READY PLAYER ONE: Game On

NOTE: All your SPOILERS are belong to us.

"People come to the OASIS for all the things they can do, but they stay for all the things they can be."

- Wade Watts/Parzival (Tye Sheridan), Ready Player One 

Very few people ruled the 1980s like Steven Spielberg. He directed eight films and through his production company Amblin, executive produced sixteen more - those including Gremlins, The Goonies, Innerspace, Young Sherlock Holmes, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and of course, Back to the Future. He also created the television series "Amazing Stories" which helped give rise to storytellers like Brad Bird. Someone that prolific on popular culture could never be forgotten and thanks to the work of a budding screenwriter-turned-author (and back again), it might have actually been the foundation of one of his most thrilling adventures.

Ernest Cline was a fledgling screenwriter whose most famous work had been the 2009 comedy, Fanboys, starring Kristen Bell and Dan Fogler among others. He was not satisfied as the movie was being distributed by future bankrupt monstrosity the Weinstein Company. Wanting to do a movie-style adventure with complete control over his characters, Cline began writing the book "Ready Player One", an ode to the pop culture of the 1980s as well as a hopeful look forward into a future filled with virtual reality havens of escapism. While the book garnered praise from many in the geek community, others were disquieted. "Ready Player One" has often been railed as sexist, manipulative and pandering. A recurring element is the lead character asking if another character portrayed as a woman is actually a woman. Another controversial part of the book was the amount of listing the lead gives to his knowledge of the 1980s. Cline has offered few if any defense to these allegations. He had been mostly busy working to get "Ready Player One" a proper film adaptation. Many of the great filmmakers around today were offered the film - Peter Jackson, Matthew Vaughn, Edgar Wright and Robert Zemeckis among them - and all turned the film down. On a lark, Cline's agent sent the book to the offices of Steven Spielberg just to see if he would turn it down. Spielberg apparently not only did not turn the book down but could not put the book down.

Having recently fallen into the groove of making socially-relevant historical dramas, Spielberg found the book giving him flashbacks of making films back in the 1980s, the ones that were literal blockbusters with fans lining up around the block. He also saw the story as a potential commentary on the youth of today willingly plugging themselves into their various devices as opposed to spending time outside or with friends and family. Suitably inspired, Spielberg shocked Hollywood by announcing Ready Player One as part of his upcoming filmography which then featured the international thriller Bridge of Spies and cutesy-cuddly family film The BFG. He even attended Comic-Con, of which he has made few appearances at, to promote the film to cheering crowds. "It was the most amazing flashback and flash forward I had ever expierenced," he told Comic-Con. Utilizing the performance capture technology of The Adventures of Tintin and The BFG, Spielberg set out to bring the virtual reality world of the OASIS to life. Because of the lengthy time it took for Industrial Light & Magic to fully render and animate the world of Ready Player One, Spielberg found time to go off and film The Post, following the tumultuous election of Donald Trump. Having scratched the familiar historical drama itch, Spielberg was Ready to have fun with audiences again.

In the not-too-distant future of 2045, young Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) finds himself wishing for a world that no longer exists: the seemingly more fun and upbeat time of America in the 1980s. Fortunately, he has a way to access that in the sprawling digital utopia that is the OASIS, created by multi-billionaire genius James Halliday (Academy Award winner Mark Rylance). In the OASIS, even the most unpopular nobody can go anywhere, do anything, be anything. However, Halliday has been dead for several years but before he died, he left behind a message inviting all users of the OASIS on a hunt for an Easter egg he left behind. The first user to find it will inherit Halliday's vast, vast, VAST fortune (vast) as well as full ownership of the OASIS. In the midst of this is the multinational conglomerate known as IOI, headed by the duplicitous Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn), which will do anything - legal or illegal - to win the contest. As the hunt for the Egg rages on, the realms of the real and the virtual hang in the balance. Wade and his friends - through their digital avatars - will go on adventures beyond their wildest "pure" imagination.

