The Day (2011)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers, no character deaths, major reveals, or big surprises**

Clinging to a shred of hope for a better life, a small band of survivors wander the ravaged ruins of earth in search of shelter and fertile land. Rick (Dominic Monaghan), Henson (Cory Hardrict), and Adam (Shawn Ashmore) do their best to preserve a limited amount of ammunition, while Shannon (Shannyn Sossamon) relies on her trusty machete.

Shannon is reluctant to trust the quiet newcomer in the group. Mary (Ashley Bell) is a “lone wolf,” and she refuses to open up to everyone else, but the group is forced to deal with bigger problems. Henson is struggling to fight an unknown illness, and without the proper resources and medical care, Rick, against Adam’s wishes, urges the group to stop and rest.

The group finds shelter at a seemingly abandoned farmhouse, and everything is calm and quiet at first, but the situation takes a turn for the worst, when Adam and Rick discover a bundle of canned goods in the basement. The cans aren’t filled with vegetables or soup. Instead, each can is filled with rocks. Rick, Henson, and Adam unknowingly spring a trap that triggers a ringing alarm, and all three men are trapped in the basement by a steel door.

Shannon and Mary do their best to fight off the wave of attackers, but the first battle is just a warm up for the oncoming invasion. A deranged man leads his two small children and his group of bloodthirsty cannibals to the farmhouse for a feast. Father (Michael Eklund) promises a fresh supply of new meat for his clan, and suspicions of sabotage endanger the group’s chances of survival after a shocking revelation…….

Ashley Bell delivers the best performance as the scrappy and grizzled loner, with a troubled past. Everyone else? Yeah, the quality of performances from the rest of the cast ranges from decent to mediocre. Cory Hardrict is the generic tough guy, who refuses to go down without a fight. Shawn Ashmore sheds a few tears as Adam, but there’s nothing special about his performance.

There’s nothing wrong with Shannyn Sossamon’s performance, but Shannon is easily the most unlikeable and annoying character here. For the most part, Michael Eklund’s screen time is limited to brief moments of Father leading the troops and his kids to the farmhouse, and he doesn’t receive a consistent amount of focus until the very end. Eklund is believable as this creepy cult leader with a nasty mean streak, but his character doesn’t have a real chance to stand out. And Dominic Monaghan’s screen time is too short to make a fair assessment.

What happened? After taking one look at the desolate landscape, it’s obvious earth was devastated by some kind of apocalyptic disaster, but The Day never takes the time to give a detailed explanation about the events preceding the current storyline.

As the audience, we’re just supposed to assume a nuclear attack destroyed earth? Did a viral outbreak turn everyone into zombies? Sorry, but as the viewer, it’s kind of hard to put myself in suspension of disbelief mode, when I don’t know the reasons behind the troubles facing the main cast of characters.  If I missed something, feel free to point it out, otherwise, The Day has a pretty noticeable void in the story.

Although, I’ll admit I enjoyed the black and white style here. The Day is loaded with gruesome gore and bloody violence, but the black and white approach gives everything a more aesthetic feel. The Day has more than enough generic setbacks, but using black and white provides a little refreshment, and I appreciated the respectable effort to stand out amongst the pack.

The Day won’t change the landscape for post-apocalyptic films, and I had a lot of trouble buying into the brooding, dark tone here, because with the exception of Bell, no one else in the cast delivers a strong enough performance that’s capable of pulling an emotional reaction out of you.

Still, if you’re willing to overlook the flaws, The Day is a passable post-apocalyptic film. The brutal and bloody gore is pretty intense, the hard hitting fight scenes are fun to watch, and The Day features a suspenseful and action-packed finale. It’s not perfect by a long shot, but The Day is an adequate strawberry (or cheese) Danish at the crowded buffet of post-apocalyptic films. And I’ll tell you this now, I’ll take The Day over the other dried out pieces of heat lamp chicken and stale biscuits in Wal-Mart’s five dollar bin.

Rating: 5/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

The Day (2011)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

Clinging to a shred of hope for a better life, a small band of survivors wander the ravaged ruins of earth in search of shelter and fertile land. Rick (Dominic Monaghan), Henson (Cory Hardrict), and Adam (Shawn Ashmore) do their best to preserve a limited amount of ammunition, while Shannon (Shannyn Sossamon) relies on her trusty machete.

