Michael Adam Warren's Blog, page 2

ARCLIGHT REVIEWS September Movie Giveaways

September Giveaways! Check out our contest rules on how to enter to win any of these movies.

September Movie Giveaways

September Giveaways! Check our contest rules on how to enter to win any of these movies.

Movie Giveaways! Chance to Win a New 4K UHD/Blu-Ray Disc Every Week

 

We are running an ongoing giveaway every month to promote our new YouTube media review channel: Can't Stop the Signal! To celebrate, we are giving away at least one movie/series disc every week, beginning retroactively at the start of this month, September 2021. Check our September Giveaway for all the details!

To enter to win a 4K/Blu-Ray, just comment or reply to another comment on the YouTube comments section of that particular title's review of that movie/series and type the following hashtag " #CantStopTheSignal " anywhere in the body of your comment. This will grant you one entry to win. Multiple entries per YouTube user are not recommended, since we automatically ignore multiple entries per prize when selecting a winner. 

Side Note: Remember not to include the apostrophe in "Can't" when typing out #CantStopTheSignal, or you might accidentally disqualify your entry over a typo.

Winners for each contest will be announced in a special video, published at least once a month. Winners can message our "business inquiries only" email address listed on the channel CantStopTheSignal. We will follow up with you to verify you are the real winner and then collect your shipping information.

The only real catch is that we will not select and announce a winner for a particular title giveaway until our video review for that movie/series has gained at least the following viewer engagement:

100 Comments 1,000 Likes10,000 Views

Side Note: On some of the bigger multidisc set giveaways, we might increase the minimum viewer engagement threshold to ameliorate the extra cost of a deluxe item or gift set.

We make this stipulation to ensure the giveaway is always cost effective for us to run, particularly at the very start of the channel. Over time, there should be enough of a regular audience that such a stipulation will become unnecessary and we can abandon altogether the necessity of attaching the winner announcement to minimum viewing thresholds.

While the focus of this continuing giveaway is to share movie and series content on home video discs, the success of this channel will mean we can give out other media-related figurines, merchandise, novels, graphic novels, and other paraphernalia.

For legal and logistical reasons, this promotional giveaway is limited to viewers currently living in the lower 48 states of The United States of America. Standard shipping is included with your prize, free of charge.

Side Note: If you want or need a more sophisticated and/or expensive shipping alternative, then let us know and we can work out the details. But be aware, anything above standard shipping will require you to pay for the shipping yourself.



Disclaimer: This contest is run by Blue Rose Epics LLC and is not affiliated with any other company, studio, manufacturer, or corporate entity of any kind. Note, this contest is for promotion of a channel on YouTube and the contest is run using YouTube as a platform, but it is NOT endorsed by YouTube or any of its parent companies. YouTube has no involvement with this contest in any capacity.

CAN'T STOP THE SIGNAL - Media Reviews and Insights

Can't Stop the Signal is my new YouTube Channel where you join me, writer/director Michael Adam Warren, on a fun and fascinating exploration of modern cinema, television, and streaming content. In a world of countless viewing options, make an informed decision to help you, your friends, and loved ones figure out what to watch next.

And once you have watched something, you do not have to feel like you watched it alone in a vacuum. Take advantage of our growing community of subscribers and commenters to share your thoughts with the rest of us. Regain the water cooler effect by discussing your recent media viewing experiences with others who love movies just as much as you. Join us on deep dives into your favorites characters and stories and what they reveal about the human condition.

In our new digital world, never before have so many entertaining movies, shows, and series been so accessible and relatively easy to watch. Yet, ironically, as more and more great options fill our screens and devices, the more exponentially complex this world of media becomes to navigate.

Perhaps, like me, you sat down with a friend or loved one to figure out what to watch that night. But as you navigate rows and rows of possibilities together, you have a difficult time deciding, and then you realize you spent over an hour trying to decide. You just ran out of time to watch whatever it is you chose.

