The Movie: The Night Listener, directed by Patrick Stettner
Recommendation: Nobody!
Reason: I was vaguely aware of this movie when it was quietly released, and I was interested in Toni Collette's other work after seeing Little Miss Sunshine.
This film was a good way to pass some time. I can't really give it overwhelming praise, but it was a good, understated movie that was perhaps a little shallow for its subject matter. The search for identity and truth amidst the turmoil of the loss of a relationship is great fodder for a film of depth. Unfortunately, through either the scripting or the direction, The Night Listener simply didn't reach far enough.
Robin Williams was incredibly low-key in this film, so restrained, in fact, that he was almost unrecognizable. That's a good thing, because he managed to be believable, intelligent and sympathetic. Toni Collette on the other hand, was a mess. I don't just refer to the situation of her character, more to the misuse of her presence. She's a good actress, very solid as we've seen in Little Miss Sunshine. I don't believe she was given good direction here.
The pacing of the film was a little off too. With so much time spent on the 'opening', so to speak, the real meat of the story was left off to the bitter end. The result came across a little anemic. However, it did have its good points. The subtlety with which the relationship between Noone and Jess was treated was excellent. The 'investigation' Noone undertakes was realistic and made some degree of sense. Sandra Oh's character was a bright spot of interest. The film wasn't all weak, but it wasn't strong, either.
-156/365 down, 209/365 to go
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Puppies turn into dogs that get old and die.
The Movie: Josie and the Pussycats, directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont
Recommendation: Me
Reason: Cause it's one of my favorite movies of all time, and one of the few that I really would watch anytime.
For some damnable reason, people insist on saying this is a bad movie. Their reasons range from shallow characters to bad acting to the rather overwhelming product placement, and I really could go on. I'm not going to write a specific rebuttal to any particular critique, just a sort of general love letter to the movie. Josie and the Pussycats is cheerfully wicked, taking sly shots at the MTV generation, the recording industry and MTV itself. From in-jokes about bandmembers (nobody likes the bassist) to a shamelessly shattered fourth wall ("I'm here because I was in the comics"), Josie and the Pussycats is a refreshingly self-aware musical comedy.
More than anything else in this movie, I appreciate Rachael Leigh Cook's Josie. Everyone else is good, but she really takes it away. It's the little things, the looks, the raised eyebrows, the delivery of her lines (see the title for my personal favorite). She's personable, she's cute, she's a good girl with a good heart and Cook brings that all out in her performance. I'd argue that the two dimensional characters that she and her costars create are necessarily so-the source material isn't particularily deep, so why would the film carry that expectation?
As Valerie, Rosario Dawson reminded everyone that she existed. That can never be a bad thing, ever. Her characterization is probably the deepest of the three-she gives Valerie a story and a backbone, without leaving the bonds of the role she's expected to play in the plot. Tara Reid is at her most tolerable here as Melody the sweet dunderhead. Without any heavy expectations set on her, like 'acting' or 'staying sober', she turned in a bubbly, cheerful performance.
The costumes, the set dressing, the product placement! Logos EVERYWHERE! There are mascots in the end credits, and everything anyone touches, holds, walks on, walks past...you get the idea, this movie is SATURATED with corporate miscellania. That manic devotion to the emblems of consumerism has a purpose (and was entirely done of the director's own volition. Nobody paid for commercial consideration in this film). There's an obvious difference between dull little Riverdale and the glitz, glamor and orange of 'the big city'. When Valerie, Melody and Josie are housed in a corporate-overridden hotel, those ads take on an interesting new meaning. Josie, destined later in the film to briefly become a superficial bitch, is surrounded by makeup ads from Revlon. Melody, a silly little pop-tart, gets the nutritionally questionable McDonalds ads. Valerie is lodged with Target, an allusion to her future as the primary problem for the movie's antagonists.
