Burien native John Requa, right, with his filmmaking partner Glenn Ficarra.

by Scott Schaefer

A few years back, you might have seen a young man running around Burien’s Gregory Heights neighborhood with a Super-8 or VHS movie camera, telling his friends what to do, when to do it and where.

And perhaps even one time you called the cops on him because his actors were carrying pellet guns!

That young man is named John Requa, and now he’s all grown up but doing the same thing, only in a different city – Hollywood, CA – and making a darn good living doing it, including directing a film that will be playing at the Tin Theater (BTB Advertiser) next week (Fri. Feb. 10 – Thurs., Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m.) called ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love,‘ a romantic comedy starring Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone and others:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Requa, who was born at Group Health Hospital, grew up in the Gregory Heights neighborhood of Burien. Influenced by the many movies he watched with his father while growing up, John’s childhood ambition was to be a film director. As a kid, John made many movies with his neighborhood friends in Gregory Heights, which also happens to be the name of the school in “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” He attended Gregory Heights School from kindergarten to first grade, then attended St. Francis and Highline High School, where he performed skits for his school assemblies, even acting in his senior play. John then went to Pratt Institute in New York, where he studied film and ended up meeting his writing/directing partner Glenn Ficarra. John and Glenn have been working together ever since, both as screenwriters and directors. They have written screenplays for several films including “Bad Santa,” and their directing debut, “I Love You Phillip Morris”. And most recently directed “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” John and Glenn recently started their own production company and are currently working on several different projects.

Here’s an interview with John and Glenn:

Click here to view the embedded video.

John still flies to Burien from LA on a regular basis with his wife and 3-year old son. He has a brother, sister, parents and good friends in Seattle and a sister in Yakima. And yes, he still roots for the Seahawks.

We managed to track John down and conducted a quick Q & A that shares some insight into how the Burien area played into his growing movie-making career:

Q: What were some of your favorite shooting locations in the area?
A: Seahurst Park was my favorite.

Q: Did you ever complete a full film as a kid?
A: Yes, I made four 20-minute films in and around Gregory Heights, Burien and Normandy Park.

Q: What advice you you have for aspiring filmmakers?
A: Best way to learn to make movies is to make movies. Don’t worry about quality. Just make them and learn. It’s easier to do them now than it ever was.

Q: What was it about growing up here that inspired you to make movies?
A: Burien’s proximity to Downtown which had a plethora of arthouse theaters and allowed me to see all of classic American and foreign films in the theater with an audience.

Q: Any other Burien/area-related anecdotes?
A: One time we were shooting a scene with pellet guns. Someone in the neighborhood thought they were real guns and called the police, and the police ended up pulling their guns on us!

‘Crazy. Stupid. Love.’ plays at BTB Advertiser The Tin Theater from Friday, Feb. 10 to Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. nightly. Don’t forget to print your own Coupon for FREE popcorn here. More info at http://tintheater.com.

Highline Public Schools Superintendent John Welch shows off his mad air guitar skillz during filming of "The Day My Parents Became Cool" in 2009.

Local filmmaker Steve Edmiston’s short film “The Day My Parents Became Cool,” which was shot in the Burien/Normandy Park area in 2009 (see our previous coverage here), will receive its broadcast world premiere on KCTS-9 at 10 p.m. this coming Monday, Jan. 2.

The film has a unique local pedigree – not only does it feature some 150 public high school students (both in front of and behind the camera) from seven high schools in the Highline and Federal Way school districts, it also showcased former Highline Schools Superintendent John Welch in the role he was meant to play: a rebellious punk rocker with spiked hair and a leather “Anarchy” jacket (see animated gif photo, right).

Edmiston, a local screenwriter, producer, entertainment attorney and now director, developed “The Day My Parents Became Cool” to provide professional arts experience to public high school students. Edmiston served as writer, producer, and director.

The film premiered at the Sedona International Film Festival and was an official selection of the 2009 Seattle International Film Festival. It also won Best Short Comedy at the International Family Film Festival that year.

Edmiston’s other projects include “Farewell to Harry” (2002, writer), “A Relative Thing” (2005, writer and producer), and “Crimes of the Past” (2009, writer and producer). He has two features currently in post-production, scheduled for release in 2012.

