FILM TRENDING: OUR TAKE!
WELCOME to the official website of THE FLIX-MEN!!!
Movie geek-speak will never be the same!
WELCOME to the epic movie appreciation of The Flixmen!!! We’ve been movie geeks since birth; living, breathing and eating movies for breakfast; spending as much time as possible in darkened theaters, which are literally our second homes, taking in the magic that is big screen theatrical splendor! We all work in and around the film industry, which is a natural fit with our obsessive passion. Here you’ll find movie reviews along with industry observations and sharp commentary. You’ll also be able to listen to our podcast soon, as well as videos we produce and share.
How long will the superhero movie trend last? Is Hollywood going off the rails with all these reboots and remakes? Will an all-female Ghostbusters movie work? What are some of the best movies coming out this summer? Will someone eventually stop Michael Bay from making movies (please)? Can we ever get over the creepiness of John Travolta kissing Scarlett Johansson’s cheek at the Oscars? All these questions and more will be asked and hopefully answered, right here!
The Flixmen adventure is just beginning, and we figured if you’re going to talk about movies, why not do it with some style! Check us out by clicking on BIOS!
Comic-Con 2015: One of the best years in a long time!
"Minions": Good, fun...but not great.
"Back to the Future" returning to theatres for 30th anniversary! WE ARE SO THERE!
BREAKING NEWS!!! Six "Star Wars" movies heading for Digital HD on April 10!
Sadly, no original unaltered trilogy included.
It's just been announced that all six "Star Wars" movies will be released on Digital HD for the very first time this coming Friday, April 10! No word on whether the untouched versions of the ORIGINAL trilogy, 1977's "Star Wars", 1980's "The Empire Strikes Back" and 1983's "Return of the Jedi", will also be made available, as this appears to be the special edition set that George Lucas incessantly tweaked, included on the recent Blu-Ray set; sad news for those who have been waiting for many years to get their hands on those unaltered classics, so long withheld from fans. More on this developing story shortly!
It's official! Olivia Wilde returning for "Tron 3"!
Quorra, the Trinity of the franchise, is back!
Olivia Wilde is set to join the already onboard Garrett Hedlund for "Tron 3"! Tron fans REJOICE, as it's very clear that the next installment is taking shape, and Wilde's character, Quorra is definitely the Trinity of this franchise! The project is now looking to shoot this fall, likely in Vancouver, British Columbia. Plot details are being kept offline. Can we have more light cycle action in the next flick, please?!
Those Amy Schumer "Star Wars" photos in GQ are hilarious! But how did this spread ever get approved?! Disney and Lucas are PISSED!
New "Mad Max: Fury Road" teaser poster drops
We're going MAD with anticipation for this movie!
Beyond the crazy action of the mega-blockbuster that is "Furious 7", this movie has got to be the most buzzed about blazing action flick of the summer! A MUST SEE on opening night!!
Sequel to "Need for Speed" in the works. WHY?!
Studios looking to match "Furious 7" excitement.
Remember last year’s “Need for Speed”? The movie based on the video game starring “Breaking Bad”s Aaron Paul? Yes, one of the worst films of 2014. That’s the one! Guess what? It’s getting a completely unnecessary sequel. WHAT?! YUP!
“Need for Speed” was badly written, pretty boring and the acting was bland. But…since “Furious 7” continues that franchise’s continued rise to box office gold, Touchstone and DreamWorks apparently feel as though they need to be bigger in the boxer shorts.
With a$200 million take at the box office from fans of the game, as well as Paul’s iconic TV series status calling out to moviegoers on the film’s posters, I guess the studios thought it would be a good idea to continue. Ho-hum!
Our mini WonderCon Anaheim 2015 video report
in-depth "Back to the Future" documentary about to drop.
Check out our mini video report on last weekend’s WonderCon Anaheim 2015! You’ll also see a brief interview with three documentary filmmakers that presented a standing-room-only panel about their film, “Back in Time”; a celebration of the pop culture impact of the movie “Back to the Future” on the occasion of the film’s 30th anniversary this year.
