Introducing Versus Series And What Matters...

So recently I've been digging through the blog and one of the things I realized was that the title is sort of misnamed. No, I'm not renaming it. However, I realized most of the posts that I've done on here (at least the majority) have been movie and trailer reviews. Now I thought about this (actually I've been thinking on this for a while) and have decided to add two new "columns" to Media World. The first new post that I'm going to write is the Versus Series. I'll take two movies that are similar and I'll compare them and tell you personally which one I think is better. It's not a review of both. So, that means you'd have to see the movie first and go into the segment w/knowledge of one or both.
       The other segment I'm going to introduce is called What Matters. In this segment, I'll talk about anything from pop culture. I'm opened to ideas on both of these things, but especially What Matters. It could be a TV show, music, a new social media trend or current social issue. I love to write and to spark conversation between readers. This idea was also inspired by Chris Stuckmann. Shout out to him for giving me a good idea. He's one of my favorite YouTube reviewers with whom I watch all the time. Also, I'd like to make it clear that I'm not stealing and copying his idea, rather putting my own spin on it.
   Now that you have read this, I'd also like to state that I actually will not be revealing the subject of my first What Matters post. The only hint I'll give you, is that it's an older, live-action, Nickelodeon television show, and just happens to be one of my personal favorites.
        I don't have a working schedule yet for when I'll be updating these things. If I develop one that works, I'll give you a shout out. Enjoy!

Movie Review: The Visit (2015)

The Visit is a 2015 found-footage, horror film directed by M. Night Shymalan. Shymalan has been in a bit of a slump for the past decade. Despite the fact that I did enjoy some of those movies, the majority weren't that good. In fact, Shymalan's last great film was the phenomenal Signs (2002) starring Mel Gibson. I dig that movie to this day. Luckily enough, The Visit broke the thirteen year career pit that Shymalan had faced. This movie is so real. Which in retrospect, is what makes it so good. From the opening scene we are faced with realistic dialogue, background stories on people that we believe, and characters that yes, we actually do care about. The film follows two kids who are sent on a train trip to go spend time with their grandparents. The children's mother had a falling out with both the grandma and the grandpa, and has not been connected with them. Upon the arrival, we instantly get the feeling that something isn't right about the grandparents. They seem in a daze, very distant, and they don't talk much. From that moment on, the movie just unravels. The situation gets even more strange due to nine-thirty bed time (set by the grandparents). I won't spoil any more of the plot, but this movie was the return of Shymalan. He made a movie that's actually creepy, has characters that we care about, and the suspense is perfectly built. As far as a twist goes, all I can say is that there is a very effective one that turns the story around. The third act in this movie is where the acting is at. That's where all the great performances start to shine from these actors and actresses. I have two problems with this movie, but they are very minor. First off, some of the dialogue from the kids is slightly over - sophisticated for their age. Words like deviance are used. While it may be that they are intelligent, the clever word choice makes the kids sound unrealistically smart. The other problem involves a plot point in which a certain police man doesn't answer his phone? That just seems weird to me. Even in most horror movies, the cops do actually answer their phone. Overall, The Visit is a good movie with great acting, creepy story line, and a great third act and conclusion. Which by the way, is actually extremely heartfelt. Three stars.

Movie Review: Half Baked (1998)

If ever there were a movie that I considered a "guilty pleasure" this would be the flick. Half Baked is a 1998 comedy film starring Dave Chappelle, Jim Breuer, Harland Williams, Guillermo Diaz, and is directed by Tamra Davis. The movie focuses on four stoners who have to bail one of their own out of prison, after he feeds a diabetic horse food and kills it. To make it that much worse, the horse belongs to a cop. Now just writing the premise of this movie makes me start laughing. The movie's plot is extremely unrealistic and very far-fetched for what could have been a really interesting character-driven movie about the effects of marijuana. That combined with comedic elements could have made the movie really great. However, the movie is a fast-paced, psychedelic (sort of), and seemingly original work that is actually really entertaining. Now this is not a great movie, but it's the sort that makes you laugh, and also makes you wonder how this script got started. To start with the positives, this film is very funny. I laughed out loud multiple times within the first ten minutes. It's humor combined with it's quirkiness (and randomness) make it very enjoyable and comedic. The other thing that works with this movie is the relationship that Chappelle's character faces with a young female (Rachel True). From the get go in this movie, the first opening caption names an unspecified location anywhere in the United States.....this should make people really confused, as it does for me. Movies that don't give a location are usually to convey a meaning and a purpose. Typically, a director will hack off the location part to make a point. Half Baked doesn't do that. In fact, the vague opening title makes the audience feel as though the director put no effort into this project whatsoever. As far as the movie itself goes, I also need to mention the randomness of this film. This flick is extremely polluted with scenes and dialogue that don't even push the story forward. To give you an idea, there is an entire scene devoted to a Rottweiler using cocaine. While it does have something to do with the story, the scene feels out of place. That's the biggest problem with this movie: it's very uneven. Despite the fact that I enjoy it, the beginning being great and then the so-so middle, and then there's the purposely corny skirmish in the drug dealers house (in the style of 1960s Batman episodes). Despite the obvious flaws,  I still did enjoy this movie and will definitely go back to re watch it, making it my first real guilty pleasure movie. Overall, Half Baked is an entertaining and funny comedy film, but it's uneven nature and poor acting might make it a turn off to some viewers. 1.5 stars.

Movie Review: Stir Of Echoes (1999)

Stir Of Echoes is a 1999 psychological thriller/horror film directed by David Koepp. The film stars Kevin Bacon as a man who after being hypnotized by his sister-in-law, starts to see visions of a murder that occurred in his neighborhood. Alright, now if ever there were a mixed bag of feelings about a movie, this would be it for me. There are some really intriguing aspects of this movie and then there are some really bad aspects of it. Let's start with the positives though. First off, the opening credits of the movie set the tone perfectly. This is a very creepy movie, and it's not so much due to what you see, but the music (which is very eerie), and Bacon's son, Jake (who breaks the fourth wall to talk with this spirit he calls Samantha.) So from the beginning I knew that the movie was going to be really creepy and eerie. However, that's not quite what I was going for. You see, Stir Of Echoes isn't really a horror movie, because nothing scary or horrific ever happens. A murder does occur, and there is a flashback, but it's not scary. It's disturbing, but it doesn't make you think. That's also because you don't really care about the characters. Another 1999 thriller that came out was The Sixth Sense, which makes you care about Haley Joel Osment as he communicates with spirits. This movie doesn't do that. The audience has no sympathy for Jake or any of the characters, at all. Even the murder case doesn't really make you care. It's a very flat movie, but that doesn't mean it's all bad...right? Well, yes and no. This is a very generic horror movie that succumbs to a lot of the cliches within the horror genre. The kid talking to his "invisible new friend", people having visions of creepy events and phenomena, as well as an extreme disconnect between a husband and wife, which actually does work. There is also some humor in this movie, especially in the digging scene. I won't give it away because it's actually kind of funny. However, there is also humor that isn't intentional. Some of the acting from Bacon (during the third act) is so overacted and it's just hilarious. That's not to say this movie doesn't have it's strengths. It has some really suspenseful scenes, a thought provoking ending, and the disconnect between the wife and the rest of the family is really effective. I'm all over the place with this review because the movie is all over the place. Overall, Stir Of Echoes doesn't scare or even make you jump and the acting falters in some places. However, it's an entertaining, thought provoking, and interesting (at times) movie that can be enjoyed. Two stars