Here’s a synopsis of the film from the KCTS website:

“The Day My Parents Became Cool” is a modern costume-comedy – and every teenager’s worst nightmare. When the 1,000-year comet crosses the night sky, a brave new world is created where adults instantly adopt every teen trend in attire and body image. Emo, Goth, Skater, Jock, Metal — tattoos, piercings, thongs, and sagging jeans. On every adult, everywhere, planet-wide. “The Day My Parents Became Cool” tells the comic story of how one small group of teenagers fight back when every outward manifestation of their individuality is co-opted by the enemy.

Here’s Edmiston’s Filmmaker’s Statement:

“The Day My Parents Became Cool” has been an astonishing project for me for many reasons. Perhaps the first is that I’m just happy to have had the opportunity – in a very, very personal sense – to make this film. I was just in remission from Hodgkin’s lymphoma and had yet to be rediagnosed with a recurrence of the same cancer. With a sincerity that literally goes to my “marrow,” I can tell you that showing up on that film set, with over a 100 high school kids and a phenomenal crew, was truly special. (I am pleased to share that after a stem-cell transplant, I am currently cancer-free!)

I also was amazed at the community support that enveloped the making of this film. We had two Washington State school districts, five schools, two cities, one county, a Rotary Club, dozens of small businesses, local politicians, our beloved “become cool” campaign private donors, hundreds of “sweat-equity” supporters, and, of course, all those kids, literally enveloping our project in a “can do” and “can’t fail” environment.

Finally, we somehow discovered a group of special actors led by Megan Joy, who managed, in a very short format, to take characters through a comic fantasy and somehow bring a poignancy to the journey. As you will imagine, after seeing the film, they were truly funny, fun to work with, and of course, amazingly “cool.”

Here’s a trailer of the film:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s our video story about the premiere screening:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Viewers can watch the film in its entirety for free by tuning into KCTS Channel 9 at 10 p.m. Monday night.

KING-TV’s Ciscoe Morris and Producers Mimi Gan and Jim Dever will be at BTB Advertiser the Tin Theater on Saturday, Nov. 5th for two showings of “GIANTS,” a documentary about the ruthlessly competitive world of growing giant pumpkins.

All proceeds will go the Highline Botanical Garden Foundation for the support of the Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden. See below for ticket information.

“Prepare to be amazed as you watch Pacific Northwest growers battle nature – and each other – to capture the giant pumpkin world’s ultimate prize,” reads a press release.

Narrated by actor Tom Skerritt, and with a cameo appearance by Ciscoe, it’s a movie about growing the world’s largest pumpkin. And growing apart.

Tickets are $25 in advance for either showing (matinee and evening); a few tickets are left for the matinee – contact Garden Manager Laura Sweany at 206-391-4003 for more information.

The Tin Theater is located at 923 SW 152nd in Olde Burien (206-242-8040).

Here’s more from an email:

Join us as we welcome Ciscoe Morris and producers Mimi Gan & Jim Dever from  KING 5′s Evening Magazine to the Tin Theater in Burien for the “Southwest King County World Premiere” of “GIANTS”, a documentary about the ruthlessly competitive world of growing giant pumpkins.

BREAKING NEWS; Some of the stars of the film, including folks from Holland’s Land o’Giants, will be in attendance for both the evening and matinee showings!

The Details:

November 5, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. (see below for Event Schedules)

$25 advance tickets for matinee showing; a few tickets are left for the matinee, contact Garden Manager Laura Sweany at 206-391-4003 for more information.

$25 advance tickets for evening showing, available from the Tin Room or from Garden Manager Laura Sweany. Call the Tin Room at 206-242-8040 or Garden Manager Laura Sweany at 206-391-4003 for more information.

Includes a free pumpkin-themed beverage and a free small popcorn.

Schedule of Events:

Daytime Showing:

• 3:00 pm: Cocktail hour meet & greet with Mimi, Jim, & Ciscoe
• 4:00: Movie introduction by Mimi, Jim, & Ciscoe
• 4:15: Movie
• 5:30: Q&A with the Producers
• 6:00: Adjourn to the Tin Room for more fun!

