Summer Movie See It or Skip It June Edition

 

I have gotten really behind on movie reviews so I figured I would just post a few quick recaps (also check out some of my best cinema inspired fashions for a night out at the movies!) of all the films I've seen since my last review (it's ALOT) so enjoy!

 

Poltergeist: They're here! Remake of the classic 80's horror film about a family who moves to a new home and don't exactly get the house warming they were expecting. Sam Rockwell stars as the dad who has lost his job and making the family downsize to a new location. Of course no one believes the children when they tell their parents there are things that go bump in the night. That is until the youngest daughter gets taken by some spirits that aren't too happy to have a house built on their burial ground. The family must bond together with the help of some paranormal scientists to get their little girl back. 

Basically an exact replica of the 1982 film, it offers some updated thrills and chills (that clown!).

See It or Skip It? If you are a horror film buff it's definitely worth a look. If you aren't, this is probably a skip it in theaters but check it out on DVD, Netflix, Cable situation. Or just watch the original film for a fun scare.

Check out the spooky trailer here!

 

 

Tomorrowland: The future is here and a lot closer than you think. You know the famous land at the Disney parks? Well, it turns out that is an actual reality and its up to George Clooney and newcomer Britt Robinson to take you there. Shout out to Hugh Laurie who nails his villain role and the special effects are amazing.

 

See It or Skip It: See it! A great summer film for adults and kids. Disney fans will definitely spot out things from the park that match the story. A cool movie that isn't a sequel or rely on superheroes to tell an original idea. Sometimes the film get a little muddled down but the pacing picks up at the right and doesn't look back. Plus, can you really go wrong with casting George Clooney? The answer is no.

Check out the future here!

Entourage:The hit HBO series finally comes to the big screen. The gang Vinnie (Adrian Greenier) Eric (Kevin Connolly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) Drama (Kevin Dillon) and super agent Ari (Jeremy Piven) are all here and making a film which Vinnie is not only starring in but directing. Things get a little complicated when the film goes majorly over budget and the studio wants answers. Enter Billy Bob Thorton's Texan character who is financing the film and explains to Ari he isn't spending another dime till he sees the film. Ari heads back to LA with the exec's son (played by an unrecognizable Haley Joel Osment...yes that Haley Joel Osment) to get the film finished. Of course this is a movie so nothing ever goes according to plan.
 

See It or Skip It: See it! This film was hilarious and if you have any interest in the entertainment industry you will enjoy it! Also, the wide array of celebrity cameos is an added bonus to the fun vibe of the movie (oh hey Russell Wilson, Tom Brady, Pharrell, and Rhonda Rousey just to name a few. There are tons!). The characters based off actor Mark Wahlberg and his own entourage even show up.

Preview the film now!
 

 

Jurassic World: Some 20 years or so after the original first took a bite out of the box office and some say created the rise of the summer blockbuster, the dinosaurs are back and the park is open. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard star in this summer adventure about the famed dinosaur theme park. Just so you know, there are lots of...teeth.

See It or Skip It? See this movie!! It is by far my favorite film of the summer (so far) it plays homage to the original film (and seems to forget all about those less than stellar sequels) and it's interesting to see the park as an actual reality. Chris Pratt and his raptor gang pretty much steal the show but Bryce Dallas Howard and the kid actors do great too. Everything you want in a summer movie in one film!

Take a peek at the film here!

Insidious Chapter 3: The third installment of the horror series which stars Dermont Mulroney and former Disney channel star Stefanie Scott is a prequel to the original film. The storyline mainly focuses on a teenage girl (Stefanie Scott) who has a difficult time dealing with her mother's death and tries to reach her on the other side. Of course all the dead turn out to be listening and she gets a visit from a spirit...and it's definitely not her mom.

See It or Skip It? If you enjoy scary movies this is a must-see!  If you don't, I would stay away. The Insidious series is scary and this is coming from someone who rarely ever get scared during movies. The trilogy reminds me of older horror films before they all gave way to slasher fueled Jigsaw/Freddy Krueger/Jason/Chucky style films. They are legit creepy and this one is no exception and the ending...if you like the first movie of the series definitely check out this prequel!

Take a look (just don't get too scared!) now!
 

 

Here are some fun cinema inspired fashions for your next movie night out (or in)!

Popcorn Clutch

Mad Max Parody Shirt ($20 on sale!)

 

Jurassic Park Running Tank ($20 on sale!)