Shannon is reluctant to trust the quiet newcomer in the group. Mary (Ashley Bell) is a “lone wolf,” and she refuses to open up to everyone else, but the group is forced to deal with bigger problems. Henson is struggling to fight an unknown illness, and without the proper resources and medical care, Rick, against Adam’s wishes, urges the group to stop and rest.

The group finds shelter at a seemingly abandoned farmhouse, and everything is calm and quiet at first, but the situation takes a turn for the worst, when Adam and Rick discover a bundle of canned goods in the basement. The cans aren’t filled with vegetables or soup. Instead, each can is filled with rocks. Rick, Henson, and Adam unknowingly spring a trap that triggers a ringing alarm, and all three men are trapped in the basement by a steel door.

Shannon and Mary do their best to fight off the wave of attackers, but the first battle is just a warm up for the oncoming invasion. A deranged man leads his two small children and his group of bloodthirsty cannibals to the farmhouse for a feast. Father (Michael Eklund) promises a fresh supply of new meat for his clan, and suspicions of sabotage endanger the group’s chances of survival after a shocking revelation…….

Ashley Bell delivers the best performance as the scrappy and grizzled loner, with a troubled past. Everyone else? Yeah, the quality of performances from the rest of the cast ranges from decent to mediocre. Cory Hardrict is the generic tough guy, who refuses to go down without a fight. Shawn Ashmore sheds a few tears as Adam, but there’s nothing special about his performance.

There’s nothing wrong with Shannyn Sossamon’s performance, but Shannon is easily the most unlikeable and annoying character here (more on that later). For the most part, Michael Eklund’s screen time is limited to brief moments of Father leading the troops and his kids to the farmhouse, and he doesn’t receive a consistent amount of focus until the very end. Eklund is believable as this creepy cult leader with a nasty mean streak, but his character doesn’t have a real chance to stand out. And Dominic Monaghan’s screen time is too short to make a fair assessment.

After the skirmish with the first group of cannibals, Mary’s dark secret is revealed: Mary is a former member of a cannibal clan. To signify their unity, the cannibal clan members share a brand, but Mary was able to slip through the cracks, because her brand is concealed on the most inner part of her thigh. Rick was the only causality of the vicious trap, so Shannon, Henson, and Adam suspect Mary as the culprit, who lead them into a trap.

Shannon and Adam take turns beating Mary during a nasty torture scene, until Henson steps in to put a stop to the savagery. Mary tells her story about being a member of  the cannibal clan. She had to “survive,” but as a child, Mary turned on and murdered clan members after they made a willing choice to kill and eat her injured sister. Eventually, Mary is able to turn the tables on Shannon, Henson, and Adam, and Mary urges the group to stand and fight against the group of invading cannibals. Out running the clan is a suicide mission, because the group is horribly out numbered. Reluctantly, Shannon, Henson, and Adam agree to fight side by side with Mary for one last desperate chance at survival.

Mary’s confession provided a good surprise. You could always tell Mary was hiding something, but it’s hard to put a finger on the problem. Oh, and if you’re wondering, Mary is the sole survivor at the end of the film. As the big battle at the farmhouse unfolds, it’s obvious Mary will emerge as “The One,” and with a last second save from Adam, Mary is able to walk away from the chaos, with more chances to fight another day.

Why is Shannon so hateful? Isn’t she supposed to be one of the good guys? Okay, we get it. You don’t like Mary, but you NEED every little bit of help you can get for survival. During the battle, there’s a scene, where Mary saves Shannon’s life after an attack from one of the cannibals. Of course, Shannon repays her gratitude by telling Mary to “F*** off.” Mary agrees to create a diversion with some help from her shotgun, giving Adam and Shannon  a chance to escape into the woods, and is Shannon grateful for this act of humility? Nope. Instead, Shannon secretly removes all the shells from Mary’s shotgun, so she can suffer an agonizing death. Luckily, Adam has a change of heart, and he returns to help Mary fight off the cannibals.

