Top Three Best Movies of the Year So Far and Top Three Most Anticipated

Top Three Best 

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3) Everybody Wants Some!! - In 1993, Richard Linklater brought us on a nostalgic trip to the ‘70s with the comedy “Dazed and Confused.”  This year, he brought us to the ‘80s with a story that follows incoming college freshman Jake (Blake Jenner), a talented high-school pitcher who moves into a house with other members of his college baseball team.  We then follow the team as they live it up the last few days before the semester begins.  It’s difficult to single out any one performance for praise because the interactions and dialogue come so naturally through the characters.  As Linklater has shown in some of his other films, he knows how to tap into the essence of being young and the fun times our youthful years bring us.  And for two hours, we remember our own coming-of-age experiences as we watch the characters live through their own.

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2) The Witch - In his directorial debut, Robert Eggers delivers one of the best horror films in several years, one that doesn’t go for easy scares like most modern horror movies, but instead delivers an intelligent story with an unsettling atmosphere and relentless sense of dread.  The movie centers on a family in 17th-century New England who, after getting cast into exile from their village, build a farm on the edge of the woods.  One day, the family’s infant son mysteriously disappears, and everyone soon expects there may be something evil lurking just beyond their home.  I can’t remember the last time a recent horror movie shook me up like this one, and with intense performances, a growing feeling of paranoia, and a slow build to a shiver-inducing conclusion, Eggers proves he has the ability to become one of our next great horror directors.  “The Witch” will make you believe there are still filmmakers out there who care about what makes a good horror movie and can craft films that the genre deserves.  We all enjoy a scare now and then, and this movie gets the job done, and so much more.

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1) Sing Street - As a filmmaker, John Carney has focused a few times on original stories about hardworking musicians trying to achieve their dreams, as he did in 2007 with “Once” and in 2014 with “Begin Again.”  In his new film, aspiring musician Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) is a 15-year-old living with his dysfunctional family in Dublin in 1985.  One day, he meets Raphina (Lucy Boynton), a young woman who dreams of moving to England to become a model, and he offers her a spot in his band’s music video, despite not having a band.  He soon decides to create one, and Conor and his bandmates then discover they have the potential to make it big.  With mature performances from the film’s young actors, an inspiring story, and original songs you’ll want to download as soon as you get home, you should witness this blissful blend of film and music as soon as you can.  When the movie ends, you are sure to feel dizzy from the joy of what you just watched, and you couldn’t ask for a better sensation when coming out of a movie theater.

Top Three Most Anticipated 

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3) Doctor Strange (November 4) - Based on the character created by Steve Ditko, this latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe follows top neurosurgeon Steven Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) who, after being injured in a car accident that ends his career, sets out on a journey to heal.  While on his quest, Strange meets the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), who becomes his teacher and trains him in the mystical arts.  With Phase Three of the MCU getting off to an explosive start with “Captain America: Civil War” back in May, we will now get what looks like will be one of its most visually stunning movies to date.  And with a lead performance from Cumberbatch, this could turn out to be close in quality to the best of the MCU’s solo installments.  The film is directed by Scott Derrickson, and the cast also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Mads Mikkelsen, and Michael Stuhlbarg.

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(official film stills
not yet available)

2) Passengers (December 21) - Directed by Morten Tyldum, the film follows the spaceship, “Starship Avalon,” as it takes thousands of passengers on a 120-year voyage to a colony planet.  90 years before the ship is set to reach its destination, a malfunction occurs, which prematurely opens two hibernation pods, leaving mechanic Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) and writer Aurora Dunn (Jennifer Lawrence) facing the realization they may not survive the remainder of the trip.  As recent movies like “The Martian,” “Interstellar,” and “Gravity” have proven, stories about survival in space always make for memorable entertainment, and having two of the world’s biggest movie stars headline this film pretty much guarantees it won’t only be a thrilling adventure, but a well-acted drama, too.  The cast also includes Michael Sheen and Laurence Fishburne.

