Movie Review: Inside Out Gets In Your Head

(Originally written 6/29/15) 

 

 

 

Grab the wife and the kids and pile them into the station wagon. This is THE must see movie of the summer. In my case, the wife and some of the kids weren’t available. And it was a minivan. But I grabbed the remaining fruit of my loins and off we sped to the multiplex.

Directly preceding all Pixar releases is a "short" produced by the California-based dream maker. Some hit, some miss. “Lava” was a definite miss for me. I really wasn’t into two volcanoes crooning a failed songwriter-turned-animator’s island love balad at one another. Rather than erupting, I thought it sputtered.

BUT! On to the main event! The story of Riley and the voices in her head is the stuff that parents wish they were taking their youngins to on a more frequent basis. With most family oriented fare, it’s like buying a scratch and win lotto ticket that winds up in the trash can and is soon forgotten. This one hits the jackpot.

From the moment we meet Riley as an adorbs infant and are introduced, one by one, to her emotions, she has our hearts AND minds. A brilliant riff on how our feels and memories shape us, Inside Out could make a psychology textbook writer green with envy. (Speaking of, where WAS Envy in Inside Out? Get it together Pixar!)

Ever wonder why some experiences and memories help determine who we become? Or why others fade with the passage of time? This kiddie flick has totally plausible explanations.
It’ll make you laugh. It’ll make you cry. You definitely won’t regret kissing your *five bucks goodbye.

*Five bucks EACH. On Tuesday. Only at the Larry H Miller Megaplexes. Anywhere else, you're looking at shelling out about 18 bucks apiece.

4 out of 4 stars.

Movie Review: Tomorrowland: "The Future is Scary"

(Originally written 7/4/15)

If the future is half as scary as this movie was frighteningly bad, then I wholeheartedly agree with George Clooney’s character Frank’s statement (see review title) in Tomorrowland’s opening sequence. In fact, can I get a ticket to “Yesterdayland” so I can make different choices?

It’s Independence Day, Aprill had to work early and was exhausted, the weather was crappy, and we’re going to the water park on Monday. So, we were looking for something to do. Next year, if the circumstances are similar, I recommend we schedule family root canals. They’d be less painful.

I took a film class in college. The professor once suggested that the telltale sign of a bad movie is when you can watch it with the sound off and still know what is going on (Jurassic Park excluded). I’ll go one step further. I think a worse movie is one that HAS sound and you DON’T know what’s going on. We got there late so Aprill bought us tickets on the second row. I lamented that it might impede our enjoyment having to crane our necks to see the screen. I then realized we’d probably be able to keep our eyes closed and it wouldn’t make a difference. I hate being right all the time.

I’d give a brief plot synopsis, but I’m still not quite sure what happened, nor do I care. Needless to say, I knew we were in trouble in the first ten minutes. When they flashed back to the ’64 World’s Fair, the movie had the feel of one of Disney’s 1970’s offerings. You know, the crappy ones like “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes” or “The World’s Greatest Athlete.” I half expected Fred McMurray to come beebopping along any second. (So, for your enjoyment, at the end of the review I’ve recast Tomorrowland as if it HAD been made in the 70’s.)

If I had to pick a favorite moment from the film, it was the scene that took place in a second hand store called Blast from the Past that sold sci-fi collectibles. I would have much preferred browsing in there for a couple of hours. (I saw that old “Planet of the Apes” board game and thought, “I want one.”) My second favorite moment was the deep feeling of relief when I knew it was finally over. It was like a sliver had been removed.

At one point, the female protagonist reminded her soon to be unemployed dad that there are two kinds of wolves. One that is positive and one negative. Who survives? The one that you feed. I apologize for spending your time feeding the negative wolf. But after this dud, it was really hungry.

1.5 out of 4 stars.

2015 "Frank"

 

1975 "Frank

 

 

2015 "Casey"

 

1975 "Casey"

 

2015 "Nix"

 

 

 1975 "Nix"

 

2015 "Eddie"

 

 

1975 "Eddie"

 

 

2015 "Hugo"

 

 

1975 "Hugo"

 

 





 



 

 



 



 

Movie Review: Ant-Man

If you’re looking for philosophical political debate on whether appropriate steps were taken to save lives and secure our assets in Benghazi, you’ll have to wait until early next year.

