me of a younger version of myself. I just found him having almost the most to do in this movie, and he seemed like he was acting the hardest, and I really respect that about the kid. All the kids did such an incredible job, they are all rockstars, and all have bright futures. Everyone and their dog is about to see IT, and these kids are about to become house hold names. Shout out to Port Hope, Ontario, that’s where IT was shot. The cinematography is simply stunning. There are some gorgeous sets, and shots of the town were spectacular. There is just some amazing imagery throughout, with Pennywise, the kids, and just some little subtle things that people may or may not pick up on.
This story just has a really special place in my heart, and it’s movies like IT that make me have such a strong appreaction for the film industry. This is more than just a horror movie, it’s just a really good, well made movie. It’s also more than just a horror story, it’s got a comedy aspect, a thriller aspect and what I like most, the coming of age story. This is at its core a story about kids coming together, and facing their deepest fears. It’s about friendship, about being part of something special, and coming together for a common goal. Each loser overcomes what scares them most, while at the same time dealing with everyday problems, that 13 year olds are faced it on a day to day basis. It just so happens they are dealing with not only bullies from school, but a psycho killer clown, that wants to rip them to shreds. This just reminds me of other movies I hold dear to my heart, Stand By Me, The Goonies, ET, Sandlot and of course StrangerThings. Whenever kids are involved and a great story is being told, I don’t know, something about that just warms my heart. I loved my childhood so much, and it’s nice to just feel like a kid again, get scared in the theatre, not have to worry about the responsibilities of being an adult. Just to be around your friends a go on an adventure, maybe it’s because that’s something I need right now, but these are why these are my favourite types of movies. IT just made me feel like a kid again, while I was sitting in the theatre, scared like I was when I was 6 years old, clinching my seat and trying to not whimper like a baby. I never really look at my watch or phone during movies, but I did during IT, because I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to spend more time with the Losers Club. When the title screen is finally revealed at the end, and it says “Chapter 1”, I smiled, knowing that we will get to see Pennywise again. One thing I will say about chapter 2. I hope they are careful with their casting. They did a perfect job casting the young losers, and I think casting A-List actors, could take away from the movie. Some how make it seem less believable, but I can’t wait to see who they cast. This was just a really special movie going experience for me, and the most fun I’ve had in the theatre in a long time. It’s not the best movie of 2017, but right now I think it’s my favourite. Get over your fear of clowns and go out and see this movie. See you in your dreams!
Check ya later,
Nate’s Movie Tour Reviews – IT = 97/100 – Saw it a second time, even better than I thought, original score was 93.
Kingston was founded as a beaver-trapping town……Still is right boys!
(WARNER BROS.)Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, and even Dom Toretto himself were no match for Pennywise and the Losers Club. Can you believe that, IT, a movie without any mega A-List actors, a horror movie and most importantly a rated R movie. Walked away from the weekend with an opening of 123 million dollars. Making it third, only behind Beauty & The Beast and Guardians of The Galaxy: Vol 2.IT set records for the largest September opening and the best opening for a horror movie ever. Honestly I can’t believe it, I thought the movie would open to a modest 80 million dollars, which again is humongous for an R rated film, considering Logan, which came out back in March, only opened with 88 million dollars. That’s Wolverine we are talking about, and that couldn’t even crack a 100 million dollar opening weekend. I know what you’re thinking “who cares,” well one, I do, and secondly this is a massive success just not for the horror genre, but for movies in general. The 2017 summer box-office was one of the worst in a long time. With flop after flop, sequel or reboot after another. Or just movies that didn’t seem to have any steam leading up to their releases. I didn’t go to a single movie in the month of August. I can’t recall the last time I went an entire calender month without going to the movies. For instance, another Stephen King adaption came out earlier this summer, The Dark Tower, which starred Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba, two of Hollywoods biggest stars, and it BOMBED. It bombed so bad, it took IT one day to make more money at the box-office than The Dark Tower did in its entire theatrical run. The only person people knew in IT, was “that kid from Stranger Things.” Not only did it have an incredible opening weekend, it’s sitting pretty at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. There’s a reason why I brought up The Dark Tower, and it’s something that’s happening a lot in the film industry right now. Zero to little passion being put into these movies. They thought let’s get McConaughey and Elba together in a movie, it will make a killing! The studio was never behind the project and didn’t let the director behind it make the movie they wanted to make. That will never lead to success. Warner Brothers let Patty Jenkins take Wonder Woman by her gauntlets and make the movie she had invisioned and it showed, because it’s the most successful movie of 2017 thus far. They let Andy Muschietti make the version of IT he believed could do the fans justice. They didn’t interfere and again it shows. Studios need to start letting directors with creative visions make the movies they want to make and not muddle in the process. Incredible things can happen when they do, and IT just showed that.
That was just a little rant, but now I’m going to go over the movie, and will spoil a few things, so if you haven’t seen IT yet, I suggest you float away now, I’d hate to burst your balloon.
The more I think about IT, the more I am becoming aware of just much I loved this movie. I think I had such high expectations of what I wanted it to be, and what I wanted from my movie going experience, that when it was all said and done, it was really hard for me to digest what I had just witnessed. It wasn’t what I was expecting, it wasn’t even that scary, more creepy and disturbing. But its almost been a week now, and I have come to realize just how special this movie really was, and I can’t wait to watch it again this week. Just some things that I noticed throughout the movie, that maybe some people may have missed, or some just really awesome imagery. For instances the very beginning of the movie, Bill draws a smiley face on his bedroom window when it was raining, and right as Georgie walks out of the room, the rain washes away the face. Just the entire opening sequence is special, how Pennywise is almost sweet and innocent during his interaction with Georgie, and how he is trying to hold down a conversation with him, but he doesn’t really know how to. He isn’t human, so when the water and his drool are pouring down his face, human instinct would be to wipe that away but yet he doesn’t. And the quick shot of his arm reaching out to grab Georgie is actually one of the scariest moments of the movie, because you know his arm is extending in order to grab him, but they don’t show that. It’s just after this scene we get to see the real Pennywise, and he isn’t ever like that again, he’s demonic, scary as hell, and enjoys toying with the losers.
