Tag: piper Curda

HOPPERS – Review

At last, the cruel, cold winter is giving way to a fast-approaching Spring (at least for most of the country). And what do many young men’s (and ladies’) fancies turn to, other than a amor? Why, going back to nature, naturally (see what I did there). Well, it just so happens that for their 30th (wow) feature film, those digital animation gurus at Pixar have fashioned a story about going back to nature in the most literal and fantastical way possible. Wth a bit of science fiction magic, this movie’s young heroine can comingle and even communicate (stop me before I launch into that catchy tune, “If I Could Talk to the Animals”) with the woodland critters that she’s watched from afar. Yes, that includes frogs, though they’re not the story’s main focus, nor are they the inspiration for this flick’s title, HOPPERS.


As this modern fable begins, we meet the aforementioned heroine, Mabel, in the Beaverton grade school system (she’s maybe eight or nine) as she embarks on her mission (and not the first attempt) to liberate the many “class animal pets” from their cages, aquariums, and other “jails”. She’s soon sent home with her mom, who, in turn, takes her to her adored grandmother Tanaka (voice of Karen Hule). To calm down the child, they sit on a big rock near a pond in the forest behind Granny’s home. Mabel is spellbound as she watches the water with a beaver dam at its center. Fast forward about ten years or so, as now 19-year-old Mabel (Piper Curda) still enjoys the tranquility of that sweet spot, even though Grandma” T has passed on. But the quiet is soon shattered by a noisy construction crew, determined to complete a big highway and pave over the place. It’s the dream project of Mabel’s constant nemesis, the affable Beavertown mayor, Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm). Since all the wildlife has left the pond, it’s fair game for the “improvement”. After failing to get enough signatures on a petition to stop them, Mabel heads over to the college (she’s a frequent “class-skipper”) to enlist the aid of Professor “Sam” Fairfax (Kathy Najimy), who explains that a single beaver could bring back all the animals. Mabel decides that she’ll try to lure and trap a beaver…and it works! One shows up, but he ignores the bait and scampers away to the Prof’s campus lab!


It turns out that, to observe the wildlife, Sam and her two aides have created a robotic beaver connected to a device (looks like one of those big “oldie” hair dryers) that can transfer(or the “hop”) the consciousness from a sleeping human subject to the “bot”. Oh, and the facimilile can talk with and understand all the critters. Of course, Mabel “borrows” the gizmo and literally “high-tails it” to the forest. There she learns of the woodland society, ruled (in a nice way) by the “king of the mammals”, a beaver named George (Bobby Moynihan). Mabel bonds with him and convinces George to unite with the other royal leaders (birds, bugs, fish, and reptiles) to stop the impending construction destruction. But when a decision is made to eliminate the “Human King,” Mabel must try to save her arch enemy, all while avoiding Sam and her staff’s attempts to retrieve their device, and wake up the sleeping real Mabel. Suddenly, there’s more at stake than saving that “watering hole”!

After hitting a major bump in their “original” film slate (yes, I don’t count the big sequels) last Summer with ELIO, Pixar comes roaring back with this truly “all ages” cartoon comedy classic. Oh yes, it brings the laughs, but they haven’t neglected the heart (Mabel and Granny’s super-strong bond), and even a message sneaks in (we’re never pummelled by the ecology themes). Again, the studio doesn’t showcase lots of “big name superstars” for the marquee and marketing value, instead opting for a solid cast at the microphone, though a certain “multiple-Oscar-winner” spreads her “wings” (hint, hint). Curda’s an energetic lead hero with lots of “spunk”, while Moynahn makes the most out of his good-natured charm that we saw during his stint on SNL (and he’s not the only “8H’ vet). Leading man Hamm flexes his comedic chops and continues to be a big audio asset (this is his fourth toon gig). I thoroughly enjoyed Najimy even as some of her Peggy Hill (TV’s “King of the Hill”) seeped in, especially as Sam is flummoxed by Mabel (“No! This is nothing like AVATAR!!”). And kudos for all the cartoon voice vets in the incidental animal extras. Oh, and speaking of “ear candy”, what a terrific bouncy score from kids’ TV icon (“Pee Wee’s Playhouse”) Mark Mothersbaugh!


So, which of the gifted minds in Emoryville concocted this bit of delirious entertainment? Hard to believe that this is the theatrical feature directing debut of Daniel Chong (creator of TV’s “We Bare Bears”), who co-wrote the screenplay with Jesse Andrews (ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL). Sure, there are some “lifted” elements, like the earlier-mentioned AVATAR mixed in with lots of DR. DOLITTLE (all incarnations), but they take the old trope conflict of nature versus commerce, and give it a refreshing spin (the bulldozing baddie is really a fairly nice fella). The script is truly lifted to the heights and beyond by the superior visuals that truly dazzle. The Pixar “pack” has really “upped” the level of sophisticated animation acting here. A third act sequence with Jerry being “taken over” has facial exaggeration and body movement that harkens to the works of “toon masters” like Bob Clampett and “Tex” Avery (I think it would work very well without the audio). I must mention the interesting “coding” of the critters. When Mabel is in the “device,” the animals have big eyes with lots of prominent white while gesturing wildly. But to those in “reality”, the wildlife isn’t nearly as wild, as they move with a slower pace, and the eyes are more or less dark brown dots. The design and some “takes” of the humans seem to be influenced by anime (much like what we saw in LUCA and TURNING RED). The overall look of all the characters is lots of fun (now I can call out the “eye candy”), and they mesh expertly with the lush backgrounds (that’s one beautiful forest). Again, this is “all ages” entertainment at its zenith, delivering a great original Pixar “fix” before another big sequel in a few months. I suppose I should end this by saying film fans should run, no walk briskly, rather than hop to the multiplex for HOPPERS.

