THIS IS THE END is really funny

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 107 MINS
WRITER(S)- SETH ROGAN AND EVAN GOLDBERG
STARRING- JAMES FRANCO, JONAH HILL, AND SETH ROGAN
DIRECTOR- EVAN GOLDBERG AND SETH ROGAN



Synopsis taken from IMDb
While attending a party and James Franco's house, Seth Rogan, Jay Baruchel and many other celebrities are are faced with the apocalypse. 

While everyone in this flick has been in some things not worth a second viewing, they've all also been in some really good pictures. So, I was excited going into this one. The whole concept is just ridiculous enough to pull me in. And, the best thing about it, for me, is that everyone plays themselves. Even if they are exaggerated versions of who they are, it still works.

First of all, it takes a little long to get interesting. For the majority of the beginning, we just see Seth Rogan and Jay Baruchel hanging out, and catching up. While this doesn't really benefit the movie, it does help build story between them that blossoms towards the end. Jay doesn't like the idea of going to Franco's house, because he doesn't feel that he fits in, and isn't fond of any of Rogan's friends. With a little persuasion, Jay tags along. 

Once they arrive at Franco's home is when things start to get funny, and we get away from the serious drama. Though the laughs are there, to me, it still drags on a bit too much. Until the apocalypse happens, all there really is to laugh at, is how everyone acts and makes asses of themselves. The party definitely seems like a good time, even if Jay doesn't enjoy it. 

When the end of the world begins, the film goes from funny to laugh-out-loud hilarious. They're none equipped for such a catastrophe, and they handle things in such an immature and stupid way that you can't help but crack up. I am actually very surprised by how religious this movie is, and how true it stays to the Bible in terms of how the apocalypse goes down. It manages to not be overwhelmingly righteous but, the message is there, clear as day! I like that they went this route, because in today's society it's not really cool to believe in God anymore. So, I appreciate that they keep it old school, and by the book (pun intended).

Pretty much, all of the chosen people on earth are taken to heaven through beams of light that looks like something from a UFO, and it's easy to believe at first that it's aliens abducting people. One may even think that's the direction it's going but, once the religious aspect is brought into the picture, you see that all the sinners, including everyone at Franco's party, are "left behind" to live in hell. But, what do these guys do? They take an abundance of narcotics and party.

Danny McBride is the person I was probably looking forward to the most, and I was kind of let down to see that his character isn't very likable, and even Franco himself doesn't like him. I love the scenes of them arguing with one another for some of the most idiotic things you can think of! Just senseless fun! Michael Cera is actually pretty good in this, and there's an appearance by Channing Tatum that had me going. Funny stuff.

Aside from all that, there's some classic scenes amongst the cast. Such as, the filming of "The Pineapple Express 2"  and "The Exorcism of Jonah Hill". This is the way these guys amuse themselves with what little time they have left on earth. And I'm glad they do, because it sure as hell makes for some quality entertainment.

No, this is not a perfect comedy. The acting isn't brilliant or extraordinary, it never is if you ask me. The story is simple, and didn't take a lot of thought. At least I'd hope that it didn't take a lot of thought for something so basic. On the other hand, this motion picture is well crafted and makes a good time. It's a lot better than some of the other films this cast has been it, bet on that.

Ultimately, the message is not to be a crappy person or in the end, you'll get what you have coming to ya. It's cool to see the guys and girls make fun of the fact that they're in the group of people who aren't good enough for heaven. It's even better to see them make the best of the time they have left, and discover that nothing is stronger than friendship. 

In conclusion, I wasn't as impressed as I was hoping to be but, I still like it.

MAGIC MAGIC has no tricks up its sleeve

RATED- R

RUN TIME- 97 MINS

WRITER(S)- SEBASTIAN SILVA

STARRING- CATALINA SANDINO MORENO, AUGUSTIN SIVLA, AND LUIS DUBO

DIRECTOR- SEBASTIAN SILVA

Synopsis taken from IMDb

A naive young tourist's road trip across Chile with friends turns into a waking nightmare.

