Geostorm

There is just something about disaster movies. 

This disaster trend continues with Geostorm. There was an early Digital release on Jan. 16. The Blu-ray, DVD and 4K Ultra HD packs arrive on Jan. 23.

Sure, they can be silly, over-the-top, utterly far-fetched and cliché. Most of these films will never win top prizes at the Oscars - Titanic, of course, is one major exception.

Yet, people are watching.

Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, The Poseidon Adventure, Twister, Armageddon, Deep Impact, Earthquake, San Andreas and The Towering Inferno. 
The list is endless.

Disaster!: A Major Motion Picture Ride…Starring You, was an attraction at Universal Studios in Orlando. It closed in 2015. The finale included an earthquake in a subway station. (I enjoyed it.)

WORLD

Geostorm did not impress the critics. Many in North America did not care either. The film only made $33 million. The international audience was more curious, with $179 million coming in from foreign markets.

Delays in a release date, and re-shoots didn’t fare well for Geostorm. 
The film marked the directorial debut of Dean Devlin. The man who had a hand in movies like Independence Day, Godzilla (1998) and Stargate.

A series of natural disasters on Earth lead to a decision by many of the world leaders. A network of satellites - coined Dutch Boy - was created to control the world’s climate and keep everything safe. When problems arise, it becomes a race against the clock to save the world from a Geostorm.   

Jake (Gerard Butler), designed the network and expanded the space station to help keep operations running. He is tasked with his brother Max, (Jim Sturgess) to solve the network’s malfunction. Cheng, (Daniel Wu) is a supervisor in Hong Kong for Dutch Boy. He discovers there might be more to the system’s problems. 

Abbie Cornish is Secret Service agent Sarah Wilson, Alexandra Maria Lara plays Ute Fassbinder, an astronaut who runs the space station. Eugenio Derbez is crew member Hernandez. Andy Garcia shows up as U.S. President Andrew Palma with Ed Harris as Secretary of State Leonard Dekkom. Others in the cast include Zazie Beetz, Adepero Oduye, Amr Waked, and Robert Sheehan.     

VERDICT

Would I buy this film? Not right away.

Yes, Geostorm is silly, cliché and a little on the predictable side. Some of the visual effects are cheesy. There are characters who hardly do anything. Butler and Sturgess have the most material to work with. 

Actors like Garcia and Harris, only show up in a few scenes and have been in better roles.

But.

There is just something about disaster movies. 

Geostorm was surprisingly watchable. I even chuckled a couple times - in terms of a line - and I never felt bored.

Time wise at 109 minutes (with credits) things moved at a brisker pace than Blade Runner 2049. 

And yes, absolutely, Blade Runner 2049 feels more polished on the quality side. It also has better visual effects than Geostorm.   

Underneath the silliness, the cheesiness, and cliché, Geostorm does try to ask some serious questions. What do we do with our changing world? Weather and climate are related but are two very different issues. Also, what happens when good intentions are used for death and destruction?      

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

The standard DVD only has the Search for Answers feature. If you are looking for in-depth bonus material, there are slim pickings on the Blu-Ray version as well.

Wreaking Havoc (6 minutes, 30 seconds)

- The visual effects work, research (yes, research) and the technology that was used in Geostorm. They got futurists to give their input on how a bigger International Space Station might look like. The visual effects team were well aware, how some destruction scenes were likely impossible in reality.

Search for Answers (4 minutes and 13 seconds)   

-  The idea of Geostorm was inspired by director Dean Devlin’s daughter. Why can’t climate change be stopped? Geostorm is very much a 'What if story?' What can be done? What would happen? And what could go wrong?

An International Event (5 minutes and 40 seconds)

- The cast consists of actors from all over the globe and they discuss the story. Like, Andy Garcia is the first Hispanic President. Daniel Wu is not defined as a stereotypical Chinese character and he is a genuine star in Hong Kong.

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment

Blade Runner 2049

I had your job once. I was good at it. 

Blade Runner turned 35 in 2017. Many would call the Ridley Scott film, a science fiction classic.

The legend goes, as they tend to do, the movie bombed in 1982. Harrison Ford starred as Rick Deckard, a blade runner. He had the job to retire - kill - bioengineered beings known as replicants.The box office maxed out at $27 million. Which may not have been bad, yet, the successes of E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial and Rocky III did not help during that particular summer.

The cult-like status grew for Blade Runner, with the help of various versions of the film through the years.  

This led to a much-hyped next chapter, Blade Runner 2049. There was an early Digital release on Dec. 26. The Blu-ray, DVD and 4K Ultra HD packs arrive on Jan. 16.

