RE: 12 Hidden Gems Starring the Avengers Cast

Rottentomatoes timely article[1] stirred up the list-drives in my core and has spurred me to give my own compilation of relatively small films (more like personal favorite film independent of scale) starring the stars of "The Avengers: Age of Ultron."

Robert Downey Jr. – A Scanner Darkly

A haunting vision of a film.

Chris Hemsworth – Cabin in the Woods

It’s hard to see how this didn’t directly lead to Hemsworth being Thor.

Chris Evans – Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Not a leading part, but certainly a marvelous one. Major coup on director, Edgar Wright’s part.

Mark Ruffalo – Begin Again

An absolutely incredibly musical.

Scarlett Johansson – Her

Featuring only her voice, Johansson is still the heart of Her.

Samuel L. Jackson – Deep Blue Sea

Say I’m wrong, I dare you.

Jeremy Renner – The Unusuals (TV Series)

Sadly canceled in the midst of its first season, this show was phenomenal. The creator, Noah Hawley has gone on to bring “Fargo” (the FX series) into our lives and his genius was evident in this overlooked series.

Don Cheadle – Captain Planet (Web Series)

Not a show. Not a film. Something more important. The world is infinitely better with this adaptation of the beloved hero being the definitive "Captain Planet" adaptation.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson – Kick A**

No expectations and a brilliantly cast roster led to director, Matthew Vaughn’s ultra-violent success story. It not only launched the career of Chloe Grace Moretz, it spawned both Quicksilvers, Even Peters and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Elizabeth Olsen – Godzilla

She still hasn’t done much but her lead roles haven’t really spoken to me, story wise. "Godzilla" also starred Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the lead human role as Olsen's husband. 

Paul Bettany – Wimbledon

Much like the first "Avengers" film, Wimbledon employs heavy use of “Arrow Cam,” but for tennis balls!

Anthony Mackie – The Adjustment Bureau

The second Philip K. Dick adaptation on this list and a modern sci-fi classic film.

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[1] Rottentomatoes: 12 Hidden Gems Starring The Avengers Cast

In Your Eyes (2014)

Directed by Brin Hill (...Ball Don't Lie)
Written by Supreme Lord Joss Whedon (that one line in X-Men about toads)
Starring:
Michael Stahl-David (The Black Donnellys)
Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks)
Mark Feurstein (Royal Pains)
Nikki Reed (Twilight)
Genre: Romance, Science Fiction, Dramedy

An anticipated and long sought after Joss Whedon project, this was something I devoured with the impatience of a toddler staring at cake, this movie is as delicious as cream cheese frosting. (Shout out to Netflix)

The basics: It's a tale about two people. One, a dirt-covered model-faced guy who happens to be an ex-con, and two, a Zoe Kazan-like girl. They've never met but, through science fictional splendidness, they share an unreal connection; each can see what the other sees, feel what the other feels. What potentially could have been something Wachoiwskian (or even Whedonesque, really) in scope, something huge that simply contained an average tale about star-crossed, telepathic, attractive "twenty somethings"(even though both actors are 30!) is instead a more intimately focused feature that ultimately proves to be rather satisfying. I still can't help but ponder the consequences of the world that was created. It's an itch that be forever left lingering.

While it may travel through some familiar romantic tropes, the story avoids going too far off the deep end and holds true to the promise of quality small budget content under the Bellweather Films production banner.

The two leads are phenomenal and Kazan continues to prove that she is the new age Zooey Deschanel. Her characters are a morphing, evolved version of the dreaded Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Much like in the film What it (aka The F Word) her character isn't there to be a sweeping resolution to a male hero. The male hero, as it were, is just as flawed as her female hero is. When a romance is tackled with both sides on even footing, we are able to witness a more believable attachment develop. The supporting cast is a bit on the annoying side but well acted enough to not be a huge hindrance.

The experimental and telepathic scenes are capably handled. Senses are a tricky thing to capture on camera but Brin Hill gets us to connect with what the characters are truly experiencing, much like how Danny Boyle managed in 127 Hours but way less intense.

