Review: Netflix's "UGLIES" is Ernest, Lightweight Entertainment

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 43 of 2024 (No. 1987) by Leroy Douresseaux

Uglies (2024)

Running time: 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for some violence and action, and brief strong language

DIRECTOR:  McG

WRITERS:  Jacob Forman, Vanessa Taylor, and Whit Anderson (based on the novel by Scott Westerfeld)

PRODUCERS:  John David, Jordan Davis, McG, Robyn Meisinger, Dan Spilo, and Mary Viola

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Xiaolong Liu

EDITORS:  Martin Bernfeld and Brad Besser

COMPOSER:  Edward Shearmur

SCI-FI/DRAMA/ACTION

Starring:  Joey King, Brianne Tju, Keith Powers, Chase Stokes, Laverne Cox, Charmin Lee, Jay DeVon Johnson, Jan Luis Castellanos, Zamani Wilder, Joseph Echavarria, Gabriella Garcia, Ash Maeda, Jordan Sherley, Sarah Vattano, and Ashton Essex Bright

SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

Uglies is an entertaining and good, but not great science fiction film, but unlike The Hunger Games films, Uglies leans more towards teen viewers than it does towards a general adult audience

The film has high production values, which really show in the scenes that take place in “The City”

Although it leans towards younger viewers, Uglies makes points about conformity and individuality as fiercely as grown-up science fiction films

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Uglies is a 2024 American science fiction-drama film from director McG.  The film is based on the 2005 novel, Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld.  Uglies is a Netflix Original and debuted on the Netflix streaming service September 13, 2024.  Uglies the movie is set in a futuristic society in which everyone is considered “ugly” until the receive the compulsory operation that makes them “pretty,” and it focuses on a teen girl who begins to have doubts about the surgery.

Uglies opens in a world that once saw civilization fall apart.  In the future, humanity exhausts the planet of all its natural resources.  The result is chaos, war, and destruction.  Eventually, science creates a new energy source and also develops a surgery that makes everyone “pretty.”  This  new society believes that if everyone is perfect and thinks alike, then, there won't be any conflict.  Everyone gets the surgery which transforms them into one of the “Pretties” at the age of 16.

When the story begins, Tally Youngblood (Joey King) is three months away from her 16th birthday and her surgery.  She lives in a dorm with all the other kids who have not had the surgery and who are known as “Uglies.”  However, her friend, Peris (Chase Stokes), is about to have the surgery that will make him pretty.  Tally and Peris promise to keep in touch after he moves to “the City” where all the “Pretties” live, but things don't work out as they planned.

Tally befriends fellow “ugly,” Shay (Brianne Tju), and Shay has a secret.  There is a place outside the City called “The Smoke.”  It is a land of freedom and nature, and the people there have not had the surgery.  The community is lead by the mysterious David (Keith Powers).  Tally is intrigued, but she is caught in the middle.  One part of her wants to be independent and different, but another part of her wants to have the surgery, become pretty, and look like everyone else.  The decision Tally makes will change the lives of people both in the City and in the Smoke.

I have not read the novel, Uglies, or its sequels.  However, I became familiar with the series through a pair of paperback original graphic novels based on the books, Uglies: Shay's Story and Uglies: Cutters, both released in 2012.

I don't see Uglies the movie as being similar to other films based on young adult (YA) dystopian science fiction novels, such as The Hunger Games (2012) and Divergent (2014).  Uglies has me thinking about another dystopian science fiction film adapted from a novel.  That would be the 1976 film, Logan's Run, based on the 1967 novel, Logan's Run, which was written by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson.  I recently watch Logan's Run on the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) cable network, and I thought of it as I watched Uglies.  Both stories deal with characters forced to decide whether it is better to live in a safe, clean, and conformist, though macabre dystopian society or in the great wide and wild open.

Beyond similarities to the aforementioned films, Uglies deals with themes of change, both emotional and physical.  Yes, Uglies can seem superficial at times.  The film's special visual effects turn the City into a shining and gleaming Oz of non-stop parties under a sky lit up pyrotechnic fireworks.  Behind the prettiness, however, is Joey King as Tally doing her best to convey the internal struggles inside the girl.  King delivers a strong performance that sells the world of Uglies the film because it would crumble without a strong dramatic lead, which King is here.  King makes Tally's conflicts seem genuine, and I often found myself confused by her motivations and actions because they felt like the result of an internal struggle.  As slight as the film feels, King makes Tally feel like a real young woman struggling with a decision that will change her in ways she may not like, but a change she believes she has to accept.

