Everybody Wants Some!!

★★★★★ | A Review by Cameron Kanachki

"Do you notice everything around here is a competition?" That's a hilarious quote from Blake Jenner in Everybody Wants Some!!, one of the funniest films of the decade. Jenner plays Jake Bradford, a freshman at Southeast Texas University in 1980. He is a new pitcher for the baseball team. When he gets to the dorm house for baseball players, he meets his teammates: Kenny Roeper (played by Ryan Guzman); Glen McReynolds (played by Tyler Hoechlin); Finnegan (played by Glen Powell); Billy Autrey, AKA Beuter Perkins (played by Will Brittain); Coma (played by Forrest Vickery); Plummer (played by Temple Baker); Brumley (played by Tanner Kalina); Nesbitt (played by Austin Amelio); Dale (played by J. Quinton Johnson), along with 2 transfers: Willoughby (played by Wyatt Russell), a stoner from California; & Niles (played by Juston Street), a kid from Detroit with a 95 mph fastball  & an extremely arrogant attitude. Jake also becomes infatuated with Beverly (played by Zoey Deutch), a performing arts major. Eventually, all of them try to make the most of their last 5 days before class starts.

The film was hilariously amazing. The acting was excellent, considering that they were all virtual unknowns, & I expect great things from the cast in the future. The direction & screenplay from Richard Linklater was brilliant, & I think it's one of his best films, along with 1993's Dazed & Confused, & 2014's Boyhood. And the soundtrack is excellent, & is definitely the best film soundtrack since the 2000 classic film Almost Famous. This is an excellent film, & one of Richard Linklater's best films.

Demolition

★★★★★ | A Review by Cameron Kanachki

"I find I'm suddenly starting to notice things I never saw before. Well, maybe I saw them. I just wasn't paying attention." That's a deeply emotional quote from Jake Gyllenhaal in Demolition, one of the best films of the year so far. Gyllenhaal plays Davis Mitchell, a successful banker who loses his wife in a car crash that leaves him unscathed. However, he doesn't feel any emotion at all. This startles many people, including his father-in-law (& boss), Phil (played by Chris Cooper). After being upset at a vending machine not working in a hospital, Davis writes a letter to the vending machine company, eventually spilling the beans about his life & the death of his wife. Eventually, Davis receives a call from Karen Moreno (played by Naomi Watts), a customer service representative from the vending machine company. She admits that she was moved to tears by his letter, & listens to him & offers sympathy. Karen is going through problems as well. She is trying to deal with her rebellious classic rock-loving son Chris (played by Judah Lewis), who is trying to come to terms with his sexuality. Davis befriends Karen & Chris, & helps Chris come to terms with his sexuality. Davis is also beginning to notice things he never saw before (or wasn't paying attention to), & is now trying to feel emotions.

The film was brilliantly done. Gyllenhaal was excellent yet again, proving that he is one of the greatest actors of the century. Watts was also excellent, along with Cooper. But the real star here is Judah Lewis, who in his feature film debut, gives an excellent performance, & I expect many things from him in the future. The direction & editing from Jean-Marc Vallée is excellent, & it is one of his best films, along with 2005's C.R.A.Z.Y., 2013's Dallas Buyers Club, & 2014's Wild. The screenplay from Bryan Sipe is excellent, considering that this is only his second film script. Overall, this is not only one of the best films of the year so far, it is one of the best films of the decade so far, & I wouldn't be surprised if this ranks very highly in my top 10 films of the year list at the end of the year.

Zootopia

★★★★★ | A Review by Cameron Kanachki

"I mean, I am just a dumb bunny, but we are really good at multiplying." That's an excellently hilarious quote from Ginnifer Goodwin in Zootopia, one of the best animated films of the 21st century. Goodwin plays Judy Hopps, a bunny from the small town of Bunnyburrow who dreams of becoming the first bunny cop in Zootopia. After a lot of training, she becomes the first bunny cop. She is looked at with disdain by the other cops, & she is assigned parking duty by Chief Bogo (played by Idris Elba). During a shift, she meets Nick Wilde (played by Jason Bateman), a con man. She abandons her post to go after a thief who only stole onion bulbs, & is reprimanded by Chief Bogo. Judy then finds out about 14 unsolved missing mammal cases, & she & Nick team up to solve the cases, eventually uncovering something a sinister plot to destroy the predators who try to kill their prey. 