If you want big thrills from the safety of the D-BOX and experience what it may have been like to walk a high wire between the twin towers of the World Trade Center or scale the summit of Mt. Everest, you’re going to have to wait until later this year.

But if you want a few laughs and a few “Wow! That looked cool!” moments, then “Ant-Man” may suffice. Paul Rudd may not be anyone’s idea of an action hero. He certainly wasn’t mine. But if Tobey McGuire can play Spiderman, who’s to question Rudd’s ability to don an atom changing suit that renders him the size of an insect? Plus he doesn’t have McGuire’s annoying voice. Or face. (Who am I to judge? My face is annoying and I’m not a movie star. But I have a most excellent voice!)

 

 

Rudd plays a recently released from prison high stakes smash and grab artist. (Wow that was a mouthful. I had to take a knee typing it. Please grab a breath and continue.) What does he get for paying his debt to society? A front counter gig at Baskin Robbins. His interaction with a customer with a lower than average IQ and, more particularly, his fast food manager are possibly my favorite laugh out loud moments. Rudd’s partner in crime (literally) also provides some comic relief. But his schtick gets a bit tired as the tale progresses.

The thing that’s great about the Marvel franchises is that familiar and surprising faces show up. Ant-Man has a particularly great cameo by Roger Sterling from Mad Men at the beginning of the film. But there’s some new faces along for the ride as well. Okay, recognizable faces but new to the action genre. I wanted to step onto the screen and compliment Evangeline Lilly (Lost’s Kate) on her new haircut. It looks AWESOME. But she’d probably look awesome with MY haircut.

 

 

 

Can I go on the record and just say that I LOVE Michael Douglas? There’s no boiling bunnies in this outing but it’s nice to have someone with such a distinguished cinematic pedigree along for the ride. If you take away the glasses and the awful facial hair, he’s starting to look A LOT like his dad Kirk. Particularly Kirk from that crappy “Saturn 3” from the 70’s. Maybe that’s why the glasses and the awful facial hair. Now that I think of it, Michael is way older than Kirk was in “Saturn 3.” So, he’s a better version of pops.

 

 

Kirk Douglas age 63

Michael Douglas age 70

 

I rest my case.

 

By the way, Kirk Douglas is still kickin’ at 98. Huh. I thought he died in the mid-90’s.

Anyway, I’m babbling. The plot? It had something to do with tech that can shrink guys to the size of ants. Or yellow jackets. But the yellow jacket guy is bad and must be stopped. By the ant guy. Does it really matter? The movie’s worth seeing for the battle on the model train set alone. But I liked the Baskin Robbins part better.

What parents are probably asking is, “Can I take my kids?” Sure. They’ll hear a couple of s-words. So, don’t say I didn’t warn you. But other than that, there’s absolutely nothing objectionable.

I’d give it 2.5 out of 4 stars.

Hot Eats, Freezer Burned Treats

(Originally written 7/7/15)

Yesterday, Sydney was off to EFY at BYU. I took the day off and the rest of the crew decided to hit Seven Peaks Water Park after dropping her off. We registered Syd but there was still some time before she needed to check into her dorm, so we hit the Provo Dairy Queen to get Buster Bars, a tradition typically reserved for AFTER Seven Peaks.

It was cheaper to buy a box rather than individual Buster Bars, the "helpful" DQ attendant suggested. We opened the box and I immediately knew something was wrong. There was sticky golden syrup on the outside of my sealed package. I opened it. What normally resembled a Buster Bar was a misshapen turd-like object with a big hunk of greasy brown sugar-like glop on the side of it. I actually had to get a napkin to remove the excess. I immediately brought it to the attention of HDQA ("Helpful" Dairy Queen Attendant). I told her that I thought the box had melted and been re-frozen. (Okay I didn't think it. I KNEW it. Blake had left the freezer door open the night before and this had happened to a couple of ice cream bars that had the exact same malady.) HDQA's response? "I don't think so." My reply, "Oh, REALLY? Look at it." She ignored me. I asked if a discount was at least possible as the family had begun gagging them down. She pretended that I'd immediately started speaking a foreign language. NOT COOL, Provo Dairy Queen. So, I retaliated in the only way I could. I let the drippings fall on the floor and didn't clean it up. Take that DQ!

