Tag Archives: entourage

Top 5 Worst Films of Summer 2015

With the good, comes that bad. Summer 2015 gave us some solid films, but it also gave us a lot (and I mean, *a lot*) of trash. So I try my best to narrow them down to five films here. Thank God I get to list out 10 films at the end of the year…

Dishonorable Mention: Mad Max: Fury Road

This isn’t a good movie, it’s just a well-made one. People seem unable to separate the two. I don’t get how when Michael Bay throws explosions on the screen in sacrifice of plot or character development he is crucified, but when George Miller does it he is praised as a genius.

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5.) Entourage

On top of being the biggest disappointment of 2015 so far, this was also just a miss on all cylinders. I love “Entourage” the show, I love Los Angeles and I love to laugh, and this film really doesn’t pay much honor to any of these things. It is an unfunny, skin-deep movie that was only not a total bomb because of the familiar faces in the best city on earth. That’s it.

Variety

Variety

4.) Tomorrowland

Quick: what is this movie about? That’s OK, I’ll wait. Give up? Cool, because I have no idea, either. Something about George Clooney and his love affair with a 10-year-old robot (it is slightly less creepy within the context of the film), and I think there was something else about the end of the world and Dr. House was there. I really hated this movie. I walked out not liking it, but in the three months that have passed, I’ve grown to loathe it. Just not as much as these remaining three films.

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3.) Terminator Genisys

Just like “Tomorrowland,” I didn’t mind this film while watching (I realized it wasn’t good, but in-the-moment I was tricked to thinking it wasn’t awful). But the ending draws on for 15 minutes, and it has some of the worst CGI I have ever seen in a film in the 21st century. It just isn’t good, and hopefully this franchise is…terminated. [clears throat] OK, what’s next?

Variety

Variety

2.) Pixels

Like most people, I was tricked by the trailer for “Pixels” into thinking this wouldn’t be a normal Adam Sandler comedy; but much to my dismay, this is just a normal Adam Sandler comedy, it just happens to have video games in it. It is bottom-of-the-barrell, lowest effort humor, and its best attribute is Josh Gad, which is never a good sign.

Variety

Variety

1.) Fantastic Four

HAHAHAHAHAHA oh my God, this thing is awful. Like I’ve forgetten like 95% of it but holy heck is this bad. Nothing happens until a rushed and horribly standard final fight sequence, and it wastes a fantastic young cast. All the behind the scenes drama is much, MUCH more interesting than the actual film, so go give those stories a read. It’s films like this that make it hard for people like me to trust the month of August…

Variety

Variety

2015 in Film: Halfway Recap

With 6 months of films behind us, we have officially reached the halfway point of 2015 (you’re welcome for that clarification). And although we’ll likely not see many of these films mentioned come Oscar Season, it’s still fun to do a bi-yearly recap. So, as Pink once said: let’s get this party started.

Best Film: Jurassic World

I was shocked how great this film was (more on that in a second). It is one of the best and most summer movies I have ever seen, and Chris Pratt continues to kill it as Hollywood’s next big thing. Unlike most other things in this list, “Jurassic World” will definitely be in my Top 10 of the year, and could even hold out for number one overall when all is said and done.

Variety

Variety

Worst Film: Fifty Shades of Grey

Oh my God, is this thing dreadful. I can’t imagine a world where this isn’t my worst film come the end of the year. The dialogue, the narrative, the chemistry (or painful lack thereof) all combined for a movie-going experience that made me almost hate movies. I don’t remember much about it (thank God), but from what is stained in my brain I recall this thing just being awful and lazy and the fact that there are going to be two sequels makes me physically ill.

Variety

Variety

Biggest Surprise: Jurassic World

I didn’t expect this to be awful, but I was never wowed by the original “Jurassic Park” film, and the trailers for “Jurassic World” made it look like standard summer fluff. And as previously stated, I was dead wrong. If somehow you aren’t one of the millions of people who have pushed the film to $1.2 billion (and counting), or you have only seen the film one time so far… whatever you’re doing can wait. Go now.