The house scene with Eddie, Richie and Bill was why favourite part of the whole movie. It simply encapsulated everything I wanted this movie to be. Tons of Pennywise, scares and most importantly the losers banding together to take him down. It has most of the kids dealing with their fears, which at its core, is what the movie is about, and my favourite moment of the entire movie, is when Pennywise crawls out of the fridge. Its honestly just so disturbing, and Jack Dylan Grazer does such an incredible job in this scene. This was the first time he had ever seen Bill Skarsgard in character, and it showed on his face. People are somewhat complaining about to much CGI with Pennywise, because in the 90s that wasn’t the case. But in the 90s version the little CGI they did use looked so bad, and laughable they couldn’t do stuff like that. And he’s a shape-shifter so they could do some weird stuff like that with him. But I think my favourite Pennywise moment was when Mike first sees him in the meat shop. Just hanging himself with the chains laughing like a fool. That’s why I think Skarsgard’s performance was just brilliant, he seemed to be enjoying himself to the fullest playing this role, and I don’t know this moment just really stuck with me. This will probably change after multiple viewings, but when I left the theatre this was something that was stuck in my head.
Casting The Losers
I have seen this already going around, so I wanted to share my thoughts on who I think should play the adult versions of the Losers Club. Now it’s difficult because they are 12 in the movie, and it comes back every 27 years, so technically we need actors near 40, but some of mine are a little bit younger. This is just hypothetical and I bet not a single one of these people will be casted in the movie, but I think they would do a really good job in their roles! Minor spoilers for Chapter 2. Nothing big, just what they go on to do for their jobs when they get older.
Bill Denbrough – Adam Driver
Fresh off his Star Wars success, Adam is a not quite a house hold name yet, but I think he could do adult Bill justice. Bill becomes a very respected and renowed writer. He writes horror stories to be exact, and when the losers get back together to battle Pennywise once more, once again Bill takes charge in the leading the group. I think Adam Driver could take the reins on being that leader, and I just think he’s a fantastic actor.
Ben Hanscom – Armie Hammer
I know what you’re thinking. The little fat kid, grows up to be Armie Hammer, yeah right. But Ben, who is actually referred to as “Haystack” in the book, well puberty hits him like a freight train, and he grows up to be a tall, slender, successful architect. Like one of the best in the world, he’s award winning, and sophisticated, and I think Armie could pull this off beautifully. He’s also just one of my favourite actors, and I would love to see a man his size be scared of Pennywise, and even better, if they made it seem like Pennywise still towered over him, that would make him seem even more terrifying! The one big chance that will happen with chapter 2, the novel takes place in the 50’s then in the 80s. The movie takes place in the late 80s, so that means chapter 2 will be taking place in almost modern time, so things will certainly change from within the book.
Beverly Marsh – Amber Heard
Everyone in the world wants either Jessica Chastain or Amy Adams for this role, but I don’t. Love them both and I actually do believe one of them will be casted in the role, but I’m going with Amber Heard. Beverly grows up to be a beautiful fashion designer and well that role screams Amber Heard to me, I know she’s a little on the younger age, but she’s involved with the WB studio, playing Mera in the upcoming Aquaman, so she’s already used to having red hair.
Eddie Kaspbrak – Johnny Galecki
Yes Leonard from The Big Bang Theory. When I see Eddie, I see Leonard. I think he could really get into Eddie’s character, and he’s already used to playing a nerd and outsider, so this could be easy for him. Eddie grows up to own a really successful limousine service, but seeing how this will take place in almost modern day, well I don’t think that will be the case. He will probably own some sort of driving app, or something along those lines.
Stan Uris – Neil Patrick Harris
That’s right, suit up! NPH baby, he’s got a background of playing a dramatic role in GoneGirl, and I think he could crush this role. Stan grows up to be a very successful accountant, and already, if you’re not thinking that’s not NPH, then shame on you. Also he’s awesome, and I would love to see him in more things.
Mike Hanlon – Anthony Mackie
I didn’t realize that he was older than he was. Anthony is almost pushing 40, so it’s perfect! He’s also a fantastic actor, who could really show his acting chops in this role. We are used to seeing him as Falcon in the MCU, but he’s done a ton of stuff. Mike has such a larger role in chapter 2 as well, serving as the librarian in Derry. He serves almost as the leader of the group early on in chapter 2, as he is the one contacting all the other Losers, when he realizes that IT is back. Would love to see Anthony in this role.
Richie Tozier – Bill Hader
I’m stealing this one from Finn Wolfhard himself. The cast was asked this question and Bill was his answer, and well I think it’s perfect. I know that Bill Hader is only known for his comedy, well Richie was the comedic relief in the first part, and Richie goes on to be a world class comedian, so yeah this makes perfect sense. Bill Hader is also phenomenal at using his face, and I think he could come up with some really wacky, funny stuff when it comes to him seeing Pennywise again. Really hope this one happens, I would love to see Bill Hader take on a role in a horror movie.
