FLASHBACK FRIDAY: 5 Underappreciated Biopics

Hello everyone! It's that time of the week again for "Flashback Friday" and this time around I'm doing things a little bit differently. In honor of Straight Outta Compton, the new N.W.A. biopic, coming out this weekend I decided it would be cool to highlight a few of my favorite biopics that no one ever seems to really talk about. So instead of focusing on one movie this week I am going to talk about five and hopefully you go and watch a few of them, if you haven't seen them all already. These aren't my five favorite biopics, that would just be a list of Scorsese and Spielberg movies you all have seen. Instead I am going to focus on five films that I love, but that tend to get overlooked and underappreciated. 

1. Nowhere Boy (2009) Directed By: Sam Taylor-Johnson

Kicking it off with a musician biopic, in honor of Straight Outta Compton, let's talk about Nowhere Buy. Directed By Sam Taylor-Johnson and Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson this is one of the few films we have that effectively explores the story of The Beatles. Well, not necessarily the entirety of The Beatles, more specifically this film focuses on the early teenage years of John Lennon and how he and the band ultimately came together. It explores what in Lennon's life created the musical genius inside him, and how his absentee mother and his relationship with his aunt who raised him shaped him as a person and artist. This allows the film to keep itself from becoming a by-the-books biopic that barely scratches the surface of one of the most iconic musicians of all-time. Nowhere Boy gives a fascinating look not only into the young life of John Lennon and the rest of The Beatles, but at growing up in London during those times. This is a must see for all Beatles fans and anyone looking for a good period piece biopic. 

2. Into the Wild (2007) Directed By: Sean Penn

This is one of the more popular films on my list but it is still a biopic that doesn't seem to get talked about enough. Chronicling the incredible true life story of Christopher McCandless as he gives up his entire life fortune, burns his social security card and hits the road to live life in the wilderness. All leading up to his incredible journey into Alaska, where he attempted to live off the land for as long as possible and prove to himself that the life we all live today isn't one of necessity. Sean Penn wrote and directed this phenomenal adaptation of the Jon Krakauer book and gave life to a man that so many wrote off as an immature imbecile. 

This movie is not only an incredible peek into the mind of McCandless but it also serves as fairly clever social satire and human drama. While on the road he encounters all different kinds of people and his interactions with them paint a wonderful picture of the diversity of America. This movie consumed me when I first saw it, I immediately read the book and researched every little piece of information I could about Christopher McCandless. If you haven't seen this movie then give it a chance to do the same for you, It is quite the inspiring story. 

3. The Basketball Diaries (1995) Directed By: Scott Kalvert

People love to go through and list all of the Leo DiCaprio movies that they love and adore yet I feel like I almost never see anyone talk about this film. One of his earliest movie performances, The Basketball Diaries is the true life account of Jim Carroll's downward spiral into a world of drug addiction while just a 17 year old kid. Leo puts in an incredible performance alongside Mark Wahlberg and the two give a chilling portrayal of just how destructive drug addiction really is. We watch as they go from the stars of their high school basketball team and free fall into the deepest of addictions. They drop out of school, leave their homes, and do whatever they can to get their next fix. It is at times terrifying and at others completely inspiring, consider this a must watch if you want to see the best of Leo.

4. Bronson (2008) Directed By: Nicolas Winding Refn

This was my introduction to both Tom Hardy and Nicolas Winding Refn and is still some of the most impressive work I have seen to date by either. Hardy has gone on to find massive success and Winding Refn seems to be getting crazier with each film he makes. Bronson is the two at the height of their insanity, focusing on the most notorious prisoner in British history. Arrested and sentenced to seven years for robbing a post office, this young man would end up spending three decades in solitary confinement for literally being the biggest pain in the ass you have ever seen. While in jail the man adapts an alter-ego for himself named Bronson and uses that to express the violent side of his personality. Tom Hardy is as good as he has ever been in this picture and he got massive for the part, you won't ever look at him the same after seeing this movie. 

5. Moneyball (2011) Directed By: Bennett Miller 

This probably the most popular of the movies on this list, it came out just a few years ago and received great critical response but still, I feel it's almost never talked about. Not only is this a wonderful biopic but it is also one of the best sports movies I have seen. The movie Stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, the man who came is as General manager for the Oakland A's and took a bottom of the barrel team and turned them into a group of champions by the season's end. He did this all by using a computer system of analytics to acquire new players and build his team. It was so successful that this practice has now been adapted in pretty much all major sports and has been amazingly successful. The film also stars Philip Seymour-Hoffman who is as good as he has ever been, and it also features Jonah Hill in one of his first dramatic roles that showed us all he could do more than make poop and fart jokes. If you haven't seen this movie yet I highly recommend it as it is a viable piece of recent sports history. 

