Top 10 Best Movies of 2013

            It is now time for my top ten best movies of 2013, but before I give you my top ten, I have five films that did not quite make the list, but they have to be part of it. I will mention those first

JUST MISSED LIST

#5 – Oblivion

           

            Oblivion, despite its screenplay problems, has great direction, a fantastic look, and high production values that really do show in the film. I believe that the script is not that bad, and that this is a much underrated film. I also think that this director is going somewhere. All he needs is a great script and he can make a great movie. I have seen it in this one. He even fixes some of the screenplay problems by exploring them in a different direction. I will be following this director to see what he has next. I think that this is a very, very good movie.

#4 – The Conjuring

          The Conjuring is one of the most effective, and best, horror movies in the past few years. It is explored in a somewhat unconventional fashion, even though it does borrow from other horror films. The plot is also explored in a professional and prestigious way, rather than in a cheesy and silly way. It is one of the only horror movies that have actually been scary in the past few years. It is a really good horror movie.

#3 – Kick-Ass 2

            Kick-Ass 2 is a very successful sequel to Kick-Ass, which was, for no reason, hated on by critics, but liked by everyone else. I thought that it was just below the first one and that it was a really good superhero movie that is constantly enjoyable, has humor, has very good action, but also has good characters and some good drama with some good heart in it, too. It is the formula we need for a really good fun superhero movie and that is what we have here.

#2 – Rush

            Rush is a very different drama that is not only a drama. It has elements of fun action in it, too. Chris Hemsworth gives the best performance of his career here in my opinion. Daniel Bruhl also gives a great performance here. It is a very unconventionally told drama that works for what it is. Through its hour of character development, it sucks the audience into the characters to help the film become more intense when it is supposed to be intense through its great script and very good direction. This is a really good movie.

#1 – Gravity

            Gravity is a thriller in space that immerses its audience into this atmosphere of space and isolation. Through Sandra Bullock’s and George Clooney’s fantastic performances, and Alfonso Cuaron’s fantastic direction and awe-inspiring special effects work, the story is told greatly to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat throughout large portions of the film, even though the script does have some minor issues and the second half of the film is not as strong as the first.

            

Now it is time to get to the real top ten list.

TOP TEN LIST

#10 – The World’s End

            The World’s End was a great time at the theater, sitting down and enjoying a really good movie with great comedy, a fantastic score, and fantastic action. Director Edgar Wright did a fantastic job behind the camera and actors Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, and Eddie Marsan are all great although Simon Pegg is the actor that really stands out in his excellent performance. This is a really good movie.

#9 – The Wolverine

            The Wolverine is a superhero movie that is almost more than a superhero movie. It has some good drama in it, too. Hugh Jackman, as usual, gives a terrific performance as Logan, but some of the other side characters are really good, too. This film has some very good and some compelling dialogue, but also has great action through a slightly complex story. It stays enjoyable throughout its whole running time and has back-to-back action scenes that keep the viewer entertained from scene to scene to scene. I think this is a great comic book movie.

#8 – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

            The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a proper welcome back to Middle Earth after its predecessor was a disappointment to many hardcore fans of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. This film is consistent and constant in bringing fun action scenes and intense action scenes to the table through Peter Jackson’s great direction, a much better script than that of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and an excellent finale. There is intensity in this film and there is fun in this film. It is a great balance of both of these elements to make a great fantasy movie. The characters are really good, the acting is great, the look of the film is great, and the film is great.

#7 – Insidious: Chapter 2

            Insidious: Chapter 2 is a very underrated and original movie to me. I feel that it brings a new genre of horror to the table. It is a fantastic mix of horror and thriller. This film contains intrigue but also contains scares. It contains some laughs but it also contains scares. It contains some fun and intensity but it also contains scares. It has very good acting, a very good script, and every dollar of the budget is used to make something happen. It is filmed very differently by James Wan in his usual own style that still works in this great horror movie.

