Matt & Jay's Favorite TV Shows of 2015

Matt here!

Well, as the year begins to wind down to a close, it's that time for Jay and I to pick our favorites for the past year! First, we each pick our favorite TV shows which either premiered or continued with much success in 2015!

Matt's Picks

Daredevil (Netflix)

Starting off its run of Marvel series, Netflix picked my favorite Marvel hero, Daredevil. Lawyer by day, vigilante by night, blind lawyer Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) uses his uncanny abilities -- to see using soundwaves -- to fight crime and bring justice to his neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen. This adaptation follows closely to Brian Michael Bendis' epic run on the comic -- the dark, grittier, more realistic tone -- as opposed to the current, flashier, swashbuckling, rollicking adventure which is currently being headed by Mark Waid. Netflix and the producers didn't waste any time throwing audiences into the major threat of Wilson Fisk a.k.a. Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio), Daredevil's main antagonist. What I love about Daredevil's comic as well as the series is he's not all flash and bang like Marvel's other major films. This series is more steeped in real day-to-day living and seems all the more realistic. But it's not all serious drama. Murdock's best friend and law partner, Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) is there to add some needed comedic support and their secretary Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) is there to bring in some light. I was extremely happy to hear the series got picked up for a second season and that there will be appearances by legendary Daredevil characters Elektra and The Punisher! 2016 is shaping up to be a great year in television!

The Flash (The CW)

Hands down, the BEST superhero adaptation on television! What started off as somewhat of a spinoff of The CW's preceding superhero series, Arrow, has now surpassed it to become one of the most entertaining series on TV! The show follows pretty closely to Flash comic book lore, and, even better, all of the characters are here! Unlike ABC's boring Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Flash delves deep into its universe full of heroes, villains, and -- even better -- introduced the concept of DC Comics' infinite earths this season! The first season was flawless as far as network television series go, with the acting, writing and production were all pulled off so brilliantly. I especially loved that the villain the producers used to initiate the series was one of the Flash's most deadly -- and one of the most underrated in comics -- the Reverse Flash! Now, in the current second season, not only does Flash have to fend off a bevy of his usual rogues gallery: Captain Cold (portrayed so damn well by Wentworth Miller), Heatwave, Weather Wizard, Golden Glider, Trickster (a nice Easter egg from the 1990 The Flash series, with Mark Hamill reprising his role!), Gorilla Grodd, King Shark and many more, but his main adversary is Zoom, another deadly foe. Lead actor Grant Gustin does a great job with portraying Barry Allen, capturing Allen's humor and unrelenting hope while also showcasing Allen's frustration of being a new hero. The dramatic moments on the show are even touching without getting pretentious and the show is a fun watch. This show is probably the one I look most forward to from week to week! I love the inclusion of Earth-2 characters (Jay Garrick!) and am looking forward to the emergence of Wally West! If there is one primetime network superhero series to devote your time to, The Flash beats all the rest.

Fresh Off the Boat (ABC)

Based on the book by Eddie Huang, who is currently a successful restauranteur, Fresh Off the Boat takes a beat from its successful predecessor, The Goldbergs (also on my list here), and takes place in the mid-1990s. The show is about the Huang family, who move from Washington, D.C. to Orlando, Florida, so patriarch Louis (Randall Park) can run his own successful steakhouse restaurant. Along for the ride are his wife, Jessica (Constance Wu); his oldest son, a laidback, yearning-to-be-cool rap fanatic, Eddie (Hudson Yang), the one who wrote the book upon which the series is based; his middle son, the nice, amicable "ladies man who respects the ladies," Emery (Forrest Wheeler); his youngest son, the super-smart, super-sweet Evan (Ian Chen); and Louis' mother, Grandma (Lucille Soong). The entire cast is funny, working off their character's own respective eccentricities, but it is Constance Wu's "tiger mom" Jessica who steals the show. I honestly don't know why Wu was neither nominated nor won an Emmy for best comedic actress, but she should've been given both this past award season! From the 90s fashion and rap music to the references to all of the pop culture of the time, Fresh Off the Boat is a hilarious series that isn't going off air anytime soon!

The Goldbergs (ABC)

If you grew up in the 1980s (whether as a teenager or kid), then The Goldbergs is essential viewing! Currently in its third season, The Goldbergs has taken what started as a show primarily about the youngest member of the family, Adam (Sean Giambrone), and has expanded its storylines to focus on the rest of the hilarious family members. The other two kids, Barry (Troy Gentile) and Erica (Hayley Orrantia) provide plenty of laughs, but it's the kids' (s)mother, Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey), who steals the show! Just like Fresh Off the Boat's Constance Wu, McLendon-Covey should have been nominated and won (over Wu) for best comedic actress in a series. The show continues to up its family love factor while still maintaining the comedic, shouting dialogue its known for. Plus, every 80s fad, toy, music, movie, and fashion is covered -- some even getting their own episode devoted to them (i.e., The Goonies episode, the Risky Business episode, the Ferris Bueller episode, etc.). While the show is still no Wonder Years (although there was a moment in the season two episode, "The Lost Boy," that comes close), it still has a heart all its own ... and it's funnier than a lot of other shows on TV right now.

Gotham (FOX)

FOX's prequel series, Gotham, which delves into the world of Gotham City back when Bruce Wayne/Batman was a kid and James Gordon was a new hire detective to the GCPD, started out a bit slow in its first season. However, halfway through that season and with the beginning of season two, it has upped its game tremendously. When subtitling the second season "Rise of the Villains," introducing Batman's major villains and some new ones, how can it not make good television!? The series perfectly captures the world of Gotham, a city which seems to be stuck in the past with its noir fashion and architecture, but has the contemporary technology. Especially impressive to the show is Robin Lord Taylor's portrayal of The Penguin. He takes a laughable comic book character and turns him into one of the most formidable of villains, making him both repulsive and sympathetic to audiences. What has been most cool to watch this current season has been the emergence of The Riddler and other various villains. DC Comics' television division has dominated the TV universe -- a feat Marvel Comics has yet to do -- masterfully balancing its use of the classic characters of Batman's world while also keeping the style more like a noir cop procedural. With the way the show's mid-season finale ended, I can't wait to see what the new year brings!