Evening Showing:

• 6:30 pm Cocktail hour meet & greet with Mimi, Jim, & Ciscoe
• 7:15 Movie introduction by Mimi, Jim, & Ciscoe
• 7:30 Movie
• 8:45 Q&A with the producers
• 9:00 Adjourn to the Tin Room for more fun!

Here’s the trailer:

Click here to view the embedded video.

More info at the Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden website, the film’s website or Facebook Page.

by Philip Benais

Thor: Directed by Kenneth Branagh; Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins and Stellan Skarsgard.

The recent influx of Marvel comics films has been extremely beneficial to the comic book movie as a genre, which along with dramatic opuses like The Dark Knight and Watchmen have rescued the genre from the depths of Batman And Robin and Steel. While Thor certainly isn’t the best comic book film this year (I have a feeling that distinction will go to Captain America or Green Lantern) it’s a perfect example of a Saturday night popcorn film diversion. The effects are great, the acting is fairly decent and while it may not be as entertaining as the two Iron Man films, it all brings us one step closer to The Avengers movie by Joss Whedon, which no nerd can resist.

The story follows the adventures of The God Of Thunder himself (Chris Hemsworth) who is brash, arrogant and thinks he knows everything. On the day he is to be made king of Asgard by Odin All Father (Anthony Hopkins) The Frost Giants launch an attack to steal their precious relic of power. Thor brazenly decides to march into their territory and pick a fight. For his insolence, he is cast out of Asgard and banished to Earth. In Thor’s absence, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) begins to move against the crown and soon Thor learns the value of humility thanks to a woman named Jane (Natalie Portman) and must soon save Asgard.

Right off the bat, the best part of Thor is the special effects. During the scenes in Asgard, it truly felt that I was transported to another world and the suspension of disbelief was further aided by the appropriate balance of Olde English and Every Day English in the dialogue. Although I’ve never read the comics, Chris Hemsworth was appropriately imposing and surprisingly funny as Thor. Anthony Hopkins was also great as Odin, but personally I always envisioned Liam Neeson as Odin. Natalie Portman was satisfactory, even though her role felt somewhat bland. Surprisingly, there was less action in Thor than in Iron Man, which along with Robert Downey Jr. is why I can watch those films over and over. Thor on the other hand is reminiscent of The Incredible Hulk film with Edward Norton; it’s by all means worth the money and quite enjoyable, but ultimately more of a diversion than anything memorable. It’s fun, fast and you’ll love it. Higher praise for a popcorn film I could not give.

Rating: *** / *****

VIDEOS:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Philip Benais is one of our Interns, a 17-year old student at Big Picture High School in SeaTac. He's an aspiring Writer who loves movies, so we let him write reviews for us.

Read more of his work here.]

The scene setting is a high school football game, and the film crew hopes to fill the stands with fans, which means they’ll need extras.

“This is a great opportunity to participate in the creation of a movie, and maybe see yourself on the silver screen!” says the film’s location manager, Dave Drummond.

If you’re interested in participating, contact Denise Gibbs at gibbsdesign@comcast.net.

According to a flier (PDF file), the plot is:

A trio of magazine employees are sent to a small coastal town to investigate a classified ad seeking a partner for time travel. Darius, a young, cynical intern, poses as a candidate to accompany Kenneth, a paranoid but compelling loner, on his journey. But her motivations become confused when she develops feelings for him…and begins to wonder whether he actually does have a time machine.

The film is being Directed by Colin Trevorrow. It was Written by Derek Connolly, and will be filming in May in Washington State.

“The film also offers educational opportunities for drama or video production students who are interested in the filmmaking process, and for yearbook or journalism students who would like to cover the event,” reads the eHighlights website. “Teachers interested in scheduling these opportunities for their students should contact Dave Drummond at 425-269-3396 or dave@drummondmedia.com.”

“Safety Not Guaranteed” stars Aubrey Plaza from the NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation” as well as Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, and Kristen Bell.

We’re not sure if this video is related, but it appears to use the same concept, based on a rather odd internet meme first posted on the website YTMND, and featuring the voiceover talents of the late Don LaFontaine and the acting chops of one ‘Mullet Man’:

Click here to view the embedded video.

And here’s another one:

Click here to view the embedded video.

And here’s a link to an alleged explanation of the origins of the ad, by someone claiming to be the original writer.