FUTURE

Blade Runner 2049 was critically acclaimed and also underwhelmed at the box office. It totaled $91 million in North American and $259 million worldwide.

The R-rated sequel marked the return of Ford and original screenwriter Hampton Fancher. Ridley Scott relinquished the director role to be executive producer. Oscar-nominated Denis Villeneuve took on the daunting task as director. 

LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), a blade runner, has an encounter with a man named Sapper Morton (Dave Bautista.) K makes a discovery, which takes him on an investigation and on to a path to meet Rick Deckard. Along the way, characters played by Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Carla Juni, Lennie Jones and Oscar winner Jared Leto, all make appearances.

VERDICT

Would I buy this film? No. 

I would rather rent, stream it, or wait for a discounted price. 

Admittingly, I was not a fan of the first Blade Runner. I became curious about this new adventure in 2049 though. Harrison Ford is my favorite actor - Han Solo and Indiana Jones, kind of solidified that

(Sure, he has made some terrible movies but I’ve stuck with him.)

I do like Ryan Gosling as well. (Yes, even enjoyed La La Land and Crazy, Stupid, Love. I remember watching him on the television show, Young Hercules.)           

Without a doubt, Blade Runner 2049 is a Ryan Gosling movie. He is almost in every scene. The visuals are absolutely stunning too.

It is a considerable chunk of time before Ford appears, although I would say his first encounter with Gosling is my favorite part of the film. 

If you’ve watched the first Blade Runner, it is helpful but not necessary. 

The points get docked with the pacing and length. If you’ve never seen Blade Runner and are looking for an action movie - this is probably not for you.    

Villeneuve does have plenty of lingering shots. Gosling walking down corridors, walking across landscapes, riding in his vehicle, or aerial views of the world. There are a handful of quiet scenes of people just having conversations - a few have none at all. The pace of the story does feel slowed down by all of this. It could be how I imagined it.   

And clocking in at 164 minutes (with credits) it is long and does feel long. At least it did for me. Some viewers will likely require an extra barrel of patience.

I get the impression that Blade Runner 2049 will play out like the original. It certainly will be polarizing among many critics and viewers, but in the long run, perhaps more and more people will come to appreciate it.      

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

The standard DVD only has the Blade Runner 101 features.

Designing The World of Blade Runner 2049 (21 minutes, 55 seconds)

- This is a behind-the-scenes reel. The discussion involved the outlook of the future which honours the 1982 movie, yet also expands on the world. There is Director of Photography Roger Deakins influence on set (Deakins won a Critics Choice Award for Best Cinematography) to the lighting used and props. 

To Be Human: Casting Blade Runner 2049 (17 minutes and 15 seconds)   

- This is just a closer look at the cast. Villeneuve gives Gosling a lot of credit for the work that he did. Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Carla Juri, Lennie James, Dave Bautista and Jared Leto, all discuss their characters and being involved in the world of Blade Runner.  

Prologues (28 minutes and six seconds)
2022: Black Out
2036: Nexus Dawn
2048: Nowhere to Run

- Three short stories of Blade Runner set after 2019 - when Blade Runner took place in the first movie - but before 2049. The Black Out is probably the most interesting in terms of style, simply because it is done in anime. It was directed by Shinichiro Watanabe.
The other two shorts are directed by Luke Scott and give a little extra spotlight to Jared Leto's and Dave Bautista's characters. 

(If you are keen enough, Warner Brothers did release all three online.)

Blade Runner 101 (11 minutes, 22 seconds)
Blade Runners
The Replicant Evolution
The Rise of Wallace Corp
Welcome to 2049
Joi
Within the Skies

- Brief clips which offer a bit more analysis of the movie - what exactly are Blade Runners or a Replicant and some of the technology used.

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment

IT: Horror Record 2017

You’ll float too.

IT brought the scares in 2017. IT also became the biggest (R-rated) horror movie of all time.

IT is out on Digital, Blu-ray, DVD and 4K Ultra HD (with High Dynamic Range).

Box Office Mojo statistics show the other top R-rated horror movies include  - The Exorcist (1973), Get Out (2017), The Blair Witch Project (1999) and The Conjuring (2013).

The box office for IT brought in about $327 million domestic, for a whopping worldwide gross slightly over 700 million.

Most people already know, IT is lifted from the pages of a book. The Stephen King bestselling novel was first published in 1986. Readers have a nice slim size of roughly 1,168 pages to go through. (Length noted from the reissue edition to coincide with the movie.)

