The Code Is Zeek

Snowpiercer :  5 out of 5 Curtis:   We take the engine, we control the world. I enjoy science fiction stories quite a bit.   Whether it ranges from plausible ideas regarding the future of our current society or to things a bit more abstract, I love the creativity on display.   This especially goes for sci-fi films, which allow a large number of filmmakers, actors, production designers, etc., to develop worlds, stories, characters, and concepts, in an effort to put something truly audacious into the theater for people to enjoy.   Sometimes that works out quite well, sometimes it is okay, and other times it can be forgettable.   Snowpiercer is the kind of film that sits near the top of the pile.   It combines skilled filmmaking, big ideas, and some fine, warp-minded writing to create a feature fully prepared to be entertaining, strange, darkly humorous, and plenty of other things that all make it rather brilliant.

Transformers: Age of Extinction :  3 out of 5 Harold Attinger:  We have a saying here on earth: The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Lockdown:  We have a saying too:  I.  Don’t.  Care. How does one approach reviewing a movie like Transformers: Age of Extinction ?  It ultimately does not matter too much, as this Michael “Boom Boom” Bay-directed franchise has no real problem turning a profit, even while critics and a certain percentage of audiences chuck nothing but garbage its way.  This is the fourth installment of the series and while all of the human actors from the past three films have been tossed aside in favor of a new cast, Michael Bay has not moved away from what he has done in the previous installments.  There is some directorial evolution, sure, but this is still an overlong exercise in big-budgeted spectacle.  Really though, it comes down to what I expected to see and the film with a poster that features one robot r...

This week’s episode of Out Now with Aaron and Abe finds the guys doing the best they can to harmonize, while discussing Clint Eastwood’s film adaptation of Jersey Boys .  Ken Noffsinger joins as a guest for this week’s show with Aaron and Abe, because why not.  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 ( Get On Up ).  Lots of thoughts this week, with no musical numbers, but plenty of razzle dazzle. So now, if you’ve got an hour to kill… (review starts 19 minutes in)

In honor of the 25 th Anniversary of Tim Burton’s Batman , this bonus commentary episode of Out Now with Aaron and Abe, features Abe, Aaron, and guests Brandon Peters and Scott Mendelson all chiming in on what is a very special film for each of them.  This is another information packed commentary episode, filled with humorous tidbits, personal stories, and of course plenty of facts about the film Batman , the state of blockbusters before and after, and how the film made a huge impact on the cinema landscape overall.  Tune in to hear all the goodies and possibly listen to “Bat Dance”. 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…

We're very thankful to Carlyle Eubank for taking the time to talk to us about a movie he co-wrote! If you haven't seen "The Signal" yet, then you should listen to this Q&A session (before we hit some spoilers) then go and check out the film at a theater near you! We discuss the concepts of the film, production of the film, being accepted into film festivals, and so much more! Sit back relax and enjoy part two of our interviews with the writers of "The Signal"!

Think Like A Man Too : 2 out of 5 Cedric:  For one blissful night gentlemen we are free from all our obligations, all of our responsibilities… Sometimes the strength of an ensemble can outweigh the bad ideas some have, as far as how to continue on with a film that had no real need to continue.  That almost works here.  2012’s Think Like a Man was somewhat of a surprise hit, with Kevin Hart beginning to break out big, and a likable cast that many seemed to respond to.  Now it has a sequel, with the word “Too” added to the end, which rarely bodes well for any movie.  The cast returns, Hart’s role has been amped up, and some laughs are there, but the film feels too loose for its own good.  Think Like a Man Too has all the energy, but wastes it on easy jokes about its Las Vegas setting, stepping away from anything more poignant.

Jersey Boys:  2 ½ out of 5 Bob Guadio:  I never heard a voice like Franki Valli’s.  After eight bars, I know I need to write for this voice. I suppose it comes to no surprise that the soundtrack to Jersey Boys , the Tony Award-winning-jukebox musical-turned movie, is a good one.  Bringing on many involved with the original show led to some solid vocal performances that really let the scenes featuring The Four Seasons and others show off their singing abilities.  I only wish the rest of the film had the kind of spark that made me enjoy scenes of songs that I have heard plenty of times before being performed.  It was nice to see director Clint Eastwood head in a different direction for the kind of film he wanted to make, but unfortunately his old school talents did not really assist bringing this old school group onto the big screen.

We're honored to have David Frigerio stop by our show to chat with us about his newly released film that he co-wrote entitled "The Signal." We discuss many aspects about the background of the film, the concepts the Eubank brothers and David toyed with on set, and almost everything you can imagine regarding the film. This is part one of two, as we have the other writer of the film Carlyle Eubank on the next post. We do get into spoilers after the sound of the harp, so be prepared for that sound if you haven't seen this movie yet.