Bottom Line: Hill and Whedon take us on a peculiar yet facinating journey about two linked hearts. We still get that sharp edge Whedon loves to supply along with his usual dollups of clever sweetness in an adorably weird romance which has minimal need for eye rolls.

INKS or Stinks?

This little darling INKS.
Tentacle 1: Weirdness of the story.
Tentacle 2: Chemistry of the leads.

The Interview (2014)

Written and Directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (This is the End)
Starring:
James Franco (Spider-Man)
Seth Rogen (50/50)
Randall Park (Fresh of the Boat)
Lizzy Caplan (Mean Girls)
Diana Bang (Fringe)
Timothy Simons (Veep)
Eminem (8Mile)

This review will be on the short side as this movie got thoroughly publicized and you all know damn well what it's about.

Exactly the film I expected and wanted. Vulgarity comes in vast platoons, wrapped in sweetly-stupid, precisely-aimed sheer nonsense. Essential viewing for anyone looking to level-up their quote game.

Overall, it's an enjoyably upbeat pace with clever musical choices. (I've still yet to tire of the trailer) Cameos are liberally and joyfully flaunted with a lot of genuine bromancing using that proven Franco/Rogen chemistry and the secret ingredient that is Randall Park. As an added delicacy, we are given opportune slow motion usage and you can never never NEVER go wrong with slow motion.

(Introducing a new ratings system fully embracing the SQUID brand...
INKS or Stinks and the 2 Tentacles, the two strongest features.)

Personal: The Interview...INKS!
Conditional: May Stink for those looking for deep political meaning.

Tentacles: Actors' chemistry and Dialogue.

Run All Night (2015)

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Non-Stop)
Written by Brad Inglesby (Out of the Furnace)
Starring:
Liam Neeson (The Lego Movie)
Joel Kinnaman (The Killing)
Ed Harris (The Truman Show)
Common (Smokin' Aces)
Boyd Holbrook (A Walk Among the Tombstones)
Genesis Rodriguez (Casa de Mi Padre
Nick Nolte (Tropic Thunder)
Vincent D'Onofrio (MIB)

Picking up right where 2014 ended, Reigning SQUID Actor of the Year Liam Neeson headlines this seemingly standard entry to the action genre. If only taken for its obvious machismo, Run All Night may be soggy with familiarity but, here, Neeson is backed by an excellent supporting cast and unique, flashy visuals that are a rarity for a brainless revenge romp. 

There are obvious negatives here. It's yet another violent film for Neeson. A standard Caucasian overload in the lead roles. There's no important female affecting the story. But, if you're watching this movie, you already know all that from the outset. The real question is this, what does Run All Night bring to the table? The answer is style. 

In a amicable blend of recent violent stories like John Wick and A Walk Among the Tombstones, with transitions that more resemble a video game than a pulpy, melodramatic shoot'em up, Run All Night manages to be somewhat refreshing. The closest match to the aesthetics would be the superb, instant-classic bicycle chase film Premium Rush where the camera breaks out of the grittiness to give you an out of body thrill while swiftly moving the story along.  

That is the biggest strength for Run All Night. Jaume Collet-Serra's third pairing with Neeson expands the director's camera trick arsenal. It moves and shakes as if the camera was operated by a prodigal ten year old abusing the zoom function. 

There's enough character building in the story to engage the audience and the familiar territory of an estranged son is somehow fresh with Kinnaman and Neeson's interactions. Ultimately, thanks to the flying lens and the zoned-in perspectives, we get to see it in bathed in a new over coat of swirling lights. 

Bottom Line: Its a fun ride and it has some heart. There's a pretty good chase scene. There's a rapper assassin, there's a flaming stick sword fight, there's that gorgeous shot gun shot, and (my favorite element) there's slow motion paired with rotating freeze frames. Absolutely delicious. Go, Liam Neeson, Go!