Go to their website to learn more about this amazing looking documentary: http://backintimefilm.com
"Broken Horses" review
Brian McQuery just posted his review of filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s “Broken Horses”. You can read it by going to the ‘Movie Reviews’ page or by clicking here.
"The Harvest" review
Brian McQuery just posted his review of filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s “The Harvest”, starring Michael Shannon. You can read it by going to the ‘Movie Reviews’ page or by clicking here.
'Superman: The Richard Donner Years' WonderCon 2015 panel video
The stars of the iconic and beloved Christopher Reeve movies reunite!
A reunion of stars from the Richard Donner/Christopher Reeve Superman years at a special panel during WonderCon Anaheim was a rare treat, with Margot Kidder (Lois Lane), Marc McClure (Jimmy Olsen), Jack O’Halloran (Non), Valerie Perrine (Miss Teschmacher), Aaron Smolinski (young Clark Kent who lifts up the Kent’s truck) and Diane Sherry (Lana Lang) sharing wonderful personal stories about working on these beloved films and remembrances of Christopher Reeve.
Of special note was director Richard Donner's appearance on screen near the beginning of the panel, exclusively for the WonderCon crowd in attendance, with an appreciation of the legacy of “Superman, The Movie”, as well as touching words for Reeve, brought tears to audience members.
Here now is our series of clips from this panel, featuring Margot Kidder, Jack O’Halloran and Marc McClure.
2nd trailer for "Terminator: Genisys" drops.
Major spoiler involving John Connor.
Welcome to "Bad Idea Monday"! Some studio movie installments these days like to muscle their way into existing franchises, occasionally putting a wrinkle in, upsetting or even completely disrespecting what came before. But never has a reboot of a beloved and iconic film series ever just tore up and set on fire the previous work!!
Such is the case with the just dropped second trailer for “Terminator Genisys”. In short, creator/writer/director James Cameron’s brilliant action sci-fi story is being trampled on and ripped to shreds by a studio that cares little about respect (JJ Abrams' Star Trek films, anyone?). And let’s just put this ridiculous addition out there right now because this new trailer reveals that (SPOILER ALERT)……John Connor is..…A TERMINATOR!!!
REALLY?! SERIOUSLY??!!
It was bad enough when the entire timeline of the original 1984 film was blown to bits in the first trailer, but this is just a complete travesty! If this were any other movie with original characters and settings, perhaps it would very entertaining. But as a Terminator film, our prediction is that this completely unnecessary and definitely misguided reboot will crash and burn like an HK succumbing to the grenade of a resistance fighter!
Arnold Schwarzenegger is given incredibly overused fan-carrot lines like “I’ll be back” and “Get out”, while merely demonstrating that “Terminator Genisys” is a CG-choked cardboard cutout, masquerading as a proper installment in the “Terminator” franchise. If this is the best they can come up with (flushing the cinematic past down the toilet in the process) then the franchise is truly dead!
Thankfully, no one will ever take away the first two films in the series, “The Terminator” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”, which of course came directly from James Cameron and completed a story that needed not one frame more.
Review of Marvel's "Daredevil" Netflix Season 1
Flix-Man Brian McQuery takes on all 13 episodes.
Brian McQuery has compiled a comprehensive review of the entire first season of the new Netflix series, Marvel's "Daredevil". Check it out on our 'Reviews' page or right here.
Reviews of "Danny Collins", "The Water Diviner" and "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl"
posted April 24, 2015
Flix-Man Brian McQuery brings us insightful reviews of three very unique films. Check them out on our 'Reviews' page.
Photos of Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2015
posted April 24, 2015
Check out our expansive gallery of photos from one of the biggest events of the convention season RIGHT HERE!!!
Our "Avengers: Age of Ultron" early review!
Flix-Man Brian McQuery loves Marvel's latest team up!
posted April 29, 2015
Brian McQuery saw "Avengers: Age of Ultron" at a special advanced screening last night and you can find his beaming review by going to the "Reviews" page or right here.
