This Is a Movie Review: The BFG

July 9, 2016

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews Leave a comment

The BFG Disney

Your mileage may vary regarding Mark Rylance’s incessant delivery of Roald Dahl-isms like “snozzcumber” and “jigglyraffe,” but whatever your take on whimsical slang, there are more essential matters when evaluating The BFG. The Big Friendly Giant’s capture of little Sophie (Ruby Barnhill – the most moppet-ish moppet who ever moppet-ed) happens right quick, and thus her life in the orphanage is never fully cinematically formulated. The BFG’s lair is fun to play around in, but it feels less like a fantasy world of escape and more like the status quo. Thus, much of The BFG feels oddly detached from any purpose.

Eventually, the film clicks into gear when Sophie and the BFG visit the Queen (a delightful Penelope Wilton) to enact their plan against the more cannibalistic giants. It is a matter context: yes, the Sophie-BFG relationship is obviously the crux of the movie, but it must be seen within the rest of the world’s (or at least England’s) reaction to giants. The royal reception is optimistic about statesmanship, and also makes a weird case in favor of the monarchy’s continued relevance.

I give The BFG 6 Frobscottle Farts out of 10 Corgis.

This Is a Movie Review: The Purge: Election Year

July 9, 2016

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews Leave a comment

Purge-Election-Year-Mykelti-Williamson-Frank-Grillo-Joseph-Julian-Soria-Betty-Gabriel-Elizabeth-Mitchell

It took three attempts, but the Purge series has finally figured out that essential element that so many horror movies forget: characters whose lives we actually care about! It wasn’t for lack of trying, but it was for lack of casting. Ethan Hawke did what he could in the first Purge, and Frank Grillo managed a decent B-movie hero vibe in Anarchy (thus he is the only main cast member back for Election Year), but overall the tapestry fell flat.

This time around, there is oomph to the targeted senator/presidential candidate (a steady Elizabeth Mitchell). Her survival matters since she is running on an anti-Purge platform. But the real satisfaction comes from the supporting purgers, especially Mykelti Williamson as a deli owner who suddenly finds himself on the senator’s security detail. Williamson leans a bit into Blaxploitation stereotypes, but in a knowing sense, so it is more ridiculous than offensive. It is not perfect, but at least this series finally figured out it needed a huge injection of fun.

As for the bluntly satirical election plot, it is – no surprise – simplistic and silly. It’s not that the Purge couldn’t happen in real life, just that its implementation and potential dissolution wouldn’t be so clean. But hey, this is a movie in which all crimes are legal for one night. It is fine that it breaks the rules and bends sense. It is, in fact, encouraged. More overly simplistic ridiculousness would have been even better.

I give The Purge: Election Year 30 Anti-Purge States out of 50 Pro-Purge States.

This Is a Movie Review: The Neon Demon

July 9, 2016

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews Leave a comment

neon-demon

About halfway through The Neon Demon, I realized, “Oh, this is a comedy.” The audience had been chuckling throughout, and I wasn’t sure if those moments were meant to be funny, but after a certain point, I thought, “This has to be intentional.” It hit me during the scene when Jesse (Elle Fanning – innocent, affectless) and the cabal of models (Jena Malone – fierce; Bella Heathcote – piercing eyes, affectless; Abbey Lee – severely angled, affectless) are at a bar with a designer (Alessandro Nivola). The entire movie’s dialogue is so devoid of personality and context, but the bar scene is where it is really heightened into Waiting for Godot-worthy absurdism. Nivola pokes at the core of the statements that aim for profundity and mean nothing. I don’t know if Nicolas Winding Refn intended to make a parody of an overly stylized art film, but that is what he did.

Like any good parody, The Neon Demon intuitively understands the genre it takes aim at. But it actually comes at it a bit sideways. The plot (young ingénue is eaten alive by a performance industry) is not so much the target of lampooning as much as it is the canvas draped in self-evident pretentiousness. We’ve seen this story before – All About Eve, Showgirls, Black Swan, etc. – but never this deconstructed. If you cannot jive to The Neon Demon’s wavelength completely, fear not, as its closest antecedent is Suspiria. Just like that landmark giallo, the plot is opaque, but the aesthetics (hypnotic score, violently vibrant colors) are undeniable. See this one on the big screen, and be agog.

