"The Conjuring: Last Rites, Another Modern Moron Movie Review

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return as Ed and Lorraine Warren, the real life paranormal investigators in the 9th instalment of the Conjuring flicks. 

Whether or not you believe in the paranormal, this movie has some creepy and disdurbing scenes. A black framed mirror is the conduit allowing evil entities into the realms of our world in "The Conjuring: Last Rites." 

The Warren's are forced out of retirement to help a family in Pennsylvania being viciously tormented by demonic spirits. These evil spirits also seize control of the Warren's teenage daughter Judy, portrayed by Mia Tomlinson, and the story really starts rolling.   

The crazied looking Annabelle doll makes her appearance too, and as usual she gets in your head and doesn't leave. 

If I live to be a 1,000-years-old, I'll be extremely content to never awake to the sounds of a rocking chair occupied by the demon doll Annabelle with those devious eyes looking right into my soul.  

 

Three and a half stars easy for "The Conjuring; Last Rites."

Mark Izzy Schurr

"Fantastic Four: First Steps," A Modern Moron Movie Review

Fantasy from "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" tinges on the tales of the Silver Surfer, and the chaos of the cosmos brings Galactus to Earth, the devourer of worlds, a being as old as time itself who feeds on entire planets. 

Straying from the Silver Surfer comics, Shalla-Bal and not the Silver Surfer is herald to Galactus, the one who finds him planets to destroy. She does this in order to save her own planet Zenn-La. She was the Silver Surfer's first love, and both are from Zenn-La. 

The power cosmic is as vast as space and timeless as infinity. Extensive knowledge of the Fantastic Four stories and those of my favorite, the Silver Surfer are not needed to follow the story of "The Fantastic Four: First Steps", yet a small dose of the history of Galactus and the Fantastic Four certainly comes in handy for viewers of this flick. 

The movie reveals how the four astronauts acquired super natural powers and became the Fantastic Four. The writers vastly upgraded the adventures of the vintage Fantastic Four comic books and screen-played this sometimes sappy movie with clever humor and serious conflict. Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman spawn a child, and Galactus offers to spare the Earth if they give up their child. They decide not to give up their son to Galactus and attempt to keep our bless-ed planet alive. 

Compared to Galactus, everyone, including the Fantastic Four are like mere ants trying to fight a lion. So how do they save the Earth from the all powerful Galactus? No spoilers from me. 

Bravo to the special effects team, the 3D was amazing, espically when Shalla-Bal soars through outer space along side the rocket ship of the Fantastic Four. This flick is meant for the big screen. Three and a half stars easy for this movie. 

Mark Izzy schurr

"Megan 2.0," A Modern Moron Movie Review

In "Megan 2.0" Gemma and Cady are forced to align with Megan in order to combat Amelia, a highly trained android, built for military combat. (Allison Williams returns as Gemma and Violet McGraw as her 12-year-old niece, Cady.) 

Create a psychotic robot with advanced military fighting skills in order to combat another one? Gemma and Cady are faced with this dilemma in the sequel, still fresh in theatres, released on Friday. The second installment of "Megan" is laden with the same cast and crew members, and a completely different story. 

In the first movie, Gemma's AI creation Megan killed four people and one dog and threatened to rip out her tongue and put her in a a wheel chair. Gemma's hesitation and distrust in Megan is indeed warranted, but Megan 2.0 is always learning and infinitely striving to better herself, Megan said. 

Are electronic devices a dopamine and as addictive as cocaine? Gemma seems to think so, yet she also embraces today's technological advances, hence her career in AI technology. Cady has aspirations of a college degree in the same field, following in her aunts foot steps. 

The music in "Megan 2.0" is modern and marvelous, just like the first "Megan," and I sensed an ambience of pride from the musicians and film makers in both the Megan movies. 

The Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics Infiltration Android, aka AMELIA is on a mission to collapse the global economy and set forth a new world where machines rule the world. 

Should a human brain have Megan's complete algorithm chipped into its cerebral core to contend with Amelia? Will AI ride shot gun with a human brain? "Megan 2.0" has clever theories on this subject and so much more. This flick was a blissful buffet, nourishing my hunger for entertainment. 