The Uglies novel is the first in a series, so Uglies the movie could have a sequel.  While it is good, but not great, Uglies is still a dystopian sci-fi film that the family can enjoy together.

 

6 of 10

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

Sunday, September 22, 2024

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 17th to 23rd, 2021 - Update #23

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Variety:  HBO is in early development of a prequel series to its Emmy-winning "Game of Thrones."  It would be based on "Tales of Dunk and Egg," a series of novellas from author George R.R. Martin, whose books are the source material for "Game of Thrones."

BIDEN! - From USAToday:   7 moments you shouldn't miss from the inaugural concert: From Justin Timberlake to Katy Perry's epic finale.

From BET:  Black Women Across The Globe Honor VP Kamala Harris With Their Chuck Taylor Sneakers And Strands Of Pearls.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Oscar-nominee Michelle Pfeiffer former first lady, Betty Ford, in the Showtime anthology series, "The First Lady."  Emmy Award winner Susanne Bier will direct the series.

BIDEN! - From YahooNews:   Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Kamala Harris made history as the first woman, Black woman and Asian woman to be sworn in as vice president.

From HuffPost:  People Can’t Believe Donald Trump’s Latest Public Schedule Isn’t A Parody

POLITICS-RACE - From YahooFinance:   The uncomfortable truth: Why more white women didn’t rally behind the Biden-Harris campaign

COVID-19 - From Truthout:  US Reaches Grim Milestone of 400K COVID Deaths Days Before Trump Leaves Office

DISNEY - From Deadline:  McG will direct the pilot episode of the Disney+ reboot of the dog-cop movie, "Turner & Hooch."

POLITICS - From Truthout:   The final two races of the 2020 federal election cycle were officially certified on Tuesday, with Democrats Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff declared the official winners of their respective U.S. Senate races against Republican incumbents Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue in Georgia.

SCANDAL-POLITICS - From Deadline:   The actors union, SAG-AFTRA, finds "probably cause" to expel one of its more infamous and hilarious members, former President Donald.

STREAMING - From BleedingCool:  In March, the streaming service, "CBS All Acess," becomes "Paramount+."  A new line-up of series has also been announced.

BIDEN! - From YahooSports:   The story of Joe Biden, high school football star.

AWARDS - From Deadline:  The winners of the International Documentary Association's "IDA Awards" have been announced.  Netflix's "Crip Camp," about a unique summer camp for disabled kids and its role propelling the disability rights movement, won "Best Feature."

STREAMING - From OneRing:   There is now an official synopsis for Amazon's "Lord of the Rings" series.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   "The Marksman," starring Liam Neeson, will apparently win the MLK 4-day holiday weekend (1/15 to 1/19/21) with an estimated take of 3.7 million dollars.

MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  How 'One Night in Miami' meeting with Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown and Sam Cooke shows 'complicated relationship' between Black men and America

BLM - From YahooNews:   Black Americans react to the pro-Trump riot at the U.S. Capitol

INSURRECTION - From TheAtlantic: The Boogaloo Bois prepare for civil war.

OBITS:

From Deadline:   Television and radio host and TV spokesman, Larry King, has died at the age of 87, Saturday, January 23, 2021.  He first gained prominence with his radio show, "The Larry King Show" (1978-94).  Many will remember him for his long-running CNN talk show, "Larry King Live" (1985-2010). In 1999, King won a "News & Documentary" Emmy Award for "Larry King Live" and in 2011, he won a "News & Documentary" Emmy "Lifetime Achievement Award." King won to "Peabody Awards," one for radio (1982) and one for television (1992).

From APNews: Hall of Fame Major League Baseball player, Hank Aaron, has died at the age of 86, Friday, January 22, 2021.  Known for decades as the home run king,  Aaron endured so many racist threats as he pursued Babe Ruth's then career home run record of 714.  He surpassed Ruth when he hit number 715 on April 8, 1974, and ended his career with 755.  Aaron on the Milwaukee Braves 1957 World Series champions, the year he also won the National League MVP Award.  A 25-time All-Star, Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.

