DAMIEN RILEY, world musician and performer

Category: Uncategorized

  • Holidays (2016)

    This post is part of a series I am experimenting with where I review the films now streaming on Netflix. I’m attempting to make them non-spoiler previews.

    Holidays is an anthology of horror stories that share the theme of holidays including Easter and St. Patrick’s Day. They range from creepy and unsettling to gory and outright macabre. Anthologies can be great because they get to the conflict and solution much faster than other genre films. There are some truly scary anthology horror films out there, but can this one compete? Let me tell you what I think.

    Holidays

    Holidays

    “HOLIDAYS is an anthology feature film that puts a uniquely dark and original spin on some of the most iconic and beloved holidays of all time by challenging our folklore, traditions and assumptions.” -IMDB

    Cast

    Lorenza Izzo Jean
    Seth Green Pete Gunderson
    Harley Quinn Smith Holly
    Clare Grant Sara Gunderson

    Directed by

    Anthony Scott Burns, Kevin Kolsch, Kevin Smith, and more

    Written by

    Dennis Widmyer, Kevin Kolsch. and more.

    Other Info

    Horror
    Not Rated
    Fri 29 Apr 2016 UTC
    105min
    IMDB Rating: 5.1

    Among the directors is Kevin Smith of Tusk fame. Since that is one of my favorite horror films from 2014, I had high hopes for what he did her. I’ll go ahead and say there isn’t anything as horror-comical as Tusk but there is some stuff just about as twisted. In one, religious folk may be offended. If you decide to give it a go, keep your mind open with the jaws of life. I think I’ll be a recovering religious person my whole life and I loved it. Traditionalists should steer clear. The first three are generally vanilla.

    The 5th, Halloween, stars Kevin Smith’s daughter Harley Quinn Smith and gets into sex webcams. The girls say fuck quite a bit, which is not necessarily bad depending on how much you enjoy hearing that from cute girls. Basically the 5th takes you into the twisted, vengeful mind of Kevin Smith. I’ll hold back on details but I can safely tell you we see an asshole get his without spoiling anything.

    I’m a big horror fan. I love watching what can be done in this genre. Kevin Smith pushes the limits and gets great results in my opinion. Smith’s contribution may be seen by some as unimaginable but when you’re dealing in vengeance art, you never know what will appeal to people. I’m reminded of the rape scene in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

    FINAL THOUGHTS
    The 6th, Christmas, stars Seth Green. It’s fun to watch but not unique to me. See Brainstorm 1983 for more info on that (what’s a little remake posing as plagiarism between friends?). Oh, there’s a little sleight of hand from Dexter playing in there as well. For the genre of anthology horror, I’d say this one is worth my time. How open minded do you have to be? Well, enough see a climax per sequence which, if you think about it, better than the single big one we’re usually limited to. The final sequence takes place on New Year’s Eve and I will call it the most predictable. The anthology could be better in places but it also could be a lot worse overall. My verdict: Worth watching.

    Wondering what you’ll see? Let me know in the comments. Then, get on Netflix where it’s currently streaming and see for yourself.

    8/10

  • Grandma

    Title: Grandma
    Genre: Drama, Comedy
    MPAA Rating: R
    Year: 2015
    Director: Paul Weitz, known for “About a Boy.”
    Top Billed Cast: Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner, Marcia Gay Harden
    Brief Synopsis: It’s great to have Grandma but it helps to have mom too. Nobody’s perfect.
    My Word to the Wise: I’m a lifelong Lily Tomlin fan so this review may be biased. I think she deserves an academy award for best actress. Beyond that, the cast is all good. It is nice to see Sam Elliot again. While watching this movie I asked my wife, “When will we as a society stop judging each other.” To which she replied,

    “We’ll never change, I think it’s in our DNA.” This movie makes me want to at least try harder. The themes are similar to those in “Juno” but with a much more real-life bent. Less comedy than drama, more human than appearances. We need more movies like this, they enlighten and advance the species.

  • Sleepwalk With Me

    Title: Sleepwalk With Me
    Genre: Drama, Comedy, Bio
    MPAA Rating: R
    Year: 2012
    Director: Oren Moverman. Known for The Messenger (2009), I’m Not There. (2007) and Love & Mercy (2014).
    Top Billed Cast: Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose
    Brief Synopsis: A wannabe stand up comic has to decide if he’s going to marry his girlfriend of 8 years. A running theme throughout is Mike’s sleepwalking diagnosis.
    My Word to the Wise: This started out a pretty great movie. It’s as if they lost steam in the writing and acting 3/4 of the way through. Still, it stands up as a decent drama/romance flick. The comedy is sorely lacking. I really felt for the main character’s girlfriend. I was shocked she stayed with him for 8 years in the story.

