Release date:July 8, 2016
(limited)
Studio:Bleecker Street
Director:Matt Ross
MPAA Rating:N/A
Screenwriter:Matt Ross
Starring:Viggo Mortensen, Frank Langella, George MacKay, Samantha Isler, Annalise Basso, Nicholas Hamilton, Shree Crooks, Charlie Shotwell , Ann Dowd, Erin Moriarty, Missi Pyle, Kathryn Hahn, Steve Zahn
Genre:Drama, Comedy
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The film starts strong and finishes the same way. From the opening scenes to the very last one, this film has something to say! During the course of this film we are shown an amazingly cohesive unit. We are introduced to a father solely dedicated to the nurturing of his family. In fact, in the very beginning of this film we see something that I believe is definitely lacking in our modern society; The Rite of Passage. We see the family out for the hunt come out looking for food for the evening meal. It is the son, however, who makes the kill, and we are voyuered into this moment of the father honoring the son and welcoming him into manhood.
Ben, played by Viggo Mortenson, it’s shown to be a very loving and devoted father/husband throughout this movie, giving instruction a well as cultivating strong minds and strong bodies. He achieves by living almost completely off the grid. They light their world with fire, they feed their minds with books, they strengthen their bodies with exercise and feed their character by responsibility and accountability.
Now before you think this is some story about Utopia, let me dispel that right now. One of the foundations of this story is that Ben’s wife revealed, early on, to be quite ill, and is in the city receiving treatments for her ailment which is an ongoing challenge for everything in this family.
In the beginning it is not revealed what the story is with the wife, but it doesn’t take very long for it to be shown forth. There’s a good amount of time spent in developing how much Ben loves his wife. Even to the point of fighting/arguing with his father-in-law over certain particulars. There’s a lot of development in the beginning of the film, which I appreciated. Different personalities different strengths different weaknesses are all shown in each of the children as well as Ben. Rather early in the film it is revealed that Ben’s wife dies. Ben now has the daunting task informing his children about her death. The beauty of this scene is that he allows them to freely express themselves, to express their grief. Some huddle together, others express their grief by being alone, and still others lash out violently, but the fantastic thing about this is that he allows them that moment, that very necessary moment.
We see early on that there is no great love from his father in law, as his father in law blames Ben for all the tribulations that his daughter had gone through. Ben, however, is quick to point out that ALL of the decisions they made were made together. She wanted to be with him, she wanted to live off the grid, she also wanted to raise their family away from rotten schools, cheap capitalism, and wanted to try to make it so that they would actually learn something.
Ben gets forbidden from attending his wife’s funeral by his father-in-law, and even though he is very upset over this mandate, initially opting not to attend, he decides, with some coercion from his children, to go ahead and attend anyway. Now this is where the real fun begins!
They come down off of their mountain fortress and descend into “the pit”, or civilization, if you will. Here the children are introduced to things like shopping malls, restaurant food and rampant materialism. This situation brings about its own set of troubles in that the children have never been exposed to this kind of environment and so it raises questions, desires, things of that nature which Ben has to address. This is awkward for him because it’s brand-new for his children, and even though he had some experience with this it’s been a very long time since he’s had to deal with it. The situation is handled…awkwardly, but not terribly.
In that same humor vein they make a stop at his sister’s house where she attempts to make the point that his children need more structure and that they need to be in school and things of that nature. There’s also a dramatic contrast between the brutal honesty of Ben with his family and the euphemistic way that his sister explains things to her children. The humor comes into play when the sister’s explaining how going to public school is so fantastic and then Ben calls her children down from upstairs and ask them about the Bill of Rights. Her children bumble through a ridiculous attempt at explaining what they think it is, by saying something along the lines of “isn’t that the bill that gives you the right to buy stuff?”, while his own eight-year-old is not only to recite the Bill of Rights, but is also able to explain it in her own words, which of course puts his sister’s children and herself to shame. I think I especially like this scene because it was a testimony of how things are in many public schools today. There’s a level of apathy towards history and general education which I believe will hurt our future if it does not change.
Anyway, back to the movie. Eventually they arrive at the funeral and this is where things get very interesting. The family arrives, in what could be considered, by some, to be rather garish clothing. There are many bright colors and clothes that are from an entirely different era. Around them, of course, we see the traditional garb of a funeral and so naturally they stand out. It is in scenes like this where we see Frank Langella, who plays the father in law Jack, bring some amazing and subtle weight to this character. In later scenes we see more of the root of Jack’s frustration, and why he blames Ben for his daughter’s death. Ben, however, makes it abundantly clearto him, yet again, that he and his wife made all of their decisions together. It is in this chapter of the scenes that follow where we see a new element get brought to light and that is that Jack wants to take the children from Ben. For Ben this is a thermonuclear Shockwave that nearly cracks his foundation. Naturally, he fights for his family, but this is one of the heavier parts of the movie. There’s a lot of desperation shown forth on the part of Ben and that has its own consequences. It is in the scenes after this where Ben has to make sure the most difficult choices of his life and that makes this section of the film challenging to watch, being a father myself.
