I hate having to give up on something. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, availability of movies, money issues and a stack of other things, I've been unable to view and write about it. I haven't stopped watching movies, just not at the same pace. And I haven't been able to write about them as I should have been. I've seen about forty movies since I Office Space, both old favorites and new challenges. I can't possibly write reviews for all of them (I'd have to find all my tickets, for one thing). I can say that Resident Evil was a great movie experience, in the sense that I have no idea what the plot was, but Milla Jovovich delivered the expected asskickery. The Golden Compass was a promising addition to the fantasy pantheon. The original Halloween was startlingly good (though I really need to start giving John Carpenter more credit). It's always fun coming back to Hellraiser and The Fifth Element, and Beowulf was a pretty kicking tale of norse heroism-booze, babes, and total idiocy.
I think I'm going to close 'the project' with my very own little awards show, and then I'll carry on this blog with my thoughts on movies, my further learning in the areas of film theory and whatever else I happen to come up with that's tangentially related to 'flicks'. So without further ado...
Worst Thing I Watched: Tempo. Oh god, if there was ever a viewing experience I wish I could take back, it's Tempo. The promise of Rachel Leigh Cook sucked me in, and how wrong I was. When Stephen Dorff movies and Milla Jovovich sequels can't sink lower...when PORN, for crying out loud, has a more believable plot and better acting, you know a movie is utterly awful.
(Honorable Mention: Blood Creature. Wicker Man. Blood and Chocolate.)
The "I think I just threw up a little" moment of the year: The climax of Oldboy. The whole movie lead up to a moment so brutal, so hard to handle that my stomach heaved. The last time a movie did that to me was 28 Days Later.
(Honorable Mention: Man Bites Dog-Christmas sequence.)
Best Overall Viewing Experience: I started this project not just to learn about myself, but to learn about the people around me, what they like and why. When I sat down with Broomie to watch Godzilla: Final Wars, I was struck by how much he loved this movie he'd never seen. I learned more about Godzilla and about one of my best friends in the world in those two hours than I ever thought I would. Movies influence us in unimaginable ways, and not just the good films. His love of Godzilla movies translated to a love of the environment (due to their heavy emphasis on the dangers of pollution) and ecology, which then became a deep interest in biology. I can't comment on whether or not he's planning on creating Monster X or anything, but sitting my butt down and getting a lesson on kaiju film theory from him was a great experience.
(Honorable Mention: Introducing KV to Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Learning of the fabulous existence of John Waters via Cry Baby.)
Moments That Elevated The Film: Multiple nominees in this category, which is all about those little touches in movies that make them more than just their genre.
-Alicia Keys and Ryan Reynolds (Smokin' Aces): In a movie that is low in plot and high in action, there's a beautiful moment. As she's being carried away from the violence and chaos happening on an upper floor, Alicia Keys' gun-toting-assassin-babe crosses paths with Ryan Reynolds' FBI Agent. There's a confrontation with so many layers and challenges that it's uncommonly intense...and then it's over.
-Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada): I love Meryl Streep. She's just so goddamn good. I think possibly her best moment this year was the speech she delivered about fashion, its purpose and its trickledown effect. In one swoop, we come to understand just how powerful her character is and why her choices are important (in context).
-Angela Goethals (Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon): I can't praise this movie enough for everything it did to take on the challenges of inverting the slasher genre, examining while simultaneously chomping through the standards. The point where it really rises above is truly an excellent moment in film. And Angela Goethals is really great.
-Elizabeth Mitchell (Running Scared): This one almost makes it into the stomach-turner category. Her scenes are short, her part is minor, and like an awful lot of people in Running Scared, she meets a nasty end. But I love Elizabeth Mitchell so very much for being utterly disconcerting in her role as Edele. Just watch her eyes.
Surprise of the Year: High Noon. I'm not much for cowboy movies. Just never had any interest in them. High Noon blew me away. It had depth and texture, it was bold and interesting and it was just an excellent movie all around. If I had known there was a single cowboy movie out there that was this good, I would have been watching them since the beginning. Now, I have to catch up.
(Honorable Mention: Down With Love. Love Actually. Point Break. The Jacket.)