Mad Max Tee ($20 on sale!)
 

Kate Spade Cinema Clutch

Horror Movie Evening Bag

Book Clutch

Cakeworthy Squad Goals Tee

Inside Out Phone Cases

Terminator Parody Tee (only $20 on sale)

Fast and Furious Sloth Tee ($20 on sale!)


 

Mad Max: Fury Road Review

Not going to lie my favorite character in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises is Bane. Yes, the masked villain who tries to destroy Batman and the city of Gotham. But, I have my reasons, mostly being he is played by the extremely talented Tom Hardy, which was why I was thrilled to find out that the he would be starring as the title character of the 2015 reboot of Mad Max. It did not disappoint! This is one of the most entertaining and interesting films of the summer (just my opinion) and of course who doesn't want more Tom Hardy in their life?

**Mild Spoilers**

The film just begins, if that makes sense, right away there is a action-heavy chase sequence involving Max (Tom Hardy) and the brigade of cult members (mostly dressed in skeleton attire? I guess Hot Topic still exist even after the earth has basically been destroyed) chasing after him. The gang in pursuit of Max are simply known as the "War Boys". Unfortunately, the group does capture Max and he subsequently becomes  a "blood bag" which is later used for an injured War Boy, Nux (Nicholas Hault). The films moves quickly along as we learn that this part of earth has become a wasteland and there is not much water, gasoline or essentially a way of life in the desert since it is being withheld from the people by the cult leader, Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne). Furiosa (Charlize Theron) drives an oil rig (like a hardcore oil rig complete with spikes and ammunition) and appears to work with Joe, that is until she decides to helps his five wives (or "breeders" as they say in the film) escape from the dessert. Intense action follows after Joe realizes this and that's where the movie really picks up. Max does escape from his "blood bag" status and hesitantly joins Furiosa and the wives to find new land, or the "Green Place" as Furiosa calls it as she remembers it. But it is not an easy ride and Max and Furiosa soon learn they need to trust each other to survive.

This movie is NON-STOP action so if you aren't into things getting blown up, loud noises or chase scenes with armed oil tanks then odds are you won't love this movie. But, if you are wanting an interesting, well-directed, and entertaining film, you'll enjoy it! The acting is well done even if the lead character barely says 10 words and I know everyone seems to be enjoying Charlize Theron's performance and her character is a big step for women in action films, one thing that is really cool is that Max and Furiosa are equals which is not something typical in this genre. Also, don't worry if you haven't seen any of the previous Mad Max films (the Mel Gibson versions from the 70's-80's), I had only seen parts of them and I knew exactly what was happening in this film. I went with friends who all have different tastes in movies and we all agreed that this was one we would see again in theaters. Check it out!

Take a peek at Mad Max: Fury Road here and listen to Tom Hardy talk about the film.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Directed by: George Miller

Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlie Theron, Nicholas Hault, Hugh Keays-Byrne

Have you seen Mad Max: Fury Road? Did you like Tom Hardy in the role? Plans on seeing the film? Let me know you thoughts!

Avengers: Age of Ultron Review

Like millions of you last weekend, my friends and I checked out Avengers: Age of Ultron. Some of my friends are into comic book movies, some have no idea (check out my post here if that's you!) and some just came to see Chris Hemsworth. We all agreed after this film...it was very entertaining! Ok, you know it won't win all the oscars (except special effects, which are very well done), some parts of the plot don't make sense and no, none of this could ever happen in the real world. But, isn't that what makes the perfect summer movie? Here's my take (minor spoilers)!

Age of Ultron is similar to the first Avengers film that came out back in 2012. Except this time the Avengers have to come together to take on the artificial intelligence known as Ultron (voiced by the superb James Spader). How does Ultron come about? Well, technically it's some of the Avengers fault. Tony Stark aka Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) and Bruce Banner aka The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) create Ultron to help bring peace to the world. Yeah, that doesn't happen. Instead he wants to not only destroy the Avengers but also human civilization (picture a world filled with nothing but robots). The superheroes must band together to stop the destruction. 

