Where The Wild Things Are (2009)

Rated PG for mild thematic elements, some adventure action and brief language.

101 minutes

Directed By: Spike Jonze

Written By: Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers

Starring: Max Records, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo and the Voices of Lauren Ambrose, Chris Cooper, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, Forest Whitaker, Paul Dano

It's going to be a place where only the things you want to happen, would happen. - Carol
We could totally build a place like that! - Max

Review:

I am not a fan of films that tear a part a beloved book just to make a nicely timed film. Where The Wild Things Are is a prime example of a film that has been adapted well from a book. So many peoples lives have been touched by this great children book by Maurice Sendak, myself included. From the start of the movie to the finish, Spike Jonze transports the audience into a fantastical realm of wonder with Max at the center. I remember the snow forts that I used to build with a tunnel after the snow plow had cleared my street as a child. I also remember being sent to bed early for acting out just like this film is about.

For those of you who don't know, Max is a young child who is sent to bed without dinner after misbehaving and creates a wondrous world of wild monsters who become his friends and elect him as their king. Max soon realizes that the family of monsters is as dysfunctional as his own family. I don't want to give much away about the plot of the film, I recommend that you see the movie for yourself.

I found myself relating to the main character of Max. He is played by Max Records who was brilliant in The Brothers Bloom before this. I think he has a definite future ahead of him as an actor. The way he bounds around on screen and his extraordinary imagination make me think that a lot of his true personality shown through in the film and that he was having a fantastic time while filming.

Before this I never thought of James Gandolfini as a great choice for a voice actor, but he was perfect in the role of Carol. The rest of the voice actors I did not recognize during the film and would not have known who they were if not for seeing the trailer. I think that actually was very helpful for me during this film because I was being drawn into each of the wild things as the unique characters that they are.

I can not think of anyone else other than Spike Jonze that could have directed this film as well. He did a great job of representing this cherished story in such a picturesque and stylish manner. The scenery is so fabulous and the locations were wonderful in the film and it is worth seeing it on the big screen. In addition, the sound track by Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's is phenomenal and adds to the mood of each scene. The main song, LOVE, is my favorite off the soundtrack.

The Bottom Line:
Be sure to see this film on the big screen so you can enjoy it in the best form possible. I would have loved to see it in IMAX, I think the sound and picture would be even better there. You will come away from this movie having an appreciation of life, family and will remember that it is okay to always be a kid!

The Music Of... Girls

I am in love, love, love with the band "Girls", especially their new song "Lust For Life". At first I was like what the heck, this song is a little odd but after many listens on my drives to and from work I have been pulled into the sunny dream of California fun. See and hear for yourself and leave a comment:

Interview With Tony Todd From "Splatter"

Fans of horror films only have one more day to wait until "Splatter" is released for everyone's viewing pleasure over the web thanks to Netflix and Roger Corman. This week I had the wonderful pleasure of interviewing Tony Todd whose acting career began in 1986 in Oliver Stone's "Platoon". Over the years Tony has worked on a variety of different projects and has learned a lot during his time in front of the camera. This interview was planned within the course of 48 hours so unfortunately there was not time to do a poll to get your questions to ask him.

Below is a recap of our free flowing conversation about "Splatter" and his career:

How did you come to be a part of Splatter?

I was contacted by my Manager and Julie Corman about the project. I found out that Joe Dante had signed on to helm the project and I decided to sign on so I could work with him and Roger Corman.

What sets Splatter apart from other horror films?

With the internet there is the chance to truly take things viral. The death sequences took a full day to shoot and some of the best makeup artists and people behind the screen were brought in to work on the project. For instance we had people that had worked on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button working with us which was cool.

What was it like to work with Joe Dante and Roger Corman?

It was wonderful working with them and I have a lot of respect for them. When you get the opportunity to work with such great people you take it!

What role are you playing and what is your character like?

Without giving too much away, I play Spencer Pope, Johnny Splatters Manager who is an extreme control freak. I am not a control freak in my personal life. Working as a character actor gives me the chance to live out so many different roles.

Where do you think Splatter will take this idea of giving the audience a chance to essentially "choose their own adventure?"

