Put me in, coach. Image via New York Times

You would have to be either really talented, or a really big troll, in order to take a story this insane and make it kind of boring. Sure, Foxcatcher is not a bad film, but it has the look of sad puppy dog eyes begging a little too hard for some Oscar love.

Here is a true crime story that seems too strange to be true. Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) is a gold medal winning Olympic wrestler who now lives more like a bum than a world class athlete. If he’s lucky, the tiny paychecks he receives will get him a sandwich at Arby’s. He constantly stands in the shadow of his older brother David (Mark Ruffalo), who is also a gold medal winning wrestler. David is a tough act to follow: he is a happily married family man with more talent and charisma than Mark has.

Mark has hit rock bottom and thus he is the perfect target to be taken advantage of by an egomaniac. Enter John du Pont (Steve Carell), heir to the DuPont chemical fortune. John gives Mark an offer he can’t refuse: a lot of money and the chance to lead his wrestling camp at Foxcatcher Farm.

To say that Du Pont was an eccentric man would be the understatement of the century. He had a delusional sense of patriotism and a love for an America that doesn’t exist. If he was still alive today, he would make a great Fox News correspondent. Du Pont had so much time and so much money that he was able to become an accomplished scientist, stamp collector, coach, philanthropist, and gun enthusiast. You’ll never guess which one of these hobbies contributed to his downfall.

Nobody can dispute that Foxcatcher is a beautiful looking film. The stunning cinematography by Greig Fraser captures an imposing sense of Mid-Atlantic seasonal depression. The trio of male leads give commanding performances, with Tatum playing an unpredictable sad sack to Carell’s unpredictable maniac. Meanwhile, Ruffalo’s David feels like the only kind and selfless soul in this world of selfish ambition. Yet, the sadness gets in the way of the film’s ambition.

Sometimes, it feels like Bennett Miller wants to suffocate us with sadness. He did the same thing in Capote, yet this never got in the way of showcasing Truman Capote’s personality. At times, Foxcatcher can feel as overdramatic as Ricky Fitts’ video of that plastic bag floating in the wind in American Beauty. However, there is one scene in Foxcatcher where John takes Mark on a helicopter ride. The two snort cocaine and try to figure out the pronunciation of a certain word. The scene was ad-libbed, and it shows. It is one of the only scenes in the film where it makes sense as to why Mark was drawn to du Pont, and why these two misfits with nepotism issues were perfect for each other. It sort of makes me wish that Miller played the whole film as a dark comedy about excess, Wolf of Wall Street style. The golden rod they use to do blow is symbolic of everything that is wrong with John du Pont’s empire.

Lately, there has been a lot of debate about films that draw on history, mainly with Selma, and what films of this nature are allowed to get right and wrong. I believe you can get as much wrong as you want, just as long as you tell a good story and get to some essential truth. The main issue with Foxcatcher is that it abandons some of the most interesting parts of the story. While we do get a vivid sense of the closed off world that probably led to du Pont’s downfall, his estate served as a museum to his idiosyncrasies, we barely get a sense of his paranoia. Perhaps further exploring his relationship with David would have been a good way to build up at least some tension towards the grand finale. Miller wasn’t looking to make a conventional Hollywood true crime thriller. That is admirable, but there has to be a middle ground between chase scenes and people staring sullenly out windows. Then again, this was the 1980s; cell phones weren’t around yet for people to stare at all the time.

Foxcatcher was a passion project for Bennett Miller, and it shows. It feels like he wanted to remake The Godfather, yet his stance on American capitalism and ambition is too vague. Apparently, a four hour director’s cut of this film exists. I would like to see that. Better yet, this story would have done better as an HBO miniseries. Foxcatcher has some telling moments, but it says a lot when the Wikipedia entry of the story is more interesting than the film that gets made out of it.

