SkyScreening

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Godzilla (2014) is a visually stunning and thrilling disaster movie.

8 out of 10

I wanted to hate it... I wanted to claim it was an empty remake... It was just too good.

We all know the story, Tokyo's least favorite radioactive lizard is back for another go at destroying cities. See the trailer here:

As far as the story goes, it was nothing special but it does what it needs to. It certainly takes its time, building characters and explaining past events that lead up to the film. As I'm sure you heard, Godzilla doesn't make many appearances, the movie is largely lizard free but it isn't a negative. If someone were to complain that you don't see the shark enough in Jaws you would call them ignorant. Same deal here. By not showing Godzilla, it builds anticipation rather than just throwing visual effects at you like a Transformers movie. But when the visual effects are there, they are beyond stunning. The carnage is incredible and really should be enjoyed on the big screen. We finally have the technology to make Godzilla an awe inspiring and terrifying creature. Note: the tone is this movie is unlike that of previous films. This is nothing like its campy and fun predecessors. Very few jokes will be made:

A feeling of doom and terror hangs in the air from the moment the opening credits begin. The score is amazing and certainly helps in setting the tone. Make no mistake, this movie is no joke. The destruction is real and Godzilla's roar is blood curdling. It's awesome.

The performances were... fine. Let's be honest, do you really care? I was impressed, the humans were good, but the giant monsters steal the screen. Humans are boring.

Overall, this movie is an awe inspiring creature feature with some killer special effects and perfectly adequate everything else. Enjoy it on the big screen.

Godzilla is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of destruction, mayhem and creature violence.

http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Godzilla-2014-Teaser-Trailer-Poster.jpg

Tags: Godzilla, action, PG-13, pg13, recommended,

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Her is a tender look into what it means to be a human.

9 out of 10

Last night, I sat down to watch Spike Jonze's new film, Her, an unconventional love story set in the not so distant future. See the trailer here:

I had very high expectations going into this movie and they were all met and surpassed. This movie gave me the "feels". Samantha (the Siri like machine/lover) wants to experience all life has to offer as she learns about emotions and feelings. Her desires are simple but as a character, she is very complex and interesting. The movie is 2 hours and I enjoyed every single minute of it. It was perfect, the movie felt long and rich but never bloated.

Performance wise, this movie was astonishing. Joaquin Phoenix expertly portrays a sweet, possibly creepy man. I felt his sadness and could really relate to him as a character. Scarlett Johansson gives an absolutely fantastic performance as Samantha, the Operating System. Her voice is warm and inviting, you can't help but love her. Together, as the go around experiencing life and you cannot help but feel with them. Amy Adams, Olivia Wilde, and Rooney Mara are great supporting actors.

I know what your thinking, this movie seems so odd. How could someone fall in love with Siri? I will not deny you that the movie is odd, but Scarlett Johansson does such a fantastic job bringing Samantha to life that it doesn't feel that awkward. Their chemistry is palpable. I may have even fallen in love with Samantha a little bit!

Something about this movie really spoke to me. It truly is a sweet movie and an emotional rollercoaster. It is fresh and exciting. And be honest, is the premise really THAT unrealistic? Think about it. As a society, how far are we from falling in love with out gadgets? Food for thought.

Overall, Her is a wonderful and refreshing love story that may be odd but is definitely worth watching.

Her is rated R for language, sexual content and brief graphic nudity.

http://www.impawards.com/2013/posters/her_xlg.jpg

Tags: her, comedy, romance, drama, R, recommended,

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Skyscreening has a small favor to ask of you!

Here at SkyScreening, it is all about the movies. A picture is worth a thousand words but a movie is worth a million. However, the essay written by my friend is worth 3 movies... you do the math!

He has submitted it for a scholarship but now needs people to read it and then click the green button on the bottom to "recommend it". You do need to set up an account but if you have a twitter account, it is beyond easy (medium is a safe site, great for writers!). It is a truly stellar essay and I give it a rave review. It's a story I think we can all relate to. I strongly encourage you to read it and hit the recommend button. It will take a few seconds and it is an entirely enjoyable read. Below is the link to his essay:

https://medium.com/extra-credit/59e4077ff2e1

I thank you kindly for your continued support and keep returning for more reviews!

Saturday, May 10, 2014

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is entertaining despite flaws.

7 out of 10

See the sequel to the reboot series nobody really needed! We find Spiderman back with Gwen Stacy, his true love... and his on and off girlfriend. Join them on a journey that shows that despite superpowers, Gwen and Peter are just manic depressive teens that cannot stay together for 20 minutes. All joking aside, Peter is back with Gwen but he is haunted by the events of the previous film. Peter has to learn to balance the life of Spiderman and Peter while new villains arise and pose dire threats to the public.

Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone return as Peter and Gwen, the star crossed teenage lovers. May I just say, they are absolutely fantastic. As a real life couple, their chemistry translates seamlessly to screen. Seeing these two love birds canoodling cannot help but bring a smile to your face. Andrew Garfield succeeds as Spiderman. Even better than Tobey Maguire! Sorry Tobey...