And speak of the devils. Wyatt Frame and Fiona. Could you get a more pathetic pair of silly little losers? Alan Cumming lays into his role as Wyatt with abandon, chewing up the scenery left right and center. He just looks so greasy and evil, and his tone is so wonderfully villainous. Nevermind getting some of the better lines in the film ("Put the chevy to the levy"). Much as I hate Parker Posey (and I do. A lot), she's good as Fiona. She, Alexander and Alexandra are the weakest points of the film, but they're just a little less four-color than the rest of the gang. That's sort of the point here. This movie isn't about real people. It's not even about fake people. It's a comic book, alive on screen, and an Archie one at that. This isn't Catwoman, slashing wholesale at a comic that wasn't that good to start. This is Josie and the Pussycats, an Archie comic about a band that solves mysteries.
The music was written and performed by some talented musicians. Kay Hanley, lead singer of Letters to Cleo, took on the role of Josie's voice, and Adam Duritz, Babyface and Adam Schlesinger contributed to the songwriting process. Their work resulted in catchy songs, not only from Josie and the Pussycats, but from DuJour, the parody-heavy boyband that shows up early in the film (C'mon people, 'Backdoor Lover' was comedy gold).
At the end of all of this humongous volume, all I can say is that this really isn't the awful movie people make it out to be. I love it, you could even say I'm passionate about it. It's sweet, funny, cheery and it doesn't require a PhD in anything to understand the point-it's stated outright, actually, for those who are having trouble keeping up. So that's my piece. I hope I might've encouraged one or two of you to give Josie another chance.
-155/365 down, 210/365 to go
Recommendation: Me
Reason: Cause it's one of my favorite movies of all time, and one of the few that I really would watch anytime.
For some damnable reason, people insist on saying this is a bad movie. Their reasons range from shallow characters to bad acting to the rather overwhelming product placement, and I really could go on. I'm not going to write a specific rebuttal to any particular critique, just a sort of general love letter to the movie. Josie and the Pussycats is cheerfully wicked, taking sly shots at the MTV generation, the recording industry and MTV itself. From in-jokes about bandmembers (nobody likes the bassist) to a shamelessly shattered fourth wall ("I'm here because I was in the comics"), Josie and the Pussycats is a refreshingly self-aware musical comedy.
More than anything else in this movie, I appreciate Rachael Leigh Cook's Josie. Everyone else is good, but she really takes it away. It's the little things, the looks, the raised eyebrows, the delivery of her lines (see the title for my personal favorite). She's personable, she's cute, she's a good girl with a good heart and Cook brings that all out in her performance. I'd argue that the two dimensional characters that she and her costars create are necessarily so-the source material isn't particularily deep, so why would the film carry that expectation?
As Valerie, Rosario Dawson reminded everyone that she existed. That can never be a bad thing, ever. Her characterization is probably the deepest of the three-she gives Valerie a story and a backbone, without leaving the bonds of the role she's expected to play in the plot. Tara Reid is at her most tolerable here as Melody the sweet dunderhead. Without any heavy expectations set on her, like 'acting' or 'staying sober', she turned in a bubbly, cheerful performance.
The costumes, the set dressing, the product placement! Logos EVERYWHERE! There are mascots in the end credits, and everything anyone touches, holds, walks on, walks past...you get the idea, this movie is SATURATED with corporate miscellania. That manic devotion to the emblems of consumerism has a purpose (and was entirely done of the director's own volition. Nobody paid for commercial consideration in this film). There's an obvious difference between dull little Riverdale and the glitz, glamor and orange of 'the big city'. When Valerie, Melody and Josie are housed in a corporate-overridden hotel, those ads take on an interesting new meaning. Josie, destined later in the film to briefly become a superficial bitch, is surrounded by makeup ads from Revlon. Melody, a silly little pop-tart, gets the nutritionally questionable McDonalds ads. Valerie is lodged with Target, an allusion to her future as the primary problem for the movie's antagonists.