The film was excellent. Goodwin & Bateman were great, & they had a lot of chemistry together. Elba was menacingly good. The direction from Byron Howard & Chris Moore was great, along with the screenplay by Jared Bush & Phil Johnston. But the best thing about it were its themes of prejudice, police bias & stereotypes, which reflect well with today's society. It's sad that those are all too prevalent in society today, & it's up to us to end it. Overall, it is an excellent animated film with excellent themes.

The Boss

★★★ | A Review by Cameron Kanachki

"Oh! That batch is burnt!" That's a hilarious quote from the always hilarious Melissa McCarthy in the new comedy The Boss, a funny film that does disappoint at times. McCarthy plays Michelle Darnell, a Martha Stewart-type businesswoman who proudly says that she is the 47th-wealthiest woman in America. She was adopted & returned 3 times in her childhood, eventually giving her a will to succeed & a vulgar sense of mind. Her enemy & former lover Renault (played by Peter Dinklage) finds out that she has been committing insider training. Right after leaving an interview, she is arrested & convicted for insider trading, & sentenced to 5 months in prison. When she leaves, she discovers that her assets have been frozen, & she must now find a new place to live. She then decides to move in to the Chicago apartment of her former assistant Claire (played by Kristen Bell). After doing nothing & sitting on the couch for 3 weeks, Michelle is told by Claire to take her daughter, Rachel (played by Ella Anderson) to a Girl Scouts meeting. After realizing that the girls don't profit from selling cookies, Michelle decides to start her comeback by creating a brownie empire. Claire reluctantly agrees to help out, & Michelle & Rachel gather recruits to start her comeback.

The film was funny, even though it did fall apart in the second half. Melissa McCarthy was hilarious once again, proving that she is one of the funniest women out there. The direction from McCarthy's husband Ben Falcone was solid at best, & mediocre at worst. The screenplay from Falcone, McCarthy, & Steve Mallory was good. Overall, this is a good comedy that does have several faults.

The Brothers Grimsby

★★★ | A Review by Cameron Kanachki

"How could you not tell your own brother what you do? 'I'm a spy!' 'You know, you should keep that quiet.' " That's a part of a hilarious conversation between Sacha Baron Cohen & Mark Strong in The Brothers Grimsby, a hilarious film, but somewhat of a disappointment. Cohen plays Nobby Butcher, a soccer-loving idiot from the poor English port town of Grimsby. He lives with his wife, Dawn (played by Rebel Wilson), & his 11 children. But he has always tried to find his long-lost brother, Sebastian (played by Mark Strong). 28 years ago, after the death of their parents, they were separated; Sebastian was adopted, while Nobby stayed in the group home. 

After his friend tells him that he found his brother, Nobby goes out to find him. However, Sebastian is an MI6 agent, sent to look for a potential assassin at an event for actress/philanthropist Rhonda George (played by Penelope Cruz), who is trying to cure the world. Just after she introduces a young Israeli-Palestinian boy with AIDS, Sebastian finds a target: Pavel Lukashenko (played by Scott Adkins), using a camera to trigger the gun. However, right when Sebastian is about to shoot the camera, Nobby sneaks up & gives Sebastian a hug, causing Sebastian to accidentally shoot the boy with AIDS, & his infected blood flies into the mouth of actor Daniel Radcliffe, infecting him with HIV. Also, the camera gun kills the leader of the World Health Organization. Sebastian is now considered to have gone rogue, & even though he is very furious at Nobby, he is now forced to team with him to clear his name, which leads to them uncovering a very big sinister plot. 

The film was funny at best, & mediocre at worst. It did get too serious at times, & I do not really care for serious moments in extremely light-hearted comedies. Cohen & Strong were hilarious at parts. Overall, the film is hilarious, & although it definitely pales in comparison to Cohen's previous films, such as 2006's Borat: Cultural Leanings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, or 2009's Bruno, it still has some moments to laugh at.

The Michigan Movie Guy's 2016 Oscar Predictions

Oh, what a year it's been for film. So many great films. And now, that year is coming to an end tonight with the 88th Academy Awards. Here are my predictions in all 24 categories!

Best Picture

All of the films listed were excellent. However, there are 3 films that don't really have a chance at winning: Brooklyn, Bridge of Spies, & The Martian. Mad Max: Fury Road could win, but I don't see the Academy giving the award to an action movie. Room could win, but I highly doubt it. And the frontrunners are The Big Short, The Revenant, & Spotlight. The Big Short could win, if certain things go their way, & the same also goes for Spotlight. But, I believe that The Revenant will win Best Picture.