The story made such an impression on readers. Rolling Stone asked them to vote in a poll to pick King's scariest and most page-turning books.

And IT took second place out of 10.

(Those same Rolling Stone readers, put The Stand first.)  

PAST

The New Line Cinema’s thriller is directed by Andy Muschietti. There's not much doubt of the movie's blockbuster status. Of course, it’s not even the first time the Losers’ Club and a killer clown named Pennywise, appeared onscreen.

A lot of Internet chatter seemed nostalgic for the 1990 mini-series, which aired on television. The two-night event brought in an estimated 30 million viewers, with many giving praise to actor Tim Curry, for his role as Pennywise.

I have not seen the television version, so I can’t compare to this movie. I have read the book. (It's been a long time now.)  The standout sequence that I can remember is Georgie meeting Pennywise, at the very beginning.

The action for the new movie is shifted to the late 1980s, while the book has events in the 1950s.

The main story is still there. Children begin to disappear in the town of Derry, Maine.  Bill (Jaeden Lieberher) becomes obsessed with finding out the truth, especially after what happened to his brother Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott.) Bill leads his friends into trouble, Ritchie (Finn Wolfhard), Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer), and Stan (Wyatt Oleff). They soon cross paths with amateur historian Ben, (Jeremy Ray Taylor), Beverly (Sophia Lillis) and Mike (Chosen Jacobs,) as they all have encounters with Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård), and try to uncover the mystery.

At the same time, they try to deal with the anger of neighbourhood bully, Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton), and his friends.

VERDICT

Would I buy this film? Yes.

I am a Stephen King fan. I read some of his books through school but one Christmas I received Under the Dome, and my bookshelf has slowly filled up since then.

Critics will say plenty of Stephen King adaptations are bad. (Dreamcatcher didn’t work for me.) IT easily goes on the good list.

The obvious questions now:

Was IT scary? Overall, no - at least, not for me. There were a couple of decent scares though.

Was IT creepy? Definitely.    

Was IT tense? Yes.  

Is IT the best Stephen King adaptation? Probably not. Although, I would watch the movie again.

I think what makes the film work, for me anyway, are the Losers. While Bill is the driving force of the adventure, many of the Losers get highlighted with little moments. Sure, they fight. They are crude, and the language is plenty foul. Yet, when things get tough and gruesome, they come across like real friends.

If clowns aren’t your thing, the scare factor might be different.    

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

Filmwise, I would buy. If special features are taken into serious consideration, it might be best to play the waiting game. There is the next chapter coming, so more goodies could pop up later.

The special features do feel pretty short for such a hit movie.

Pennywise Lives! (16 minutes, 25 seconds)

- Revealing Bill Skarsgård behind the role of Pennywise. They discuss Bill’s audition and then his first meeting with the cast and crew. Found it an interesting and funny conversation, especially a few of the reaction stories.

The Losers' Club (15 minutes, 42 seconds)

- This feels more of a behind-the-scenes reel. It really depends on your interest in the cast. It focuses on the teenage actors and how filming went for them. (Example - The bullying scenes may be uncomfortable to watch but everybody got along.)

Author of Fear (13 minutes, 51 seconds)

- Stephen King discusses the common writer question…how the story of IT was formed. Bangor, Maine, actually gives many of those answers. And why he wrote about kids and (inevitable on the movie front) the adults.

Deleted Scenes (15 minutes, 18 seconds)

- Eleven deleted or extended scenes from the film. It’s easy to understand why most of them were cut. There is a gag scene which is the highlight of the bunch but won’t be spoiled here. There is also an alternate ending.   

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment

The Middle’s Charlie McDermott talks ImagiGARY

Poster designed by Michael Lee-Graham. McDermott asked Lee-Graham to watch the movie and draw what he thought the poster would look like.

"It was great working for the guy. I was really happy with the finished piece myself." - Lee-Graham.

Did you ever have an imaginary friend? What about when you were 19?

For the last few years, Charlie McDermott – best known as Axl Heck from the television show The Middle – has played with that imaginary friend concept alongside his real-life friend Nate Hartley. Both of them co-wrote the screenplay for a movie called ImagiGARY.

“Nate and I wrote the first draft around 2010, but it’s hard to remember now,” says McDermott. “We wrote the first draft in a couple months and then scrapped it and rewrote again in less time.”

The movie, which McDermott also directed and stars in alongside Hartley, has finally seen a recent release. The film was shot during the course of four weeks back in 2012.

“It just feels nice knowing it’s released,” says McDermott.

