Josh Brolin - Blog Posts

Review: Hail Caesar! (2016)

Rating: 7.9 of 10

The latest film by producer-writer-director duo, Ethan and Joel Coen (The Big Lebowsky, No Country For Old Men, Inside Llewyn Davis), Hail, Caesar! is not an easy film to explain at first glance. It doesn't have a clear, definable premise, except maybe this decidedly vague description in its synopsis: Hail, Caesar! follows a single day in the life of a studio fixer who is presented with plenty of problems to fix.

I may warn you now that this review is written by someone who's not a fan of Coen Brothers work--but I'd also remind you that I always, always try to see movies objectively. Their movies are always artistically and narratively outstanding, but I always find their movies to be a tad too uncomfortable for my taste. There's actually an excellent video essay (by Every Frame a Painting, watch it here) on exactly how Coen Brothers’ shots differ from “standard” filmmaking, which actually made me feel relieved because it turned out there's an actual cinematographical reason on why I don't like to see their films despite them being of high quality.

But Coen Brothers don't really care about making things "commercial" or "accessible", they just do what they want to do--and in result they always succeed in making one-of-a-kind movies with singularly unique voice. They are experts in what they do so it’s no wonder that the critics love them, and in a lot of ways, The Coen Brothers are the guardians of the art of filmmaking.

Now back to the actual movie. Set in the 1950s, the leads are played by Josh Brolin as studio man Eddie Mannix, and George Clooney-in-silly-haircut as actor Baird Whitlock. There are also a number of cameos from big stars like Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Channing Tatum (in a scene that included singing and tap dancing), Jonah Hill, and more. If that sounds a bit sporadic, it’s because Hail Caesar! is indeed somewhat sporadic, if only because of the nature of the story. The crux of the story is about George Clooney’s character who is kidnapped, but there are a lot of things going at once that are only connected by the end of the film. However, with a lot of things going on, they do not feel jumbled or overstuffed at all. Especially with how gleefully absurd those cameos are, you don’t really mind because they really do make the soul of the movie.

There are a lot of talents involved in this movie, but there are definitely some standouts worth mentioning such as Alden Ehrenreich (soon to be young Han Solo in upcoming Star Wars prequel movie), Veronica Osorio, Channing Tatum, and Tilda Swinton who are just charming in each of their roles. In midst of deadpan hilarity and caricatured characters, Coen Brothers also managed to sneak-in a few commentary/satire on things like religion and Christianity, capitalism, communism, and even on the movie industry--which lend some weight to the movie instead of being just another well-made absurd comedy. 

TL;DR While it’s not the best movie that the Coen Brothers had ever made, Hail Caesar! is an excellent film, although for me, it’s just refreshing to see something as blatantly original as Hail Caesar!. But if you’re a fan of the Coen Brothers--or a fan of something that I can only describe as uncomfortable comedy--then this movie is definitely for you.

To soothe my soul

I like to think Loki and Thor had a conversation when Hulk was fighting with thanos. You know maybe an apology and a “goodbye brother”

The Goonies (1985)

Smoking: After School Special

You know in the beginning when Robert Davi is faking dead in the county jail, I never understood how he knocked that cop out. It is one of the fakest hits I think I’ve seen in a movie. I mean sure it is 985, but it doesn’t have to be that terrible.

Introducing all the kids throughout the police chase is brilliant through Steven Spielberg. I think my favorite is Corey Feldman when he turns off the tv for the sirens and then the sirens keep going and he hits the tv 😂 just turn around.

True brother-ship right there. Josh Brolin and Sean Astin definitely act like how brothers would.

Ke Huy Quan is my favorite though. All his inventions.

F**king CF. All of those crazy things he “translated” for Lupe Ontiveros. “Always separate the drugs” 🙄

Jeff Cohen… so loud, so annoying. Let’s just yell as loud as you can that these people are going to kill you to where they can hear you. Like tf

Anne Ramsey is definitely one of the scarier mob ladies I think I’ve ever seen. She was definitely a great choice to play Mama Fratelli.

Kerri Green and Martha Plimpton running into the restaurant screaming after finding fish heads on a rake. KG “it jumped right out of the bushes” 🙄 big babies.

