Nothin' But A Good Time

Welcome one and all to a new column on my blog! This column is dedicated either to movies that I love while others detest or underappreciated movies that deserve another shot.

  Moore Underappreciated Flicks

I know I promised the 2009 coming-of-age flick Bandslam as my first of many articles. But! I recently rewatched the cheesy 2012 musical adaptation Rock of Ages, and I figured what movie would be more appropriate for this lavah of all things 80s?! So without further adieu let's investigate this celebration of 80s hard rock.

Let's start with what the detractors say. Is this movie too long? Yes. Are the leads bland? Yes. Is it anywhere near as good as director Adam Shankman's previous movie musical Hairspray? Absolutely not. However! There's enough pure joy and energy here to pull off a pop culture trash romp.

Yes, Shankman falters a bit here compared to Hairspray. However he and the writers (one of whom is the awesome Justin Thoreux) clearly have an unabashed love for the 80s. In lesser hands this would've been absolutely atrocious. If you ask some people, it is. But I'm here to rally against that suggestion.

What really sells the flick is the supporting roles. Some players are wasted. Bryan Cranston has nothing to do as Zeta-Jones mayor husband. Malin Akerman (so funny in TV's "Children's Hospital" and the later released The Final Girls) is similarly wasted as a Rolling Stone reporter, though she does get a few cute moments with the true star of the show. But before we get to him, there's a few others worth mentioning.

Zeta-Jones is hilariously campy as Cranston's protestor wife. Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand nearly walk away with the flick as The Bourbon Room's co-owners. More screen time for them would've been nice. Leads Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta are cute enough, and it helps that they can pull off their 80s ballads with aplomb. Everybody here seems to be having a blast, and isn't that what the 80s are all about?

The true star here is, of course, Tom Cruise. He is "Stacee Jaxx", a rock star pining for the golden days and coasting through the 80s thanks to alcohol, drugs, and his adoring fans. The star is larger than life here, roaring through Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and having a ball with Akerman during "I Want To Know What Love Is". It would be nice to see Cruise in more roles like this. He's clearly having the time of his life, and it definitely takes the film to the next level.

What your opinion of the film basically boils down to is this: do you love 80s rock? If so you will definitely get a kick out of it. If not you should probably steer clear. The flick is a too-long bubblegum rock opera with too much saccharine and zero substance whatsoever. But that's not such a bad thing. So the next time you're lounging around on a rainy Saturday afternoon, give this flick a shot. You'll have "Nothin' But A Good Time".

Welp there you have it! My first of many random reviews. On a completely unrelated note, Happy 20th Anniversary to what is perhaps the most bizarro sci-fi flick ever made... The Fifth Element.

MULTIPASS

Movies, Music, and Moore!

Welp, the Oscars came and went and I didn't even blog about them. For shame, Joseph.

Speaking of movies! I've decided I'm going to start a sporadic movie column. Each one will be dedicated to a film I love but not a lot of people have seen and/or know about. I've already chosen the film that's gonna start the ball rolling: the little-seen 2009 coming-of-age flick Bandslam. It's been 7 years since I watched it so I wanna rewatch it to see if my opinion is the same. I remember digging it back then so we'll see if I still do.

In other news, after a couple of months of strenuous rehearsal time, Godspell opens tomorrow night! I'm not performing this time around. I choreographed the show. I'm extremely proud of this cast. Every single one of them has really worked hard, and it really shows! One of the things our director Andrew made sure of is there was a strong chemistry among all the cast members. I'm very excited for the show to open so we can see the public's reactions.

Finally, what would an update be without some kind of 80s reference? SOOO the other day I was being an American citizen scrolling through Twitter when I saw that not one but TWO of my favorite 80s bands are going on tour TOGETHER this summer!!! 

That's right folks. Tears for Fears AND Hall & Oates are teaming up to tour the country together, and I AM LEGITIMATELY FREAKING OUT!!! Tickets go on sale March 10th, and you better believe I will be up before Jesus so I can get mine. I mean, I'm not NOT attending this concert. I've already missed so many concerts this past year due to scheduling conflicts, but I AM GOING TO THIS ONE. End of story.

Start Out With A BANG

Oh hellooo!

First things' first. Have you watched Sing Street yet? No? Stop reading right now and watch it. I MEAN IT.

...

Is it over? Wasn't it fantastic?! Ahem, okay let's move ahead.

This year is really starting out with a bang. Let me explain what I mean. I work in the mornings at Target... whatever. Then sometimes I have time to nap in the afternoon before spending the rest of my day at the theatre. And boy oh boy are we swamped this time of year!

I'm rehearsing for "One Slight Hitch" which opens the first weekend of February. We are starting our full runs off book this next week. Yikes! We've got a great cast, and I spend the majority of the show in a rain slicker and boxers. So if that isn't reason enough to see it I don't know what is!