Ready Player One is one of the most visually-stimulating, jaw-droppingly awesome and incredible hilarious action-packed thrill rides Spielberg has ever brought to the screen. The OASIS sequences, as previously mentioned filmed in performance capture, are proof that Spielberg has become the de-facto champion of the technology, picking up where Zemeckis and Jackson left off. It has all the prowess that James Cameron imbued into Avatar, but with the crowd-pleasing sensibilities of films like Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark. All the heroic characters - the High 5 - are likable both in their digital avatars as well as in their real-world selves. Mark Rylance and Simon Pegg, who are both fantastic actors and Spielberg alumni, are well-suited in supporting roles. The standout performance comes from the British actress Olivia Cooke as Samantha/Art3mis, utilizing an American accent, and often brings to mind Lea Thompson's giggly Lorraine Baines from Back to the Future. 

In the book, one of the challenges for Parzival is to step into the world of the 1983 film, WarGames. WarGames is a fine film, one I would definitely recommend; but it is clear that the film held no personal connection to Spielberg himself. However, The Shining did; it is well-documented that Stanley Kubrick was very close friends with Spielberg. In the movie, our heroes burst through the doors of a digital cineplex to find a stunning recreation of the Colorado Lounge in the Overlook Hotel. It is almost as if the filmmakers went back in time to Elstree Studios in 1979 England and simply filmed in the empty sets. Hallmarks of The Shining gradually begin to appear: the Grady twins, the blood coming from the elevator (it usually gets off at the second floor) and last, but not least, the infamous Room 237. It is a testament to Spielberg's command of visual effects, the mind-blowing talent of thousands of animators as well as a loving tribute to a masterful director. 

The greatest joys to get out of Ready Player One are the surprise references in the film. It is amazing to think that Freddy Krueger, Duke Nukem, Harley Quinn, the original RoboCop and Chucky of Child's Play are all in a Steven Spielberg film. And that is barely skimming the surface of what can be seen in the film. I saw this movie in IMAX both opening night and the following night and I can only imagine I have correctly identified just under a third of all what goes on in the background of the movie. While I will most definitely advocate you see this film on the biggest screen possible, the day will come when people like me will go frame-by-frame of this movie on an iPad Zapruder-style to see all the identifying characters.  But the one that captured my heart the most was seeing the DeLorean time machine back in action. Seeing it zoom, jump and hover in the film's first challenge was exhilarating. There is also a very sweet nod to Robert Zemeckis in the film as well that is one element I will not spoil.

I am recommending Ready Player One to anybody I know. Regardless of age, gender, whether they are gamers or whether they love movies or not. It is a genuinely heartfelt adventure that will please almost any crowd you put in front of this thing. It celebrates imagination and fun like few movies made today ever could have. The flaws of the book have been dialed down or even removed from the film. Spielberg has often taken books that were mediocre at worst and made them into legendary films like Jaws and Jurassic Park. I imagine time will be just as kind to Ready Player One.

My Top 10 Favorite Steven Spielberg Films

Note: Just in time for Ready Player One.

There is no living filmmaker who has changed the world like Steven Spielberg. His literal “household name” is synonymous with movies. Starting in the mid-70s, Spielberg has brought wonder and amazement to the theaters again and again and again. Picking your personal favorites out of the intimidating and unmatched filmography of his is not an easy challenge. Mine is made out of films that I return to more often than others. Now, naturally there are omissions, and I will explain them.

A. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is not on this list. That is not an oversight. Do not misunderstand me, I do honestly enjoy this movie and it is an unarguable masterpiece. However, sticking it in the top 10 is what everyone would do. I wanted this list to include a few heavy hitters and some that people might not recognize at first glance.

B. 1941 is not on this list, but it is not because it is a bad film. It is a much maligned film for many reasons but it is not the abject failure it has been made out to be over the years. Give it a chance if you have never seen it and only heard its unfair reputation. Contrarily, Schindler’s List is not on this list and is a great film but is an extraordinarily hard one to watch.

C. There is only one Indiana Jones film on the list. Crystal Skull is the worst of the bunch but it too suffers from an over-exaggerated reputation.

D. Hook is not on this list. Get over it, fellow ‘90s kids. The BFG is better.

E. The Spielberg films I have not seen as of this writing are The Color Purple, Empire of the Sun and Munich. Their omissions are simply because I have yet to see them in their entirety; something I hope to rectify very soon. Ready Player One, too, but that goes without saying because it is brand-new. If all I have read, seen and heard are correct, it definitely deserves a spot on this list.

With all that out of the way, on with the list. Feel free to comment, but please be civil.