I give The Neon Demon 8 Examples of Symbolic Cannibalism out of 9 Implied Promises of Real Cannibalism.

Billboard Hot Rock Songs – Week of July 16, 2016

July 8, 2016

jmunney Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Music , , , Leave a comment

Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, and then I rearrange that top 25 based on my estimation of their quality.

Original Version
1. twenty one pilots – “Ride”
2. twenty one pilots – “Heathens”
3. twenty one pilots – “Stressed Out”
4. James Bay – “Let It Go”
5. Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, & Imagine Dragons with Logic, Ty Dolla $ign, & X Ambassadors – “Sucker for Pain”
6. X Ambassadors – “Unsteady”
7. Coldplay – “Hymn for the Weekend”
8. Disturbed – “The Sound of Silence”
9. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Dark Necessities”
10. The Lumineers – “Ophelia”
11. Ben Rector – “Brand New”
12. The Strumbellas – “Spirits”
13. blink-182 – “Bored to Death”
14. Fitz and the Tantrums – “HandClap”
15. Kaleo – “Way Down We Go”
16. Bishop Briggs – “River”
17. Empire of the Sun – “Walking on a Dream”
18. Fall Out Boy ft. Missy Elliott – “Ghostbusters (I’m Not Afraid)”
19. The 1975 – “The Sound”
20. Bastille – “Good Grief”
21. Beck – “Wow”
22. Goo Goo Dolls – “So Alive”
23. blink-182 – “No Future”
24. Panic! at the Disco – “Don’t Threaten Me with a Good Time”
25. Cage the Elephant – “Trouble”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Walking on a Dream
2. River
3. Way Down We Go
4. Wow
5. The Sound
6. Unsteady
7. Trouble
8. Ride
9. Ophelia
10. Dark Necessities
11. Good Grief
12. Stressed Out
13. Heathens
14. Don’t Threaten Me with a Good Time
15. Sucker for Pain
16. So Alive
17. The Sound of Silence
18. Hymn for the Weekend
19. Spirits
20. HandClap
21. No Future
22. Ghostbusters (I’m Not Afraid)
23. Let It Go
24. Brand New
25. Bored to Death

Billboard Hot 20 – Week of July 16, 2016

July 8, 2016

jmunney Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot 100, Music , , , Leave a comment

Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot 100, and then I rearrange the top 20 based on my estimation of their quality.

Original Version
1. Drake ft. WizKid and Kyle – “One Dance”
2. Justin Timberlake – “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”
3. The Chainsmokers ft. Daya – “Don’t Let Me Down”
4. Desiigner – “Panda”
5. Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – “This Is What You Came For”
6. Sia ft. Sean Paul – “Cheap Thrills”
7. Rihanna – “Needed Me”
8. Kent Jones – “Don’t Me”
9. twenty one pilots – “Ride”
10. Fifth Harmon ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Work From Home”
11. Mike Posner – “I Took a Pill in Ibiza”
12. P!nk – “Just Like Fire”
13. Adele – “Send My Love (to Your New Lover)”
14. Florida Georgia Line – “H.O.L.Y.”
15. Lukas Graham – “7 Years”
16. Meghan Trainor – “Me Too”
17. Ariana Grande – “Dangerous Woman”
18. twenty one pilots – “Heathens”
19. Drake – “Controlla”
20. Rihanna ft. Drake – “Work”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Cheap Thrills
2. Work From Home
3. Work
4. I Took a Pill in Ibiza
5. Needed Me
6. Dangerous Woman
7. Ride
8. Send My Love (to Your New Lover)
9. One Dance
10. Heathens
11. Me Too
12. Can’t Stop the Feeling!
13. Don’t Let Me Down
14. Panda
15. Controlla
16. This Is What You Came For
17. Just Like Fire
18. 7 Years
19. Don’t Mind
20. H.O.L.Y.

What Won TV? – June 26-July 2, 2016

July 3, 2016

jmunney Television, What Won TV? , , , , , , Leave a comment

In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.

