Markley Denkoct

Welcome to the flick side. 

[mdenkoct]

Worth The Money: Is Knives Out worth the money?

*** All of the images and media used in this review are not meant to infringe on copyright. They are only meant for review. Please support the original creators of these images, as they helped me make review. 

*** The Short Answer is at the bottom of the review. 

Happy New Year! Want to make your budget worthwhile by spending your money on a good movie? Well, try this mystery on for size. Here’s the bio:

Knives Out Dir Rian Johnson is a twisty whodunit regarding the death of Harlan Theombly, the head of the Theombly Family and decides to take this murder mystery into uncharted territory. 

What makes Knives Out so different from your conventional whodunit is how it takes the murder mystery and flips it on its head. Instead of solving the mystery through slowly revealing information, the audience is given information firsthand. So, the story ends up being a “fair mystery”, one where the audience is able to still solve the mystery on their own without the main detective. Still, in spite of its clever writing, the film was much more predictable in solving the mystery than what was shown. But the all-star cast is what brings this film up a notch. 

First off, Daniel Craig is hilarious as Benoit Blanc. He has a mysterious air to him yet he is still very funny. Honestly, the whole Theombly family is great especially Christopher Plummer who does a good job playing the role of the head. But Ana de Armas steals the show. She does a fantastic job playing the nurse, Marta, who takes care of the head of the family. The acting is nothing short of phenomenal. Now, let’s get into the politics. 

The politics in the story are not subtle in the slightest, so if you’re not into politics, then this movie might grind your gears. To the story’s credit, the politics are relevant to story at hand and it fleshes out more plot points in the story. Still, the movie suffers from hammering the politics a bit too much. So ... is Knives Out #WorthTheMoney? 

In spite of its disappointing ending and its hammy politics, Knives Out still turns out to be a funny twist on the classic whodunit. It gives the audience a peculiar way of thinking about murder mystery for the modern era, then consider getting this one on your shelf. 

Short Answer:  Yes. (unless you’re not a fan of politics)

Here’s the link to the trailer:

Anyway, it’s the New Year, and I think I going to start out with a Tarantino film. That’s right, guys. We are looking at the Hateful Eight Dir Quentin Tarantino. I plan to have it out in the next two weeks but in the meantime, be on the lookout for my posts on Twitter and enjoy 2020. And I will catch you guys on the flick side. 

[mdenkoct]

Short Film Sundays: Is Punching a good replacement for your average comedy?

*** All of the images used in this review are not meant to infringe copyright i They are only meant for review. Please support the original creators of these images, as they helped me make the review.

*** The Short Answer is at the bottom of the review.

Hey guys, Happy Sunday! And you guys know what time it is! It’s #ShortFilmSunday with your host, Markley Denkoct! And boy do I have a film for you! Now here’s the bio:

Punching Prod. FND Films is a fantastic comedy telling the quirky story of a disabled boy, Tommy, who can’t stop punching and how he gets in the ring to save the life of his brother from an evil boss who wants to collect their debt. I know -- it’s ridiculous and the film works. Let’s take a look at it’s good side shall we?

To kick it off, FND Films is no stranger to comedy, and in this film it shows. Everyone got a funny vibe to them and they are able to pull off their comedic roles flawlessly even with it gets slightly serious. Props goes to Vinny DeGaetano as his hands must have fallen off after shooting the film. May his hands rest in peace. His Tommy is simple yet endearing, and seeing him punch people is hilarious as it is inspiring. Another thing about the film is its dark humor, FND Films kills it (no pun intended) with its darker parts of the comedic tone. It adds a level of shock and cringe that adds some tension to the story, and some heavier punchlines to the comedy. But the real kicker isn’t even in the comedy -- it’s in the design -- the production design.

For a film that cost $15,000, I am floored by how much they managed to make the set look like the actual place of Tommy and his inventor of a brother, Bill. Everyone’s got a costume, and the props really make it seem like Bill’s really an inventor. Not only that but even places like the stadium and the outside seem like the characters are in a boxing ring. It’s this change in the design that makes Punching work. But my favorite part ironically comes from when the story gets a little serious.

