The Quintessentialist

If you enjoy a good animated film, such as I, then you have probably noticed the lack of 2D animation in the past few years. I mean sure when you go to the store you might see a 2D animated superhero movie, but what you won't see is that movie in theaters. 3D animation has abruptly taken over the theaters with it's more simplistic style of animation. Gone are the days of hand drawn films, or just 2D made on a computer. Don't get me wrong, I do like 3D films, it's just that the artistic style just can't match the pure beauty of 2D, for example lets take two examples of animation from Disney. First off the 3D animation style: It's from a pretty popular film that you've heard of, and you may be thinking, alright that's pretty good, but wait let's compare it to some older 2D animation from Disney: Now, you tell me which you think is better? I know that there is some CGI in the 2D one, but it still is the point that it is 2D. There's just ...

The Meg is another shark film that is the way that you would exactly expect it to be, and it's pretty entertaining. I don't think that I need to explain the plot of the film much, but it's basically Jason Statham vs Megalodon. This movie is campy in all the right ways and it's a really fun ride. I know that I'm a little (lot) late to reviewing this movie but, gall darn it! I'm getting it done! This movie knows what it is, and it's fine with that. Some of the dialogue is off at times. In a way, it's like the actors were like, "Alright I said the line, now give me the money," kind of way. Also some of the scenes came off funnier than they were meant to be. To be honest, Jason Statham is the best part of this film. He kills it in his part and I can't see anyone else play his character. The Meg was almost written for him. It looked like he had fun with it and that's a good thing. Overall, this is a fun shark film that is worth seeing...

So, I just saw The Happytime Murders and it was pretty good. It's not great, but it's fun enough to go and see in theaters. It's a raunchy cop film with puppets and it goes almost exactly as you expect that it would. Most of the jokes land, but some don't. It's entertaining for what it is, but I would only watch it again if it was free on tv or something like that. I don't really have much else to say about this movie. It's fun and if you go and see it, bring a friend along. final score: 3.3/5

I'm just going to list off some movies that I want to see next month. Just keeping the post simple for today. The Nun, September 7th White Boy Rick, September 14th The Predator, September 14th The House With a Clock in It's Walls, September 21

Alright, this jerk has been on my mind again, and it's about time to give him some more hate. When people think about some of the best literature of the English language, especially in poetry, they go to Shakespeare. Freaking. Shakespeare. I already  wrote a piece on why I don't like him , more specifically about his plays. And boy did I lay into him. But you know what I didn't lay into of his? His actual poetry. Yup, I'm freaking going there, and you can't stop me! Muahaha! So, first off, why do people keep saying he's the best poet in all the English language? Have none of you read  Beowulf ? The poetry is far superior and the story is of epic proportions! Top that you literary hack!  Secondly, let's take one of his most famous lines from one of his sonnets, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" What are you trying to say oh great and powerful bard? That your girlfriend is a hot mess?  Let's do a little comparison then, s...

Airplane! is a 1980 comedy that takes off in all the right ways! This movie is about a group of people on an airplane that are all dealing with different situations, as hijinks ensue. This movie is really really funny and one that I would strongly recommend watching. There are a ton of run on jokes in this flick, and they all land perfectly. The actors in this film seemed like they really enjoyed themselves while they were making this. I can't think of a single bad performance in this entire movie. The Captain of the plane  (Peter Graves) is probably one of the funniest characters alongside Ted Striker (Robert Hays) in this entire movie. I can't really think of any problems with this film and that's a good thing in my book. Yet, there is always room for improvement, but this movie doesn't have much to improve upon. The only thing I could think of that might be considered a negative against it, is that it can feel a little long at times. If you love comedies, then...

This took me a few years to write. Well, I should say that I wrote half of it, then took a short (long) break, and now it's finally finished! I'm pretty happy with the way that it turned out!

So, yesterday I went and saw the movie, Alpha, and it was an alright film, that could have been a little better. So, Alpha, is a movie that takes place about 20,000 years ago where a boy first domesticates a wolf. That's the basis of the story. Honestly, it's a pretty simple movie. There's nothing complex about it, and that has some benefits and some drawbacks. The benefits in Alpha are, it's easy to follow, it's well acted, and it's short. The actors in this film do a really good job, and you should know that this entire film is in another language, so you will be reading subtitles. Chuck (look him up) was probably the best actor in the film, as he reached peak good boy status. Some drawbacks to this film are, not to much happens after the boy gets separated from his tribe, and the CGI is very obvious in some parts. Now, when he does get separated and he meets up with the wolf, it's interesting to watch their relationship grow, however, there reall...

BASEketball is a 1998 Matt Stone & Trey Parker film that is a lot better than one would think and one should watch at least once. The movie follows two friends as they create a new sport, Baseketball, a combination of basketball and baseball. As the sport goes pro, they try to win the championship. Now if you know anything about Matt Stone, & Trey Parker, then you know what you are in for. As the creators of South Parker, they have done a great job at creating a comedy in their early years. Is this a perfect film? Hell no. Is it a ton of fun? Hell yes! most of the jokes land, and there are some real laugh out loud moments in this film. I would recommend watching Baseketball  with a friend or a small group of friends, as this is one of those movies that gets better with more people watching it. If you and your friends feel like watching a comedy, or a sports movie, then this one is worth seeing. One of my friends and I recently played the game on a trip that we went o...