CBB_100

Sunday – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Monday – Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Tuesday – Not Safe with Nikki Glaser
Wednesday – Another Period
Thursday – Jeopardy!
Friday – Comedy Bang! Bang! reached 100 episodes. Attaboy!
Saturday – A crazy, rainy Wimbeldon

This Is a Movie Review: Me Before You

July 1, 2016

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MeBeforeYou

Me Before You is half romance, half euthanasia PSA. Will Traynor (Sam Claflin) is generally cold, but thoughtful towards the people he likes. Louisa Clark (Emilia Clarke) is cheery, but forceful. Thus, they are a perfect match, just so long as they can spend enough time to truly get to know each other. Alas, Will has been rendered paraplegic by an accident, and he is convinced that dying with dignity is his best option, so he sets about proving, in his own stubborn way, that he can treat his loved ones well as possible as he works to leave them behind. It is certainly not an easy message to swallow, but there is plenty of charm (watch out for the bumblebee tights) to make it a pleasant viewing experience.

Much of Me Before You involves characters getting to the bottom of things, which translates to a lot of scenes of looking at computer screens and reading books. These are particularly uncinematic activities, but Emilia Clarke does her best to overcome that. Her face acting is unreal. You have never seen someone process information as intensely as Louisa Clark does. It is even more striking than her fashion sense, which is, well, as striking as striking can be. It all adds up to an unusual mix of relentless, upbeat, and ominous. That’s basically a compliment.

I give Me Before You 6.5 Sessions of Physical Therapy out of 10 Overwhelming Outfits.

Billboard Hot Rock Songs – Week of July 9, 2016

June 28, 2016

jmunney Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Music , , , Leave a comment

Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, and then I rearrange that top 25 based on my estimation of their quality.

Original Version
1. twenty one pilots – “Ride”
2. twenty one pilots – “Heathens”
3. twenty one pilots – “Stressed Out”
4. James Bay – “Let It Go”
5. X Ambassadors – “Unsteady”
6. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Dark Necessities”
7. Disturbed – “The Sound of Silence”
8. Coldplay – “Hymn for the Weekend”
9. The Lumineers – “Ophelia”
10. Ben Rector – “Brand New”
11. The Strumbellas – “Spirits”
12. Fitz and the Tantrums – “HandClap”
13. blink-182 – “Bored to Death”
14. Bastille – “Good Grief”
15. Kaleo – “Way Down We Go”
16. Empire of the Sun – “Walking on a Dream”
17. Bishop Briggs – “River”
18. Maggie Rogers – “Alaska”
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “The Getaway”
20. The 1975 – “The Sound”
21. Beck – “Wow”
22. Goo Goo Dolls – “So Alive”
23. Panic! at the Disco – “Don’t Threaten Me with a Good Time”
24. Kongos – “Take It From Me”
25. Mumford & Sons X Baaba Maal – “There Will Be Time”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Walking on a Dream
2. River
3. Take It From Me
4. Way Down We Go
5. Wow
6. The Sound
7. Unsteady
8. Ophelia
9. Ride
10. Dark Necessities
11. Stressed Out
12. Good Grief
13. The Getaway
14. There Will Be Time
15. Heathens
16. Don’t Threaten Me with a Good Time
17. So Alive
18. Alaska
19. The Sound of Silence
20. Spirits
21. Hymn for the Weekend
22. HandClap
23. Let It Go
24. Brand New
25. Bored to Death

Billboard Hot 20 – Week of July 9, 2016

June 28, 2016

jmunney Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot 100, Music , , , Leave a comment

Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot 100, and then I rearrange the top 20 based on my estimation of their quality.

Original Version
1. Drake ft. WizKid and Kyla – “One Dance”
2. Justin Timberlake – “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”
3. Desiigner – “Panda”
4. The Chainsmokers ft. Daya – “Don’t Let Me Down”
5. Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – “This Is What You Came For”
6. Sia ft. Sean Paul – “Cheap Thrills”
7. Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Work From Home”
8. Rihanna – “Needed Me”
9. Kent Jones – “Don’t Mind”
10. twenty one pilots – “Ride”
11. Mike Posner – “I Took a Pill in Ibiza”
12. P!nk – “Just Like Fire”
13. Lukas Graham – “7 Years”
14. twenty one pilots – “Heathens”
15. Ariana Grande – “Dangerous Woman”
16. Rihanna ft. Drake – “Work”
17. Florida Georgia Line – “H.O.L.Y.”
18. Meghan Trainor – “Me Too”
19. Adele – “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)”
20. Drake – “Controlla”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Cheap Thrills
2. Work From Home
3. Work
4. I Took a Pill in Ibiza
5. Dangerous Woman
6. Needed Me
7. Ride
8. Send My Love (To Your New Lover)
9. One Dance
10. Heathens
11. Me Too
12. Can’t Stop the Feeling!
13. Don’t Let Me Down
14. Controlla
15. This Is What You Came For
16. Just Like Fire
17. Panda
18. 7 Years
19. Don’t Mind
20. H.O.L.Y.

