I still remember the fans’ reactions when Marvel Studios announced that Guardians of the Galaxy would be part of the lineup for Phase Two of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). The film that would come out on August 1, 2014 was not a standalone Hulk film, nor was it a Black Panther film that many were hoping for. Instead, it was to be a film that featured a humanoid tree and a talking raccoon. What the hell? Do these superheroes even exist? Turns out, they do – they just became the Guardians of the Galaxy team fairly recently, in 2008.

Still, that didn’t placate the belief that Guardians of the Galaxy was Marvel’s riskiest film. These were hardly characters that people recognized by name alone, and how would this film fit into the MCU? As it turns out, this kinetic film is not only the one film in Phase Two that stands well on its own, it’s also a film that can stand out from the MCU entirely. What’s more, director James Gunn has turned a film with supposedly risky material into a fun, absorbing film that makes a world come alive for moviegoers to enjoy.

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When you really think about it, your life isn’t so much a story with a plot as much as it is a work in progress. It only becomes a story after time passes, after death. When you find yourself in the moment, life is not “set.” There’s only the “now.” Ultimately, we are not in control of our own narrative. Perhaps that’s why we appreciate the storytelling technique, whether it be for books, movies, or television; as storytellers, we are in control of every aspect of our work: story, direction, characters, dialogue, setting – you name it. The same can’t be said for our lives.

When people talk about why they watch movies, the words “escape from reality” often pop up. That being said, why watch films about life, about reality, when we want to escape from it? I can’t speak for everyone, but I think it’s because those films remind us of ourselves, the human condition. That is what we all share in common, is it not? Capturing the very essence of life is a task that few films take up, a task that very few of those accomplish, and Boyhood is one of them.

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In recent years, I’ve become increasingly interested in foreign auteurs making films either in Hollywood or with Hollywood stars (or, of course, a combination of the two). This certainly isn’t new, as we can always look to directors like Paul Verhoeven (Starship Troopers, Basic Instinct*) and Alfonso Cuarón (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Gravity), whose careers really took off after making forays into Hollywood-esque productions. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for Asian auteurs; the one who was arguably the most successful was John Woo, but even a great film like Face/Off* was followed by a hollow Mission: Impossible II*.

It’s the same case for Korean directors as well (full disclosure: I’m Korean). I’ve long been a fan of Park Chan-Wook (Oldboy*), but I didn’t find Stoker engaging. Ditto for Kim Jee-Woon (A Tale of Two Sisters), whose English-language feature The Last Stand* I found lacking for an Arnold Schwarzenegger-fronted action film. That being said, I was relieved when watching Snowpiercer, directed by Bong Joon-ho (Memories of Murder), which bucked this trend. Better yet, it may be the best film currently playing in theaters at the moment (I’ve yet to catch Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Boyhood, both opening this weekend).

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“Let’s Go Exploring!”

Netflix streaming has a lot of gems. Some of them are easy to find, others take some finagling – word of mouth, the “you may also like” function of Netflix, and; more often than not; a drunken night scrolling through the bounty of B movies; never truly finding that white whale of an entertaining movie that you so desperately need.

But sometimes, when it’s daytime and you’re sober, you find something surprisingly worthwhile. When you’ve got good friends who know you, sometimes they send you something that warms the heart, stimulates the mind, tickles the pickle… you get the idea.

With that in mind, I’m looking to tickle YOUR pickle… with cool things that can be found on Netflix streaming. Today we’re reaching way back… back to my childhood. Today I’d like to encourage you to watch Dear Mr. Watterson, a documentary about one man’s journey to put together 90 minutes of Calvin and Hobbes nostalgia. Continue reading →

X-Men: Days of Future Past

The latest X-Men movie left us with mostly positive impressions. Blending together past and present in a massive ensemble cast was quite the challenge and many felt it would either be incredible or a train-wreck, and it seems they got closer to ‘incredible’ then a mess.

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Godzilla (2014) IMAX Poster

All of us were looking forward to this movie, and opinions were all over the place for this film. We can’t seem to agree if it was good, average, or terrible. Surprisingly Jun (our more ‘Film’ minded viewer) and Andrew (our entertainment value minded viewer) both agreed in their take on the film. A weird world we live in indeed.

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In the ’90s, Americans had a chance to produce a film featuring their own take on Godzilla, and the subsequent 1998 film was as well received as New Coke. Over 15 years of denial later, we now get to witness their second chance, also called Godzilla. But this time, the King of the Monsters would walk in glory – or at least he would, if the film itself truly did justice to Godzilla. Director Gareth Edwards has meticulously crafted a film with a grand sense of scale but without a worthy emotional foundation.

(warning: spoilers after the break)

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The Amazing Spider-Man 2 IMAX Promo Poster

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 ran the gambit for us, Andrew loved the movie (and would have probably no matter what), but for many of us we were left a little wanting in regards to the film. Read on to get individual breakdowns of the film.
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