Sorry for no posts the past couple of days guys. I was on vacation with a friend up on Blueberry Lake Wisconsin! It was supper fun! We got to go kayaking, and played some mini golf, and played a game of Baseketball, and watched some movies! Here's a few picks from the water:

So I watched this youtube cartoon the other day called CliffSide, and it was pretty entertaining. It's kinda Wild West meets supernatural comedy. This was just supposed to be a pilot and I hope that the person that made this will make more episodes. It's not great, but for free entertainment its pretty well made, and it's TV quality. I would definitely recommend watching this, and it's really not that long only 11 minutes and 52 seconds long. It's a fun little adventure, and I hope to see more of it soon.

So I rewatched Season Of The Witch the other night, and it was... a little different from what I remember.  Season Of The Witch takes place in the 14th century. When two crusaders leave the crusades and head back home, the have to help save Europe from a witch that people are suspecting of starting the plague. So this movie stars, Nicolas Cage, and it's what you would about expect from a Nick Cage film. I was however, surprised to see that Claire Foy played the witch in this film. If her name doesn't ring a bell, she was in, Vampire Academy, The Crown, and the upcoming The Girl In The Spider's Web. This movie had so much freaking promise, but it ended up falling flat in certain areas. There wasn't to much action in the film, or at least it doesn't feel like it. The action they do show is somewhat dull. The dialogue is clunky in certain areas, and it shows. The characters except for the main character and his friend, are underdeveloped. I find this to be very sa...

So I saw BlacKkKlansman and it was... different from what I expected. So this movie follows the true story of a Black Cop, becoming a member of the KKK. I first off want to say that the actors did a phenomenal job. John David Washington played Ron Stallworth well, and I enjoyed his performance. I applaud him for that. There are some really funny parts in this film, and the jokes land in the way that they should. The music for this film is done so very well, and I really enjoyed the soundtrack. They did sprinkle in some modern politics into the film, and okay, sure, but they go all out during the end of this film. I love historical movies, and I love how the actual history was portrayed in the  film, and I'm fine with political films. Yet this movie wasn't really brought up as a political film, as far as I'm aware of. I'm not going to say my political affiliation in this post, because for the most part, this is a movie blog, and that wouldn't fit. No matter whi...

So a little while ago I saw Slender Man with a friend of mine, and the movie was pretty bad. If you remember, Slender Man is a popular internet character, and Hollywood decided to capitalize on it. I did give a  review  of the trailer a while ago though. So, this movie is not scary. I mean they build up to jump scares, but they really never deliver on them, like at all. At times this movie is an incoherent mess. The movie is to dark, as in the lighting, at times to see anything. They build up the music to a jump scare but there was nothing there, not even an animal.  I was talking with my friend after this movie and we were wondering what Joey King was doing with her career. I mean she has been in good films, but nothing that great as of late. She needs to start picking better scripts. In the end, this movie is dumb. It's just dumb, they check off the cliches and collect their checks. This had potential, but it fell far from great. final score: 2/5

So as part of a little series I've been doing I'm going to compare which version of Emo The Musical is better! (SPOILER WARNING) So, if you haven't read either the  Feature Film Review  I would recommend reading that first, then reading the  Short Film Review  of the movie. Alright now that's out of the way, I want to give a spoiler warning for this post. Turn back now if you don't want spoilers! LAST WARNING FOR SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, the character of Ethan is very different form the short vs the feature. In the feature film, he is willing to compromise his beliefs so he can be with Trinity. Yet in the original short, he still wanted to be with her but he wouldn't change who he was.  Now with Trinity, in the feature she was constantly trying to convince Ethan to convert and she does get what she wants. By that I mean, Ethan gets baptized, and sets aside his values for her, but in the short he stands up for his values but still accepts that hers ...

So, I usually don't link to other posts, but I came across this very interesting article and  it was really funny . I would recommend reading it.

So I just watched Emo The Musical for the fourth time, and I still love this short film. This short film is far from great, but I think it offers something as an interesting character study. The characters of Ethan and Trinity are played very well, and I really enjoyed the performance from the actors.  The camera work and lighting are done simply but still effectively. They don't try any crazy shots in this film, but it is nonetheless well composed. The music in this musical is very effective and comedic at times. I believe that it drives the plot forward in a natural way that this entertaining and done well. The transition from song and regular dialogue transitions smoothly. Now some of the actors are a little stiff, but they did pretty good. No one did a bad job in this film, but only Ethan and Trinity are the best acted. It felt like these actors for the most part were comfortable with their rolls. The short film is on youtube, and it's entertaining. I would re...