On to Seven Peaks. Blake had a raspberry on his knee from an unfortunate scooter mishap the night before at the Mosers'. So, we had put a large bandage on it. He and I were splashing around in the kiddie pool for awhile and then I realized it wasn't there anymore. I searched frantically for it but it had miraculously disappeared. My only hunch is that the filter at the side of the pool got it. If not, for those of you planning a trip to Seven Peaks in the near future, tell your kiddie pool visitors to keep their mouths closed. I'm sure if HDQA was there, she would have fished it out, packaged it, and tried to pass it off as a Buster Bar. And I'm sure it would have tasted better. ‪#‎dairyqueen‬ ‪#‎tasteslikedirtybandaids‬

Stranded at the Drive-In Part 2: The Most Startling Rose Ceremony, er, Drive-In Experience EVER!

After Springville's Art City Drive-In went the way of the tyrannosaur, the only other "local" option was the Redwood Drive-In in West Valley City. But that seemed so far. Plus, I'd heard rumors that you were taking your life in your hands by setting foot, or rather wheels, in the Redwood. I think the kids nowadays would refer to it as being "sketch." So, more than a decade passed with no twilight movie fests.

My children are growing. One has left the roost, others are getting close. I longed to share with them the memories that a movie night under the stars had created for me. But would I be willing to risk their lives to do it?

I did some research. I couldn't find ONE incident of an axe murder at the Redwood Drive-In. At least one that didn't appear on one of their screens. So, I figured what the hey. "Ant-Man" and "Inside Out" are playing on the same bill!

Conditions were perfect. The weather was clear and warm. My oldest had the night off of work. My sister, with whom I'd shared many a drive-in memory was in town visiting. So, we borrowed a close friend's pickup, an outdoor radio from another, packed up the truck and our van with pillows, blankets, a cooler full of drinks, and about 30 bucks worth of snacks and headed into the belly of the beast: West Valley City, Utah.

My heart almost stopped when we pulled up to the box office. There are four screens at the Redwood, a separate drive up box office for each. As we approached the booth for "Ant-Man/Inside Out," to my horror there were

 

traffic cones blocking our entrance! (I don't know about you, but I didn't want to expose my impressionable children to that trainwreck Amy Schumer or, worse, Ted the foulmouthed bear.) Fortunately, the cash register for booth #1 wasn't working and we were able to gain entrance from another.

 

 

An adjective that I've heard tossed around over the years about the Redwood is "ghetto." Granted, it isn't located in Salt Lake's posh "The Avenues." But it's only a couple of blocks from the Maverik Center, where folks from around the valley flock to on a regular basis. As we pulled into the paved lot and looked around, frankly I didn't think it was ghetto enough. Until I saw the bathrooms.

 



 

Just kidding. There were actually indoor restrooms for boys AND girls. They were surprisingly clean as well. Although, it was a Tuesday night. I'm sure on the weekend, the floor is doused in various spirits and/or sundry bodily fluids. The Honey Buckets are there for show. Or weekend overflow. Ewww. Did I ever tell you my theory on why they named these porta-potties Honey Buckets? Because when you lift the lid, you see pooh. Never mind.

 

 

We got there a bit early so we could get set up. A family near us was playing catch with a Nerf football below the towering screen. I chatted with the dad for a minute. The last time he'd been to the drive-in, Nemo was still trying to be found. We wandered to the snack bar. Again! Waaay too clean. Where was I? This was too nice for a drive-in. And where were the crack addicts and dead bodies I was promised? As we made our way back to our set up, I noticed a truck had taken the opposite angle to prop themselves up on the man made bumps created to help you see the screen better. I started up a conversation with an impossibly good looking young couple. Came to find out they were on their fourth date. Based on the way they were behaving before the sun even went down and when they didn't think Kenny was looking, my guess is there's going to be a fifth. And possibly a wedding.

 

You might mistake this next photo for a retro shot from 43 years ago. But, nope. It was taken last night. I was almost as excited as he was...

 

 

 

Finally, dusk started to settle. The familiar logo appeared and we knew we were in for a treat.

 

 

I'm not going to do a detailed review of "Ant-Man" here. Perhaps I'll save that for another post. But I liked it. It was funny and cool. The challenge I had was that we were having some sound issues, so it was a little hard to hear at times. Plus, I thought I smelled the sweet aroma of cannabis from a few cars over. Their guffaws were a tad loud. It wasn't THAT funny.

