Paper Towns, Southpaw, and Pixels Review; Best Revenge Movies

paper towns southpaw pixels review

The Now Conspiring podcast team flocked to the theaters this weekend to catch up on all your would-be favorites. Do these latest mid-summer movies get through our rigorous litmus test of nonsense and high expectations?

At the very end of the show, we have an awesome spoiler review/discussion about Paper Towns with a clear spoiler warning. Don’t worry, it’s the very last part of the show. We also cover a ton of headlines for this week in entertainment, a box office catchup, and a new segment called “This Week in Brie Larson!

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What is your favorite REVENGE movie?

Go on…Paper Towns, Southpaw, and Pixels Review; Best Revenge Movies

‘Paper Towns’ Review: Girl Next Bore

paper towns review

Paper Towns is the latest book-to-movie adaptation from author John Green, who also wrote last summer’s book movie, The Fault In Our Stars. I’ve read Paper Towns and have now seen the movie.

It’s strange. I’ll say that in most ways, the movie does the book justice. It captures the coming-of-age tale that made the 2008 book so relevant and relatable for the YA audience that read it. My favorite moments from the book make it to the screen, thankfully, and you can tell that Green had some input in the bigger story changes.

For the most part, however, Paper Towns is a mixed bag.

The story is about a high school senior, Quentin, who is hopelessly in love with Margo Roth Spiegelman, the girl next door he’s drifted apart from since they were kids. After years of ignoring him, she arrives at his window one night out of nowhere and takes him on a fun, unforgettable adventure. Only to disappear the next day. The rest of the movie focuses on Quentin’s burning desire to find her based on the clues she left behind.

paper towns review

If this was the only thrust of the movie, I’d give it a low grade. As a character, Quentin isn’t really that interesting, despite the efforts of Nat Wolff, an actor I certainly like. And Margo, played by Cara Delevingne, is mostly absent during the movie for obvious reasons. I hate to say it, but even when she was onscreen, I didn’t fall for her the way I did for the Margo in the books.

This is mostly because the Margo in the books is a flawed, depressed character who doesn’t have to say she is “mysterious.” The Margo of this film is a little too “manic pixie dream girl,” despite the novel actually being about the deconstruction of that trope. It’s too early to tell if Cara Delevingne is as good an actress as Hollywood wants us to think (especially with Suicide Squad releasing next year), but I wasn’t impressed with her performance here, honestly, as she was just a little — again, I hate to say this — boring.

That said, the film is saved by Quentin’s group of friends, who are also the best aspects of the book. You’ll probably enjoy watching their stories and seeing how things turn out for them independent of the film’s main plot. In fact, my favorite parts of this movie were when the script veered away from the Margo mystery.

paper towns review

The ending isn’t as good or original, but I think fresh eyes would disagree. Even with its flaws, Paper Towns is a fun teen flick that might actually make you think. Just be sure to pick up the book if you want a story that’s a little more energetic and compelling.

Grade: C+  

I liked most of the performances in this movie, and John Green’s original material is salvaged enough for you to enjoy its quirky characters and memorable moments.

Paper Towns was directed by Jake Schreier and written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. It stars Nat Wolff as Quentin, Cara Delevingne as Margo, Austin Abrams as Ben, Justice Smith as Radar, Halston Sage as Lacey, and Jaz Sinclair as Angela.

 

Ant-Man, Trainwreck, and Mr. Holmes Review; Top 5 Best Actors

ant-man trainwreck review

This week on Now Conspiring, I’m joined by a full cast to review Ant-ManTrainwreck, and Mr. Holmes. Later in the show, we cover the latest box office numbers, entertainment news, and your feedback from last week.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Who do you think is the BEST actor in Hollywood right now?

Go on…Ant-Man, Trainwreck, and Mr. Holmes Review; Top 5 Best Actors

Comic-Con 2015 Roundup (Podcast)

comic-con

This week on the Now Conspiring podcast, I’m joined by Adonis Gonzalez, Kayla Savage, and Maria Garcia as we cover the best news and announcements coming out of this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego.