Shannon is alone and running in the woods, when Father’s daughter shows up for revenge. Long story short, Shannon murdered her brother during the stand at the farmhouse, so the little girl seizes the perfect opportunity for vengeance. Shannon tries to put up a fight, but the little girl succeeds in her mission by slitting Shannon’s throat. In the end, the Shannon character creates a big quandary. She’s supposed to be someone, who you want to root for, but it’s hard to support someone, who’s so slimy and loathsome.

What happened? After taking one look at the desolate landscape, it’s obvious earth was devastated by some kind of apocalyptic disaster, but The Day never takes the time to give a detailed explanation about the events preceding the current storyline.

As the audience, we’re just supposed to assume a nuclear attack destroyed earth? Did a viral outbreak turn everyone into zombies? Sorry, but as the viewer, it’s kind of hard to put myself in suspension of disbelief mode, when I don’t know the reasons behind the troubles facing the main cast of characters.  If I missed something, feel free to point it out, otherwise, The Day has a pretty noticeable void in the story.

Although, I’ll admit I enjoyed the black and white style here. The Day is loaded with gruesome gore and bloody violence, but the black and white approach gives everything a more aesthetic feel. The Day has more than enough generic setbacks, but using black and white provides a little refreshment, and I appreciated the respectable effort to stand out amongst the pack.

The Day won’t change the landscape for post-apocalyptic films, and I had a lot of trouble buying into the brooding, dark tone here, because with the exception of Bell, no one else in the cast delivers a strong enough performance that’s capable of pulling an emotional reaction out of you.

Still, if you’re willing to overlook the flaws, The Day is a passable post-apocalyptic film. The brutal and bloody gore is pretty intense, the hard hitting fight scenes are fun to watch, and The Day features a suspenseful and action-packed finale. It’s not perfect by a long shot, but The Day is an adequate strawberry (or cheese) Danish at the crowded buffet of post-apocalyptic films. And I’ll tell you this now, I’ll take The Day over the other dried out pieces of heat lamp chicken and stale biscuits in Wal-Mart’s five dollar bin.

Rating: 5/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

Character Spotlight- Mahogany- The Midnight Meat Train (2008)

**This post contains spoilers**

So you see this creepy guy dressed in a sharp business suit, quietly sitting on the subway train during the midnight hours, and you're first reaction is to stay as far away as possible, while avoiding eye contact. But there's one big problem: evading Mahogany won't save your life. You can run, you can hide, but there's no escaping Mahogany's wrath.

In The Midnight Meat Train, Mahogany is a merciless murderer, who possesses superhuman strength. During the day, Mahogany works as a butcher. At night? He stalks unsuspecting victims, who board the late subway train. Here, Mahogany hacks and carves his victims, and each corpse is stored inside the messy subway car, with splatters of blood and flesh covering every section. The conductor plays the crucial role of a watchdog, while Mahogany neatly organizes and hangs each mutilated corpse like cattle in a meat locker.

Vinnie Jones is genuinely menacing and creepy as Mahogany, and Bradley Cooper is a nice fit for the pesky adversary, who won't quit. Leon (Cooper) is a struggling photographer, who relentlessly pursues Mahogany, and a sense of morality eventually overcomes Leon, so he decides to fight Mahogany one on one. Yeah, big mistake. Leon eventually gains the upper hand, and he's able to kill Mahogany, but Maya (portrayed by Leslie Bibb), the love of his life, is murdered by the mysterious conductor, who also possesses Mahogany's supernatural powers.

Watching Mahogany's death is a bummer for me. With more time, you have to believe in Mahogany having a realistic shot at becoming a memorable villain in the horror genre. Who knows? In the next five or ten years, The Midnight Meat Train could become the next horror cult classic.

Although, it's hard to ignore the potential flip-side of Mahogany's status as the next memorable baddie. In horror, more film sequels don't equal success. Hell, Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees are legendary horror icons, but we all remember Halloween: Resurrection and Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday, unfortunately. To make matters worse, Resurrection and  Jason Goes To Hell are just a few examples of one too many sequels!
 