I thought the plot was well written and I yes, it is similar to the last movie, I'm not sure how you can change it up too much. The actors seem like they are having a blast playing their respected characters. There is some romance between Black Widow (JohansIson) and The Hulk (Ruffalo), they have some chemistry but I will admit she has more with Captain America (Chris Evans). I feel like the audience learns more about Black Widow but her character could be shaped more (maybe time for a Black Widow stand alone film?). She and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), who we learn ALOT about in this film just seem kind of there at times. But when you have this many characters, I get you can't carve out every individual aspect. My favorite character may have just been villain Ultron. Flat out...he's creepy, intelligent and quick with the one liners. Although I don't really understand why he's so obsessed with getting rid of the Avengers (especially his dislike of Iron Man), but you do have to realize it's just a movie. The other new characters, twins Scarlet Witch (Olson) and Quicksilver (Taylor-Johnson) are a welcome addition, it's weird that they played husband and wife in last summer's blockbuster Godzilla and actually have better chemistry in this film where they are portraying siblings. The whole cast seems to appear to be having a great time in their roles and this film is perfect for a night out with friends, family or if you just want to watch some stuff blow up for two and a half hours. I have heard some fans didn't care for it, and others have already seen it multiple times, while I know nothing about the comics, I really enjoyed it!

While you debate on seeing the film, check out Jeremy Renner singing about his character Hawkeye to the tune of Ed Sheeran on Jimmy Fallon .

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Directed by: Joss Whedon

Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Elizabeth Olson, Aaron Tyler-Johnson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel Jackson

Did you see the film? What did you think? What summer movie are you most looking forward to? I want to know!

 

Avengers Age of Ultron Guide

The highly anticipated sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron debuts this weekend. The first film made millions (maybe billions?) so basically everyone saw it. Comic book movies always have a large following and loyal fans. I have seen several of these films and I know next to nothing about comic books. But I'm proof you don't have to be a hardcore comic expert to enjoy these movies. Since a lot of you will be seeing the film, I've done a little research and asked some legit fans to help me create a summary of the characters and storylines to help you know what's going on when your friends/boyfriend/girlfriend/kids/whatever take you to see this movie. Just read up for a bit of knowledge! You can also check out a preview of Avengers: Age of Ultron right here.

Tony Stark aka Iron Man (played by Robert Downey Jr): Rich, intelligent, wears his own inventions which includes a electromechanical suit made of iron (obviously). Dates Pepper Potts aka Gwyneth Paltrow (who I don't believe is in the film but likely mentioned). 

Number of stand alone films: 3 

Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth): Carries a hammer, God of thunder and lightning, most likely to be seen with Dr. Jane Foster aka Natalie Portman (also not on screen in the film but probably mentioned).

Number of stand alone films: 2

Captain America aka Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans): Former World War 2 veteran who was given a serum which transforms him from super skinny to super buff Chris Evans.  Agile, strong and carries a shield to throw at enemies. Wears red, white and blue.

Number of stand alone films: 2

The Hulk aka Bruce Banner (played by Mark Ruffalo): Scientist who was involved with a gamma ray experiment gone wrong. When he gets upset...he turns green and very, very angry. Just don't make him mad.

Number of stand alone films: 1 (starring Edward Norton not Ruffalo)

Hawkeye (played by Jeremy Renner): Skilled archer. Basically a male superhero version of Katniss from The Hunger Games.

Number of stand alone films: 0 (Thor cameo)

Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson): Only female Avenger and highly trained spy, always wears black.

Number of stand alone films: 0 (but appeared in Iron Man 2 and Captain America 2)

Nick Fury (played by Samuel Jackson): works with the S.H.I.E.L.D (yes, like the current ABC show) and helped in assembling all the Avengers.

Number of stand alone films: 0 (but has appeared in many Marvel films)

Scarlet Witch (played by Elizabeth Olson): New to the film franchise, into magic and a skilled hypnotist with telekinetic powers. Twin to brother Quicksilver.

Quicksilver (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson): New to the film franchise, super speed so he is super fast. Twin to sister Scarlet Witch.

Ultron (voiced by James Spader): New to the film franchise, main villain, intelligent robot (when will we learn to stop trusting artificial intelligence?) who is designed by Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Bruce Banner (Hulk) for peaceful purposes but Ultron soon decides to take over the world.  Can the Avengers stop him?

The Avengers (good guys): Iron Man, The Hulk, Hawkeye, Captain America, and Black Widow

Villain: Ultron

Unknown: Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver

There you have it! These movies are a ton of fun and the best part is that even if you have never seen one of the previous films or even read a comic book you can understand the movies. Just take a quick peek at the above list and you'll get a basis run down of the main characters and story lines. Have fun kicking off the Summer Movie Season!

Are you hitting the theater with the masses this weekend to see the film? Anyone already see it? Give me your thoughts!