Movie of the Year: Children of Men. Good god was this ever an amazing experience all around. I loved this movie, I still love it, and I'm going to love it forever. It was spectactular, and incidentally it was also bloody well robbed by the Academy. It at least deserved a nomination, and it got hardly anything.
(Honorable Mention: American Beauty. The Fountain.)
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Saturday, September 1, 2007
I'm so happy I've never had to have flair.
The Movie: Office Space, directed by Mike Judge
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: I have seen Office Space before, but who wouldn't want to see it again?
There is a painful amount of truth in Office Space. Not about morality or legality or anything like that, but just in the treatment of the soul-deadening ways that an office job can break a person down. There are Miltons in this world, and there are pieces of flair. There are meaningless jobs and horrible management techniques and dear god there are Lumberghs everywhere. The plot of the movie is almost irrelevant, compared to the insight that Mike Judge demonstrates.
The plot is subdued and a little wacky. After a hypnosis accident, a peon at a software company shrugs off the shackles of his oppressive workplace and tries to break free with a stack of the company's money. It's office-monkey wish fulfillment. In between point A and point B though there are plenty of entertaining stops.
As a cult film. Office Space stands up, setting itself head and shoulders above the rest. It was mismanaged and badly marketed, leading to its being an utter flop (and Mike Judge refusing to do a sequel). Thank god for video and DVD sales.
-184/365 down, 181/365 to go
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: I have seen Office Space before, but who wouldn't want to see it again?
There is a painful amount of truth in Office Space. Not about morality or legality or anything like that, but just in the treatment of the soul-deadening ways that an office job can break a person down. There are Miltons in this world, and there are pieces of flair. There are meaningless jobs and horrible management techniques and dear god there are Lumberghs everywhere. The plot of the movie is almost irrelevant, compared to the insight that Mike Judge demonstrates.
The plot is subdued and a little wacky. After a hypnosis accident, a peon at a software company shrugs off the shackles of his oppressive workplace and tries to break free with a stack of the company's money. It's office-monkey wish fulfillment. In between point A and point B though there are plenty of entertaining stops.
As a cult film. Office Space stands up, setting itself head and shoulders above the rest. It was mismanaged and badly marketed, leading to its being an utter flop (and Mike Judge refusing to do a sequel). Thank god for video and DVD sales.
-184/365 down, 181/365 to go
My favorite spy like totally 4eva!
The Movie: The Bourne Ultimatum, directed by Paul Greengrass
Recommendation: Me
Reason: My love for the first two movies is great. Had to see the third.
I'm so fond of Paul Greengrass's work (what I've seen of it). Unlike most people, I'm a fan of the shakycam approach to fights, though I can certainly see their complaints about it. It's a stylistic choice most directors wouldn't make. I think Greengrass's camerawork is good more often than it's bad.
As usual, the plot was solid and the action thoroughly interesting. They delved deeper (as usual) into Bourne's past, giving him further depth. I'm on the fence over Nicky-I don't know if she's quite as interesting a character as Marie. I think she has potential though, as long as it's properly developed.
Matt Damon as Jason Bourne continues to be perfect casting. He has a real presence and sense of the character-it's his performance that ties all the goodness of these movies together. If there is a fourth one (and I might actually be on board for that), I think he could keep up the trend.
-183/365 down, 182/365 to go
Recommendation: Me
Reason: My love for the first two movies is great. Had to see the third.
I'm so fond of Paul Greengrass's work (what I've seen of it). Unlike most people, I'm a fan of the shakycam approach to fights, though I can certainly see their complaints about it. It's a stylistic choice most directors wouldn't make. I think Greengrass's camerawork is good more often than it's bad.
As usual, the plot was solid and the action thoroughly interesting. They delved deeper (as usual) into Bourne's past, giving him further depth. I'm on the fence over Nicky-I don't know if she's quite as interesting a character as Marie. I think she has potential though, as long as it's properly developed.
Matt Damon as Jason Bourne continues to be perfect casting. He has a real presence and sense of the character-it's his performance that ties all the goodness of these movies together. If there is a fourth one (and I might actually be on board for that), I think he could keep up the trend.