Grandfathered (FOX)

On paper, this series' premise seems somewhat ... played-out. And maybe it is. But, to me, there's something that just seems to work. John Stamos portrays Jimmy Martino, a successful womanizing restauranteur who finds out one random day that he's a father of a twenty-something son, Gerald (Josh Peck), who has a toddler daughter, making Jimmy an awestruck grandfather. There is no grand story arc to the show, just a man trying to retrofit his life to now include his new family -- including Gerald's mom, Sara (Paget Brewster), the only woman Jimmy's ever loved. Each week is a new experience for Jimmy and family but it's fun to watch and has a lot of heart.

Jessica Jones (Netflix)

The CW's The Flash may be the best comic book adaptation on TV -- especially network primetime -- but a very close second (almost a tie!) is Netflix's second installment of its Marvel Comics Defenders broadcasting, Jessica Jones! Taken from the very underrated, almost unknown Marvel comic, Jones stars Krysten Ritter as the titular character. I have to admit I was very wary of the casting of Ritter as the tough-as-nails private investigator since she is mostly known for the goofy female sidekick roles in most films and shows. But she has more than won me over with her portrayal of Jones! What I love most about the character is she is a formidable superhero with impressive powers, but chooses not to use them like her famous counterparts, The Avengers. In the comic, she used to be with The Avengers for a time and some of the big names even make appearances from time to time. But what her comic -- and story -- are truly about is her place in a noir detective world which just so happens to have run-ins with superheroes and villains from time to time. To me, Netflix's Marvel series are the only good television Marvel is putting out. Their decision to make the main protagonist Kilgrave a.k.a. The Purple Man is genius! Kilgrave is a major villain in Daredevil's comic book world and I've always believed him to be one of the most dangerous villains. Think about it. A man who can make anyone do anything just by speaking it? The shame of it all is that, in the comic, he's treated like somewhat of a joke. But the Netflix series took the true essence of that concept and ran with it in all the right directions, making his true power the kind of fear which is equal to that of a rapist! David Tennant's portrayal further exemplifies the actor's ease at making an evil character almost relatable. I also enjoyed the inclusion of Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor), who most don't know goes on to be Hellcat. While The Flash is bathed in light and hope, Jessica Jones explores more of the seedy underbelly, which is a testament to Marvel's Marvel Knights/MAX imprint run of comics (Daredevil, Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Punisher), which was a hit during its heyday in the early 2000s. The best thing about this series, though, is the cast, which is composed mostly of women -- strong, smart, confident. I can only hope that Netflix picks up another season like they did with its other hit, Daredevil!

Orange is the New Black (Netflix)

Netflix had a banner year with its programming and is quickly becoming a wonderful alternative to network television. Case in point is my final pick: Orange is the New Black, based on the book, which aired its third season this year. What made this season so much more impressive and enjoyable for me was the fact that the writers used most of its 13 episodes to move away from the show's protagonist, Piper (Taylor Schilling) -- my least favorite character in the show -- and instead explore the lives of the ensemble cast of inmates and how they landed in prison. The actresses who portray the inmates are all so well diversified and complex, plus the writers are damn good at their jobs, that you start to feel a comradeship with these women. This season you begin to root for them and every dramatic turn brings you all the more willingly into their world, with the end of the season delivering a satisfying emotional payoff. I'm not sure where the show will go from after the end of this past season, but if it's anything like season three, then audiences are in for more fascinating, emotional storytelling!

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)

By far one of the funniest shows with the sickest sense of humor, Netflix's comedy Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt follows a former cult follower, Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper), who is rescued along with her three other sister wives of cult leader Richard Wayne Gary Wayne. Upon her rescue, she decides to take her court settlement money and move to New York City to see what she's missed over the year since she's been in an underground shelter since the age of 14 and was told the outside world had suffered an apocalypse with her, her "sisters," and Wayne as the only remaining survivors. This may sound like some intense, gritty drama, but it's anything but. With SNL alumni Tina Fey as creator and producer, the show has too many jokes and dirty humor to take it too seriously. The series follows Schmidt as she tries to begin a life for herself with the help of her roommate, Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess), her landlady Lillian (Carol Kane), and her employer who she nannies for, Jacqueline Voorhees (Jane Krakowski). This show does not disappoint when it comes to laughs. And if you aren't singing the theme song by the end of the first episode, I'll have to highly question your taste in music! UnBREAKable! They alive, damnit!

The Walking Dead (AMC)

Every year, AMC's crown jewel series just gets better and better! In season five, I lost one of my favorite characters, then our favorite band of survivors has discovered a new secure community. If you're asking, Shouldn't they just stay away from communities after what happened with the Governor's people, the hospital, and Terminus?, then you won't be surprised by Rick and company's wariness when they come to Alexandria. They come the closest to dying -- not from zombies -- but from basic needs, and it rocks each one of their personal worlds. So much so that Rick (Andrew Lincoln) slowly begins to become similar to one of the cold, heartless scavengers he's encountered in past seasons. The way the fifth season came to its finale was so well-executed, also bringing back fan favorite Morgan (Lennie James). When season six came on the new threat came in the form of the mysterious attackers known as the Wolves. The Walking Dead continues to lead the way in terms of writing, acting and production! If you don't watch the show simply because "it has zombies in it," then you're truly missing out on one of the best dramas currently on TV, as well as ever!

Jay here!

Wow, another great year in television. Compared to what the movie theaters have been offering recently I think I can confidently say that the small screen is the medium to gravitate towards if you are looking for smart and well-produced storytelling that is also entertaining. This was a tough list to make, and there are at least three shows on Matt's list that I could have included on mine (Daredevil, The Flash, The Walking Dead, and Jessica Jones) but I will only carry two of those over. Each of these shows I list below exemplified the best of what I found on television or streaming.