Its like Clue inside a Haunted Mansion! The audience will have the chance to truly decide the deaths of the characters. I am looking forward to seeing some of the grizzly ways the fans will choose.

As a very prolific actor is the internet streaming something you see yourself doing more of in the future?

The more viewers that Netflix gets with this type of project the more likely there will be more like it. I would be happy to work on future projects like this that come my way.

What has attracted you to the horror genre over the years?
40% of my work has been in horror movies but I do have a Masters in Theater and do at least one play a year. Acting roles are gravy because they have given me a great opportunity to work with a wide variety of other great actors and directors.

Can you tell me a little bit about your upcoming projects?

Prodigy is shooting in Atlanta soon and I am working on my transition project “Eerie, PA” which is a thriller I have written and hope to direct once I get the funding for it. My goal has been to transition to directing and producing all along. I always learn something new and if I don’t I take it off my resume.

I learned a lot talking with Tony Todd. He is a genuine and energetic actor who seems truly passionate about his craft. I think that I can forgive him for scaring the crap out of me with his "Candyman" character. "Splatter" premieres on Netflix tomorrow October 29th and ends on Friday November 13! Click HERE tomorrow. For a sneak preview of the gore and mayhem head on over to AICN to check out an exclusive clip of a death scene from the film and see Tony Todd in action.

* Photos courtesy of Lisa Rose, lisarosephoto.com.

The Crazies Trailer

I saw this trailer for The Crazies before Law Abiding Citizen this past weekend and think it looks pretty cool so I thought I would share it and get your thoughts!

2012 Trailer #5 in HD

This trailer is truly my favorite trailer for 2012! I love the pace and the tension and most of all the sound. I saw this in the theater on the big screen and was like WHOOOOAHHHH!!!! You could feel the excitement pumping through your veins. I think that this is going to be a great movie to see in a theater. It may not be the best in terms of scripting but this looks like the disaster movie to top all disaster movie!

"Splatter "Streamed for All This Halloween Season

Coming soon to a computer near you. Typing that takes a bit to get used to. Netflix and Roger Corman have teamed up to produce a series of horror Webisodes directed by Joe Dante and featuring Corey Feldman.

"Splatter" is a multi-part web series with the first episode to debut two days before Halloween on October 29 which is just in time to get you in the ghoulish mood for all hallows eve! You don't have to be a Netflix subscriber to view this either. Anyone in America can instantly watch “Splatter” for free at www.netflix.com/splatter, yet “Splatter” offers a unique twist. This is a truly interactive experience. The public will be able to vote on how the storyline should unfold after every episode. Episode one will launch on 10/29, episode two on 11/6 and the finale on 11/13. Voting will be open at the conclusion of the first two webisodes (10/29 and 11/6).To learn more on how to vote and further details, visit this press release from Netflix.

Directed by Joe Dante, “Splatter” is about a musical genius who accumulated as many hit records as he did enemies while climbing up the fame ladder. Johnny Splatter’s sudden death, ruled a suicide, brings a small circle of professional parasites and hangers-on to his Hollywood Hills mansion for the reading of his last will and testament. But as his “frenmies” come to pick the bones clean, Johnny has returned for a deadly encore long after what they thought was his final curtain.

Check out this cool behind the scenes videos below:

All of the above photos are thanks to photographer, Lisa Rose, lisarosephoto.com.

Couples Retreat (2009)

Rated PG-13 on appeal for sexual content and language

Directed By: Peter Billingsley
Written By: Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman, Faizon Love, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell, Malin Akerman, Jean Reno, Peter Serafinowicz, Ken Jeong

Review:

I am fan of Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman and Jon Favreau. And I am sure that just about everyone is a fan of Peter Billingsley, they just may not know who he is. Well if you have seen the unforgettable movie "A Christmas Story" you are definitely a fan. What made that movie a success was its timeless charm, great narration and wonderful facial expressions from Peter's character. This movie is a perfect date movie or a great movie to take a a group of couples to see which is how I saw it this weekend. If you are a fan of these actors, love comedy and want a movie that is perfect mindless fun then Couples Retreat is for you! There are a lot of flaws in the movie but I will cover those later. I always believe in focusing on the good and then the bad.