Follow this link to read my spoiler review of  The Midnight Meat Train- http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-midnight-meat-train-2008spoiler.html

Or you can read the minor spoilers review, free of any character deaths, major twists, or reveals, by following this link- http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-midnight-meat-train-2008minor.html

Out Of The Furnace (2013)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers, no character deaths or major reveals**

Russell Baze (Christian Bale) is a simple hard working man, who makes a living at the local steel mill. Living in a small Pennsylvania town, Russell enjoys life with his girlfriend, Lena (Zoe Saldana), but Russell’s quiet little world isn’t free of problems.

Russell’s father is slowly dying of cancer, and Russell’s younger brother, Rodney (Casey Affleck) is stuck in debt with a local tavern owner named John Petty (Willem Dafoe). As a returning US Army soldier, Rodney struggles to adjust to civilian life. Rodney is jobless, and he refuses to break his back in the steel mill for some paychecks, so Rodney fights for money in Petty’s underground boxing club.

An anxious and frustrated Petty is tired of Rodney’s unwillingness to take dives in fixed fights, but Rodney is hungry for more. Unable to fight his urges for more money and tougher competition, Rodney pushes Petty to set up a series of fights with another underground club in New Jersey. Harlan DeGroat (Woody Harrelson) is the leader of New Jersey’s most infamous fight club, and Harlan won’t take no for an answer, when Petty and Rodney dig themselves into a deep hole of debt.

Russell returns home after a prison sentence to help Rodney with his troubles, but Rodney vehemently refuses Russell’s assistance. After a while, Rodney and Petty disappear during their most recent trip to New Jersey. Police Chief Wesley Barnes (Forest Whitaker) promises to solve the mystery of Rodney's disappearance, but Russell is looking for a personal and severe form of revenge. With help from his uncle, Red (Sam Shepard) and a loaded sniper rifle, Russell takes a trip to New Jersey to teach Harlan a lesson he’ll never forget.

First of all, I need to point out some footage from one of my favorite horror films here. During the opening scene, Harlan and his lady friend (it’s hard to tell if they’re actually boyfriend and girlfriend, or if Harlan is just using her as a prostitute) are watching a drive-in movie…and the drive-in movie is The Midnight Meat Train! It took me a few seconds to catch it, but I went nuts, when I finally noticed it. Kudos to whoever selected The Midnight Neat train for the drive-in movie, because they have good taste in horror films!

Anyway, Woody Harrelson delivers the best performance, as the sociopathic scoundrel. Harrelson is a genuinely menacing villain, with a disturbing dark side (i.e. the hot dog scene at the beginning), and Harrelson really pulls everything together with an unflinching and intimidating demeanor. Christian Bale is very convincing as this troubled soul, who’s trying to salvage his brother’s broken life, and towards the end, Bale is able to switch gears by showcasing the persona of an impassive man motivated by revenge.

Casey Affleck? He delivers a top notch performance, as the frustrated and troubled solider, who returns to a world of hopelessness. Affleck nails the Rodney character, because you can feel everything he’s going through. The rage, the disgust, the haunting memories of war, everything. It’s a shame, because with more screen time, Affleck could’ve been a contender for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. But after the calamity in New Jersey, Affleck’s  screen time is cut short, and once he disappears, Harrleson and Bale take center stage.

Zoe Saldana did a good job of showing some believable emotion and heartache as Lena. Willem Dafoe and Forest Whitaker deliver a pair of solid performances, and it’s not fair to judge Sam Shepard, because the Red character is an afterthought here.

I enjoyed Out Of The Furnace, but I can’t ignore the obvious missed opportunity here. Casey Affleck portrays a solider, who feels betrayed by his country, because he can’t find a job or any help. Rodney risked his life, and he’s tired of the cold shoulders and slaps in the face (to give an example, a fighter mocks Rodney with salutes during a fight).

Out Of The Furnace never takes the time to explore and analyze the issues facing neglected US soldiers, who have a hard time readjusting to civilian life. There’s the one scene, where Rodney explodes, when Russell urges him to quit the street fighter lifestyle. Rodney recalls the horrors of war, and vents his disgust with the lack of respect he received during his return…but that’s it. Unless, I’m missing something, the heated argument between Russell and Rodney is the only scene, where they truly focused on the hardships returning soldiers are forced to deal with. After that, Out Of The Furnace’s primary focus revolves around Petty and Rodney’s troubles with Harlan, and Russell hunting Harlan for revenge.