The Walking Dead (AMC)

AMC's zombie apocalypse mega-hit just keeps getting better. After surviving the gang of cannibals at Terminus, our survivors, led by Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) travel north to Virginia and happen upon the residents of Alexandria. The people here have made a life behind giant walls they have erected in order to keep the walkers (and anyone else with bad intentions) out. Doing this, while providing them with safety, has made them soft to the dangers of the wilderness beyond. One of the things I liked the most about this past season is how it really highlights how much these characters have changed since the world collapsed. Rick in many ways is becoming more and more like the Govenor (David Morrisey), a man he clashed with three seasons ago. And then there is Carol (Melissa McBride), one of my favorite characters, a woman who, after living through the death of an abusive husband and the tragic death of her daughter, is nearly unrecognizable from the person she used to be. The Walking Dead continues to be one of the most popular shows on cable. It does this by continuing to make smart choices with its main characters and how they change from season after season.

Game of Thrones (HBO)

Even though it was probably its weakest season since number two, Game of Thrones still managed to have some of my favorite moments on television. Did it deserve its Emmy for this season. Maybe not, but, it was due to get recognized. Season 5 was significant mostly for the fact that it finally caught up to the events in George R. R. Martin's popular novels on which the show is based. This means for the many fans of the books who have been watching the show, knowing mostly everything that is about to happen, now see it with new eyes, unburdened by omniscience. For me, it is exciting and disappointing all at once. Disappointing because, like a lot of readers, I would prefer to read the further chronicles of Westeros than see them on the screen. Season 5 had many epic moments, though, There was the entire episode "Hardhome", which may have been the best single hour of television this year. Also, who can forget seeing Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) and Daenerys Targaryen  (Emilia Clarke) meet for the first time? It was a season of highs an lows, but Game of Thrones is still setting the benchmark for what TV is capable of when given the budget to spread its (dragon-like) wings.

Jessica Jones (Netflix)

I don't have a whole lot to add to what Matt wrote above about this second in a series of Marvel shows to stream on Netflix. What elevated it for me was how it played expertly with the notion of control in a relationship and the deep, psychological wounds that can be imprinted on a woman who has been a victim of a warped form of domestic violence. Even if that woman has amazing superpowers. Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) is a new feminist heroine for a new generation of comic book lovers and her tormenter, Kilgrave (played with devilish glee by Doctor Who alum, David Tennant) is a villain who truly creates some memorably terrifying moments. It may seem like lofty praise, but Kilgrave may the very best comic villain realized on screen since Heath Ledger's Joker in 2008's The Dark Knight. Here is a man who isn't interested in using his powers to conquer the world or enslave the human race. No, his only purpose is to serve his own narcissistic desires. His power to make anyone do anything he says, metaphors aside, lend to so many creative ways to make trouble for Jessica and her friends. This is Marvel's darkest story yet and it benefits from how unafraid it is to tackle complex themes while also being a kick-ass superhero series.

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)

Probably the most depressing pop culture moment for me in 2015 was the departure of Jon Sewart from The Daily Show. The influence Stewart as had on political comedy cannot be overstated. Thankfully, we have someone like John Oliver, himself a Daily Show alum, to pick up the torch and run with it in his fantastic HBO show. This second season had Olvier tackling many important, yet often overlooked issues like paid family leave, the Canadian elections, and corruption at FIFA. Other notable accomplishments for the British comedian include getting into a Twitter war with the President of Equador, starting his own Evangelical, tax-dodging church with fake wife Wanda-Jo (Rachel Dratsch) or making a soap opera about Syrian refugees. Currently, this is the funniest current events satire on TV.

Master of None (Netflix)

Aziz Ansari's semi-autobiographic series was the best sitcom of the year for me. Taking place over the course of ten half hour episodes, Master of None is the perfect show to binge watch on that rainy day you've got nothing to do. Ansari plays Dev, a struggling actor living in New York City. We follow Dev as he meets Rachel (former SNL alum, Noel Wells) and settles into an uneasy commitment with her. Also, there's Dev's parents (played by Aziz's real-life mom and dad), who were Indian immigrants that tried to instill traditional values. What I loved about Master of None was how much heart it had. I never really saw the warmer side of Ansari before and now I am glad I did. Besides of all that it is frickin' hysterical with plenty of laughs.

             

The Americans (FX)

If you aren't watching The Americans then I can't help you, because you are willfully choosing to miss out on one of the best dramas on television. Now heading into its fourth season, this engrossing series chronicles the day-to-day life of two married Soviet sleeper spies living in the suburbs of Washington D.C. in the early 1980's. Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Phillip Jennings (Matthew Rhys) never met and fell in love. They were matched by their Russian superiors to be the quintessential couple of Reagan's America. They had two kids and somehow have pieced together a life while taking on ridiculously dangerous missions for the motherland. In its third season, the show finally tackled the problem of the Jennings having to reveal to their older daughter, Paige (Holly Taylor), the truth about their past and dedication to the communist cause. The Americans is show hat just keeps getting better and better. Russell and Rhys are both outstanding in it and I like how it presents with a unique twist on the family dynamic and how espionage can ..... complicate things.

Mr. Robot (USA)

Who knew the USA Network had this one in them? This was absolutely one of the most compelling and exciting shows I've seen in a while. Rami Malek is fantastic as vigilante hacker, Elliot Anderson. By night, he makes life very difficult for some very bad people, by day he is a simple programmer at prominent cyber-security firm. Things get inter posting when Mr. Robot (Christian Slater) the leader of a anarchist group called "fsociety" recruits Elliot to help them pull off the greatest hack off all time by taking down one of the world's biggest conglomerates, E Corp. What makes Mr. Robot so great, though, has more to do with anti-social and borderline schizophrenic tendencies of Elliot. By the time the first season is done there are multiple plot twists and surprises you don't see coming. It's show that is constantly surprising you. Malek is so good in this show. He plays a character that in many ways mirrors the disconnection from society that many feel today. I also like how this series confronts our reliance on a corrupt financial system, and gives us a flawed young man who is willing to shake it up for good.