Man, this looks like it could be a fun film!

This won’t be the first film shot in the Burien area – check out our coverage of some others:

• Local Filmmaker Holding Fundraiser Party For Indie Film On Nov. 20th
• SLIDESHOW: “Grassroots” Movie Conducts A Drive-By Filming In Burien
• UPDATE: ‘The Day My Parents Became Cool’ LA Screening
• VIDEO: ‘The Day My Parents Became Cool’ Trailer + News
• ‘The Day My Parents Became Cool’ Sneak Peeks
• ‘The Day My Parents Became Cool’ Production Update
• Report & Photos From Highline High Movie Set
• Your Chance To Be In A Movie This Saturday

According to KING5:

Brandon … looked up and reserved a movie called “Inside Deep Throat” without his parents’ knowledge or consent.

“I went over handed over my library card, asked if I had anything on hold, they scanned it and said you have this movie and this movie on hold,” said Britton.

Needless to say, his mother was upset. Documentary or not, she said there are parts a 14-year-old shouldn’t see.

“Nudity, full frontal, vagina, everything!” said his mother, Corrina Harper.

Here’s KING’s full report (see it online here):

Here’s a synopsis of the flick from Wikipedia:

Inside Deep Throat is a 2005 American documentary about the 1972 pornographic film Deep Throat and its effects on American society.

The film is narrated by Dennis Hopper. The documentary was written, produced, and directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, and produced by Brian Grazer. It is a production of Imagine Entertainment, HBO Documentary Films, and World of Wonder, and distributed by Universal Pictures.

The film discusses how Deep Throat was actually distributed to theaters. Prints would be hand-delivered and employees would count heads of moviegoers and then collect the cash profits from the theaters. This process was known as sending “checkers and sweepers”.

It features scenes from the movie, news of the time and interviews, both from archive and purpose-made, with director Gerard Damiano, actor Harry Reems, actress Linda Lovelace, Gore Vidal, Larry Flynt, Hugh Hefner, John Waters, Erica Jong, a prosecutor, Reems’ defense, Mafia money collectors, and other people involved or just commenting on the film. Much of the material was compiled from approximately 800 hours of interview and archive footage collected by the filmmakers.

It was rated NC-17 by the Motion Picture Association of America for explicit sexual content; specifically, explicit excerpts from the original film. It was the first NC-17 film to be shown on HBO and it was the first film rated NC-17 to be released by Universal since Henry & June in 1990, which was the first film to receive the NC-17 rating. An edited version received an R rating for strong sexuality including graphic images, nudity and dialogue. In addition, Arrow Productions edited the original, pornographic version of Deep Throat to get an “R” rating, and also submitted the original for reclassification. Both versions were released theatrically in 2005, in a double-bill with this documentary.

Here’s a trailer for the film:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s Ebert and Roeper’s review:

Click here to view the embedded video.

We’re wondering what YOU think – did the library make a mistake allowing this 14-year old to check out an NC-17 rated movie? Should KCLS censor who can check out what movies? Please take our poll, or leave a Comment below:

by Philip Benais

True Grit; Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen: Starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Hailee Steinfeld and Barry Pepper.

The Coen Brothers have directed some of the most influential films of modern cinema and regardless of what you may think of any individual film of theirs it quickly becomes apparent they are a force to be reckoned with. Naturally when I saw the previews for True Grit, I was very excited. After all, The Coen Brothers are responsible for one of my Top Ten Favorite Films Of All Time. (The Big Lebowski, which becomes even funnier when you know that I am an ordained Dudeist Priest) The question then becomes, how does True Grit hold up? I’m happy to report that even as their most streamlined picture, it maintains the quirky humor and razor sharp dialogue they became famous for as well as giving us wonderful acting all across the board.