Brain Farts From The Edge (SPOILERS FOR REAL LIFE)

• Some of the more interesting parts of the story that were left out: Du Pont hid in his mansion for two days while police cut the power in order to get him to come outside; du Pont bequeathed 80% of his estate to a Bulgarian wrestler; du Pont was buried in his Team Foxcatcher singlet, as specified in his will. Miller even wanted to include that last part as a closing title credit. Seriously, how hard would that have been to do?
• Right before I saw Foxcatcher, I read the recent story of a 30-year-old who shot his wealthy father for bewildering reasons. I can see some parallels with du Pont.
• As great as Carell is here, I do wish he could have incorporated more of his humor and improvisational prowess into his performance. There is a belief that in order for comedic actors to be taken seriously, they have to drop everything that is funny about them. Yet, some of the best examples of comedians going dark (see: Jack Black in Bernie; Adam Sandler in Punch Drunk Love; Jonah Hill in The Wolf of Wall Street) still allowed them to display their comic genius.
• According to Hollywood, anybody who is a birdwatcher is automatically a huge creep.
• I liked how they addressed how Mark and John were two men trying to fill big shoes, and that informs most of their decisions. However, in John’s case, I think it was a general sense of insanity caused by isolation, and not just a need to impress his mother. After all, this was a guy who turned a wrestling camp into a cult of personality.
• David’s death is tragic and devastating, especially given what a good person he was. Even if du Pont’s decision to kill him was completely random, I still feel the film could have done more to build up to this tragic moment. Also, isn’t it a bit strange that we never get to see Mark’s reaction to his brother’s death? Does anyone involved in with the making of this film know anything about coming full circle?
• The best thing I can say about Foxcatcher is that it inspired me to do my own research on this story. One piece of evidence I found is an old video of du Pont propaganda, which I am posting below. One thing I noticed: David seems to believe that his wrestling technique makes him a good Christian. So I guess John du Pont wasn’t the only delusional person at Foxcatcher Farm.

I only want to see this more now. Image via Screencrush

A few weeks ago, following threats from North Korea over the upcoming release of The Interview, Sony’s records were hacked and a shit storm commenced. What was once both harmless and hilarious in a voyeuristic way has now become a disaster that has nearly brought an entire studio to its knees. Oh, the hyperbole!

It all started when a steady stream of the leaked information was released by the media. Nobody seemed to have a problem with it at all. This week, after a series of hacked emails started to personally affect people’s careers, the backlash began. On Sunday, Aaron Sorkin penned a letter in the New York Times that mainly blames the media for distributing this stolen information and thus giving more power to the criminals who stole the information in the first place. You’re not wrong, Aaron Sorkin, but it seems a little convenient to post a critique of the media on the exact same day that your show The Newsroom, which is a critique of the media, was having its series finale.

While the idea that anything I write privately could be shown to the world terrifies me deeply, that doesn’t mean that I am not amused by any of the leaked information. On a purely objective scale, this has provided the most in-depth look at the movie industry in a long time. A lot of modern entertainment journalism is basically glorified PR.  Just look at the email chain between Scott Rudin, Amy Pascal, and several others regarding the planned Steve Jobs biopic. It shows that making a movie is hard and before anyone can even set up a single light kit, a bunch of producers, agents, and studio executives have to yell at each other for a while. This is a narrative we never see, and it is much more interesting than any DVD commentary where the actors pat themselves on the back.

Seriously, I don’t feel good about having seen any of this. In the end, the big names are going to be fine. Every celebrity who was insulted will have a box of chocolates and a Lamborghini waiting for them at their door step. However, I don’t know if I can say the same for many of the other people who would not make headlines that were impacted by this horrible cyber security attack. Show business is big, and there are countless production assistants, marketing directors, and accountants employed by Sony who are probably living in fear right now. But I am not a good person; I laughed hearing what everybody thought of Adam Sandler. I then laughed seeing Channing Tatum’s email about 22 Jump Street. And I laughed even harder seeing a powerpoint of themes in the Smurfs movie. Even Tropic Thunder couldn’t come up with something that good.

Maybe this all shows that there needs to be more transparency in Hollywood. That is not to say that all private emails should be made public. It just seems strange that a business filled with public figures should be so heavily guarded. I also don’t think it is completely fair to pin this all on journalists. Freedom of speech is endangered as is, and this whole event seems like another excuse to limit it. Let’s not use this as a way to forward agendas. Speaking of agendas, one actually useful piece of information this hack revealed: Sony’s close relation with the MPAA. Stopping piracy is a good thing, but seeing how close studios are to the ratings board worries me. You see, some of this actually is news that can start useful conversations.

This is all over the place. I have no idea what I am saying. This is a mess. Studio executive is turning against studio executive, and journalist is turning against journalist over our inability to just look away when some forbidden fruit comes to light. The hackers wanted chaos and in that regard, they have won. I think we all need to take a moment to give Sony credit. They are literally putting everything on the line for a bold and original idea. This kind of risk-taking doesn’t happen that often in Hollywood anymore. It is sad to think that after this, they might have to go back to banking on safer bets like Smurfs sequels so that hey don’t piss off anymore angry despots.