Still, I can’t dismiss Out Of The Furnace’s stellar cast, and you’ll see some tense “edge of your seat” moments here. All in all, Out Of The Furnace is a gritty and emotional drama/thriller, featuring a raw tale of revenge in the dismal and deteriorating landscape of the struggling working class. With the way things are going now (overall lukewarm feedback, not living up to the hype in the eyes of some people, etc.), there’s a good chance Out Of The Furnace will miss the boat for any award nominations during Oscar season, but I’ll remember this one as a top ten worthy film in 2013.

Rating: 8/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

Out Of The Furnace (2013)(Spoiler Review)

**This Review contains spoilers**

Russell Baze (Christian Bale) is a simple hard working man, who makes a living at the local steel mill. Living in a small Pennsylvania town, Russell enjoys life with his girlfriend, Lena (Zoe Saldana), but Russell’s quiet little world isn’t free of problems.

Russell’s father is slowly dying of cancer, and Russell’s younger brother, Rodney (Casey Affleck) is stuck in debt with a local tavern owner named John Petty (Willem Dafoe). As a returning US Army soldier, Rodney struggles to adjust to civilian life. Rodney is jobless, and he refuses to break his back in the steel mill for some paychecks, so Rodney fights for money in Petty’s underground boxing club.

An anxious and frustrated Petty is tired of Rodney’s unwillingness to take dives in fixed fights, but Rodney is hungry for more. Unable to fight his urges for more money and tougher competition, Rodney pushes Petty to set up a series of fights with another underground club in New Jersey. Harlan DeGroat (Woody Harrelson) is the leader of New Jersey’s most infamous fight club, and Harlan won’t take no for an answer, when Petty and Rodney dig themselves into a deep hole of debt.

Russell returns home after a prison sentence to help Rodney with his troubles, but Rodney vehemently refuses Russell’s assistance. After a while, Rodney and Petty disappear during their most recent trip to New Jersey. Police Chief Wesley Barnes (Forest Whitaker) promises to solve the mystery of Rodney's disappearance, but Russell is looking for a personal and severe form of revenge. With help from his uncle, Red (Sam Shepard) and a loaded sniper rifle, Russell takes a trip to New Jersey to teach Harlan a lesson he’ll never forget.

First of all, I need to point out some footage from one of my favorite horror films here. During the opening scene, Harlan and his lady friend (it’s hard to tell if they’re actually boyfriend and girlfriend, or if Harlan is just using her as a prostitute) are watching a drive-in movie…and the drive-in movie is The Midnight Meat Train! It took me a few seconds to catch it, but I went nuts, when I finally noticed it. Kudos to whoever selected The Midnight Neat train for the drive-in movie, because they have good taste in horror films!

Anyway, Woody Harrelson delivers the best performance, as the sociopathic scoundrel. Harrelson is a genuinely menacing villain, with a disturbing dark side (i.e. the hot dog scene at the beginning), and Harrelson really pulls everything together with an unflinching and intimidating demeanor. Christian Bale is very convincing as this troubled soul, who’s trying to salvage his brother’s broken life, and towards the end, Bale is able to switch gears by showcasing the persona of an impassive man motivated by revenge.

Casey Affleck? He delivers a top notch performance, as the frustrated and troubled solider, who returns to a world of hopelessness. Affleck nails the Rodney character, because you can feel everything he’s going through. The rage, the disgust, the haunting memories of war, everything. It’s a shame, because with more screen time, Affleck could’ve been a contender for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. But after the calamity in New Jersey, Affleck’s  screen time is cut short, and once he disappears, Harrleson and Bale take center stage.

Zoe Saldana did a good job of showing some believable emotion and heartache as Lena. Willem Dafoe and Forest Whitaker deliver a pair of solid performances, and it’s not fair to judge Sam Shepard, because the Red character is an afterthought here.

Russell serves a prison sentence after committing vehicular homicide, and he returns to an empty life after serving his time. Rodney is in deep trouble with Harlan, Russell and Rodney’s father lost his battle with cancer, Lena is in a relationship with Wesley, and she’s pregnant with her first child from Wesley. To make matters worse, Harlan murders Petty and Rodney after a fight, when Petty refuses to pay Harlan.