Guess Nike paid for some ad space. Saw 2 clear shots of different kinds of shoes as they lowered into the tunnel.

I absolutely love when they starting banging on the pipes! The asshats at the Country Club deserve every bit. Especially Steven Antin in the bathroom!

Just realized that Joe Pantoliano is the captain in Bad Boys. Had to text the bestie 😎

Goonies Never Say Die!

How does AR know the shoe size she was looking at are 5’s??

Now I really wanna Baby Ruth.

KHQ’s inventions saved his live. Pinchers of Peril! Next, his slick shoes!

Then my favorite booby trap from One Eye Willie. The Bone Organ. Poor KG all that pressure to do it right and not kill everyone.

Then we have John Matuszak turn into Super Sloth and kicks his brothers asses! And then AR being a terrible mother. “I only dropped you one once. Well maybe twice.”

I always wondered how JC’s mother in the movie felt about him saying that JM was going to live with them now. Like just inviting some adult stranger into your home.

Of course, they save The Goon Docks!

Thanks for reading this episode of Reefer-Reelz-N-Reviews!

Toke on!😶‍🌫️

-RRR

10. Ewan McGregor Movie Review: Nightwatch (1997)

New year, new movies! In 1997, Ewan starred in three movies and all of them had some pretty bizarre plots lol. Let's start at the beginning with "Nightwatch"!

Genre: Horror/Mystery

Rating: R

Director: Ole Bornedal

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Nick Nolte, Josh Brolin

Synopsis: "Nightwatch" follows Martin Bells, a college student, who takes a job as the new night watchman at a morgue at the same time a serial rapist/murderer is on the loose. As the police hunt for the criminal, and more evidence is brought to light, Martin comes to the terrifying realization that he is their prime suspect!

Ewan Review: Ewan plays the main character Martin Bells. Martin is in college as a law student and is best friends with a mean, sexist, and inconsiderate (the list could go on) prick. Ewan has a female love interest and they have a couple kissing scenes as well as a really tender moment early in the movie. He speaks with an American English accent which isn't too shabby except when he gets scared and then he pretty much drops it lol. Speaking of scared, he spends a lot of the movie screaming, and crying. He has a bathing scene with no real nudity but if you pause at just the right time it's possible to see his package from afar. He also gets a public handjob, beat up, bit, and bound. In other words, you get a slew of very weak, vulnerable, and submissive Ewan content.

Screentime Percentage: Ewan is on screen for a grand total of 52/102 minutes making his SP 51%.

To Ewan or not to Ewan: Is the movie worth watching for Ewan content? Yes. Is the movie worth watching in general? Yes. Caveat: if you wish to be entertained then the movie will entertain you. But it espouses such harmful views of women that you might not be able to look past it and enjoy the story.

Warning before Watching: there is a violent murder within the first 3 minutes of the movie and another towards the end. There are close ups of mutilated, naked, dead bodies and lots and lots of blood. The movie is also incredibly sexist and revels in cruelty against women.

Where to Watch: You can stream the movie for free on Pluto TV or soap2day. It's available for rent on YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, and Fandango at Home.

Closing Thoughts: This movie is in the horror genre seemingly because of the gore and suspense. The true horror of this film is the misogyny and general treatment of women. I was more disturbed and disgusted by the way the male characters interacted with the female characters. Mind you, this movie is not a cautionary tale. It is not about the pitfalls of sexism. The male characters do not receive comeuppance for their behavior. It is treated as natural. It is celebrated. We are to understand and sympathize with these chauvinists. We are to find humor in their hatred and charm in their cruelty. The funny thing is, you could (and I did) read a homoerotic subtext within the relationship of the two male best friends because they truly only love each other while their female love interests are just an afterthought. This movie is gross for all the wrong reasons and I will not be watching it again.

Predicting the fate of the Avengers - Spoilers below

So I just finished Infinity War and boy did it hurt. A lot. So to make myself feel better and hopefully other fans out there, here is a little list of what I think will happen to my children.