In the meantime, while the hackers cause chaos, let’s throw it back in their face. As the world burns, we can all just sit back and laugh at the fact that terrorists want to wage a war over a comedy that has a Guy Fieri cameo in it.

Here’s an interesting perspective on the leaks from Time.

Disclaimer: It has not been 100% confirmed that this leak has anything to do with North Korea. But…come on.

Nowadays, the pervasive narrative is that film is dead and television is better. This statement is only half true. While television is better than ever before, cinema isn’t doing too badly, either.

Most of my film experiences this summer were nothing but pleasant. Besides anything Michael Bay had his name on, there were very few complaints to be had about the intelligence of Hollywood blockbusters (in retrospect, I even enjoyed Winter Solider). In the art house world, some directors were doing things with the form that nobody has done before. Well, that happened in the blockbuster world as well.

Film is in a transitional period. This was the summer of On Demand, where a lot of films were available on your TV set the same day they were playing in select theaters. While I still prefer a trip to the theater any chance I get, it was nice to have access to the sort of films that usually don’t expand nationwide. It is too bad this wasn’t around when I was a high schooler yearning for my hometown to be a hip, indie place.

Here are my top six films of summer 2014. I choose six because math is irrelevant to me:

6. Obvious Child

There is nothing like a good summer indie to get away from all of the blockbuster explosions. Obvious Child was the breath of fresh air I needed. While Obvious Child wasn’t the most original romantic comedy ever made, it was never trying to be. In this tale of abortion, the one thing it is striving for is honesty, and that is exactly what it achieves. Plus, Jenny Slate delivers a career-defining performance. She turns all the noises she makes and fart jokes she tells into art.

5. 22 Jump Street

With both The Lego Movie and 22 Jump Street under their belts, Phil Lord and Chris Miller have made two of the best movies of the year. By seamlessly combining action and comedy, 22 Jump Street is the rare sequel that manages to surpass the original. It takes meta to the extreme without crashing and burning. Oh, and it is hilarious. At this point, Lord and Miller could film a pile of dog poop for three hours and everyone in America would pay to see it.

4. The Immigrant

This film about the American Dream does not shy away from the grittiness of history that historical films often try to conceal. The Immigrant contains a great performance from Marion Cotillard and a mesmerizing one from Joaquin Phoenix. It concludes with an ambiguous final shot that will one day be studied in film classes. In terms of stories of dirty, miserable, early 20th century New York, The Immigrant is a fine companion piece with The Knick (which you all should be watching).

3. Snowpiercer

The best of summer indies combined with the best of summer blockbusters make for the most entertaining allegory in ages. Chris Evans proves that he is an action star for the ages, and Tilda Swinton proves that she can play anything, even if you don’t understand what her character is. Snowpiercer is about rebellion, the class system, and even God. Not to get all current event-y here, but look at some of the recent events happening in Ferguson or the Middle East, and tell me that doesn’t remind you of Snowpiercer at all.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy

Contemporary blockbusters have two settings: they are either grim and gritty, or goofy and self-aware. By being both goofy and sincere, Guardians of the Galaxy is the first comic book adaptation in a long time that manages to be both. Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the funniest movies so far this year, and it gets all of its humor based off of its characters, which you wouldn’t normally see in a giant space opera. I have seen Guardians of the Galaxy twice and purchased a Rocket Raccoon action figure. Guardians reminded me why I love to write about movies in the first place.

1. Boyhood

This coming-of-age epic was twelve years in the making and worth the wait. The way Boyhood was made is an achievement on its own, so the fact that it was actually good is pretty amazing. This is the first film I have seen that I feel like really captured my childhood, though people that grew up in every generation have said the same. Richard Linklater’s ability to hold my attention for nearly three hours with nothing but conversations and small milestones is miraculous. If Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, and most of the other people involved don’t get Oscar nominations, then I will be extremely disappointed. There are so many moments in Boyhood that could have turned out to be terribly corny (“we don’t seize the moment…the moment seizes us”), but the overall authenticity truly sells it. Guardians of the Galaxy made me remember why I love movies, while Boyhood made me remember why I love life, even in all of its triumphs and failures.

