Connect with us

Dark Comedy Has A New Hero in “The Art of Self Defense”

Published

on

Take what you know about dark comedies, put it in a blender with a twisted version o in the Karate kid and add in an amazingly accurate portrayal of the wrong kind of dojo and you’ve got The art of Self Defense.

This film portrays Casey (played by Jesse Eisenberg marvelously well), a man filled with fear, a man whose life is defined by his complete lack of assertiveness. He is, in essence, a jellyfish. This however is just the beginning. Casey is on a journey. That journey is one of self discovery, pain, betrayal, and finally the gaining of self respect. Now before you get all teary eyed don’t forget I did say this was the hero of dark comedies. There is some SERIOUSLY jacked up stuff that happens over the course of this film!
It starts out establishing how hopelessly inept Casey is at dealing with any kind of life situation, but after an altercation with a local biker gang, which leaves him brutally injured and hospitalized, Casey starts to reevaluate his life. At first he is more terrified than ever. He holds himself in his house refusing to go out except for work.
The beating not only crushed his body, but also obliterated what little esteem he could have possibly mustered to face the world. To this end, and for the purpose of protecting himself he turns to the most logical option, that is, the buying of a gun, but this comes with a lengthy waiting period and Casey is out for revenge, immediate revenge. Unable to complete this task Casey dejected wanders through his life until he stumbles upon a very humble dojo nestled in the bad part of town where he lives. There is no flash, or fanfare, with this building or with the interior thereof. Everything about this dojo speaks to the humility of the art.
Casey makes a decision to take up karate where he hopes he can overcome this innate fear…of everything! Casey really begins to take off under the tutelage of his sensei. He is rushed into the ranks and given an advancement faster than anyone else. That advancement come in the form of only a yellow belt however.
This kind of karate class is a bit different however. Where most karate classes will teach defense and self-preservation this class is more like a Spartan onslaught where the students are taught a very aggressive. This strikes a chord with Casey as his personality begins to change and he begins to grow a backbone, a backbone that causes him, at one point, to punch his boss in the throat. He quickly becomes kind of an apex, alpha male commanding the attention and respect of his co-workers. As I mentioned, however, this film is not without its twists!
The story line moves seamlessly through its different chapters each one progressing to a darker level, but at the same time increasing its comedic accents. In addition to that the story running is flawless, the cinematography is nothing short of exquisite, and the acting is top-notch!
I think I’ve been waiting for a film of this caliber for quite some time! It brings a refreshing, and rather dark, perspective to the screen. In fact,  there are several scenes in the film which are quite shocking but played out so magnificently that you don’t feel removed from what’s going on in the scene.
There are things that occur in this film which definitely take it to a different plane. It shifts seamlessly between comedy and drama, with intense moments of action. Characters progress, change, evolve, and get twisted around leaving us, as an audience, in the rubble of this quiet, and subtle, yet brash and explosive emo-coaster of delight!
I honestly could not recommend this film more highly, and I’m looking forward to seeing it again!
Continue Reading

Movie

No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters

Published

on

If you were born in the ’80s, ’90s, or literally ANY decade after those, you know about Super Mario. A cultural phenomenon was brought to life on the big screen this last weekend. One that has not only stood the test of time but reinvented itself time and time again. This wasn’t even the first time it’s been made into a movie but, well, let’s be honest.. some of us choose not to acknowledge the LIVE action adaptation of the beloved game from 30 years ago. 

It was pretty bad… But this was animation. ILLUMINATION animation at that. The Universal company that brought us Gru and his Minions, showed us the Secret Life of Pets, and gave us a reason to SING! Still, I had my reservations and even some concerns, especially when the casting was announced. 

 Eyebrows were raised. As big of stars as they were on paper, could they really deliver on voicing characters from a staple of our childhood? They did.