"You know what my husband said about the news? He called it the first rough draft of history. That's good, isn't it?"

10. The Post (2018)
Cast: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk
Written by: Liz Hannah and Josh Singer
The most recent film on this list is one of Spielberg’s strongest. Boasting an incredible cast that includes reuniting actors who have previously worked together (i.e. David Cross and Bob Odenkirk from “Mr. Show”, Sarah Paulson and Bruce Greenwood from “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson” among others) as well as the first pairing between screen icons Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. Naturally, they play off each other well as Streep plays the optimistic owner of the Washington Post, Katherine Graham and Hanks plays the wry curmudgeon editor-in-chief Ben Bradlee. When the “Pentagon Papers” come into play threatening Richard Nixon’s presidency, Bradlee and Graham join forces with some courageous reporters to print them in the Post, despite facing certain prison time. Of course, this story has very obvious modern-day parallels which is why Spielberg wanted to make it (and make it quickly). It has some of the longest takes I have seen in a Spielberg movie, where he and longtime cinematographer Janusz Kaminski excel at capturing the tense situations on-screen. Ultimately, it is no spoiler where this story ends, but it is exciting to see that the final shot of this film nearly matches one of the opening shots of All the President’s Men, which can be considered a pseudo-sequel to this film. Spielberg and Hanks have proven themselves a formidable team time and time again and with the notable performance of Meryl Streep (who earned yet another Oscar nomination), The Post shows that freedom of the press is a weapon worth fighting for.

"We're just on our way to Sugarland to pick up my boy Langston."

9. The Sugarland Express (1974)
Cast: Goldie Hawn, William Atherton, Michael Sacks, Ben Johnson
Written by: Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins
From the most recent to the very first Spielberg film, the master filmmaker debuts in American cinemas with a high-octane, rollicking adventure drama/comedy inspired by a true story. A young woman, Lou Jean Poplin (Hawn) breaks her estranged husband, Clovis (Atherton; soon to be forever known as Walter Peck from Ghostbusters) out of pre-release prison to obtain their young baby after the State of Texas deems Lou Jean an “unfit mother”. After hitching a ride with an elderly cornpone couple, the Poplins get caught in a high-speed chase and end up hijacking a straight-laced police officer at gunpoint. With a legion of brother officers hot on their tail, Lou Jean and Clovis try to survive their lengthy journey across the state of Texas on their mission of mercy as they quickly become heroes of the common people. Without Goldie Hawn’s participation in the film, Spielberg would never have gotten the director’s chair in the first place. Though she is most well known for comedy, she demonstrates a remarkable balance between laughs and tears in this film. Particular note is given to Michael Sacks, the hapless policeman caught up in the middle of the Poplins’ chase. He has an interesting arc in the film – at first, he is duty-bound and most definitely not on their side, but by the end of the film, he has come to see them as people and does not want to see them get hurt. There is brilliant cinematography in the film with the cars on the road with the characters inside; a great example is the sequence where Clovis and Captain Tanner are first discussing terms of their hijacking. It is all filmed in one take as the camera careens around both sides of the car. While the film does not have a happy ending for the main characters, it was only a happy beginning for Steven Spielberg.

"You know your own future, which means you can change it if you want to."

8. Minority Report (2002)
Cast: Tom Cruise, Max von Sydow, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton
Written by: Scott Frank and Jon Cohen
After fulfilling his duties to his good friend Stanley Kubrick and finishing A.I., Spielberg got to do his own, un-tethered take on the future with the writings of Blade Runner author Philip K. Dick. Tom Cruise plays police captain John Anderton of the Pre-Crime Unit, a special agency that can predict and prevent crimes from happening. At the same time a nosy investigator (Farrell) questions the integrity of such an idea (“We are arresting people who have broken no law”), Anderton finds himself the prime suspect in a murder that will happen in less than 48 hours. In order to clear his name, he goes on the run with one of the three Pre-Cogs, a young woman named Agatha (Samantha Morton) who has never seen the outside world. While he protects her and searches for the truth, Anderton must face a terrible tragedy from his past and question what he might be capable of if pushed to his limits. The first real Spielberg film of the new millennium showcases a future not as fanciful as Back to the Future Part II but more realistic than Blade Runner. The mystery is quite thrilling and the action is spot-on. There is even a bit of gross-out humor in the film, almost a throwback to the dinner scene in Temple of Doom. If there is a weak spot in the film, it comes down to the very end of it. Without giving anything away, it is very out of tone with the rest of the film and could come off as schmaltzy. Still, Minority Report is a very compelling thriller with enough action and political intrigue to keep you watching and keep you guessing.