And speak of the devils. Wyatt Frame and Fiona. Could you get a more pathetic pair of silly little losers? Alan Cumming lays into his role as Wyatt with abandon, chewing up the scenery left right and center. He just looks so greasy and evil, and his tone is so wonderfully villainous. Nevermind getting some of the better lines in the film ("Put the chevy to the levy"). Much as I hate Parker Posey (and I do. A lot), she's good as Fiona. She, Alexander and Alexandra are the weakest points of the film, but they're just a little less four-color than the rest of the gang. That's sort of the point here. This movie isn't about real people. It's not even about fake people. It's a comic book, alive on screen, and an Archie one at that. This isn't Catwoman, slashing wholesale at a comic that wasn't that good to start. This is Josie and the Pussycats, an Archie comic about a band that solves mysteries.
The music was written and performed by some talented musicians. Kay Hanley, lead singer of Letters to Cleo, took on the role of Josie's voice, and Adam Duritz, Babyface and Adam Schlesinger contributed to the songwriting process. Their work resulted in catchy songs, not only from Josie and the Pussycats, but from DuJour, the parody-heavy boyband that shows up early in the film (C'mon people, 'Backdoor Lover' was comedy gold).
At the end of all of this humongous volume, all I can say is that this really isn't the awful movie people make it out to be. I love it, you could even say I'm passionate about it. It's sweet, funny, cheery and it doesn't require a PhD in anything to understand the point-it's stated outright, actually, for those who are having trouble keeping up. So that's my piece. I hope I might've encouraged one or two of you to give Josie another chance.
-155/365 down, 210/365 to go
Once more, porn.
The Movie: All American Girls Part One, director unknown.
Recommendation: Porn of the month!
Reason: 70's porn is sometimes a little...daunting.
So...my reviews of porn are going to be pretty short until I see something really spectacular. This one was alright, nicely shot, decent actors, moderate plotting and very little offensive content. It was a little surprising, actually, to see that the 'old' porn was better than the newer stuff. At least in the '70's the 'actresses' didn't look like realdolls.
-154/365 down, 211/365 to go
Recommendation: Porn of the month!
Reason: 70's porn is sometimes a little...daunting.
So...my reviews of porn are going to be pretty short until I see something really spectacular. This one was alright, nicely shot, decent actors, moderate plotting and very little offensive content. It was a little surprising, actually, to see that the 'old' porn was better than the newer stuff. At least in the '70's the 'actresses' didn't look like realdolls.
-154/365 down, 211/365 to go
"Is this actually happening? Is this movie actually real?"
The Movie: Cry-Baby, directed by John Waters
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: "Oh, just watch. Trust me."
I could have sworn I hallucinated half of this film. It just seemed so unreal, so bizarrely perfect that I didn't believe I was actually seeing it on the screen. I haven't seen any of John Waters work before, though I've been peripherally aware of the movies he's done. Oddly, I didn't know Hairspray (the original) was his film until I checked out his filmography on Imdb-I knew about Pink Flamingos and Serial Mom. Now that I've seen his work, I know that Waters is the sort of director I like.
Cry-Baby's a weird as hell movie that subtly and not-so-subtly lampoons Elvis's movies, teen-rebel movies, James Dean, Grease and the list goes on. It's quick paced. I'd even call it lean. Waters exaggerates the 'falling in love in an instant' schtick that so many romantic movies try for, and does so in such a way as to thumb his nose at all of them. Johnny Depp is the perfect beautiful boy in the lead role, shimmying like Elvis and smoldering like James Dean. I think it was here, with Cry-Baby, that John Waters found Depp's potential as an actor. Depp plays weird well and with great gusto, taking on quirky characters and giving them depth and life. His character, Cry-Baby, is an overblown mockery of the antiheroes John Waters is satirizing, and Depp plays it note-perfect.
Waters' reputation precedes him, but one transvestite-eating-dog-doo scene (not in Cry-Baby, that's from Pink Flamingos) does not make an entire career. I recommend this movie to those with sharp eye and an appreciation for this sort of over-the-top production. Anyone without a vague sense of what's being mocked here need not apply.
-153/365 down, 212/365 to go
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: "Oh, just watch. Trust me."