Of course, Russell takes matters into his own hands to hunt and kill Harlan. Russell lures Harlan to Pennsylvania with the promise of a cash settlement for Petty’s debts. During a fight, Russell repeatedly shoots Harlan with the sniper rifle, and Russell forces a wounded Harlan to run in an open field. Wesley arrives on the scene with the hopes of talking some sense into Russell, but Russell ignores Wesley’s pleas, and Russell kills Harlan with one shot to the back of  the head.

A tense and gut-wrenching series of events, because for a split second, I thought Russell would show some compassion, and allow Harlan to live. Harlan is running, and you see Russell slowly aim the sniper rifle, and there’s a brief moment of hesitation before he actually pulls the trigger. The bottom line is Russell didn’t care anymore. He lost his father, his brother, and the woman of his dreams left him to start a family with another man. In Russell’s mind, he didn’t have anything to live for anymore, so the thought of dying in prison (Russell also murdered one of Harlan cronies at Petty’s tavern) didn’t faze him at all.

And speaking of tension, there’s a scene where Russell and Red visit Harlan's drug house for some recon. Russell plans to buy some drugs, so he can learn more info about Harlan at the same time. In the house, the dealer suspects something fishy, but Russell has the money, so the suspicions die down for a little while. There’s a shot of Harlan in a mirror, as Red and Russell are leaving the house, and Harlan is unaware of their presence. As they prepare to leave the house, the dealer stops Russell and Red, because Russell forgot to pick up his bag of drugs. After an awkward pause, Russell picks up the bag, and they leave the house without any trouble.

Russell and Red’s trip is a real nail-biter, and the close-calls are unreal. For starters, they’re clearly out numbered by a pack of ruthless thugs, and Harlan knows Russell’s face. Earlier in the film, Russell and Harlan had a brief stare-down at Petty’s tavern, so Harlan wouldn’t hesitate to kill Russell and Red, if he spotted Russell. Good stuff.

I enjoyed Out Of The Furnace, but I can’t ignore the obvious missed opportunity here. Casey Affleck portrays a solider, who feels betrayed by his country, because he can’t find a job or any help. Rodney risked his life, and he’s tired of the cold shoulders and slaps in the face (to give an example, a fighter mocks Rodney with salutes during a fight).

Out Of The Furnace never takes the time to explore and analyze the issues facing neglected US soldiers, who have a hard time readjusting to civilian life. There’s the one scene, where Rodney explodes, when Russell urges him to quit the street fighter lifestyle. Rodney recalls the horrors of war, and vents his disgust with the lack of respect he received during his return…but that’s it. Unless, I’m missing something, the heated argument between Russell and Rodney is the only scene, where they truly focused on the hardships returning soldiers are forced to deal with. After that, Out Of The Furnace’s primary focus revolves around Petty and Rodney’s troubles with Harlan, and Russell hunting Harlan for revenge.

Still, I can’t dismiss Out Of The Furnace’s stellar cast, and you’ll see some tense “edge of your seat” moments here. All in all, Out Of The Furnace is a gritty and emotional drama/thriller, featuring a raw tale of revenge in the dismal and deteriorating landscape of the struggling working class. With the way things are going now (overall lukewarm feedback, not living up to the hype in the eyes of some people, etc.), there’s a good chance Out Of The Furnace will miss the boat for any award nominations during Oscar season, but I’ll remember this one as a top ten worthy film in 2013.

Rating: 8/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

The Bling Ring (2013)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers, no major reveals or twists**


As the new kid in school, Marc (Israel Broussard) is looking for acceptance and new friends. Marc is trying to fit in at Indian Hills High School in Calabasas, California. Rebecca (Katie Chang) befriends Marc, and Marc is introduced to Rebecca’s inner circle at a night club.

Marc meets Nicki (Emma Watson), Chloe (Claire Julien), and Sam (Taissa Farmiga), and as time passes, Rebecca lures Marc into her world of thievery. Rebecca teaches Marc all the essential tricks for car jackings, and Rebecca accepts Marc as a partner during her celebrity raids.