-183/365 down, 182/365 to go
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Brain damage schmain damage.
The Movie: Flatliners, directed by Joel Schumacher
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: I had never seen the entire movie and had always been fascinated by it. She emphatically recommended it as a good movie about death.
Movies about dead people coming back to life are definitely right up my alley. Zombies, vampires, I'm there. Once upon a time, several years ago, I was channel surfing and hit someone broadcasting Flatliners right in time for Kevin Bacon's reanimation. I was hooked, but was unfortunately unable to watch the entire movie. After noting who was in it, I resolved to look it up later and see the whole thing.
Time has passed and I found out the title, but today was my first viewing of the whole thing. Flatliners was generally quite good with a few rough patches, those mainly stemming from holes in the story. The cast was pretty good for 1990, including Julia Roberts, a Baldwin brother, ever present Kevin Bacon and Kiefer Sutherland, never mind dear roly poly Oliver Platt. They played well together, I thought.
The movie was also visually strong, using an occasionally very dynamic camera to drive certain points home. I appreciated the use of different camera types to differentiate the dead world from the living, lending a sense of unreality to each. The way the handicam was used to create a sort of deadzone feel to those remaining on the living side was particularily impactful. Overall a good movie.
-182/365 down, 183/365 to go
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: I had never seen the entire movie and had always been fascinated by it. She emphatically recommended it as a good movie about death.
Movies about dead people coming back to life are definitely right up my alley. Zombies, vampires, I'm there. Once upon a time, several years ago, I was channel surfing and hit someone broadcasting Flatliners right in time for Kevin Bacon's reanimation. I was hooked, but was unfortunately unable to watch the entire movie. After noting who was in it, I resolved to look it up later and see the whole thing.
Time has passed and I found out the title, but today was my first viewing of the whole thing. Flatliners was generally quite good with a few rough patches, those mainly stemming from holes in the story. The cast was pretty good for 1990, including Julia Roberts, a Baldwin brother, ever present Kevin Bacon and Kiefer Sutherland, never mind dear roly poly Oliver Platt. They played well together, I thought.
The movie was also visually strong, using an occasionally very dynamic camera to drive certain points home. I appreciated the use of different camera types to differentiate the dead world from the living, lending a sense of unreality to each. The way the handicam was used to create a sort of deadzone feel to those remaining on the living side was particularily impactful. Overall a good movie.
-182/365 down, 183/365 to go
Gore turned up to 11.
The Movie: Final Destination 3, directed by James Wong
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: Yes, I know, it's always me. Morgan and Wong strike once more with death as their master plan. Yay!
I don't think human beings actually do explode like a water balloon full of blood and entrails, no matter how big whatever you drop on them is. Not that realism really matters in Final Destination's world, where death suspends the laws of physics to make a million to one chance actually happen. Though I felt that one of the deaths was uninspired (tanning bed), the rest were as refreshingly interesting as the mutilation of the casts from the first two movies.
These aren't films you watch to see a great plot or an interesting subtext. These are movies about teenagers being stalked by death. I'm certain that Morgan and Wong could manage some sort of message in there, but they know we're all in it for the exploding heads, smashed torsos and bisected bodies, never mind the explosions, dismemberments and the regular decapitations. It's the traps, death's devices that keep on coming back.
I love that this movie, like the previous one, was aware of its universe. There are references to the first movie, in fact the story of the first movie is retold as a clue to solving the problem of this third one. Not that it helps anyone very much, when all's said and done. The only problem I had with this third installment was a potential murder-one character was to cause the death of another, which seems a little sloppy to me. We didn't get to see the plan go down, though, so who knows. It may have been an accident waiting to happen. If you like the series, Final Destination 3 carries on the tradition. If you don't, don't bother-in between the deaths there's not a lot that you haven't already seen.
-181/365 down, 184/365 to go
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: Yes, I know, it's always me. Morgan and Wong strike once more with death as their master plan. Yay!
I don't think human beings actually do explode like a water balloon full of blood and entrails, no matter how big whatever you drop on them is. Not that realism really matters in Final Destination's world, where death suspends the laws of physics to make a million to one chance actually happen. Though I felt that one of the deaths was uninspired (tanning bed), the rest were as refreshingly interesting as the mutilation of the casts from the first two movies.
