Movie Review Monday: To Be Takei

Welcome to another awesome edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's movie is the recent documentary, To Be Takei, examining the life of the fascinating and one of a kind, George Takei.

For those uninitiated, George Takei played Sulu on the original Star Trek television series and subsequent movies. He has transformed over the years into an Asian American and LGBT icon through his tireless work to advocate for the rights of both groups, speaking from his personal experience in a Japanese internment camp as a child as well as his efforts to have his marriage recognized with his partner Brad.

This film is a small look into Takei's life, which is as busy as ever even though he doesn't do any major acting any more. He has numerous speaking gigs, signings, brief cameos, and produced the musical play Allegiance about Japanese internment which premiered a few years ago in California. People love George Takei and they support him wherever he goes, even in the digital realm where he has millions of fans from all over the world.

I enjoyed this look into George Takei's life. It feels very raw and real, and you see intimate glimpses into his and Brad's marriage as well as the authentic opinions of those around Takei. If you you're a Star Trek fan, you owe it to yourself to check this movie out. It's a light, fun, and unique treat and a fine way to honor an amazing man who is sure to be remembered for generations to come.

You can check out To Be Takei, streaming right now on Netflix!

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Top Movies I'm Looking Forward to in 2015

2015 is looking to be a standout year with some awesome big films on the horizon. While 2014 has its triumphs, the slate of movies coming down the pipeline have me really excited. Only time will tell if I still feel the same way this time next year, but for now, here is what I'm looking forward to this year in movies:

Avengers: Age of Ultron

This is pretty much a given. The two trailers we've gotten so far look amazing and I'm a big fan of what Marvel has been churning out lately with their movies and television offerings. Ant-Man has me curious but doesn't make the list since I have only seen the one trailer and have no basis for the character. Once some early reviews come in for that one I might come around but for now, Age of Ultron is going to be my big movie for the year that I know should be great.  If you haven't kept up with Marvel's movies and television shows, I recommend you catch up since this should be the movie event of the year!

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2

After seeing Part 1 this past fall, I am very eager to watch this final chapter. The previous movie did a good job of setting this one up for success and I have really gotten into the whole Hunger Games universe. It's an engaging, smart, mature story that is something good for young adults to explore. I haven't read the books so I don't know how it ends, but I have heard the ending isn't great so I'm curious to see if it is changed for the film at all. I didn't really expect to like this film series but after three solid movies, I'm hooked!

Inside Out

A new original concept from Pixar, Inside Out is about those emotional voices inside our heads and how we make decisions based off them. As many others also do I'm sure, I have loved pretty much all of Pixar's movies. The Toy Story movies, Up, and Wall-E, are some of my favorites of the bunch. This premise looks like it could be really good so I'm excited to check it out. I'm glad they're making some unique like this too, since something like Monsters University was good, but felt like a good concept was there that could have stood on its own without the Monsters Inc universe hovering over it.

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

While this one should be another given, I'm still cautiously optimistic about this one until I see a full trailer. The teaser did get me excited but we still don't know a lot about the movie or characters. I'm always stoked to head back into the Star Wars universe but this movie could end up not being able to live up to the high expectations it has just like the Prequel Trilogy, and perhaps now it has even higher stakes because of the lackluster former movies. It has to be amazing in order to reclaim all the lost faith in the franchise, it can't just be okay. We'll see what comes of this soon as we see more and learn more about the film.

Pitch Perfect 2

The first film was a breakaway success, especially amongst the college aged crowd I am privileged to serve everyday. I enjoyed it as well, as it was a fast, fun, and smart movie with a great cast. While comedy sequels have classically struggled, I am willing to give this one a chance. Anna Kendrick is always awesome and I have faith she can carry the movie through well. This may be the most shaky movie on the list but I really hope it is good!

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Movie Review Monday: Inequality for All

Welcome to another awesome edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's movie is the 2013 documentary, Inequality for All from former US Labor Secretary, Robert Reich.