Vince Vaughn has very little range, even his more dramatic roles have had a strong essence of him. What I think makes him successful as an actor is that I think he is a naturally funny person that is comfortable with quick witty dialogue that is off the cuff. The same goes for Jon Favreau, the two play well against each other. It is good to see them together on the screen. I will always love Swingers but feel that Made was a tremendous movie that does not get the credit it deserves. Couples Retreat is my third favorite on screen pairing of Vaughn and Favreau. There are some funny moments between them in this movie, one of my favorites is after the "shark incident".

Jason Bateman is truly becoming the go to guy for dry humor and is a great addition to this movie. I totally was able to buy into the idea that his character was the type of person to plan his entire life out and present it via PowerPoint! The primary plot revolves around the troubled marriage of he and his wife, played by Kristen Bell. They attempt to get a group of their best friends to go on a trip with them to an all inclusive resort so that they can attend couples therapy because they were able to find a group rate. The other couples played by Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman, Jon Favreau and Kristin Davis and Faizon Love and Kali Hawk are pressured into going on this trip and told they do not have to participate in the couples therapy portion of the activities. When they arrive they find out that is not the case and some funny moments ensue and show that each couple has issues that are unresolved.

Jean Reno takes a role in a different direction from my favorite bad ass characters that he has played as the self-help guru on the island. I personally thought his character was fairly lame and annoying and truly did not add any value to the movie. I think the casting was a poor choice for that role. The islands butler of sorts, Sctanley, played by Peter Serafinowicz, is an interesting character that I would have enjoyed seeing more of. During the beginning of the film there was a slow pace to get the movie going and then again midway through there was some more slow going which detracted from the flow of the film. I also thought that the original previews showed a lot more character build up and took the film in a different direction completely. For instance, showing how each couples marriage was more in jeopardy than they realized. Apparently the MPAA originally gave the film an R rating which was appealed to a PG-13. I have a feeling that a lot of editing caused this film to take on a slightly different direction. I wonder what the undoubtedly unrated version on DVD will take.

The Bottom Line:
If you love Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau or Jason Bateman then this movie is for you. I would recommend getting a group of your friends to go see this with. This is definitely not something to watch with your parents because this could cause some uncomfortable moments because of the many sexual innuendos.

Zombieland (2009)

1/2

Directed By: Ruben Fleischer
Written By: Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin

It's amazing how fast the world can go from bad to total shit storm. - Columbus

Review:

Zombieland is a perfect mix of comedy and horror film for my taste and is in the same vane as Shaun of the Dead. Zombieland has given Woody Harrelson an iconic super hero character that will remain in our sub conscious and revels the likes of Ash played by Bruce Campbell in the Evil Dead films. I am a fan of Jesse Eisenberg and think that he and Harrelson played well against each other. I can definitely see the possibility for a sequel to this movie and would likely be in line to see it.

The movie starts weeks after the major outbreak has occurred wiping out the worlds population and leaving only a handful of people alive. It follows Tallahassee played by Woody Harrelson and Columbus played by Jesse Eisenberg who narrates the movie. Both characters have found a way to survive in this deadly zombie infested environment. Tallahassee survives by kicking ass and taking names. Columbus survives by obsessively following rules for survival which he hilariously shows the audience in the beginning of the film. The two team up as unlikely road companions and soon find they are not the only humans alive.

If blood and guts is what you crave, you will find it in this movie. The makeup is great on these zombies and they truly are terrifying and there are lots of gruesome scenes. There are a number of great zombie kills, Tallahassee has perfected the art of Zombie killing. If you are looking for some humorous moments then you will also find something worthwhile in the film. There are some funny moments and a hilarious cameo that will have your falling out of your seats.

The Music Of...Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

I have already shared my love of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros with you before on Napier's News. I thought I would share my new favorite song by them called "40 Day Dream". Check out the video below. I think you will find it has a cool feel to it and takes you on a nice melodic journey!

Here they are live at The Regent Theatre in L.A., ENJOY!!!!!