3.5 Out of 4

HOPPERS is now playing in theatres everywhere.

THE WRETCHED – Review

C’mon film fans. let’s shake off the stuck-at-home isolation blues with this week’s new release. Yup, it’s not an “indie” full of despair and drama. So, it’s a rollicking comedy? Well..uh uh. A toe-tappin’ musical, perhaps?, Nah…it’s a horror flick. Well. at least you can feel good that all the weirdness isn’t directed at you as you stare out the window (hmm, the hero spends lots of screentime doing just that). And this is indeed an independent film, another in the subgenre of “art-house” horror led by THE WITCH, THE BABADOOK, and the very recent THE OTHER LAMB, though, in spirit, it may be closest to the retro thrills of IT FOLLOWS. This one owes a lot to that 70s homage, though it has more of the 1980’s thriller vibe of the Netflix hit “Stranger Things”. So with all the real-world scares outside can THE WRETCHED deliver the shivers?

Speaking of that past decade, the story begins with a flashback to a gruesome graphic incident in 1985 (it looks like an “afterschool special” no network would run). Jumpcut to today as teenager Ben (John-Paul Howard) gazes out the window of the bus taking him to a sleepy lakeside town somewhere in the US. After his folks split, this is where dad Liam (Jamison Jones) landed, running the local marina. And since Ben is spending the Summer with him, he’s got a job there. He’s not too keen about taking grief from the local rich kids, nor is he thrilled about Dad’s new girlfriend Sara (Azie Tesfal). But at least he’s made a friend, his cute and snarky co-worker Mallory (Piper Curda). And then there’s the weird next-door neighbors, Summer renters: affable beer-guzzling Ty (Kevin Bigley), doting mother Abbie (Zarah Mahler), grade-schooler Dillon (Blane Crockarell) and baby Sam. Everything changes when Abbie brings home a deer carcass in their truck (it was an accident…sure…). But they get much more than fresh venison. Then Ben observes some strange stuff. Ty’s in a stupor while Abbie’s wardrobe goes from “biker chick chic” (jean shorts, heavy metal T’s, and plaid) to flowing sundresses (with prominent crimson coloring). Ben discovers that Dillon is sleeping in one of the kids’ rental boats. And that baby’s awful quiet now. It all adds up to a sinister plot, but how can Ben get anybody, Mallory and especially his pop Liam to believe him? And what can he do before “whatever’s out there” gets to him?

At first, Howard appears to be doing a riff on the clean-cut all-American teen trapped in a supernatural web, but Ben seems to have his own inner demons. He sports an arm cast through most of the story, making us curious until midway in the film when he reveals that a botched drug theft (the opioid crisis rears its ugly head) caused it. His parents’ split has done some damage, as he lashes out, verbally berating his “laid back” papa, giving a Ben a “chip on his shoulder”. Even before he’s aware of the creepshow next door, he both hates the rich taunting “townies” and wishes he were part of their orbit. Curda’s quite charming as his best bud, “sounding board” and caper cohort (a mix of Daphne and Velma). Mallory’s a likable take on the “girl next door” (or work-pal) who helps ground Ben during some of his manic rants. Jones makes Liam a sympathetic single dad, especially when he gifts Ben with a bicycle (it’s got a basket already) and learns that his ex has already promised him her old car. Luckily he gets his confidence back in order to deal with his boy’s erratic behavior. The cast’s other stand-out is the main villain. Mahler’s Abbie seems to be the ultimate “cool mom”, who can rock a cradle while suiting up for a motorcycle jaunt. Then it’s as though she’s taken a variation of Jeykll’s formula. Without raising her voice, Abbie’s running ‘the show”, gliding from room to room, and house to house, purring threats to Ben through a flimsy screen door as she floats away in her billowy long red dresses (or is it a shroud). Ole’ Ty doesn’t stand a chance against her new sultry sinister self.

With their first film since the 2011 zombie flick DEADHEADS, the brothers Pierce (Drew T. and Brett) have crafted an engaging homage to the VHS classics, which probably were stacked around the family VCR. That’s not to say that their script is a Frankenstein cut and stitch job since the plot does go in several surprising directions (a late in the third act “curveball” is quite a risky jolt of energy). And their direction has just the right balance of atmosphere (can’t go wrong with the woods and all those dark dank basements) and frantic action set pieces (with that arm cast Ben is a challenged protagonist). Yes, it’s a bit bloody, but there’s also buckets of oozing dark sludge that fill the screen. Speaking of balance, the Pierces do use some nifty CG effects while giving us some variations of the type of practical make-ups inspired by the 82′ THING and the original HOWLING (Baker, Bottin, and Savini would be pleased). And there’s a bit of Hitchcock-style paranoia as Ben fails to convince any adults of his observations (a tip to another 80s classic, the original FRIGHT NIGHT and a nod to REAR WINDOW). The only time the story really stumbles is with a clumsy pool prank on Ben which takes us away from Abbie’s antics. And though both actors are terrific, there’s little romantic chemistry between the Ben and Mallory characters, as they work better as a Hardy boy teamed with Nancy Drew. But that’s a minor quibble because THE WRETCHED really delivers those “old school” thrills and chills. And, as always, don’t go in the basement!!!

3 out of 4

THE WRETCHED opens May 1 at drive-ins everywhere. It is also streaming through digital and cable platforms including VOD, iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Prime, GooglePlay, and YouTube