Fargo (FX)

"Erstwhile on Fargo....."

My favorite show of year is Noah Hawley's brilliant homage to the Coen Brothers' Academy Award winning 1996 film, Fargo. The first season was close to perfection and the recently finished second season was even better. If you were a fan of Breaking Bad and its style of violence mixed with dark comedy than this is the show for you. Taking place in the year 1979, the second season of Fargo chronicles the war between the venerable Gherhardts, the most powerful crime family in the northern Midwest, and the Kansas City mafia, who want to take control of the former's vast trucking businesses. Throw in a likeable, small town cop (Patrick Wilson), a UFO and an eccentric married couple (Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemmons) who find themselves tangled up in these violent affairs and you've got a recipe for darkly comic fun. I have to give special recognition to Bokeem Woodbine as Kansas City mob enforcer, Mike Milligan. He gives one of the best performances of the year in a truly fantastic role. Between the carefully selected music, the Brian De Palma inspired editing and expertly written dialogue that rivals the Coens themselves, there is nothing as good as Fargo on TV right now.

Matt Reviews "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" (Spoiler-Free)

First off, let me say, I will not be giving any spoilers in this review. And that is a difficult thing to do because my enthusiasm for this film is so immense that I simply want to gush about all of my favorite parts! That being said, I will say Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is what us fans have been waiting for ever since that screen went black on our favorite original heroes, giving way to the blue end credits back in 1983.

I will honestly say there is a certain familiarity to The Force Awakens. Its overall blueprint somewhat correlates with the original Star Wars (A New Hope). Now, before any of you diehards roll your eyes out of annoyance, hear me out. There are three or four particular plot points which us fans have seen before, but these points are in no way annoying, unimaginative, or not fun! I have to say that I honestly mapped – and figured – out some of the major plot twists and intricacies soon after Harrison Ford’s Han Solo graced the screen, but it stole no enjoyment from me for this film (Jay and I will have to a have a spoiler-full discussion once he’s seen it)!

Daisy Ridley's Rey makes a hard living while dreaming of better days.

So, the film starts off with Resistance fighter Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) gaining the final piece of a map to find a legendary, mythic-like person. When the town he is visiting gets attacked by the villainous First Order, he stows the map away in his trusty android, BB-8, and sends him away. Sound familiar? If you think about it, it will. But that’s OK. Especially since what follows is a fun, adventurous, exciting, edge-of-your-seat film! No longer are moviegoers given long-winded discussions about trade federations, midi-chlorians (WTF?), or having to see Jar Jar Binks inadvertently sell the Senate – and freedom – away! The Force Awakens returns us to the action, fun, swashbuckling adventure we all got from the original but also has one hell of an emotional punch!

As for the new cast, they all do well. I have to admit I was a little wary of Isaac’s Poe at first, but he grew on me. John Boyega’s Finn is a great everyman, who is our guide through this chapter. And Daisy Ridley’s Rey is EVERYthing I’d hope she’d be! The way her journey is written and portrayed is so damn cool! Twenty minutes from the end of the film, I was hoping it would just go on and on all the way through to the end of the new trilogy. I just wanted it to keep going and going. The script by J.J. Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan (who originally wrote The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi), and Michael Arndt, seems to lay out a bit of its twists up front, but I have a feeling we’re in for much more in the next film (I’ve already made my guess!). Abrams’ directing is finely crafted and the film shows off that sometimes having a superfan direct can be a very good thing. John Williams’ score is still on-point and helps enhance all of the emotion and action us fans have come to expect and love (side note: it’s SO odd to not hear the classic 20^th Century Fox Fanfare before the blasting Star Wars theme). One of the best potentials of the film, though, is Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, who is not merely some basic, seemingly one-dimensional bad guy like how Darth Vader was first portrayed in Hope. Ren has layers of complexity and Driver does well with the character. One of my favorite scenes in the film is a confrontation between him and Rey, which has minimal dialogue.

Not the favorite scene of which I refer to, but still a damn good thrilling one: Rey meets Ren!

Is The Force Awakens one of the best Star Wars films? I almost hate to answer that question without having seen Episodes 8 or 9 yet. But, if I had to rank my favorites, so far, from best to least, it would have to be this:

1.  The Empire Strikes Back

2.  The Force Awakens

3.  A New Hope

4.  Return of the Jedi

5.  Revenge of the Sith

6.  Attack of the Clones

7.  The Phantom Menace

If the number two slot seems like a high spot to place it – and somewhat premature – I’d argue that it is also the exciting anticipation of the new trilogy which places it at such a spot. Calm down, you purists! Don’t get me wrong, Hope is still great – after all, it’s the original! But, let's be honest, Force has so much more going on (in a good way) in its story! Also, if some of you are wondering if this is OK for kids to watch, there’s definitely battles, non-bloody deaths (i.e., troopers getting shot and killed), and thrills, so I would say most kids 9 or older could be good with it. Or, if your kid(s) can watch A New Hope and be OK with it, then they'll be OK with The Force Awakens.

I will say The Force Awakens is easily one of the best films of the year! Its ending wraps up the main story but introduces a new edge-of-your-seat plotline, which, sadly, we have to wait until late May 2017 to see! I most likely will be seeing this film at least two more times before it leaves theaters. So, go! Enjoy! May the force be with you as you cherish the holidays by going to a galaxy far, far away. For this fan, it’s been well worth the wait!

Jay Picks the Best Horror/Comedies of All TIme

Jay here.