I've seen Robert Reich on television often, on such programs as The Daily Show and other talking head news shows. I've always found him engaging and have thought what he has had to say is very relevant and quite spot on. This documentary captures his essence well and is worth a watch to get a good snapshot of where the American economy is at currently. Reich is able to explain things clearly and uses some good visuals to make the topic more palatable.

The documentary blends together Reich's classroom lectures, interviews, and clips from his life as Labor Secretary under President Clinton. We see a bit of a day in the life of Reich and learn about his story amidst the rest of the content. It is never too much and they make it all relevant to the topic at hand.

The economy is a complicatedly simple issue. It encompasses billions and trillions of dollars and millions of people but there are simple concepts that are proven to be necessary for an economy to thrive. Reich is able to simplify the complex and quantify everything so that you see both the big picture and the personal side of the plight of income inequality. I recommend this documentary to everyone, because we all have a stake in the American economy, and we should be informed about what has happened and what needs to happen next.

You can watch Inequality for All streaming right now on Netflix!

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Movie Review Monday: The One I Love

Welcome to another awesome edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film comes to us via Netflix and is 2013's The One I Love featuring Mark Duplass and Elizabeth Moss.

I was recommended this movie by a friend, as well as by the algorithms of Netflix so I figured it would be something I was interested in. It is a small, independent, unique, romantic comedy with some light sci-fi elements, so once I knew all that, I was in. However, after I was done watching this movie, I was very frustrated and let down. I will say as a precursor, it felt much the same way as when I finished Mr. Nobody. Still, this movie seemed to be confused about what it was and what it was trying to say, so in this muddled narrative, I think it lost a lot of its punch.

The basic premise is that Duplass and Moss (Ethan and Sophie respectively) are married and their relationship has hit a rough patch. They decide to go on a weekend retreat to a beautiful house away from the world to work out their problems. They soon realize, however, that the house is more than meets the eye. I actually would liken the strangeness of this movie to another Duplass movie, Safety Not Guaranteed, which in some ways is a far better movie. I don't want to spoil the movie, so I won't explain it any more than this, but the hook is an odd one when it is all said and done.

When I finished this movie, I had to immediately process it and find other theories of the movie's plot and what it all meant. I found some articles that shared my confusions and frustrations but also helped me understand the movie better (SPOILERS: here, here, and here). Some were a bit less contrarian to the film than I was, some even praising it for the ambiguity. They captured much of my thoughts better than I can articulate them and give some different perspectives, so I won't reiterate or repeat them. Definitely check them out after you watch the movie so you can process everything see some diverse perspectives on everything.

Nevertheless, this is a hard movie for me to recommend. It seems to fit the bill of all the types of things I like about movies as I mentioned before, especially random ones I find to stream. If you want a movie to think about and process, this can be a good one to check out. It's not too long and the pacing is good so it won't feel like a drag. I just feel like it might be a film to think about and dissect in the wrong way, since the point of it all seems unclear to me.

You can check out The One I Love streaming right now on Netflix.

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Movie Review Monthly: December 2014

Welcome to this monthly wrap up of my weekly movie reviews!

This (short) month had some original and classic movies available to stream instantly via Netflix. Each week I hope to bring you a fresh new review of a great movie in the Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime streaming library. Recommendations are always welcomed!

• Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
• Beginners
• Camp Takota

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Movie Review Monday: In a World...

Welcome to another awesome edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's movie is In a World...(2013) written, directed, and starring Lake Bell.

This is a small movie focusing on the politics of the movie trailer voice-over world. Bell's character, Carol, is a freelance voice coach, longing to go all in on the lucrative movie trailer narration business. Her father, Sam (played by Fred Melamed) is a once famous narrator with a big ego, and is training a protege, Gustav (played by Ken Marino), rather than his own daughter.

Carol is an "adorkable" protagonist who is passionate about what she does and just can't get into this male dominated world of voice-overs. The film follows her journey literally finding her voice and getting found for her own unique talents. I found the film to be very earnest, charming, light, and fun. Some great supporting comedic actors help give the story some legs, like Demetri Martin, Nick Offerman, Rob Corddry, and Michaela Watkins.