Director Josh Trank out, Star Wars standalone film
Disney doesn't sound happy with his work on the "Fantastic Four" reboot to continue at the helm.
posted May 1, 2015
Josh Trank has exited the Star Wars Universe as the director of a second standalone Star Wars film to follow "The Force Awakens". He was oddly absent from a prominent panel at Star Wars Celebration two weeks ago, claiming he had a really bad flu. Hmmm. Seems Disney is concerned with his "Fantastic Four" reboot, which in my opinion, looks to be a misguided loser in a summer that will probably be dominated by Marvel's "Avengers: The Age of Ultron" and "Ant-Man".
"The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?" review
Flix-Man Brian McQuery gives his take on this insightful documentary
posted May 1, 2015
Brian McQuery attended a red carpet event screening of this film at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, and you can find his review by going to the "Reviews" page or right here.
Review: "Avengers: Age of Ultron"
Flix-Man David Blanchard flies into action with the team
posted May 2, 2015
The Avengers have returned to the big screen (officially), and David Blanchard takes on the behemoth Marvel Universe machine in his review, which you can find by going to the "Reviews" page or right here. Be warned, there are some MINOR SPOILERS included!
Review: "Avengers: Age of Ultron"
Flix-Man Allen Pinney takes on Joss Whedon's latest Marvel opus.
posted May 9, 2015
Of course, there is some spoilery stuff ahead...
Clearly Marvel has a lot of story to tell and a lot of dots to connect across their far-flung cinematic universe. Otherwise the nearly 2.5 hour running time of Age of Ultron may have been a svelte 90-minutes of robot @$$ whoopin’. But I will say this, I thought it was a great movie and not once did I look at my watch to see how long I’d been sitting in my seat.
It’s been interesting to read all of the reviews that say this and that are wrong, it was too long, not as good as the first, confusing, full of plot holes and unnecessary characters and/or character stories. Because I have no qualms with the story, pacing, characters, plot holes or what ever. It’s a thoroughly satisfying summer blockbuster that doesn’t waste a lot of time with set-up and backstory. Joss Whedon and company start the movie with a bang and just keep hammering away with bombast.
Stay on your toes though, as Flix-Men Brian McQuery & David Blanchard say, “It’s dense”. Do you need an encyclopedic recall of every Marvel Phase Two film? No, you don’t, but you do need to pay attention to what is said and what is referenced (overtly and subtly) as we barrel along from one superhero smackdown to the next.
CG visual effects overload!
Are audiences getting sick of lifeless event movie carnage fests?
posted May 10, 2015
Here's some commentary on the state of CG effects.
There has been talk recently that movie audiences are perhaps a bit numb to an overabundance of CG in large-scale blockbuster films. And this is exactly one of the observations of “Avengers: The Age of Ultron” that I came away with, even though I continue to feel it’s a spectacular installment with writer/director Joss Whedon and crew having pulled out all the stops once more quite successfully.
But here’s the thing.
As we watch the Avengers taking on hundreds of robots in a populated area, dispatching them in droves, was there perhaps a small sense that we’ve been here before? The Battle of New York in “The Avengers” was spectacular in its size and scope, with CG effects taking ahold of the screen in a new way on a grand scale and not just as a city was being destroyed by a natural disaster, but by a team fighting the very thing that brought destruction in the first place. But I digress.
Patricia Arquette was right: Women in the entertainment industry are being backhanded!
by Flix-Men David Blanchard
posted May 13, 2015
OK, I think it’s time to step in and say something about the current state of affairs regarding women in and around creating movies and entertainment! It wasn’t that long ago (February in fact) that Patricia Arquette came up to except the Best Actress Oscar for her role in “Boyhood”, ultimately finding the star firmly calling for equality for women in cinema.
Huh? What?...most of us said.
Where did that come from, aren’t we much more advanced on that front than at any time before in film history? Turns out Ms. Arquette’s troubling concerns were deeply rooted in what has become a hot topic, especially during the last couple of weeks.