Don’t worry the story is comedy through and through, but there are small details that make you care for the characters a lot more than expected like Mike’s relationship with the mean boss, Ginger Hashbrowns, and Tommy’s relationship with a mentor, Nicky that end up making the story a lot more earnest than it initially seems. Another cheers goes to Brian King who added a small piece of menace to his bad guy Ginger Hashbrowns and honestly it works. The best part of these actors is that they are able to pull a somewhat serious vibe without their sense of comedy and that what makes this film a good comedy. 

Overall, Punching’s a great refresher for someone who likes to watch short films I’m glad I got a good replacement for a comedy film, and it shows that there is potential in the short film market and I can’t wait to see wait these guys make next. If Punching’s ever on DVD, it wouldn’t be a bad buy. So stream this film if you can have a laugh. This is Markley Denkoct for #ShortFilmSundays signing out and have a nice night and I will catch you on the flick side. 

The (Short) Answer: Yes.

Links to the film:

https://vimeo.com/68875994

Links to the company’s YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/Fronk2107

[mdenkoct]

Short Film Sundays: Is Deception (2016) a worthy replacement of your solid action movie?

*** All of the images used in this review are not meant to infringe copyright i They are only meant for review. Please support the original creators of these images, as they helped me make the review. 

*** The Short Answer is at the bottom of the review.

With a name like Deception (2016) this comedic and fun action movie may take you by surprise. But is it really deceptive enough to make you want to watch it and forget about the action movies you already own? Well, let’s find out!

Hello, this is #ShortFilmSundays with your host, Markley Denkoct! And we will see if Deception (2016) Prod. Gyro Studios is a worthy replacement for your own action film. So here’s the bio:

Deception (2016) Prod. Gyro Studios is a fun action movie that highlights the typical story of your action hero who goes to find his best friend trapped for a deal. While it has its cliches, its humor and action more than make up for it, even with its technical issues.

To kick this night off, I got to hand it to the humor, it’s pretty funny. For a serious action film, this one sure knows how to take a breather. Its humor tends to take a more random approach, one that takes the action away from the screen but always still feels natural to the story it tells, so it never feels jarring. In fact the story never seems to take itself seriously as there are some quirky story beats that give you a giggle once a while. And these giggles can make you ease into the film like a cheesy popcorn flick. And that just makes it all the more enjoyable. But what is an action movie without action?

The action is pretty good for the most part. Some of the shots cut on action but the action is pretty easy to follow. It has a bit of shaky cam, but that’s a given considering its budget. One fight in particular towards the end is pretty cool with some nice simple hand-to-hand combat to boot. The hits feel real and the sound effects are solid. If there’s one thing that make you feel a little bit underwhelmed about the fighting, it would be the make-up on the characters. The fights are mostly bloodless which isn’t usually problematic, but it does take away from the believability in one scene. But when you consider the family-friendly nature of the film, and what this studio aims for in terms of its content, the mistake seems pretty forgivable.

That aside, the actors did a solid job. Most of the performances were funny and loaded with personality. And I hope to see the cast again in their other movies in the future. 

If there’s one thing that’ll keep you into the movie, it’s definitely the post-credits scene. It adds an interesting twist to the story and it’s a welcome extension that adds the best parts of the movie in one thing that really psyches me up. So there you have it. That’s Deception (2016). It’s a fun action film that moves at a good pace with solid acting. It may not be John Wick or MCU tier but those are crazy standards for a short film. Overall, it’s popcorn fun. With tiny bit more craziness and higher production values, there’s definitely a chance for this studio to make an action film worth the replacement. But I don’t think you will be opposed to it being your the shelf. It’s definitely earned its spot.

The (Short) Answer: No (But it’s getting there.)    

Links & Videos: 

To View The Film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZOAO4WjjP0

Link to the Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/MegaGadgetGeek/videos

Be sure to look out for Gyro Studios. They have the skills and know-how to pull off a good film. Next time, we will check out...actually I don’t know what will check out. I know it will be something special. So, keep your eyes peeled. Thanks for reading. And have a happy Sunday. This is Markley Denkoct signing out, and I’ll catch you on the flick side!