From Deadline:  Veteran television comedy writer-producer, David Richardson, has died at the age of 65, Monday, January 18, 2021.  He wrote and produced for such series as "8 Simple Rules" and "Malcolm in the Middle."  He wrote episodes of "The Simpsons" and "Two and a Half Men."  He had just finished working on the fifth and final season of Netflix's animated series, "F Is For Family."

From Deadline:  Legendary music producer and convicted murderer, Phil Spector, has died at the age of 81, Saturday, January 16, 2021 from COVID-19 complications.  Spector was known for the "Wall of Sound," an approach to pop music that hit the listener with a dense symphonic array.  He wrote, co-wrote, and produced hits for "the Crystals," "the Ronettes," and Ike and Tina Turner.  He later produced the Beatles album, "Let It Be" (1970).  He also produced or co-produced several solo albums for Beatles members, John Lennon and George Harrison.  In 2009, he was convicted for the 2003 killing of actress Lana Clarkson.

ASSAULT ON THE CAPITOL:

From RollingStone:  "American Unity Is a Fantasy" - National harmony is impossible without true accountability, especially when a major political party enables sedition and white-supremacist terrorism

From Buzzfeed:   BuzzFeed News spoke to two Black officers who described a harrowing day in which they were forced to endure racist abuse — including repeatedly being called the n-word — as they tried to do their job of protecting the Capitol building...

From NBCNews:   Some Democrats in Congress are worried their colleagues might kill them

From Truthout:   At least 28 law enforcement officers from 12 states have been identified as attendees of the so-called “Save America” rally in support of Donald Trump that sparked the storming of the U.S. Capitol building on January 6

From RSNWashPost:   President Donald watched TV while the U.S. Capitol Building was under siege.

From YahooSports:   A so-called "Olympic hero" was part of the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6th.  Swimmer Klete Keller won silver and bronze medals at the 2000 Sydney Games; gold and bronze at the 2004 Athens Games; and gold at the 2008 Beijing Games.  Now, he has won Nazi gold for appearing at the white supremacist games.

From RSNNewYorker:  What Should We Call the Sixth of January 2021?

From Truthout:  The Right Is Planning More Armed Coup Attempts, According to the FBI

From NBC2:  Police found a pickup truck full of bombs and guns near Capitol, feds say

From YahooNews:  Arnold Schwarzenegger invokes Nazi Germany in powerful video denouncing Capitol Hill riot

From Fox5DC:  A second police officer who responded to the Wednesday, Jan. 6th Trump-incited riot at the U.S Capitol building.  Some media outlets are reporting the death of Howard Liebengood, 51-years-old, as an "off-duty" death.  The local Fox affiliate, "Fox 5" TV station, is among those reporting Liebengood's death as a suicide connected to the riot.

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Review: "Terminator Salvation" Remains a Fresh Take on the Franchise

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 3 (of 2009) by Leroy Douresseaux

Terminator Salvation (2009)
Running time: 130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and language
DIRECTOR:  McG
WRITERS:  John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris
PRODUCERS:  Derek Anderson, Moritz Borman, Victor Kubicek, and Jeffrey Silver
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Shane Hurlbut (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Conrad Buff IV
COMPOSER:  Danny Elfman

SCI-FI/ACTION/WAR/THRILLER

Starring:  Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Helena Bonham Carter, Anton Yelchin, Jadagrace, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, and Michael Ironside

Terminator Salvation is a 2009 post-apocalyptic science fiction film from director McG.  It is the fourth film in the Terminator film franchise.  The film is set in the year 2018, and focuses on a mysterious man who joins the resistance on the eve of an attack on Skynet, but whose side is he really on?

Seven years after the debut of The Terminator (1984), its sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day arrived in 1991.  It was another 12 years before the third film, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) debuted, but only six years later, the fourth film, Terminator Salvation arrives.  This shorter gestation period likely isn’t why Terminator Salvation is good enough to be considered the second best film in The Terminator franchise.

