Celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation

Happy Reformation Day!

This year’s holiday is particularly special because it marks the 500^th year since Martin Luther supposedly nailed his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the All Saints’ Church in Wittenburg.  Some say that the act of nailing them on the door is just a legend.  Regardless of whether this account is literal or not, the point is, Luther had made known on this date the strong opposition he had for the Roman Catholic Church’s practice of selling indulgences and challenged them for debate.  Thus – though there were various figures prior to Luther that attempted to challenge and reform the Catholic Church, like Jan Hus and John Wycliffe – the event has become widely considered as the start of the Reformation movement.

'Thor: Ragnarok' Is Thunderously Terrific

Thor: Ragnarok is the third solo Thor movie of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Here’s a somewhat SPOILER-y synopsis: Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has been constantly dreaming of “Ragnarok”, the prophesied doom of Asgard, since Avengers: Age of Ultron, and has sought to prevent the event.  Believing he has done this, he returns home to Asgard, in which he exposes his adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who has been posing as Odin (see 2013’s Thor: The Dark World).  But after finding the real Odin (Anthony Hopkins) with the help of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), they discover a shocking truth suggesting that the Ragnarok may still be happening after all, at the hands of Hela (Cate Blanchett), the extremely powerful goddess of death that has been written out of Asgardian history.  Thor and Loki are effortlessly defeated by Hela, and are exiled to the other side of the universe, leaving Asgard free for her to conquer.  Soon, Thor finds himself in the planet Sakaar, where he’s captured by Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and sold to the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), who intends to put him in a gladiatorial match against his invincible, unbeaten champion.  This champion turns out being the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), who mysteriously got to Skaar after the events of Age of Ultron.  Now, Thor must appease or defeat a rampaging Hulk, recruit a couple of unlikely allies, and figure out a way to get back to Asgard in order to stop Hela and save his people.

'Happy Death Day', a Satirical Slasher Film with a Stuck-in-a-Time-Loop Twist, Is Cheesy but Extremely Entertaining

Happy Death Day revolves around Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe), an obnoxious, Mean Girls-type college student who gets stuck in a time loop on her birthday.  Before the day ends, a spiteful hooded killer in a baby mask murders her, and she subsequently wakes up in the same time and place she has awoken from the first time around that day: 9:00 am, in the dorm of a random dude named Carter (Israel Broussard).  And thus, she has to relive the day over and over – and die over and over – until she can figure out who is the mysterious, masked killer that is killing her and survive the day, which she hopes would allow her to finally escape the time loop.

'Norm Macdonald: Hitler's Dog, Gossip & Trickery' Is a Treat for Fans of Norm's Unique Comedy

Norm Macdonald is not a universal comedian.  By that, I don’t think everyone will find him funny.  I guess it’s due to his pseudo-lackluster, simplistic, dopey delivery and seemingly corny, old-fashioned material.  Me, personally, I like him.  I like how he doesn’t care if you think he’s funny or not.  As long as a joke amuses him, he will tell it.  You can either laugh with him or not.  He doesn’t care.  In fact, he often revels in front of a hostile audience.  It doesn’t necessarily mean he disrespects his audience or doesn’t care if his audience won’t have a good time.  Quite the opposite.  He respects their intelligence and he won’t be patronizing.  He won’t force laughs.  He allows you to “get” them at your own pace.  At the same time, he won’t compromise his comedy.

Happy 20th Birthday, Lonzo Ball!

Today is Lonzo Ball’s birthday, so let me write my first blog post about him.

As a Laker fan, I have the same hopes for Lonzo Ball that every Laker fan has.  I hope that he won’t turn out being a bust.  I hope he wins Rookie of the Year.  I hope he develops into a bona fide NBA Superstar.  More than that, I hope he would follow the steps of Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson.  I hope he’s truly the next Laker legend on the making.  I hope he brings back the Lakers to a glorious pedestal.  I hope for championships.

