Morning Reel

"Grizzly Man" is one of the those documentaries where all the evidence is in front of you and you have to do is piece it together. Over 100 hours of footage stemming years upon years, director Werner Herzog took the task to tell the story of Timothy Treadwell, a man who loved the environment (in his own way) and also grizzly bears. Me and XG and my featured guest, one half of the "We Don't Smoke the Same" Podcast and producer of both "Tin Foil Hat With Sam Tripoli" as well as "George Perez Stories", talk without having to say it that this doc is engaging because we are seeing reality unfold in front of us. A man being amongst and fearless killing machine that could never comprehend compassion against another species. We discuss the details of the film and it does the reflect the smart choices Herzog made to make this documentary not only effective but memorable. It is a tribute to mankind.

XG
https://www.instagram.com/xgratedpodcast

Cameron Crowe's "Vanilla Sky" is his magnum opus that caught my eyes in my early 20s and after watching the film time and time again, it still holds up. I briefly discuss how soundtrack selection to set a mood for a premise is key, how films such as this that question its validity is a testament to the filmmaker's goal, and how the plot is universal to the struggles of human contact whether we dream of it or not. It's among us. Take care of one another.

Maggie Gyllenhaal's "The Lost Daughter" is great a film and how about it starting her directorial debut strong. The acting, choice of actors and the cinematography is a bonus. A story about how one loses themselves while they losing children of your own. It changes and warps your livelihood. This a film that's aimed for adults and Gyllenhaal doesn't relent, she keeps it there and makes you take the drama that's being presented. Nominated for oscars, I hope they win one.

"King Richard" is the biopic of famous and legendary Venus and Serena Williams as well as their father Richard. It's not your average biopic because it doesn't go too deep into the biographies within these characters except that it's all revolved around tennis and making it big. I mean, that is what happened, but I wished for more. I expressed this in the review as well as how great the writing in this film as far as how the actors executed the roles. I wish there was more to it. The editing is great but for Best Picture...that's a tough one to say. I enjoyed the film. How I see this film is like watching "Straight Outta Compton", very entertaining but not so deep.

"Band of the Hand" is a B Movie-esque crime film where "Miami Vice" and "Scarface" meet but at six feet apart. 1986 is the time and punk-juveniles finally get their smarts straight and decide to fight crime for once in their lives and it turns out to be something being proud of about. Nice premise, impactful soundtrack and lukewarm cinematography, Stephen Carpenter aka Steftone of Deftones joins me as we discuss a small wild ride of the late '80s. He spreads the message of antiheroes doing good, comedy within suspenseful scenes and how you can still check out a film without having to really watch it. Enjoy this review!

Steftone
http://instagram.com/stefdodoubleg

"E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" is one of the biggest blockbuster films of all time directed by Steven Spielberg. It's one of my favorite films of all time and even though it's a blockbuster, it's much more than that. It's a film filled with purpose, hope, and unity and I briefly explain that and a bit more in this review. I also briefly talk about how this is the "perfect film" in my eyes. This is a marriage between sight and sound and that sound's music was perfectly scored by none other than John Williams. You can never find a film such as this and I, for one, is grateful to have witnessed such a film. There's so much I can say but this is the best briefing that I can make, ha ha.

Tim Burton's "Edward Scissorhands" is a cult classic that even goths and nerds can be at peace while watching this film but it is much more than a crowd-pleaser, it's a film that gives you a perspective of looking beyond the surface and makes you scratch through it with visuals, music and production design overall. Burton shows you a different world that you wouldn't living in at least for a day. I briefly explain the synergy of music and editing in this film, how colors work to give you a sense of what kind of characters you're looking in instant contrast of their "true colors". Teenagers are assholes especially in high school and there's that theme of acceptance that layers through the film's overall theme. It's a film where Burton displays his best work and there a lot of wide shots that get your attention that helps to that credit.

"The 400 Blows" directed by François Truffaut is my favorite film of all time. This broke into the French New Wave genre, breaking the rules of cinema without NEEDING a budget. And because of that with is style and raw and intellectual storytelling, it's regarded one of the best films of all time. I briefly (lol) explain why it's my favorite film to where it adds to my own visual style of filmmaking.

"All the Real Girls" is probably David Gordon Green's most underrated film and one of his best if you don't count "Pineapple Express", that of course was a hit but it's a comedy and it's easier for a comedy to make it than a drama, especially like a romantic drama. It's probably one of my favorite "indie" films of all time. I explain why this film is worth the watch. This isn't your average romance drama. This is an indie film where Green fires on all cylinders, expressing emotions through visuals with the lack of time and space. No one is perfect in this film and that itself is realism at its core. I also briefly talk about the existentialism in the characters, they connect almost in a spiritual way.

"Tangerine" is film directed by Sean baker set in Los Angeles almost right next to Hollywood. It follows a trans prostitute's journey to finding her pimp/lover when she was tipped off that he messing around with another prostitute of his stable. It's a wild a ride that doesn't stop from beginning to end. I talk about how the characters pushed the story, how Baker respectfully showed the representation of the transgendered community in a raw outlook, and why shooting the film with an iPhone added to the tone of it all.