The film centers around Mattie Ross, (Hailee Steinfeld) a 14-year old girl whose father was murdered by a drifter named Tom Cheney. In order to get the justice she seeks for her father, she employs Deputy U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn. (Jeff Bridges) Cogburn is described to Mattie as having ‘true grit’, but when she attempts to hire him, he refuses. After much deliberation however, he concedes and Mattie, Cogburn and a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) set out to apprehend Cheney. (Josh Brolin)

The best part of True Grit by far is the emphasis on dialogue. In an age where character and story have become expendable, it’s so welcoming to see talented actors and actresses making the expertly crafted dialogue come to life. Jeff Bridges astounds as Cogburn, giving us a character that is both nuanced and yet accessible. (The true sign of both excellent acting and writing) Matt Damon also continues his recent trend of quality performances, but the real surprise is Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross. It’s very rare that not only such a young actress can dazzle us but in her first performance no less. Steinfeld is an actress with a very bright future and I can only say that I want to see more from her in the years to come.

True Grit is a picture that could have had a lot of things wrong with it; for one, it’s an adaptation which always has the potential to go south very fast and it is a very linear picture which may or may not work. In the hands of the production crew however, it becomes one of the best Westerns in years and a film I would recommend to movie lovers everywhere. If you’re in the market for something wonderful and intelligent, you can do a whole lot worse than True Grit.

Rating: ***** / *****

VIDEOS:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Philip Benais is our newest Intern, a 16-year old student at Big Picture High School in SeaTac. He's an aspiring Writer who loves movies, so we let him write reviews for us.

Read more of his work here.]

by Philip Benais

The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader; Directed By Michael Apted; Starring Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Will Poulter, Ben Barnes, Liam Neeson and Simon Pegg.

I must admit I’m rather late to The Chronicles Of Narnia films; seeing as how this is the first film I’ve seen and I’ve only read The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, I can’t say I know very much about C.S. Lewis’ epic saga. I do know that ever since the first Narnia film the entire series had the air of trying to cash in on what are probably much better books, and that many elements were lifted without shame from other popular fantasy films. What I expected Voyage Of The Dawn Treader to be was a slim retelling of the book with lots of fluff and special effects to fill in the rest, but that wasn’t the case. This film is flawed, but in a charming, nostalgic way that harkens back to films we all watched as children and were amazed by. At times it can be very by the numbers and linear but there are genuine moments of entertainment to be had, so long as you don’t think about it too much.

The story follows Edmund and Lucy, the two youngest Pevensie children staying with their snooty cousin Eustace as their brother Peter is studying for his university entrance exams and Susan is in America. After a routine day of bickering with their obnoxious twerp of a cousin, Lucy discovers a majestic painting that pulls Edmund, Lucy and Eustace into it. When they arise from the water, they find themselves in Narnia once more where King Caspian is in need of their assistance. Together, they have to find seven mystical swords and present them at Aslan’s table to defeat a green mist kidnapping citizens. It’s an adventure that will change Lucy, Edmund and all of Narnia.

Right off the bat, the immediate problem I have with this film is Eustace. Many different things come to my mind when trying to describe Eustace, all of them slanderous. For the majority of the film, I wished SOMEONE would shut him up, so I wouldn’t have the compulsion to vomit uncontrollably. Thankfully they do manage to fix his character at the end of the first half, but it never managed to resolve how annoying he was beforehand. It also doesn’t help that Edmund, Lucy and Caspian are colossal bores. I appreciate the fact that they’re trying, but in the end I was still wishing the dialogues between them were shorter and that Reepicheep (played with subtle precision by Simon Pegg) would end up being the actual hero. For a good portion of the film you also have a distinct feeling of deja vu. This isn’t to discredit C.S. Lewis, but more to discredit Michael Apted, for giving us a Narnia film that feels like a rip off of Harry Potter, Labyrinth and many more. How can you take an epic saga and reduce it to Fantasy Flavor Of The Week? Ask Michael Apted, he’ll be glad to tell you.

Having said that, there are some very positive things in this film, the main ones being Simon Pegg and Liam Neeson, who is so awesome I’ve created my own saying whenever I see him in a film. (Nobody Messes With Liam Neeson. At least that’s the censored version) Both Pegg and Neeson give their characters extraordinary staying power and you’re more likely to remember them than the other characters. Also, as much as I rag on this film for being predictable, they did manage to give the ending some emotional weight, lulling us into thinking this may very well be the last we see of Narnia. (Which is hogwash, but still) The special effects are also very nice, and even though I didn’t see the film in 3D, it was very pretty and atmospheric.

