Jake Gyllenhaal Hits Hard in Crowd-Pleasing 'Southpaw' (Review)

It's no secret that I love Jake Gyllenhaal. I love him as an actor, as a movie star and as my imaginary friend. The guy has built an incredible resume over the last 20 years with acclaimed roles in (deep breath) Donnie Darko, Jarhead, Brokeback Mountain, End of Watch, Zodiac, The Good Girl, Source Code, Prisoners, Love & Other Drugs, Enemy and his tour de force Nightcrawler. We can forgive him for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, right, people? My boy Jakey G. is not only an awesome talent but he really picks awesome roles for himself.

His latest film is Southpaw, from director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer). Jake Gyllenhaal stars alongside Forest Whitaker (Lee Daniels' The Butler), newcomer and Tony winner Oona Lawrence, rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Naomie Harris (Skyfall), Miguel Gomez (TV's The Strain) and Rachel McAdams (The Vow). The film is the debut film script from Kurt Sutter, known as the creator of Sons of Anarchy. Cinematography is by Mauro Fiore (Avatar), with editing by John Refoua (Olympus Has Fallen) and the score by the recently deceased James Horner.

The Niche Actress vs. The Versatile Leading Man

There are rumors flying around that basketball superstar LeBron James is circling a deal to star in a sequel to the beloved 90s movie Space Jam. The rumor comes James' deal with Warner Bros., who owns the Space Jam rights. Look I loved Space Jam as a kid. LeBron James is obviously a mega star and not just on the court. I haven't seen Trainwreck yet but his comedic supporting role is getting a lot of praise. On the surface, James starring Space Jam 2 seems like a golden idea.

But deep down it reveals a major problem regarding Hollywood sexism. Trainwreck is supposed to be writer/star Amy Schumer's big break into mainstream. It's a hit movie with rave reviews. So why is LeBron James the one walking away with more prospects as a movie star than THE STAR AND WRITER OF THE MOVIE Amy Schumer? Questions like this have been popping up in my mind a lot lately as I've seen this pattern come up a lot.

A Beginner's Guide to Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock is one of my favorite directors--probably my most favorite. With a career spanning over 50 years, he made 53 films and I haven't even seen them all! But his career is diverse, full of major classics and obscure gems. So here's a guide to getting into the films of the Master of Suspense.

First start with Rear Window (1954)
Rear Window is probably the most accessible of Hitchcock's famous movies. It's a thriller with a good mystery plus it has some comedy, romance and social commentary thrown in. Truthfully, this is one of the best expressions of Hitchcock's command over filmmaking.

Then jump back 19 years to The 39 Steps (1935)
One of Hitchcock's favorite themes was the wrongly accused man. The 39 Steps was the first iteration of the "wrong man" theme and features of a lot of great Hitchcockian touches, and you'd be surprised how modern it feels for being 80 years old.

'Self/less' Rips Off a Classic, But That's Not Its Worst Crime (Review)

Self/less is the latest film from director Tarsem Singh, known for his visually striking films The Cell, The Fall and Immortals. The film, written by David and Alex Pastor, stars Ryan Reynolds, Natalie Martinez (End of Watch), Matthew Goode (A Single Man), Victor Garber, Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey) and Sir Ben Kinglsey.

Damien (Kingsley) is a billionaire business tycoon with a strained relationship with his daughter Claire (Dockery). Suffering from a terminal illness, he finds out about an organization which will transfer his consciouness into a lab-grown young body for $250 million. After meeting with the head of the company Albright (Goode), Damian wakes up in his new body (Reynolds) and a new identity: Edward. But after experiencing some flashes of what he thinks are memories, Damian starts to investigate and discovers that the secret company that grows bodies for dying rich guys is not as benevolent as he thought.

'Magic Mike XXL:' Getting Pleasure by Giving It (Review)

In 2012, Steven Soderbergh's male stripper drama/comedy/dance movie Magic Mike became an unexpected hit, grossing more than $150 million off a $7 million budget. With high box office numbers and a low budget, the sequel to Magic Mike was inevitable. 3 years later, we have Magic Mike XXL. Since Soderbergh retired, his longtime collaborator Gregory Jacobs takes on the directing chair with a screenplay by Reid Carolin and Giana Damian. Soderbergh served as cinematographer and co-editor (with Damian). The film brings back Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Kevin Nash, Adam Rodriguez and Gabriel Iglesias. Newcomers to the cast are Jada Pinkett-Smith, Andie MacDowell, Amber Heard, Donald Glover and Elizabeth Banks in a cameo.

3 years after Mike (Tatum) left the Kings of Tampa to start his furniture business and be with his girlfriend Brooke, his former stripper pals Ken, Richie, Tarzan, Tito and Tobias (Bomer, Manganiello, Nash, Rodriguez and Iglesias respectively) roll into town. When they tell him they are going to the biggest stripper convention in Myrtle Beach, he decides to join them for a last hurrah doing what he loves to do with his best friends.

Modern Blockbuster Directors Don't Know Anything About Blockbuster Filmmaking

Okay, guys, it's time for me to rant. Modern blockbuster directors don't know anything about blockbuster filmmaking. They just don't get what makes films memorable, iconic or classic. Sure, there are exceptions. But for the most part, theaters are crowded with generic blockbusters that cash in on nostalgia and pander to audiences thought to be too dumb to know the difference. And I think the major reason for that is they just don't have time to practice.

Nowadays the big movies are directed by indie film directors (all white men by the way) who have one film or maybe some music videos or perhaps just a few commercials and TV episodes to their credit. Then they get plucked out by producers and studio heads (all white men--noticing a pattern?) to direct these big budget blockbusters. Now why small directors are favored over more seasoned directors is clear to me: they're easier to control and perhaps eager to please. It's a formula that works for everyone who's in the system.

Summer Indie Round-Up #2

The summer is known for major blockbusters, franchises and tentpole features. While those movies get a lot of press, I thought I'd share my thoughts on the smaller movies that are coming out either in theaters or on demand.

Testament of Youth
Alicia Vikander, an actress being primed for A-list, stars as Vera Brittain in this adaptation of Brittain's highly revered memoir. Brittain fought hard to be accepted at Oxford, only for WWI to derail her life. As she decides to become a nurse, her relationships with her brother (Taron Egerton), her true love (Kit Harrington) and her friend (Colin Morgan) are put to the test. The film is very important, as Brittain's story is one of courage, tragedy and resilience. But the film does feel very typical in its style--it's very much a British prestige biopic. The cast and the dialogue are quite remarkable. Vikander makes for a ferocious lead and her co-stars are remarkable enough. Just don't expect much in the way of inventive filmmaking. But these images of war and its effects on the nation are stirring and relevant and the film is quite effective.