Terminator Salvation finally takes us into the world only hinted at in the other Terminator films – the post-apocalyptic future that finds the remnants of the human race fighting the all-powerful artificial intelligence, Skynet, and its army of man-killing Terminators.  John Connor (Christian Bale) is the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and the Terminators.  It was his mother that Skynet marked for termination before she could give birth to John, so they sent a Terminator back in time to kill her (as seen in The Terminator).  In Judgment Day, Skynet sent a Terminator back in time to kill a 12-year-old John Connor.

This new film opens in 2018, and John Connor is not in charge of the Resistance.  Connor continues, however, to study his past, through his memories and through the tape recordings his late mother left, as he tries to determine what Skynet’s next move might be.  Then, Connor learns that Skynet has made a human civilian named Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin), their top priority for termination.  Reese is a man who is of utmost importance to Connor’s existence, so Connor prepares to launch a rescue mission even if General Ashdown (Michael Ironside) and the Resistance leadership are against it.

Then, Connor meets Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row in 2003.  It seems that Wright’s appearance has altered what John knew the future to be.  Connor and Marcus embark on an odyssey into Skynet central operations in the ruins of Los Angeles, where they discover the truth of Skynet’s diabolical plans.

Any moviegoers that are familiar with the internal mythology of The Terminator films can follow all the twists and turns of this time-bending film franchise… for the most part.  Are there inconsistencies between Terminator Salvation and the original film (let alone the others)?  Yes, there are, but director McG (the Charlie’s Angels films) takes the script for this film (which apparently had at least six writers, if not more) and makes one of those great summer movies that keeps your eyes glued to the screen and just keeps you awestruck with the awesomeness of its action and special effects.  It’s fanboy eye candy.

It’s easy for critics and snobby fans to dismiss McG (whose name is Joseph McGinty Nichol), but in the case of Terminator Salvation, he makes the best use of his actors, getting superb performances out of Bale, Worthington, Yelchin, Moon Bloodgood, and Jadagrace.  Plus, McG squeezes the best from the visual effects, special effects, and stunt crews.  When a director harnesses this effort to maximum effect, he can make that kind of action flick that is the Art of the summer movie.

There are times when McG and company stumble over themselves in an effort to both connect Terminator Salvation to the original films (especially the first two) and to be respectful of the originals, somewhat to the detriment of this film.  However, McG has led his cast and creative staff to the promised land of the great action film, one so stuffed with edge-of-the-seat thrills and breathtaking visuals that it won’t soon be forgotten.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, May 31, 2009

EDITED:  Thursday, November 5, 2015


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle" Sputters

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 100 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for action violence, sensuality and language/innuendo
DIRECTOR: McG
WRITERS: John August and Cormac Wibberley and Marianne Wibberley, from a story by John August (from the television program created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts)
PRODUCERS: Drew Barrymore, Leonard Goldberg, and Nancy Juvonen
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Russell Carpenter (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Wayne Wahrman
COMPOSER: Edward Shearmur
Razzie Award winner

ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Lui, Demi Moore, Bernie Mac, Justin Theroux, Robert Patrick, Luke Wilson, Matt LeBlanc, Crispin Glover, John Cleese, Shia LaBeouf, Ashley Olsen, Mary-Kate Olsen, Pink, Jaclyn Smith, Bruce Willis (no screen credit), and John Forsythe (voice)

The subject of this movie review is Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, a 2003 action comedy from director McG. This movie is a direct sequel to the 2000 film, Charlie’s Angels. Both films are based on the television series, “Charlie’s Angels,” which was originally broadcast on ABC from 1976 to 1981. As in the first film, Full Throttle stars Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women employed by a private investigation agency and working for the voice known as “Charlie.”

Charlie’s Angels, the 2000 film remake of the 70-80’s TV show of the same name, was a hoot, a delightful and highly entertaining action/comedy with the guile of a cool Frank Miller comic book. Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, the 2003 sequel, is an overblown, way over-the-top Hollywood production that’s way too full of crap, and miraculously, it still manages to be somewhat entertaining.