To feed her obsession with living a luxurious lifestyle, Marc assists Rebecca during a series of burglaries. Rebecca targets the homes of her idol, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Rachel Bilson, and other famous celebrities living in California. Marc draws up the plans to track the targeted celebrities using social media, and Marc is able to locate each address using various search engines on the internet. As time passes, Nicki, Chloe, and Sam join the crew, and each member of Rebecca’s crew proudly flaunts stolen merchandise, while basking in the glory of being an A-lister.

After a close call at Paris Hilton’s house, Marc struggles to control his paranoia for a lengthy prison sentence. Nicki and Sam’s exploits fly under the radar, because Laurie (Leslie Mann), the legal guardian for Nicki and Sam, is more focused on trying to provide a positive and healthy lifestyle during home schooling sessions. Uncontrollable greed from Rebecca, Nicki, and Chloe could ruin everything, and the group is forced to deal with a serious issue, when local news stations broadcast security camera footage from a string of recent robberies……..

Character wise, Israel Broussard’s Marc is the only one, who’s truly different here. He’s the shy and quiet new kid, who’s stuck in a shell, until Rebecca cracks it open. The “shy teenage outcast” character is nothing new, but Broussard’s performance is decent enough. Everyone else? Yeah, Rebecca and the female members of her crew are spoiled, rich suburban kids, and of course, they showoff exaggerated hood personas every now and then.

Although, if I had to pick a stand out star from this cast, I would go with Emma Watson. Watson’s hilarious performance as this pompous phony is so fun to watch, and she provides some great laughs towards the end. And Leslie Mann’s screen time is limited, but she delivers an enjoyable performance, as the perky and religious mother figure, with an unwavering conservative attitude.

Too many one-dimensional characters are a big problem for The Bling Ring. As I said before, with the exception of Marc, the VAST majority of the main cast is loaded with a bunch of spoiled and bratty thug wannabes. Towards the very end of the film, the story reveals more info for Nicki and Sam’s backstory, but that’s about it.

Why should I hate, dislike, or care about Nicki, Rebecca, Sam, and Chloe?  Okay, they’re stealing, because they’re obsessed with living a famed lifestyle. That’s obvious enough, but The Bling Ring never gives the audience a thorough and in-depth look at the main character’s personalities. The bulk of the group is stuck in a shallow mold, so it’s almost impossible for anyone to stand out.

It’s almost impossible to not feel a little bit of sympathy for the victims here. Greedy and delusional teens are stealing their property, and either way you choose to look at it, that’s just wrong. On top of that, The Bling Ring tugs on your “This could actually happen in real life” thought process. Marc is able to track the celebrities whereabouts with tweets, Facebook posts, articles on the internet, and Marc easily locates the houses with a simple internet search by typing in the name of said celebrity. The Bling Ring offers a realistic POV for the dangers of revealing too much personal information on social media outlets, and you have to feel something for the people, who constantly live their lives under a giant magnifying glass.

The Bling Ring isn’t Sofia Coppola’s best film, and when you consider the real life source material, The Bling Ring should’ve provided a more grandiose experience. Still, The Bling Ring is an entertaining comedy. The laughs are fairly consistent (i.e. Marc’s obsession with wearing pink heels from Paris Hilton’s house), and Emma Watson delivers one of the best performances in her young career. The Bling Ring could’ve been a better film, but it’s worth a watch, if you’re a fan of Emma Watson, or if you’re curious about the real life events that inspired the movie.

Rating: 6/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

The Bling Ring (2013)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

As the new kid in school, Marc (Israel Broussard) is looking for acceptance and new friends. Marc is trying to fit in at Indian Hills High School in Calabasas, California. Rebecca (Katie Chang) befriends Marc, and Marc is introduced to Rebecca’s inner circle at a night club.

Marc meets Nicki (Emma Watson), Chloe (Claire Julien), and Sam (Taissa Farmiga), and as time passes, Rebecca lures Marc into her world of thievery. Rebecca teaches Marc all the essential tricks for car jackings, and Rebecca accepts Marc as a partner during her celebrity raids.

