All Things Kevyn

I'm torn here. Did i like this film or did i not? It really could go either way. First off, the film is gorgeous. Well except for those weird and awfully bad CGI gargoyles. I mean, really? What the hell was that all about? But otherwise, a succulent film indeed. Of course the fact that it blatantly ripped off many of the stylistic flourishes (or at least tried to) of Coppola's 1992 Dracula (my personal favourite) and last year's Nosferatu says something about something. Hell, compare this film's poster with one from the aforementioned Nosferatu, and you'll wonder why no lawsuit has been filed. Then there's the acting. Other than the always charming Christoph Waltz in the Van Helsing inspired role, the portrayals range from uneven to downright laughable. Caleb Landry Jones, looking like all the meth heads you see hanging out front of the local convenience store does not make a convincing vampire of any ilk, and Zoë Bleu Sidel, daughter of Rosanna Arquette, seems ...

Although i think Chalamet is one of the better, more vibrant actors of his generation, i cannot really stand the guy. He seems like a giant douchebag if you want me to get blunt about it. Of course it's this image of him as a giant douchebag (whether he truly is a giant douchebag or just playing one as a public persona) that makes this extremely unlikable character work in this film. Yet, paradoxically, as extremely unlikable as Marty Mouser is in this film (and yes, you guessed it, he's a giant douchebag) i couldn't help but find myself rooting for the poor schlub throughout Josh Safdie's anxiety inducing, hypertensive film follow-up to his equally anxiety inducing hypertensive Uncut Gems. The fact that Marty Mouser is based on a real person, who may or may not be a giant douchebag (though it is based on his autobiography) makes me think Chalamet was perfect for the role, as he seems to be a giant douchebag himself. Have i used the term giant douchebag enough here, bec...

Even though it's his 13th feature, one can still say Baumbach has now made his own 8½. Granted, Fellini's classic was an autobiographical look at a director having a crisis of creativity, and this film switches it to an actor having the same crisis, with George Clooney filling in for Mastroianni. Yet, with the second half of the film taking place in Italy, complete with weird entourages wandering through the fields and villas and a cast of bizzare extras that make it seem like Fellini himself did the casting and Baumbach's creative use of flashbacks that seem to be coexisting with the present, this is so obviously inspired by Fellini. Hell, there's even a quick nod to Masroianni late in the film. I'm not saying Baumbach's 13th film is his grand opus, nor is it on the level of 8½ (sorry Noah, but not much is) but it is a great character study that blurs real life with memory, both real and perceived, and Clooney hands in one of the finest and most heartfelt perfo...

Jenna Clay is a popular radio personality on multiple stations and is the News Director of Cumulus Media Harrisburg! ●●●●● 1. If you had to pick just one food to have for the rest of your life, what would that one item of food be? Mexican! If I need to be more specific, enchiladas. From Colorado. 2. What album could you listen to over and over and over again and never tire of? Pearl Jam, "Ten" 3. What is your biggest pet peeve? It might be a tie between people talking at the movies, and people chewing with their mouth open. If they do both, I'm calling 911. 4. What fictional character do you most associate with, and why do you think that? Phil Dunphy from "Modern Family." I find him amusing, but also a bit awkward. He always has good intentions, but constantly puts his foot in his mouth. 5. If the zombie apocalypse happened, what attributes do you possess that would make you a valuable addition to any survivalist group? I'd keep things light-hearted until pe...

Lynne Ramsay's fifth feature, and her first in 8 years tells a harrowing tale of postpartum drepression to the nth degree. But let's face it, Ramsay does a great job with her latest film (and possibly her best or at least right up there with Ratcatcher) but this film is all Jennifer Lawrence all day long. Critics have said Jennifer Lawrence is a tour de force in this movie, and even though i find that term to be highly clichèd, i cannot argue with it's use here. Ms. Lawrence gives the most visceral performance of her career - and that's saying a lot if you've ever seen Mother!. With teeth sharpened and wildcat persona ratcheted up to eleven, J-Law plays a new mother, in the nowhere lands of rural Montana, the childhood home of her boyfriend, (played by Robert Pattinson, who is also great in a rather thankless role tho), who slowly descends into the gaping maw of madness. Playing the very personification of womanhood & motherhood, much like she did in the aforeme...

Courtney Hadwin is a singer / songwriter whose debut album, Little Miss Jagged, is available now. ●●●●● 1. What fictional character do you most associate with, and why do you think that? Tiana from The Princess and the Frog. Her dream of owning a restaurant fuels her work ethic. In a way, I see myself in her when I was younger, the age of 9, I knew what my dream was, I knew what I wanted to be and do when I was older, and I did everything I could to get there. I didn’t go to the school parties or hang out with my friends after school; my main focus was school, then home and practice til sleep time, and all again the next day. I knew if I worked hard enough, I’d get where I needed to be! 2. If someone wrote a book about your life, what do you think the title should be? Still Looking For A Title 3. If you could choose one song that would play every time you walked into a room (excluding your own songs), what song would you choose? Tequila by The Champs   4. If you could travel back i...

I love imperfections, which is why i love instant photography so much. Sure, i can use my Canon Rebel or even my Samsung Phone to create the sharpest of images - photos that are flawless, even if the didn't start out that way. And that is something i do, but even when i edit those photos, i like to make them not so slick & smooth. But with instant photography, i don't have to do such a thing, as the imperfections are already inherently there for all to see. And that is what i love. I have multiple Polaroids from throughout the years. The Sun 600 from the 70's, the Impulse from the 80's, the Now Gen from, well, from now, and several others. And each one of them gives me great pleasure when that photo wrhhhhs it's way out the front, sticking out it's glourious tongue for all to see. Sometimes there are glitches, especially with the older ones, and those glitches are a thing of instant beauty. But another thong of instant beaty are the different films and frame...