#6 – American Hustle

            American Hustle is a non-stop laugh-and-thrill ride is very funny but also has a great script and a complex enough plot to keep the film, scene-by-scene, pacing-wise and tone-wise consistent so that it stays huge and very enjoyable even though not much at all is happening. The actors all do fantastic jobs in their roles and David O. Russell directs this film greatly. This is a great movie.

#5 – Mud

            Mud is an effective drama that takes some time to introduce the plot through some very good character development. The screenplay for this film is excellent and really tells this very different, original, and very good story well through its fantastic dialogue and greatly-written characters. The acting is fantastic as is the direction. The excellent, riveting, jaw-dropping finale is handled extremely well with great care and is led up to greatly. This is a great movie.

#4 – Star Trek Into Darkness

            Star Trek Into Darkness is summer fun at its greatest with high production values that really show when seeing these amazing action sequences that contain great direction and excellent crafting and choreography. Though, the screenplay is also great in that we have fantastic chemistry between characters and great dialogue. Though, the greatest factor in the script is the substance it introduces to the film through the story of the film. It is a complex story that requires thinking to completely understand. The performances are also great in this great movie.

#3 – Captain Phillips

            Captain Phillips is an extremely intense thriller the keeps its audience on the edge of their seats throughout large portions of the film. Paul Greengrass is an excellent director that really shines in this film. Through the camera, intensity is brought to the film. But the director was not the only great talent working here. Tom Hanks is excellent in this role as are all of the pirates. This film was really shot on seas, making for a more realistic look to the film. The script here is also great. The dialogue seems real, bringing more reality to the film. Everything in this film adds up to make a great movie.

#2 – The Place Beyond the Pines

            The Place Beyond the Pines is a drama/thriller that is told throughout three different, interconnected stories. Throughout its entire two-hour-twenty-minute running time, it never gets dull and stays interesting through its excellent screenplay with two underlying themes present in every story. Every actor in this film is fantastic and it is directed was such precision to make the shots perfect to the point of which they do not look like shots. They look like real life. This film sucked me in early and did not let go until the film ended. This is an excellent movie.

#1 – The Wolf of Wall Street

            

            The Wolf of Wall Street is a constantly hilarious film that is always extremely enjoyable and is always huge. Throughout its three-hour running time, I always loved it. It has no dull moments at all and it is an absolutely hilarious film that is the funniest movie I have ever seen. It has an extremely excellent screenplay that has amazing and excellent dialogue that is always spectacular. Martin Scorsese directs this film in an excellent way with such an unconventional style that sometimes lets the audience know what some of the characters’ thoughts are through a shot. The acting is some of the best acting I have ever seen. Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance is near-perfect and Jonah Hill’s performance is excellent. Matthew McConaughey’s performance is also excellent and so is every else’s in the film. All of the acting is excellent. This film also has six or seven underlying themes by the conclusion of the film and has some very, very intense and some riveting scenes, too. It is one of the best films I have ever seen.

"The Wolf of Wall Street" Movie Review

 

            

            This is the first Martin Scorsese film I have ever seen. After seeing this, I feel that I need to see more of his films. The Wolf ofWall Street is directed by Martin Scorsese and stars mainly LeonardoDiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Matthew McConaughey. It is Biography/Comedy/Crime about a true story in the 90’s about a man named Jordan Belfort (portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the film) who starts to learn how to make the “big bucks” and gets his own company that he uses to make millions and millions of dollars, but not all legally. We see how he uses this money and how many of the things that happened, happened. This is a three-hour-long movie and it is a comedy, so many people will say “Three hour comedy?!!! That is way too long, I’m not seeing that!” but I will not say a film is too long unless I have already seen it and the script and execution of the film do not account for the running time, therefore, any interest the film had is lost and it becomes dull. That never happens here.

            

            I am going to talk about the cons of the film first. Though, I have nothing to talk about because I have no cons with this film. I went into this film with expectations, but it went above and beyond my expectations. I loved this movie.