Review: "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Flix-Men Brian McQuery hits the road to tackle writer/director George Miller's post apocolyptic opus.
posted May 15, 2015
I can't say that I was excited when I heard that George Miller was returning to the world of MAD MAX, especially without Mel Gibson. There have been so many revived '70s and '80s franchises and most of the new installments are terrible though they try to glide by on nostalgia. Then there were all of the delays and test screenings. Word that this time around there was no screenplay, just thousands of storyboards. None of this sounded great.
A year ago, a friend of mine who loves the MAD MAX series saw a test screening. He came out disappointed. He described the opening of the film to me. I didn't want to believe it. Having just seen it, I still don't want to believe it. Max stands next to his car and a two-headed lizard crawls around behind him. As if the two-headed lizard isn't bad enough, Max kills it and eats it raw. Huh? And the tone felt more spoof than gritty wasteland to me. What a terrible opening scene. But it gets worse. A war party shows up and Mad Max, The Road Warrior, gets behind the wheel of his car. And he lasts about 30 seconds before crashing and being taken prisoner. Huh? This is our reintroduction to Max Rockatansky? By his creator George Miller? And let's not forget about the dull voice-over. None of which was necessary.
Thankfully it's not long before Max tries to escape… but he fails. And he basically spends the first half hour prisoner in a movie called MAD MAX: FURY ROAD. Did I mention he has a metal mask on his face and he's chained to a War Boy named Nux?
Review: "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Flix-Men David Blanchard marvels at what he considers the best movie of the summer.
posted May 15, 2015
There are some minor spoilers here so beware!
I am at a complete loss for words on how to begin because there are so many A-MA-ZING aspects to this movie!...but I’ll try. From the opening moments where we are introduced once more to the character of Max Rockatansky, the film takes us on one exhilarating, jaw-dropping, dazzling vehicular chase, and in the case of this movie coming a long way to completion (about four years from the start of filming), the term “worth the wait” doesn’t even come close!!
George Miller has done something incredible: he’s shown all those younger hot shot directors positioning themselves to be the second coming of summer blockbuster tent pole movies that a 70-year-old writer/director can beat the shit out of your film any day!! Needless to say, the action and stunts in “Fury Road” make “Furious 7” and “Fast & Furious 6” look like a cub scout’s go-kart meet. As the lights dimmed in the theatre I was very aware that the audience around me was seriously in tune with their finger on the pulse of watching this movie, as even the opening credits brought cheers and great applause. Let’s get down to the stars of this exhilarating movie experience.
Mel Gibson's "Mad Max: Fury Road" surprise appearance
The "Road Warrior" star drops in on the Hollywood premiere.
posted May 16, 2015
LOVED seeing Mel Gibson show up completely unannounced for the premiere of "Mad Max: Fury Road" in Hollywood!
The new movie definitely respects what came before it while expanding the scope and spectacle, as well as retaining a resounding emotional heart. These were the guys; George Miller (pictured between Max original and new Max) and Mel Gibson, who set the bar for every action movie that followed. In fact, they set that bar on fire!
Doomsday now a part of "Batman vs. Superman"
How many characters can fit in this one movie?!
posted May 17, 2015
So now it's been announced that one of Superman's most powerful foes, Doomsday will be appearing in an already overcrowded "Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice" next year. What, is this movie going to be 4 and a half hours long??!! Warner Bros. is just continually coming across as though they're trying to show everyone, especially Marvel, that they've got the biggest stick in the yard and have to prove it repeatedly by revealing just how much more firepower they'll be attempting to wield in their multi-hero rollout of movies. Super-sized overkill does not a good franchise make!
What do you think? Is this movie becoming overloaded with heroes and villains?
"Mad Max: Fury Road" Furiousa featurette
The big screen's newest kick-ass female action hero!
posted May 19, 2015
Check out this very cool behind the scenes look at Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa, the ultimate female road warrior in "Mad Max: Fury Road".