It's time for a new Halloween list in honor of my favorite holiday. This year I am taking a look at the best horror/comedies. Now, just to be clear, I id not consider any spoofs for this list, so even though I love Mel Brooks' 1974 masterpiece, Young Frankenstein, but it's not really an original horror flick but actually a spoof of the original 1931 Frankenstein starring Boris Karloff. There are also no scary movies that are unintentionally funny on this list. To be considered the movie had to be produced with the intention of being both funny and frightening. For example, the original Evil Dead was never supposed to be comical in any way, but gained a cult following from viewers who latched onto its campiness. Not gonna be on this list.

Here we go:

The Cabin in the Woods

Directed by Drew Goddard

Starring Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz and Jesse Williams

"Yes, you had "Zombies", But this is "Zombie Redneck Torture Family". Entirely separate thing. It's like the difference between an elephant and an elephant seal."

Working from an original script he co-wrote with Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods takes everything that is archetypal about the classic haunted-house-in-the-woods flick and plays with it to absurd lengths. Without spoiling too much, everything about this film seems unoriginal and formulaic until its revealed that things may not be what they seem. The final third of the movie is so awesome as our two remaining heroes uncover a secret about their predicament that makes this movie really special. It's a super clever send-up of all the clichés of the tried-and-true horror flick that manages to both surprise and make you laugh.

Gremlins

Directed by Joe Dante

Starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates and Corey Feldman

"You got-you gotta watch out for them foreigners cuz they plant gremlins in their machinery."

Ok, maybe this one is a stretch because many do not consider Gremlins to be a horror film, per se. But, when I saw this one for the first time as a kid there were certainly moments that qualify as frightening. What everyone should agree on, though, is that Joe Dante's quirky and eccentric take on the invading monster movie is both fun and clever. It also serves a metaphor for a common 80's paranoia for foreign domination of our economy. The mogwai and the gremlins themselves serve as representations of a reincarnated fear of eastern influence, primarily Japanese. Besides all of that, though, Gremlins is a smashing good time. It also has Phoebe Cates in it, which can never be a bad thing (see Fast Times at Ridgemont High if you don't believe me). Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that the 1990 sequel, Gremlins 2: A New Batch is a very underrated piece of crazy, anarchic fun.

An American Werewolf in London

Directed by John Landis

Starring David Naughton, Griffin Dunne and Jenny Agutter

"I will not be threatened by a walking meat loaf!"

You can't ignore John Landis's classic werewolf tale when making a list like this. It just melds the elements of horror, comedy and tragedy so effortlessly. When two friends are attacked by a werewolf when backpacking through the moors at night, one of them is killed and the other (David Naughton) is infected with a werewolf curse. This was a dream project for Landis who, it is said, wrote the story when he was 19. Naughton is so good in this and the creature effects by Rick Baker are legendary in the annals of the medium.

Army of Darkness

Directed by Sam Raimi

Starring Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, Marcus Gilbert and Ian Abercrombie

"Good? Bad? I'm the guy with the gun."

Sam Raimi is so good at this that he appears on this list twice, but more on that later. Of all the films I have chosen, Army of Darkness is the most quotable. It seriously has so many unforgettably great one-liners, all uttered by Bruce Campbell in his career-defining role of Ash Williams, that it was difficult to just pick one to head this blurb about the movie. "Hey, She-Bitch . . . . . let's go." "This is my boomstick!" "Give me some sugar, baby" "That's just what we call pillow-talk, baby". "First you wanna kill me, then you wanna kiss me . . . . blow." I couldn't resist. It's a masterclass in buffoonery, put on by one of the greatest cult actors of our time. The plot is vanilla, picking up right where Evil Dead 2 left off, with Ash finding himself marooned in medieval times, trying to find the Necronomicon that can return him to his own time. In order to get the book he will have to take on a literal army of Deadites to hilarious effect.

Dead Alive (Braindead)

Directed by Peter Jackson

Starring Timothy Balme, Diana Penalver, Elizabeth Moody and Ian Watkin

"I kick ass for the Lord!!!"

This may be the goriest movie of all time. There are times it is so gross that you think it couldn't possibly go further than it has and in the next scene it surpasses itself. When his mother (Elizabeth Moody) is infected by a strange virus that is passed on by a Sumatran monkey, young Lionel (Timothy Balme) does everything he can to hide her hideous transformation from everyone. But it isn't long before she is a zombie and turning others as well. His solution? Hide them all in his basement. It isn't the best plan, and soon he has a zombie baby on his hands. If all of this sounds ridiculous, it is. But under the expert direction of a then unknown, Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy), Dead Alive is horror taken to the height of absurdity and then beyond. Any film that has a kung-fu master Catholic priest who takes on a horde of the undead with his fists is gonna get my attention.

They Live

Directed by John Carpenter

Starring Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster and Peter Jason

"I came here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."

More of a satire then broad comedy, what I consider John Carpenter's last great film also finds time for camp. The late Roddy Piper is actually pretty good in a role that was written for longtime Carpenter collaborator, Kurt Russell. Piper is a drifter who happens upon an underground movement that has developed sunglasses that allow the wearer to see that a vast percentage of the human populace are actually aliens who have subliminally subjugated us through mass consumerism. At first one might easily write They Live off as B-movie fare, but this is easily one of Carpenter's most overtly social conscious pictures. Its also a lot of fun, especially the epic slugfest between Piper and Keith David as the former desperately tries to get the latter to try on the sunglasses and see the truth that he has seen.

Shaun of the Dead

Directed by Edgar Wright

Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis and Dylan Moran

"Look, I don't care what the telly says, all right? We HAVE to get out of here. If we don't they'll tear us to pieces, and that is really going to exacerbate things for all of us."

Edgar Wright burst onto the scene with this British cult classic that happened to, along with a few other films like Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, jumpstart the zombie movie genre. Shaun (Simon Pegg) is a lovable loafer who has no ambition in life, other to hang out with his best friend, Ed (Nick Frost) and go to the local pub. That may be why his girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield), decides to dump him. And to make matters worse, a zombie apocalypse breaks out. The only thing Shaun can do is prove his worth to Liz by racing to rescue her and her friends from certain death. Shaun of the Dead is non-stop entertainment from beginning to end, but its also got a warm heart. It takes the cliché rom-com trope of the placing the guy who can't get it together and makes him the hero he always dreamed of being. Brilliant movie!