So I just saw The Darkest Minds the other day and it was way different from what I thought it would be. So the plot  of the movie goes that kids get infected with a disease, and some die, but the survivors gain special powers. We follow one powerful girl and her new friends as the try to find refuge. So, this movie hits every single cliche in the freaking book. This is a highly generic YA movie. I really mean that. Every cliche. For example they will talk about a mysterious character earlier in the film, and you know exactly who they are talking about. The twist is so predictable, I almost feel bad for the actors who had to be in this movie. So, speaking of the actors, they are all fine for the most part. The do well with what they are given, but what they are given is an utter embarrassment to the film industry. The main character Ruby, is played by Amandla Stenberg, is the same actress that played Rue, in the first Hunger Games movie. Honestly though, she is a fine actress a...

Emo The Musical is a 2017 film, based on a youtube short film, and it's better than the trailer looks. So, I'm going to do this review in twice, yup twice. The reason is I'm going to review this movie here, then the youtube short film tomorrow. So the movie follows Ethan, a disenfranchised emo, that is looking for friends. When he starts to date someone from an opposing group, things get complicated. Now, my general take on musicals is that they are alright. Some would say that I don't like them flat out, but I just enjoy very few. I'm picky when it comes to this genre. Now this movie does touch on some things that are relevant for the time this film was made and it pokes fun at it, which I actually find quite enjoyable. Sometimes it can be a bit over the top, which is a little cringey at times, but for the most part it's passable. The actual songs are just kinda meh. They lifted at least one song from the original short film. The actors voices are decent...

Yup, this trailer is garbage. So, when I was young in the early 2k's I watched the show Teen Titans and I loved it! But this is an abomination!  The dialogue is stale, the CGI is so basic, I've seen better from 90's films, and this looks like a CW reject show.  They are trying so hard to be edgy, and dark, but because they are trying so hard, they are failing miserably at it!!!

I think that this is obvious but this is your last warning, this post contains spoilers for the 2009 film, watchmen!!! First off if you haven't read my  watchmen movie review  I recommend that you do read it first before you keep going in this post. Okay so wow the ending of this movie, am I right?!?! So, Dr. Manhattan kills Rorschach because Adrian convinced him that killing those people was for the common good and brought people together against a common enemy which would be Dr. Manhattan. Rorschach was going to tell everyone what Adrian and Dr. Manhattan did, so then he deserves to die according to Dr. Manhattan. But what they didn't see coming was that Rorschach kept a journal telling everything that happened and he gave it to the press before he did. I think it was a great move on Rorschaches part, because the two smartest beings couldn't figure out that he would do that. So, in a way that makes Rorschach the smartest character in the entire film, and I would say...

Christopher Robin is one of the very few movies that has made me cry. So the movie is about Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh and friends reuniting when Christopher Robin is all grown up. This is probably the most heart wrenching films that I have seen all year. The very opening scene will almost have you in tears, and I was trying to fight them back multiple times throughout the movie but I eventually had to give in. You will probably have the feeling to cry because of the pure beauty of this film. The cinematography is gorgeous, and jaw dropping in multiple scenes in the movie. Especially in the first scene. I can't stop talking about that first scene. I captures your attention and holds onto it for the entire film, and you don't feel like this movie is two hours long. Heck you don't even notice the passage of time in this movie, it just flows so naturally. The acting in this film is phenomenal. I can't think of one bad performance. I have to applaud each an...

Skating Polly is a alt band that was started by step siblings Kelli Mayo, and Peyton Bighorse in 2009 in Oklahoma. They have a very interesting sound, and their bass is more pronounced than in other alt bands that I've heard. The lead singer has a beautiful soft voice, but she can get pretty gruff in other songs than the one above. The lead singers voice at times almost sounds like it has some grunge undertones to it as well. It's pretty different from other bands that I've heard but I'm still pretty happy with that. Their music video's are also creative, and fun to watch. Would I recommend trying out this band? Yes I think that I would. If you're into indie or alt bands at all I would say that you should give this one a shot!

Watchmen is a dark superhero movie that came out in 2009, and it's a really good movie. First off I want to say that the actors in this movie do a phenomenal job in their roles. Really I'm going to give them an applause for their amazing performances. The grittiness of this film is something I don't think a ton of people could handle. This movie has a lot of blood for a superhero film. Another thing that I enjoy about the film that some may complain about is the length of it. Now I know that it might feel long, but I do think the length is appropriate to tell this story in a compelling manner. The dynamics of the characters and their histories is told in a very compelling and interesting way. There are some moral questions asked in this film about humanity, and I think that it does so in an interesting way for the most part. Is this a perfect film? No. There are some problems with it, one of which is the CGI. I mean it's not terrible, but at the same time it...

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story is a 2017 documentary that tells the life story of the actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr. This is a very interesting documentary, and one that I almost overlooked. I don't want to give anything away, as that would probably spoil most of the movie. What I can say though is that you do learn some really interesting things that you didn't think that you would. This movie does a great job of showing things from Hedy Lamarr's young life, and during her career. There's a certain quality with this film that makes it really enjoyable and it seems that the filmmakers really did care about what they were making here. If you like documentary film, you'll probably like this one as well and I would recommend it. final score: 3.5/5