Honorable Mention: October Sky (1999) Directed By: Joe Johnston

This is my honorable mention since I just highlighted the film a few weeks ago when Southpaw came out, but it's too good not to mention again. The true story of NASA engineer Homer Hickam, this movie is a truly inspiring story of following your dreams. You can find my full review and retrospective of the film here. Watch it if you haven't seen it. 


As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!

The First Full Trailer for The Hateful Eight

Hey Everyone! Today just got a whole lot more exciting, the first full trailer for Quentin Tarantino's eighth feature film The Hateful Eight just dropped online and it's everything you want and more. Over the past few months we have been drip fed a few posters and an ominous teaser to help get us excited for this film and their Comic-Con panel only added more wood to the fire. Well today we finally got to see our first full trailer for the film and finally get a glimpse into what exactly this movie is going to be. As usual, Tarantino's trailer manages to be more entertaining than half the movies I've seen this year and all without spoiling anything to come this winter. 

Anyone who has been following the project knows the basic storyline of the movie. Eight strangers come together at an old countryside Inn seeking shelter from a storm in post- Civil War America. What we didn't know until seeing this trailer is who exactly some of these characters are and what exactly will be happening during this storm. The trailer opens on Kurt Russell's character coming upon Samuel L. Jackson's and right away we get a clear indication of just who these guys will be playing. From there the trailer goes every which we want it to and we are quickly introduced to the rest of the cast, all while barely scratching the surface of what we all are going to see come December.

Even in his trailers you can see how masterful of a filmmaker Tarantino is and why he is considered the best of the best. He can give us more in two minutes than most can in two hours and the fact they he makes his trailers so incredible is just a small testament to his skill. The guy could literally put a black screen displaying his name and the title of his new film and the masses would be sold on it. So the fact that he consistently delivers trailers that somehow make you even more excited for his films is simply incredible. From this two minutes we can deduce that this film will be a high paced, character driven western with plenty of violence and deception. Basically everything we want from a Tarantino flick.

After seeing the success he had with Django I think we were all over the moon when we heard he was going to do another western and from the looks of it, this is going to be one hell of a ride. The Hateful Eight releases into limited theaters this Christmas and then worldwide on January 8. I for one will be first in line for my tickets, a new Tarantino movie is an event that cannot be missed.

                                        

What did you guys think of the trailer? Does this get you even more excited for the film or is this exactly what you expected? Let me know either in the comments below or hit me up on twitter @ZachWWMovies. As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. Smell ya later!

Bangarang, Mr. Williams, Bangarang

Hey everyone, as many of you know one year ago today we lost one of the funniest people to ever grace the silver screen. On August 11, 2014 Robin Williams passed away and left behind a legacy of film and Television. His charm and personality touched multiple generations and his passing was felt across all of them. It's still hard to believe he is no longer in our midst and one year later we feel his absence more than ever. Instead of using today to mourn the loss of one of our greatest comedic talents though, lets use today as a day to celebrate the life and work of Robin Williams.Through both film and television this man had created a small empire of entertainment and he dominated every second of it. 

Mr. Williams was a huge influence on me growing up as Jumanji, Aladdin, Jack, and Mrs. Doubtfire were frequently viewed in my household and his larger than life style of comedy and acting had a huge impact on me. Upon hearing of his passing last year I immediately wrote up a small tribute to this iconic hero, how could I not? While dealing with his own deep depression his work was busy helping others work through their own, he had a way of reminding you of what's good in life. Below I have included that post, unedited from last year, as I feel it still captures my exact feeling one year later. The world is less funny now than it was a year ago and I think all of us film geeks have missed him for every second he has been gone. 

Bangarang, Mr. Williams, Bangarang

               

If you came up to me today and told me the world is significantly less funny, I’d have no choice but to agree. Yesterday, Monday August 11, Robin Williams was found dead of an apparent suicide. For nearly half a century this man inspired and touched generation after generation with his one of a kind personality, the likes of which the world will probably never know again.

Most of us movie nerds and pop culture junkies have been influenced by his movies, Television appearances and Stand-up comedy specials throughout most of our lives. Personally I grew up watching Jumanji and Aladdin more times than I can count and his role in Jack taught me a lot about the true value of being a kid while I was still actually one. Growing up loving his work not only shaped me as a movie geek but as a person too. Robin Williams was genius in the art of comedy, to say the least, and his art will continue to inspire generation after generation and keep his legacy alive.