10 out of 10

2014 SQUID Actor of the Year

Quite a few thespians decided to be busy this past year in both film and television. While it proved to be a close race for both sexes, the triumphant recipients are truly the stand out King and Queen of the screen for 2014. Below, we shall break down the race for the SQUID Actor of the Year 2014. 

Among the men, some, like Willem Defoe (John Wick, The Grand Budapest Hotel) and Bill Paxton (The Edge of Tomorrow, Agents of SHIELD, and Nightcrawler) made strong comebacks of sorts. The veteran actors made firm cases for AOTY but they were never center stage. 

Other actors in the running this year include two genre stalwarts. One, the reigning champ, the other, his Hobbit and Sherlock costars. Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) and Martin Freeman (Fargo) proved that they have indeed arrived and are going nowhere. Cumberbatch wasn't one to easily relinquishing his throne. While Freeman would have run away with it if this were solely a television award. 

There were dark horses including relative unknowns who excelled at supporting roles like Boyd Holbrook (A Walk Among the Tombstones, Gone Girl, The Skeleton Twins), and James Cordon (Into the Woods, Begin Again). Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher, Begin Again) and Channing Tatum (Foxcatcher, 22 Jump Street) were also quite visible throughout the year.

The year marked the arrival of another Brit, Dan Stevens (The Guest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb) who, now free of the Abbey, sets his eyes on conquering Hollywood. He'll throw his hat in the ring for the next couple of years, no doubt, as he was recently announced to star opposite Emma Watson in the live action Beauty and the Beast.

It would be a crime to ignore the tour de force performances on both mediums from Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, True Detective), but there were talents who proved far more present. We arrive now at the hyper-massive-mammoth-cosmic explosion of Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Parks and Recreation, The Lego Movie, and, while only a trailer, we can't ignore the raptor master of Jurassic World). Pratt truly came close to taking the title but his ascension to the A-List was trumped by one man. 

All those men and all those roles yet none of them are the pyramid's tip. No, the tentacled crown for SQUID Actor of the Year of 2014 belongs to the resilient, prolific Irish Terminator that is Liam Neeson. IMDb lists him in ten roles during the twelve months including exceptional films like The Lego Movie and A Walk Among the Tombstones, along side decently entertaining fare like Non-Stop, A Million Ways to Die, and Taken 3. He was front and center, he was supporting in both villainy and comedy, he was everywhere! Say what you will about the generic actioners he churns out, they still pack a stylish and visceral punch. He has the tendency to go full Nic Cage but he still manages to be a resonant actor. Now venturing into comedic roles, he crossed a line into unknown territory so who knows what his future holds. The year, however, belonged to Liam Neeson. 



SQUID Actor of the Year recipients:

2014 winner - Liam Neeson
The Lego Movie, A Walk Among the Tombstones, A Million Ways to Die in the West, Non-Stop, Taken 3, Various other voice acting roles on TV. 

2013 winner - Benedict Cumberbatch 
12 Years A Slave, Star Trek into Darkness, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, August: Osage County, The Fifth Estate, The Simpsons

2012 winner - Joseph Gordon Levitt
Premium Rush, Looper, Lincoln, The Dark Knight Rises

2011 winner - Michael Fassbender 
Jane Eyre, X-Men: First Class, Shame, Haywire, A Dangerous Method

Begin Again (2013/2014)

Written and Directed by John Carney (Once)
Starring:
Mark Ruffalo (13 Going on 30)
Keira Knightley (Bend it Like Beckham)
James Cordon (Doctor Who)
Adam Levine (Iran So Far)
Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
Catherine Keener (40 Year Old Virgin)
Yasiin "Mos Def " Bey (Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy)
Ceelo Green (Mystery Men)

Character, baby! This is what I'm talking about! Carney once again proves his knack at topographic authenticity. He constructs raw, ruptured, whole characters that grow and change in the span of two hours. The first half of the film employs a fluid structure allowing lives to weave in and out of each other yet avoids feeling repetitive. Simple cut-away shots, throw away dialogue, and clothing choices all work to give every small character a palpable depth. The film builds itself up on separate time frames adding more and more meaning after each revelation until we are rolling full steam ahead to a straightforward culmination of the plot heading to a delectably satisfying finish.