It sometimes seems like it is a becoming a Herculean feat just to keep track of what is being released, let alone decide which movies or series to watch, when and in what order to watch them, and which titles will be fun to watch with particular friends or loved ones. After all, one movie might be fun to watch with your best friend, another with your romantic partner, and another for your whole family. One of Michael's goals with Can't Stop the Signal is to provide information and resources to help make these decisions simpler.

And even once you know what you want to watch, figuring out the best way to watch a particular title can be an equally daunting task. After all, is a given movie released in theaters, on a physical media disc release (UHD, Blu-Ray, and DVD), on demand online for a small fee, or rolled out on one of the many online streaming services you may—or may not—be currently subscribed to?

Even if you are willing to shell out a small fortune to be subscribed to all the big name streaming services, like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBOMax, Peacock, Paramount Plus, Disney Plus, and AppleTV, it is a chore to find out if a given title is available on them at all and which streaming service is currently licensed to exhibit it.

And that is not even considering the countless smaller streaming services competing for your time, attention, and hard-earned money. Mubi, Shudder, AMCTV, Showtime Anytime, and on and on. How are average people supposed to keep track of them all and what titles are available to watch on them and in what viewing window? It is just not a feasible task for most people.

So as time goes on, Michael will do everything he can on Can't Stop the Signal to view and analyze the best titles in media out there, help you find the best way for you to watch them, and analyze this story content in closer detail. Don't just watch movies and TV, but discover a deeper passion and appreciation for the stories and characters you love!

Subscribe to Can't Stop the Signal on YouTube for a deep dive through the media landscape. Let us help you make informed decisions about what will be essential viewing, understand your viewing options, and decide what to watch next.

ARCLIGHT REVIEWS - Visual Media Reviews

ARCLIGHT REVIEWS is my new YouTube Channel where you join me, writer/director Michael Adam Warren, on a fun and fascinating exploration of visual media. Visual media includes modern cinema, television, streaming content, video games, and comic books. In a world of countless viewing options, make an informed decision to help you figure out what to watch next.

And once you have watched something, you do not have to feel like you watched it alone in a vacuum. Take advantage of our growing community of subscribers and commenters to share your thoughts with the rest of us. Regain the water cooler effect by discussing your recent media viewing experiences with others who love movies just as much as you. Join us on deep dives into your favorites characters and stories and what they reveal about the human condition.

In our new digital world, never before have so many entertaining movies, shows, and series been so accessible and relatively easy to watch. Yet, ironically, as more and more great options fill our screens and devices, the more exponentially complex this world of media becomes to navigate.

Perhaps, like me, you sat down with a friend or loved one to figure out what to watch that night. But as you navigate rows and rows of possibilities together, you have a difficult time deciding, and then you realize you spent over an hour trying to decide. You just ran out of time to watch whatever it is you chose.

It sometimes seems like it is a becoming a Herculean feat just to keep track of what is being released, let alone decide which movies or series to watch, when and in what order to watch them, and which titles will be fun to watch with particular friends or loved ones.

After all, one movie might be fun to watch with your best friend, another with your romantic partner, and another for your whole family. One of Michael's goals with ARCLIGHT REVIEWS is to provide information and resources to help make these decisions simpler.

And even once you know what you want to watch, figuring out the best way to watch a particular title can be an equally daunting task. After all, is a given movie released in theaters, on a physical media disc release (UHD, Blu-Ray, and DVD), on demand online for a small fee, or rolled out on one of the many online streaming services you may—or may not—be currently subscribed to?

Even if you are willing to shell out a small fortune to be subscribed to all the big name streaming services, like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBOMax, Peacock, Paramount Plus, Disney Plus, and AppleTV, it is a chore to find out if a given title is available on them at all and which streaming service is currently licensed to exhibit it.

And that is not even considering the countless smaller streaming services competing for your time, attention, and hard-earned money. Mubi, Shudder, AMCTV, Showtime Anytime, and on and on. How are average people supposed to keep track of them all and what titles are available to watch on them and in what viewing window? It is just not a feasible task for most people.

So as time goes on, Michael will do everything he can on ARCLIGHT REVIEWS to view and analyze the best titles in media out there, help you find the best way for you to watch them, and examine your favorite stories in closer detail. Don't just watch movies and TV, but discover a deeper passion and appreciation for the stories and characters you love!

