Popcorn Perspectives – Week of January 15, 2018

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton

Week of January 15, 2018

Blade Runner 2049
Rated R for violence, some sexuality, nudity and language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
While I’m a huge sci-fi lover, I have never been a big fan of the original 1982 sci-fi classic by director Ridley Scott. But I went in to this sequel, more than three decades after the first, with a very open mind – and I’m glad I did. The story takes place decades later where Ryan Gosling plays an LAPD Blade Runner who unearths a big secret that could change the fate of the entire planet. Just like the original, the plot is a little hard to decipher and understand, especially on first viewing, but there is no doubt to the mastery of the storytelling and vision. Sure you want to uncover the mystery, but more than that you want to take it all in and absorb its dreamlike existence. The special effects and overall production are off the charts here and when you throw in a terrific performance by Gosling and the small but impactful role of Harrison Ford, you get a really mind-blowing experience. A-

Happy Death Day
Rated PG-13 for violence/terror, crude sexual content, language, some drug material and partial nudity
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In 2014 Tom Cruise bombed (relatively speaking) at the box office when trying to apply the 1993 comedy Groundhog Day plot to science fiction, but this year, Happy Death Day reached a minor level of success by applying the same plot to low-budget horror. Here, a young girl wakes up the same way every day and then reaches her demise when a masked killer takes her out in many horrible ways. So she puts on her detective hat to figure out her killer in order to possibly move forward in time. The plot kind of writes itself, but the script and the cast are good enough to pull it off with a high enough level of entertainment to keep you engaged for 90 minutes. And for much of its teenage audience, it’s probably a very thrilling original story which they will enjoy watching on sleepovers for years to come. B-

It
Rated R for violence/horror, bloody images, and for language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Certainly one of the biggest box office surprises of the year was this horrifying recreation of the classic Stephen King novel which follows a group of young friends who are haunted by the scariest clown to ever grace a movie theater. While there is much more story to come, this first chapter was so smart to play it like Stand By Me and Stranger Things rather than go straight by the book. You quickly become engaged in the kids’ lives and find yourself cheering for them rather than just waiting to see their various fates. The production, script, score and acting are all top-notch, deriving a frightening product that will stick to your memory. A-