"James... Earn this. Earn it."

7. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Cast: Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper
Written by: Robert Rodat
Perhaps the second most emotionally difficult film for Spielberg following Schindler’s List, the film’s opening is among the most heart-pounding and visually arresting sequences in all film history – the recreation of the Allies storming Omaha Beach. There are many reports of veterans of World War II having to exit the theater during this scene – it was too much for them to take, particularly the sound design when the soldiers drown underwater. The film continues on with Tom Hanks as Capt. John H. Miller leading a group of soldiers on a mission to rescue a young man (early Matt Damon) whose three brothers have already died in the line of duty. There are causalities to be sure, but the characters do not die in vain. Spielberg received a second Oscar for Best Director and dedicated it to his father who served in World War II (and would later help to inspire Bridge of Spies).

"Now get this! Comic books! He reads comic books! Barry Allen is The Flash!"

6. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Amy Adams
Written by: Jeff Nathanson
After the heady dark themes of both A.I. and Minority Report, Spielberg took the opportunity to lighten up a bit as he directs this breezy adventure based on the almost literally unbelievable true story. Frank Abagnale Jr. (DiCaprio) is a bright young man whose world collapses around him following his parents’ divorce. Having inheriting the gift of gab from his father (an Academy Award-nominated Christopher Walken), Frank decides to take on several different identities and the high life that comes with them – including a pilot, a doctor and a lawyer. Hot on his heels, however, is a determined FBI agent (Hanks) chasing after him to bring to justice. This is yet another Spielberg film with an absolute dynamite cast; DiCaprio apparently was very sick during the making of the film but his self-confidence as Frank is effervescent. It also marks one of the first major films of Amy Adams, who was clearly a movie star from the start. John Williams’ main title theme matched with the hypnotic animated opening is simply the best. Catch Me is a nice treat to have if you have just been subjected to bitter herbs of darker stories.

"You care about something, you fight for it. You hit a wall, you push through it."

5. The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
Cast: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg
Written by: Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish
Steven Spielberg was reading the initial reviews came out for Raiders of the Lost Ark in France and he kept coming across the word "Tintin" in the papers. He had scant knowledge of French from high school, but when the translation was brought to him, he discovered a series of comic books about a young adventurer named Tintin, who traveled across the globe much like Indiana Jones but with a more comedic bent. Naturally, Spielberg was hooked on the story but could not fathom a way to bring the inimitable artwork of Hergé to life. That is, until, over 20 years later when Spielberg met Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson on-stage at the Oscars presenting him with Best Picture for The Return of the King. Spielberg soon discovered another Tintin acolyte in Jackson, who suggested creating the world of Hergé through performance capture. Intrigued by the technology, Spielberg agreed with the provision that Jackson accompany him as producer. The resulting film is, as Spielberg described it, "unapologetic, shameless adventure", written by "Doctor Who" showrunner Steven Moffat and Hot Fuzz collaborators Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish. The film has a rousing momentum that rarely stops and Spielberg shows his amazing control of perfomance capture and pushes it to its limits in a standout chase sequence all done in one shot. Spielberg and Jackson set off to make three films, the latter two of which have not been made but if there is any chance that they will happen (and recent reports indicate they might), I will gladly be there on opening day.

"Mr. Hammond, I think we're back in business!"

4. Jurassic Park (1993)
Cast: Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Richard Attenborough
Written by: Michael Crichton and David Koepp

When Michael Crichton first pitched his novel to him, Steven Spielberg called Jurassic Park “the most genius combination of science and imagination”. Another combination of science and imagination is visual effects, which took a gigantic leap forward with the computer-generated dinosaurs in the film which were complimented by the real-life mechanical dinosaurs created by Stan Winston. During a once-in-a-lifetime meeting with the legendary Ray Harryhausen, Spielberg showed him a test of digital dinosaurs running through a film and Harryhausen declared, "Well, there's the future." The lead characters are memorable and actually stand a good chance against the dinosaurs though they are not your traditional action heroes. Spielberg throws in his trademark characters who cannot deal with the idea of parenting; specifically one Dr. Alan Grant, played by Sam Neill with a decent character arc. The movie spawned two sequels (with only one directed by Spielberg) and a soft reboot with a sequel on the way later this year. 