            I will start with the awe-inspiring, excellent performances. Every actor gives a top-notch performance in this film. Scorsese was able to get the actors to do just the right things in just the right way. Leonardo DiCaprio really gives the best performance of his career. Saying he is excellent in this role would be an understatement. He is nearly, if not, perfect in this film. Jonah Hill also gives the best performance in his career by a long shot. He is excellent in this film. Matthew McConaughey is also excellent in the film. Though, they were not the only ones that were so fantastic in the film. Other side characters were, too. Margot Robbie was fantastic as her character and Kyle Chandler was fantastic as his. The list would go on and on, but I have my point across: this is top-notch acting.

            

            Though, there is also an excellent and near-perfect screenplay. Every line of dialogue seemed to mean something. Every action by a character seemed to mean something. Everything was there for a reason. Though, this dialogue was as best as it could be. That is where the screenplay really shines. Real essence and reality was brought to the characters. They, of course, seemed like real people. Sometimes I could connect with them and they were very believable. Within about the forty-five minute mark of this movie, I did not see Jonah Hill, I saw Donnie Azoff. I did not see Leonardo DiCaprio, I saw Jordan Belfort. I did not see Matthew McConaughey, I saw Mark Hanna. Another excellent thing about the script is how humorous this movie is. I will say that this is a hilarious film, and it is hard for me to say that about a movie. But this is the funniest movie I have ever seen. But humor was not the only thing this movie rid on. Some of the dialogue was like the dialogue that is in Quentin Tarantino movies, especially Pulp Fiction. It is just people sitting down and talking, but it is awesome. That happened several times in this film.

            

            I have already told you that this is the first movie I have seen that is directed by Martin Scorsese. I now know how fantastic of a director he is. This film has excellent direction. The shots lingered and scenes went on a big longer than you would think they would. The tone stays consistent throughout the film, which was a problem many people had. Many people thought that the tone did not stay consistent, but I think that it was a balance of comedy and drama. Scorsese really uses the camera to showcase characters’ thoughts and feelings, creating smooth transitions. But just the camerawork in general was excellent. Everything was directed so unconventionally that I could hardly tell that these were shots taken by a camera. It is not like the modern pattern of shooting scenes. The film also looks great and has great cinematography. Everything looks like it should, while also reflecting on the tone very well. There were no moments where the film was in a green screen environment. Everything looked great.

            

            For a three-hour film to be impressive, it has to have little to no dull moments. Well this film had no dull moments at all. I was always at least really enjoying this film, even though I loved most of it. From scene to scene, it was also huge and consistent. The pacing stayed the same throughout the entire film, so it was never switching from huge, huge scenes to dull scenes. It was always huge and extraordinary throughout the entire running time. It also got very, very intense in the third act. Some people believe the transition between the second and third act was not good, and its tone was inconsistent. The transition of tone between the second and third act was slow, but not drawn-out. As it went on, it became less and less of the tone in the second act, and more and more of the tone in the third act. I think that it was an excellent transition of tone that still never got dull. Part of the reason it never got dull is because it is very, very unpredictable to the point of which I stopped trying to predict events, because I had no idea what was coming up.

            People might say that since this is a comedy, it is saying that all of these illegal things are okay to do, but it is not. There are about six themes that are introduced into the movie, and about four of them have to do about how all of this is wrong, and it goes around the central message that “No matter how good it can be, it will always come back to haunt you”. I am not sure that that message is the central message or if I got the message correct, but that is my interpretation of it. I will not tell you the themes of the movie, because they are somewhat spoilers. The film also has an excellent conclusion. It wraps things up how they need to be in almost the best way possible. That is due to the screenplay, direction, and the actors.

This is one of the best films I have ever seen. No, it is not one of my all-time favorites, but it is right under them. I think that it is a spectacular film.

Through its awe-inspiring performances, excellent screenplay, and excellent direction, The Wolf of Wall Street is an absolutely hilarious masterpiece that never gets dull throughout its three-hour running time.