These aren't films you watch to see a great plot or an interesting subtext. These are movies about teenagers being stalked by death. I'm certain that Morgan and Wong could manage some sort of message in there, but they know we're all in it for the exploding heads, smashed torsos and bisected bodies, never mind the explosions, dismemberments and the regular decapitations. It's the traps, death's devices that keep on coming back.
I love that this movie, like the previous one, was aware of its universe. There are references to the first movie, in fact the story of the first movie is retold as a clue to solving the problem of this third one. Not that it helps anyone very much, when all's said and done. The only problem I had with this third installment was a potential murder-one character was to cause the death of another, which seems a little sloppy to me. We didn't get to see the plan go down, though, so who knows. It may have been an accident waiting to happen. If you like the series, Final Destination 3 carries on the tradition. If you don't, don't bother-in between the deaths there's not a lot that you haven't already seen.
-181/365 down, 184/365 to go
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Let that plane take off, you will not. (Yeah, I know you were expecting 'something on a something')
The Movie: S.W.A.T., directed by Clark Johnson
Recommendation: Von Gauzen
Reason: Dumb summer action blockbuster starring Colin Farrell.
There's not a lot of substance to this movie, though the action is quite solid. It's a pretty basic story with an interesting premise (criminal offers huge reward for his own release). It could have probably gotten as good as The Rock or Con Air, but falls short due to casting and action setpieces that just don't push far enough.
LL Cool J is never a mistake in a movie like this. He's genuine, funny and sweet while also being goddamn ripped. Colin Farrell's okay, so's Michelle Rodriguez, and Samuel L. Jackson knows his audience. I think that it's probably Farrell more than Rodriguez that's the not-quite-great part here.
This is a solid movie, just not a great one. It's a good standby to have around if you just can't get enough planes-landing-on-bridges in your life. Maybe you might one day have a craving for just some random Sam Jackson.
-180/365 down, 185/365 to go
Recommendation: Von Gauzen
Reason: Dumb summer action blockbuster starring Colin Farrell.
There's not a lot of substance to this movie, though the action is quite solid. It's a pretty basic story with an interesting premise (criminal offers huge reward for his own release). It could have probably gotten as good as The Rock or Con Air, but falls short due to casting and action setpieces that just don't push far enough.
LL Cool J is never a mistake in a movie like this. He's genuine, funny and sweet while also being goddamn ripped. Colin Farrell's okay, so's Michelle Rodriguez, and Samuel L. Jackson knows his audience. I think that it's probably Farrell more than Rodriguez that's the not-quite-great part here.
This is a solid movie, just not a great one. It's a good standby to have around if you just can't get enough planes-landing-on-bridges in your life. Maybe you might one day have a craving for just some random Sam Jackson.
-180/365 down, 185/365 to go
Friday, August 24, 2007
A worthy addition.
The Movie: The Simpsons Movie, directed by David Silverman
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: "I've been waiting for this ever since they announced that there could be a movie. We're going!"
I admit it took me a few minutes to warm up to the Big Yellow finally making it to the big screen. I was a little offput by the opening, but a few seconds after Bart impacted on the restaurant window, I was in. I don't want to write much about the actual content of the movie-I believe in being as spoiler-free as possible-so instead I'm going to talk about the conversation we had afterwards.
As we left the theater, we started talking about The Simpsons Movie, comparing it to the series. We agreed that the movie harkened back to the peak years of the cartoon, the fourth/fifth/sixth seasons. There was a bit of darkness, a little edge to the whole thing. They got to play a little with the sort of topics and scenes that can't really be pulled off on their small screen canvas. From there we started discussing South Park and the accompanying movie (the comparison is inevitable). I'm of the opinion that both Bigger, Longer and Uncut and the Simpsons movie are excellent examples of their respective series. South Park has always been about pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable humor-since the movie was released, the show has actually topped it in terms of the material they've taken on. The Simpsons may not be as edgy, but it's always been reliably sly.