Subscribe to ARCLIGHT REVIEWS on YouTube for a deep dive through the media landscape. Let us help you make informed decisions about what will be essential viewing, understand your viewing options, and decide what to watch next.

Dr. Dolittle (2020)

Fresh off of retiring his Iron-Man persona in Avengers: Endgame (2019), Robert Downey, Jr. has teamed up with Universal Pictures to re-imagine the classic British physician who can literally talk with animals. Although not free of flaws, this particular cinematic adaptation of the character of Dr. Dolittle is the most inspired and entertaining yet.
"I am Iron-Man.... And I will use the reality stone
to snap me into the Dr. Dolittle franchise."The character of Doctor Dolittle first appeared in a series of children's books written in the early twentieth century. And for most people living today in 2020, Doctor Dolittle is still likely best known for the 20th Century Fox musical Doctor Dolittle (1967), which starred Rex Harrison. The film is generally looked on somewhat wistfully and nostalgically, but it frankly is overly long, bloated, and a fairly boring children's film by most children's standards.
Interestingly, Quentin Tarantino has often cited this particular film production as the last major studio hurrah. When the Harrison-helmed musical bombed, it basically signaled the end of an era for old Hollywood and helped usher in a new wave of cinema with Coppola, Spielberg, Scorsese, and Lucas leading the way. Tarantino has long promised he would write a book about this important time of transition in cinema history, which I am looking forward to reading someday.
It should be noted that 20th Century Fox later put Eddie Murphy into a forgettable modern take on the classic premise in Doctor Dolittle (1998) and its sequel Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), which tried to harness Murphy's popularity hot off of the wild success of The Nutty Professor (1996).
Although, as family-friendly comedic fare, the Murphy films were pretty successful, but they certainly had little to do with the original concept of the character and nothing to do with the books beyond the fact that Murphy played a doctor who could talk with animals.
I wanted the original Dolittle movie to be good, but it just isn't.Universal's latest incarnation of Dr. Dolittle (2020) is not exactly a remake of the classic musical Doctor Dolittle (1967), but is more of an exploration of the same original character from the books if that character continued to live and we catch up with him years later. Almost a washed up version of his former self after his wife leaves him on an adventure out to sea and she tragically never returns. Most of this back story is told through an animated vignette that acts as the film's prologue.
Poignant Animated Vignette Prologue Done Exceptionally RightI feel like the filmmakers were attempting to take inspiration from Pixar's Up (2009), which features one of the best prologue vignettes of all time wherein we explore the entirety of a romance, courtship, marriage, and loss of a loved one within a relatively brief montage. High aspirations, indeed, but Dolittle's prologue does not hit home nearly as hard.
Downey Grounds the Whole Thing and Makes Me Believe in the Animal Characters He Interacts WithBut give credit where credit is due, the casting of Robert Downey, Jr. was inspired and he is delightful to watch perform throughout the entirety of the film. Certainly Disney reeled a little when Downey retired his character of Iron-Man, which was one of the greatest cash cows for Marvel and then for Marvel-Disney after the studio was acquired later by Disney. Funny enough, Disney bought up the studio 20th Century Fox recently, too. But strangely, it is not Disney who is making this film, but Universal Pictures. Huh?
"This would be so much easier with my Iron-Man suit...."I get the impression that Downey's Dolittle was intended for a Christmas release to bring in the most family-friendly box office possible. But for whatever reason, the decision was made to release Dolittle in January, which is traditionally not a great time for box office success. Opening this film a month earlier probably would have given Dr. Dolittle (2020) a much better chance to stake its claim and rake in at the box office.
Star Wars Episode IX: "The Rise of Alternate Cuts"I have to assume the decision was made to release the film a month later to give it some distance from Disney's Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). It would be easy to assume that what was advertised as the last film in the "Skywalker Saga" would be an unbeatable juggernaut at movie theaters. But in the pursuit of more more breathing room, I am afraid Universal Pictures has unfortunately doomed this film to obscurity.
I will be the first to admit, this is not a great film. But if you listen to the majority of film critics about this movie, they would have you believe it is the worst film of the era. Ridiculous. That distinction clearly belongs to Cats (2019). If ever there was a film to revile from the past few months, it is not the best Dolittle film adaptation to date. Admittedly, that is not the hardest threshold to surpass. But still, Downey's Dolittle is actually fun, coherent, and engaging for the whole family. And that is not easy to do.
As Much as this Movie Could Have Been Better, It is Still Certainly More Interesting
and Vastly More Entertaining Than Any Other Dolittle Movie Ever MadeRobert Downey, Jr. elevates the whole film by delivering a worthy performance. The all-star voice talent helps bring his animal companions to life in a way that should delight most children and amuse their adult parents. The pace of the film is sometimes a little uneven and some of the plot contrivances get a bit convoluted for a children's film, but overall the experience is fun for the whole family and I found myself enjoying this movie much more than I thought I would going into it.
Come on! The Stars Voicing the Animals Did a Fantastic Job!Go into Dr. Dolittle (2020) expecting a fun family film that brings to life the magic of talking animals better than almost any film since Babe (1995) and you will likely enjoy it for what it is, not despise it for what it isn't like most critics seem to do. I want to point out that many films intended primarily for children and their families are much worse and make adults cringe far more often than this better-than-average production.
"Haterz gonna hate, bruh"When I look for a film to entertain children with, Dr. Dolittle (2020) is going on my list for one I would consider playing and watch it again with them. The movie takes you to interesting and exotic places alongside funny and witty characters. The starpower behind the animal voice work in this film is seriously talented. And best of all, the cinematic magic of being able to talk with animals helped bring out to play my own inner child. And not every movie can do that.
Downey Made Everything Feel Real to Me and I Love Him for It