I'm also choreographing for "Godspell". I'm not as close to the cast as I was with the "Addams" cast, but I'm hoping that changes in February after "Hitch" is over. I've already set a couple of numbers for the show, and from what I've seen it's going to be a lot of fun!

We also have a Gala TOMORROW NIGHT showcasing our upcoming 2017-2018 season. We've spent the past two weeks or so rehearsing skits and songs for that ON TOP OF all the other rehearsals going on. So yeah it's been quite a lot. I'm in a skit from "The Kitchen Witches". If you haven't heard of it, look it up. It's really funny! Then I get to sing in the opening number for "Evil Dead: The Musical". If you know me at all you know I'm' a huge horror nut. Evil Dead is one of my absolute favorites, and the musical version is pretty frikkin hilarious. I'm honored to even sing one number from the show.

So yeah. That's Target, theatre... what else? Somewhere in all that I found time to teach a few dance classes. Sure it's hectic but you know what? I'm used to hectic. It sure beats sitting around at home like I was doing when I first moved back home last March. Jeez it's almost been a year since I left Orlando. That's crazy.

Oh! Oscar nominations come out... I believe next Tuesday morning. I'm still wayyy behind on catching those flicks, but I have a month or so to catch up. AND now most of the films that will be nominated are actually playing nearby. Makes it slightly easier to check them out. So there's THAT!

Before I go, I know that today is the start of a very scary four years. Take your minds of that! by wishing a very special movie a very happy 11th anniversary.

Remember, We're All In This Together!

Top 10 of 2016

First things first...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Before we move on from the trials and tribulations that was 2016, let's look back at Joe Moore's favorite flicks from the year. Note: as with every year, there were a number of films I did not see. Huge hits such as Doctor Strange and Moana? Didn't see them. Oscar hopefuls such as Manchester By the Sea? Never came to my area. Also note: while there were many good horror flicks this past year, none of them were GREAT at least in this guy's useless opinion. Let's get started!

Honorable Mention: 

     Star Trek Beyond - Much better than Into Darkness, this third entry in the Trek canon feels like an episode of the show, and I mean that in the best possible way.

     The Nice Guys - Thank you, Shane Black, for what I think is the most underrated flick of the year. It's a fun homage to the action-comedy buddy genre (which Black is known for) set in the swingin' 70s. If you haven't already, check it out!

Okay! On to the actual list!

10) (tie) Nocturnal Animals/Swiss Army Man

     I'm cheating with a tie, but I couldn't decide between these two films. Both are independent flicks. Both are not for everybody. Both are fantastic! 
     Animals is a twisty, neo-noir thriller with great performances and beautiful cinematography. At first the ending seemed a little abrupt, but after some thought I realized it is brilliant!
     Man is an extremely odd bromance anchored by terrific performances by Dano and Radcliffe. Dano is his usual bizarro self, but Radcliffe as a corpse... is really the best Radcliffe has been post-Harry Potter. If you like weird definitely check it out!

9) Midnight Special

The flick starts with a bang and doesn't stop until the conclusion. Which is great, but a little meat would've been nice. We never truly connect to the characters, and more about that cult would've been nice. That being said, this is a wonderful sci-fi thriller from writer/director Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, Mud) with an moving yet eerie score by David Wingo. Between this and Netflix's "Stranger Things", the 80s sci-fi nostalgia was on point this year!

8) Deadpool

Superhero flicks have become the norm lately, and honestly they've become slightly repetitive. Enter Deadpool to be the breath of fresh air we all needed. Thank you, Ryan Reynolds, for really pushing to make this as dirty and vulgar as it should've been with a little bit of heart sprinkled in because why not? Also thanks to current events, the song at the end hits even harder and the flick is all the better for it... Wham! 

7) The Edge of Seventeen

The award to best coming-of-age flick goes to... *drumroll please* no not Moonlight (because I didn't see it... yet) but this wonderful flick full of teenage angst. Usually that would be annoying but the writing is so well drawn-out you definitely side with the lead and can't wait to see where the story takes her. Speaking of the lead, Hailee Steinfeld is wonderful and totally deserved that Golden Globe nomination. You go, gurl!

6) Zootopia 

As with most Disney films, the trailer for this didn't excite me much but I decided to check it out anyway. I was blown away! Funny, heartfelt, and bizarrely topical, this Disney flick will go down as a classic and one to watch with your families for years to come. Bravo, Disney!

5) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Wow. I will say I was worried when I heard about the production hiccups. Fortunately none of them show up onscreen, and this flick works as both a prequel to the original Episode IV and a balls-to-the-wall war flick. There are the occasional missteps (that Tarkin CGI... ugh) and perhaps one too many appearances from series' favorites, but overall this first standalone entry in the Star Wars saga is terrific.

