The Code Is Zeek

This week’s episode of Out Now with Aaron and Abe is an exciting preview of the films arriving this summer, along with the big competition for who will win overall in determining which summer movies will do what kind of business.   Aaron and Abe are joined by Mark Hobin and Maxwell to talk about all of this and lay out their top ten lists.   Additionally, most of the regular segments are present as well, including “Know Everybody”, “Out Now Quickies”, and “Out Now Feedback”.   This is kind of a big deal, as one winner will lord it over everyone else at the end of the summer and this is episode is, of course, just the beginning. So now, if you’ve got an hour to kill…

The Other Woman : 1 ½ out of 5 Lydia:   The best part about being pretty is that you don’t have to work hard. Three grown woman find out they are sharing the same guy and become friends with a mission to have their silly revenge.   Admittedly I do not have a whole lot of tolerance for these kinds of movies.   I am not talking about ‘chick flicks’, as there are plenty of ‘chick flicks’ that I enjoy and would recommend.   I am talking about dumb movies that exist to provide some laughs, maybe, but are instantly forgotten and have only one real trick up their sleeve and that’s to convince movie goers to have spent their money on it to begin with.   To be completely fair, The Other Woman has a big enough performance from Leslie Mann to likely elicit plenty of smiles and make it feel like harmless fun, but also keep in mind that this film that features three female leads that never stop talking about boys.   There are also all the slow-mo boob s...

This week’s episode of Out Now with Aaron and Abe transcends next to nothing, but does feature two new guests to talk with the guys about what the Deppster has been up to.   Abe and Aaron are joined by Jeff Nelson and Peter Paras to talk about the film Transcendence .   Additionally, all of the regular segments are present as well, including “Know Everybody”, “Out Now Quickies”, “Movie Call Back”, “Out Now Feedback”, and Trailer Talk ( Gone Girl and Lucy ).   Minds should be ready to deal with the online madness being provided on this week’s episode. So now, if you’ve got an hour to kill…

Transcendence :  2 out of 5 Evelyn:   Where are you going? Will:   Everywhere. For a techno-thriller about artificial intelligence, it actually seems to make sense that Transcendence does not have a whole lot of emotion to back up its big ideas, aside from   Paul Bettany’s cry face, which makes its appearance now and again.   This is a film that could have worked as a cheesy B-movie with the words, “When computers fight back!” written on a billboard entrance to a drive-in movie theater.   Instead, it feels like a glossy, big-budget studio film with a screenplay that feels like a cautionary tale that has been updated from an original draft written 20 years ago.   Not helping is the high caliber cast providing mostly half-hearted performances and a lack of urgency in a dramatic narrative that sets its stakes much higher than they ever actually feel.   Even when some of the neat ideas are given some visual lift, Transcendence is sti...

Bears :  3 out of 5 I never really know how much to say about these Disneynature films.   They are not insufficient enough to call them mild distractions, as the footage is generally great, the voiceovers are fun, and there is enough work done to build a narrative that I can get behind what they have to offer.   It generally amounts to having a chance to see animals that kids generally grow up being intrigued by and having a new perspective that can be formed by families, in regards to those animals.   African Cats worked for me, as it was neat to see a big screen documentary about lions, with the bonus addition of Samuel L. Jackson providing narration.   That film also worked due to the stakes that, manufactured or not, presented a real life depiction of what lions go through.   Bears finds a way to create similar stakes, which makes the film effective enough in what ultimately amounts to a large format way to see bears in action.

This week’s episode of Out Now with Aaron and Abe sees the return of guests Courtney Howard and Jose Cordova, who are game to get really intense, as they talk The Raid 2: Barandal .   As Out Now has been a huge champion of The Raid , so it is time to find out if this sequel was able to match the first film.   Additionally, all of the regular segments are present as well, including “Know Everybody”, “Out Now Quickies”, “Movie Call Back”, “Out Now Feedback”, and Trailer Talk ( The Purge: Anarchy and The Expendables 3 ).   Hammers and bats will fly, as everyone gets a load of what this Raid has to offer. So now, if you’ve got an hour to kill…

Oculus :   4 out of 5 Kaylie:   You promised me you would never forget what really happened. Oculus is a clever, well-crafted, and scary good time at the movies.   As far as horror movies go, for having a premise with the logline:   a brother and sister try to outsmart a killer mirror, the screenplay for this film is very smart.   The film is a strong character drama that just happens to have a supernatural element, but the acting is very strong and the approach to the story keeps things moving.   Oculus has its share of scares too, but they are well-earned, with developed suspense and a nastiness that is more implied than on display.   I am always happy to enjoy a good horror movie, regardless of the sub-genre or filmmaking style on display, but Oculus really caught me off guard with how effective it felt in a variety of ways.