Since it was launched on the Tracy Ullman show, The Simpsons has been a mainstay of television. It's definitely had its better days. I hope the movie is the return to those better days...I mean, who else should get a second (fourth) chance to jump the shark, right?
-179/365 down, 186/365 to go
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: "I've been waiting for this ever since they announced that there could be a movie. We're going!"
I admit it took me a few minutes to warm up to the Big Yellow finally making it to the big screen. I was a little offput by the opening, but a few seconds after Bart impacted on the restaurant window, I was in. I don't want to write much about the actual content of the movie-I believe in being as spoiler-free as possible-so instead I'm going to talk about the conversation we had afterwards.
As we left the theater, we started talking about The Simpsons Movie, comparing it to the series. We agreed that the movie harkened back to the peak years of the cartoon, the fourth/fifth/sixth seasons. There was a bit of darkness, a little edge to the whole thing. They got to play a little with the sort of topics and scenes that can't really be pulled off on their small screen canvas. From there we started discussing South Park and the accompanying movie (the comparison is inevitable). I'm of the opinion that both Bigger, Longer and Uncut and the Simpsons movie are excellent examples of their respective series. South Park has always been about pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable humor-since the movie was released, the show has actually topped it in terms of the material they've taken on. The Simpsons may not be as edgy, but it's always been reliably sly.
Since it was launched on the Tracy Ullman show, The Simpsons has been a mainstay of television. It's definitely had its better days. I hope the movie is the return to those better days...I mean, who else should get a second (fourth) chance to jump the shark, right?
-179/365 down, 186/365 to go
"Wolfman's got nards!"
The Movie: The Monster Squad, directed by Fred Dekker
Recommendation: My childhood.
Reason: I loved this movie when I was a kid. We used to bike down to the video rental store regularily to get it.
There's not a lot about this movie that gets very complicated. In the style of the Goonies and imitated by Monster House, Monster Squad's about a pack of kids who have decided to defend their town from classic horror monsters who've come to collect a mystical amulet for...something. Probably to make Dracula all-powerful. As Broomie put it, why is Dracula always the one in charge when the monsters get together? Given that his supporting cast in this movie is the wolfman, Frankenstein's monster, the creature from the black lagoon and the mummy, Dracula's sort of default leader. He can do all those handy things like speaking and making plans.
I would love to see more adventure horror movies aimed for kids. Monster Squad made the monsters both scary and easy to defeat-all it took was a bunch of kids brave enough to do it. I loved that message when I was a kid (and was fully prepared to boil down my mom's silverware at a moment's notice if it meant actually fighting the wolfman). Kid empowerment-the monsters might be scary, but you know how to beat them.
It's like It without the creepiness, the Goonies with a bit of an edge. There's a subplot about parents arguing or something, but whatever. The important part is the Monster Squad, the heroes of the day. They're not the tough kids, they're the smart, brave kids, and that's what really matters.
-178/365 down, 187/365 to go
Recommendation: My childhood.
Reason: I loved this movie when I was a kid. We used to bike down to the video rental store regularily to get it.
There's not a lot about this movie that gets very complicated. In the style of the Goonies and imitated by Monster House, Monster Squad's about a pack of kids who have decided to defend their town from classic horror monsters who've come to collect a mystical amulet for...something. Probably to make Dracula all-powerful. As Broomie put it, why is Dracula always the one in charge when the monsters get together? Given that his supporting cast in this movie is the wolfman, Frankenstein's monster, the creature from the black lagoon and the mummy, Dracula's sort of default leader. He can do all those handy things like speaking and making plans.
I would love to see more adventure horror movies aimed for kids. Monster Squad made the monsters both scary and easy to defeat-all it took was a bunch of kids brave enough to do it. I loved that message when I was a kid (and was fully prepared to boil down my mom's silverware at a moment's notice if it meant actually fighting the wolfman). Kid empowerment-the monsters might be scary, but you know how to beat them.
It's like It without the creepiness, the Goonies with a bit of an edge. There's a subplot about parents arguing or something, but whatever. The important part is the Monster Squad, the heroes of the day. They're not the tough kids, they're the smart, brave kids, and that's what really matters.
-178/365 down, 187/365 to go
I have no idea what the hell happened, but it was so pretty.