I hope he turns out being what he’s being hyped to be.

'Cars 3' Earns a Podium Finish, but It Doesn't Have Much Left in the Tank

When the Cars 3 teaser trailer was released – in which there’s footage of Lightning McQueen crashing – everyone was intrigued.  It seemed to be going to a darker, more mature direction.  But that’s not the case.  It turned out being just another Cars movie.

'A Taxi Driver' Is a Beautiful, Masterful Film Based on an Incredible True Story

A Taxi Driver is about a down-on-his-luck, single father cabbie named Kim Man-seob (Song Kang-ho) who is commissioned by a German journalist named Peter (Thomas Kretschmann) to bring him to the city of Gwangju, wherein government troops and student protesters are clashing.  It’s based on the true story of how Jürgen Hinzpeter, the real-life “Peter”, was able to capture footage of what was happening during the bloody Gwangju Uprising in 1980 and get the real story out to the world, overcoming the heavy censorship and military cordon existing then, with the help of taxi driver Kim Sa-bok, the real life “Kim Man-seob.”

Vince Vaughn Delivers a Career-Defining Performance in Badass Prison Drama 'Brawl in Cell Block 99'

In Brawl in Cell Block 99, Vince Vaughn plays Bradley Thomas, a recovered alcoholic and former drug courier.  After getting fired from his job and with his marriage on the rocks, he returns to the life of drug dealing, believing that it’s the only recourse left for him.  Months later, he and his wife (Jennifer Carpenter) are living in a better, more expensive home, and are expecting a child.  All is going well for Bradley, until a shipment pickup goes sideways.  He’s caught by the police, sentenced, and thrown to jail.  At first, his plan is to patiently serve his time, looking forward to rejoin his family.  Unfortunately, that won’t be the case, as he’s forced to perform a series of violent acts, culminating into one vicious brawl.

'Bad Genius' Scores an A

Lynn is an intelligent, high-achieving secondary student who dreams of studying in the US.  She gets a scholarship in a prestigious school and transfers to it, and, as usual, she excels in her studies.  One day, during an exam, she helps her bestfriend Grace, whose acting aspirations are hindered by her poor grades, by providing her with the answers.  Afterwards, Grace’s extremely rich boyfriend Pat asks Lynn to also him and their other classmates in their exams as well, in which she will be paid handsomely for.  She’s reluctant at first.  But then she feels that the teachers are exploiting students, especially the well-off and academically challenged, so she agrees and develops a system that will allow her to send the answers to her classmates during exams.  As the school year progresses, as her clientele grows, so does her bank account.

Eventually, the operation escalates into the next level: she masterminds an elaborate plan to cheat in the STIC, an international standardized test for admissions to American universities, which will net her and her friends a lot of money.  But in order for the scheme to work, they must recruit Lynn’s rival, another genius student named Bank.

'American Made' Is a Fun Biopic of a Notorious Real-Life Figure

Tom Cruise is one of my favorite actors, and it’s nice that, after starring in the crappy Mummy reboot earlier this year and the forgettable Jack Reacher sequel last year (which I didn’t even bother watching), he got to have another great movie – two years since his last one, which is Rogue Nation.  This movie is American Made, in which he plays Barry Seal, a former TWA pilot who became a drug runner for the infamous Medellín Cartel while performing flying missions for the CIA in the 70’s and 80’s.

'The Villainess' Is Disappointing; Still a Very Good Film Though

The Villainess starts promisingly: a mesmerizing, brutal action sequence in which the main protagonist – a cold-blooded female assassin named Sook-hee (Kim Ok-bin) – takes on an entire drug syndicate in their base of operations, and this is shown in her POV.  Think Oldboy’s hallway brawl mixed with the energy of the church scene from Kingsman: The Secret Service and projected through Hardcore Henry first-person shooter visuals.  That’s how glorious it is.