    He’s a deadbeat, marginally funny, stand up comedian. I don’t think any woman would wait that long to be married. I won’t offer any spoilers. It holds your attention and raises questions about relationships. Sleepwalking, I’m afraid, is just not all that interesting. The over reliance on that as a theme made it lose a star. Other than that, the jokes weren’t very funny so that subtracted another. It’s decent though, worth watching. Not a must see though.

  • Amy

    Title: Amy
    Genre: documentary, biography
    MPAA Rating: R
    Year: 2015
    Director: Asif Kapadia (Senna)
    Brief Synopsis: The innocent beginnings of Amy Winehouse that lead to her sudden rise to fame, culminating in her untimely death.
    My Word to the Wise: Powerful documentary. it portrays Amy as she was behind the scenes of her gifted yet troubled singing career. Through home movies and musical footage, the viewer can process the question of what went wrong and why. Some handheld camera songs are a bit sketchy and long. for that it lost one star with me.

  • Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

    “Wayne’s World” rocked us when it came out. Then there was Harold and Kumar. It’s just as “Dude” stonerriffic with just the added bit of cultural references it needs to be relevant to a slightly younger crowd. Of course, that was 2004. It might need another incarnation here in 2018.

    Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)
    R | 1h 28min | Adventure, Comedy | 30 July 2004 (USA)

    A Korean-American office worker and his Indian-American stoner friend embark on a quest to satisfy their desire for White Castle burgers.
    Director: Danny Leiner
    Writers: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
    Stars: John Cho, Kal Penn, Ethan Embry

    Our director here, Danny Leiner, is the “Dude” in my book because he is the director of “Dude Where’s my Car?” This fits in perfectly with the type of film we’re talking about here. You might call it a “stoner comedy.” Jess Spiccoli, Bill and Ted, etc. These films are great for drinking parties and the like. Do they stand up in the decades that follow? Maybe not so much. Still there’s enough humor in this one that still works to keep your attention. It’s a light-hearted comedy that tries to be a slightly older “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” I laughed but the crude humor might turn some off. I gave this one a 6/10

  • Good Morning Vietnam (1987)

    Good Morning, Vietnam“An unorthodox and irreverent DJ begins to shake up things when he is assigned to the U.S. Armed Services Radio station in Vietnam.” -IMDB

    Cast

    Robin Williams Adrian Cronauer
    Forest Whitaker Edward Garlick
    Tung Thanh Tran Tuan
    Chintara Sukapatana Trinh

    Directed by

    Barry Levinson

    Written by

    Mitch Markowitz

    Other Info

    Biography, Comedy, Drama, War
    R
    Fri 15 Jan 1988 UTC
    121min
    IMDB Rating: 7.3

    Robin Williams’ portrayal of Adrian Cronauer got him the silver screen reputation that would carry him through a lifetime of earth-shattering roles. Of course, he was taken too soon. This film stands as the one where he took chances only he could take to make comments we all need to hear. For me, this is the iconic film of 1987.

    Director Barry Levinson was no household name when he took on this project. He went on to do many amazing films including Donnie Brasco. I say anyone who can coach Robin Williams to these heights is a superstar director by anyone’s standard.

    This is a star studded cast. At the same time, they all pale in comparison to the lead performer. He is truly a remarkable talent. He left us a huge body of work but one can’t help but wonder what he could have gone on to show us after his untimely death.

    A military DJ comes to town in the Vietnam war turning tables on the establishment. I awed at the things he said and did. I am familiar with protocol and red tape as a teacher. I’m always careful what I say. This character has to watch what the establishment demands while encouraging the troops and seeking love with a local girl he falls into a crush with. He teaches everyone lessons of humanity, including we the viewers. He is a champion of going after your passions even if it means ruffling some feathers.

    FINAL THOUGHTS
    This is an absolutely incredible performance. It’s the antithesis of shyness! It represents the year 1987 so well. I myself was 17 watching this in a theater with a couple of my gangly friends. We knew Mork and Mindy on tv but this was a wholly different film with someone we knew we didn’t recognize. We loved him. He added so much to all of our lives. This film was only the beginning of an education from Williams.

    5/5