Variety

Variety

Biggest Letdown: Entourage

I was a late addition to the “Entourage” series bandwagon, but once I was on it I instantly fell in love with Ari Gold, Johnny Drama and the rest of the, well, entourage. When the beginning of 2015 rolled around the film adoption was one of my most anticipated films of the impending year, and not a day went by that I didn’t think about it. Then I saw it. It is an unfunny, lazily constructed shadow of its former self, and it depressed me. Maybe it was my own fault for hyping it up so much in my head, but hey, this is my list, and “Entourage” let me down.

Variety

Variety

Shocked It Didn’t Suck: The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

I love SpongeBob and I love, love the first film from 2004. However when the trailers for this sequel dropped, I was horrifically worried. They made it out to look like most of the film would be sellout CGI instead of flat 2D animation, as well as lazy potty “comedy” that studios think dumbed-down kids enjoy in 2015. However I was relieved and thrilled when about 80% of the film was both the classic animation and humor of the show’s early seasons. The film itself isn’t great, but it is a lot of fun and didn’t ruin my childhood, and that was good enough for me.

Variety

Variety

Most Underrated: Run All Night

Unlike the other “Liam Neeson Has a Gun!” film from January (“Taken 3”), “Run All Night” was a lot of fun and had a few fun twists. Not too many people caught this one, and I feel like even less appreciated it, but if you get a chance to watch this on a rainy Saturday afternoon I really think it’s worth your time.

Variety

Variety

Most Overrated: Mad Max: Fury Road

OK, I seriously am still baffled by this one. Just like last year’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”, I can’t begin to fathom why people thought this was a good film, much less how it has a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and is being lauded as one of the year’s best films. It is an impressively made but narratively hollow film, and while I don’t expect much plot or character development in my action films, I do enjoy them having a shred of either.

Variety

Variety

Thanks for reading, and here’s to a successful second half of 2015, which includes my personally most anticipated films, “Ant-Man”, “Black Mass”, and a little indie film called “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.  It also includes the latest Adam Sandler project, “Pixels”, but we’ll cross that bridge when we are unfortunately forced come to it.

‘Entourage’ Movie an Immense Letdown

Entourage_film_2015_posterWell, “Entourage” may have gotten bigger, but it certainly isn’t better.

“Entourage” is a continuation of the TV series of the same name, and stars the main cast, including Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, and Jeremy Piven. When movie star Vince Chase (Grenier) goes over budget on his directorial debut, agent-turned-studio head Ari Gold (Piven) must secure financing from a billionaire investor (Billy Bob Thorton). Showrunner Doug Ellin writes and directs.

I was late on the “Entourage” bandwagon but once I watched it, it instantly became one of my favorite all-time series, and Piven’s Ari Gold remains one of the best characters television has ever produced. So for the past six months I have been waiting patiently (or impatiently) for the feature length adaption. I loved the show, I love Hollywood, I love Los Angeles; what would go wrong? The answer: apparently a lot.

Throughout its run people referred to “Entourage” as “Sex and the City” for guys, and that point is even further emulated because now we have a feature length film adaption of a series that clearly did not have the substance to become a feature length film adaption. There is the overarching plot of Vince’s film, but really most of the movie is just scattershot. Each character has a side mission or two that they get to go on, and it almost always ends with them shaking it off and saying, “well, it’s no big deal”, which makes you realize that side story was only in the film to get the running time up to an acceptable theater amount.

There is one part where an embarrassing video gets leaked online of one of the characters, and they are ignoring the other guys’ calls and go into the doctor’s office screaming about how they’re sad and desperate. But they then get one phone call (about an event they knew was coming), and suddenly are all peaches and cream. It is just unfulfilling.

The biggest problem I probably had with “Entourage,” however, is that is just isn’t that funny. Look, I love comedies; some would say to a fault (I still stand by my recommendation of “Let’s Be Cops”). But this movie, despite Ari’s offensive rants and the two dozen celebrity cameos, just didn’t have me cracking up all too often. And many of the times I did laugh, it was because of a reference to the show, so viewers who go in cold having never seen an episode will not get the joke.

