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This Is The End
![20130629_192956[1]](http://themcluster.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130629_1929561-e1372549940981.jpg)
I’ll get right to the point – This move has got to be one the the most ridiculous movies I have ever seen. And one of the funniest. it is stupidly, ridiculously, hilariously funny. FUNNY. With a capital F.
Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg took the “Keep it simple, stupid” approach to writing this movie. So simple in fact that it has – are you ready for this – no characters. All of the actors in this movie are playing themselves. Well, to be fair, they play the people that viewers at large would expect them to be.
Jay Baruchel plays Seth Rogan’s friend who has come to visit him in Los Angeles. While in town, Rogan has made plans for them to attend a party at James Franco’s house, in which many of Hollywood’s blooming A-Listers are in attendance. Among these are – too damned many. Check out the image below:
This is just what I could get in one screen capture. This movie is almost over-flowing with the number of celebrities who make an appearance – and it works perfectly. The most notable of these has to be Michael Cera, who is inebriated, intoxicated, womanizing and laugh out loud funny.
The story is essentially that during this party – the apocalypse happens. Like the actual apocalypse. Not the Zombie Apocalypse, or a Nuclear Apocalypse – the mother f’ing fire and brimstone, god will smite you, hell on earth Apocalypse. The Chosen are carried away to heaven and guess what – all the actors are left behind. What we are left with is a core group of survivors (Rogen, Baruchel, Franco, Hill, and Craig Robinson) trying to figure out what the hell is going on and applying what little survival skills they have. And just when it seems like they are getting a handle on things, Danny McBride shows up to fuck everything up.
In a market that is over-saturated with disaster films, there is no doubt that this one if going to stand out from the pack. The actors comment on how they are ill equipped to handle the situation at hand because – well, they are actors. They PRETEND to be able to get out of any situation – and in this case, not so much. The genius in this that that it all adds up to a hilariously fun story to watch. You actually care about the ‘characters’ in the film and in some cases you care enough to root for their demise.
Rogen, Baruchel, Franco, Hill, and Craig Robinson take the disaster movie (and make no mistake this is not a spoof, it IS a disaster movie) to an entirely new level. If you are not easily offended and you are looking for a good laugh this is one of the years must see movies.
Have a look at the trailer below!
The Purge
![20130629_193021[1]](http://themcluster.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130629_1930211-e1372549768477.jpg)
The Purge is an interesting movie in that it was enjoyable for all the wrong reasons. That is not to say that the film is poorly made or that there are poor performances, but it seems, at least to me and those that were in the theater with me – that much of the film did not come off as it was supposed to.
The setting is the not so distant future. Poverty is just about unheard of. Unemployment is at an amazing 1%. The economy is stable and crime in America is nearly non-existent. In the opening of the film we are treated to a barrage of news audio and video in which the subject is the annual purge, which is credited with saving the country and bringing prosperity to the masses. What we come to find is that the “New Founders” have designated twelve hours during one day a year where crime – even murder – is not illegal. This is the purge. The opportunity to purge the hatred, anger and villainy that is poisoning your soul without consequence.
The story is centered on one particular family for whom the purge has brought particularly high levels of prosperity. Of course this prosperity comes through the sales of – security systems. See in this world, home invasion is not illegal, so the well prepared person is the safe person. However what this does is bring a notable imbalance between the haves and the have nots. Not everyone can afford a fancy home security and more often than not, these are the victims of those who go “hunting” to purge their souls. For James Sandin and family this year they have to put their money where their mouths are when one of his children ill-advisedly brings a stranger into their home to save his life, only to make his family the target of the hunters pursuing him. You may think I am giving the film away, but this is just what you’ve been told in the trailers.
The film had lots of suspense, but it also had more laughs than I believe it was supposed to. There were many beats in the movie that were just comical in just how far from reality they really were. Ethan Hawke put in a fine performance as does the rest of the cast, but some of the writing is – well, just off. There is a red herring or two that make you look for a twist that isn’t coming (or is it?). The story does not drag and there is quite a bit going on. I would say the big miss here is the dialogue.
Writer/Director James DeMonaco really screwed the pooch on what could have been either an great piece of satire or a real in depth commentary on the current state of society. Instead we get a poorly stitched together story with talented actors that come across as cardboard caricatures of an over-entitled upper middle class. I generally am a fan of anything Ethan Hawke is in, but this one puts that to the test. While I still think it is an entertaining movie, all of the out of place laughs really made for a disappointing and lackluster “day in the life of” film. The surprise ending of the film solicits less of a surprise than a “heh, figures” kind of moment.