Review: "Ex Machina"
Flix-Men Brian McQuery delves into this unexpected surprise hit.
posted May 19, 2015
Alex Garland is an accomplished screenwriter who has written the screenplays for 28 DAYS LATER…, SUNSHINE, NEVER LET ME GO, and DREDD. His latest screenplay is perhaps his most challenging, possibly least commercial and probably his best. So it's no surprise that he chose it for his directorial debut. And while it is challenging material, it is logistically contained in that it has four principal characters and essentially takes place in one location.
A number of recent films have tackled Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) but none better than EX MACHINA. Here we have genius inventor Nathan who recruits employee Caleb through a contest to test his creation Ava to see if he has truly achieved A.I. Caleb's interview sessions with Ava are riveting and serve as the centerpiece of the picture.
Review: "Tomorrowland"
Flix-Men Brian McQuery looks at the less than fantastic Disney film.
posted May 20, 2015
Disney has been very secretive about this summer's original sci-fi tentpole, TOMORROWLAND, from the minds of Brad Bird, Damon Lindelof and Jeff Jensen and now that I have seen it, it's no wonder because the picture just doesn't work.
It starts off all wrong with a close-up of George Clooney's Frank Walker trying to start the story as Britt Robertson's Casey Newton continually cuts him off and tries to correct him. Someone thought this was cute. It's not. It's like fingernails on a chalkboard. I wanted to scream, "Just start the movie!"
"Poltergeist" remake: Unneeded!
One more reboot that's completely unnecessary
posted May 20, 2015
Here's some good news for fans of the original 1982 "Poltergeist" that feel a remake was completely unneeded, the new film has left a very sour taste in the mouth of critics and will probably die a reasonably quick death; yet one more sign that studio attempts to mine classics from the 1980's to reintroduce to Millennial audiences is nine times out of 10 a bust proposition.
"Poltergeist", starring Sam Rockwell (why did he even think about doing this?), Rosemarie DeWitt, Jared Harris and Jane Adams, is currently garnering a 36% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and isn't even being considered a good horror film in general when compared to other current releases like "The Conjuring" and "Insidious". Boo hoo, unnecessary and soon to be forgotten "Poltergeist" reboot!
"Mad Max: Fury Road" cosplay
Wastelanders spotted at Arclight Hollywood screening
posted May 24, 2015
We came across some survivors from the Wasteland last night after "Mad Max: Fury Road" at the Arclight Dome in Hollywood. From left to right, Brock Barton, Sin Fisted and Infamous Duane. Check out their links...
Sin Fisted -
www.SinFisted.com
www.facebook.com/s1nfist3d.fanpage
www.instagram.com/s1nfist3d
www.twitter.com/sinfisted
Infamous Duane -
http://infamousduane.com
https://www.facebook.com/infamousduane
Review: "Good Kill"
Flix-Men Brian McQuery targets this drone war drama
posted May 24, 2015
It is always exciting when Andrew Niccol makes a new feature. He is a smart, ambitious filmmaker. Sometimes he swings for the fences with big sci-fi projects like IN TIME and THE HOST and fails to connect. But Niccol teams up again with Ethan Hawke with whom he made his two best films, GATTACA and LORD OF WAR, and hits a home run with GOOD KILL.
This may be the quietest war picture I have ever seen, but it is still incredibly effective. Witnessing the horrors of war may even be more effective when it is deadly quiet. GOOD KILL deals with the war in Afghanistan in 2010 as it is being fought remotely from a base in Las Vegas. Each day Major Thomas Egan played by Ethan Hawke reports to work where he pilots a drone and "prosecutes" targets in Afghanistan. He is an Air Force pilot who desperately misses the thrill of flying an aircraft and feels that he no longer has any skin in the game. Because he is an excellent pilot, he is particularly good at piloting the drone and deadly accurate at hitting his targets. Although there is a new generation of recruits who have more experience with videogames than with piloting jets in a war zone.
