Review of Hulu's Fyre Fraud

Basically a hit job on Billy McFarland. After gathering what information I could from Fyre Fraud, it's well deserved. This seems like the documentary assumed the viewers would know information before hand. I might have missed a few notes but I kept asking for more details and it's not cause the documentary had me hooked but because I felt left behind. I wouldn't have been watching the documentary had I known all the information.

 Oddly, it is a fond interest of mine to discover events with large gatherings of people that have turned into disaster. In college I aided a diversity club that focused on Japanese culture. Every year, we have to put on an event that hosted about 500 people and even we'd be behind on task, it seemed everyone just assumed we'd be able to get it done. The frustrating part of documentary(many other documentary have this same issue) that Fyre Fraud would flash headlines but would not walk through why it's a problem,just that it's a problem and we the viewer should be upset because. For example, apparently McFarland didn't get on the island to plan the Fyre Festival until a few months beforehand. As someone, who has never planned planned a concert I have no idea of the process and why Billy was planning with such little time but from what the documentary was trying to make me feel I'm supposed to hate Billy for it. I'm no dumby, I understand that planning a festival takes a considerate amount of time but as someone whose never planned one I would like to learn details why. In the end, I didn't learn much about this particular aspect of this disaster. This similar to a few angles the documentary tried making the audience upset about like Magnesis. The documentary made it seem like it was get rich quick scam McFarland did to reach his position of power but I can't repeat to another person what the point of the product was besides being application of sorts to credit cards. 

I don't like McFarland and by no means do I want to fend him against Fyre Fraud; I simply don't like how the documentary would drop points and want us to its word for it that it's either accurate or bad. The car crash known as Fyre Festival is a spectacle I don't want to look away but Fyre Fraud gave me nothing to look at just told me how to feel. Somewhat of a hook was the fact filmakers got to interview McFarland. Definitely a selling point in their trailer. I overall feel the interview was incredibly wasted and continued on the rest of the shallow cartoonish ruse. They flatout ask Billy how he responds to being labeled as a sociopath. What kind of journalism is that? It's as subtle as a pro wrestling promo. Now, the documentary could've been a ploy dropped by Hulu to get folks lost on how exclusive the documentary is that came out on Netflix at the exact same time dealing with the exact same topic. I plan on seeing it because I want more detail but it seems from the reaction that the Netflix one aims at making the individuals that went look stupid and deserving of this outcome while the hulu one aims at making McFarland a predator. Rich or not, I don't think anyone deserves this sort of let down. I may not even stop at the Netflix documentary if I get the motivation. There's a lot of great youtubers who cover such man made disasters, who I'm impressed; often it deals with disasters at amusements park but with the hype Fyre Festival got it looked to be an amusement park if it were to live up to the hype. 

The way I would've orchestrated this documentary was Act 1, have someone who was along for the setup explain how Billy got them involved, and have them explain the process needed in setting a festival up and why Fyre obviously didn't do that. Act 2, follow a victim of the Fyre Festival from the purchasing of the tickets to the flight to the quick revelation that the lodges were crap, food was crap and the music was not coming. Fyre Fraud did a little of this by it feel likes a lot of it was assumed that we knew how they felt when they found out. The frustration would have me roasting those damn pigs. Act 3, finsih it with McFarland's point of view. Let him try to convince us why he's right than show he's the devil. The FBI got him so no one watching will fall for his words. His interview seemed like it was only 10 minutes which seems pointless in showing such dumb antagonistic questions. 

I wouldn't recommend this. The whole time I just wanted to jump on Wikipedia to learn about what they were talking about and a documentary should have that take care of. Also, is it just me or did that skinny blonde expert sound a lot like Mindy Kaling.  C+

My top 13 movies of 2018

After watching almost 100 movies from 2018(96 exactly) this is my grand list of top 13. Since I've noticed years ago, all the Oscar bait movies come out at the end of year making those great film that came out neglected for editorial favorites of the year.

My format is a little convoluted but I find it and creates a scenario where some other less shiny movies get love. The idea is 12/13 movies are chosen so that each movie was released from each month of the year with #13(not in order) chosen as a wild card. Release dates are funny since since they could've been played at several small film festivals or released overseas ahead of time. I basically rely on IMDB and their reveal of the widest release in the US.