In the end, however, we see the family bond together through this, and the end has very nice element of closure. Overall I would highly recommend this movie! It is filled with laughter, challenges, and real life family situations.
A gang of misfit kidnappers find their tiny target far more bloodthirsty than they bargained for!
So, unfortunately, the trailers gave it away and let’s be real that’s why most of us are here, the knowledge that the kidnap victim Abigail (Alisha Weir), codenamed by the would-be kidnappers appropriately as ‘tiny dancer’, is in fact, a vampire. Not a spoiler, point of fact, one of the film’s actual great selling points. And the reactions from the misfit club when faced with a real actual f*cking vampire, range hilariously from the blunt “no such thing as vampires” all the way to, “Are we talking True Blood or Twilight rules or what?” all while covered in buckets and buckets of blood.
Anyway, the gang manages to subdue and abscond with the aforementioned Abigail, in a pre-prepared duffle bag, like you do, and converge to a new location, a house oddly similar to the one she was just taken from. Welcomed and given codenames by a man who introduces himself as Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito), our misfit club is told to simply hold down the fort in this strange old house with the girl chained up in a room and one person to attend her, for twenty-four hours, and they’ll all get paid.
As inevitable as the tides, the dopey druggie Dean (Angus Cloud) is the first to die, and we’re going to give that death-style points for inspiring terror right off the bat. The very controlling Frank (Dan Stevens, holy crap yes that is the guy from FXs Legion) is also of course the most suspicious – of everyone around him, sure, but also he himself is totes sus. We don’t learn terribly much about the musclebound tank who gets dubbed Peter (Kevin Durand), he’s your pretty typical little-brains-heart-of-gold muscle-for-hire any proper gang needs, right down to the bottle problem. Sammy (Kathryn Newton), well, even for being a purported hacker-type, she has, like, reality issues. Rickles (William Catlett), he’s arguably the most dangerous among them, ex-military and yet somehow here and involved in kidnapping for a few mills. Joey (Melissa Barrera) is our Final Girl, and though she has the inevitable problems in her recent past, she seems more capable of doing the hard thing and still somehow empathizing at the end of the day. Must be her burning desire to get back with her son.
The fit hits the shan pretty quickly, and Abigail morphs from tiny dancer to tiny monster, though honestly, the way Abigail spoke the entire time in the film, if the ‘nappers had been paying close enough attention, would have been a solid clue. The performance from Alisha Weir as Abigail is incredible, as she literally dances a fine line between comedy, tragedy, and outright monstrosity. With a face full of makeup and the force of a tiny tornado to back it up, Weir brings to mind the great performances of the vampires in 30 Days of Night who saw the practicality in the need to trap their food, but also, play with it a bit first before feasting! Anything else would give away the absolute fun time that is Abigail, so you should go see it, out in theaters now!
Fans of the beloved medical comedy series Scrubs were recently treated to a thrilling surprise when John C. McGinley, who portrayed the iconic Dr. Perry Cox, dropped a photo on Twitter hinting at a potential reunion project. The image, showing McGinley alongside his former co-stars, sparked a wave of excitement and speculation among fans who have been longing for more adventures with the beloved Sacred Heart Hospital staff.
While details about the reunion project are still scarce, the mere possibility of seeing the gang back together again has sent waves of nostalgia through fans who fondly remember the show’s original run from 2001 to 2010. Scrubs was not just a sitcom; it was a heartfelt exploration of friendship, love, and the chaotic world of medicine, all wrapped up in a quirky and often hilarious package.
At the heart of the show was the bromance between JD (played by Zach Braff) and Turk (played by Donald Faison), whose antics and deep bond served as the emotional anchor for the series. Their dynamic, along with the sage wisdom (and relentless sarcasm) of Dr. Cox, provided viewers with memorable moments that have stood the test of time.
As we eagerly await more news about the Scrubs reunion project, one thing is for sure: it’s time to dust off those old DVDs, rewatch our favorite episodes, and get ready to welcome back our favorite gang of doctors, nurses, and janitors for what promises to be a memorable reunion.
But Scrubs was more than just its main characters. The supporting cast, including the eccentric Janitor (played by Neil Flynn), the neurotic Elliot (played by Sarah Chalke), and the wise-cracking nurse Carla (played by Judy Reyes), each brought their own unique flavor to the show, creating a rich tapestry of characters that fans grew to love.