"Insidious: Chapter 2" Blu-Ray Review

            

            

            

            Insidious: Chapter 2 has been released on Blu-Ray this past Tuesday, December 24, 2013, which is really an odd day for a film to come out. Why would a film be released on Blu-Ray and DVD on Christmas Eve? No other films were released then, but that is not the point. The point is me, reviewing this Blu-Ray. It contains the Blu-Ray Disk, DVD Disk, and Digital HD Ultraviolet Download. Its special features include Peripheral Vision: Behind the Scenes and Ghostly Transformation. Its Blu-Ray Exclusives include Haunted Hospital: On Location, Leigh Whannell’s Insidious Journal, Work in Progress, On Set Q&A, and “Insidious: Spectral Sightings:” 3-Part Webisode.

            

            Insidious: Chapter 2 is directed by James Wan and mainly stars Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, but also stars Ty Simkins, Lin Shaye, and Barbara Hershey. It is about the Lamberts after the events of Insidious (this film’s predecessor) who realize that as one problem was solved, another has arisen that, again, puts the family in grave danger but also leads them on a search the find out the one family secret that has been causing the family to experience all of these things.

            

            In my theater experience of this film, I loved it and thought it was a great horror movie, mainly due to the fact that I expected little from this movie. My rating at that time was a 9.2/10 (also and A- and my rating “I’ll Probably Buy This”). My rating has, of course, changed, and is now an 8.9/10 (A- and “I’ll Probably Buy This” are still the same). Upon my second home viewing of the film, I agreed with myself that it is does deserve the rating 8.9/10 (and the A- and “I’ll Probably Buy This”).

BRIEF COMMENTS ON FILM

            It has not one dull moment and it remains consistent throughout the whole running time. It balances great horror and great intrigue very well. While the film has less elements of horror than a given horror film, it was still a solidly creepy movie that has scary elements to it. Though, this is a new type of horror movie. We have had horror movies that are somewhat spoofing the horror genre before, but this is not a spoof. We have had horror movies that are just meant to be fun, but this one balances horror on the scale, too. This is a great look into The Further and a very fun and very creepy thrill ride which has a third act that ends up being an intense, but humorous, thriller, rather than a horror movie. That is what I noticed upon my first (and again in my second) viewing. In the second I noticed how good the cinematography is and how well James Wan directs the film in his unconventional style. Though, I also noticed the amount of jump scares in the film, and the silliness of the film. Though, I still thought it was great.

LOOK OF BLU-RAY CONVERSION

           

            It does help that the cinematography and direction of the film are very, very good, but the look of this film on Blu-Ray is very good. It really captured the great cinematography of the film and put it into a state of which it stands out to viewers while viewing this film. I am glad that it pays respect to the cinematography. The colors are transferred in an unconventional style that really works. My only flaw would be that The Further looks fantastic, but the real world does not stand out as much, but they could not do as much work on the real world to make it stand out as much as The Further, so I understand why it looks so much better.

AUDIO OF BLU-RAY CONVERSION

            The audio for this film has a very creepy score that needed to be treated with care to be creepy for the Blu-Ray. Though, it was pulled off very well. The score seems to be loud enough when it needs to be, and soft enough when it needs to be. It makes sure that the sound is loud enough during a jump scare to make the audience jump, and when it is supposed to be a small creepy moment, the score is introduced quietly. The soundtrack is handled very well, too. It does not overpower the speakers. It stays the same, but just gets louder, as it should. It also generally sounds very good.

            This was a very good conversion to Blu-Ray and a great Blu-Ray film. The film is great, so it definitely makes the Blu-Ray better, but the material given to the people who convert was handled with care to make it better than it already was. 

"Transcendence" Trailer 1 Review

            I had no idea about a film called Transcendence until I looked at movie news and saw that a first official trailer had been released for it, so upon finding out that it stars Johnny Depp, Kate Mara, MorganFreeman, Rebecca Hall, and Cillian Murphy and that it is directed by the cinematographer of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Inception, and The DarkKnight Rises, Wally Pfister, and that the legendary Christopher Nolan is a producer of the film, I decided to watch the trailer. After I saw the trailer, I thought that it was worthy of getting a review. 