Unlike the majority of films I’ve reviewed thus far, Voyage Of The Dawn Treader isn’t particularly good or particularly bad; it walks the line between the two at different times and manages to give us a flawed, if at times worthwhile experience. I would recommend it solely on the basis of Simon Pegg, Liam Neeson, the ending and the special effects. In essence, a great diversion in preparation for more substantial fare coming in the new year.

Rating: ** ½ / *****

VIDEOS:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Philip Benais is our newest Intern, a 16-year old student at Big Picture High School in SeaTac. He's an aspiring Writer who loves movies, so we let him write reviews for us.

Read more of his work here.]

by Philip Benais

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part One: Directed By David Yates; Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman.

Harry Potter has been a cultural phenomenon practically my whole life; from the initial intrigue of the first book to now as the film saga concludes, there’s no denying that J.K. Rowling has forever cemented her universe into pop culture history. I must admit however that I am somewhat glad it’s coming to an end; maybe it’s because I’m sick of people telling me I look like Harry Potter and/or Daniel Radcliffe (it’s the glasses, I swear) and maybe it’s because the films in the past have taken several liberties with the source material that I enjoyed reading so much growing up. I remember watching The Goblet Of Fire film and being shocked that they cut so much good material out, especially from the ending maze sequence. Plus it doesn’t help that Edward Cullen used to be Cedric Diggory, but I digress. Now we find ourselves at Part One of The Deathly Hallows, a book I admit to not reading entirely. Ultimately I think it’s for the best since I can judge the film on it’s own merits and not simply as ‘well, they didn’t do THAT in the book.’

The story picks up directly after the last film where Dumbledore has been murdered, Voldemort is on the rise and the wizarding world stands on the brink of annihilation. It’s up to Harry, Ron and Hermione to destroy the remaining horcruxes, the dark magical items that could raise Voldemort to power once more and to reveal the mystery of The Deathly Hallows before the dark wizards. That’s the loosest summary I’ll give, considering this is a film that you honestly either know about already from the books or should experience without knowing much. I can safely say however that the best scene in the film bar none is the beginning scene with Voldemort and The Death Eaters. Ralph Fiennes is one of my favorite actors and seeing him be so wonderful will always be the standout moment in a film for me. I did like the rest of the casts performances, but I’m curious as to what else the main trio can do. I’d like to know if Daniel Radcliffe can be a competent actor without the mantle of Harry Potter and hopefully won’t succumb to the fate that befell Mark Hamill, where a great actor struggles to find work because of one role they were known for.

The film is also much darker in tone than the rest, even more so than the Prisoner Of Azkaban film by Alfonso Cuarón. While the bleak nature of the film is primarily an asset in establishing the sense of dread and foreboding that David Yates was going for, it’s also the film’s downside. At times dreary scenes seem to linger and the film as a whole suffers from uneven pacing. The polyjuice potion scene in the ministry of magic for instance overstayed its welcome while the beginning scene with Voldemort should have gone on for a little longer in my opinion. In fact, the villains feel very secondary in this picture; we know that they could strike at any moment and that Harry, Ron and Hermione aren’t really safe anywhere they go, but I could have used less talking about Voldemort and actually have SEEN more of Voldemort. It seems kind of silly considering that the second portion of the film is due next July, but when you have such a charismatic villain, it’s a shame to only tease us with glimpses of him. In addition to that, you can definitely tell that Radcliffe, Grint and Watson are getting tired of doing this in certain nuances of their performance. I had a feeling they wanted to move on to bigger and better things throughout the entire film, so it diminished how much I liked it by a bit.

That’s not to say that Deathly Hallows Part One is a bad film; after the atrocity that was Skyline, it’s refreshing to see a film made by talented people who care about entertaining us. Part One just felt like an appetizer, and I was expecting a little more. I’m sure playing their cards close to their chest will definitely work to the cast and crews advantage when Part Two is released, but I’ve never really been one for patience. In the end though, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part One is an entertaining appetizer and I suppose that most people weren’t expecting much else. As a final note, I’d caution parents and just plain tell other people that there is something of a steamy, ethereal love scene towards the better half of the middle. I won’t say anymore but keep your eye out for it. I’m sure it, just like this film, will not disappoint.