This week’s episode of Out Now with Aaron and Abe finds the guys diving into a high flying sequel, as they are joined by guests David Yeh and Leah Ducey to talk How To Train Your Dragon 2 .  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 ( Dumb and Dumber To ).  Training can be rough, but fortunately everyone is in good spirits to deal with the dangers of dragons. So now, if you’ve got an hour to kill… (main review starts at about 28 minutes)

The Signal :  3 ½ out of 5 Damon:  What I’m about to tell you Nic, you may find to be disturbing… The Signal is the kind of movie I want to support, despite finding some issues with it.  It is an original science fiction story with mysterious aspects that unfold as the film goes along in ways that I found consistently engaging.  The film ends up biting off a bit more than it can chew, but there is clear ambition in the filmmaking that I was happy to admire.  I would not quite say that the style is placed over the substance, as it amounts more to needing to evolve as a screenwriter and a director, but I really dug what William Eubank was going for with this film.

22 Jump Street:  3 out of 5 Captain Dickson:  It’s the same case, do the same thing! The boys are back, but not up to a whole lot that is new.  Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum made good the first time around, as their unlikely pairing made for an even more unlikely success with their comedic take on the 80s undercover cop series, 21 Jump Street .  Now we have the sequel, fittingly named 22 Jump Street , which follows our heroes to an undercover assignment, where they must pose as college students, but things do not feel all that different from the first assignment/film.  The jokes are there, the chemistry is still strong, and the self-awareness of being a sequel is fun and all, but I did not walk away having that same level of enthusiasm that I had for the first go around.

This week’s episode of Out Now with Aaron and Abe finds the guys doing what they always do, again and again, talking about movies.  Specifically, this week has Aaron, Abe, and guest Alex Billington talking about Tom Cruise living the same day again and again in the film Edge of  Tomorrow .  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 Equalizer ).  The guys did not have a chance to practice the same day over and over, but they do their best to make this episode work. So now, if  you've  got an hour to kill…(main review starts at 19:40)

How To Train Your Dragon 2 :  4 ½ out of 5 Valka:  You have the heart of a chief and the soul of a dragon. It is amazing how things work sometimes.  How To Train Your Dragon gets credit for being a sleeper success, as many were not thrilled by the marketing, but it ended up making big bucks and spawning a whole franchise (sequels, TV shows, etc.).  I was actually quite intrigued by the trailers for the first film and the amazing reviews set my hopes even higher, yet I was only just okay with the first installment, despite its mature story and fantastic sense of filmmaking within the bounds of an animated feature.  Now we have How to Train Your Dragon 2 , which I found to be immensely entertaining and satisfying on pretty much every level.  This is a film that capitalizes on what made the first film work and completely expands upon the world introduced to us the first time around in an effort to make a truly worthwhile sequel that could satisfy n...

The Fault In Our Stars :  3 ½ out of 5 Gus:   It’s a metaphor. Actors can make all the difference in films that only have so much going for them, based on either the screenplay or the way a film handles convention in general.   The Fault In Our Stars is a film that deals with two young adults with cancer, who happen to fall in love with each other.   There is obviously more to it than that, which is what I assume made the original novel, by John Green, so compelling to its large fan base (note: I have not read this novel), but that is the one sentence way to describe the film.   Keeping that in mind, while not doing much to be all that innovative, the strong cast was enough for me to accept the story being told, as many of the right notes are hit to make it a film that certainly tugs at the heartstrings, but does not try to pride itself on having that effect.

Edge of Tomorrow :  4 ½ out of 5 Rita:  How many times have we been here? At this point, Tom Cruise does not need to be defended for doing what he is good at.  The guy works incredibly hard to make movies that entertain audiences, fully committing to roles that may not require him to break out of a certain character type, but that’s why he’ s a movie star and not a character actor.  Clearly he saw something in the script for All You Need Is Kill (now titled Edge of Tomorrow ) that he felt would go well with the other sci-fi films in his filmography, because this did not look like an easy movie to make, yet it continues to add credence to his status as a huge sci-fi geek (I mean the dude actually believes in aliens).  Edge of Tomorrow is inventive, witty, fun, and many levels of awesome, all rolled up into one fine summer movie package.  If that’s not what you want from a summer action movie, Tom Cruise surely isn’t the one to blame.

This week’s episode of Out Now with Aaron and Abe find themselves wishing once upon a dream for Angelina Jolie’s leather pants in Maleficent.  Mark Hobin and Markus Robinson join in for a discussion of the live-action Disney film, with a mini review of A Million Ways to Die in the West as well.  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 ( Big Hero 6 ).  Lots of work apparently went into  bringing  Maleficent back to the screen, time to hear about the results. So now, if you’ve got an hour to kill…(Main review starts about 24 minutes in)