4) La La Land

What can I say about this wonderful film that hasn't already been said? It's a delightful ode to the golden age of musicals. Gosling and Stone continue to prove that their chemistry together is absolutely perfect. And yes, I definitely teared up a few times. If you're a fan of classic musicals, do yourself a favor and see this great film soon!

3) Kubo and the Two Strings

Laika continues to impress with yet another fantastic venture in stop-motion animation. Just the pre-credit sequence alone is breathtaking! I was worried that the big-name cast would hinder the flick, but the stars seemlessly blend into a wonderful story that's both inspiring and heartbreaking.

2) Arrival 

I knew I was going to love this film, but I didn't realize just how much. In vein with both Close Encounters and Contact, this is a more cerebral alien-invasion flick. It's not about aliens so much as it's about humankind and how we connect around the world. Also, just give Amy Adams the Oscar now. She is absolutely magnificent. Wow.


1) Sing Street

As if there was any question this would be my #1 choice of the year. I remember when the trailer was released toward the end of 2015. I was already sold, but then the soundtrack included Duran Duran, Hall & Oates, and The Cure? I was in love! This charming coming-of-age flick set in 1985 Dublin is truly one of the greats. Thank you, John Carney (Once, Begin Again) for this wonderful glance back into your childhood. If you like the 80s at all, if you enjoy a good coming-of-age flick, or if you just want to watch a feel-good movie with toe-tapping music, definitely check out this true winner! Now we need to get a campaign going for a Best Original Song nod for "Drive It Like You Stole It". Gah! I can't recommend this movie enough. Just see it!!

I think that about wraps things up for now. See? 2016 wasn't all bad. Even if it was, let's band together and make 2017 one we'll never forget! In a good way of course. Until next time, peace!

(Psst... me again. Sing Street is currently streaming on Netflix. You can literally watch it right now. Okay? Okay.)

Top 10 Christmas Movies

I hope everybody's days are indeed merry and bright. I just realized I've never posted my blog about my favorite Christmas flicks <GASP> so it's time to rectify this blasphemy. Without further ado, here is my personal Top 10. This includes Christmas specials.

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order): Die Hard, Home Alone 2, Lethal Weapon, The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Night Before, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, "A Benihana Christmas" from "The Office"

10) How the Grinch Stole Christmas 

    I know. I'm a Grinch to have this so low. At least it made the list. I think I'm the only one of my generation who doesn't care for Jim Carrey's live-action version. This classic cartoon however is wonderful.

9) It's A Wonderful Life

   A classic. Not necessarily one I watch every single year, and sometimes I gotta be in the mood. But let's face it. So many holiday movies/specials/even TV shows have paid homage this film in some way or another. Because it's amazing!

8) Gremlins

   A black comedy full of holiday chaos. It's funny, scary, and just plain fun. My favorite bit is the scene with the mom in the kitchen. And who can forget Phoebe Cates' deadpan monologue about why she hates Christmas? Y'all. So good.

7) Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special

   I've always been a Pee-Wee fan. When my pff bff Andie found out I'd never seen this special back in 2012 she was beside herself. We put it in. My life has never been the same. Required viewing every year (usually with tacos and Tecate), this gonzo special makes my inner child all giddy. Also Grace Jones' "Little Drummer Boy" is the ONLY acceptable version of that song.

6) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 

   "Why are we only #6, Todd?" "I don't KNOW, Margo." There are so many reasons why this is the best of the Vacation movies. That could be its own list. It's just wonderful, from that awful theme song to the patriotic ending, what a laugh riot. Play ball!

5) Elf

   Immensely quotable. Absolutely hilarious. Wonderfully charming. What can you not say about this modern-day classic? Other than a slightly lagging third act, it's pretty much perfect. I just like to smile! Smiling's my favorite!

4) Black Christmas

   I may get some flack for not having A Christmas Story on this list but you know what? I didn't watch that growing up. So here's director Bob Clark's OTHER holiday classic. It's a slow burn so modern audiences beware. But THIS is the perfect lump of coal for your stocking. Olivia Hussey. Margot Kidder. Andrea Martin. Where can you go wrong?!

3) Home Alone

   As a movie buff I can point out its flaws (the tone is off, part heartwarming, part slapstick). Or I can just forget about it and enjoy one of the best holiday flicks from my childhood. Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals!

2) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

   The best of the Rankin-Bass Christmas specials. Just try to argue with me about that. Memorable music, hilarious characters, and a heartwarming story all combine to make one of the best Christmas specials ever, except for...

1) A Charlie Brown Christmas

   ...THIS!!! Oh wow. I love the Peanuts so maybe I'm biased. But how can you not fall in love with this every single time you watch it?? Vince Guaraldi's score is just the cherry on top. It's timeless. End of discussion.

I hope you enjoyed this list! Let me know what some of your favorite Christmas movies are! And feel free to yell. It's more fun that way. Now everyone break out in your favorite Peanuts dance.