Out Now with Aaron and Abe: Episode 43 – Chronicle

This week’s episode of Out Now with Aaron and Abe finds four young men happening upon a bright light in the dead of night and experiencing something great.  This is of course referring to the brightness of their computer monitors, as Aaron, Abe, and guests Jordan from Jersey and Alan Aguilera all share their thoughts on the super-powered “found footage” film Chronicle.  Along with that, the gang discusses some movie trailers (Project X and Silent House), has some fun with “Know Everybody”, and follows through with the other regular segments as well, such as box office results, and the retro reviews.  It’s a show recorded late at night, but everyone is more than game to play along, using telekinesis or otherwise…

So now, if you’ve got an hour to kill…

Ralph Fiennes’ ‘Coriolanus’ + Modern Warfare

Coriolanus:  4 out of 5

Coriolanus:  Nature teaches beasts to know their friends.

I am a fan of actor Ralph Fiennes.  I enjoy stories involving Greek tragedies.  And I tend to like films that reappropriate the works of Shakespeare in interesting ways.  I found the concept of having Ralph Fiennes star in his directorial debut of the Shakespeare tragedy Coriolanus, which has been set in modern times, despite retaining the Shakespearean dialogue, to be an intriguing one.  Fortunately, it paid off greatly for me and those who would be similarly interested in such a thing.  While the modern setting makes way for some pretty stylish action sequences early on, the film is mainly a powerhouse of acting, with characters digging into the usage of iambic pentameter, and delivering fine work all around.

‘Chronicle’ Shows The Morality Of Superpowers On A Budget

Chronicle:  4 out of 5

[While flying]
Matt:  It’s cold up here!

If Superman: The Movie made you believe a man could fly, Chronicle will make you believe that three boys can hold their own up in the air as well.  Chronicle is a pretty entertaining story about a group of high school kids that discover superpowers.  That the film has the added quality of being shot by way of camcorders, cell phones, security cameras, and news footage is an interesting route to take.  Setting the film up as a “found footage” flick does suggest some gimmickry is at play, especially when justifying the presence of the camera at times, but the joy of seeing a fresh take on what is both a superhero and supervillain origin story, made on a small budget, makes it worthwhile.

Harry Potter And ‘The Woman In Black’

The Woman In Black: 3 ½ out of 5

Sam:  If we open the door to superstition, where does that lead?

I kid around in my title, but really, when you are the lead in one of the most popular film franchises of all time and now star in a completely different film, it is hard not to call attention to this fact.  Daniel Radcliffe stars in an old fashioned horror film (actually produced by Hammer Film Productions), that is steeped in effective atmosphere and does a lot right, without having to resort to blood and gore, in place of actual scares.  The story is very simple (which is common in Hammer Horror films), with fairly predictable plot beats and scares, and when the film is not trying to scare you, it is basically trying to depress you, but with all that in mind, it is a solid effort in regards to haunted house/ghost stories.

Out Now with Aaron and Abe: Episode 42 – The Grey

  

This week’s episode of Out Now with Aaron and Abe sees the boys stranded out in the cold and intense wilderness, as they are discussing the new Liam Neeson survival drama, The Grey.  Joining the duo, also in from the cold and intense wilderness of Park City, Utah, is Adam Gentry, who unfortunately did not catch up with The Grey, but did get to attend both the Slamdance and the Sundance Film Festival.  So Aaron and Abe cover The Grey, Adam talks about some of the films he got to see, and the trio have some fun with the other segments of the show as well, including “know everybody”, trailer talk (Act of Valor and Wrath of the Titans), some retro reviews, box office results, and other fun stuff.  Liam Neeson would be proud.

So now, if you’ve got an hour to kill…

‘Man On A Ledge’ Jumps To Ridiculous Conclusions

Man On A Ledge:  2 ½ out of 5

Nick Cassidy:  Don’t worry, everyone’s looking at me

There is a great film out there that seems to be about one thing, but is actually a lot more like another thing entirely.  It involves a man who must place himself in a precariously high position on a building, with a plan to accomplish a certain task.  Despite having this task in mind however, the film actually plays out by having more in common with a heist movie.  The film I am referring to is Man on Wire, the Oscar-winning documentary about a man who performed a high-wire walk across the Twin Towers in New York during the 70s.  Man on a Ledge is similarly about a man perching himself outside of a building, with a heist-like situation occurring at the same time, but is also vastly inferior.  There is certainly some enjoyment to be had, but not enough to look over the incredible amount of suspension of disbelief involved in taking the central scheme and plotting of this film seriously, let alone recommend the film.

Jack London Would Be Proud Of Neeson’s Fight For Survival In ‘The Grey’

The Grey:  4 ½ out of 5

John Ottway:  Once more into the fray.  Into the last good fight I’ll ever know…

It seems like Liam Neeson has been given quite the upgrade from tall, steadfast lead actor to confident, ass-kicking action start in recent years.  Neeson has certainly been reliable in years past, but since Taken, no one seems to question whether or not Neeson has the capabilities of taking someone down if he has to.  The Grey reunites Neeson with A-Team director Joe Carnahan for a film that is almost an opposite of that ridiculous (ly fun) action flick for a gritty survival story that is every bit as focused on being a study of Neeson’s personal mental anguish as it is an intense journey for he and the other unfortunate souls to survive in the icy cold wilderness, with wolves looming on the horizon.  There may be some backlash from those expecting a more wolf-bashing-focused tale, but I really appreciated the dark level of maturity combined with the visceral nature of the survival effort, along with what I consider a top tier acting performance from Liam Neeson.