It’s pointless to even attempt to describe the plot, as it’s muddled nonsense. The real plot involves the indelicate manner in which the filmmakers place Charlie’s Angels in positions and situations that create mondo opportunities for shots of tits and ass. Natalie Cook (Cameron Diaz), Dylan Sanders (Drew Barrymore), and Alex Munday (Lucy Lui) return as Charlie Townsend’s (voice of John Forsythe) high tech-trained, super-powered, manga-like cuties. This time the grrrrls have to retrieve two encrypted rings, which when combined give up the locations of people in the FBI witness relocation program, and wouldn’t the bad guys love to have that info.

McG, the director of the first film, returns to helm this gigantic, flatulent cartoon that is Full Throttle. The script is lame, but all McG has to do is make the pictures look good, and, as a music video director, he knows how to do that. Imagine The Matrix on drain cleaner, Japanese cartoons (anime) on fast forward, soft porn on the rag, and comic books conceived by horny, high school upper classmen and dull-witted sorority boys and you have the Charlie’s Angel's sequel. Don’t get me wrong; there are lots of laughs. It’s difficult to tell if the filmmakers were trying to be clever or if they were cynical enough to believe that audiences really would take it ‘tween the cheeks. The end result is this dumb as a low-rent retard movie.

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle parodies action movie clichés…badly, and also throws in a stiff riff from Martin Scorcese’s Cape Fear. It’s just too over the top and too much of a crack-addled cartoon. I did like the way the filmmakers tried to created the vibe of a family extended around the Angels; that actually gave me warm feelings. Still, I was half enthralled and half bored out of my mind. For all the fun I had, there were as many moments when I wondered why the experience of seeing this felt so wasteful. This is simply too much candy, and frankly, unless you really crave an empty movie experience, you can wait for the tape. Someone might tell you that this is a sly, wink-wink, nudge-nudge movie and you have to take it for what it is. If he tries to spin trash as something smart, he is a way-too-easy ho for the big, movie making machine in la-dee-da land.

4 of 10
C

NOTES:
2004 Razzie Awards: 2 wins: “Worst Remake or Sequel” and “Worst Supporting Actress” (Demi Moore); 5 nominations: “Worst Actress” (Drew Barrymore, also for Duplex-2003), “Worst Actress” (Cameron Diaz), “Worst Excuse for an Actual Movie” (All Concept/No Content!), “Worst Picture” (Columbia), and “Worst Screenplay” (John August-also story, Cormac Wibberley, and Marianne Wibberley)

Updated: Thursday, June 27, 2013

Review: "Charlie’s Angels" Pure Pop Pleasure

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 99 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Charlie’s Angels (2000)
Running time: 98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for action violence, innuendo and some sensuality/nudity
DIRECTOR: McG
WRITERS: Ryan Rowe, Ed Solomon, and John August (from the television series by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts)
PRODUCERS: Drew Barrymore, Leonard Goldberg, and Nancy Juvonen
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Russell Carpenter (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Peter Teschner and Wayne Wahrman
COMPOSER: Edward Shearmur

ACTION/COMEDY

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Bill Murray, Sam Rockwell, Kelly Lynch, Tim Curry, Crispin Glover, Luke Wilson, Matt LeBlanc, Tom Green, LL Cool J, and John Forsythe (voice)

The subject of this movie review is Charlie’s Angels, a 2000 action comedy from director McG (the stage name of Joseph McGinty Nichol). The film is an adaptation of the television series, “Charlie’s Angels,” which was originally broadcast on ABC from 1976 to 1981. The film stars Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women employed by a private investigation agency and working for the voice known as “Charlie.”

When I first saw Charlie’s Angels, the big-screen adaptation of the late 70’s television series of the same name, I was sure that it was the best action/comedy that I’d seen in years, if ever. Having seen it again in anticipation of the 2003 sequel, I’m sure that it is one of the best action movies I’ve ever seen and one of the best action/comedies ever made. Although the film’s tongue is firmly planted in the Angel’s cheeks and the film is geared towards men, it’s so very entertaining that everyone should get the joke.