           

           The very first thing I noticed from the trailer was the very good look of it. There were some really good-looking sets. The second thing I noticed was that Johnny Depp was playing a normal character. He is a scientists/engineer that came up with this artificial intelligence technology that he calls transcendence. Even though we have seen that before, that is still a cool premise. Then, he gets shot by somebody in an anti-tech group that is trying to stop his invention. I think that is a good and fairly original idea.

            Then, we find out that his physical body is dying, but his brain is worked find, so some characters bring his mind back through this technology in a somewhat creepy way. That is a very cool idea that could lead to something really good. We then learn that the anti-group tried to kill Johnny Depp’s character for a reason, and that the artificial intelligence technology could take over whatever it wants. Johnny Depp even says to the people that he needs more power, and then we see destruction of things, and odd shots of the technology somehow getting into the environment and Johnny Depp’s character’s body getting torn apart with sequences of action that look really cool.

            

           I think that the idea for this film has originality to it in the mix of its borrowed ideas, but I think this was a really good trailer. It showed us some cool things, but we also got to see how good the film might possibly look. The action sequences looked really cool, and, even though the film probably will not live up to the trailer, I am now somewhat anticipating this film. Christopher Nolan is involved, which is a great thing for me, and we have a really good cast. Transcendence comes into theaters on April 18, 2014 and I will probably have a review up for it when it comes out. 

"American Hustle" Movie Review

            

           After Silver Linings Playbook and The Fighter, David O. Russell is now a very big director and now has American Hustle, the highly anticipated crime/drama that is now in theaters nationwide. It stars Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Jennifer Lawrence. It is about two con artists, Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), that are caught by an FBI Agent, Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper), and are forced to help held the FBI bring down other criminals like the mayor of the city, Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner), but also have to deal with their own problems like a woman associated with Irving, Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence).

            American Hustle is a “bang” in Russell’s career. It has many plusses, but the ones that were most prominent were the acting and script. All of the actors do a fantastic job, especially Bale, Cooper, and Lawrence, who shine in their roles. Though, Adams and Renner also do fantastic jobs in their roles. The writing is what surprised me to the most about the film, though. Every line seemed to have meaning behind it, because every line is fantastic. All of them seemed to have thought behind them and there were probably several rounds of going back and modifying the script, line by line. Each line played a part to further the plot. There are also many compelling scenes with dialogue, and that is due to extremely well-built characters. There was great dialogue in general inside an excellent screenplay.

            Those aspects of the film stand out the most, but they are not the only good things in the film. There are several more. The direction is very good. David O. Russell has an unconventional style of directing scenes and it works very well for this film. The film is also very humorous and even though it though it was the writers who typed up these lines, the director and actors also played a huge part in making sure the script was brought to the screen well. There are many times there was something very funny. There are several humorous things in this movie and they all worked.

            I will say that I walked out of this film thinking it was a really good movie, but I even knew then that I did not quite get it. I knew I was missing something. Later, after I thought about it for a while, I realized what I missed. This movie has a complex plot that forces you to pay attention to everything. If you are in any way tired before going to see this film, then do not go to this film and wait until your brain is completely on. The complex plot helps the film stay enjoyable the whole time, because I enjoyed almost all of the film, and really enjoyed several scenes in the film where there were also some intense scenes in the film. This is somewhat due to the fact that it remains consistent throughout the entire running time while nothing is really happening. The film is constantly huge, but the story and events are not that big. Someone described the movie as “On all the time”, and I believe that is the best way to sum up the pacing of the film.

            The film sucks you into it. Because of the extremely well-crafted characters, I almost felt like I was one of them. At one time, something was going unusual and bad for that character, and I felt like something was wrong. The writing was that good. I wanted certain things to happen. That is due to the characters, and all involved in making sure they are the way they need to be – the writers, the director, and the actors. The film also has a satisfying ending that left me with a good taste in my mouth.

            American Hustle lived up to the hype for me and did its job well. I only have one flaw with it. It is a bit too long as in two or three scenes around the middle of the film were a big drawn out to the point of which they got dull. That is the only thing the film has not going for it. It is a great movie and one of the best of the year.