Chain of Thoughts on the Season Premieres of The CW Shows I'm Watching

The CW shows I’m following are now back with their respective new seasons.  Here are some thoughts after watching the premieres last week…

SUPERGIRL

• The projection of my opinion of this show is still going southwards, but I thought season three’s first episode was pretty strong.  First and foremost, there was a cinematic quality about it.   It had some TV-amazing shots that really pleased my eyes (or is it simply because it had been a long time since I last saw an episode?), especially when Supergirl lifted that submarine.

'The Lego Ninjago Movie' Slows Down the Franchise's Momentum

The Lego Ninjago Movie is the third theatrical installment of the booming Lego film franchise.  Based on the Lego Ninjago toyline and TV show, the movie is about a superhero team of teenage, mech-piloting, elemental ninjas – kind of like the Power Rangers – who are trained by Master Wu (Jackie Chan) to protect the city of Ninjago from the evil warlord Garmadon (Justin Theroux).  However, the twist is, their leader (Dave Franco) happens to be the son of Garmadon.  As the Green Ninja, he’s celebrated by the people along with his teammates.  However, in his civilian alter ego, as Lloyd, he’s loathed because of his parentage.

'Atomic Blonde' Is Imperfect, but Succeeds in Being a Cerebral, Stylish Spy Thriller

Atomic Blonde was marketed as if it was going to be a female John Wick movie.  Though there are indeed a couple of cool fight scenes, it’s not anything like the fun, butt-kicking action fest that the John Wick movies are known for.  Rather, it’s more of an old-school espionage thriller involving undercover work, assassinations, seductions, double crosses, and securing critical secrets.

'Louis C.K. 2017' Tackles Abortion and 'Magic Mike' and Other Stuff in Between

Louis C.K. is one of the smartest, most cynical standup comics today.  His jokes, usually dark, are not only hilarious – which they are – but quite thought-provoking.  There’s almost as much insight to be had as laughs.  Though I don’t necessarily agree with all of his ideas – like most celebrities, he lies on the Left side of the spectrum – I nonetheless appreciate the consistency of thoughtfulness and meticulousness in his presentation.  That’s why whenever he gets vulgar, it’s not at all just for the sake of being vulgar and drawing cheap laughs.  There’s always purposefulness behind his premise, his execution, his choice of words, his structure, his phrasing.  The intention is always uproarious, intellectual comedy, and such is what Louis C.K. achieves in his act, both in parts and in whole.

Jeff Dunham and the Guys-in-the-Trunk Are as Sharp and Delightful as Ever in 'Relative Disaster'

I started following Jeff Dunham after I saw the viral Youtube video where he debuted Achmed the Dead Terrorist.  Since then, I’ve always held the opinion that he’s a comedy genius – something most especially displayed during the time he had to get around the government censors in Malaysia.

Thus, I was thrilled to learn that he’s recently had a new special.  I’ve been looking forward to one since Unhinged in Hollywood.  This time, it’s produced by Netflix.

'Batman vs. Two-Face' Is a Delightful Last Hurrah for "The Bright Knight"

Batman vs. Two-Face is the sequel to last year’s Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, a brilliant revisiting of the beloved campy 60’s Batman TV series.   Once again, Adam West, Burt Ward, and Julie Newmar reprise their roles from the original show as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Dick Grayson/Robin, and Catwoman, respectively.  Meanwhile, William Shatner – Captain Kirk himself – plays Harvey Dent/Two-Face.

This film also serves as a fitting swan song for Adam West, who died earlier this year, but not before completing his voice acting duties.  It’s simply perfect that he was able to get the chance of playing again the role that has made him a household name to cap his career and life.