While the photo shared by McGinley has fueled speculation about what the reunion project might entail, whether it’s a one-off special, a new season, or something else entirely, one thing is certain: fans are eagerly awaiting any opportunity to dive back into the world of Sacred Heart Hospital.
In an age where reboots and revivals are commonplace, Scrubs stands out as a series that has the potential to recapture the magic that made it a fan favorite in the first place. With its blend of humor, heart, and unforgettable characters, a reunion project has the opportunity to not only satisfy longtime fans but also introduce a new generation to the joys of life at Sacred Heart.
The story of the rise of Coriolanus Snow, from teenage Capital City pawn to rising Dictator of the Hunger Games!
Apparently no one out here in post-apocalyptic Panem has heard of irony and so they name their children things like Coriolanus (Tom Blyth), Tigress, and further off in Hunger Games lore, after swamp plants like Katniss. Corio’s father was a legendary general and that is pretty much the only reason young Snow and his meager family of grandmother called Grandma’am (Fionnula Flanagan) and sister Tigress (Hunter Schafer) are tolerated here in the Capital City at all.
Most of the snotty youngsters at the academy won’t let Snow forget how far his family has fallen, but he’s generally not concerned with them. What is concerning is the strong disapproval of the drugged-up Dean Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage) and the creepy attention of Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis) as she lurks in the classroom sniffing out talent. The Dean feels very strongly the annual Hunger Games should end, while Gaul is violently adamant that not only do the Games continue, but that they get as much more attention as possible. And young Snow is stuck in the middle, when the yearly prize money normally awarded to the academy student with the best grades gets switched out for, you guessed it, the student that can make this years’ Hunger Games as entertaining as possible.
Whilst the students are protesting this sudden change, the annual Reaping is about to commence, and big shock and surprise, Corio’s candidate from District 12 Lucy Grey Baird (Rachel Zegler) is chosen as a Tribute. This is where the film begins to really take off on musical wings, for as it turns out, Lucy Grey can sing. Boy, can that gal sing! She can sing, she can play guitar, she can work a crowd, she can calm things down, she can fire ‘em up too! And Corio, being no dummy himself, instantly plots ways to use his Tributes amazing voice to draw attention to her, and admittedly his own, plight!
Though far too many people sneer at the idea, Corio takes his position as Mentor to his Tribute seriously enough to sneak onto the tram taking the Tributes to their habitat, which turns out to be a completely appropriate moniker, as this year the Tributes are held before the Hunger Games in a large zoo habitat so the weatherman ‘Lucky’ Flickerman (Jason Schwartzman), host of this years games, can MC the hell out of everything up close and personal!
What happens at this years Hunger Games and the subsequent consequences to both Corio and Lucy Grey is actually only half the story, and the movie. Coriolanus has always had to be opportunistic, but learning to be absolutely ruthless when necessary under the tutelage of Dr. Gaul, who basically thinks it’s always best to be merciless, is an eye-opening education indeed. Even after they’ve both been consigned to military service and his friend Sejanus Plinth (Josh Andres Rivera) decides to finally rebel, Corio and Sejanus continue to deceive each other and themselves, to accomplish their separate goals. Not even the love Corio swears he feels for Lucy Grey can save him, or them, from the adamant absolute necessity of the Hunger Games continuing. And after all that’s happened, Coriolanus Snow has gotten a terrific education in the best way to be the absolutely ruthless next Hunger Games advocate, and oh yeah, President of Panem.
The movie does itself no favors by trying to stuff not one but two major storylines and a bunch of side storylines sadly introduced and then ignored, into the film. It would have been entirely possible to turn Ballads of Songbirds and Snakes into two different movies, separated between feathers and scales if you like, and do justice to the major storylines in both. Blyth gives a fine performance as a young Coriolanus Snow, but the fact that President Snow is played by Donald Sutherland in all three of the Hunger Games films means Blyth has incredibly large shoes to fill. Rachel Zegler as Lucy Grey is absolute fire, and yes the actress did sing the songs in the film herself, including the Hunger Games franchise epic song, ‘The Hanging Tree’. Every time Lucy Grey opens her mouth and sheer soul-searing music comes out, it provides a distinct counterpoint to the soul-crushing ambition of Coriolanus Snow and further demonstrates the District and Caste separation Hunger Games is known for. And if, by the end of the film, Coriolanus Snow has come to agree that the Hunger Games must continue but perhaps under his own auspices, he has no one but himself to blame when another younger but still rebellious female blows it all up in his face!
Choose rebellion or conformity for yourself in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes!
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‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’: Rebellion with a cause
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WonderCon 2024:Day One
Scrubs Reunion: The Band Gets Back Together
‘Abigail’: Bite Me Harder Tiny Dancer
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‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’: Rebellion with a cause
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Disney Legend Andreas Deja’s Hand-Drawn animated short MUSHKA premiere
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The Les Files With John C McGinley