I and millions like me all across the world could tell, just through his on screen performances that he was a one of a kind guy who wanted nothing more than to make people laugh. Clearly, however, there is much more to this man than his body of work. First and foremost he was a human being and if you have been following the landslide of personal stories from fellow comedians and actors who were fortunate enough to meet or work with him, then you know he was an even better person than he was a comedian.

Over the past 24 hours twitter and other social media have been flooded with personal stories from anyone who had worked with or just encountered Mr. Williams in their life. All painting pretty much the same picture, he was an incredible man with a heart as big as the sun. I don't think I've ever seen a performer be so openly and unconditionally loved by the masses, he found a way to make EVERYBODY love him. It's no secret the guy had made his share of dud movies but it didn't matter to anyone, he could have been making the Twilight movies and the masses would still swoon over him. There are only so many people like that in a lifetime and we are tragically without one of them now.

As with all celebrity deaths this one has brought out the trolls to say we are all ass holes for mourning a celebrity death when people die all over the world every day to which I say, who didn't love you? Robin Williams has touched millions of people and his work has without a doubt saved people from the brink of darkness and despair. We mourn the tragic loss of a man like him because he is a hero and in being so I hope that the focus of his passing is on all of the good he has brought us throughout his life and not the unfortunate ending it all had. Its horrible to think a man so incredibly loved by millions and millions of people felt in his own mind that he was loved by no one.

2014 has been a tough year, before this the world lost Philip Seymour Hoffman to a tragic drug overdose and then not too much later Harold Ramis passed away from illness. So, I think we should all use this week to look back and think about the things that make us happy, past and present. Watch your favorite movie, read your most treasured book, go out with your friends, put on your favorite song, it doesn't matter what it is as long as it makes you happy because let's be honest, if you're not happy then what’s the point? I myself will be using this week to binge watch Robin Williams filmography. From all the classics I've loved my whole life (like Jumanji and Jakob’s Ladder) to all the films of his I have yet to see (like Insomnia and World’s Greatest Dad). I will bask myself in the ambiance of the one of the greatest comedians of all time and bid Mr. Williams one last farewell.

RIP Robin Williams, I hope now you can see just how loved you really are. You will continue to inspire for decades to come. Thank you for everything, It has done more than you could ever imagine.

It's difficult to find any performer in this industry that could be universally loved but somehow this man found a way to do it. Throughout his massively impressive career there was at least one movie or T.V. show that touched you in some way and left a lasting effect. He had a personality that was larger than life and knowing that only made it more heart breaking to hear how damaged he truly was. Depression and mental illness affect so many people today and Mr. Williams untimely passing is only one of the most recent in an outcry for these problems to be taken more seriously. If you are suffering from any sort of mental illness, like so many others are, don't be afraid to seek help. This life is too short to go through it without a smile on your face, if you aren't happy than do something to try and change that. 

I am going to leave you all with the same advice I left everyone a year ago. Use today, and this next week, to celebrate what makes you happy and what makes you, well, you. Watch your favorite movies, put on your favorite album, read your favorite book,go out with your favorite people, do whatever it is that makes you smile. If there was one thing Robin Williams was a genius at, it was making us smile and I think he would love nothing more than to see people making themselves happy in his name. I for one will be binge watching his work all day today and into the rest of his week. We may no longer have him physically in our lives but we can make him live on eternally through his work. 

I've seen some people mentioning today should now be known as Robin Williams day and I couldn't agree more. Lets use August 11 of every year to celebrate the life of one of the funniest and most charismatic people to ever grace our screens. I am watching him in Hook as I'm writing this post and have plans to watch Aladdin and Good Will Hunting later tonight, you should do the same. Grab your favorite Robin Williams flick and pop it in, today is the day to remember why we all love him so much.



As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies

The Gift (Review)

The Gift (2015)

Mystery, Thriller

Directed By: Joel Edgerton

I've said it multiple times before, there is nothing more terrifying in this life than the human condition. The way a person appears to you is never guaranteed to be the person they actually are and you never truly know what they are capable of.  The way our minds can take an idea so small and manifest it into something larger than life can be a cruel reminder of just how fragile we are as a species. Writer/director/actor Joel Edgerton plays with these themes in his directorial debut The Gift, a new psychological thriller that that manages to do a whole lot more than just give you a few scares. With a super intelligent script and incredible acting, Edgerton delivers one of the most original movies of the summer.

