By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 8/15/2015
I’m not at D23 this weekend, and I’ll reserve any of the “on the scene” impressions for Beat contributors Alex Jones and Victor Van Scoit, who are both there in person. But that doesn’t mean I won’t report on the biggest announcements that are worthy of attention and discussion, and when it comes to Disney […]
By: Jerry Beck,
on 11/25/2014
“WANTED: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You’ll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. Safety not guaranteed.”
Would you do it? Would you answer this ad? Sure, there’s a chance the guy who wrote the ad is a serial killer just shopping for victims—but what if he’s not? What if the guy is serious, and you get the chance to time travel? This is the question posed in the indie flick Safety Not Guaranteed.
The whole movie is based on an actual classified ad which first appeared in Backwoods Home Magazine in 1997. The “joke” was written as last-minute filler by an employee of the magazine (Jon Silveira, who is credited in the film as “Time Travel Consultant.”) However, first-time feature film director, Colin Trevorrow, got the joke and ran with it. He says, “I have the original magazine it was printed in.”
Safety Not Guaranteed follows a Seattle journalist and his two interns as they hunt down the writer of this mysterious time travel ad to see if the guy’s for real or just a nut job.
The female lead, Darius, is played by Parks and Recreation comedienne Aubrey Plaza. Our time travel guru, Kenneth, is played by cutie patootie Mark Duplass, known as “Pete” on The League, possibly one of the funniest shows in the world.
Darius has always been an outcast; so has Kenneth. As she delves deeper into her investigation, at the coaxing of her journalist boss, Jeff (played by funny guy Jake Johnson), she builds a rapport with Kenneth. They begin to trust each other, and for the first time in both their lives, they’re actually honest with another person. Is this a love story? Not necessarily, although love is involved. Is it sci-fi? Eh. Do you laugh out loud and feel really, really great by the end? Yes. Absolutely.
Jake and I watch so many violent, dark movies; it’s nice to stumble upon a film with some joy. Just like The League (which is based almost entirely on improvisation), much of Safety Not Guaranteed earns its charm from the improvised one-liners of its comedic cast. Lines like “I have no funk. I’m totally funkless” or “What kind of lasers? I don’t know. I’m not a freakin’ storm trooper” add to the allure.
Safety Not Guaranteed is really about connections, though. For instance, Jeff only accepts the time travel assignment in an effort to get back with his high school sweetheart. Darius takes it because she’s always been alone, always been strange, so why not get stranger? And Kenneth, who is painfully alone, is just looking for a time travel pal. Of course, each character gets a lot more than he or she bargained for, which is why the title, Safety Not Guaranteed, is more than an allusion to an ad in a newspaper.
From the film:
Kenneth: To go it alone or to go with a partner. When you choose a partner you have to have compromises and sacrifices, but it’s a price you pay. Do I want to follow my every whim and desire as I make my way through time and space, absolutely. But at the end of the day do I need someone when I’m doubting myself and I’m insecure and my heart’s failing me? Do I need someone who, when the heat gets hot, has my back?
Darius: So, do you?
Kenneth: I do.
Safety Not Guaranteed is not just a movie title; the line refers to life in general. Taking chances, building relationships: these things are dangerous, because whenever we take a leap of faith, there is a chance we could fall, in love or on our faces. In the end, what happens to Darius and Kenneth? Do they really go back in time? You need to see the movie to find out, but remember, in the world of film and in day-to-day living, safety is never guaranteed.
Hey all! Victor here. Finally have phone in hand to comment on the panel. Let’s start with Star Wars.
“Wait! Why’s he starting with the big stuff?” Mainly because unless you’re into Disney Parks and Resorts, the only cool new stuff shown was the information regarding two immersive Star Wars worlds to be built at both Disneyland and Disney World. Besides the info Kyle wrote up top there wasn’t much more to lose your head about. Sure the cast came out, and it’s always a treat to see the man, the myth, the legend known as Harrison Ford. Basically if you’re only about Star Wars The Force Awakens and spent the night outside the Anaheim Convention Center in the hopes of seeing footage—you’d be disappointed. It’s tough to top what happened at SDCC.
So what about Marvel? That’s the stuff. Doctor Strange hasn’t even started filming but they did show art department boards. That kind of downplays it. The visuals they showed really helped to establish the multi-dimensional world approach they’re going for. Even the art pieces showing Strange going on a quest for healing did a lot to make me visualize what the movie could look like. The angle they’re taking is definitely going to make magic and mysticism quite cool. That was especially evident in the final shot which was an animation of Stange releasing mystical energy. The motion reminded me of Ryu’s fireball motion from Street Fighter. I think it took someone like me who has been so-so on a Doctor Strange movie, to “Hey, that looks like it could be pretty cool. Maybe I should pick up some essential issues.”
The main footage was Captain America: Civil War and man was there a lot to enjoy. It Vegas with Cap, Falcon, and Widow out in the field on an op. Falcon gets a pet falcon in Red Falcon, if you will, as a drone that launches from his wings. Red Falcon serves as a scout providing intel to Falcon and the rest. Then cue the action where Cap faces off against Crossbones while Falcon and Widow show of some sweet choreography in taking down the bad dudes. From there Cap gets word on The Winter Soldier and scenes of Bucky remembering Steve Rogers and their friendship. Throughout this you gets cuts to War Machine, Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Iron Man as dialogue hinted at Captain America being a vigilante and how people with powers needed to be held responsible. This will likely be kicked off by some death as there was a shot of Cap being a pallbearer at a funeral. The final shots basically had Iron Man, Hawkeye, and a few others lined up across from Cap, Winter Soldier, Widow and Falcon (?). A heck of a who will flinch first scenario broken by “What do we do?” followed by Cap’s “We fight”. Then all running at each other with some quick action and having it end with Hawkeye and Widow in the throes of the fight:
BW “We’re still friends right?”
HE, “Depends on how hard you hit me”
One. More, Thing. Scott Lang waking up from a seat in a van as the door opens. And being an all out fan over Cap to the point of squeezing his muscles and being, well, Paul Rudd. “Thinks for thanking of me. Thanks for thinking of me.”
I’m sure some more moments will come back to me, but it was easy to see why Chris Evans was really excited to show the footage. I was excited because even though there were plenty of characters a la Avengers Age of Ultron, it didn’t feel as grand. So hopefully the Captain America movies will continue to be some of the more interesting movies in the Marvel slate