Best Director

Lenny Abrahamson's nomination for Room was very unexpected, & he doesn't really stand a chance. Tom McCarthy's direction of Spotlight was considered a frontrunner, but has faltered recently. Adam McKay could win for The Big Short, but the chances of that are slim. So it's down to Alejandro G. Iñárritu for The Revenant, & George Miller for Mad Max: Fury Road. But I think Iñárritu will win his second straight Oscar for Best Director.

Best Actor

I think it's safe to say Leonardo DiCaprio is finally going to win his first Oscar. Bryan Cranston shouldn't have been nominated for Trumbo, but Michael B. Jordan should've been nominated for Creed instead. Eddie Redmayne already won last year, so he won't win this year for The Danish Girl. Matt Damon's nomination for The Martian never really stood a chance. The only person that was close to DiCaprio was Michael Fassbender for Steve Jobs, but he'll finish a distant second. DiCaprio will win.

Best Actress

Brie Larson will definitely win for Room. She's been the frontrunner for a long time. Cate Blanchett for Carol & Jennifer Lawrence for Joy never really stood a chance. Charlotte Rampling was good, but I don't think she should've been nominated for 45 Years, & Alicia Vikander should've been put in this category for The Danish Girl instead. Saoirse Ronan for Brooklyn had the best female performance this year, but the momentum has been, & is going towards Larson. The award goes to Brie Larson. 

Best Supporting Actor

All the actors here gave excellent performances. Christian Bale gave his best performance ever in The Big Short. Tom Hardy became a menacing villain in The Revenant. Mark Ruffalo gave it his all in Spotlight. And Mark Rylance made a name for himself in Hollywood with his role in Bridge of Spies. But Sylvester Stallone will get the Oscar for his excellent return to his role of Rocky Balboa in Creed.

Best Supporting Actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh was amazing in The Hateful Eight. Rooney Mara was dazzling in Carol. And Rachel McAdams was excellent in Spotlight. But it will come down to Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl & Kate Winslet in Steve Jobs. Winslet could win, but Vikander will win. Vikander should be nominated for Best Actress instead, & Julie Walters should've been nominated in this category for Brooklyn.

Best Original Screenplay

All of these films had excellent screenplays. But Spotlight will definitely win. None of the other films stand a chance.

Best Adapted Screenplay

It's definitely going to be The Big Short. Room could possibly win, but those chances are slim. The others definitely don't stand a chance. The Big Short will deservedly win.

Best Cinematography

It's definitely going to The Revenant. All of these films had great cinematography, but The Revenant will definitely win.

Best Film Editing

The only 2 films that could win are The Big Short & Mad Max: Fury Road. The other films don't stand a chance. But Mad Max: Fury Road will win. The Big Short could definitely win, but I think Mad Max: Fury Road will win.

Best Original Song

It's going to go to Lady Gaga & Diane Warren for Till It Happens to You from The Hunting Ground. The only potential spoilers would be Sam Smith's Writing's on the Wall from Spectre, & The Weeknd's Earned It from Fifty Shades of Grey. But Lady Gaga & Diane Warren will win.

Best Original Score

John Williams was excellent again with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Thomas Newman was nothing short of excellent with Bridge of Spies. Jóhann Jóhannsson was great again with Sicario. And Carter Burwell finally got his first Oscar nomination with his excellent score for Carol. But Ennio Morricone will finally get his first Oscar for The Hateful Eight.

Best Production Design

Mad Max: Fury Road definitely takes this category. None of the other films stand a chance. This award definitely goes to Mad Max: Fury Road.

Best Visual Effects

This will either go to Star Wars: The Force Awakens or Mad Max: Fury Road. But it will go to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. 

Best Sound Editing

It's down to Mad Max: Fury Road & The Revenant. But Mad Max: Fury Road will definitely take this category.

Best Costume Design

It's between 3 movies: Carol, Cinderella (both designed by Sandy Powell), & Mad Max: Fury Road. Mad Max: Fury Road will take this. Carol & Cinderella could both be potential spoilers, but I don't see it happening.

Best Sound Mixing

Once again, it's down to Mad Max: Fury Road & The Revenant. But The Revenant wins it here.