The action in the film is your typical slasher fare attempting to mask itself in less than witty banter and 1980’s horror imagery. At the end of the day, I’d say wait for this to come out on dvd. If you are looking for a serious film, this movie will likely make you want to – well, Purge.
You can check out the trailer below.
Now You See Me
Review of Now you See Me
![20130629_192945[1]](http://themcluster.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130629_1929451-e1372549885353.jpg)
Now You See Me has been the surprise movie of the year for me. I went into the movie not knowing what to expect and had my lack of expectation exceeded a thousand fold.
The movie opens and gives the audience a profile on each character in the movie, all of which are street magicians – some of which are more “legitimate” than others. Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Jesse Eisenberg and Dave Franco star as our four protagonists who have two things in common. They are all excellent magicians and they all have caught the eye of a mysterious figure who invites all of them to embark on an adventure.
Fast forward a year later and we now see our four magicians have joined forces to become the mega magician team called “The Four Horsemen”. Not only have they gained popularity, but they have gained a major sponsor in the form of Michael Cain. As Cain learns, he should have heeded the warning that the audience was given at the beginning of the film, “The closer you look, the less you see”. All is not as it seems, and to re-mediate the situation – enter the magician debunker – Morgan Freeman.
“The first rule of magic is always be the smartest guy in the room.”
Continue ReadingPick The Next Geek & Sundry Vlogger!
Rachael Berkey is a connoisseur of the written word. She loves books and reading so much that she adopted the moniker “Bookoisseur” across multiple social media platforms.
Rachael got her BA in Literature at St. Lawrence University and her MA in Literature at UNH. She spent four years trying to change the world by working in politics in Washington DC before she embraced her truly nerdy insides and started writing about her love of books, reading and pop culture on Huffington Post Books and HelloGiggles.com.
She currently works at My Damn Channel, an online comedy network, and lives in New York City where her books regularly threaten to suffocate her in her sleep if she doesn’t get them read soon.
Her latest endeavor is you become one of the newest vloggers on the Geek & Sundry YouTube network founded by Felicia Day – and you can help!
Below is a sample of her Vlog. You can help her make it to the next round by doing one simple little thing – VOTE! Click HERE or on the video below to vote her into internet stardom. If you don’t you may have to deal with the like of her alter-ego – Lady Bookstrike!
If you want more of Bookoisseur, you can check out her nerdiness on her Tumblr page or stalk her on her Twitter feed!
A Ridiculously Spoiler Laden Review of “Man of Steel”
Zack Synder’s Man of Steel was a huge area of concern for me when it was announced. As I have said before, I have not been a real big fan of the reboots. While this movie is FAR from perfect, I am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this film. Before you go any further – BE WARNED – SPOILERS AHEAD!!! Now don’t say you weren’t told.
The Road to the Man of Steel
When I heard they were rebooting the superman franchise, I think it will come to no surprise to anyone who has ever read my stuff, heard me, met me, seen me or has farted in my general direction – I was really, REALLY concerned. I have not been the biggest fan of the reboot trend that has been sweeping the industry over the last decade, as may be evidenced by anything I have ever said about the new Star Trek franchise. I believe that the reason behind my feelings of dread whenever I hear the word reboot in conjunction with a film – it seems to be a film that is a beloved piece of my history – and I don’t particularly like my history re-written. Superman is a major part of my early history.
I grew up on the black and white syndicated episodes of the George Reeves incarnation of Superman. From there I graduated to the multitude of animated incarnations of our favorite Kryptonian. When things were uncertain, when I had a bad day, when nothing else seemed right or fair in the world – Superman was there for me every afternoon alongside the likes of Batman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern and the Wonder Twins in Hanna Barbera’s the Super Friends! I always knew that as long as they were on duty, the world of my afternoon television viewing was safe.
Cosplay Monday Feature – Brema Ebbing
WELCOME to our second installment of our latest endeavor – COSPLAY MONDAY! If you are not familiar with Cosplay you can go here to read up on the subject.
This weeks feature is also a Florida gal hailing this time from Jacksonville, Fl (AKA South Georgia). We present to you –
Brema Ebbing