Chris Pratt and Charlie Day may not be Italian, and Jack Black may not be a King or Turtle creature from the Mushroom Kingdom, but they make the characters their own all while paying homage to the lore of a video game. 

From the jump, the story reintroduces us to the brothers that just want to save Brooklyn one clogged sink at a time. We feel an instant connection and relate to these “underdogs of the plumbing world”. The movie is riddled with easter eggs, each of which tugs on the heartstrings of every generation of Mario fandom. And the soundtrack was beautifully put together to not only make us feel like we’re taking a walkthrough of the game but like an experience all its own with some familiar favorites thrown in.

Every word in the movie is pure eye candy for both those that are casual fans, and those analyzing every frame to see what they’ll catch next. Bowser’s ship, the Mushroom Kingdom, Kong’s arena, and the Rainbow Road.. They’re all meant to give us just enough of a “new” look at these amazing worlds, but stay true to how we remember them.

The movie itself moves along at the perfect pace. Although, if you don’t really know ANYTHING about the Super Mario Bros, you may have gotten a little lost and felt left behind in the green tunnel. But that’s ok! It’s an adventure of the imagination and a classic story of a boy that meets a girl and tries to save the world from a monster that wants to destroy it.

What’s funny is that you could easily say this is a story about two characters who couldn’t be more opposite if they tried, battling to win the heart of a princess. Who would’ve thought that the King of the Koopas was just trying to impress his crush?

And that song? Ohhh THAT song! It’s my new ringtone and deserves the Oscar for Best Original Song.

Back to the movie. 

Universal and Illumination clearly understood the assignment. Is it missing some things or could things have been done differently or even better? Absolutely! We’re the worst critics of the things we hold nearest and dearest to our hearts. But if you’re up for going on a 90-minute adventure through amazing worlds, with awesome music, and characters that’ll make you smile and laugh, then this is the perfect movie to spring you into that warm summer feeling.

Plus there’s the whole part with karts and shells, and banana peels and oh my goodness how amazing was that?? It’s enough to make you want to stand up and cheer, then go home and destroy your friends and family on your favorite track haha.

The bottom line, it pays homage in all the right ways to the little guy with the mustache, while giving us something new and exciting. Take the kids and go see Super Mario Bros. You’ll be glad you did!

Continue Reading

Events

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023

Published

on

Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Opening Act Saturday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m. on North 200A. Talent confirmed so far to participate in the post-screening panel is Natalie Alyn Lind (Big Sky, The Goldbergs, Gotham) as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and longtime RWBY cast member Lindsay Jones (Camp Camp) as Ruby, Kara Eberle ( RWBY: Ice Queendom) as Weiss, Arryn Zech (Detective Now Dead) as Blake and Barbara Dunkelman (Blood Fest) as Yang – along with Jeannie Tirado (Soul, Saints Row) as Green Lantern and Tru Valentino (The Rookie, The Cuphead Show!) as a cyborg. Also attending the panel will be producer/director Kerry Shawcross (series RWBY) and writer Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II).

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023 with the big screen debut from DC Animated Films: highlights this year include the world premieres of the highly anticipated Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham and Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Part One the weekend of March 24-26 in Anaheim, California. Both screenings will be followed by panel discussions with actors and creators. Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham premieres at The Arena on Friday, March 24 at 6 p.m. Tati Gabrielle (Kaleidoscope, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Uncharted) as Kai Li Cain, Christopher Gorham (The Lincoln Lawyer, Insatiable) as Oliver Queen, David Dastmalchian (Dune, Suicide Squad, Ant-Man) as Grendon, producer/co-director Sam Liu (The Death and the Return of Superman), co-director Christopher Berkeley (Young Justice) and screenwriter Jase Ricci (Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem Across the Multiverse).


Both films will have encore screenings in the Arena on Sunday, March 26. Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One will screen at 12:15pm, followed by Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham at 2:00pm

Continue Reading

Movie

Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Published

on

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2023 That's My Entertainment