The mysterious Charles “Charlie” Townsend (voice of John Forsythe) has three very special little ladies in his employ: Natalie Cook (Cameron Diaz), Dylan Sanders (Drew Barrymore), and Alex Munday (Lucy Liu). Under the supervision of John Bosley (Bill Murray), Charlie’s Angels use martial arts, high tech skills, and sex appeal in their investigation work for clients who can afford Charlie’s agency. This time the client is kidnap victim Eric Knox (Sam Rockwell) who runs a giant software company. The girls not only have to rescue him, but also have to retrieve Knox’s revolutionary voice-ID software. However, the girls run into more than they were told to expect, including a sleazy billionaire (Tim Curry) and his mysterious, tall, thin, ass-kickin’ bodyguard (Crispin Glover).

Directed by music video maestro McG (videos for Korn and Sugar Ray, among others), Charlie's Angels is a high-octane, comic book-styled, action movie parody and farce. None of it should be taken seriously, least of all its conspiracy-within-a-conspiracy script. This is played for fun, recalling the best action movie scenes and clichés: car chases, exploding buildings, pumping soundtrack, quick-cut editing, and Matrix-style “wire-fu” martial arts. Maybe the funniest thing about this film is that this time women do the butt stomping. Usually in action movies, the girls are just the hang-ons of the male stars, following them around and screaming at the appropriate moments during gun fights, fist fights, car chases, aircraft falling out the sky, explosions, etc. This time the girls are in control. This time their sex appeal rules the story instead of just being sex used to decorate the violence. The ladies kick the butts and leave the men panting.

It’s all done so stylishly, and it’s all good and so cool. The vapid material gets inspired performances from the cast, but the actors really make this fun to watch. Bill Murray is tired though. His Bosley is just him doing his shtick, but it is so uninspired that he should have been embarrassed to see himself in the finished product. He was wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.

But don’t let that keep you from watching this funny, exciting, and very wild action cartoon. Come on. Pull the stick out. Sit back and be entertained by this delicious serving of popcorn movie.

7 or 10
B+

NOTES:
2001 Black Reel Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Song” (Jean Claude Olivier-Writer, Samuel Barnes-Writer, Cory Rooney-Writer, Beyoncé Knowles-Writer, and Destiny’s Child-Performers for the song “Independent Women Part 1”)

Updated: Thursday, June 27, 2013

Stay Alive: Good Movie, Poor Title

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 57 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux


Stay Alive (2006)
Running time: 85 minutes (1 hour, 25 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for horror violence, disturbing images, language, and brief sexual and drug content
DIRECTOR: William Brent Bell
WRITERS: Matthew Peterman and William Brent Bell
PRODUCERS: McG, Matthew Peterman, Gary Barber, and Roger Birnbaum, Peter Schlessel, and James D. Stern
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Alejandro Martinez
EDITOR: Harvey Rosenstock and Mark Stevens
COMPOSER: John Frizzell

HORROR

Starring: Jon Foster, Samaire Armstrong, Frankie Muniz, Sophia Bush, Jimmi Simpson, Adam Goldberg, Rio Hackford, Milo Ventimiglia, and Maria Kalinina

The subject of this movie review is Stay Alive, a 2006 horror film released by Hollywood Pictures, a Walt Disney Pictures production label. The film is directed by William Brent Bell, and McG (who directed the Charlie’s Angels films) is one of the film’s producers. Stay Alive follows a group of teens who enter the world of an online video game in order to solve the mystery of their friend’s death.

After the mysterious and brutal murder of his childhood best friend, Loomis Crowley (Milo Ventimiglia), Hutch MacNeil (Jon Foster) inherits “Stay Alive,” a test copy of a next generation, first person shooter, horror survival game that Loomis had. The game is based on the true story (only in the movie) of “The Blood Countess,” an 18th century New Orleans noblewoman who ran a boarding school for girls. It was later discovered that the countess was a witch and that she would torture and murder her students.

Hutch gathers a group of friends and fellow gamers to play Stay Alive, but they don’t know anything about the game other than that they shouldn’t have this test copy. Soon after playing the grisly game, Hutch and his friends discover a chilling connection: they are being murdered one-by-one by the same method by which the characters they play are murdered in Stay Alive. In fact, the game has blurred the line between the real world and the world of Stay Alive. Now, the gamers must unravel the mystery of The Blood Countess to defeat her because that’s the only way they are going to stay alive.

