3 Short Paragraphs: Project Almanac

2015, Dean Israelite -- download

I was this close to calling it quits here, or at least an extended hiatus. Things are just not coming together, not expanding, not evolving. Like much in my life, things stagnate and I don't know how to grow them. This blog has been around since 2011, and by now I hoped I would get deeper into the proper Movie Review. Instead, I have embraced the 3-paragraphs (never short) and all too often, struggle to say anything meaningful then. But something occurred to me today. If I admit to not having enough focus and ambition to properly write fiction, but love the fruck out my shorty-short-short fiction (also called flash fiction by proper writers), why can't I focus on that for here? Not full reviews, just snippets or vignettes from a "proper" review? Not the entire plot and 3 act structure, just a window into my head. Why not?

I first saw reference to this when a trailer for Welcome to Yesterday appeared. It has had three names. That is not a good sign. And again, its apparent. I wish I had not become so sensitive to the meddling of studio executives, or more so, I wish that directors were more skilled at dealing with such.

I love time travel movies (as said before, Source Code) especially when they deal with the ramifications. But they all too often ignore the fun you can have. This movie, about teens who find the blueprints for a time machine and build it (shaddup, one kid is going to MIT; that's enough right?) only to find out everything is not lottery winning and Lollapalooza on the cheap. There are issues in changing time -- affect one thing, and other things collapse. A affects B affects C and so on. And when you go back and try and fix things, it only ever gets worse. That is a trope of time travel movies, one that skips the multiple timelines idea, and focuses on a single one fucked up by stupid kids.

Project Almanac works on many levels. For a teen movie, the wish fulfillment is very important. Girls, parties and fast red cars are important. Going to a rock festival and making sure the perfect moment happens between you and the girl of your dreams; that is grand. But the summer horror movie ramifications were mostly side lined. There should have been more impact, more weight once they knew what they were doing. Smart Kid, MIT Kid, should have never listened with his loins. And there was a missing dad, whose death was barely explained, so I almost thought there was going to be I'll Follow You Down aspect that was explored. Nope. Skipped over, so much lost, so many opportunities given over to found footage and young kids in lust.