The Movie: Zu Warriors, directed by Hark Tsui
Recommendation: Broomie
Reason: "It just looked so awesome on the shelf."
According to Imdb, Miramax picked up three previously released Chinese movies after the success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. That sort of makes Zu Warriors the incomprehensible younger sibling to Hero and Shaolin Soccer (yeah, they optioned Shaolin Soccer, Hero and...this). I'm certain that Zu Warriors makes more sense within its cultural context, and certainly the dialogue must be better to those who speak Cantonese.
The movie's heavy on the special effects. It's like a live action Final Fantasy game, complete with shadowy magic effects and death-defying battles against massive evil creatures. In 2005 it would have been pretty impressive, but compared against more seamless productions in recent years, it falls a little short.
It's not a bad movie, just not a great one. It's a forgettable attempt at a wirework epic, probably doomed to fall by the wayside. Even Zhang Ziyi's presence couldn't make it interesting (not that she's much for saving any production she's in).
-177/365 down, 188/365 to go
Recommendation: Broomie
Reason: "It just looked so awesome on the shelf."
According to Imdb, Miramax picked up three previously released Chinese movies after the success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. That sort of makes Zu Warriors the incomprehensible younger sibling to Hero and Shaolin Soccer (yeah, they optioned Shaolin Soccer, Hero and...this). I'm certain that Zu Warriors makes more sense within its cultural context, and certainly the dialogue must be better to those who speak Cantonese.
The movie's heavy on the special effects. It's like a live action Final Fantasy game, complete with shadowy magic effects and death-defying battles against massive evil creatures. In 2005 it would have been pretty impressive, but compared against more seamless productions in recent years, it falls a little short.
It's not a bad movie, just not a great one. It's a forgettable attempt at a wirework epic, probably doomed to fall by the wayside. Even Zhang Ziyi's presence couldn't make it interesting (not that she's much for saving any production she's in).
-177/365 down, 188/365 to go
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Cameron Bright + Julianne Moore = The ultimate missing child movie?
The Movie: Running Scared, directed by Wayne Kramer
Recommendation: The Internet!
Reason: I've read that this movie comes highly recommended as an action movie and as a tense drama.
This movie is what Crank should have been. Though Crank was solid, it lagged in parts. Running Scared does no such thing. The movie is a freaked out neo-noir fairy tale with a breakneck pace that combines horror, fantasy and other elements into a demented morality tale about shades of grey from dark to light. I'm not kidding on this. Running Scared is FAST.
Paul Walker is deadpan, but believable as Joey Gazelle, a low-level wiseguy with a wife and a kid. When he's given a gun to dispose of...well, that's how this whole thing starts. Where it goes from there is unexpected to say the least. It ignores the limits of sanity and breaks out the big guns, scrambling from one confrontation to the next. No one is safe, either-every primary cast member, from Gazelle's wife and son to his mob connections gets involved.
See it. You might not agree with me on how good it really is, but I can honestly say this movie pushes the limit the way recent action movies have been trying to. It succeeds. It does well.
-176/365 down, 189/365 to go
Recommendation: The Internet!
Reason: I've read that this movie comes highly recommended as an action movie and as a tense drama.
This movie is what Crank should have been. Though Crank was solid, it lagged in parts. Running Scared does no such thing. The movie is a freaked out neo-noir fairy tale with a breakneck pace that combines horror, fantasy and other elements into a demented morality tale about shades of grey from dark to light. I'm not kidding on this. Running Scared is FAST.
Paul Walker is deadpan, but believable as Joey Gazelle, a low-level wiseguy with a wife and a kid. When he's given a gun to dispose of...well, that's how this whole thing starts. Where it goes from there is unexpected to say the least. It ignores the limits of sanity and breaks out the big guns, scrambling from one confrontation to the next. No one is safe, either-every primary cast member, from Gazelle's wife and son to his mob connections gets involved.
See it. You might not agree with me on how good it really is, but I can honestly say this movie pushes the limit the way recent action movies have been trying to. It succeeds. It does well.
-176/365 down, 189/365 to go
Surprisingly not lame.