The advertising campaign for the new horror film, Stay Alive, suggests that the movie is a gruesome horror show about a gang of youngsters playing an equally gruesome horror video game. In order to get a “PG-13” rating, the filmmakers toned down what should be the goriest scenes, or perhaps the gore exists and will show up in an “unrated” DVD release. However, what does exist on film is quite good. Stay Alive is a goofy, fun horror flick that is way too unsettling and creepy at time. Director William Brent Bell has even mastered the jump-out-at-you tricks.

The film doesn’t really go into the gaming sub-culture, which is disappointing. The characters are contrived and hackneyed (I did like Frankie Muniz’s Swink Sylvania), and the plot has some holes. Still, this is a better video game movie than the mediocre adaptation of a real first person shooter game, Doom. The gaming sequences are convincing, and I certainly wanted to be in the game with Hutch and his friends. The sound effects and computer animated ghosts mixed with the idea of the supernatural creeping through our electronic entertainment makes this film kind of like an American version of such recent Japanese horror films as Ringu or Pulse. It also gives a nod to such apocalyptic scary movies as In the Mouth of Madness and Season of the Witch and video games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill.

In the final analysis, Stay Alive is a fun “gotcha” horror flick that combines the typical elements of a slasher film that has a supernatural boogieman (such as Halloween), and those are a youthful cast as the victims, a merciless killer, and lots of bumps in the night. In that case, Stay Alive is not as good as the best of that horror sub-genre, but it’s still good.

6 of 10
B

Friday, March 31, 2006

Bryan Singer and McG to Produce Content for Warner Premiere

Warner Premiere Announces Two New Multi-Platform Series to Be Produced by Bryan Singer and McG; Dolphin Entertainment to Co-Finance and Co-Distribute

Bryan Singer and Bad Hat Harry to Produce Sci-Fi Thriller “H+,” Directed by Stewart Hendler (“Sorority Row”)

McG and Wonderland Sound and Vision to Produce Teen Action Series “Aim High,” Directed by Thor Freudenthal (“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” / “Hotel for Dogs”)

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Building on the success of their digital productions that include the best-selling Watchmen Motion Comics and Terminator The Machinima Series, Warner Premiere today announced it is creating two live-action, multi-platform digital series with top Hollywood talent. Warner Premiere continues to be committed to developing cutting-edge content for a new generation of consumers who fluidly watch content on multiple screens. Both these series capitalize on the flexibility of digital platforms to both present unique stories in short bites, and to also offer viewers additional complementary content that further flushes out the stories’ mythologies and characters’ backgrounds.

The series are being co-financed through an agreement with entertainment industry veteran Dolphin Entertainment who has executive produced hit shows Zoey 101 and Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide. Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Dolphin Entertainment will work with cable, satellite, broadband and mobile clients for placement and promotional support.

The first titles produced under this agreement will be the futuristic survival tale H + from blockbuster Director / Producer Bryan Singer, and Aim High, the High School action thriller from multitalented Producer and Director McG.

H +
H+ takes viewers on an episodic two-and-a-half hour, apocalyptic journey into the future where technology has gone horrifically wrong. In 2019, 33% of the world’s population uses a radical new piece of technology – an implanted computer system called H +. This allows a person’s mind and nervous system to be connected to the Internet 24 hours a day.

But that same year, a mysterious and vicious computer virus is released, and within seconds millions of people died -- leading to radical changes to the political and social landscape of the planet.

H+ is produced by Director / Producer Bryan Singer (X-Men / Battlestar Galactica) in association with Bad Hat Harry Productions (House). The series comes from the imaginative minds of writers John Cabrera (Gilmore Girls) and Cosimo de Tommaso who also serve as Executive Producers, directed by Stewart Hendler (“Sorority Row”) and produced by Lance Sloane (Yucatan). H + is currently in pre-production and shooting expected to commence by the end of the year.

"I've had a great relationship with Warners and I’m looking forward to working with them and Dolphin Entertainment on this project,” said Bryan Singer. “The epic nature of the story combined with its interactive components makes it an ideal web series. In addition, the high cinematic quality of H + will make it viable for other forms of distribution."