[mdenkoct]

Is As Good As It Gets worth the money?

*** This review is not meant for copyright infringement. This is meant for review.       Please support the creators of all images and videos to provide this review.         Thank you.

*** Note: The Short Answer is at the bottom of the review.  

For a movie that claims that it’s “As Good As It Gets”, is it really that good? Is it so good that you would actually pay money to see it? This is your host, Markley Denkoct, and we are here to see if this movie is #WorthTheMoney (spread the hash tag).

So, As Good As It Gets Dir. James L. Brooks is a very fun comedy flick that centers on an old curmudgeon named Melvin Udall and how he grows from your punchable bully to someone you respect. It’s a classic tale of that cranky old neighbor who turns out to be a jerk with a heart of gold. It seems cliche at first, but what makes the film stand out is in the execution. 

First off, I’d like to give an Oscar to Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt. Those guys killed it in this film. With Nicholson’s angry and scary performance, he really sells his role as the bitter neighbor, Melvin Udall. And Helen Hunt’s New Yorker accent really gives that hustle to the waitress, Carol Connelly. For a comedy, this film has a lot of drama, and when the characters pour out their emotions, they mean it. The actors are able to pull a kind of earnest emotion without it coming off as sappy. And this creates some of the most dramatic moments in the film. But acting can’t save a film, you got to have some visuals too. 

The cinematography is great. Now, camerawork isn’t the end all be all of films, but when it elevates a narrative, it can really elevate a narrative! And in this case, it’s the long takes. The long takes give you time to catch the scenery. Sometimes, it helps add more character to one we already know by adding details that we don’t think of. One example stems from Melvin Udall. His OCD is portrayed all throughout the film whether he walks on sidewalks to avoid cracks or when he locks the door constantly to see he’s on the right track. It’s these character beats Brooks captures which add a nice to the characters to show you that there is more that meets the eye when you see these New Yorkers. But isn’t always on top of its game.

If there were are issues with the film that might make you not want to spray your cash in it, it’s the pacing. The movie has a good pace, but towards the middle it kind of slogs through. But it only slogs by a few inches. But what can you say? Nobody’s perfect and that’s fine. I’d still say if you have the money and the time, this film might be a bang for your buck.

So, if you like a film with a classic love story elevated by some great acting, directing, and character give this one a chance, because I say, this film is “As Good As It Gets”.  

The (Short) Answer: Yes

Here is the trailer for the movie and links to buy the film:

Buy the film: 

https://www.amazon.com/As-Good-Gets-Harold-Ramis/dp/0767811100

Link to Trailer: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrRl2QQKkI8

SPOILERS

This is my favorite part of the film: What’s yours?

[mdenkoct]

Short Film Sundays: Is King Candy a good replacement for a gangster flick?

Copyright infringement is unintended what is here is only meant for review.

The Short Answer: No (but it’s watchable).

Imagine if you didn’t have the money to buy a classic film like Goodfellas or a rollicking like Wolf of Wall Street, would you settle for something much cheaper that can give the same value?

This is Short Film Sundays with your host, Markley Denkoct! And tonight, we’re looking into a movie with a scam, and not one with money but one with candy    -- King Candy. Directed by Ralph Sepe comes a tale about a man, Glenn Leighty who uses a school fundraiser to his own advantage and it turns this mean comedy into a not-so satisfying thriller.

The best way to describe King Candy is that its out of left field. In approximately 45 minutes, you see the shift from comedy to thriller happen really quickly -- so quickly to the point where the switch seems a bit sudden. At first, the movie is really fast paced with its editing and it helps give the humor a kick. But it changes pace to represent a darker change in the protagonist. This, on paper, seems like a good twist but there’s one problem: the story relies on its fast pace.

King Candy is at its best when it’s a comedy. Almost all of the jokes hit, and when there’s a miss, the quick cuts make the misses easy to forget. And Glenn’s carefree attitude can really make the audience easily invested in him as a character, but when that first act ends, things begin to change for the worse. The first impression turns sour, Glenn’s character gets edgy, and the movie loses its style.