This list is of course personal taste but I try to rely on a combination of investment, how compelling the plots(as well as how well it flows), performances and visually.  Would love to see if you disagree or how you feel about the ranking. The other goal is to possibly showed folks films they might have missed due to exposure so if you need help to gather access to this film be sure to let me know.

13. The Gospel According to André (May) B+

Director: Kate Novack

This documentary about Andre Talley was simply delightful. Saw many documentaries about fashion designers and artist in generally and simply became numb to them. I got it. Art is subject. Cecil, McQueen, or even Jeff Coons were different and were proud of doing so but none spoke to why that difference should standout. Kate Novack made sure Andre's voice vibrated throughout this film. He was entertaining, funny, and had a journey he had to overcome without giving us a sob story.

Not sure if it was all Novack or I was just intrigued by Novack in general but his personality certainly glows without appearing to be forceful. Basically gospel shares Andre's philosophy and it does what a movie needs to do and make that philosophy entertaining while hitting a must for a documentary and educating the viewer of its subject. It made last due to me feeling I was incidentally overcome by Andre's personality so much in this possible fluff piece but either way I was overwhelming captivated by the end.

12. Padington Bear 2 (Jan) B-

Director: Paul King

Simply charming is the best means describing the film.  Didn't figure I'd like this movie especially since I didn't see the first one all the way through. The Paddington Bear has goals and due to gleeful magnetism, he makes plenty of friends on the way. The most enjoyable of these group of friends is the prisoners as seen in the photo above. Most kids movies of this demeanor come off as demeaning as the character always wins and don't learn from their mistakes. Paddington makes mistakes but his positive outlook keeps him going and it actually comes off as persuasive seeming as Paddington is places in the most trepidatious scenarios but find a positive means of turning it upside. Seeing Hugh Grant as a villain made me feel good cause I never enjoyed his company even when he's supposed to come off as charming.

 Close to last on the list due to a couple subplots existing just to be cheeky, which really came off more as annoying. Overall this is a solid children's film I would not hold back on recommending. Quite a nice relief to see one that doesn't demean it's viewers.

11. The CloveHitch Killer (November) B+

Director: Duncan Skiles

What a great horror film.  Not the most refreshing concept but the execution is captivating. Dylan McDermott does a great dadding it up. It was a fun and intense feature. I enjoy flicks where kids are stuck with information but have nowhere to go due to the believably of what they've been dealt. Charlie Plummer and Madison Beaty do a wonderful job of bringing the audience into the alarming scenario that's discovered. Really the kids bring us on the journey but McDermott's portrayal is what give this film life and makes it exceptional. Even in the most bitter scenes McDermott drops dad jokes that makes the viewers awkwardly want to smile.  The tension is great. Figure this is likely the best horror movie of the year.  A great watch if you want to get trapped a world of turmoil with the slight glimmer of cheesy gless.

*Want to thank RedletterMedia for recommending it.

10. Beautiful Boy (October) A

Director: Felix van Groeningen

Was really nervous that this was going to be a tale of misery but it's simply much more. The topic of addiction is quite difficult to literally put in words. Is it a disease, choice, or a combination. Visually this film gives the viewers an example of the mentality of those dealing with those, who are addicted. It's quite tragic but really the film shows the best way it can of the endless circle addiction can bring.

Steve Carrell does a great job playing a trouble and conflicted dot, where we one see glimpses of Michael Scott; this is a positive since almost everything he does Michael Scott cannot be avoided. It just depends on how much depending on how much his character entices the audience. The movie does an amazing job at pulling at heart strings, which is a big reason this film made it onto the list. Groeningen does a great job of getting the audience to care even though we're trapped in this horrible loop, where we know what happens next.

 Carrell carries the movie on his shoulder as we learn with him how to take in such a personally tragic blow. It's a little lower on this cause it's one of those great films I'm not sure I'm going to watch again but it probably had me more emotionally connected than most 2018 films, which is why it made the list in the first place.

9. Oh Lucy! [6.8] (Wildcard) A-

Director: Atsuko Hirayanagi

Very similar to Blindspotting, the dialogue in this is just tremendous. Shinobu Terajima & Kaho Minami seemed like actual sisters with their back & forth. Although, I would place this movie in the comedy genre, Lucy has to defeats to motivate her. This film brings the audience on this fine line similar to that of Clueless. Where as Clueless to me it seemed clear cut but Oh Lucy gets everyone in the mindset of what it's like to deal with our protagonist trepidation. Also, this movie lets everyone know that Josh Hartnett is still alive. Very odd to see him but he did ... fine.