Jamie Foxx plays Max Dillon/Electro, a mentally disturbed man put on the screen to be laughed at and ridiculed by impossibly mean people. His coworkers bully him like nothing I have ever seen. I am cynical but I refuse to believe grown men and women behave like that. Max Dillon starts out as a joke, obsessed with Spiderman and clearly mentally ill. When a horrible accident occurs, he is transformed into some electric entity? I'm not really sure. The whole thing is kind of glossed over... but it's a superhero movie so it's okay! Call me crazy but I found him unremarkable and underdeveloped. His actions are rash and unexplained. The Green Goblin was better, menacing at least, and I understood his motive which was good... I just wished he didn't come in so late.

I must say, I didn't expect the movie to be so witty. Numerous one liners. Not only is Peter Parker good looking, smart, and a hero... he has quite a sense of humor as well. I was kind of annoyed with the pacing. By the movie's end, I felt that not much had happened. By the time the villains had gotten their act together, the movie was basically over. I found myself wishing for more... which is good... but I was left somewhat unsatisfied.

Visually, the movie is absolutely stunning. Special effects are here and they look beyond amazing. The action sequences are fully engaging and I felt like a kid in a candy shop, completely in awe. It did have a "comic book feel" unlike the Dark Knight which opted for a more "realistic" interpretation. It must say, it is a lot of fun.

By no means is the movie bad, it succeeds in many ways. I enjoyed myself and any Spiderman fan will be thrilled. It is hard to not have fun during this movie, just don't expect anything too deep. It's a fun summer blockbuster. I am just so thankful it didn't include any dance scenes... unlike some previous Spiderman movies...

Overall, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a summer blockbuster arguably lacking substance, but what it lacks in substance it makes up for in visual splendor.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action/violence.

http://imoveilive.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/The-Amazing-Spider-Man-2-New-Poster-spider-man-35222096-1024-1421.jpg

Tags:spiderman, amazing spider man, amazing spider man 2, spiderman 2, action, PG-13, pg13,

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Warning: there may be SPOILERS in this post.

SkyScreening 1k view celebration: 5 stellar TV scenes

Things have been busy for me so I apologize for the inconsistency regarding blog posts. This week happens to be midterm week and I figured it would be the perfect time to procrastinate.

In celebration of hitting 1k, I have assembled 5 fantastic scenes from TV shows I frequently watch.

Note: these are not my 5 favorite. 3 of my favorites are unsuitable to be posted. All of the unsuitable scenes are from HBO's Girls (already reviewed). Should you wish to view them AT YOUR OWN RISK, one is a dance scene and the other involves characters shouting "you are the wound." I will let you figure out what to type into Google. Both videos contain spoilers and profanity, nothing more than that. The third I will keep a secret for now! It will be showcased at the proper time! I am not responsible for your reactions to any of the videos.

Anyway, please enjoy these scenes. I will try to give a little description without revealing too much... if you hate spoilers for any of the following shows, leave now. The shows featured are: Skins, Smash, Scrubs, Sex and the City, and The Newsroom.

5. Bollywood number from Smash: The music in Smash is always great but this clip can only be described by one word... strange. Smash does both original music and covers but never Bollywood. I was shocked by the randomness of it... and how much I enjoyed it!

4. Season 4 ending from Sex and the City: This is my absolute favorite episode of the show. It is a beautiful piece of television and the final words left me feeling good. Carrie finds an important friend has moved away before she could properly say goodbye but listens to a favorite song of his and leaves us on a good note.

3. Opening monologue from The Newsroom: This clip is the very first thing you see upon beginning this show. It is raw, honest, and compelling. Note it does feature a curse word or two but it is nothing you cannot handle. It was too compelling to not share.

2. I'm So Lonely from Skins: Sid is reeling from a recent death and Michelle (or chell) is struggling through a tragedy of her own. While out celebrating Chell's birthday with a group of friends, Sid runs off only to be chased by Chell. The scene has only 14 words but manages to convey a wide range of emotions.

1. Season 8 ending of Scrubs: This features MAJOR spoilers. Basically, the main character, JD, is finishing his last day working at Sacred Heart, the hospital the show took place in. He is notorious for having his mind wander and now he is fantasizing about what his future will bring. It features characters from the show and brings the show to a satisfying close. Well, not really, because they made another season afterwards but it was an atrocity so I don't count it. This scene expertly captures the bittersweet feeling of a television show's finale.

Please check out the reviews of all of these shows (not Scrubs... it has yet to be reviewed) and all the other reviews and special posts on this blog.

Thank you for visiting SkyScreening! I hope you enjoyed this post. See you again soon!