Begin Again also offers some genuine movie magic. That ghost performance was a thing of beauty. Fueled by happiness and excitement, those recording scenes are remarkably infectious and vault the otherwise simple idea of the outdoor studio to be something exceptional. Carney manages to construct intimately meaningful scenes using the simple joys we all wish we could experience any given day. It might be a product of my deplorable social life but do you know how rare it is to listen to music with someone else and you both enjoy it? Sharing music is one of the hardest achievements in real life and this film shows the ideal fulfillment while giving the characters a convincing emotional journey to have deserved experiencing it. Carney shines a spotlight on the power of friendship and showcases a mutual respect devoid of clingyness and constructed naturally out of the story. I can't tell you how vitalizing the moment was when I realized the two leads are not going to get together.

Ruffalo's man-on-the-brink performance gave me something I always want to see, a character's struggle to improve. Carney allows his characters to make good decisions after suffering for bad ones. 

Lovely dabs of humor lift the potentially depressing traps in the plot. From ripping on Levine's absurd beard to letting a Ruffalo and an underused James Cordon throw out quick witty dialogue, the movie is never short on pleasantness to accompany the depth. I got a real Blues Brothersy vibe from the time spent putting the band together, as well. It turned in to the movie I wanted Inside Llewyn Davis to be. Carney trumped the Coen Brothers. 

As with  Markéta Irglová in Once, Carney continues to show his savvy for subversion of standard female romanticism. Here, Knightley's sandal-loving songstress, Gretta James (such a classically inspired name, isn't it) is allowed to choose as much as the male lead and she is *gasp* individually capable of thought, undergoing such glorious glorious progression. 2014 was a solid year for both original films and strong female characters and my final ranking will reflected just that.

I'll end with the driving force of the movie. Without good songs, this would be a decent film. Instead we have, like Once before it, a film littered with moody and melodic tunes sung by the actors that are really good and once more, well deservedly up for Best Song at the Oscars. As if Keira Knightley didn't have enough talent, she can sing right up there with Adam Levine.

Bottom Line: A thoroughly satisfying musical that tickled every sentimental bone in my body and mesmerizes on both a technical and creative level.

10 out of 10

Director Round Up 2014-15

Current standings of the most surefire directors and a bit of what they got going for them.  

1. Edgar Wright - Last: The World's End, Best: Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, Next: Ant-Man (writer)/Baby Driver (Writer/director) 
2. Matthew Vaughn - Last: Kingsman: The Secret Service, Best: Stardust, Next: TBA
3. Christopher Nolan - Last: Interstellar, Best: The Dark Knight, Next: TBA
4. Phil Lord and Chris Miller - Last: 22 Jump Street, Best: The Lego Movie, Next: The Last Man on Earth (TV)
5. Guillermo Del Toro - Last: Pacific Rim (writer/director) The Hobbit (Writer), Best: The Strain (TV), Next: Crimson Peak
6. Duncan Jones - Last: Source Code, Best: Moon, Next: Warcraft
7. Rian Johnson - Last: Breaking Bad " Ozymandias" (TV), Best: Looper, Next: Star Wars: Ep. 8 
8. David Fincher - Last: Gone Girl, Best: Fight Club, Next: Utopia (TV)
9. Wes Anderson - Last/Best: The Grand Budapest Hotel, Next: TBA
10. Joss Whedon - Last: Agents of SHIELD Pilot (TV). Best: Serenity, Next: The Avengers: Age of Ultron
11. J.J. Abrams - Last: Star Trek Into Darkness, Best: Star Trek, Next: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
12. Martin Scorsese - Last: The Wolf of Wall Street, Best: Hugo/The Departed, Next: Silence
13. Quentin Tarantino - Last/Best: Django Unchained, Next: The Hateful Eight 
14. Anthony and Joe Russo - Last: Marvel's Agent Carter (TV), Best: Community "A Fistful of Paintballs" + "For a Few Piantballs More" (TV), Next: Captain America: Civil War 
15. Steven Spielberg - Last: Lincoln, Best: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Next: "Untitled Cold War Spy Thiller"
16. Ben Affleck - Last: Argo, Best: The Town, Next: Live by Night
17. David O. Russell - Last/Best: American Hustle, Next: Joy
18. James Gunn - Last: Guardians of the Galaxy, Best: Slither, Next Guardians of the Galaxy 2
19. Ben Stiller - Last: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Best: Tropic Thunder, Next: TBA
20. Coen Brothers - Last: Inside Llewyn Davis, Best: Fargo, Next: Hail, Caesar!
21. The Pool.  