The film looks great, that I can’t deny. Every shot is colorful, sun-kissed, and neon-soaked, and it makes this pretty to stare at if nothing else. It will certainly please people like me who are obsessed with Los Angeles.

Seeing the old faces was comforting, but overall, I am hugely disappointed with “Entourage.” It was clear in season eight of the show that they were running out of stories to tell, so maybe that should have been an indication to retire the franchise there.

The “Entourage” movie is like a high school reunion: you show up wanting to see some old friends, but after a half hour things start to get stale, and you realize that you just don’t have much to say. Only difference is “Entourage” is that friend who forces a conversation for an hour and 44 minutes.

Critics Rating: 4/10

Variety

Variety

Most Anticipated Films of 2015

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Pretty cut-and-dry based on the title, but here are the films that I am most looking forward to in the upcoming year!

10.) Entourage

Following a weak final season of the show, it will be nice to see Ari Gold, Johnny Drama and the rest of the crew back together in Hollywood. Plus it features Tom Brady, Liam Neeson and dozens of other celebrities playing themselves. That’s always fun, right?

Variety

Variety

9.) Get Hard

Kevin Hart teaches Will Ferrell how to survive in prison. If that last sentence didn’t get you excited for Ferrell’s latest film then I don’t know what will.

USA Today

USA Today

8.) Ted 2

I personally enjoyed “A Million Ways to Die in the West”, but some saw it was a disappointing follow-up to Seth MacFarlane’s “Ted”. So that lovable swearing CGI bear is back in 2015, and even though Mila Kunis isn’t there I’m sure I’ll still find enough to enjoy with this one.

Variety

Variety

7.) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2

This year’s “Mockingjay Part 1” was arguably the best of the series and set up a fantastic confrontation between Katniss’ rebels and President Snow’s government. I wasn’t sold on the first two Hunger Games being able to deliver an enthralling conclusion, but now I really want to see how Katniss’ story ends. Plus, you know, Jennifer Lawrence…

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Variety

6.) Spectre

The latest 007 film features Daniel Craig returning as Bond and Christoph Waltz as the film’s villain. Much like “Get Hard” if that sentence did not get you excited for this film, then you best check your pulse.

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Linkiesta

5.) Furious 7

The seventh entry (duh) into the car-turned-heist franchise, this one is extra enticing because it features horror film director James Wan behind the camera and also is the final film for the late Paul Walker, so seeing how the filmmakers handle that will be interesting. Plus Jason Statham is a vengeful bad guy, so that’s should be a good time.

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Variety

4.) Avengers: Age of Ultron

Aside from “Thor 2”, Marvel can do no wrong. Even if most of my excitement is aimed at 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War”, this Avengers sequel should be fun and looks like it will feature a much darker tone.

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ScreenRant

3.) The Hateful Eight

The movie that almost never was, Quentin Tarantino was all set to not make this film after the script leaked online. But following some begging from fans and Samuel L. Jackson alike, he caved and thank God for it. Another spaghetti Western, this should be a fine possible send-off for Tarantino, and a solid spiritual follow-up to “Django Unchained”.

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MoviePilot

2.) Ant-Man

All the drama with Edgar Wright’s exit from the project aside, this looks like it could be a lot of fun. It features “Yes-Man” director Peyton Reed replacing Wright, Will Ferrell partner Adam McKay rewriting the script and the impossible-to-hate Paul Rudd playing a superhero. Plus it is part of the aforementioned Marvel Universe. This one could be the next “Guardians of the Galaxy”.

Variety

Variety

1) Star Wars: The Force Awakens

This is in first place on 2015’s most anticipated films by a mile, and for a few reasons. First, it’s Star Wars. The cultural significance of this film is huge, and in 20 years it will be something you will be telling your kids that you saw. Second, it is following the prequel trilogy so it truly can’t be worse, right? And finally the cast is impressive and exciting. Geek God J.J. Abrams writes and directs as motion-capture master Andy Serkis, the charming Adam Driver, Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o all join the cast while Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill all reprise their iconic roles. I got jacked just writing this.

Variety

Variety

What movies are you looking forward to in 2015? Comment below!