Film Review: "Death Note" (2017).

"The name and the face is all you have to have." This is Death Note (2017). This American version of the Japanese fantasy horror thriller franchise of the same name created by Tsugumi Ohba and by Takeshi Obata. The film is directed by Adam Wingard, and written by Charles Parlapanides, Vlas Parlapanides and Jeremy Slater. Light Turner, a bright student, stumbles across a mystical notebook that has the power to kill any person whose name he writes in it. Light decides to launch a secret crusade to rid the streets of criminals. Soon, the student-turned-vigilante finds himself pursued by a famous detective known only by the alias L.

In April 2009, Variety reported that Warner Bros., the distributors for the original Japanese live-action films, had acquired the rights for an American remake, with Charley and Vlas Parlapanides as screenwriters, and Roy Lee, Doug Davison, Dan Lin, and Brian Witten as producers.  In 2009, Zac Efron was rumoured to play the lead role until he shot down these rumours. In January 2011, it was announced that Shane Black was hired to direct the film, with the script being re-written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry. In July 2014, Gus Van Sant was rumoured to replace Black as the film's new director. In April 2015, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Adam Wingard would direct the film, that Lin, Lee, Jason Hoffs and Masi Oka would produce. The producers have stated the film will receive an R rating. In April 2016, TheWrap reported that Warner Bros. put the film into turnaround but allowed Wingard to take the project elsewhere. Within 48 hours, Wingard was reportedly approached by nearly every major film studio. In the same month, it was confirmed that Netflix had bought the film from Warner Bros. with a budget of $40–50 million and a recent draft of the script being written by Jeremy Slater. Production officially began in British Columbia in June 2016. By August 2016, the film's cast was rounded out with Nat Wolff, Margaret Qualley, Keith Stanfield, Paul Nakauchi, Shea Whigham and Willem Dafoe. The casting announcements, like all other Hollywood productions based on Japanese properties, proved to be controversial. In response, producers Roy Lee and Dan Lin stated that "Our vision for Death Note has always been to...introduce the world to this dark and mysterious masterpiece. The talent and diversity represented in our cast, writing, and producing teams reflect our belief in staying true to the story’s concept of moral relevance — a universal theme that knows no racial boundaries."

The film stars Wolff, Stanfield, Qualley, Whigham, Nakauchi, and Dafoe. The cast gave confident performances despite the lack of characterization that made their characters appealing in the first place. The only performance that stood out was one other than from Mr. Dafoe himself. He embodied the role of Ryuk perfectly.

Death Note (2017) boasts cool visuals and a show-stealing performance from Willem Dafoe, but the end result lacks the magic of the movie's classic source material.

Simon says Death Note (2017) receives:

Also, see my review for Blair Witch.

'Once Upon a Time in Canada' Chapter 16.

As I had hoped, I’ve finally got a job interview, for Apple, and finally found a way to connect with people. The time came to get prepared for an important interview. And God I hope it’ll finally get me a job. Looks like I’ve got to do some research and get my best, and only, suit ready for the big day. This isn’t so much of a problem; I’ve had some knowledge of Apple and had some experience doing job interviews. I just need to get ready. When I do get to my interview, I’ll need to just go over my notes and make sure I don’t pee my pants and get my hopes up too high. But so long as I don’t do any of those two things and stay cool, I’ll be fine. So help me God. Connecting with people wasn’t much of a problem. I found a great way to meet new people through the conveniently titled website MeetUp. All I had to do which group I wanted to be a part of, go to the scheduled meet up and the rest is straightforward. Standard. Job interview, as I said, a little trickier. Well, job interviews are not designed to be easy. Especially if its for a company such as Apple. So it wasn’t easy. According to Adam Lashinsky, Apple is known for having business practices that are different to other companies of similar stature and reputation. One of those being that Apple is highly secretive and thus interviews for potential employers are especially difficult since Apple’s interview process hardly revealed. So no matter how prepared you are and how much you think you’ve got it in the bag, think again. So today, I faced one of my most important interviews to date. Long story short: With these thoughts and concerns running and racing around my head, I’ve had a difficult time prior and during the interview. That’s a doosey! Especially when the interview was all way in the Fairview Mall in North York. That may seem really bad, but I am going to remain positive. Besides, if it doesn’t work out, then "Move on. Next" to paraphrase Robert DeNiro’s NYU Commencement speech.

While I was job hunting and went off to my interview for Apple, I had made progress in finding the right MeetUp group to first attend. I was excited when I joined the first group. Then I searched for more potential groups I could join, so I was in the right place. It was easy to find a group that peaks your interests and opened up the possibilities of meeting like-minded people. That’ll help me meet people and improve my social skills, as well as keep me occupied and help me take my mind off the consuming aspect of job hunting that needs to exit my head. So that’s everything so far. Once I attend this and other groups, I should be fine making new friends from there. Already another a big step forward has been made. And I can look forward to tomorrow.