Honorable Mentions: Life Itself, Edge of Tomorrow, X-Men: Days of Future Past, They Came Together

Episode 14: In the latest episode, Ian and Cassie discuss the most recent late night shakeup following Chelsea Handler’s move to Netflix. Plus, a recap of season four of Louie, a review of 22 Jump Street, and new Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavors!

Image via E! Online

In 2012, 21 Jump Street became one of the best bad ideas Hollywood ever had. It was a reboot of a TV show that nobody asked for, yet it has more heart and originality than most “original” ideas have nowadays have. But of course, when a movie works well, a sequel must be made.

22 Jump Street proves that lightning only strikes twice in Hollywood. It is by far the best movie to come out this summer all while making fun of everything that we have come to know about summer movies.

Just as its predecessor did, 22 Jump Street announces exactly what it is as soon as it possibly can. After Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) botch another mission, the police chief (Nick Offerman) tells them they have to play it safe and do everything exactly as they did before. He talks about unnecessary reboots and budgetary concerns. This is about as meta as you can get without completely deconstructing yourself into a corner.

So Schmidt and Jenko go back to school (college, to be specific) with the same identities and a similar goal of finding a dangerous drug supplier. But of course, they get carried away in their newfound college careers. Schmidt gets a girlfriend (Amber Stevens), Jenko joins the football team, and before, after, and in between, the two of them get involved in some wild parties and do the kind of dumb things that you can only get away with when you are in college.

Like any sequel, 22 Jump Street repeats plenty of elements from its predecessor. While being self-aware of this fact, it does right by building upon, rather than just imitating, an already existing foundation. Yes, 22 Jump Street also has a drug trip sequence, and while this one cannot surpass the sheer joy in the surprise of the original one, it also doesn’t want to be anything like it at all. 22 Jump Street is a lot of familiar premises with very different punchlines.

That there is the spirit of Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who are now one of the best director duos working today. With this and The Lego Movie, they are having a banner year of showing that putting a new spin on something old can be just as good as an original idea. Because few ideas are ever completely original, anyway. Every Lord/Miller joint shows that one pop culture item is simply a layer for somebody to build something new on top of it. There’s something radical and rebellious that I really like about that attitude.

Okay, I am getting a little up my own ass here. That is too bad, as 22 Jump Street never does that when it could have in so many places. 22 Jump Street goes meta but then stops before it can be unbearable. It realizes that buddy cop movies need to be taken down a notch, but also that is what everybody came here to see. In that respect, 22 Jump Street is an improvement over 21 Jump Street, as it manages to combine action and humor in a much more seamless way. Not to mention, Hill and Tatum have an unparalleled odd couple chemistry. They are like two improvisors that just can’t read each other and amazingly, that works to their advantage.

22 Jump Street is far and away the funniest movie so far this year, and it is definitely the best blockbuster so far this summer. By the end, you will realize that the Jump Street series doesn’t need a third installment. In fact, that would possibly be dangerous to the legacy of this series. Yet, I still want to see that movie, and that is something I never thought I would say.

Brain Farts From The Edge (Some Spoilers)

• Somebody made an excellent video about how few American directors know how to do visual comedy and that Edgar Wright is the only one who has figured this out. I would like to make an updated version of this video that includes Phil Lord and Chris Miller on the shortlist of people who have figured out visual comedy.
• The 21 Jump Street series has become the comedy equivalent of the Scream franchise.
• Normally, I am not a fan of movies using current pop music. But for some reason it just makes sense here. After all, college kids listen to dubstep. That’s how it is.
• There is a part where Channing Tatum says he wants to be in the secret service and protect the president. Maybe he should check out White House Down.
• The fake sequels in the credits were an act of pure genius. I don’t know which one was my favorite, but I do know that the Seth Rogen and Bill Hader are cameos were much appreciated.
• I never thought jokes about budgets and spending could be this funny.
• For the lunch scene alone, Ice Cube is the MVP of 22 Jump Street.
• I like how they changed the dynamic between Hill and Tatum in 22 Jump Street.
• 22 Jump Street is so openly self-aware that writing a review seems pointless. However, I had a lot of fun writing this.
• At this point, Phil Lord and Chris Miller could direct a Justin Bieber 3D concert movie and I would still pay money to go see it.

Every once in a while, a film needs to come around that alleviates all of your worries and reminds you that everything is awesome. As the main song suggests, “The Lego Movie” is exactly what you are looking for.

“The Lego Movie” is the movie that I had no idea I was waiting for. Even after waiting a week to see it, the hype does not tamper its impact at all. “The Lego Movie” proves that you don’t have to be Pixar to create something that is both great for kids and the annoyed parents that they drag with them to the movies.