The Best of SNL Season 41

June 26, 2016

jmunney Saturday Night Live, SNL Season Recaps, Television , , , Leave a comment

snl_season_41_cast_photo

Most Valuable Cast Member
Kate McKinnon
Runner-Up: Cecily Strong
Honorable Mention: Larry David

Best Sketches
For my full thoughts on the best sketches, click here.
1. Yo, Where Jackie Chan At Right Now?
2. Mafia Meeting
3. FBI Simulator
4. bern your enthusiasm
5. Dead Bopz
6. Chad and Mrs. Douglas Show
7. Oprah Winfrey: A Life of Love
8. Screen Guild Awards
9. Close Encounter
10. Farewell, Mr. Bunting

Best Dress Rehearsal Cuts (AKA The “Kyle ‘Cut for Time’ Mooney” Award)
For my full thoughts on the best dress rehearsal cuts, click here.
1. Establishment Shuffle
2. New Studio
3. Not Scared
4. March Madness
5. Bieber Concert

Best 10-to-1 Sketches
1. Dead Bopz
2. Oprah Winfrey: A Life of Love
3. Miley Wedding Tape

Best Hosts
1. Larry David
2. Fred Armisen
3. Ariana Grande

Best Monologues
1. Fred Armisen
2. Elizabeth Banks
3. Tracy Morgan

Best Musical Guests
1. Disclosure
2. Courtney Barnett
3. The 1975

Best Weekend Update Segments
1. Drunk Uncle
2. One-Dimensional Female Character From a Male-Driven Comedy
3. Bruce Chandling

Best Episodes
1. Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato
2. Fred Armisen/Courtney Barnett
3. Larry David/The 1975
4. Ariana Grande
5. Brie Larson/Alicia Keys

Best Lines
For my full thoughts on the best lines, click here.
13. “Why do we have to labia everything?” – The Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party (Cecily Strong), on Weekend Update
12. “Happy Birthday to Mitt Romney who today turns 69. Which for Mormons is a sin.” – Colin Jost, on Weekend Update
11. “We’re at the point where we’re-” “finishing each other’s sente-” “pedes. Human” ““centipedes. Favorite Christmas movie!”” – Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, in their monologue
10. “Am I dating a girl, or am I dating … a pop quiz?” – Bruce Chandling (Kyle Mooney), on Weekend Update
9. “How far along are you, Theresa? You look like you’re about to pop.” “We think 2 months, we haven’t been keeping count.” “What?” “We don’t really know how it works, and we don’t believe in doctors. We’re just kinda winging it.” – Baby shower guest (Sasheer Zamata) and Theresa (Vanessa Bayer), in Baby Shower
8. “Jackie Chan was in movies as well as karate.” – Kenan Thompson, in Yo, Where Jackie Chan At Right Now?
7. “My tongue’s not as long as Gene Simmons, but my penis is even shorter.” – Ace Chuggins (Larry David), in Last Call
6. “All of you knuckleheads are getting cars.” – Oprah (Mike O’Brien), in Oprah Winfrey: A Life of Love
5. “God bless you.” “He never has and he never will.” – Colin Jost and Olya Povlatsky (Kate McKinnon), on Weekend Update
4. “Quick, somebody give that hologram a Holo-Grammy. Not my joke, guys, I’m just laser beams.” –Bing Crosby hologram (Beck Bennett), in Dead Bopz
3. “Paul Robeson of Porgy and Bess fame was one of the great singers and civil rights leaders of his day. We used a computer to make him sing ‘Trap Queen.’” –Bing Crosby hologram (Beck Bennett), in Dead Bopz
2. “Poetry should not be fun. It should be oppressive and the reader should hate it. Poems are from a hundred years ago. They were written by a bunch of dead men to punish children. The arts in general are for women and homosexuals. When you read a poem you should never feel emotion. In summary, poems stink.” – Mr. Kellogg (Beck Bennett), in Farewell, Mr. Bunting
1. “Can a bitch get a donut?!” – Kevin Roberts (Larry David), in FBI Simulator

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