The movie also has an important point about role models and seeing people like us in the things we see and hear everyday. I just find it awesome for people to pursue what they're passionate about and inspire others to do the same along the way. This isn't the most dramatic or epic film to make a point  like this but it is a solidly enjoyable one.

You can check out In a World... streaming right now on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime!

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Movie Review Monday: Camp Takota

 Welcome to another awesome edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's movie comes to us from Netflix and is the YouTube star laden Camp Takota (2014). The film features Grace Helbig, Hannah Hart, and Mamrie Hart all of YouTube fame coming together for this adult coming of age tale.

Helbig stars as the lead, Elise Miller, who returns to her childhood summer retreat, the titular Camp Takota, after she loses her job and her fiance. It is not something she does willingly at first but she eventually finds herself at the camp, and helps some of her coworkers at the beloved campground along the way.

The movie is simple, fun, quirky, cute, and utilizes its stars well. Helbig and the Harts are playing slightly varied versions of themselves, so they are comfortable onscreen. While it isn't anything extraordinary, it's original and a fine first entry into what I assume will be more independent films from these folks in varied forms.

I'd recommend this movie for a casual, easygoing weekend viewing. While it's nothing special, it's a fine film with a nice vibe and positive message.

Check out Camp Takota's awesome site for some cool swag and behind the scenes stuff, and stream it right now on Netflix!

* PS: This will be my last movie review for the year, I'll be back on January 5th with more weekly movie reviews. Happy Holidays!

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Movie Review Monday: Beginners

Welcome to another awesome edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's movie comes to us via Netflix, and it is 2010's Beginners from writer/director Mike Mills, starring Ewan McGregor & Christopher Plummer.

The basic synopsis of the film is that Plummer plays McGregor's father, who at the age of 75, becomes terminally ill as well as comes out as gay to his son. Hal (Plummer) then seeks to makes the most of his final years, enlightening Oliver (McGregor) to some major life lessons and to reflect on his life growing up with his father and mother. This movie is a semi-autobiographical story for Mills, who father came out as gay after his mother died.

Beginners is an emotional, dry, slow, but poignant movie about who we decide to be in our lives. We see Oliver's life through disjointed flashbacks and learn of his father's life hiding his secret from his son until his final few years, where he could finally be himself. Hal then is able to enjoy this time to the fullest, never looking back and doing what makes him happy. Plummer's performance is fantastic, and quite worthy of the critical acclaim it garnered.

I had this movie recommended by a friend of mine and I never would have known of it or actually taken the time to see it if she hadn't put it forth. I'm doing that for you all now to check out this movie. It's worth your time and will make you think, as all good movies should.

You can check out Beginners, streaming right now on Netflix.

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Movie Review Monthly: November 2014

Welcome to this monthly wrap up of my weekly movie reviews!

This month had another wide array of unique movies available to stream instantly via Netflix. Each week I hope to bring you a fresh new review of a great movie in the Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime streaming library. Recommendations are always welcomed!

• Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
• From Dusk Till Dawn
• Total Recall
• Snowpiercer

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Movie Review Monday: Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

Welcome to another awesome edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's movie is the 1989 cult classic Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure starring Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, and George Carlin.

I remember hearing about this movie before but never really gave it much thought. I had no idea the quality of the film, and felt like it might be a so bad its good type of deal. Thankfully, while at moments cheesy, the movie is a simple, silly, fun time that has a certain charm to it.

The premise of the movie is that Bill and Ted travel through time meeting different historical figures in hopes of passing their high school history final exam. They encounter everyone from Napoleon, Joan of Arc, Genghis Khan, Socrates, and Abraham Lincoln. A fun part of the movie is when Bill and Ted bring all the notable historical figures to the present and we see them exploring a mall. Obviously hilarity ensues!

With the rumors swirling that there is possibly a sequel in the works (there was already one before as well as a short lived animated series), you owe it to yourself to check this movie out. It's great for a lazy weekend or for something not super dense to have to pay a lot of attention to whenever you to check out for a bit.

You can watch Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure right now streaming on Netflix!

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