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1) The Masterpiece (Fall 2016, exact date TBD) - Based on the non-fiction book “The Disaster Artist” by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell, the film tells the hilarious and emotional story about Sestero living in San Francisco to achieve his dreams of becoming an actor and crossing paths with Tommy Wiseau, who soon becomes the director, producer, writer, and star of the 2003 cult film “The Room,” which is regarded as being one of the worst movies ever made, in which Sestero is given one of the leading roles.  The book offers an eye-opening view of what went on behind-the-scenes of “The Room,” and it’s every bit as topsy-turvy as you would expect.  Given the immense cult status of Wiseau’s baffling creation, seeing a dramatized making of it promises a delightfully off-kilter and fascinating viewing experience.  The film will star and be directed by James Franco, who will play Wiseau, while his brother, Dave, will portray Sestero.  The cast also includes Seth Rogen, Ari Graynor, Josh Hutcherson, Jacki Weaver, Bryan Cranston, and Sharon Stone.

Fallen from Fame, a Former Music Star Tries to Revamp His Career

Andy Samberg in "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com 

Within the last 10 years of “Saturday Night Live,” one of the best things to come out of the show was the occasional music video from the musical trio, The Lonely Island, which includes “SNL” alumni Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone.  With uproarious songs like “I Just Had Sex,” “I’m On a Boat,” “Like a Boss,” and “Jack Sparrow,” they became a huge success.  You can’t even sing along to these tunes without breaking out into laughter.

The trio now takes their group’s talents to the big screen with their behind-the-scenes mockumentary, “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.”  Directed by Schaffer and Taccone, and starring all three Lonely Island members, the film uses their out-of-the-box humor that permeates The Lonely Island’s memorable music videos and offers an entertaining view into the pop-music scene.

When they were teenagers, Conner Friel (Samberg) and his friends, Owen (Taccone) and Lawrence (Schaffer), started their boy band, The Style Boyz.  After Connor begins to be seen as the real talent of the group, he decides to go solo under the name “Conner4Real,” with Owen becoming his DJ, and a bitter Lawrence moving to a farm.  After Conner releases his second solo album, it proves to be a huge failure.  Following this colossal misstep in his career, he will do whatever he can in order to hold onto his success as a music superstar.

Andy Samberg brings in abundance his brand of ridiculous humor that was always a high point on “SNL” during his years on the show.  While portraying Conner, Samberg displays a very amusing example of a celebrity who thinks he’s better than he is, hilariously and woefully out of touch with the reality around him.  His attitude and misguided confidence towards his singing make you wonder how he’s going to make his next performance top his last, and he doesn't disappoint in offering the unexpected.

The film also comes loaded with entertaining supporting characters, including Sarah Silverman as Conner’s publicist and Tim Meadows as Conner’s manager.  Then, you have a slew of comical cameos, such as Justin Timberlake as Conner’s chef and Bill Hader as one of Conner’s roadies.

It wouldn’t be a true Lonely Island movie without original songs from the group, and the film comes with many, including “Finest Girl (Bin Laden Song),” “Equal Rights,” “I’m So Humble,” and “Incredible Thoughts.”  While these songs are catchy, they are exactly what the film is trying to say about the shallowness of the music industry, with many modern songs having catchy beats but empty, vapid lyrics that you would otherwise be ashamed to say you like.

Although the film isn’t hysterical, the screenplay by Samberg, Schaffer, and Taccone makes up for that by capturing the entertaining absurdity that makes The Lonely Island as funny as they are, all while crafting a story that’s centered around the superficialness and gimmickry of the modern music industry.  And with its abundance of characters, the film offers a detailed view of Conner’s celebrity life and all of its components.

Similar to Rob Reiner’s classic 1984 mockumentary, “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Popstar” probes into the delusions of grandeur that artists may be prone to exhibit, thinking their work is far greater than it is.  With the film’s use of a documentary approach to tell its story, it helps us feel like we’re getting a close examination of how the music industry operates today, a comical tour backstage to witness what goes on in the life of a singer after he leaves the stage to the sound of his cheering, and maybe, undeserved fans.

Grade: B+