   

I literally came across this film out of the sheer fact that I had nothing to watch and was looking for a newer horror film. Instead of re-watching a DVD or Blu-Ray, I went with something I've never seen before. Mainly because I'm saving all of the films I own for my Halloween marathon in October, where I revisit all of the classics. Point is, I had no expectations going into this one. And as it turns out, that's a good thing...

Before I go into the film, here's a few things you should know about this film: it's actually based off of true events from an incident in Chile in 2010, that effected an Italian exchange student. And, this movie is now currently used frequently in both Psychology MS and Phd programs, where the students are faced with the task of evaluating Alicia and diagnosing her illness.

That being said, regardless of how much truth there is to this flick, I severely disliked it. The fact that nothing is explained is lame. Hell, they could have at least added captions at the end letting the viewer know exactly what the hell was going on. Even if they don't know what Alicia suffered from, they could have added a 'to this day, experts still haven't discovered what it was that had stricken Alicia'. But, there is nothing that let's us know that we're not wrong in feeling confused and lost.

If you read my work, then you know that I have no problem with films leaving a little mystery. But there's a difference in a little mystery and not knowing what the hell is going on. Or better yet, being so bored out of you mind that you don't even care. I literally waited through the whole movie, being tired from lack of anything going on, just to discover there isn't a payoff or decent ending. I walked away from this film very frustrated. And while it comes off as straight forward, I can't help but notice the artsy take on the whole thing, which is something else I disliked. 

Just long, drawn-out shots of nothing happening but stuff you don't understand because not a single effort is made to entertain you. Without knowing what Alicia suffered from, it would have been a nice twist to see the director and writer, Sebastian Silva, have his own interpretation of what he thinks occurred. Instead of leaving it completely open.

I guess the acting was decent, but still, it's nothing worth talking about. No one gave a great performance that is something I can compliment this motion picture for. Michael Cera played a very feminine male, who was as weird as Alicia. I was especially disappointed with his acting, because one of the main reasons I wanted to see this is because I was intrigued to see how he takes on a serious role. Maybe he would have done better if the cinema in which he's acting actually held some water? Doesn't matter, totally forgetful performances, even if it is a step above a SyFy channel movie.

As it played and played, and I remained tortured for the duration, I looked down thinking that something was going to happen because it only had 25 minutes left before it ended. And all that's happened up until that point was senseless idiocy, like running around barking like a dog and sniffing people's asses. Oh, and Alicia acting completely crazy while no one wanted to really help, other than merely saying "she needs to be medicated" or "she needs a doctor, she's not a bad person". Those quotes aren't exact, just saying. 

They do mention that there is a hospital five hours away but, that's no excuse for not helping her. Situations like this is where my inner Liam Neeson from 2005's "Batman Begins" arises, and I hear him say "Training is nothing, the will to act is everything!" And that's where I stand with this film. Driving five hours would have been a lot better than letting Alicia mentally deteriorate for days on end.

To conclude this, unless you're looking to be bored out of your skull and completely confused, avoid this film. I will say that I remain hopeful that Cera will do a serious role in a horror film again one day, and make it count. As is, I've got no reason to really like the guy as an actor, so I was expecting to be proven wrong. Or maybe I was hoping to be proven wrong. Either way you look at it, I wasn't. I was even less enthralled with how tiring and exhausting this movie is. 

I find this to be a complete and utter waste of time. And to think, I put off watching "Ghost Shark" for this one. At least I'd have been entertained with that one, even if it is in a bad way. I'd take being entertained at all over being bored to tears. 

Was it the hypnosis that got Alicia? Was it insomnia? Guess who has two thumbs and doesn't give a damn either way? This guy.

No offense to anyone involved in the real incident. My opinions are solely based off of this terrible film.