David Lynch to Receive Honorary Oscar!

It is a joy and pleasure to announce that after working half a century toward making new and more interesting kind of films, David Lynch's efforts were finally rewarded with an Honorary Oscar by the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences (AMPAS) and the great film director will finally receive a coveted Academy Award for his lifetime of achievement in the field.
I am having some difficulty tracking down the quote, so I will have to paraphrase something Quentin Tarantino joked when questioned if he felt bad about never winning an Oscar for Directing. Of course, Tarantino has won two Academy Awards for Best Screenplay before, but this line of questioning was particularly focused on Film Direction. And Tarantino responded something along the lines of, "The only list of directors better than those who won Oscars for Film Directing are the list of directors who never won Oscars for directing."
And it is hard to disagree with Tarantino, when you consider the following film directors never won the Academy Award (Oscar) for Best Director: Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Ingmar Bergman, David Lynch, Takoshi Kon, Ridley Scott, David Fincher, Paul Thomas Anderson, Terry Gilliam, David Cronenberg, Brian De Palma, Jean-Luc Godard Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino, Federico Fellini, Sidney Lumet, Sergio Leone, Akira Kurosawa, Howard Hawks, Orson Welles, Charlie Chaplin, Christopher Nolan, and Robert Altman; among so many others.
It is hard to imagine the cream of the crop of Film Directors throughout the history of Hollywood and international filmmaking being snubbed. After all, without these filmmakers, most Film Study programs would be skewered of most entries on their class syllabus. These are the mavericks who helped shape the way films are being made today, having inspired the current generation of filmmakers to reach new heights. Yet it happened that not one of these artists ever won the top honor in their field.

Many of the directors on this list would go on to receive an honorary Academy Award, just like David Lynch is now being honored with this year. But most people consider honorary Oscars a little like a bandaid covering up for a massive decades-long oversight. To a degree, these artists' work were taken for granted and their rivals' work tended to get elevated status within the film community.
I do think the granting of honorary and lifetime awards is better than nothing, but I think most people will agree they are a palliative for past Oscar-giving sleights and errors. And as nice of a gesture as it is, it also points to the problems inherent in how these awards are granted in the first place. When the most excellent filmmakers are so frequently ignored year to year, you cannot help but question the whole awards system as a whole.
But I have long hoped the Academy Awards would offer something to David Lynch to rectify this particular wrong, this career-long oversight, at least as much as the Academy can today. And for that I am relieved and very happy for David Lynch, Wes Studi, and Geena Davis to receive some long overdue recognition for their excellent careers in film.
And while I am not as versed with the work of Italian writer and director Lina Wurtmüller, from what I gleam of her career, she made some massive strides on behalf of women screenwriters and directors worldwide. And it certainly gives us a reason to look back and check out her filmography for ourselves.

