Verdict: ★★ 1/2

I thought about this review for a couple of days before actually writing it. When I first saw Ex Machina’s trailer I figured it was just another motion capture CGI gig that Andy Serkis made so popular with his extraordinary talent behind Gollum and King Kong. Drop an actor or actress into a suit with dots all over it and add ILM’s magic wand and holy cats… you’ve got anything you want walking around!

I was wrong. It’s worse. Code monkey Caleb (a rather rough looking Domhnall Gleeson) wins a week long stay with his extraordinarily reclusive CEO and founder of the company he works for, Nathan (a surprisingly bearded Oscar Issac). The moment he’s sitting in front of his computer and just finding out he won, we see his face being scanned by something from the web cam, his reaction, his every nuance of expression. This foreshadowing work sets up the feeling that Caleb is being watched, and if he is… aren’t we all? Immediately, I was suspended in the belief that, in the movie, I have no privacy and as such, I felt immediately unsettled.

Caleb’s flown out to an estate that makes Alaska look like the corner under the tree in my backyard, dropped off in the middle of a field and told to “follow the river” which he does so in his business suit and patent leather shoes. Tromping through the setting for Jurassic Park, Caleb finally finds a “door” without having been attacked by velociraptors, and he has to search the entire premises to find his host. The first thing this ultra-rich CEO/Founder of the greatest search engine on the web says to him is “Dude!”

Seriously? Nathan turns out to be nothing more than a fratboy without the frat. Gets drunk on a daily basis, yells at his maid with generic, store-bought douchebaggery and talks as if he hates tech lingo. Turns out Caleb has been selected (by winning) to participate in a very important test… to see if the newest model of AI android technology can convince him it has a consciousness.

Enter Ava (an astonishingly disarming Alicia Vikander), an android who only has facial expressions to convince Caleb she’s just this side of human, because the rest of her, with the exception of her hands and feet, is robot. And by “facial expressions” I mean, she tries not to smile while asking very basic questions of Caleb while trapped in a single room plexiglass prison.

My confliction with this movie is that it’s horribly depressing. I’ll put it bluntly. This movie is like watching a happy child suddenly drop his ice cream and start crying, only with awesome CGI. There’s not one part of this movie that actually offers any spark of hope, excitement or romantic anticipation. What has every red-blooded male nerd dreamt of in the history of nerddom? I’ll give you three guesses but if the first one is “a girl robot to take to the prom”, you’ve won. This movie could have been so much more than what it was, for much wider of an audience. Instead, Caleb is a depressed guy who wins a depressing week’s stay with his DB boss and is forced to administer a depressing psych test on a depressed robot.

The reason why I’m conflicted is because this movie is also surprisingly artsy. With such a simple plotline and generic acting, writer/director Alex Garland (28 Days Later, Dredd) delivers an astonishingly thought-provoking idea while punching it home with a twist I should have seen coming, but didn’t. Again… the conflict: It works very well but made my emotions roil in a pot as if about to receive a box of mac-n-cheese noodles. I actually had to drink after the show to make myself feel better, but man… it had me going. I was mad, depressed, and yet respectful of Garland’s vision here.

Ex Machina adds to the AI/android phenomenon with a marvelously bland recipe.

Oops, hey, look over your shoulder. Who is that masked man on the corner? Is he a hero…OH MY GOD, NO! It’s a deeply disturbed, homicidal psychotic with daddy issues.

Yes, here it is! The quintessential examination of the Top 5 Villains of all comic based movies. And these are not your typical little Sandman type bad guys, we went to the deep well. Doug, Jeremy and I chose the most despicable raging lunatics, madmen and maniacs (not including yours truly of course) to round out our individual favorites.

We “request” your presence at this most heinous episode of the Movie Madness Podcast. Should you decline I would suggest keeping an eye out for blue girls, white faced guys and maybe an older gent with a weird helmet waving his hand at your car.

Remember, should you disagree (I wouldn’t recommend it for this episode) you can always let us know at: moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com or call the voice mail # 260-573-0015 or post them to Twitter, Facebook or the Ultimate Movie Geeks community on Google+

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This looks pretty darn good! Is it possible that Ryan Reynolds has finally found his franchise? I hope so. I think we all love him and want it, and think it’s time. Check out the trailer and see whatcha think. It’s coming February 12th, 2016.