"Back to the Future Part III" celebrates 25th anniversary!
posted May 25, 2015
25 years ago today on May 25, 1990, "Back to the Future Part III" was released in theaters, continuing the adventures of Marty McFly and Doc Brown as they travelled to the Old West, and bringing one of the most incredible movie trilogies of all-time to its smashing conclusion!
Secret Cinema's "Back to the Future" event is still ON for LA!
posted May 25, 2015
And while we're on the subject of the 25th anniversary of "Back to the Future Part III", as well as the 30th anniversary of the original "Back to the Future" this year, here's a seriously exciting confirmation! Secret Cinema's announcement that they were going to revisit their incredibly successful UK "BTTF" event here in Los Angeles was followed by crickets for many months, even after they'd hinted at sometime this summer being a potential target season. Glad to see this is still in the loop and very much looking forward to more info soon!
Review: "Barely Lethal"
Flix-Men Brian McQuery checks out this action/comedy
posted May 28, 2015
BARELY LETHAL is the new picture from Director Kyle Newman, best known for FANBOYS. It stars Hailee Steinfeld as a teenager who has been raised to be an assassin since birth and realizes that she's missing out on high school. When the opportunity presents itself on a mission, she goes AWOL, comes up with a phony foreign exchange program and heads for the high school experience.
The opening animated credit sequence is really fun and provides a lot of storytelling that sets up the premise very well. It's rare that we get story during opening credits and this was a very creative way to kick things off.
Hailee Steinfeld has come a long way from TRUE GRIT and is an adorable teenager who anchors the picture quite well as Megan Walsh AKA Agent 83. She is charming and eager to experience high school and all it has to offer. The sequence where she studies classic high school movies as research is particularly fun. And some of the payoffs where she uses her research in high school are highlights. It's also great to see a teenager actually playing a teenager in a high school picture.
"Jaws" 40th anniversary screening
AMC Theatres is hosting this milestone event
posted May 28, 2015
YES!!! THANK YOU!!! Was wondering, being that it's almost June, when some type of acknowledgement of the 40th anniversary of "Jaws" would finally make its way to theaters!! The film was released on June 20, 1975, and since there's no JawsFest scheduled on Martha's Vineyard this year (sadly!), some type of celebration was surely in order. Fathom Events. AMC Theatres. Screening on June 21, just one day after the original release date! Tickets go on sale tomorrow, May 29. We are SOOO there!!!!
Review: "Aloha"
Cameron Crowe's latest is a mess, according to Flix-Men Brian McQuerry
posted May 29, 2015
When Cameron Crowe is at his best, there is nothing better - SAY ANYTHING, JERRY MAGUIRE, ALMOST FAMOUS, WE BOUGHT A ZOO.
ALOHA is his latest release and it has a stellar cast, but sadly it's a mess.
The plot is quite confusing, almost on purpose, but the important part involves the homecoming of Bradley Cooper's Brian Gilcrest which affords him the opportunity to see Rachel McAdams' Tracy, the one he let slip away 13 years ago. Tracy has since met and married John Krasinski's Woody and they are raising two adorable children. How Brian could let someone as gorgeous and amazing as Tracy go is a real shock and when they explain what happened it makes Brian's behavior sound like a child's. Gilcrest has returned to Hawaii in the employ of Bill Murray's billionaire Carson Welch and he has been assigned a military liaison, Emma Stone's Allison Ng AKA the new love interest.
Review: "Spy"
Flix-Men David Blanchard goes undercover with Melissa McCarthy
posted June 8, 2015
Early trailers and TV spots for “Spy”, starring Melissa McCarthy, appeared to be on the same entertainment level as director Paul Feig’s “The Heat”, also starring McCarthy alongside Sandra Bullock. However, it was curious to see it being pitted up against some major blockbuster heavy hitters right at the beginning of June. Would it get lost in the shuffle in this summer season of a major superhero team-up, a post apocalyptic action fest / director’s return to form, and a direct sequel to one of Steven Spielberg’s signature movies?