Since the story likes to use Glenn’s carefree nature as the driving force of the narrative, the film has to be fast. It has to show Glenn’s hustle and pure arrogance as he tries to make a quick buck. Though, the issue comes when the story becomes more serious. First, the change happens abruptly, so there is no  time to understand the rest of the characters to care about the change in conflict. Second, the audience is so carried away by Glenn’s comedic side and his escapades that they can care less about how dark things get in the story, and they care more about how his shady funny fundraiser will turn out. Bottom line, Glenn’s plot is more fun than the characters. And that’s what the film needed more of: fun. 

For a film inspired by Martin Scorsese’s gangster flicks, King Candy misses the charm of those films. What made those films memorable was not how the protagonists did bad things and the audience loathed them for it, but how those horrible things were quite irresistible, by how much the characters gained from the experience.

That being said, if King Candy took a more lighthearted approach, the film would have been more likable. Though, there are some good things to be said about the second half. In the middle of the film, there’s this epic movie reference, I think the audience is going to freak out over, so I won’t spoil a thing. 

Understanding the context of the film, it’s obvious that its low budget, so it’s best to just ignore the technical details, but a few things may come to screw up movie-watching experience. First off, there’s the acting. The performances are wooden like a massive oak tree. Some are more wooden than others, but the line delivery was what really screwed over the acting especially in the second half. If this film stuck to its laughs the acting would have been much better. Second flaw, there’s the audio. It’s tolerable for most of the film, but one scene in particular made the actors sound as if they were in two different places, so the audio may be hard to ignore at some places. But from a technical perspective, if the flaws can be ignored, then the movie can be enjoyable.

But here’s the real kicker: can the audience watch this in place of Goodfellas or Wolf of Wall Street and still get a satisfying experience? I say no. While the film has a fantastic first act, the other two acts fail because the story takes itself way too seriously, so it isn’t the most watchable film. But like all short films, it’s first step. And hopefully, the day will come when the audience can watch pseudo-Goodfellas online for free and the crowd will cheer, but that will have to wait for another time. But for now, this is a good is time-spender. And that’s all I need for now. 

So next time on Short Film Sundays, we will take a look at an action film from one of the most overlooked production studios in YouTube history. We’ll look Deception (2016) Prod. Gyro Studios. Until then, I’ll catch you on the flick side. 

If you guys want to check out the director go to this link to check out his YouTube channel and the film’s trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/user/ralphthemoviemaker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbKEVwSgE04

[mdenkoct]

Is Isle of Dogs worth the money?

There is no copyright infringement intended. The images and quotes are meant for review, and I do not own any of them. The credit goes to their respective owners. 

The Short Answer: Yes (unless you’re not a fan of dogs)

After watching Fantastic Mr. Fox, you can probably see why I would be so psyched for a film like this. Coming from someone who does not often watch quirky films, it was refreshing to see someone write a cute story about animals with this type of style. But the best part of this film was that it made me get into dogs so much so that I wanted to have one of my own. But I am not sure if my parents will give me the chance to have one. 

Anyway, Isle of Dogs is set in Japan where all dogs are infected with a flu and are dispatched to an island by its mayor, Mayor Kobayashi. His son, Atari Kobayashi, makes a departure in order to find his dog, Spots, who is supposedly stuck on the island. Meanwhile, one of the dogs Chief and the rest of his dogs are struggling to survive on the island, and when both Atari and the dogs meet the story begins. 

First off, the art style and animation are beautiful. Seeing the toughness of the island combined some of the not-so-safe-for-work parts of the film adds a grittiness that only makes the audience easily find more sympathy with the cast of its characters. Secondly, the soundtrack is pretty awesome. Alexandre Desplat has this intense bass playing in the background which makes most of the scenes seem even grittier than some would make it out to be. Though, I have a few gripes with the animation. Sometimes, certain scenes would be censored through the use of cartoon smoke, and as an action-head, I want to see all of the violence. Not too much though, but enough for me to lose my mind.  