ImagiGARY could be best described as a passion project for McDermott as he self-funded the entire film.

“I was expecting to go into it and lose all my money. And I did,” he says. “The amazing dream would [be to show the movie] at Sundance or something but the amount of time it took to get the thing made, I wanted to release it. I funded the whole thing myself and I wanted to retain ownership.”

The main focus of ImagiGARY is Henry (McDermott), who had an imaginary friend named Gary, (Hartley) when he was a kid. Henry had just started college and for some reason, Gary made a return. There is also a girl named Sarah (Haley Ramm), her boyfriend Josh (Jack Briggs), a roommate named Kiefer (Brian Dunn) and of course, comedic moments mixed in with some dramatic ones.

For such a low-key movie, it wasn’t tough for McDermott to recruit help. He brought on board his friend, Andrew Tsoules, who has a production company named LMT Films. 

With that decision, Tsoules also added Patrick Murphy (first assistant director) and Ryan Lang (editor.)

“They all went to film school together and all three of them are very good,” says McDermott.

The process of rounding out the rest of the cast turned out to be surprisingly easy as well. 

He recruited his tv sister Eden Sher for the role of Drunk Girl, a character who pops up at certain points in the movie.

“I’ve known Eden for a long time. She is a good friend of mine. I’ve been friends with Haley, who played Sarah, for over 10 years now,” says McDermott.

Neil Flynn and Chris Kattan, who are current and former presences on The Middle, also pop up in one sequence.

“The original actor who was going to play Kiefer, he actually pulled out of the movie less than a week before he started shooting,” says McDermott. “We found Brian, who in my opinion is the funniest part of the movie.”

The crew was made up of roughly 50 people. The majority of the production was shot in Pennsylvania and when it moved to LA for some filming, a handful of people flew themselves out. “We didn’t ask them to, they offered. It was a nice environment,” says McDermott.

Originally, McDermott had expected to release the movie within a year of filming. One of the problems was pretty much his learning curve, which McDermott called a “film school” experience.

“I get a feature film out of it. Regardless how good it is, at least I have a product that I learned to film from beginning to end.”

Technically, the movie had been completed for a full two years but the biggest holdup was the music. Simply put, there was no money left for the music. Some songs would clear and others wouldn’t and they had gone through several different soundtracks.

“I found this kid on Youtube, Shawn Wasabi, a couple years ago,” says McDermott. “He did the soundtrack for the whole film (around 19 original compositions) that was really good and then there were just a few tracks leftover that I had to fill in. Friends from a band called Cheers Elephant lent me their songs for really cheap, which helped. The bassist from the band, Matt Rothstein, he did the final two tracks we needed. We actually mixed the soundtrack, only a week before the movie was released. It barely made 

deadline.”

The edit process of the film itself proved a challenge. The first ‘assembly’ cut of the film came in at a little over two hours. McDermott found that first viewing to be exciting, but it became rather clear that the movie didn’t work. The final cut is around the 71-minute mark. The entire first act was cut out and the film got rearranged in editing.

“The rearranging was good because it turned into a whole different film, which I enjoyed,” says McDermott. “Once you recognize the movie doesn’t work, it becomes very easy to cut out the things you shot. The sense of pride of completing it is still there, but 

it’s more about the product instead of savouring what we had done.”

Even with the money woes, McDermott and Hartley scrounged up enough cash to film another scene, which took place in 2013. It was eventually cut as well, to add to the frustration, although it was also part of the learning curve.

“I don’t think I would do [the experience] again, but I wouldn’t take it back either.”

The movie was also worked on outside of McDermott’s television time. The Middle is still chugging along in its impressive seventh season. “It’s a fun place to work and great gig,” he says. “We are halfway done season seven now and season eight looks promising.”

McDermott was even getting his hair cut for an upcoming episode. “They just tell me when they want to cut it. I walk in and they cut it. I don’t have a say in the matter.”

ImagiGARY was released on Christmas Day 2015. 

“Ryan, who runs the website, said there were downloads from all over the world. Which I thought was pretty cool.”

MINI-REVIEW

This reporter has seen ImagiGARY and enjoyed it. The humor was on the quirky side and the dramatic beats worked well. The imaginary friend combined with the college setting comes across like a crazy idea but somehow it was executed well. Picture-quality wise, it looked good and felt like a feature film.

Potential viewers, be aware there is coarse language throughout the film. People should not expect something like The Middle.

Overall though, it seemed like the cast and crew really cared about the project.

Originally published at Metroland Media in January, 2016.