Aim High
“Killing people is easy. High School is hard,” according to lead character Nick Green. Aim High is the story of a young man leading a double life - juggling his studies by day and serving as a government agent by night. This series chronicles the life of Nick Green, a sophomore who’s just starting a new school year as one of the country’s 64 highly trained teenage operatives.

When he’s not handling international spies, Nick is dreaming of Amanda Meyers, the most popular girl in school who’s cool, intelligent and very alluring. Amanda mercilessly flirts with Nick, but before he can enjoy her advances he has to avoid Derek - her overly protective boyfriend who threatens him for even looking at her.

To make things more complicated, Nick just blew a hit on a Russian mercenary and now he’s out to take revenge on Nick. On top of that Nick also discovers he has an “in” with Amanda but his best friend is planning to post a salacious rumor about her on his blog. All in all, it’s going to be a rough semester.

Aim High comes from Director/ Producer McG (Chuck / Charlie’s Angels), Wonderland Sound and Vision, and production services are being provided by Bandito Brothers. Peter Murrieta, who served as Executive Producer for the mega-hit Wizards of Waverly Place is the Executive Producer. The series is written by Heath Corson (Living with Abandon / Scary Godmother) and Richie Keen (Living with Abandon) who also serve as Executive Producers, directed by Thor Freudenthal (Hotel for Dogs/ Diary of a Wimpy Kid) and produced by Lance Sloane (Yucatan). Pre-production is underway and shooting will take place in Los Angeles this October.

"I’m thrilled to take this next step into the digital frontier with Warner Bros. on Aim High; a project that combines the best of comedy, teen angst, and elevated action,” said McG. “While I've produced material in this space before, this particular series will consist of longer episodes with multiple derivative stories. The goal here will be for the content to be viewed on a TV screen through an on-demand network as opposed to the free web. This approach is very innovative and exciting."

Dolphin Entertainment, founded in 1996 by President Bill O’Dowd, is a producer and international distributor of quality television programming, and is one of the few independent suppliers of premium tween, teen and young adult series. Recently the company executive produced the number-one rated and Emmy® Award-nominated Nickelodeon television series Zoey 101 and Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide. Both series have gone on to see incredible international success and can be viewed in over 100 countries worldwide. Dolphin Entertainment also serves as Executive Producer on the one-hour teen action series “Tower Prep,” which premieres this October on the Cartoon Network. Through this agreement, Dolphin Entertainment will further diversify the company’s portfolio of content available for traditional and digital channels.

“These two series are perfect examples of the ‘next wave’ of digital programming,” states Bill O’Dowd, President of Dolphin Entertainment. “Teens and young adults are increasingly watching high-quality programming that premieres online before moving to the traditional windows of television and home entertainment. We are extremely excited to work with Bryan, Peter and McG, and to partner with Warner Bros. on these two series and, hopefully, many more to come.”

Additional details about each series including cast, distribution channels and release dates will be announced in the coming months. To keep up to date, follow Warner Bros. Digital Distribution on Twitter @WBDigitalDist.


About Warner Premiere
Warner Premiere is a Warner Bros. Entertainment production company focused on the development, production and marketing of feature-length-DVD and short-form digital content for this growing space. Warner Premiere is committed to being at the creative forefront in the evolution of quality product in the direct-to-consumer business, creating material that exemplifies the commitment to story, production and brand equity for which Warner Bros. is known.

About Warner Bros. Digital Distribution
Warner Bros. Digital Distribution (WBDD) oversees the electronic distribution of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group’s content through Video-On-Demand, Pay-Per-View, Electronic Sell-Through and Subscription Video-On-Demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels. WBDD also distributes content through third party digital retailers and licenses. A world-wide industry leader since its inception, WBDD also manages the Studio’s E-commerce sites that include WBShop.com and WarnerArchive.com. Twitter: @WBDigitalDist

About Dolphin Entertainment
Dolphin Entertainment, founded in 1996 by President Bill O’Dowd, enjoys a solid reputation as an Emmy−nominated producer, international distributor, and financier of quality television programming, spanning wide genres of entertainment, from movies and mini-series to sitcoms and drama series. Based in Miami, Florida, Dolphin Entertainment has divisions dedicated to television production, feature film production, international distribution and merchandising and licensing.