Tags: celebration, 1k view celebration, smash, skins, the newsroom, newsroom, Sex and the City, Sex in the City, Scrubs

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

New Year Celebration: Worst Character Countdown

The new year is upon us and most of us were awake to watch the big countdown. Each year, millions gather to count down to a new year, something that never appealed to me. This year was the first year I did not participate in watching the ball drop because the countdown wasn't important to me. Today I was thinking about what countdowns are important to me. I consulted my "Countdown App" that counts down to events I have programed. Among the events I deem worthy are all my school vacations (42 days, 21 hours, and 5 mins until the next one) and the season 3 premiere of Girls on HBO (11 days, 4 hours, 49 mins). Today I have assembled the countdown of 10 of the best and worst characters in television (in my limited experience and opinion). I will attempt to describe each character in a sentence.

Worst Characters: The characters I cannot love

10. Karen Cartwright from Smash: Karen has many redeeming qualities but is too bland and whiny to earn my respect.

9. Tamara from Awkward: Tamara starts out as funny but her constant spewing of nonsensical phrases has grown annoying.

8. Hannah Horvath from Girls: Hannah makes both lists because sometimes she acts completely crazy and makes choices I cannot understand and is therefore annoying.

7. Jenna Hamilton from Awkward: Jenna cannot get her act together and I am getting tired of her complaining.

6. Celia Hodes from Weeds: Celia is mean and selfish with very few redeeming qualities... especially in regard to parenting.

5. Ellis Tancharoen from Smash: Ellis is slimy, untrustworthy, and an all around terrible person.

4. Adam from Girls: Adams is creepy, gross, and occasionally borderline abusive. Needless to say, I find it very hard to sympathize with him.

3. Joffrey Baratheon from Game of Thrones: Joffery is mean and pure evil with zero redeeming qualities.

2. Cook from Skins: Cook is supposed to be one of the heroes of the show but he is vulgar to the point of being labeled "a disgusting human being".

1. Jimmy Collins from Smash: Jimmy is ungrateful, rude, and has a temper issue. He is supposed to be a hero but I cannot help but root for his decline due to my complete lack of sympathy. He is utterly infuriating.

Links:

http://www3.images.coolspotters.com/photos/805276/karen-cartwright-profile.jpg

http://www.mtv.com/onair/awkward/season2/photos/flipbooks/cast/tamara2.jpg

http://static4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120412015127/girls/images/0/03/Hannah_horvath_1.jpeg

http://www.trbimg.com/img-4febaeb1/turbine/zap-tvs-most-awkward-pics-022/600

http://rubazahran.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/elizabeth-perkins-como-celia-hodes-en-weeds.jpg

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/blog_post_349_width/2012/02/smash_jaime_cepero.jpg

http://cdni.condenast.co.uk/592x888/g_j/girls-s2e1-03_gl_7feb13_pr_b_592x888.jpg

http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120703113314/gameofthrones/images/0/0b/Joffrey_HBO_Promo_Shot_2012.jpg

http://www.skinsmusic.co.uk/images/season_3/cook/cook_skins%20Searies3.jpg

Tags: celebration, character countdown, friends, awkward, Game of Thrones, smash, the newsroom, Girls, Weeds, skins,

New Year Celebration: Best Character Countdown

The new year is upon us and most of us were awake to watch the countdown. Each year millions gather to count down to a new year, something that never appealed to me. This year was the first year I did not participate in watching the ball drop because the countdown wasn't important to me. Today I was thinking about what countdowns are important to me. I consulted my "Countdown App" that counts down to events I have programed. Among the events I deem worthy are all my school vacations (42 days, 21 hours, and 5 mins until the next one) and the season 3 premiere of Girls on HBO (11 days, 4 hours, 49 mins). Today I have assembled the countdown of 10 of the best and worst characters in television (in my limited experience and opinion). I will attempt to describe each character in a sentence.

Best characters: The characters I love and the characters I love to hate.

10. Janice from Friends: Janice is an incredibly annoying, yet funny and appealing recurring (albeit minor) character.

9. Valerie Marks from Awkward: Valerie is hilarious and unpredictable with no regard for what is appropriate.

8. Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones: Tyrion starts as a simple character but transforms into a very interesting and promising character.

7. Ivy Lynn from Smash: I used to dislike Ivy, but now see her as a tragic yet strong and persistent character that is extremely talented and worthy of praise.

6. Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen from Game of Thrones: Daenerys is strong and kind yet harsh and firm when she need be.

5. Sloan Sabbith from The Newsroom: Sloan is smart and beautiful but incredibly socially awkward which makes her a fun character.

4. Hannah Horvath from Girls: Hannah is such a mess but I can sympathize with her and I enjoy her antics.

3. Nancy Botwin from Weeds: Nancy is confident but flawed and may be a terrible mother... but she is a pretty cool person

2. Phoebe Buffay from Friends: Phoebe is always hilarious and is by far the best in the group.

1. Effy Stonem from Skins: Effy is an exceedingly complex and confident character with an icy demeanor. I am always left to wonder what is happening in her head.