Bill and Ted Face the Music Review

Bill and Ted Face the Music

Dir: Dean Parisot

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Kristen Schaal, Erinn Hayes, Jayma Mays, and William Sadler

 

“Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes.”

 

If these parting words from two teenage best friends don’t ring truthful in our present state of world events, I don’t know what will. The memorable pairing of the time jumping Bill and Ted, call them “Wyld Stallyns”, have solidified the duo in the pop culture hall of fame with the cult classic films “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” and the sequel “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey”. In 1989, somewhat unknown actors Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves would play Bill and Ted and air guitar their way on a journey across time, meeting some famous historical figures along the way.

 

It’s been 30 years! What more could two goofy 80s kids have to say that will strike relevance in 2020? Surprisingly, much more than you might expect from a silly genre film. “Bill and Ted Face the Music” dabbles in time travel confusion, sidetracking trips to literally hell, and some sloppy narrative dynamics, but it doesn’t seem to matter much because this film is made with such passion, with so much commitment from the actors, and with enough themes of friendship, finding unity, loving music, and being excellent to one another. It’s impossible not to smile, laugh, and just enjoy the escape for 90 minutes. 

 

Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) gave the high school history presentation of a lifetime and played the concert to define all concerts. Now, after a few failed albums and the breakup of their once epic band, Bill and Ted are still searching for the song that will bring the universe together while also living the family life with their wives (Jayma Mays and Erinn Hayes) and daughters Thea (Samara Weaving) and Billy (Brigette Lundy-Paine). 

 

But things aren’t good within the universe and the song that Bill and Ted promised Rufus (George Carlin, who has a nice visual tribute) they would make still hasn’t come to fruition. Now the universe is falling apart and it is up to Bill and Ted to journey into the future, while their daughters’ journey into the past, to find the song and musicians to save the future. 

 

It’s been a long time since Bill and Ted have influenced the movie screens. The days of rock n’ roll air guitar solos and flannel shirts tied around waists are memories, almost forgotten for some younger people. While it may seem difficult to bring pop culture characters back from the past, “Bill and Ted Face the Music” pulls off the return in a sweet, silly fashion. Sure, the narrative is overly convoluted, rambling in parts, and has some dialog lines that don’t quite work as well as they might have looked on paper. Still, the heart of this film is so pure and passionate, it’s impossible not to smile at the ridiculousness happening on screen. 

 

Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are completely committed to roles; they embrace their old characters with ease from the first second of screen time. The surprise comes from new cast members Samara Weaving, playing Ted’s daughter Thea, and Brigette Lundy-Paine, playing Bill’s daughter Billy. The two ladies together have great chemistry and embody the mannerisms and speech patterns of their fathers. Also, William Sadler returning as Death brings all the nostalgia back with a funny portrayal of a jaded ex-bandmember just when it feels like the film is stumbling.

 

“Bill and Ted Face the Music” leads to a place that seems somewhat impossible to ever meet expectations, yet somehow it lands with heart, humor, and a few heroics. Its satisfying message of friendship, finding purpose, and that even something as simple as a song could unite the universe. In this cinematic vessel from the past, with two familiar friends to some 80s and 90s kids, it’s a journey worth the wait. 

 

Monte’s Rating

3.25 out of 5.00

Could Midnight Sun Resurrect Twilight Films?

Could Midnight Sun Resurrect Twilight Films?

By: Theresa Dillon

As a Twihard, I have been anxiously waiting for "Midnight Sun" to be published since 2008. When Stephenie Meyer announced it was happening, my reaction was twofold: Hooray! Something good happening in 2020 and FINALLY!

Like other Twihard fans, August couldn’t come quick enough. Unlike them, I lost track of days and sadly had to wait a couple days for my hardback book (the only way to read the series). But when it came, the 600+ page book was devoured. 

Even though, yes, it’s a retelling of "Twilight," it was refreshing to read Edward’s perspective. Some reviews have pointed out that this book does too much explaining, taking away some of the magic from the series. I wouldn’t the say the magic is gone. In turn, we got a deeper understanding as to why Edward can be so overbearing. 

That being said, I’ve felt there’s been lots of critiques and reviews of "Midnight Sun" already. And most likely, if you didn’t read the other books, you’re not going to pick up this one. So, I’ve decided to write about something a little different – should "Midnight Sun" be the next "Twilight" film? 

No.

My answer has nothing to do with the actual writing of the book but more of an overall view as a Twilight fan and film buff.

Here are my 3 reasons:

        1. A recasting of characters would most likely be required.

Take a look at the amazing career Robert Pattinson has made for himself. Do you think he would really sign on to play Edward again? I’m pretty sure that is a hard pass and I agree with him. He has managed to break away from the teen heartthrob and bring to life brilliant, intense characters to the screen. I for one love it and while playing Edward introduced me to Robert, I look more forward to his new work now.

Kristen Stewart, love her or hate her, has also continued to stretch her acting capabilities.

So right there, the two main characters are recast.

In addition, I don’t know about other Twihards, but I was pissed when the studio recast Victoria, played brilliantly by Rachelle Lefevre, with Bryce Dallas Howard. Sure, maybe the more well-known name helped with ticket sales but Lefevre had an edge that Howard did not bring to the screen. 