 It slightly bothered me he was an English teacher, who doesn't know Japanese but I know of a lot of programs that accept with individuals with the same amount of knowledge. Really as cold and odd Setsuko's motivations are, you really want to see her be happy. This makes the list due to the alluring dog and fun self fulfilling journey. A little bit lower on the list cause the movie doesn't quite know how to end unlike some of the higher films.

8. Mandy (September) - B-

Director: Panos Cosmatos

What an amazing path down the nightmare trail.  Not much in plot but it definitely takes you on a journey with its visual storytelling. Oddly enough, this is a picture you want to make sure you're not tired going into watching. Not saying it's boring by any means but everything is so mesmerizing in the beginning, it could almost rock you to sleep. The movie flips on a dime and becomes a rock & roll hellfest staring Nicholas Cage and how can anyone not appreciate that. This may be my guilty pleasure for the year but it certainly stands out from the rest of the movies I've seen in 2018. 

Like mentioned, the story isn't deep but there are dots to connect. The fact the simple & straight forward makes it more fun not to be confused. Out of all the films on this list, this movie stands out to be the most fairytale how certain ideas and characters feel to be everlasting even if not phsyically there. Although lack story, think #6 is a fair position especially with crazy Cage, fascinating visual and down right rocking action.  Can't miss if you have the stomach for it. 

7. A Prayer Before Dawn (August) A-

Director: Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire

Another movie will describe with one word and that is claustrophobic. Not quite the say way like 10 Cloverfield defines but watching this I felt so uncomfortable and anxious. At first this feeling felt odd since we certainly would not take the actions of Billy but empathy grows as being an english speaker in a foreign prison. At first I wanted to get subtitles but discovered that Sauvaire didn't want any. If not for this we wouldn't be trapped in the same world as our protagonist...maybe antagonist also. Not a gleeful feature but one I would recommend to give one a totally different experience.

6. Death of Stalin (March) A

Director: Armando Iannucci

Wow, this is how mockumentaries should be done. Yes this was not technically that but it was so refreshing seeing Iannucci make such a dark & troubling period somewhat fun to watch. By no mean did this make light of other's misfortune but gave a heightened reality as to what happened during this messy transition. Certainly reminiscent of the childhood tale of the Emperor's New Clothes, where all these greedy character are so used to saving themselves that what's best for Russia is definitely secondary.

 So happy to see Steve Buscemmi in a serous role such as his character in Boardwalk Empire.  He seemed so neglected after his wonderful performance in that show. Not sure the accuracy of the movie but if you're a history buff by any means, I would declare you go out and see this to get an understanding of the pettiness within their sloppy government.

5. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (December) A-

Director: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey & Rodney Rothman

So happy that I can love Spider-man again as much as I did when I saw the first two Raimi movies. This isn't a dis towards Holland's Spider-Man; just that his movie had a great Spider-Man in a flat world. The environment should be encased in our heroes needs.

Here, the modified style certainly does that. Not sure if the style is created more to fit the Spider-Man character or the plot of the universe breaking. Whichever it is, the approach is so refreshing. While the design was a great hook, the filmakers also knew how to appropriately plug in music too. The music does a stellar job of allowing us to know we don't have the same Spider-Man in this film with Mile Morales replacing Peter Parker. Miles being an interesting character is what's surprising. I have so many Spider-Man comics but the ones with Miles are so boring.

In this film, the journey and troubles Morales is dealing with is intriguing. Another remarkable factor is how the movie jams so many characters but doesn't create a convoluted mess but ergo everything is easy to follow and even quite fun to see, which characters pop up. Since the movie takes place in an alternate universe, there's a lot of surprises even for the biggest Spider-Man fans. This certainly belongs on my list with due to the incredible style, twist on characters, and simply fun story.

4. Blindspotting (July) A-

Director: Carlos López Estrada

Blindspotting is a pretty powerful film reflecting a current hot topic in today's political minefield but it doesn't get bogged solely on the politics. The way Miles and Collin interact with each other is so natural that it's pretty reminiscent Tucker and Cube in Friday. Not necessarily a rap fan but I enjoy their rapping quite a bit that even is part of what hooked me into the film. Estrada does a great job with the visuals placing the audience members into the mindset of what Collins is going through with between his traumatic events, that develops.