David Lynch's Monologue is Part of New Song

Although there are many artists, musicians, writers, and performers inspired by David Lynch, few have shown quite so much Lynchian style in their work as Steven Ellison, whose experimental music concepts go under his band umbrella "Flying Lotus," also occasionally shortened as the nickname "FlyLo." In his most recent album, Flamagra, he gets David Lynch to share a monologue he once heard the director recount at a party, but for the song "Fire is Coming."

David Lynch's Hand Drawn Map of Twin Peaks

Kyle MacLachlan, the real world counterpart to Twin Peaks' very own Agent Cooper, Mr. C, Dougie Jones, and Richard, posted this David Lynch hand drawn charcoal map artifact showing our beloved fictional town of Twin Peaks in nearly all of its glory. David Lynch and Mark Frost once commented that one of the first steps they took when writing the show was drawing out a map to keep straight in their heads all the characters and locations of the town.

View this post on Instagram Two years ago, we made a journey back to a little town with some amazing Douglas Firs

Peggy Lipton (Norma Jennings from Twin Peaks) Rest in Peace

I am sad to write that one of the sweetest women in the world, Peggy Lipton, passed away yesterday on May 11, 2019. Although she was 72 years old, you could hardly tell by looking at her. By all accounts, she was a remarkable mother, a talented actress, and a pop culture icon that helped inspire a generation of girls and young women. I want to take a moment away from my revisions and editing of my 40 Years of David Lynch series of books to join in mourning with the rest of the world over the loss of this incredible woman and truly memorable performer. Among her vast Rashida Jones and Peggy Lipton, a Radiant Daughter/MotherI personally came to love Peggy Lipton for her near-angelic portrayal of Norma Jennings, maker of immaculate pies at her Double RR Diner in the David Lynch and Mark Frosted created town of Twin Peaks. In many ways, Norma represented the spiritual center of Twin Peaks (1990-91) and Twin Peaks: The Return (2017). From working with Laura Palmer on the Meals on Wheels and shepherding the waitresses who worked for her like they were family, Norma had her finger on the pulse of the town like few other characters did.While wild and crazy shenanigans would spin circles around Twin Peaks, causing the characters' lives to digress into turmoil, any character could take a brief respite from the storm and enjoy a small slice of perfection through her delightful, traditional confections. In the words of the main audience surrogate and point-of-view character, Agent Cooper, "This must be where pies go when they die."
Everett McGill and Peggy Lipton in a Scene 25 Years in the MakingNorma and Big Ed were doomed most of their lives to a perpetual standoff for their relationship and feelings. Between Hank Jennings' crimes and schemes and Nadine's needy madness, the two true loves seemed caught in an endless orbit until a recently empowered Nadine in The Return decided to get her life in order and let go, allowing the two perennial lovers finally to marry each other. David Lynch directing Peggy Lipton in Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)I never had the pleasure of meeting Peggy Lipton, but that is definitely my loss and a part of me will always be sad that I missed my opportunity to interact with her in person. She seems like a truly bright, warm, and gracious soul and our world grew a little darker the moment we lost her. Any future Twin Peaks projects will not be the same without her.
Mother Surrounded by Her Daughters: Kidada Jones, Peggy Lipton, Rashida JonesI imagine it is particularly difficult on Kidada and Rashida to lose their mom the day before Mother's Day. So if by chance, Peggy's daughters, extended family, friends, or colleagues stumble on this blog, then please know you have my deepest condolences for your loss. And as much as future Mother's Days will surely remind you of Peggy's death, let it also remind us of her life and dedication to being a mother.