Also, see Chapters 15 and 17.

Film Review: "Logan Lucky" (2017).

From the director of Ocean's 11, 12, 13, and Magic Mike comes Logan Lucky. This heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh, and written by Rebecca Blunt. This is Soderbergh's first film since his announcement from directing. Trying to reverse a family curse, brothers Jimmy and Clyde Logan set out to execute an elaborate robbery during the legendary Coca-Cola 600 race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Behind the Candelabra (2013), was intended to be Soderbergh's final directorial effort in film. Soderbergh has said that he was initially given the script of Logan Lucky in hopes that he could recommend a suitable director for the project, but that he enjoyed reading the script and decided to comet of retirement and take it on for himself. At the time Soderbergh was also theorizing a new distribution model and felt that the script gave him the perfect opportunity to do so. Thus the film was distributed independently through his own company Fingerprint Releasing. In February 2016, the film was announced along with the announcement of Channing Tatum's casting. Between May and August, much of the rest of the cast was announced, among them: Adam Driver, Riley Keough, Daniel Craig, Seth MacFarlane, Katie Holmes, Katherine Waterston, Sebastian Stan, Hilary Swank, and Jim O'Heir. In August, filming began and lasted 36 days. Much of the production took place at the Charlotte Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway during the NASCAR race meetings at both circuits. There has been speculation regarding the identity of the film's screenwriter, Rebecca Blunt. The film's production notes state that she is a native of Logan, West Virginia who now lives in New York City, and that she is a first-time screenwriter. No-one other than Soderbergh and Adam Driver has personally vouched for her existence. Some people involved with the film have exchanged emails with a person they believed to be her, and believe that she lives in the United Kingdom. Sources speculated that "Rebecca Blunt" was actually a pseudonym for Soderbergh's wife Jules Asner, for comedian John Henson, or for Soderbergh himself. According to The Playlist, Jules Asner was the sole screenwriter and chose to use a pseudonym because she didn't want the 'story' of the film to be that "Soderbergh was directing his wife's script."

The film features an ensemble cast consisting of Tatum, Driver, Keough, Craig, MacFarlane, Holmes, Waterston, Sebastian Stan, and Swank. The cast gave terrific performances that were just as outrageous, larger-than-life, and human as you would expect from a Soderbergh film. Extra kudos goes to Craig who stole the show from the first moment his character entered the screen.

Logan Lucky is an entertaining witty, funny, and well acted piece of comedy heist. It was pure entertainment from start to finish - a fun-loving, carefully crafted romp. It bounces along with finger-snapping high spirits. It can, at times, be forgettable in a fun way, especially when its funniest performers are caught in Soderbergh's spinning crosshairs. Soderbergh, throughout his career, has made deeper films, however this carefree caper movie is nothing to sneeze at.

Simon says Logan Lucky receives:

Film Review: "Ingrid Goes West" (2017).

"She'll Follow You" in Ingrid Goes West. This black comedy-drama film directed by Matt Spicer, and written by Spicer and David Branson Smith. Ingrid Thorburn is an unhinged social media stalker with a history of confusing "likes" for meaningful relationships. Taylor Sloane is an Instagram-famous "influencer" whose perfectly curated, boho-chic lifestyle becomes Ingrid's latest obsession. When Ingrid moves to LA and manages to insinuate herself into the social media star's life, their relationship quickly goes from #BFF to #WTF.

By early July 2016, Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Wyatt Russell, Billy Magnussen, and Pom Klementieff were cast in a black comedy-drama to be directed by Spicer, and co-written by Spicer and Smith. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in early August. Filming took place throughout California.

The film stars Plaza, Olsen, Jackson Jr., Russell, Magnussen, and Klementieff. The film is a fascinating dark-comedy drama thanks to the performances given by the cast, especially Plaza as the psycho, social media influencer wannabe, and Olsen giving great performance as the perfectly preserved boho-chic Instagram influencer. Plaza gleefully rubs our nose in the excruciating experience of watching someone who thinks they're funny flail helplessly, but the movie's one undisputed triumph is Olsen's performance as Instagram influencer Taylor Sloane. There's something epic in the confrontation between Plaza and Olsen.