As far as plot goes, I'm going to give you as little as possible because the less you know about this movie the better. Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) are a young married couple who has just moved out to California for a fresh start. They were having troubles back in Chicago they came out west, just north of where Simon grew up to try and reconcile their marriage and lives. Shortly after arriving in their new home however and old friend from Simon's past pops back into his life. Gordon aka "Gordo" (Joel Edgerton) and Simon run into each other at the store and after Simon barely recognizes him he starts leaving them gifts at their house. It becomes clear that Gordo remembers a little bit more about their history together than Simon cares to and before long he realizes the past may not be so far behind him. 

Joel Edgerton wrote, directed, and co-starred in this film and that alone is highly impressive. Take into account the genius script he wrote and the incredible performance he gives and it makes it all the more incredible. He took a movie that we have seen done a hundred times before and twists it around to not only make it relevant to today but he makes it a film that digs so much deeper than home invasion scares. The Gift addresses some major issues we have today and shows the damage they can do when left unattended. This film will make you think and reevaluate the way you interact with people, both from your past and the present. 

As good as Edgerton is however, this movie hinges on the performance of the two leads and Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall are phenomenal in their respective roles. Hall creates a lot of the fear and confusion that you feel throughout the film as she is feeling these things throughout. Jason Bateman is the real standout here though, we have seen him do some small dramatic stuff before but he is next level in this movie. He completely owns his part and lifts the intensity of this movie up astronomically. The screen time he and Edgerton share is some of the best acting work I've seen all year and they create an intensity I haven't seen in the movies in a while. 

Blum House is once again proving that you don't need $100 million to create a great film nowadays. Made for about $5 million, The Gift is a testament to good writing and filmmaking and reminds us that all you need to make a great movie is talented people, not a ton of money. Working as the triple threat, Edgerton shows he has massive chops both behind and in front of the camera and should surely be given more opportunities to do it again. If you are feeling exhausted by all of the big budget, blockbuster movies then put your money towards something a little more deserving. This movie is the big surprise of the summer so far and you should all go see it.



As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later! 

Netflix Pix #1

Hello everyone! Today I am starting a new weekly post that will go up every Monday and it is simply called "Netflix Pix". I am so often asked to recommend movies to people that are streaming on Netflix so I figured I'd start a post doing just that. Every Monday I will compile a list of five films that are streaming on Netflix and that I have seen and recommend to you all. We all know there are endless amounts of movies on the service and choosing which ones to watch can be a difficult decision without someone you trust telling you it's worth it. Well, I am hoping I am that trusty someone and I have burned through plenty of the films on there so I feel I am well qualified to do so.

Some weeks I may pick a theme and without a doubt once a month I will do a post entirely of horror movies. I hope I can introduce you guys to some new kinds of films that you haven't seen and get you exploring some titles you may have never even considered before. Netflix has been very instrumental in helping me personally grow as a movie geek and I would love to help do the same for some of you. So keep an eye on my page every Monday going forward if you are looking for new things to explore and without further delay, here is my first ever Netflix Pix.

1. Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) Directed By: Guy Ritchie

With The Man From U.N.C.L.E. hitting theaters this week, the newest film from director Guy Ritchie, I invite you to look back at the movie that elevated him into a new level of filmmaking. Lock, Stock is the first in a series of films that Ritchie would do focusing on the British underground crime circuit. Starring Jason Statham at a time when he did actual acting, this film is brilliant take on the world of organized crime.

Focusing mainly on a group of friends who think they can walk in and take a game of cards run by a group of unsavory people, this film intertwines multiple storylines by both coincidence and incident. After the Card game goes awry it sets in motion a series of events that collides multiple different worlds in a hunt for money, weed, and guns. This is the film that established Guy Ritchie and his unique style of filmmaking and would lay the groundwork for his future films like Snatch and RocknRolla.

2. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) Directed By: George Clooney

The directorial debut of acting juggernaut George Clooney, this film is a unique take on the "biopic" and with Straight Outta Compton releasing this weekend, it just feels appropriate. The film is an adaptation of the cult memoirs of Chuck Barris, a well-known game show host from such programs as The Gong Show. Clooney stars alongside Sam Rockwell in this highly underrated movie.

The film centers on the alleged true story of Chuck Barris' secret life as a CIA hitman. Yeah, you heard that right, Chuck Barris claims in his memoirs that he was an undercover CIA hitman during his time as an iconic TV host. Whether or not any of that is true doesn't matter, it makes for wonderful storytelling and filmmaking. It's a fun trip into the past to take a look at life at a different time. You believe that it's possible for him to have achieved this in a time where the world was becoming consumed by network television and their consumerist lives. The movie is all around fun and I would definitely suggest you check it out. It is worth a watch for Clooney and Rockwell alone, the two are incredible on screen together.