Evil Dead 2

Starring Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry and Dan Hicks

"Gimme back my hand... GIMME BACK MY HAND!!!!!"

This is it. The pinnacle of this niche genre and the perfect melding of horror, gore, camp, and comedy. In 1987 Sam Raimi released the sequel to his surprisingly successful first Evil Dead and people were surprised when they were given not a sequel at all, but essentially a remake. But, not just any remake, Raimi would decide to create a balls-to-the-wall send-up of the previous Evil Dead with star, Bruce Campbell creating a character that would endure for decades. Ash Williams is a truly iconic character that Campbell plays to hilarious perfection. Alone for the first half of the movie, Ash is attacked by an invading spirit looking to possess his soul. When it eventually infects his hand we are given one the single greatest moments of physical comedy ever on film as our hero literally battles his own hand.

It's clear that Raimi was having a blast making this movie. The inventiveness of the camera movements, insane zooms and tracking shots are now legendary among those who find such stuff impressive. The movie mixed practical effects with stop motion effortlessly and while many may call its look dated, for me, watching it again tonight for the first time in years I was reminded how ingenious it was. Evil Dead 2 will make you laugh out loud one moment and then grow squeamish the next. It's outrageous fun if you don't mind the violence, and it lets Bruce Campbell create a fantastically ridiculous character. Look for him and Raimi to return to the series that made their careers in Starz's new series, Ash vs. Evil Dead, which premiers tonight.

Happy Halloween!!

Jay Reviews Scott Cooper's "Black Mass"

Jay here.

I first heard about James "Whitey" Bulger not long after I moved to Boston in the summer of 1998. He was a mythic figure to the natives of the city and I was instantly intrigued by the stories about his notorious reign as one of the most feared crime lords in not only the northeast but in the entire country. By the time I moved into a small apartment on Park Dr. in the Fens, Bulger had already been missing and on the FBI's Most Wanted list for several years. The common consensus was that he was probably on the other side of the world by now and he would never been seen again.

The story of his rise from small-time South Boston hood into the leader of the infamous Winter Hill Gang is brilliantly documented in Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neil's book, Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, the FBI and a Devil's Deal.  It chronicles his "unholy" alliance with the FBI as a confidential informant. Bulger would supply the government critical info on the operations of his chief rivals, the Italian Mafia in the city's North End, while his handlers turned a blind eye to his dealings. The main FBI investigator who would architect the deal with Whitey was John Connolly, a childhood friend of his younger brother, Billy. Connelly idolized the mobster and offered to "look the other way" if Bulger would inform on the Italians and help his career in the Bureau. It worked for over a decade as the Winter Hill Gang rose to prominence in Boston and Connolly was promoted through the ranks.

I got to see Scott Cooper's (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace) film adaptation of Lehr and O'Neil's book, Black Mass, and overall I would call it a mixed bag. An ok crime thriller, yes, but not able to stand alongside some of the great movies of the genre (Goodfellas, Casino, The Godfather Part 1 & 2 and Scarface), Cooper's film  feels often like it doesn't know if it wants to be a realistic account of Bulger's crimes and the men who helped him rise to power or an over-the-top caricature of an almost mythic figure.

Johnny Depp as notorious Boston mobster, James "Whitey" Bulger.

I know this might be an unpopular opinion, but the first and biggest mistake Cooper made was casting Johnny Depp as the main character. Don't get me wrong, I think Depp is a great actor. I think he makes questionable choices sometimes in an effort to expand his reputation as character actor, but he is a talented performer who has given us several truly great performances (Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Dead Man come to mind). His work as James Bulger here isn't necessarily bad. Unfortunately it is distorted by the effort to make him look just like the man by covering him with make-up, covering his head with a white receding hairline and giving him a highly distracting and somewhat disturbing pair of blue contact lenses.

The effect heightens Depp's performance to an absurd level that only serves to distract every time he is in a scene. He's creepy and I don't mean creepy in any realistic, scary gangster way. The best way I can describe it is to ask you to image a bunch of bad men standing around, ready to do bad things and all of the sudden their leader walks up and he's Hannibal Lecter. It felt a bit like Bela Lugosi was risen from the dead to play Bulger and he's still doing his best Dracula but with a Boston accent. I now he's getting lots of love for the supposed resurrection of a more subdued performance, but there was nothing toned down to it.

It's a shame too, because there are a lot of people doing solid work in supporting roles around Depp. Rory Cochrane (Dazed and Confused, Love a .45) is fantastic as Bulger's right-hand-man, Steve Flemmi. Jesse Plemons (Creepy Todd in Breaking Bad) is also compelling as Bulger muscle, Kevin Weeks. There is also some really strong performances from women in Black Mass. Dakota Johnson, as Bulger's "Baby Mama" and Julianne Nicholson as Connolly's wife, Marianne. Unfortunately, Cooper's film places the women in very limited roles as this is a man's world of violence and corruption and they represent collateral damage.

Bulger is behind the wheel  with his most trusted partner, Steve Flemmi (Rory Cochrane).

Joel Edgerton does as much as he can playing John Connolly, the corrupt FBI agent who protected Whitey for years. But his story suffers too because this is a film that can't seem to decide if it wants to be about him or Bulger. Edgerton has just as much screen time as Depp and the narrative suffers from it. There's not enough time to do a deep dive into what drove these two men and the movie wants to accomplish that with a limited amount of time. The result is uneven and leaves us with a picture that doesn't have a real identity and is hampered by Depp's distracting look.

If you really want to watch a compelling film on the crimes of Whitey Bulger and his alliance with the FBI check out Joe Berlinger's documentary, Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger. It's streaming on Netflix. Wait to watch Black Mass when it's on TV.

Jay Reviews Marielle Heller's "Diary of a Teenage Girl"

Jay here.

It's been a while since I've written anything, it must be said. Lots going on in Jay's life right now with a baby on the way. Also, it must be said, I haven't found a whole lot to write about. The summer at the cinema has been mostly a dud for me. Besides the brilliance of Mad Max: Fury Road and a solid Avengers sequel what was worth the price of admission? I'm sorry, but Jurassic World, while not an awful movie, certainly did not deserve its gluttonous box office return.

I did just see a film that certainly warrants the praise it is getting, though. It's Marielle Heller's directorial debut, Diary of a Teenage Girl. Based on the novel by Phoebe Gloeckner, the film documents the adolescent travails of one Minne Goetze, played with astounding naturalism by British actress, Bel Powley. Minnie is 15 years old and in her first line of narration proudly proclaims to the viewer, "I had sex today".

Heller's film is a frank and brutally honest portrayal of a young girl's sexual awakening in 1970's San Francisco. She lives with a self-obsessed mother (Kristin Wiig) who drinks, snorts coke and parties in front of her daughter with regularity. Her mom is so narcissistic that she manages to overlook the fact that her loafer boyfriend, Monroe (Alexander Skaarsgard) has taken an unhealthy interest in her daughter. Minnie, herself, welcomes the attention. She is obsessed with Monroe and spends most of the movie in a hormonal pursuit of his affection.

Minnie (Bel Powley) has eyes for her mom's boyfriend, Monroe (Alexander Skaarsgard).

 

Don't be fooled, though, Minnie is not just some two-dimensional teen character, out to get laid. She's a multi-layered character, struggling with a multitude of issues. Intimacy, identity and loneliness. And despite the many questionable decisions she is making throughout the film, it all feels like a desperate search for self, rather than an adolescent romp. Most of her deepest thoughts and feelings play out through her art. She's a budding cartoonist who idolizes the work of Aline Kominsky, the famous comic artist who was also the paramour of R. Crumb. The film uses animation liberally to bring Minnie's drawings to life, and the effect adds a great deal. These surrealistic moments give us glimpses into the inner life a young girl on the verge of womanhood.



Minnie discovers the comics of Aline Kominsky

Despite the very adult things that Minnie is doing, she is still very much a child. But Heller is not presenting us with a film that asks us to judge her heroine, or any other character in it. That is not what this movie is about. Presenting Minnie's story in a darkly comical way makes the story seem more real and true. Powley is a revelation here, and quite frankly gives us the best female performance of the year so far. She has a magnetic screen presence and despite the fact she was 23 when the film was shot, she is entirely believable as a 15 year old.

Diary of a Teenage Girl is one of my favorite movies of 2015 so far but it may not be for everyone. It deals with teenage sex in a very frank manner, but not in any way that is cheap or gratuitous. If you have a problem with this sort of subject matter then I'd stay away. But, if you can get past of all that and see this film for what it really is, then you shouldn't miss it. One girl's rocky quest to find a truth that many of us take years to find.  

Before you can really love anyone, maybe it's more important to love yourself.

 

Matt Reviews "Go Set A Watchman"

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird – to many, a junior high/high school mandatory read – changed my life. I’m not the only one who could say that with no ounce of pretentiousness. For some, the character of Atticus Finch is seen as a father figure, for others an inspiration for getting into law and making the world a better place, to legally fight the inequalities of life. Finch has been on many a list of people’s greatest characters of all time (Jay and I both placed him on our respective Best Movie Dads) and this is mostly due to his silver screen portrayal by the legendary, all-around wonderful human being Gregory Peck in the 1962 film version. 

For me, Finch and his ilk in Mockingbird said many deep, philosophical things without sounding deep and philosophical, but rather more simplistic, realistic speak with which almost anyone could search for meaning. I use Mockingbird quotes to get me through dealing with tough times -- and people -- as well as trying to become a better person. I use Mockingbird quotes to try and make sense of a world that was just as convoluted as it was back in the 1930s setting of the story and 1950s reality of which time the story was written. Mockingbird has not just hope but gritty reality. Mostly, it has hope and that has made it – and its Southern charm, elegant prose – the enduring classic for which it is known.

It’s only been six days since the release of Lee’s much-anticipated novel, Go Set A Watchman, the sequel to her legendary Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, and I finished it in three days. First off, I will quickly get out of the way the known facts of how the novel came together. When Harper Lee originally wrote Watchman back in the late 1950s, she had included flashbacks to her main character’s – Jean Louise Finch’s – childhood. Her editor read the manuscript and enjoyed the flashbacks so much, he gave her the idea of focusing on Jean Louise’s, or as we know her, Scout’s, childhood. So Lee took a few of the flashbacks out of Watchman, inserted them into her new manuscript – originally entitled Atticus Finch – and ran with it. The manuscript eventually became Mockingbird and Lee’s whirlwind entry into literary fame. What was eventually found soon after Lee’s protective, attorney sister, Alice, passed away in late 2014, was the original manuscript of Watchman (without the scenes which were eventually added to Mockingbird), and it was released last week with Lee’s blessing.

Now, on to the good stuff. I will keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, so don’t fret. Watchman, which takes its name from the Bible verse Isaiah 21:6, focuses on Scout once again, although, this time, Scout goes by Jean Louise and she is now twenty-six-years-old and no longer a permanent resident of the Alabama township of Maycomb, but now a New Yorker. The story begins with Jean Louise returning to Maycomb via train, and we are given a history of her native land and its people (more so than in Mockingbird) as well as the joyous news that she is somewhat engaged to her childhood friend Henry “Hank” Clinton (no, not Dill!). The major difference with the story is that, whereas Mockingbird was written from the perspective of six-year-old Scout, Watchman is told from a third-person perspective. However, sometimes, not very often, Lee slips and the narration, without warning or noticeable change in font, switches to Jean Louise’s thoughts. This is further proof that the original story of Watchman was to be told in third-person, and either Lee or her editor made the decision to have Mockingbird told from Scout’s perspective. Most readers may not like the third person narration and prefer the Scout’s first-person voice as they feel more connected to the character. To argue first person versus third person in terms of which is better is an age-old argument in the literary world and I won’t get in to it here. All I will say in terms of the narration is that Lee’s distinct voice is still a heavy presence in Watchman.

The endearing characters from Mockingbird are mostly all here, whether by a simple mention of name or a heavy presence: Atticus, Jem, Dill, Calpurnia, Aunt Alexandra, Uncle Jack, as well as Zeebo, Judge Taylor, a nameless mention of Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell, and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it mention of Miss Maudie Atkinson. Whereas Aunt Alexandra and Uncle Jack had somewhat smaller roles in Mockingbird, their roles here are much more significant and the reader gets to know more of their personalities, even if those personalities may have somewhat changed over the past twenty years. There are also some flashbacks to Scout’s adolescence still intact, but they are the clichéd tales of growing pains (i.e., feeling the need to wear falsies), albeit told with Lee’s wit. One can tell Lee wrote this at the same time she wrote Mockingbird as all of the character’s mannerisms, description (although they are twenty years older), and ways of talking are the same.

The book started a bit slow to me as I wasn’t quite interested in the town’s history, but by chapter eight, the story and the bulk of the plot are revealed. The first seven chapters were still a quick, easy read and once the story picked up, Lee’s prose, speeches and situations made the book impossible to put down. Ultimately, Watchman is a coming-of-age tale about a young woman coming home to her small hometown to find that those she turned to for moral inspiration and support are not who she thought they were. It’s about growing up to find out that your parents are human, they make mistakes, and they may not have the same set of ideals as you. Lee’s Jean Louise/Scout is rudely awakened to find that her father is not the man she thought him to be and that her town – a place she is half in love with and half despises – has become a faraway place in terms of who she now is as a person. Anyone who has ever had the same feeling as Scout, having drastically differing views than those of their parent(s) or guardian(s) and/or discovering their parent(s) is not who they thought they were, will most likely be deeply affected by this story. Watchman is the death of a hero … but it is a necessary death. I found myself feeling exactly the way Jean Louise feels throughout most of the last two-thirds of the book, trying her best to ignore the wretched truth of which cannot be ignored. What she speaks is what I have felt in my own personal experiences.

The issue of racial equality is still front-and-center of Jean Louise’s journey as it becomes the catalyst for her adversity with her family and most of Maycomb. What most people want to know is whether Atticus – a strong, moral pillar of a man – is racist in Watchman. Well … yes and no. On its face, he has racist views. Ones not expressed at all in Mockingbird. There is no explanation why or how he came to change, but I believe that is simply what happened to him. He changed. People do that, after all. Atheists can become Christians. Christians can become atheists. Democrats can become Republicans. Republicans can become Democrats. People can switch their favorite sports team or favorite ice cream flavor. It happens all the time during our lives. And there is no exception in the lives of a literary character; that is what's real. Let’s also remember that this story does take place in the South in the late 1950s during the big segregation battle. Nevertheless, above all, Atticus still believes in the law. And he believes the law should service everyone equally, no matter their race. The tragic sting of having an inspirational character revealed to actually be everything you thought they would never be is heartbreaking. No one takes that sting to heart more than Jean Louise and the reader is easily transformed into her and joins her on her journey through Lee’s writing. My only criticism to Lee’s tome is that there is one prevalent line Atticus says in Mockingbird which would completely contradict his own moral character and make him a hypocrite in Watchman (HINT: The line begins, "As you grow older, you'll see white men ..."). Again, even though Jean Louise calls out Atticus’s hypocritical ways here, all one can chalk up his drastic change to is time – time and change of beliefs.

I believe Watchman came along at just the right time. With many debates and outrage today regarding race relations, the NAACP, racially-motivated shootings, and the “true” basis for the Civil War (which could parallel to the creation of the Confederate flag) – all of which are addressed in Watchman – Lee’s 1950s-penned story is uncannily apropos to today’s racial issues. While there is no absolution to such issues within Watchman’s pages, Lee continues the good fight and it is felt through Jean Louise. What is great about Lee’s story is also her ability to not be entirely one-sided. She touches on both sides of the issue with a level head and plenty of respect … even when her characters are freaking out. When a character is dancing around an issue, the reader will feel just as frustrated as Jean Louise and want a flat-out answer. Lee’s characters dance to their own music and answer life’s – and Jean Louise’s – questions in their own melodic ways. It is this which gives them credibility and life.

But there is more going on than just racial issues. There is the issue of a girl who held her father in such high esteem seeing a side of him that she didn’t believe existed or could never exist. That is what lies at the heart of Watchman. It’s about making peace with what you cannot control, learning the true meaning of tolerance of others who are different than you lest you turn into the very thing you claim to despise – a lesson many people on both sides of any issue or political party must learn if we are to grow as a country united – and being true to yourself. My personal take on the ending was that it was very cathartic for me. I related to SO much of what Jean Louise was experiencing, saying and feeling – not so much because of racial beliefs (although I do believe in the equality she does), but more about being different and seeing things differently than a seeming majority. While the story may seem a tad darker thematically than its predecessor, and the story somewhat lulls at the beginning, I believe Harper Lee’s unearthed story still contains what made Mockingbird so beloved. The ultimate message which Jean Louise learns from the most unlikely source near the end is inspiring and endearing and full of hope, yet also delicately, with great understanding, shows any reader the opposite side of their own belief. It was those feelings which permeated me as I closed the final page on Go Set A Watchman – and as Ms. Lee is famously quoted as saying, “The book to read is not the one that thinks for you but the one which makes you think.” Doesn’t that, after all, make for a successful, effective piece of literature? I reckon it does.