It remains consistent throughout the entire running time with its fantastic performances and its excellent screenplay.

American Horror Story: Coven First "Half" of Season Review

            

            

            Because I said I would do this, I am reviewing the first “half” (nine out of thirteen episodes) of the season of American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Coven. These nine episodes started off very good, but got less good as they went and eventually got the point of which they started to be bad. This has been a fine season overall so far, but I still have a bad taste in my mouth from the last few episodes of the show. But without further a due, I have to review it.

            This was an enjoyable show. Though it did have times that got dull, it used a steady, fast pace to keep the viewers’ interest in it so that they would not feel bored by it. Though, there are consequences from doing this. Most likely, the show will have many unrealistic, non-physics-following, illogical, and just plain stupid things happen. This season has those things. It is prominent all throughout the season. Though, sometimes I let it slip, because in the some episodes, the show is very fun and it is allowed, to an extent, to have things like that.

            It had some good humor in it, and it had some cool factors with the magic that is used. For the first few episodes, I thought that this season was meant to be a “fun” season. And it was good at being a fun season. Aside from the fact that there were some bad direction with bad shots and in-your-face, shaky, quick-cut action sequences, it had all the elements it needed. It was very good. Though, it does not stay fun for that long, and it turns into a drama eventually, which it is not good at.

            In Exhibit A we have the characters. They are never steady. Character development is lacking and none of the characters are good. I did not actually like any of them. None of them were that strong. The characters also stop being who they are and change into something else, which is not through development. They just change. In Exhibit B we have the storylines. Some of them were actually good, but some of them were bad. They go too far and throw away every factor that made the good storylines good to ruin them. In Exhibit C we have the writing. None of the scripts for the episodes are particularly good, and some of them were bad. The dialogue was bad, too. There were some humorous lines, but the dramatic dialogue was not good. In our final exhibit, Exhibit D, we have the content. Some things happen just to have disgustingness. Some events and scenes go way over-the-top in what was happening to ruin any credibility at all the scene had before. Some things go way too far to try to demonstrate something which it did not need to go to the lengths it did to demonstrate.

            That is not much, but that is all I have to say about the first nine episodes of American Horror Story: Coven. It was a very enjoyable show with very little dull moments and many fun elements, but it had bad writing and not-so-great direction. I did like it and think it was good overall, but I am afraid the last four episodes of the season may not be good at all. We will have to just wait and see.

American Horror Story: Coven Episodes 8 & 9 Reviews

WARNING: THESE REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THESE EPISODES

            






            




          

            

            Sorry for the huge delay on these reviews, but I have been dealing with finals this past week. The reason I never posted a review for episode eight “The Sacred Taking” is that it was another mediocre episode, like its last one. I started getting tired of the show, so I decided it was not worth doing reviews for. Though, I now have a review for that episode and the next.

            With episode eight, “The Sacred Gathering”, I did enjoy the episode, but it is not particularly good. Though, I do not remember most of my flaws I had after watching the episode. I also do not remember most of what happened in the episode. It was a forgettable experience that was not satisfying to me. I remember that it had unusually bad writing and direction, and that it had an overdramatic score and some stupidity, but I do not remember any examples, except for the conclusion of the episode. When the box is opened and it zooms in on LaLaurie’s head, and then her eyes open, it was, over course, very hilarious due to the stupidity and overdramatic score. Though, I do not remember much else from the episode.

            Now I will get into episode nine, “Head”. It was the first episode of this season so far that I did not like. It begins with a scene that has a father taking is son witch hunting for the first time. It was a weak opening that had laughable attempts at intensity and did not further the plot at all. When the kid is aiming and his father is yelling at him to put the gun down, he does not put it down and shoots randomly. I thought he was scared to do this. They just explained that. Did they not?