Directors who missed the cut. Somewhat ordered from strongest to weakest but not specifically.

Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg

Drew Goddard (Cabin in the Woods)
Zach Snyder
Joe Wright (Atonement, upcoming Pan)
Martin MacDonough (In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths)
Jim Rash and Nat Faxon 
Jered and Jerusha Hess (Nacho Libre and Napoleon Dynamite)
Gareth Edwards (Godzilla)
Josh Trank (Fantastic Four)
Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World)
Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Cloverfield)

Guy Ritchie

Justin Lin (Fast and Furious Franchise and the next Star Trek)
Adam McKay

Brad Bird (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol)
Andrew Stanton (John Carter and Finding Nemo)
Paul Feig
Michel Gondry
Doug Liman (Borne Identity, Edge of Tomorrow)
Spike Jonez
Joseph Kosinski (TRON: Legacy and Oblivion)
David Ayer (Fury and upcoming Suicide Squad)
Gareth Evans (The Raid 1 and 2)
Christoper McQuarrie (Jack Reacher)
Alejandro Innaritu (Birdman)

John MacDonough
The Wachowskis

Peter Jackson

Akiva Schaffer
Sam Raimi
Ridley Scott
Danny Boyle
James Mangold
Sam Mendes
Francis Lawrence
Alfonso Cuaron
Nicholas Stoller
Alan Taylor
Tom Hooper
John Woo
Ang Lee
Paul Thomas Anderson
Pete Travis (Dredd)
Payton Reed (Bring It On, Down With Love and Antman)
David Koepp (Premium Rush)
David Slade (30 Days of Night and Hannibal)
Joon-ho Bong (Snow Piercer)
David Leitch and Chad Stahelski (John Wick)
Jeff Nichols (Mud)
Wes Ball (Maze Runner)
Shane Black
Edward Zwick
Brad Furman (Lincoln Lawyer but also Runner Runner)
Andrew Adamson (Shrek and Narnia 1 and 2)
Barry Sonnenfeld (MIB, The Tick, Pushing Daisies, Wild Wild West)
Noah Baumbach
Mike Cahill
Joe Johnston
Adam Wingard (You're Next and The Guest)
Marc Webb
Timur Bekmambetov
Behn Zeitlin
Zal Batmanglij
Richard Curtis (Love Actually and About Time)
Ron Howard
Marc Foster (Casino Royale and World War Z)
Gavin Hood
Garth Jennings
James Wan
Nimrod Antal
Rob Reiner
Michael Mann
Stephen Chow
Stuart Beattie (Tomorrow When the War Began and I, Frankenstein)
Richard Linklater
Mark and Jay Duplass
Tarsem
Jon Favreau
George Nolfi
Gore Verbinski
Rawson Marshall Thurber
Rob Bowman (Reign of Fire and Castle but Elektra)
David Lynch
Neil Burger

Len Wiseman
Tim Burton

Robert Zemeckis
Cameron Crowe

Kevin Reynolds (The Count of Monte Cristo, Tristan + Isolde, but Waterwold and Robin Hood: POT)

Anne Fletcher (Step Up, 27 Dresses, the Proposal, Enchanted 2)
Shawn Levy

These names were inevitably thought of but instantly laughed off.
Michael Bay
M. Night Shayamalan
Andrew Niccol
Paul WS Anderson
Uwe Boll