"I saw something last night that I can't explain!"

3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon, François Truffaut
Written by: Steven Spielberg
In the 1970s, two very different news stories were being propagated frequently in the media: Watergate and UFOs. Both had theories thrown around about, mundane and fantastical. As far as Steven Spielberg was concerned, all the negative stuff going on Earth meant the stars were the limit. In all the movies he directed with Richard Dreyfuss starring, he purposefully casts him in the character that Spielberg sees himself as: in this case, Indiana lineman Roy Neary. After coming into contact with beings not of this world, Neary becomes obsessed with finding out the truth of they are here. At the same time, famed scientist Lacombe (Truffaut) is pursuing evidence all around the world of extraterrestrial life and bizarrely, keeps coming across the same five musical notes. The paths for both men end at the intimidatingly-named Devil's Tower in Wyoming. The last third of the movie culminates in a very sweet and heartfelt ending. In one of the three different versions of the movie, John Williams composes a stirring and almost tear-jerking take on "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Disney's Pinocchio (a movie that comes up in dialogue early in the movie). Late last year, Columbia Pictures put the movie out in theaters again for its 40th anniversary (as well as shilling for a new Blu-Ray and 4K release). It actually did well enough that Columbia's initial one-week-only engagement was bumped up to two weeks. That shows you the power a Close Encounter can have.

"This shark, swallow you whole."

2. Jaws (1975)
Cast: Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gary
Written by: Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb
If there is one movie that has launched the careers of multiple modern-day directors, it has to be this one. And really, who can blame them? For all the trouble Spielberg and company had to endure with drunk lead actors, an unpredictable ocean to film on and a recalcitrant robot shark, it has perhaps the sweetest happily-ever-after of a cinematic afterlife that is possible. From the line "You're gonna need a bigger boat" to the iconic theme, Jaws has encompassed almost all pop culture. It spawned three lesser sequels, a popular theme park ride at all Universal parks that no longer exists, as well as video games and even a fan documentary on the film's Blu-Ray. Despite the film's reputation for being terrifying, it has a lot of slow, meaningful moments: the tearful Mrs. Kinter confronting Chief Brody, the brief sequence of Brody and his youngest son silently playing together and, of course, Quint's famous "U.S.S. Indianapolis" speech. To paraphrase actor Michael J. Fox, "[Jaws] is everything you go to movies for." 

"I don't know, I'm making this up as I go."

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey
Written by: Lawrence Kasdan
I know I said I was not going to put 1941 on this list, but it is an important film. Without its (seemingly) epic failure, Spielberg would not have needed a project to prove himself on. George Lucas, Spielberg's long-time friend, had just the project: a full-blown throwback/love letter to the rough-and-tumble adventure serials they had both grown up on with the greatest hero of them all who was then-named Indiana Smith (Spielberg agreed to direct on the condition the character's name be changed). At the time, Spielberg was on the outskirts of Hollywood to the point where he was filming the movie overseas (a first for him). John Landis was filming An American Werewolf in London. Joe Dante was filming The Howling. John Carpenter was filming Escape from New York. These films are all memorable and fine in their own right, but only one topped them all in the same year. A movie with Nazis, ghosts, Hitler-loving monkeys, thousands upon thousands of snakes, and the Ark of the Covenant; as well as the role Harrison Ford will forever be known for - Indiana Jones. It continues to define the action/adventure genre and inspired countless knock-offs (some decent, some awful). Harrison Ford was once asked what his definition of Indiana Jones is: "I think the audience likes a character who is both an academic and an adventurer.... It's his tenacity, his unwillingness to give up, his zeal for the hunt. And the pleasure that he takes in going to amazing places, seeing bizarre and amazing things and solving the mysteries that lay before him." 

So there it is, my personal top 10 favorite Steven Spielberg movies. It definitely took a lot of time - re-watching the movies, thinking about them, reading on what Spielberg himself and others had said about them - and it is a list I am willing to stand by. I hope you enjoyed reading it and please share if you did!

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI - But Not Least

Note: Spoilers to maximum. Prepare to fire.