Rating: *** / *****

VIDEOS:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Philip Benais is our newest Intern, a 16-year old student at Big Picture High School in SeaTac. He's an aspiring Writer who loves movies, so we let him write reviews for us.

Read more of his work here.]

by Philip Benais

Skyline: Directed By The Brothers Strause; Starring Eric Balfour, Scottie Thompson and Donald Faison.

There are many things that come to mind when I think of this movie. For instance, I usually talk about this film by telling people ‘this is what happens when Uwe Boll and Michael Bay join forces’. Perhaps even if Ed Wood was still alive and had a bigger budget he’d be making something like this; but we all know the truth. Skyline is the worst thing to happen to Sci Fi since Highlander II: The Quickening. Much like that abomination, this is a film that took a potentially interesting premise (Independence Day without the phony baloney patriotism) and completely bungled it. The Brothers Strause are the exact opposite of the Wachowski Brothers of Matrix fame; sure, you could argue that the sequels to The Matrix made us all cringe but at least they didn’t deliberately waste an hour and forty five minutes of my life on something so thinly plotted, the SyFy channel would laugh them out of their offices.

I truly can’t understand this; at what point did these morons think that ANYONE would like this film? I don’t even think I can recommend it to people who are looking for a bad movie to laugh at. Eventually, me and everyone else in the theatre stopped laughing and started to get angry. If somehow The Brothers Strause are able to make any other film after this toxic waste, then they’ll be to Sci Fi what ‘Seltzerberg’ are to spoofs.

Ultimately the story boils down to a bunch of unlikeable yuppies who get caught up in the middle of an alien invasion and die. I’m not joking, that’s the best I can do to recount the plot of this movie. Nothing is ever really known about the aliens, (except for the fact that they rip off War Of The Worlds and that the special effects are terrible) the characters, (besides a few loose traits that get lost in the shuffle) or any military involvement. The punchline on all of the movie going public is that for a film that’s plot has the density of Kleenex, they still manage to have giant inconsistencies. Why for instance, when the aliens first land are the military not immediately present? Was Gomer Pyle on shift that night? For that matter, when the alien ship is distracted by fighter jets, why don’t the protagonists head to the marina they yakked on about for fifteen minutes? Why don’t the aliens ever die? Why are these people so sure that water is the deterrent of the aliens and yet NEVER do anything except wait to be picked off like the cattle they are? Why is Turk from Scrubs in this film? WHY, WHY, WHY?!

It’s not worth it though. Thinking too much about how this film personifies everything wrong with the film medium will cause an aneurysm. If Inception is this year’s groundbreaking masterpiece, then this film is the movie equivalent of a landfill. Don’t even get me started on the actors; was it too much to get people that could act their way out of a wet paper bag? It says a lot when the best actor in your film was Zach Braff’s counterpart for nine seasons. Perhaps if we had a charismatic actor in the film, we could say ‘Yeah it was terrible, but I sense that (insert name here) has a place in B-Movie Fame.’ Instead of a Pierre Kirby type, we’ve got a full cast of Vin Diesel types; mouth breathing scum that you hope will die slowly and painfully.

The biggest middle finger to the audience is the cliffhanger ending though; as if it wasn’t bad enough that Sony Pictures is suing these chuckle heads for impropriety, they leave it on a note of ‘We’ll be back next summer, be sure to fork over more of your hard-earned money on our garbage!’ I can’t tell you how much this upsets me, just like how these two claim to be independent filmmakers. They’re about as independent as The Borg from Star Trek, and that was a collective.

If it wasn’t clear enough, don’t see this movie. Don’t even entertain the notion of seeing this movie. Paying any more money to these slimeballs would just encourage them to make something even worse than this and the only goal I have now is to see them out of work. If people really want to see one of the worst Sci Fi films in years, that’s their loss. Don’t be like them; stay home and rent a good Sci Fi film. Like Dark City for instance; it happens to be my favorite film of all time and god knows even after thinking about this movie, I need to wash it out with the pleasantries of John Murdoch and The Strangers.

Rating:  / *****

VIDEOS:

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[EDITOR'S NOTE: Philip Benais is our newest Intern, a 16-year old student at Big Picture High School in SeaTac. He's an aspiring Writer who loves movies, so we let him write reviews for us.

Read more of his work here.]