Megan's mind is vast and freighting, yet fascinating. As a fighting robot, she's a realistic bad ass. A robot can take a hard punch a lot better then a human, and with advanced technology, Megan is faster and stronger then the imagination. 

Ivanna Sakhno is the enemy AI, Amelia, an alluring android eager to to kill anyone hindering her mission of an ultimate electronic take-over. She's a yowza looking bot and her robotic facial expressions are deliciously dangerous.  

Amie Donald returns as the human Megan and bravo to her dance moves. 

Jenna Davis also returns as the voice of Megan, and yes, she sings with aplomb. 

Writers Akela Cooper and Gerald Johnstone expanded the story with exquiste excellence. It's safe to say, the Megan saga is just begining. Four stars easy for "Megan 2.0."

Mark Izzy Schurr 

   

  

Mind Journey

 

The dream child journeys into the mystic bands of imagination, where fantasy becomes fact, its a wondrous world without wars and bombs. 

I followed her into a land where the currency was laughter and the illustrious ambience of nature, complete with lush forests, radiant rivers and magnificent beaches was nourishment, thus the tails of Wonderland immortalized peace. 

Lewis Carroll / Mark Izzy Schurr 

"Hurry Up Tomorrow," Another Modern Moron Movie Review

 

Not my type of music, but it worked in "Hurry Up Tomorrow," and I applaud the artistic view of the camera close-ups and the odyssey of the odd.

Jenna Ortega displays her depths in the acting field in this bizarre film which journeys into the very core of the souls of the main characters. I'm certain if I saw this flick a second time, I'd still have questions for myself, yet I understood the human desire for affection and success this movie was trying to convey, or at least I think I did. 

"Hurry Up Tomorrow" showcases the calamity of broken spirits in the most original way I've ever seen in a movie. 

Right off the bat I was hooked because I had to know where the story was going, and while I still have questions, my answers were satisfied. 

Mark Izzy Schurr

"Final Destination Bloodlines, a Modern Moron Movie Review

"Final Destination Bloodlines" is the 6th instalment of this movie genre, and like the previous five, over the top accidental deaths claim several lives. 

Unlike the prior films, the main character has recurring dreams of her family members meeting untimely and violent deaths as opposed to priminitions of burly and violent deaths. Can the cycle of death be broken? Is there a way to cheat death? "Final Destination Bloodlines," like its predecessors begots these questions, and while searching for the answers, a large shard of glass might get lodged in your throat and a running lawn mower might dismantle your entire face, or perhaps a grand piano will push you through the window of a burning high rise.

The death scenes and the things leading up to them didn't disappoint, and "Final Destination Bloodlines," like the previous five has earned its way into my October watch again and again flicks. 

Mark Izzy Schurr  

   

"The Surfer," A Modern Moron Movie Review

You can't stop a wave, born in its storm way out to sea, it's pure energy, all building to a breaking point, and according to the villain in "The Surfer," one must suffer before you can surf. 

Almost for the life of me, I wish I could remember everything Nicolas Cage said about surfing in the opening of this flick, a fantastic poem reminiscent of the alluring wording only found in Silver Surfer comic books.

I've never surfed, but it's a way of life for many, a gateway to the ultimate understanding of nature and the origins of everything tangible and spiritual, or so its been said. 

"The Surfer's" previews project a certain predictability and those projections are non existence in the actual movie. 

Upon viewing the previews of "The Surfer," I thought it was going to be about local surfers bullying The Surfer, aka, Nicolas Cage and The Kid, Finn Little who protrays Cage's son. At a glance, I simply thought, Cage was going to stand up to the locals taking over a public beach and kick their gloutuous maxes, or get his booty beat. Yes, The Surfer and The Kid get bullied, but the story goes way beyond anything I could have ever imagined. 

The action is minimal and "The Surfer" releys on plot and dialogue rather then gratuitous action scenes. 

Three stars easy for "The Surfer."

Mark Izzy Schurr