Here’s the thing: I fall into neither of those categories. I am not young enough to be a child or old enough to take care of one. I am in the state between childhood and adulthood, which is why “The Lego Movie” was perfect for me.

The greatest trick “The Lego Movie” pulls is making a 90 minute Lego ad that doesn’t feel like one at all. Maybe that’s because nobody needs to advertise Legos anymore; at this point, the word is basically a part of the English language. Therefore, making a Lego movie is much more than just a blind cash grab.

Yes, “The Lego Movie” has a real story. Emmet (Chris Pratt) is a construction worker and a fairly boring dude. He only likes the pop song that everyone listens to (“Everything is Awesome”) and the most popular sitcom (“Where’s My Pants,” which just reeks of “The Big Bang Theory”). He is an empty vessel, to hilarious effect. That is until he meets Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), who wins him over because she is a really hot Lego. He also finds out that he is the “chosen one” who will lead the Resistance against President Business (Will Ferrell) and reunite all of the Lego worlds. This is how the movie is able to bring Batman (Will Arnett) into the story. Will Arnett, by the way, might be the best Batman to date.

“The Lego Movie” is infectious. Try to watch it and not have a great time. It is packed to the brim with jokes, like it is trying to throw as much as it can against the wall. Basically all of it sticks. It crosses different pop culture zones with such ease while everyone involved also seems to be having a blast. This is the best opportunity you will get to watch some really respected actors basically making fun of themselves. Liam Neeson gets to play a tough cop loosely based off of his “Taken” persona, while Morgan Freeman gets to play the sage, but with much less useful advice.

Animation is probably the greatest way to boil down a complicated world view into something both simple and farcical. Hey, life itself is pretty cartoonish, and “The Lego Movie” is the cartoonish thing it deserves to imitate it. “The Lego Movie” is all about the goods that we consume everyday with such ease. What does it say about us that the song “Everything is Awesome,” the only song that DJs play on the radio, is so damn catchy?

But “The Lego Movie” is not a pop song, it is pop art. I feel weird for saying that, but it is true. “The Lego Movie” comes from the minds of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. The two of them also collaborated on “21 Jump Street.” They have a rare talent for taking a really bad idea and turning it into a really good product. Originality is rare today in Hollywood, and most remakes and movies based on toys are immediately shunned by the press, even if they do well at the box office. There really is something great to be said about taking something dusty and stale and turning it into something exciting and new. Lord and Miller actually respect the source material that they work with.

“The Lego Movie” not only makes the toy-based movie good, but also movies in general. It follows the typical movie structure basically to a T. If you know movies, then you will see that it hits basically every important plot point at just the right time. Yet, it takes all of those and hits the biggest high note possible. There is a big speech, but it is actually a good speech. It has a big third act twist that could have been disastrous, but it ends up giving the film its heart. Basically, “The Lego Movie” restored my faith in formula.

Despite playing by the rules, “The Lego Movie” is also about anarchy. It is about the power of drawing outside the lines and using your imagination. What Lord and Miller are doing with their career is playing the Hollywood game, but doing it the way that they want to. “The Lego Movie” is like watching a really creative kid who is on his way to being a really smart kid playing with his toys. “The Lego Movie” is like reliving your childhood, but with much better lighting.

Brain Farts From The Edge (Some Spoilers Follow)

• Not that the series needs any help, but Lord and Miller deserve their own “Muppets” movie.
• Little kids will watch Unikitty (Alison Brie), but probably not find her funny until they are much older.
• I’m calling it now: “The Lego Movie” is this generation’s “Toy Story.” There, I said it.
• Yes, this brought tears to my eyes at one point. When father and son hug, it is just such a sweet moment. The fact that I got this emotional over two characters that are barely in the movie says a lot about how effective “The Lego Movie” is.
• I love how the little sisters’ lego blocks are those big ones they gave you because you were two young to handle the little ones. Just a nice little detail.
• Is there a better on screen pairing than Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill? Their Superman and Green Lantern deserve their own spinoff.
• Speaking of which, in terms of that whole controversy of “The Lego Movie” stealing the Superman joke from Jerry Seinfeld: I think that Jerry might have been joking around with those Tweets. Comedians do enjoy sarcasm. If he isn’t, then he should really back off. Jerry, I think you’ve got enough money. Let them have this one. They earned it.