To feed her obsession with living a luxurious lifestyle, Marc assists Rebecca during a series of burglaries. Rebecca targets the homes of her idol, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Rachel Bilson, and other famous celebrities living in California. Marc draws up the plans to track the targeted celebrities using social media, and Marc is able to locate each address using various search engines on the internet. As time passes, Nicki, Chloe, and Sam join the crew, and each member of Rebecca’s crew proudly flaunts stolen merchandise, while basking in the glory of being an A-lister.

After a close call at Paris Hilton’s house, Marc struggles to control his paranoia for a lengthy prison sentence. Nicki and Sam’s exploits fly under the radar, because Laurie (Leslie Mann), the legal guardian for Nicki and Sam, is more focused on trying to provide a positive and healthy lifestyle during home schooling sessions. Uncontrollable greed from Rebecca, Nicki, and Chloe could ruin everything, and the group is forced to deal with a serious issue, when local news stations broadcast security camera footage from a string of recent robberies……..

Character wise, Israel Broussard’s Marc is the only one, who’s truly different here. He’s the shy and quiet new kid, who’s stuck in a shell, until Rebecca cracks it open. The “shy teenage outcast” character is nothing new, but Broussard’s performance is decent enough. Everyone else? Yeah, Rebecca and the female members of her crew are spoiled, rich suburban kids, and of course, they showoff exaggerated hood personas every now and then.

Although, if I had to pick a stand out star from this cast, I would go with Emma Watson. Watson’s hilarious performance as this pompous phony is so fun to watch, and she provides some great laughs towards the end. And Leslie Mann’s screen time is limited, but she delivers an enjoyable performance, as the perky and religious mother figure, with an unwavering conservative attitude.

Too many one-dimensional characters are a big problem for The Bling Ring. As I said before, with the exception of Marc, the VAST majority of the main cast is loaded with a bunch of spoiled and bratty thug wannabes. Towards the very end of the film, the story reveals more info for Nicki and Sam’s backstory, but that’s about it.

Why should I hate, dislike, or care about Nicki, Rebecca, Sam, and Chloe?  Okay, they’re stealing, because they’re obsessed with living a famed lifestyle. That’s obvious enough, but The Bling Ring never gives the audience a thorough and in-depth look at the main character’s personalities. The bulk of the group is stuck in a shallow mold, so it’s almost impossible for anyone to stand out.

You can see the predictable downfall coming from a mile away, but Nicki uses her crocodile tears and acting skills to get a slap on the wrist. Upon her release, Nicki takes the time to tell her side of the story on a talk show. Oh, and Nicki doesn’t pass up the opportunity to plug her website during the interview.

A good finale for The Bling Ring. Nicki wasn’t better than anyone else, who participated in the robberies, and only a fool would buy into her act as a humanitarian, who’s dedicated her life to charity and helping others. Nicki should suffer like everyone else, who WILLINGLY participated, but she was able to weasel her way out of the landing spot for the hammer of justice. I laughed at the deceitful irony during the final moments, because Nicki should’ve worn an orange jumpsuit to close out the movie. Instead, we see Nicki’s smiling face as the final image before the credits start rolling.

It’s almost impossible to not feel a little bit of sympathy for the victims here. Greedy and delusional teens are stealing their property, and either way you choose to look at it, that’s just wrong. On top of that, The Bling Ring tugs on your “This could actually happen in real life” thought process. Marc is able to track the celebrities whereabouts with tweets, Facebook posts, articles on the internet, and Marc easily locates the houses with a simple internet search by typing in the name of said celebrity. The Bling Ring offers a realistic POV for the dangers of revealing too much personal information on social media outlets, and you have to feel something for the people, who constantly live their lives under a giant magnifying glass.

The Bling Ring isn’t Sofia Coppola’s best film, and when you consider the real life source material, The Bling Ring should’ve provided a more grandiose experience. Still, The Bling Ring is an entertaining comedy. The laughs are fairly consistent (i.e. Marc’s obsession with wearing pink heels from Paris Hilton’s house), and Emma Watson delivers one of the best performances in her young career. The Bling Ring could’ve been a better film, but it’s worth a watch, if you’re a fan of Emma Watson, or if you’re curious about the real life events that inspired the movie.

Rating: 6/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

Remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1