3. Blue Ruin (2013) Directed By: Jeremy Saulnier

Written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, this movie is one of the best American action movies of the last decade. The film focuses on Dwight, a quiet homeless man who has some demons. When he returns home to attempt and carry out an act of revenge on the people who previously hurt him he proves to be far more unprepared than he thought. Before he knows it his life is turned upside down and he ends up in a desperate fight to protect himself and the ones close to him. Go in knowing as little as possible and simply enjoy the ride. Its fast paced, intense action that is as good as anything you see in the theaters this summer.

4. Death Wish (1974) Directed By: Michael Winner

One of the wonderful things about Netflix is the massive amount of old and classic films they have. More specifically their inventory of older R rated action movies. One of my favorites currently on Netflix is Charles Bronson in Death Wish. This is the kind of film we see quite often nowadays but back in 1974 this was a fresh idea. Similar to the last movie I talked about, Blue Ruin, this is a tale of revenge in the name of family.

After his wife is murdered by street thugs, Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) finds himself in the darkest of places. His takes his anger to the streets and begins a terror of vigilante justice. He hits the street with his revolver and begins taking out would-be muggers and all other worthless scum. It's one of the earliest movies I can remember that uses the no mercy style action. Bronson's character is ruthless with his gun, the pain of losing his wife has consumed him to the point where he has no regard for wasted human life. I would say watch anything with Charles Bronson in it regardless but this one is fun for all the ultra-violent action movie fans.

5. The Art of the Steal (2013) Directed By: Jonathan Sobol

Last year this little movie popped up on Netflix and took me completely by surprise. I am a huge fan of heist movies as well as Kurt Russell and Jay Baruchel so this was an easy sell for me. The movie ended up being a really clever art heist movie that also succeeds as a cool tale of revenge as well. The movie is hilarious and a total blast to watch and writer/director Jonathan Sobol does a great job making it feel fresh.

Crunch Calhoun (Kurt Russell) is an ex-art thief who has taken up employment as a daredevil with an affinity for crashing. His new line of work isn't the most effective way of making cash though and when his old associate approaches him with a new score he has no choice but to get back into the game. He is going to be working with his brother (Matt Dillon) again, who screwed them over on the last job but is willing to put that aside for the promise of a huge score. The heist isn't what it appears to be though and by the time the credits roll you'll have realized that the art of the steal isn't what you'd thought.

There you have it, five films that I think are a fantastic and totally worth your time. So pop on your Netflix and get to watching. Let me know if you watch any of these and what you think, I am always curious to know your guys opinions. If you have seen any of them already then let me know if you agree with me, are these good movie in your opinion? Movies are totally subjective and I love to hearing the differing of opinions. As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!

The Wet Hot American Takeover

If you are anything like me, you most likely spent the entirety of this past week glued to your Netflix account. That's because two Fridays ago, the now dominant media streaming service dropped the latest of their original series Wet Hot American Summer. This title may sound familiar to you if you have seen the 2001 film as it has gone on to build a rather large cult following.  It wasn't always a profitable property however and the story of how this show came to be is a testament to the power of fandom.

After the movie was released and received poor critical response it ended up with a less than worthwhile theatrical release and first time director David Wain thought he had a bust on his hands. In the coming years however and thanks to streaming services like Netflix the film has gone on to build a huge following of die-hard fans. This was in large part due to the zany style of comedy and the unimaginable cast of what were then up and coming actors. I have said plenty on this film though and you can find my full review of it here.

After finding success in the coming years and with an ever growing fandom, director David Wain got the entire gang back together (I'm still baffled they were able to do this) and with some help from Netflix they successfully resurrected the beloved summer camp. Last week we all got to see the final product and judge for ourselves just how worthwhile of an idea this all really was. We all quickly burned through the eight episodes that night and once more through the rest of the weekend. Many of you (I know I did) probably even revisited the original movie, allowing Camp Firewood to completely consume your weekend. But did you notice the other gem Netflix snuck on while you weren't paying attention?

I'm referring to the little documentary called Hurricane of Fun: The Making of Wet Hot. While we were all busy watching the new series plenty of people missed this fantastic look into how the original came to be and how it was possible for it to happen again. Having watched this, the entire series, and the movie all this weekend I figured I'd give you guys short reviews for The First Day of Camp and Hurricane of Fun. I'm sure all you longtime fans have already consumed every second of this but for the people a little more unfamiliar with it I hope this may serve as a nice introduction for you into what exactly this world is. So I invite you to sit back, relax, and let the Wet Hot American Takeover consume you.