Contracted (2013) (DVD)

Posted on March 30, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

You can definitely look at director Eric England’s horror drama in two plains. You can either watch it as a gory tale of a woman rotting gradually in to something beyond herself, or you can look at it as a metaphorical tale of a woman rotting in to the ugly being she’s probably always been her entire life. When you cut it down, the character Samantha is the protagonist, but never really is an empathetic individual. She’s this lecherous, vapid, and utterly narrow minded being who does nothing but ride on people’s good will and expects big returns. That’s not to say she deserves what is coming to her, but who’s to say her final transformation isn’t what she’s been her entire life?

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Camp Nowhere (1994)

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

The kids romp “Camp Nowhere” is yet another of the many “Home Alone” clones of the nineties that provides us with kids smarter than actual working adults that happen in to a situation both extraordinary and fantastic. What kid wouldn’t want to make their own summer camp and do what they want rather than stick to schedules, structure and physical activities? “Camp Nowhere” works mainly as a film you have to suspend disbelief for, if only because it’s hard to believe any of these adults could be fooled by children. But then in the nineties every kid was at least ten times smarter than any adult, and they knew their way around the world.

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Captain Phillips (2013)

Posted on February 1, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

One thing that director Paul Greengrass seems intent on exploring is that “Captain Phillips” by no means turns in to “Air Force One.” Tom Hanks as Captain Phillips doesn’t fight people, he doesn’t gain the ability to operate hand guns, and there isn’t a catchy one liners he spouts at his Samalian kidnappers. Captain Phillips is first and foremost a human being under very stressful conditions, doing whatever he can to keep his crew alive. Even if it means sacrificing himself. Tom Hanks gives one of the most amazing performances of his career, playing what is one of the most average men thrust in to a perilous situation.

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Cat People (1942)

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

Director Jacques Tourneur’s horror thriller is probably one of the most unique and menacing thrillers about a woman’s inherent ferocity and rage ever made. “Cat People” is filled to the brim with metaphor and symbolism, from the parallels of Simone Simon’s character Irena’s to a black panther stuck in a cage, right down to a kitten confined in a small paper box by Irena’s husband to be Oliver. After surprising her with the pet as a gift, the cat discovers that it hates Irena, and she it. More suitably though, the two aren’t kindly to being tied down and given to domestic masters.

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Carrie (2013)

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

If there’s anything I can say about the remake of “Carrie” is that it’s at least better than the 2002 version. It’s more focused and sleeker. I remember reading on many articles that director Kimberly Pierce was planning to deliver a new and dynamic version of Stephen King’s “Carrie” that differed greatly from Brian DePalma’s iconic horror masterpiece. I’d love to know what happened during the entire development of this film because watching it, all I saw were callbacks to the original DePalma movie. Surely, there’s the addition of the internet and a small riff on cyber bullying but it’s really just a riff on DePalma’s film.

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A Christmas Story (1983)

Posted on December 28, 2013 by Felix Vasquez

Though many consider “A Christmas Story” an ode to good old fashioned consumerism, director Bob Clark’s family film is much more about down to Earth themes. Who among us hasn’t wanted that great toy for Christmas that was out of our grasps? Every single person on Earth can empathize with the tale of Ralphie, a bespectacled young boy who wants the ultimate Christmas present. What makes “A Christmas Story” such a universal holiday film is that Ralphie is not a kid that expects his gift. He does everything it takes to earn his Red Ryder BB Gun, short of stealing it.

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Choosing Sides (2013)

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Felix Vasquez

Director Lee Loechler’s comedy short is a hilarious and beautifully acted statement about the lengths parents will go through to bring their child over to their religion. And not as a sense of best intentions, but only for personal victory. As someone who spent his entire life being lured to Catholicism through any means necessary by many, “Choosing Sides” is a hilarious commentary on that moment where some parents begin trying to bring their children over to their faith.

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