"Amazing. Everything you just said was... wrong. The Rebellion is reborn today. The war has just begun."

- Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Star Wars: The Last Jedi

In the aftermath of The Force Awakens, the world got Star Wars fever all over again. It was cool again to like Star Wars as opposed to having to hide it away in public for fear of Jar Jar jokes. This was naturally due to the fact that multinational conglomerate Disney now owned the franchise (and as of this writing pretty much everything else). They followed it up the coming year with Rogue One, a standalone film that proved the franchise was capable of going in different directions if just for one film. But the next film would be the real test. Would audiences come back for more? Had the new cast garnered enough goodwill for fans past and present? And most importantly: would Mark Hamill actually get to recite dialogue?

Enter Rian Johnson: a true maverick filmmaker. Starting from his first film, the Joseph Gordon-Levitt crime mystery Brick, Johnson established himself as a director that would go after storytelling with raw emotion. Following this up, Johnson would lighten his tone with the con-man comedy The Brothers Bloom, this time teaming with actors Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo. This jokey action movie would later lead to him directing one episode of "Terriers", a short-lived but cult favorite television series (maybe we should give a big-time franchise movie to the guy who directed the pilot episode?). Johnson went back to his darker roots with three episodes of the critically acclaimed series "Breaking Bad", with his final episode "Ozymandias" quickly scoring a perfect 10/10 on IMDb after its initial airing. In 2012, Johnson directed his biggest movie (until today), Looper - a massively mind-bending sci-fi/thriller starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as one hitman at two different ages. With all of these achievements, and all of them being all original material, what could one of the world's most popular film franchises ever have to offer to Rian Johnson?

In the aftermath of destroying the massive Starkiller Base, the Resistance quickly begins an evacuation with General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) in charge. As they are escaping, they quickly discover that they have very low fuel reserves and are hours away from destruction by the pursuing First Order led by General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson). Together, ex-Stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega), X-Wing pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and a young Rebel engineer named Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) launch a plan to find a code-breaker to help them break onto a First Order ship and disable it, so the Resistance can escape. Meanwhile, Rey (Daisy Ridley) has tracked down the missing Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) so that not only can he assist the efforts of the Resistance but so she can be taught in the ways of the Force. However, the years have worn down the formerly optimistic farm boy and Luke has become quite cynical and believes that the Jedi should die with him. However, after seeing Rey's determination, he reluctantly agrees to train her. Rey soon finds herself troubled by conversations she has through the Force with her nemesis, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), who wants nothing more than to turn her over to his Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) and kill Skywalker - his former teacher - himself.

This was an exhilarating movie. The cast, most of which has returned from The Force Awakens, has never been better. Every character gets their time to shine, which is good considering there are a LOT of them. Finn & Rose, a new character we are introduced to, work well off each other as Finn is having to live up to the Resistance hero image that Rose associates him with. Poe and Leia have great back and forth dialogue, yet I cannot say I am happy with Laura Dern as Holdo. She gets introduced near the middle of the movie and she immediately takes a dislike to Poe, without any real motive. It gets hinted that she is a traitor to the Resistance but that is thrown out the window. Maybe she had more to do and more to endear audiences with in a longer version of the movie, but as it stands she does not offer much except for giving her life to help save the Resistance. 

Mark Hamill delivers a dynamite performance that gives laughs, cheers and even frights at times as Luke Skywalker. Naturally, after his 30 second performance at the end of The Force Awakens, many were confused and/or disappointed that Mark Hamill had relatively nothing to do. That is changed with The Last Jedi. Hamill is allowed to let loose with his performance, in very much the same way Harrison Ford did in the previous film. You get the sense that Hamill was tired of playing (and being identified as) the goody-two-shoes character that Luke was in the Original Trilogy. Here, he is giving broad drama where he feels much guilt for having failed Yoda and Obi-Wan at restarting the Jedi Order and for ruining the life of Ben Solo who became Kylo Ren. There is a series of flashbacks in the film, and while flashbacks are not centrally used in Star Wars, it shows both Luke and Kylo Ren's point-of-view of the night Kylo turned. In Kylo's version, Luke is terrifying with murder in his eyes. In Luke's version, he is "filled with shame" for having considered killing Ben with his lightsaber. We all make mistakes, even Jedi.