IRON MAN/TONY STARK

Well he surprisingly survived Infinity War against all odds but the chances of him surviving Avengers 4 are slim. Robert Downey Junior has made no official statement of renewing his contract with Marvel so he will most probably bow out of the role in Avengers 4. Whether Marvel kills him off entirely or he retires from the life of Iron Man and is never seen again, maybe start a farm with Pepper. Well I hope for the best but that’s not usually what I get.

CAPTAIN AMERICA/NOMAD/STEVE ROGERS

Another person who surprisingly survived Infinity War. Chances of surviving Avengers 4 are small. Chris Evans has not yet expressed any interest in renewing his contract so it will be likely that Captain America will be killed off in Avengers 4. Whether Bucky or Sam will take up the mantle of Captain America is another question entirely. 

THANOS

Hopefully this motherfucker dies because he is a complete asshole and doesn’t deserve life. He will probably die by the end of some big final battle in Avengers 4.

THOR

A survivor of Infinity War who will hopefully not die in Avengers 4. With the huge success of Thor: Ragnarok there might be a chance for a Thor 4 and Chris Hemsworth will be back to reprise his role. That would be the best possible outcome for Thor. His chances of surviving Avengers 4 is probably a tiny bit better than the survival of characters such as Iron Man and Captain America. Also he just got this amazing axe upgrade and it would be a bit of a waste for it to be shown in just 2 movies.

BLACK WIDOW/NATASHA ROMANOFF

A survivor of Infinity War. There is a decent chance that she will die in Avengers 4 but also a decent chance that she will live. Marvel is currently working on a Black Widow movie but whether the events in the movie are going to be before or after the events of Avengers 4 is still unknown.

NEBULA

She’s thankfully alive but it could be due to the role she plays in defeating Thanos in the comics. Hopefully we could see her play her part in Avengers 4 but whether she would survive the ordeal in it is still a question remained unanswered. She should survive as her character has a lot of potential for development especially with Guardians of the Galaxy 3 coming up.

THE HULK/BRUCE BANNER

My boy Bruce is alive. The chances of him surviving Avengers 4 are higher than most of his team. Considering the development The Hulk has gone through in Thor: Ragnarok and Infinity War, his character hopefully won’t come to a close in Avengers 4. The Hulk still has room to develop especially after that whole thing in Infinity War where The Hulk wouldn’t come out to fight. 

OKOYE

This badass is thankfully alive and should remain so as we won’t have a general to lead the Dora Milaje with a Black Panther sequel being discussed. 

ROCKET RACCOON

My small rabbit survived but at a very great cost. Marvel give him a break already he doesn’t deserve losing everyone. He should be safe for Avengers 4 with Guardians of the Galaxy 3 in the works.

WAR MACHINE/RHODEY

Oh he’s already been through so much thank you Marvel for keeping him alive. He should be safe for Avengers 4. If he survives he’ll be a member of the new Avengers and help fill in Tony’s shoes if he dies.

STAR LORD/PETER QUILL

He’s at the moment dead. Star Lord will most probably be revived as there is a Guardians of the Galaxy 3 scheduled for release in the next few years. He should be alive by the end of Avengers 4.

DOCTOR STRANGE/STEPHEN STRANGE

A dead man. Strange will most probably be revived as there is much room for his character to grow and develop. Strange is also a very powerful character in the MCU so getting rid of him will be a waste. A person like Cumberbatch also brings in a lot of profit due to well Benedict being Benedict and the entire internet absolutely loving him. There was also that cliffhanger at the end of Doctor Strange which could be explored in sequels. He should be alive by the end of Avengers 4.

SPIDERMAN/PETER PARKER

Oh my poor child he was too young. Spiderman will most probably be alive by the end of Avengers 4 as there is the Spiderman sequel being made. Spiderman is also a very new and popular addition to the MCU so killing him in Avengers 4 would be a waste. 

SCARLET WITCH/WANDA MAXIMOFF

My poor girl is dead. Scarlet Witch is a very powerful character and has a lot of room to grow and develop. Marvel won’t give up this character with that much potential. She should be safe for Avengers 4. 