Unfortunately, we recorded the podcast just before the trailers for Batman v SupermanDeadpool, and Suicide Squad, so we don’t cover any of those big moments. Still, we cover a ton of relevant news for you guys to dig your teeth into. It’s basically like you’re really there. Or your ears, at least.

Go on…Comic-Con 2015 Roundup (Podcast)

Snarcasm: The Pixar Theory is Apparently, uh, Dead?

pixar theory debunk

A lot of people like to “debunk” The Pixar Theory, which is cool. I consider it flattering that people give it that much thought, and I always enjoy hearing differing opinions.

This latest “debunk” however is just too nonsense for me not to address. Let’s hit it.

So the idea is that all of the Pixar movies are connected. Here’s what Stephen Marshal Bove has to say about all of that in his interestingly named article, “The Pixar Theory is Dead.

Wait, what? Did you at least give it mouth to…

I just broke the Pixar Theory 🙂

First words of the article, and he’s already done it. This man can do anything! Free emoticons for everyone!

With two scenes from one movie, with characters from two films. Toy Story 2 and Bugs Life.

I almost ignored these sentences because they didn’t do normal sentence things. But OK, he’s apparently saying, “I just broke the Pixar Theory SMILING with two scenes from one movie, characters from two films. Oh, and those movies — in case you weren’t planning on bothering to read this — are Toy Story 2 and (A) Bug(‘)s Life.

Not to sound petty, but if you’re going to write about Pixar movies, can you at least get the titles right?

Just like the theory uses throwaway gags to defend the theory I allowed myself to do the same.

You know what you shouldn’t throw away? Commas. But OK, I’m done being petty.

Alright, even though I don’t remember any gags in particular, or what he even means by this at all, I’ll certainly give him the benefit of the doubtful.

In Toy Story 2’s opening Buzz Lightyear falls from space to an alien world to face off against Lord Zed.

Zurg. Get Buzz’s father’s name right (oh, spoilers!)

But when you look at the canyon Buzz flies in it’s actually the same canyon from a Bugs Life. 

Two scenes involving rocks and a hill look the same in a theory about a universe that’s connected? No wonder he named the article what he did! Might as well pack it in and shut down the site for good.

Then Bove decides to attach a vimeo that talks about this, completely explaining that this wasn’t actually his discovery.

At the end of Toy Story 2 in the bloopers part of the film, (I wish Pixar still did them) Flick and Heimlich are both seen and talk about how they are excited for ‘a Bugs Life 2’ but Buzz brushes them aside before Heimlich can give Flick the bad news. 

Oh no. Don’t tell me he’s about to argue that the bloopers for Pixar movies are now canon—

There is much more evidence to kill the theory, but these are the two that kill it outright, with no if ands or buts. 

Wait, what? That’s it? You didn’t even explain how the two things you just presented kill the entire Pixar Theory (not even just an aspect of it). How in any way is this a FINISH HIM moment for you?

But I do have more,

Thank goodness.

if the Monsters from Monster’s Inc / University are from some future Earth, then what happened to them after the Cars destroyed the world after Human’s left it?

The monsters didn’t exist yet. Did you read the theory?

When Wall-e and Eve-A fly / crawl along the world, there is no sign of life except the one plant Wall-E found.

Except the massive field of grass revealed at the very end beyond Axiom. And all of the resolution paintings showcasing the recovery of the environment and some human civilization. And that tree.

 Also the human’s have said to have left Earth in Wall-E because they destroyed the planet, making it so no living thing could breathe the air. That may work for the Cars, but what about the Monsters?

Did…did you watch the end of WALL-E?

In Finding Nemo, Mike is seen swimming under the water with a snorkel. So he obviously has to be able to breath unlike the Cars.

…did…did you just use something from the credits of Finding Nemo to make a point about monster anatomy? That’s almost impressive (if this wasn’t preceded by a complete misunderstanding of the Pixar Theory and several Pixar movies in general).