The big unspoken element of the film is that this is Carrie Fisher's final film. But to give the filmmakers credit, if this was to be her swan song, what a swan song it is. Leia plays an enormous part of the plot to the film and you can tell Fisher was enjoying every minute of it. She gets to literally slap around Poe Dameron in their first scene together and it is really funny. Without giving too much away, there is a segment in the film where Leia seemingly dies and I have to admit I was in disbelief. There was no way she was going to die in this movie if she had already died in real life; Carrie Fisher, tragically, lost her life but the character of Leia Organa is immortal. Naturally, she finds a way to survive and continues to lead the fight well into the end of the movie. The end credits dedicates the film to her.

Disney continues their hit-streak of bringing life back to Star Wars. They got Abrams to resuscitate it, had Edwards check its memory and now Johnson has checked its pulse. Weeks before its release, Disney and Lucasfilm announced that Johnson would be heading up his own standalone Star Wars trilogy after Episode IX. If this film is any indication, Johnson is not only well-suited but perfect for the job. Last Jedi is a thrilling, funny and riveting experience. There are quite a few nice surprises, jawdropping reveals and extreme excitement to be had. I highly encourage everybody to see it as quickly as possible. In IMAX, if possible. 

THE DISASTER ARTIST: What a Story

Note: Leave your stupid SPOILERS in your pocket!

"Los Angeles, everybody want to be star. You have to be the best and never give up."

- Tommy Wiseau (James Franco), The Disaster Artist

There is no one on Earth like Tommy Wiseau. Some have speculated he can not possibly come from Earth. But his story and how he became the 21st century equivalent of Ed Wood cannot be anything but some of the most human stuff you will ever hear about. I am talking about The Room, a 2003 film - a "dark comedy" masquerading as a Tennessee Williams-style melodrama - starring and written and produced and directed by Wiseau himself. It is a movie so laughably bizarre and enjoyably bad that it truly has become infamous. Hundreds of midnight screenings have been shown all over the world with Wiseau often attending and playing football with many of the attendees. But he has kept most of his own life shrouded in secrecy. It would keep even the most seasoned investigator up many sleepless nights just trying to decipher his accent. Fortunately, his best friend seemed to be up to the task.

Actor Greg Sestero, Wiseau's co-star in The Room and probably Wiseau's longest-lasting friend, found himself caught up in the cult cyclone following the film's release. The movie improbably had found an audience in people who loved “so bad it’s good” films. It had marathon showings on [adult swim] during April Fools’ Day (including an interview with Space Ghost). Wiseau and Sestero have both been on CNN, discussing the movie’s remarkable success story. Rather than dissuade himself from the potential embarrassment at being associated with it, Sestero decided to tell the full story of the making of the film. He and journalist Tom Bissell began writing the book, "The Disaster Artist" and released it in 2013 to worldwide acclaim. Fans of the film were delighted at all the behind-the-scenes madness being revealed while more serious critics were intrigued at the captivating story of not giving up on one's dreams. Naturally, Hollywood came calling. 

Greg (Dave Franco) is a young man struggling to make it in Los Angeles and to be taken seriously as an actor. In the midst of one of his acting classes, he finds himself awestruck by the fearlessness of one of his classmates, a mysterious man known only as Tommy (James Franco) who, despite having dubious talent, gives his all. Wanting to get to know him better, Greg begins a reluctant friendship with Tommy who agrees on the condition that Greg will never divulge anything personal he may learn about him. As the two of them become close friends, they become frustrated that no one in Hollywood will take a chance with them. Offhandedly, Greg suggests making their own movie. This throwaway comment lights a creative spark in Tommy that launches a major production: The Room. Greg warily agrees to play a role in the film as the best friend of the lead character, Johnny, played by Tommy. As their fellow cast and crew slowly begin to realize, The Room is not just a multi-million dollar vanity project by a madman but also the fast lane to the breaking of their sanity.