GAMORA

Oh my poor girl is dead. With a Guardians of the Galaxy in the works, it is uncertain if Gamora will rejoin her family to fight evil ever again. But it is possible that she simply trapped in the Soul Stone as she was necessary for Thanos to obtain it. She could be revived for Avengers 4 but still keep your fingers crossed.

GROOT

How dare they touch my tree. My tree did not deserve that. He should be alive by the end of Avengers 4 due to Guardians of the Galaxy 3 around the corner. Also I just want to see my tree grow.

THE VISION

My baby is dead. He did not deserve that right after he found love. The Mind Stone was ripped from his head killing him but there might be a chance of survival. This depends on how far Shuri got into removing the Mind Stone. If they somehow got the Mind Stone back to Vision that might bring Vision back to life. He probably has a 50/50 chance of being revived by the end of Avengers 4.

WHITE WOLF/WINTER SOLDIER/BUCKY BARNES

I’ve watched him die twice now. Give my boy a break. After the whole finger snap of doom we can assume that he is simply another soul trapped in the Soul Stone. Bucky has gone through a lot of changes and development through his time in the MCU and he should be safe for Avengers 4. Also I just want a Bucky movie Kevin Feige please just give it to us.

MANTIS

My sweet innocent girl just crumpled to ash. She should be alive by the end of Avengers 4 with Guardians of the Galaxy 3 in the works. She is also a very powerful character despite her timid personality. Would be a waste for Marvel to just throw away this character.

LOKI ODINSON

Now there’s lots of theories surrounding Loki’s death which you can find by just scrolling through the Loki tag on tumblr. I am currently in denial myself about his death because I love hime too much. The best possible outcome of this is that he is alive and he goes and leads what remains of Asgard and get a standalone Loki movie. Worst case scenario is that he remains dead forever and Thor is alone without a brother he just got back. Prepare yourself for both.

THE FALCON/SAM WILSON

He dead. Also probably trapped in the Soul Stone but should be alive by the end of Avengers 4. He should also be a part of the new Avengers team after the original ones die/exit.

MARIA HILL

She’s dead but should return by the end of Avengers 4 as she is another soul trapped in the Soul Stone. She should continue to be Nick Fury’s right hand.

BLACK PANTHER/T’CHALLA

How dare they kill my king. Right after we just fall in love with him in Black Panther. He should be alive by the end of Avengers 4 with a Black Panther sequel being discussed. Marvel also wouldn’t end T’Challa’s story after the immense success and impact of Black Panther because that would be the stupidest move made in Marvel history.

HEIMDALL

Poor Heimdall. Didn’t deserve that. Unfortunately I don’t see a return for his character into the MCU after being stabbed like that. You will be missed.

HAWKEYE/CLINT BARTON

Alive? We don’t know after the whole finger snap of doom but seeing as there are a lot of theories surrounding him for Avengers 4 we’ll presume that he is alive. We don’t know the how big of a role he will play in Avengers 4 so it will be hard to tell whether he will survive Avengers 4.

WONG 

Alive? I don’t know but he should be as there was that cliffhanger in Doctor Strange and it just wouldn’t be complete without my boy listening to Beyoncé while kicking ass.

ANT MAN/SCOTT LANG

Alive? Don’t know because he wasn’t in the movie. Hopefully he wasn’t a victim of the finger snap of doom because that would suck. There’s also theories of his role in Avengers 4 which relies heavily on his use of the quantum realm. Look it up. 

SHURI

Alive? Hopefully she wasn’t a victim of the finger snap of doom. She should have a bigger role in Avengers 4 especially if they plan on bringing Vision back. Hopefully she’ll be safe by the end of Avengers 4 especially with a sequel being discussed.

PEPPER POTTS

Alive? We don’t know if she’s a victim of the finger snap of doom. Hopefully she isn’t because we just her back and Tony would be devastated if she was dead.

Please tell me if I’ve missed anyone because I feel like I did with this gigantic cast.

there was an idea...

don’t steal and credits me please much appreciated

Wanda held back Thanos with 5 infinity stones with one hand Thor penetrated through the power of 6 full infinity stones and stabbed Thanos' heart These two are the strongest Avenger