I could have sworn I hallucinated half of this film. It just seemed so unreal, so bizarrely perfect that I didn't believe I was actually seeing it on the screen. I haven't seen any of John Waters work before, though I've been peripherally aware of the movies he's done. Oddly, I didn't know Hairspray (the original) was his film until I checked out his filmography on Imdb-I knew about Pink Flamingos and Serial Mom. Now that I've seen his work, I know that Waters is the sort of director I like.
Cry-Baby's a weird as hell movie that subtly and not-so-subtly lampoons Elvis's movies, teen-rebel movies, James Dean, Grease and the list goes on. It's quick paced. I'd even call it lean. Waters exaggerates the 'falling in love in an instant' schtick that so many romantic movies try for, and does so in such a way as to thumb his nose at all of them. Johnny Depp is the perfect beautiful boy in the lead role, shimmying like Elvis and smoldering like James Dean. I think it was here, with Cry-Baby, that John Waters found Depp's potential as an actor. Depp plays weird well and with great gusto, taking on quirky characters and giving them depth and life. His character, Cry-Baby, is an overblown mockery of the antiheroes John Waters is satirizing, and Depp plays it note-perfect.
Waters' reputation precedes him, but one transvestite-eating-dog-doo scene (not in Cry-Baby, that's from Pink Flamingos) does not make an entire career. I recommend this movie to those with sharp eye and an appreciation for this sort of over-the-top production. Anyone without a vague sense of what's being mocked here need not apply.
-153/365 down, 212/365 to go
Big shark. Fangs.
The Movie: Megalodon, directed by Pat Corbitt
Recommendation: H
Reason: "This is the best low-budget, direct-to-video shark movie I've ever seen."
H and I share a certain terror about sharks. When we were kids, we both had a similar aversion to the deep end of the swimming pool. It's our pet theory that we saw Jaws and were permanently scarred. We've coped, in our own ways. I've conquered my fear of the deep end of the pool, but you won't catch me swimming in the ocean anytime soon. H watches bad shark movies. I think her decision is more entertaining.
The 'Megalodon' the title sequence refers to is a specimen of carcharadon megalodon, a long extinct ancestor of the modern shark. In the movie it...and trust me, it's hard to even type this...escapes from a heretofore undiscovered 'secret ocean', which has been sealed off from the 'overworld' since time immemorial. As you may have guessed, this is a B-Movie that's serious about shrugging off suspension of disbelief as something other people do.
That's about all the summary Megalodon needs. It's a B-movie with B-grade special effects and B-grade acting. It's campy, dumb and unintentionally funny. There is a hugenormous shark that eats a lot of people and things, and probably some hamfisted environmental message somewhere in there. Something about things man was not meant to see, I don't know. I have to agree with H, though. This is probably the best direct-to-video shark movie I've ever seen.
-152/365 down, 213/365 to go
Recommendation: H
Reason: "This is the best low-budget, direct-to-video shark movie I've ever seen."
H and I share a certain terror about sharks. When we were kids, we both had a similar aversion to the deep end of the swimming pool. It's our pet theory that we saw Jaws and were permanently scarred. We've coped, in our own ways. I've conquered my fear of the deep end of the pool, but you won't catch me swimming in the ocean anytime soon. H watches bad shark movies. I think her decision is more entertaining.
The 'Megalodon' the title sequence refers to is a specimen of carcharadon megalodon, a long extinct ancestor of the modern shark. In the movie it...and trust me, it's hard to even type this...escapes from a heretofore undiscovered 'secret ocean', which has been sealed off from the 'overworld' since time immemorial. As you may have guessed, this is a B-Movie that's serious about shrugging off suspension of disbelief as something other people do.
That's about all the summary Megalodon needs. It's a B-movie with B-grade special effects and B-grade acting. It's campy, dumb and unintentionally funny. There is a hugenormous shark that eats a lot of people and things, and probably some hamfisted environmental message somewhere in there. Something about things man was not meant to see, I don't know. I have to agree with H, though. This is probably the best direct-to-video shark movie I've ever seen.
-152/365 down, 213/365 to go
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