'The Dark Tower' Film Adaptation Has Forgotten the Face of Its Father

One of the most exciting and fulfilling moments I’ve had as a bibliophile is when I finally collected all (original) seven Dark Tower books.   As a reader and collector, the way I came upon them was ideal.  I got to find and purchase them in their chronological order.  Hence, I was able to read them in proper sequence.  I bought the first three books all at the same time.  As soon as I was done with The Gunslinger (book one), I became obsessed with it (in fact, if I remember it correctly, it’s also the first Stephen King book I’ve ever read, meaning it’s what got me into Stephen King).  I just knew by then I have to get and read the rest.  With books four and five, I got them one at a time, and it took a while before I found them.  It also took some time before I found books six and seven, but were fortunately side by side on display.  And great was my glee then.

There Is Room for Both 'The Orville' and 'Star Trek: Discovery'

Recently, two similar shows in The Orville and Star Trek: Discovery made their debuts on TV.  The fascinating timing makes perpetual comparisons and a sense of competition inevitable.  It can’t be helped.  It’s simply ingrained in the DNA of geek culture.  Nonetheless, enjoying both is not something impossible.

'The Little Hours' Is Hilarious but Disjointed

The Little Hours is a comedy film set during the Middle Ages about a trio of mad, raunchy nuns – Alesandra (Allison Brie), Ginevra (Kate Micucci), and Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza) – who are each dealing with her own flaws and issues, as they lead a simple convent life.  One day, the three savagely insults and bullies the gardener, who then quits his job.  Enter Massetto (Dave Franco), a deaf-mute found by Father Tomasso (John C. Reilly), the convent’s leader and resident priest, to fill in the vacant position.  However, he’s really a runaway servant hiding from the angry lord whose wife he has cheated with, and he’s only pretending to be deaf-mute in order to avoid conflict with the problematic sisters.  But their unseemly behavior makes it hard for him to keep his cover.

'Blade Runner 2049' Is a Visual Feast; Has a Brilliant Story, Too

Many years ago, I saw the sci-fi classic Blade Runner several times in cable.  However, unlike many other films I got to watch a couple of instances as a kid – especially genre films – it didn’t really resonate with me.  I can’t even remember what particular version I had watched, for this movie is known for having seven different cuts.  A couple of years back – when I was in my late teenage years or early 20’s –  I saw its “Final Cut”, which is supposed to be its most definitive version, as determined by creator Ridley Scott.  I found it good, but it didn’t blow me away.

So I Gave 'The Emoji Movie' a Chance

The Emoji Movie is, well, an animated movie about emojis.  And it’s one of the fiercely panned movies this year.  Still, I decided to give it a chance.  I thought that maybe I would get to like it, since it’s not unusual for me to like movies that critics hated (one of best examples: Gods of Egypt).  I just have to frame my expectations to reasonable levels.  I wasn’t at all considering that it could be something surprisingly awesome like The Lego Movie.  In fact, I knew it’s going to be bad.  But, considering that it’s animation, there’s the chance that it has enough to appeal to children.  And if so, I hoped that it would, at best, meet the minimum standards to please the inner child in me.

'Inhumans' Is a Disgracefully Unimpressive Addition to the MCU

After seeing the first two episodes of Inhumans, the latest small screen addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I’ve decided to write my thoughts on it already.  For I’m not sure if I’m still going to watch the remaining six episodes.

‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ Brings One of Cinema’s Best Trilogies to an Epic, Tragic Close

2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes was pretty great.  2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was pretty great, too.  And this year’s War for the Planet of the Apes turned out being great as well.  Thus, an infrequent cinematic achievement is accomplished: a great film trilogy – one of the best.  On top of that, since it’s a reboot-prequel to the original 1968 Planet of the Apes, it also succeeds in being a great prequel – something less common than a great trilogy.

'Gerald's Game' Executes an Engrossing Character Study Amid a Suspenseful Psychological Horror-Thriller

According to some, the best Stephen King film this year is somehow Netflix’s Gerald’s Game – yep, to them, it’s even better than It.  Having recently seen the movie, I don’t agree with this view.  However, I understand where it’s coming from.