What I also appreciate in this film is that it wasn't manipulative, in where it doesn't take a gradient topic and make it black & white.  The journey Collins goes through in dealing with certain relationships in his life while handling the anguish of how the US is treating Africans American from his perspective is so enticing. The dialogue was so smooth, that I never got bored with their conversation. It also finds a great balance of humor and drama. One moment I would catch myself smiling at Collins & Miles banter and the next I would be on the edge of my seat without thinking twice.

 I usually don't get captured in suspense too often but Estrada created one of the most suspenseful scene I've been locked into for awhile. Makes #4 cause Estrada displayed great visual along with compelling dialogue delving into a topic I usually would cringe away from but not here.

3. Won't You Be My Neighbor? (June) A

Director: Morgan Neville

This was one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. I have a such a difficult time being objective with documentaries because of how either manipulative they can be or how flat they can be while relaying no information. This documentary certainly surpassed my expectation. It revealed a different mindset when it comes to approaching children's entertainment.

Was not expecting such an altercation to take place as I was looking forward to a nostalgia trip from my childhood growing up with PBS but I got more than that. It was a pleasure to have Fred Rogers share his philosophy in a convincing fashion. As someone, who works with children, the message spoke deeply to me.

 The fact most children's television is used as a means of consumerism is alarming and Rogers. shows what difference an individual can make to fight against it. This documentary did the wonderful discovery of educating on what happened on the television, what it inspired and how we can currently continue sharing that message.

The theme stood out to me more than any 2018 movie and I even feel if you deal with children it's important to see what this movie has to offer.

2. Annihilation (Feb) B+

Director: Alex Garland

When I connected the dots after viewing this movie, that Alex Garland also directed Ex Machina, it made so much sense. Annihilation is visually stunning but also the concepts it digs into are quite compelling. This movie doesn't quite hold twist but reveals info one could observe possibly pieced together throughout the whole film. Nothing in this movie is handed to the viewer. The whole theme is adaption but there are so many directions it can so I loved how this movie kept me on my toes. Truly was engulfed trying to explore what the entity was. 

No other movie in 2018 created quite a mystery as Annihilation did. Folks have pointed that this is progressive for having a mostly women cast while I just saw it as a great movie on its own merit. This is a great flick for horror fans too. The creature design are some of the most vicious I've seen in quite some time. I'm not being over zealous when I'm saying vicious. A film gets me excited when I genuinely feel emotion. At times it's tough to watch horror because I'm so numb to the scares but Annihilation had a scene that genuinely had me scared and anxious. 

When a film that pulls that off it's a rarity and certainly stands out as to why it reaches #2. Between the creative sci fi elements and grand mystery these character have to discover with the audience, this becomes a top piece to view from 2018.

1. Isle of Dogs (April) A-

Director: Wes Anderson

This movie was the perfect combination of my favorite things between the presentation of Japan, dry humor and beautiful yet smooth stop motion animation.  Just loved this movie. 

Normally I would reserve going to the theaters for action movies since one would get the same experience of simple dramas at home but I am so happy I saw this in theaters. Wes Anderson displays Japan in such a simple yet vibrant way. He finds a way to make flat shots and simple demeanor hold so much personality. I always find it exciting when the protagonist is flawed and not in just a 'I wish I was better at this way' Atari fought for something noble but was a troublemaker in the process. 

Chief had the same individuality, where he fought tooth and nail to be a good boy but it even the smallest amounts of progress payoff do to this. Out of all the movies I saw this year, this one stood out the most between the sets, animation, fun cheeky dialogue and unrelenting dive into Japanese culture. Surprised a Anderson movie made #1 because I've always enjoyed his movies objectively but here he also had though personal elements that connect me making it outlast all in 2018

Past list: 2009 X 2010 X 2011 X 2012  X 2013 X 2014 X 2015 X 2016 X 2017

Extra .... (may add details later)

Best Actor – Vigo Mortenson (Green Book)

Best Actress – Toni Collette (Hereditary)

Worst Movie of the Year [these aren't the worst just funniest bad of the year] – Jurassic World / In Between