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

I haven't seen The 100-Year Old Man Who Climbed out the Window & Disappeared, but Mad Max: Fury Road & The Revenant both had amazing makeup & hairstyling. But this goes to Mad Max: Fury Road.

Best Animated Feature

I've only seen Inside Out & Anomalisa. I loved Anomalisa, but I loved Inside Out even more. And Inside Out will win.

Best Foreign Language Film

Son of Saul is gonna win. The only potential spoilers are Mustang & A War, but I don't see any of them winning. Son of Saul wins it.

Best Documentary Feature

Amy is going to be the winner. The only potential spoiler is Cartel Land. But Amy takes the award. However, I believe that Where to Invade Next should've been nominated.

Best Animated Short Film

The frontrunners are Sanjay's Super Team & World of Tomorrow. But Sanjay's Super Team will win it, giving Pixar their first Oscar for Best Animated Short since 2001's For the Birds.

Best Documentary Short Film

The frontrunner is Body Team 12. And that's what will win it. A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness could be a potential spoiler, but I highly doubt it. Body Team 12 will win it.

Best Live Action Short Film

Ave Maria is the frontrunner. And it will win it. Stutterer has a very slim chance of being a potential spoiler, but it won't happen. Ave Maria wins it.

Well, those are my predictions. And remember to watch the Oscars tonight at 8:30 PM on ABC!

Where to Invade Next

★★★★★ | A Review by Cameron Kanachki

"The American dream seemed to be alive & well everywhere except for America." That's a depressing but sadly true quote from documentary filmmaker Michael Moore in his new documentary Where to Invade Next, which is definitely his greatest film yet. In this new documentary, Moore has been "sent" by the US government to "invade" other countries to "steal" their great ideas. He first goes to Italy, where every job has a required 8 weeks of paid vacation time, & mothers get 5 months of paid maternity leave. When Moore asks the founders of an Italian clothing company if they would ever cut their employee's pay at all so they could be richer, they say no, stating that a happy worker is a productive worker, & as long as they make even a small profit, they are happy.

His next stop is France, where students get a full hour for lunch, where they are served high-quality food by the cafeteria staff (when the students see what American students are served, they are disgusted).

He then goes to Finland, which has one of the world's best education systems in the world. He is shocked to discover that Finnish students receive little to no homework, there are no standardized tests, & students go to school for only 20 hours a week, with teaching based around the growth of the whole person. Moore is told by a principal at a Finnish school that children need to have time to be children, & not have so much homework.

He then travels to Slovenia, where college is absolutely free (even to foreign students, & the only fees are for registration), & when the government tried to get rid of free tuition, the students revolted.

He then goes to Germany, where employees are required to make up half of corporate boards of directors, & workers that are stressed get 3 weeks off from work to go to a spa to relax. Also, Moore says that all countries have an original sin (Germany's being the Holocaust). In atonement, Germany provides frequent reminders of the Nazi horrors through monuments & landmarks.

He then goes to Portugal where all drugs have been decriminalized, actually reducing drug use.

After that, he goes to Norway, where the maximum prison sentence is 21 years, & there is no death penalty. Prisons there are meant to rehabilitate people for them to return to society, & all prisoners are treated as human beings. Prison cells in Norway are like small apartments with TV's, cookware, gaming systems, computers, etc. Moore visits with the father of one of the children killed in the 2011 Norway attacks, where 8 people were killed by a bombing in Oslo, & 69 others were gunned down at a camp on an island. When Moore asks him if he would kill the gunman if he had the chance, he said he wouldn't because he is a human being, & if he did, it wouldn't bring his son back.

Moore goes to Tunisia, where they finally got an equal rights amendment passed (which we failed to do in the 1970's).

Finally, Moore ends his "invasion" in Iceland, which elected the world's first female president & where female leaders made sure that bankers responsible for the financial crisis in Iceland were sent to jail (unlike the United States after the 2008 financial crisis).

In an epilogue, Moore remarks that enormous positive change happens very suddenly. His examples of this were the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, & the fact that 3 years ago, gay marriage was illegal in most of the United States, & now it is legal throughout the country.

The film was extremely eye-opening. Moore has finally brought back his trademark sense of humor with this film, his first documentary since 2009's Capitalism: A Love Story. While Moore has been divisive in the past, it looks like this film should rather unite us, rather than divide us. Overall, this is definitely the best documentary I've ever seen, providing great ideas for us to talk about, & also providing hope for the future.