 

 

While I was very impressed with the Redwood, I must say it wasn't without its flaws. Again, sound is an issue at any drive in. Most drive-ins that I've been to in years gone by have been on the outskirts of town. The Redwood is right smack dab in the MIDDLE of town. And there's a see through fence surrounding the place. Note the apartment complex in the bottom right of the pic above. So, all night long, headlights came and went on a fairly busy thoroughfare. That, and it's in the path of the Salt Lake airport. So planes kept buzzing overhead.

 

Five year old Blake didn't quite make it through all of Ant-Man. But I was stoked when he awoke as Inside Out was starting. He'd already seen it but I loved listening to his giggles as we shifted to get comfortable. That's when it hit me. It wasn't what was on the screen. Or what they were serving at the snack bar. The reason I have such fond memories of the drive-in is because they are shared with the ones I love. And that filled me with, you guessed it,

 

 

joy.









Stranded (In My Mind) at the Drive-In

One of my earliest drive-in movie memories was seeing
"Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1975) at the Golden West Drive-In in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. It was awesome. Most of the jokes flew over my head but there was blood spurting from slashed off limbs and my parents didn't make out in the front seat, which was a plus. Not all of my childhood drive-in experiences were winners though. "Phantom of the Paradise" (1974), if I recall correctly, had a fairly distinct odor. And then there was "Grizzly" (1976). Apparently the success of "Jaws" the previous year inspired Hollywood to come up with a blatant rip off. You know. The park ranger (standing in for Jaws' chief of police Brody), the naturalist (anyone think of oceanographer Matt Hooper here?), and the helicopter pilot. Wait. HELICOPTER PILOT?!? Seriously? That's the best they could come up with for a woodsy version of shark hunter Quint? It was crap. But, who am I kidding? I was just happy to be out of the house on a Friday night.

 

 

The Golden West was located just west of town (which is probably why they didn't name it the Golden EAST), not far from the A&W drive-in restaurant. One of the best things about it was that there was a swing set, merry-go-round, and teeter totter right below the huge white screen. I remember when I was really little playing on those bad boys in my jammies while the sun set, right before the opening credits.

 

Sadly, the Golden West was shut down for a time due to a fire. I vaguely remember it having something to do with the screen. They rebuilt, but a short time later the snack bar and projection room were engulfed in flames as well. There may have been rumors of arson. Regardless, it never re-opened after fire number two. I have a vivid recollection of pedaling out to the skeletal remains of the Golden West with a couple of friends after the business-ending inferno. We kicked around in the charred remains for awhile, looking for answers. Not to what caused the fire but rather trying to come to grips with the fact that so many fond childhood memories had gone up in smoke.

 

A new drive-in was built a few years later on the opposite side of town. It had TWO screens, but it was never the same. I remember seeing "Fletch" and "The Breakfast Club" (both 1985) there. No clunky speakers to hang off of the driver's side window at this establishment. You now could tune in to a short wave radio signal.

 

Despite poor sound quality and the fact that they would start the first feature before it was really dark enough to make out a clear image on the screen, you couldn't beat the experience. It's a double feature, for one thing. And who doesn't love stumbling back from the snack bar in the dark with overpriced burgers and day old hot dogs? I'll admit to getting frustrated with the lightweights who'd decide to leave early and shine their headlights on the screen as they made their way to the exit. They'd be "booed" by a chorus of honks from other similarly annoyed patrons like myself. But, there is something nostalgic and romantic about seeing a movie (good or bad) at the drive-in.

 

Then, of course, there were movies that had drive-in scenes. If you couldn't go to a drive-in, you may as well watch others enjoy the experience, right?

 

"That Darn Cat" (1965)

 

 

"Grease" (1978)

 



In the July 24, 2015 issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine, an article titled "Can the Drive-In Be Saved?" appears. It cites that there were 4,063 outdoor theaters at the medium's peak in 1958. Today, in the U.S., only 348 remain.

 

That brings me to the demise of the Art City Drive-In in Springville, Utah. My wife and I would frequent it after we first got married. We saw "Independence Day" (1996) there as well as a few other forgettable titles. It was torn down in the early 2000s to make way for valuable trailer park space or something equally important. I remember taking my oldest daughter to the Art City to see "Tarzan" (1999) when she was about three. That was the first, and last, time I took any of my four kids to the drive-in. Until tomorrow night.

 

Stay tuned...







Welcome!

Hi. I'm Graham and this is my blog. I hope you'll enjoy yourself here. I'll try to keep it entertaining. Peace.