Possibly overlooked and misunderstood upon its release, Ingrid Goes West today looks eerily prescient, and features a fine performance by Plaza as a strangely sympathetic psychopath. If there was any doubt that Plaza is the greatest and most unsettling actor in movies today and Spicer most adept at bringing out his genius, then the film should dispel it. As we see how Ingrid's pursuit of success is going to turn out, the film becomes an easy little fable of our terrible romance with fame. An early cautionary tale from Spicer about the desperation amongst common people to achieve fame and the obsession with celebrity culture. Clearly, it's more relevant than ever right now. Spicer infuses this tale with the passionate energy of Californian life and an outsider's wonder at the powerful workings of show business. The tone it establishes is challenging, because there are funny scenes and situations which could easily be played for laughs, but that black cloud of tension and danger hangs over all of them, and Spicer won't give you that release. The film fancies itself a scathing social satire about the lust for celebrity carried to extremes. But ultimately, Spicer's movie is a severely misconceived and distasteful study of delusional behavior. It's very funny, and it ends on a high note that was, for me, both a total surprise and completely satisfying. Yet it's also bristly, sometimes manic to the edge of lunacy and, along the way, terrifying. A wholly original and entirely offbeat, dark comedy about fame, obsessive fandom, and the medium from which they both feed: Instagram and other social media. The film is a chilling black comedy.

Simon says Ingrid Goes West receives:

'Once Upon a Time in Canada' Chapter 15.

I’m no longer in that bnb. I’ve finally gotten my own place after an extensive search. But I’ve never imagined that I would score an apartment like this. You wouldn’t think that a guy like me, in my current predicament, would finally get to stage like this in my new life in this timeframe. But it happened. As I got into the Uber car and made my way to the apartment, it hit me: Toronto is a cheap place to live, then again what city or country is, and somehow I’ve got a place in a city like this. I already that when I landed in Toronto. But there’s a difference between knowing it and experiencing it.  In my mind this thought was occupying it but it was a good thought as opposed to my unemployment thought. The city is not exactly known for the past decade, or many decades, of being a cheap city to live but it’s definitely cheaper to live in than Auckland. So it’s not that expensive. It’s not as expensive as Vancouver. The apartment is now my home, and seeing it as I got out of the car made me both a tiny bit nervous and really excited than I would have liked to have admitted. I tried to calm the uncertainty and the excitement by just concentrating on what was in front of me. It wasn’t too hard. I just had to focus on dragging my luggage into the lobby and get myself up to my apartment floor. I really wanted to make sure that I did these things, and it worked out fine. It was a bit of a big job getting lug two large pieces of luggage. I could feel both the frustration and enthusiasm that it gave off. That’s a normal feeling to have, right? In the fifteen minutes that it took to get to the apartment, and the almost ten minutes to get my luggage upstairs, even with some help, the anxious and exciting feeling couldn’t exactly be restrained. The feelings definitely were unleashed when I opened the door. I spent the rest of the day unpacking and exploring the building. After I finished both these tasks, I rested up and went to sleep early. Almost right away, the feeling cooled down again, and finally a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Tomorrow, a new phase of my new life begins (which is just like when I came here, just now with my own home).

Today, I write to you all from my new apartment. I’ve accomplished the first phase of my goal and things are starting to look up. I now set out to fulfil my second phase of my goal, by trying to connect with people. The first step is to find a way to connect with people. After that do what needs to done, obviously. When all was said and done, I’ll have more confidence and an easier time to connect with people. That’ll be very good. Mind you, the process will be a bit difficult at first, as I am not Canadian. I have no idea on how Canadians behave and their customs in socializing. The second phase will be easier than finding an apartment and a job, but, like the other two aspects, it can’t be guaranteed that I will make friends with the right people, or people in general before I can make any effort. Remember, I need to find the right avenues. Now I’m just finding the right avenues to connect. It’s not easy, so I need to make some effort. I’m not exactly enjoying this. I have very little experience and techniques of making friends. As my friends mostly came from school and my previous jobs. So we became friends because we were sort of forced to due to my circumstances. But not reluctantly though. That’s weird, I know. But is it really? Well, my readers and friends, wish me luck, as always.

Also, see Chapters 14 and 16.

Film Review: "Annabelle: Creation" (2017).

"The next chapter in The Conjuring universe" comes Annabelle: Creation. This supernatural horror film directed by David F. Sandberg, written by Gary Dauberman. It is a prequel to 2014's Annabelle and the fourth installment in The Conjuring Universe franchise. Samuel and Elle embed their daughter's spirit into a doll, only to realise it is a demon. Years later, they open their home to a nun and six orphan girls, one of whom finds the doll.