So there is another throw away gag that kills the theory instead of working for it. 

Don’t you mean drowns?

Unlike the Witch from Brave having a Pizza Planet truck and a drawling of Sully which sadly does work for it, but again these are all throw away gags to the audience and animators having fun.

Because we all know making movies that are connected to each other “isn’t” fun. It’s the worst! Those poor animators just wanted to have a good time and we ruined it!

But lets look at that Sully drawling and see if it really does work for the theory?

Is he asking our permission? Yes…OK, let’s do that. You brought it up, after all.

The theory states that the witch from Brave is actually Boo from Monster’s Inc, and she discovered how to travel through time with doors like Mike and Sully.

Right, right, this proves you at least read a paragraph of the Pixar Theory.

(Instead of the Monster’s having their own world and jumping from their world to ours like the films says)

Blast.

But why would Boo need to go looking for Sully when Sully went back at the end of Monster’s Inc and was reunited with Boo. She was not much older than she was when she last saw Sully because her voice did not change very much. 

It’s implied that this had to be a one time thing. No one expected Sulley to just keep visiting Boo all the way through college. That would be like taking your cowboy doll to…oh, so that’s foreshadowing.

In fact, Inside Out helps to explain the role of monsters post-Monsters Inc. Bing Bong is clearly an imaginary friend that Riley dreamed up after being visited by a monster, but she eventually forgot about him. In the same way, Sulley would stop visiting her and she’d just have those memories. Only Boo actually went to the monster world, and yes, Sulley came back at least one extra time.

So it makes sense to assume that this would traumatize the poor kid enough to wonder where her friend is. It would be like if Bing Bong made it to the Headquarters of Riley’s mind. With Boo, that’s probably the case.

So there you have it, the mighty Pixar Theory is dead and gone. 

Oh, just like that, huh? I wish I could will things to just happen without any effort or humility.

But it will still linger like other theory proven wrong, *cough* never landing on Moon *cough* they’ve proven metal and man mad objects are there *cough*

I’m just going to ignore the second part of that because…obviously.

Also, you haven’t proven my theory “wrong.” You’ve barely even written anything.

But I digress, this is just the evidence, if you still believe the theory there is nothing that can be done for you.

At least you digressed.

If it makes the films more enjoyable for you then believe it.

The Merciful Stephen Marshal Bove has spoken. Obey him!

But if you think Pixar is connected then I got some zinger DC/Marvel and Disney theories for yeah.

Bove then goes on to “prove” a bunch of shared universe theories based on easter eggs and throaway gags. Can you believe that? Someone should write an article saying his theories are dead, so then they just will be without question. People will totally read that.


Thanks for reading this. To get updates on my theories, books, and giveaways, join my mailing list.

Or just say hey on Twitter: @JonNegroni

 

‘Iron Giant’ Is Being Rereleased With Two New Scenes

iron giant rerelease

Brad Bird — the director of the 1999 animated cult classic, The Iron Giant — announced today via Twitter that the aforementioned film will be rereleased as “The Signature Edition” in select screenings between September and October of this year.

The kicker? The film is now 10 minutes longer with never-before-seen material. It’s essentially a director’s cut with two new scenes.

Go on…‘Iron Giant’ Is Being Rereleased With Two New Scenes

Terminator Genisys Review, Should We Like Shia LaBeouf?

terminator genisys review

For the podcast this week, we all ignored our families to talk about a failed franchise about time travel and robots, as well as Channing Tatum’s abs. That’s right, we review Terminator Genisys and chat about Magic Mike XTRA XTRA LARGE.

We also cover a ton of entertainment news and new trailers that came out. I’m joined by Maria Garcia (who has a sore throat this week), Adonis Creed Gonzalez, Mike Overkill, and Kayla Savage.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Should we dislike Shia LaBeouf?

Go on…Terminator Genisys Review, Should We Like Shia LaBeouf?