            Then, Fiona asks Marie to take sides with her because of the witch hunters. Really, if the writers decide to do that, then what is the point of episodes one through eight? The war between the two witch groups was actually and alright storyline. Now they are just throwing it out the window. It them cuts to Hank at his place where we learn that he is a witch hunter… What is wrong with the writers? Did they get bored with what they already had? Part of why the season has been good until this point is because it is cool to think that witches are just these small little, almost, recluses in society. The show has now turned everything into a huge battle. Introducing an organization of witch hunters into the show is going way too far. This will be the main plot point of the rest of the season and it is so far the weakest of the season. Also, it is completely explained right to the audience who threw the acid in Cordelia’s face. It ruined the suspense and the audience could have just figured it out.

            When it cuts back to the Academy and Myrtle cuts the eyes out of the other two witches, it was going too far. The show needs to set limits for itself. We also did not need Cordelia to get her vision back. I liked it when she was blind.

            A few minutes later, the storyline of Nan with the boy she likes is introduced and the show also introduces some of the stupidest drama I have ever seen in the show. I am tired of this storyline with the neighbors. It adds nothing to the show. Almost any other storyline with these witches would be better. This dialogue is not compelling. The mother is not a strong antagonist at all. The mother also changes her mood about Nan extremely quickly. I thought she was very uptight. I thought that she believed Nan was using “the Devil’s powers” or something like that. Then, all of a sudden, she does not care. That was the weakest element of the episode.

            What is wrong with Queenie? She has gone from being moderately nice to a psycho. But now she is fine with LaLaurie and is just going to torture her with movies. This storyline also added nothing to the episode and was just in the episode to take up time and for us to see Queenie. The only positive about this storyline is that it is not drawn out as much as the one with Nan, Zoe, and Madison is.

            The episode concludes with an action sequence when Hank attacks Marie Laveau. The action sequence was fun, but it had several conveniences, clichés, and Queenie is forced to be stupid. Hank really, really waits to shoot Marie and gives Queenie and enough time to finally use her power to kill him. That really bugged me. And why did Queenie not use her powers earlier?

            This episode, I did somewhat enjoy, but it did have dull moments. It was not a good episode and I hope that the episodes get better when the show comes back in January. As an “I am story”, I will do a review of the first “half” (first nine out of thirteen episodes) soon.

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" Teaser Trailer Review

            In 2011, we got Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the prequel to Planet of the Apes, the 1968 classic. Rise of the Planet of the Apes surprised many people, as it was expected to be a generic, mediocre, forced prequel to a beloved film. It also did not look good from the trailers. But for trailers for this movie, this is a hit. This trailer is awesome.

            

            When I saw that the running time of the trailer was over a minute, I thought, “Well, that is a bit long for a teaser trailer”, but the time flew by because of how great the trailer was. At first we see that the world has started to come to an end (for humans) and that the disease it what is killing them. It is the apocalypse, so people are grouping up and surviving. The opening monologue has a very dark tone and we just see people grouping up with just the right shots and score to make it intense and dark. For a director to be able to pull that off so well, it gets me excited. We then see some shots of people firing guns, and we are put to the mindset that the apes may attack, too. So far, we have been introduced to an excellent story through a great score, great writing, and fantastic shots.

            

            We then see a guy walking through the woods by himself and see that he is looking for something, and then shouts that he needs Caesar. Another excellent plot point is introduced through a very suspenseful scene. The trailer so far has an excellent story introduced flawlessly through the shots chosen by the director, the editing, and the fantastic score. Then, we see it. We see a slowly-zooming-out shot of what is believed to be Caesar. At first we just see his eyes and a mark on his forehead. As it zooms out, we get intensity. The bass gets louder. Everything else gets quieter. Then, we just see a shot of Caesar and several apes behind him. Caesar then throws his arm up, the apes start running, and the shot cuts.

            

            At the perfect time, just showing us enough to get us excited for the next trailer, this teaser trailer for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes does its job nearly flawlessly. This is an awesome and fantastic start to the set of trailers for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. It is one of my most anticipated movies of the year 2014 after witnessing this trailer, even though I was looking forward to it beforehand. The release date for this film is July 11, 2014. If you have not seen the trailer, then I strongly urge you to check it out.