In October 2015, it was confirmed that an Annabelle sequel was in development; it was later revealed that the film would be a prequel rather than a sequel. In March 2016, Sandberg replaced John R. Leonetti as director, with Dauberman returning to pen the prequel. He has described himself as a fan of the franchise, especially the first one, since they were "more of a classic, old-school horror movie in many ways." James Wan and New Line Cinema approached Sandberg to helm the sequel during the post-production on Lights Out (2016), after they were impressed by the early cuts of the film. Sandberg and Wan had met each other during production of Lights Out, as the movie was produced by Wan's Atomic Monster Productions. Sandberg was initially reluctant to direct the film, due to his general dislike of horror sequels. He changed his mind when it was clear he would be making a standalone prequel, with no major obligations to connect it to the larger franchise beyond a few brief references to the other films. The fact that it was a period piece made it more appealing to him. By late June, Stephanie Sigman, Miranda Otto, Talitha Bateman, Anthony LaPaglia, Lulu Wilson, Grace Fulton, and Philippa Coulthard were cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in mid August. Filming took place in Los Angeles, California, at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank lot. In late November 2016, Benjamin Wallfisch was hired to compose the score. Originally scheduled to be released on May 19, 2017, the film was moved to August 11, 2017 to avoid competition with Alien: Covenant (2017).

The film stars Sigman, Otto, Bateman, LaPaglia, Wilson, Fulton, and Coulthard. The cast gave memorable performances ad characterizations that were vast improvements over the performances and characterizations of its predecessor.

Annabelle: Creation swerves its franchise's planchette unexpectedly to YES with a surprisingly scary and dramatically satisfying follow-up to its lackluster predecessor. It is better in every conceivable way, from casting to story to atmosphere. one overstuffed horror movie recipe, with a dash of The Exorcist and a spritz of The Conjuring among its tasty ingredients. It may just be the latest entrant into that small category of sequels and prequels that manage to improve upon their predecessors in every way. The film is genuinely frightening and smart, the rare horror prequel able to stand on its own merits and deliver a full-bodied story that succeeds without any previous knowledge or trappings. It is easily Sandberg’s best film yet.

Simon says Annabelle: Creation receives:

Also, see my review for Lights Out and Annabelle.

Film Review: "Wind River" (2017).

"An engaging thriller from the writer of Sicario and Hell Or High Water and the producer of Lone Survivor" comes Wind River. This neo-Western murder mystery film written and directed by Taylor Sheridan. Cory Lambert is a wildlife officer who finds the body of an eighteen-year-old woman on an American Indian reservation in snowy Wyoming. When the autopsy reveals that she was raped, FBI agent Jane Banner arrives to investigate. Teaming up with Lambert as a guide, the duo soon find that their lives are in danger while trying to solve the mystery of the teen's death.

According to Sheridan, he was inspired to write the film because of the high number of sexual assault and/or murder against indigenous women. He wanted to make more people aware of this problem. During the course of the shoot, Sheridan was visited on set by some Shoshone tribal leaders who astonished him with the revelation that, at that very time, there were 12 unsolved murders of young women on a reservation of about six thousand people. Due to a 1978 landmark government ruling (Oliphant v. Suquamish), the Supreme Court stripped tribes of the right to arrest and prosecute non-natives who commit crimes on native land. If neither victim nor perpetrator are native, a county or state officer must make the arrest. If the perpetrator is non-native and the victim an enrolled member, only a federally-certified agent has that right. If the opposite is true, a tribal officer can make the arrest, but the case must still go to federal court. This quagmire creates a jurisdictional nightmare by choking up the legal process on reservations to such a degree, many criminals go unpunished indefinitely for serious crimes. In order to get attention for the movie so that Sheridan could get enough money to finish it in post production the way he wanted, he entered it into Sundance without telling his producers, who he says were not happy because they were trying to close a deal with TWC for the film. Nevertheless, that deal was eventually made. By early March 2016, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Graham Greene, Jon Bernthal, Eric Lange, Gil Birmingham, Julia Jones, Martin Sensmeier, and Kelsey Chow were cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in late April. Filming took place throughout Utah and Wyoming. The grueling location shoot was filmed in real blizzardy conditions with crew and equipment being primarily ferried to locations on snowmobiles and snowcats, since regular vehicles were totally unsuitable for the hazardous terrain.

The film stars Renner, Olsen, Greene, Bernthal, Lange, Birmingham, Jones, Sensmeier, and Chow. Strong performances were given by the cast, then there's Renner, who lurks about the fringes of the action for most of the story, and then springs into action in a handful of scenes in a variety of ways that will leave you shaken—and grateful to have seen such beautifully dark work

Led by outstanding work from Olsen and Renner, Wind River is a taut, tightly wound thriller with much more on its mind than attention-getting set pieces.

Simon says Wind River receives: