Terminator: Genysis (2015)

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

So this is it? This is the officially sanctioned sequel to the “Terminator” series? The sequel that says “Remember the first two movies you just saw? Well they don’t matter anymore. You wasted your time”? Because that’s what “Genysis” does. It wastes the audience’s time by creating an alternate alternate alternate timeline that doesn’t just erase the first two movies of the series, but completely muddles up the timeline even more than ever. I’m usually very good with timelines and can figure out convoluted storytelling most times, but “Genysis” gets so lost in a haze of over explanation and contradicting storylines that I just eventually gave up trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

Continue reading →

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014)

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

Much like anyone that grew up in the nineties, “Alexander and the Terrible Horrible…” was a childhood favorite. It’s a really good and funny book about bad luck and how we make our own. Surely Alexander looks like a boy who is perpetually cursed, but really if he hadn’t been so careless the night before, perhaps his day would have been better. My expectations for the film adaptation were slim, considering the book is only about thirty two pages long. Much like “Liar Liar,” the film is based on a slight touch of fantasy, and unfolds like a less menacing and violent “Three O’Clock High.”

Continue reading →

The First Step (2014)

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

Co-written and directed by Daniel Brown and Kate McMeans, “The First Step” displays what happens when you take simplicity and pair it with old fashioned scares. What you end up with is a damn good short horror film. I’d even venture to call “The First Step” terrifying but that’s mainly because I hate basements, attics, and old houses. But that’s my hang up.

Continue reading →

Teen Beach 2 (2015) (DVD)

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

I’m still not sure I enjoyed the way the movie just took us in to a time bending twist in the finale of “Teen Beach 2.” Surely it’s more female driven and based around empowerment by reversing the previous roles, but other than that it brings about more questions than answers, and left me completely baffled. By the way the internet has sparked since the premiere of “Teen Beach 2” I’m not alone in the judgment of how the movie just completely takes us in to a completely new direction. If Mack and Brady’s relationship depended on “Wet Side Story” why didn’t anyone else’s relationships remold?

Continue reading →

Haven (2014)

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

Michael Gabriele is a powerful director, and it’s proven by “Haven” where he films a beautiful vision of the apocalypse. Surely, it’s one that’s wrought with violence, and a disgusting death, but it’s also one that’s utterly mesmerizing. Some of the shots within “Haven” are magnificent, and he uses a lot of the settings to depict a desolate world where starvation is the order of the day.

Continue reading →

Ted 2 (2015)

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

Is it possible McFarlane must have handed the reins over to someone competent? Is it entirely possible McFarlane had someone with comic knowledge to guide him in to what it a superior sequel to an abysmal first film? “Ted 2” is surprisingly good. Much better than the first, and I say that as someone who genuinely dislikes McFarlane’s cheap excuse for comedy. Sure, “Ted 2” is still very much a McFarlane film with his personal stamps all over it, but it also manages a competent story and interesting characters. Hell I even cared about Ted this time around. I had rock bottom expectations for “Ted 2,” especially considering I loathe almost everything Seth McFarlane puts his hands on.

Continue reading →

Teen Beach 2 (2015)

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

As a Disney-phile, I have to admit that “Teen Beach Movie” was a great DCOM. It was also one of my favorite movies of 2013. It was fun, light, and had some genuinely great music. So it’s a shame to admit that “Teen Beach 2” is kind of a let down. Judged on its own merits it misses the point of its predecessor and rides off the rails in to its own new narrative. Not to mention it can be painfully convoluted, which doesn’t help when the original film was so simple. It’s been two months since the original movie, and Mack and Brady are going to school together. After enjoying the rest of the summer, they’re prepared for college but realize they’re on different wave lengths.

Continue reading →