Only Lovers Left Alive: 4 ½ out of 5 Eve:   That was visual. It makes a lot of sense that indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch has finally made a film about vampires.   He practically is one, given his height, slender and pale appearance, white hair, and the fact that he only pops up every so often to release a film into the night for the masses to find.   The fact that he doesn’t cast a shadow is a curious quality as well, but regardless, Only Lovers Left Alive is a rather brilliant film from a man with such a distinct style, making it easily one of the films I was happy to latch onto most in this early half of 2014.   Sure, this film does feature vampires, but that aspect is only used to add layers to the characters and forward the plot, which there is not much of.   True to Jarmusch’s style, the film is very minimal in traditional storytelling, but surreal in its presentation, and incredibly deft in the way it handles its two lead characters in this v...

Under The Skin :  3 ½ out of 5 The Woman:   Do you think I’m pretty? I do not use the term ‘avant-garde’ very often, as I think it implies some sort of esoteric idea of a film that is not for everybody.   As open as I am towards films in general and as willing as I am to spread the word on certain films, regardless of the kind of arthouse theaters they may be exclusive to, I cannot help but describe Under the Skin as an avant-garde take on a schlocky alien seduction movie.   It is the presentation and the basic plotting that inspires this thought, as there really is nothing more to this film, aside from its stylistic flourishes and a committed performance from Scarlett Johansson, yet I can see it being praised for those aspects, despite having a story that is fitting of a VOD release with a hokier handling of the same plot.   Still, I did like what I got out of Under the Skin , as it is quite the creepy sensory experience.

This week’s episode of Out Now with Aaron and Abe is comic book-heavy, as Abe and Aaron are joined by guest Scott Mendelson to discuss Captain America: The Winter Soldier .   Plenty of discussion revolves around the Star Spangled man and the state of comic book movies in general.   Additionally, all of the regular segments are present as well, including “Know Everybody”, “Out Now Quickies”, “Movie Call Back”, “Out Now Feedback”, and Trailer Talk ( Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Transformers: Age of Extinction ).   This episode is packed full of comic book movie goodness, so be prepared to geek out. So now, if you’ve got an hour to kill…

I really enjoy putting my reviews together.   I honestly wish I could delve deeper into certain movies, but alas, I get incredibly busy and can sometimes only deal with movies to a briefer extent than I would prefer.  This is why I write these occasional "Brief Thoughts" posts on movies I have seen, as I want to at least offer some of my own perspective on them.   They may not be as polished, but I can at least get my opinions out there.  This "Brief Thoughts" post is a review of the film 13 Sins , currently on VOD.

I really enjoy putting my reviews together.   I honestly wish I could delve deeper into certain movies, but alas, I get incredibly busy and can sometimes only deal with movies to a briefer extent than I would prefer.  This is why I write these occasional "Brief Thoughts" posts on movies I have seen, as I want to at least offer some of my own perspective on them.   They may not be as polished, but I can at least get my opinions out there.  This "Brief Thoughts" post is a review of 2014's Cesar Chavez, starring Michael Pena and directed by Diego Luna.

Okay, so this is a bit of a cheat, because normally commentaries are seen as bonus episodes, but for reasons that will be clearer later, this awesome commentary for Captain America: The First Avenger is also serving as Episode 144 of the podcast.   It features Aaron and guests Scott Mendelson, Brandon Peters, and Alan Aguilera discussing the Marvel Phase 1 feature, just as The Winter Soldier hits theaters everywhere this weekend.   A whole lot of information is laid out in this track, along with a lot of good fun from guys who enjoy talking about movies. Important Note:   This commentary may feature both juvenile uses of language and jokes that may be considered un-PC.   We of course are just trying to have a fun time… So now, if you’ve got an hour to kill…  

Captain America: The Winter Soldier :  4 out of 5 Nick Fury:   You need to keep both eyes open. Captain America really has his work cut out for him.   Along with being a man who now lives in modern times after being frozen for several decades, he is also an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. performing intense field work, a devotee to untangling a web of international conspiracies if it means keeping his country safe, and the target of a secret assassin who may or may not share history with Cap.   It is a very good thing that Marvel Studios has a lot more confidence in how to make these movies work at this point, because even with all the trouble the piles up towards the end of the supremely entertaining Captain America: The Winter Soldier , the film never stops being an entertaining and action-packed delight.

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