I hated seeing that recasting so there’s no way in hell I’m going to enjoy a complete recasting so "Twilight" can come back to the big screen. That means no money from me Summit Entertainment.

        2. There is too much internal dialog to allow the film to flow successfully.

In the "Twilight" series, Edward has the ability to read people’s minds. With "Midnight Sun," we finally got to read his mind. An enjoyable journey for a reader; not so much for a movie goer.

Case in point, another of Stephenie Meyer’s books that was brought to the screen, "The Host." "The Host" did not do well at the box office. Maybe it was due to Twilight fatigue but I think it had to do with the execution of the film. "The Host" is a really fun, intense book but 95% of the book is internal struggle. The main character, Melanie, literally talks to and fights the alien entity, Wanda, that has over taken her "soul." These interactions are all done with internal dialog.

When it came to showing the struggle on the screen, it came off as flat and uneventful. Saoirse Ronan did her best but the movie just could not bring the book to life.

I think the same thing would happen with "Midnight Sun." Edward internally struggles and talks to himself. He also "talks" to others by reading their minds instead of speaking. That is not going to go well for a movie audience.

        3. With a few exceptions, there is nothing new to show/tell the audience.

Remember, "Midnight Sun" is a retelling of "Twilight" through Edward’s perspective. All the main plot points and conflicts are the same. The 2 biggest new additions are Edward’s reaction to meeting Bella for the first time and fighting for Bella’s life during the main conflict of the book. Readers get more details, hence possible new scenes and avenues of storytelling for a film.

But those extra scenes are what many are already saying is too much explanation that was never needed in the first place. And while I enjoyed reading them, I agree it wasn’t necessary. 

So, what the studio would then have is "Twilight," with a possible new action sequence. Not very convincing to get an audience in the seats. 

Conclusion - I had fun diving back into the Twilight universe with "Midnight Sun." And I personally prefer to keep my experience and not see the studio’s played out badly on screen.

Sputnik Review

Sputnik

Dir: Egor Abramenko

Starring: Oksana Akinshina, Pyotr Fyodorov, and Anton Vasilev

 

Summer of 1996. The booming 90s cinematic box 0ffice was graced with the arrival of extraterrestrial beings in hovering unidentified flying objects that lingered over large cities across planet Earth. “Independence Day” took ideas of science fiction classics like “War of the Worlds”, “Alien”, “E.T.” and combined them together for a popcorn movie that helped reimagine what stories of invaders from outer space could look and feel like. It’s a big, loud, fun science fiction spectacle. 

 

Summer of 2020. Science fiction films have evolved. Stories of alien beings have morphed into manifestations of comic book characters or the reemergence of the Star Wars cinematic galaxy in popular culture. We’ve seen brand new films in the 
“Alien” and “Predator” movie galaxy, more “Cloverfield” alien monsters, and another journey 20-years after the original film release with “Independence Day: Resurgence”. Aliens are everywhere. 

 

However, this abundance of stories has led to something really exceptional when it comes to storytelling; smaller, sometimes more intimate and socially conscious, portrayals have come about. Films like the stripped-down alien-on-Earth Jonathan Glazer masterpiece “Under the Skin”, Denis Villeneuve’s emotional “Arrival”, and the ultra-joyous space monster run amok film “Attack the Block”, are just a few examples of how the evolution of science fiction films have found creative, inventive avenues to share experiences with the extra-terrestrials.  

 

“Sputnik”, from director Egor Abramenko, is yet another example of how to tell an effective, exciting, and emotional science fiction story. Its effectiveness doesn’t rely so much on big-budget special effects or an alien that puts you in awe of its design, but rather in the cleverness of how it allows the viewer to enter the environment where everything happens, that being a military compound in Kazakhstan in 1983. 

We are introduced to two Russian cosmonauts coming back from a mission in space, one that ends with a crash landing caused by mysterious occurrences involving some kind of creature, one that is cleverly left just beyond sight of the viewer. A no-nonsense psychiatrist named Tatyana (Oksana Akinshina) is brought in to interview one of the cosmonauts. After a quick interview and hasty diagnosis, Tatyana is ready to leave the facility, however, she is asked to stay to oversee some other interesting symptoms that are happening. Later that evening she is brought in to witness a strange event involving the cosmonaut, one in which he falls unconscious and an alien creature crawls out of his mouth. 

 

“Sputnik”, working on a lower budget, keeps a majority of the drama and action contained in small environments. This allows for some clever camerawork that slowly pulls the viewer from a spectator position to almost being trapped in the room with the alien being. It’s exceptionally executed and adds a building tension that heightens the drama of the story. 

The budget constraints never keep the filmmaking team from exerting ambitious designs. While some of the special effect designs are ingeniously introduced, a few of them a little rough around the edges, it’s the set design and fantastic cinematography that really highlight the skill behind the team here. The alien design is somewhat minimalistic, which doesn’t accommodate some of the action set pieces, but the way the filmmakers turn to human reaction shots during menacing moments or hide the monster in shadows or with framing keeps effective tension. 

 

Actress Oksana Akinshina is fantastic in the lead role, playing her psychiatrist with tough survival qualities and empathy for her cosmonaut patient. Add some thrilling action set pieces and a few well-timed moments of gore and “Sputnik” proves why genre films about non-human beings will never lose their ability to evoke a wealth of cinematic emotions. 

 

Monte’s Rating

3.50 out of 5.00