The Disaster Artist is the culmination of one of the most surprising underdog stories in Hollywood history. It is a vindication to all who have suffered through the film that there was something there that perhaps they did not see upon first viewing. In lesser hands, the movie would simply collapse on its "you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it" approach, but James Franco shines both as director and star. He builds a great camaraderie with his own brother Dave playing Greg. I must admit I had fears when the first teaser trailer was released as it seemed that James was simply doing a Tommy Wiseau impression. I am happy to say I was wrong and that he has enveloped himself in all things Wiseau in a way that almost does not seem possible, outside of Tommy himself. He perfectly captured Tommy's manners and speech patterns. The movie introduces a story element that does not come from the book so I am not sure of its authenticity: Tommy goes on various auditions and is eventually told by an acting teacher (Bob Odenkirk) that he may be best suited in playing a monstrous villain. Troubled by this, Tommy refuses this advice, believing he can be an American hero. This gives Tommy a humanity that might be harder to see without said motivation.

Where the movie falters is in the supporting cast. Ultimately, the movie is the story of Greg and Tommy. Casting a lot of famous faces brings the movie legitimacy but not much else. Naturally, fellow Frat Pack member Seth Rogen has a part as Sandy Schklair, The Room production's seemingly sole voice of reason, but he does not have many more scenes outside of what one sees in the trailer. Also, in the movie, he and Paul Scheer playing Raphael Smadja, The Room's director of photography, are fired off-screen. In the book, Schklair left the film's production because he was offered a job with Steven Spielberg's cinematographer Janusz Kamiński and Scheer's character stormed off the set after Tommy refused to find a new line producer after the job was basically forced upon Greg. I understand that it would have taken away a lot of screen time from the movie, but something better than nothing would have been preferred.

Another problem I have with the movie is the pacing. The movie, after a questionable "love letter" prelude featuring J.J. Abrams, Kevin Smith, Kristen Bell and Adam Scott, starts off on a breakneck speed going from scene-to-scene-to-scene. Once it stops and slows down to catch its breath, it does become very compelling. The book alternates chapters of the making of The Room and the real story of Greg and Tommy's friendship; it breaks up monotony and also allows for good laughs after very serious passages. The movie is straight linear from the first time Greg meets Tommy to the premiere of The Room; it takes forever to get to what the movie is being sold on - the making of the greatest bad movie ever made. There is also a whole section of the book dedicated to delving into Tommy's past; or at least a fairly convincing theory of his past. It is nowhere to be found in the movie. The ending of the movie finds Tommy quickly embracing the notion to call The Room a black comedy as opposed to the melodrama he intended it to be. This did not happen until after The Room was discovered by two college students in the final week of its bare theatrical release. But, I get it; it is only a two-hour movie and it needs a happy ending.

The Room is the best bad movie ever made. The story of how it got made is unconventional. The man who got it made is incomprehensible. The way it took the world by storm is unbelievable. I deeply implore you, if you have never seen the movie: please give it a try. You may be bewildered, you may be angered but you just might be enraptured by its madness. The Disaster Artist is the blaze of glory that The Room has finally attained; the same Hollywood that would not accept Tommy is now putting his implausible story onto the silver screen. As Tommy would no doubt say, "You can laugh, you can cry, but don't hurt yourself."

P.S. Wait around for the very end of the credits for a post-credits surprise.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

In the interest of full disclosure, this author must admit a serious bias towards the source material. In that I am a massive fan of The Room. I have been to both the RiffTrax version of The Room (in theaters, not live in Nashville) and the unriffed version (here in Memphis) with hundreds of shouting fans. I also bought The Room on Blu-Ray for $36 (it did not just come with the movie but also a draw-string backpack and the T-shirt you see me wearing above), but it was worth in that Tommy Wiseau signed it to me personally; you can request this if you purchase this through his official website. And to top it off, I was able to meet the one-and-only Greg Sestero when he came to town as part of a book festival. He talked about the book, Tommy, making The Room and near the end of his panel, he invited folks to come on stage to read from the original draft of The Room's script. When it came time to offer the role of Johnny, I turned around to see how many hands would go up. None of them did. Nobody was making their way to the stage. I thought, "Screw it. This is truly once-in-a-lifetime." So I went onstage to read Johnny in a shameful Tommy Wiseau impression opposite Greg Sestero. Greg was a true gentleman, very kind and patient. I responded by accidentally saying, "Hi, Mark," instead of his real name. Whoops! Still, the experience was genuinely thrilling. I got to take a picture with him, he signed my Blu-Ray copy of The Room and my hardcover copy of "The Disaster Artist". I think the world of Tommy and Greg and respect their immense talent. They have a new movie coming soon called Best F(r)iends that I am most definitely seeing the first chance I get.