Now for the story, it was heartwarming, but not always. The best parts of the movie (apart from the violence) came when the story focused on Chief and Atari’s relationship as the two showed massive development throughout the film’s runtime. The rest of the story was nice, but the presentation was kind of...off.  A lot of times the movie would narrate what would go around the island and that would distract from the rest of story since it was doing a lot of telling and not showing. This is not to say that this movie was not visually interesting or anything like that, but it would have been better for the movie show more of (like the violence). As for the characters, I am a little bit disappointed.

With the exception of Chief, Atari, and a few other characters, many of them came off as pretty dry, especially the dogs. Apart from Rex, who just happened to be a typical deadpan character, all of the dogs seem to have same personality in spite of how different they look from on another. They do not seem to have much of a personality. This does serve to show Chief’s character in comparison to the rest of the groups, but I fail to see any reason why the creators could not give any extra flavor to the dogs and make the dynamic between the characters more interesting. It might make a quicker story I guess, but not an interesting one.

Though, with all that said, a lot of the emotion tied up at the end making for a very satisfying ending.

Overall, Isle of Dogs is still a fascinating watch and while the characters may be not as interesting as I would expect. There is still a lot of heart and love for animals that will make this movie one worth seeing with your dog (if he or she likes some violence). 

Here’s the trailer:

Here are the links to buy the movie:

https://www.amazon.com/Isle-Dogs-Bryan-Cranston/dp/B07C4825LL/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=isle+of+dogs&qid=1551767719&s=gateway&sr=8-2

SPOILERS

Here’s my favorite part of the movie: What’s yours?

[mdenkoct]

Is Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench worth the money?

The Short Answer: No (unless if you are an upcoming filmmaker)

 Copyright infringement is unintended. This is meant for review.

If you were like me when I first opened the DVD case you thought Guy and Madeline was going to be another masterpiece by Damien Chazelle. Then, you (like me) would have been pretty wrong. The movie is far from perfect, and it is very hard for movies to be that way. That being said though, Guy and Madeline seems to be not as entertaining, tense, and vibrant as it was made out to be in its trailer.

The story’s highlight is the conciliation between a jazz trumpeter and a tap dancer who find trouble in trying to look for partners to fill their empty void. You see the problem does not lie in it’s premise; it’s within it’s execution. The best parts of the film are the musical scores and scenes which are filled with many of the director’s sweeping shots dowsed with high octane energy that you feel when you want to get up and dance. The characters’ passion brimming with each moment with each moment. But that’s only half of the movie.

The other half is mostly just the main duo going through the motions looking for partners. There are a few relationships but they are not done in a very charming way. They seem like a normal relationships but not the interesting parts. It feels very realistic but also very restrained. And while this may been what he was going for as the director wanted to make a mumblecore story where the character’s feelings were held back instead being open. But that just made the movie more boring as the interactions in the film were not as satisfying as the crazier moments in the film. 

Though, to be fair, as a directorial debut from one of my favorite directors, this is not a bad watch. If anything Guy and Madeline might have been the story that made him find his footsteps as a director, as his direction becomes more prominent with his later films and the quality goes up as well. Many upcoming filmmakers should pay attention to because this might be an inspiration to the films they might want and they can learn to do and not to do when making a film. 

But if you still want something from this film to keep as a souvenir. Buy the soundtrack or listen to it on Milan Records USA channel or their Soundcloud. It’s probably best thing about the movie and it’ll be worth your money. Man, whenever soundtracks never seem to fail. Do they? 

Now let me give you the links:

BTW: Spoilers down below for my favorite scene

Best Music from the Movie:

Boy in the Park

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvNkqBp4T3Q

Love in the Fall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KMPPiF2CMo

Link to Soundtrack:

https://www.amazon.com/Madeline-Bench-Original-Soundtrack-Album/dp/B01NCZ8S0T

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/guy-and-madeline-on-a-park-bench-original-soundtrack-album/1209657486

https://open.spotify.com/album/2vrQxEu79wQEr3EAuDBHyc

(You need to log in for the last one)

Trailer:

SPOILER 

This was my favorite scene from the movie: What’s yours?