This is by far the best in the series and this is why:

• Mission Impossible: make a movie with great action, terrific characters and an awesome plot and story…MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
• Mission Improbable: add some great practical effects mixed in with CGI and come up with believable action sequences…MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
• Mission Implausible: manage to keep the audience engaged and in their seats for the entire film without the usual “Aw C’mon,” gasp…MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is easily “best of breed” and also my favorite of the franchise. Not once was I thrown out of the film by some cheesy special effect or lame piece of dialogue.

The IMF gang is in disarray. Alen Hunley (Alec Baldwin), head of the CIA, is coming after the team with the intention of taking it apart under the auspices of Langley. Unfortunately there’s a terrorist organization (think Specter or Chaos) intent on taking over the world and destroying IMF first. Enter Ethan, Benji and Luther and expect tons of action! With great direction and cinematography and a terrific sense of humor, Rogue Nation is a hit.

Unfortunately not all is perfect. The bad guy, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), suffers in comparison to any of the Movie Madness Top Male Villains. Alan Rickman or Jack Nicholson, either one, could kick his butt and, the movie is a bit predictable. Particularly having seen even one of the trailers, it’s easy to see where it’s going. Agree or not I think you’ll like this one.

4.5 out of 5 stars and you just have to see this one in the theater!

As always let us know what you think at: moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com or call the voice mail # 260-573-0015 or post them to Twitter, Facebook or the Ultimate Movie Geeks community on Google+

“Alright everyone” sit back and “chill,” “It’s showtime!” and we are back with another, one of our latest and greatest, top 5s… Prepare to “to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!” We are talking about, yep, the absolute Arnold!

Doug, Jeremy and I are going to choose our favorite Arnold movies and tell you why. You know me, The Maniac, “I don’t do requests,” but this time I made an exception and for Doug I went crazy and picked the best of the best! “Come with me if you want to live,” through our Top 5 Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies episode.

I also want you to message us with your favorites at:

moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com or call the voice mail # 260-573-0015 or post them to Twitter, Facebook or the Ultimate Movie Geeks community on Google+

Why? As Arnold would say: “BECAUSE I’M GOING TO SAY PLEASE!”

Hasta la vista, baby!

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I’m so counting on this one to totally make up for Mockingjay Part 1. One was a feeble attempt to follow up on what was a truly great film: Catching Fire. Join me at the theater November 20th to see the latest, and hopefully, the greatest Hunger Games. (Say hi, I’ll be in the third row center)

I think I’m finally sold on this one. I love Matt Damon and he’s finally showing some attitude in this latest trailer!  I’m definitely gonna be in line the first day for The Martian. I’ll be there October the 2nd!

3) My Fair Lady (1964)

It doesn’t get much better than Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn and few films better than My Fair Lady. It’s probably the greatest stage play turned musical…ever. Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw, is a brilliant play and My Fair Lady is, possibly even better.

My Fair Lady is the story of a poor street urchin (Hepburn) turned flower girl who learns to speak like an Duchess. Rex Harrison is Henry Higgins the Professor that, through not so gentle ministrations, manages to accomplish the impossible. And Colonel Pickering (Wilfrid Hyde-White) is the long suffering buffer between the two.

The Hepburn role, Eliza Doolittle, seems made for her. Had Julie Andrews, offered the role she played on Broadway, it may never have been the masterpiece it became. Mary Poppins too, the role Andrew chose may have been given to someone else changing everything. Only our favorite Hot Tub Time Machine or maybe Doc Brown’s Delorean could help us find out.

Hepburn as the dirty street urchin turned achingly beautiful, but delicate wonder, was amazing.

I still can’t get over the dubious casting or problematic changes in concept to the film, but I am a comic movie junkie so count me in. But if you expect to come with me, you buy the popcorn. At least you better block Jeremy when he throws it at me. See ya there August 7th.

Check out the latest Batman Vs. Superman trailer and tell us what you think!