The Movie: Sky High, directed by Mike Mitchell
Recommendation: Me.
Reason: I quite like this movie a lot.
Sky High is one of those kids movies that gets overlooked. I wouldn't have seen it if a friend hadn't recommended it to me back when it was still in theaters. It's one of those movies that flew below the radar in spite of a good script, good cast and an interesting premise. It's about a superhero high school that divides kids with powers between the 'hero' class and 'hero support'.
This movie is campy. Gotta get that straight right off the start. It's campy, it's silly and it's fun. If you're looking for action movie cred or some other silly designation, you're not going to find it here. Instead, you'll get Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston being so All-American it hurts. Bruce Campbell and two of five members of the Kids in the Hall (betcha can't guess who, those little Disney-lovin' rascals) add a fun little dash of comedy in their supporting roles. Lastly we have the kids, the centers of attention, and they're not too bad either.
This movie is fun. It's not challenging, the subtext isn't anything weird or psychotic, it's just a fun way to spend some time. It's probably a lot better than that Tim Allen thing, Whoosh or whatever. Don't see that. See Sky High instead.
-175/365 down, 190/365 to go
Recommendation: Me.
Reason: I quite like this movie a lot.
Sky High is one of those kids movies that gets overlooked. I wouldn't have seen it if a friend hadn't recommended it to me back when it was still in theaters. It's one of those movies that flew below the radar in spite of a good script, good cast and an interesting premise. It's about a superhero high school that divides kids with powers between the 'hero' class and 'hero support'.
This movie is campy. Gotta get that straight right off the start. It's campy, it's silly and it's fun. If you're looking for action movie cred or some other silly designation, you're not going to find it here. Instead, you'll get Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston being so All-American it hurts. Bruce Campbell and two of five members of the Kids in the Hall (betcha can't guess who, those little Disney-lovin' rascals) add a fun little dash of comedy in their supporting roles. Lastly we have the kids, the centers of attention, and they're not too bad either.
This movie is fun. It's not challenging, the subtext isn't anything weird or psychotic, it's just a fun way to spend some time. It's probably a lot better than that Tim Allen thing, Whoosh or whatever. Don't see that. See Sky High instead.
-175/365 down, 190/365 to go
You will not find a better source of rippling biceps.
The Movie: Predator, directed by John MacTiernan
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: It's been awhile since she's seen Predator.
This is a movie that probably shouldn't have been good. It's a followup action vehicle for a rising star not known for his knockout acting ability. It's a movie about big men with big muscles and big guns shooting things in the jungle. Basically, it's simple.
Simple is all it needed to be, though. Arnold Schwarzenegger pulled out a genuinely decent performance as the commander of a massive pile of muscles and guns. His scenes facing off mano-et-alien against the Predator were actually pretty intense, helped along by the acting ability he managed to summon up. The rest of the cast was cliche, but they did it the right way, going full bore rather than trying to pretend they weren't a collection of genre tropes.
The creature that was created for this film is now fairly legendary. What was originally supposed to be some goofy ostrich-dog-cyclops thing became a musclebound hunter with ninjalike capabilities, a destroyer of xenomorphs and a truly formidable foe for anyone who faced off with it. This movie deserves to be the legend it is.
-174/365 down, 191/365 to go
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: It's been awhile since she's seen Predator.
This is a movie that probably shouldn't have been good. It's a followup action vehicle for a rising star not known for his knockout acting ability. It's a movie about big men with big muscles and big guns shooting things in the jungle. Basically, it's simple.
Simple is all it needed to be, though. Arnold Schwarzenegger pulled out a genuinely decent performance as the commander of a massive pile of muscles and guns. His scenes facing off mano-et-alien against the Predator were actually pretty intense, helped along by the acting ability he managed to summon up. The rest of the cast was cliche, but they did it the right way, going full bore rather than trying to pretend they weren't a collection of genre tropes.
The creature that was created for this film is now fairly legendary. What was originally supposed to be some goofy ostrich-dog-cyclops thing became a musclebound hunter with ninjalike capabilities, a destroyer of xenomorphs and a truly formidable foe for anyone who faced off with it. This movie deserves to be the legend it is.
-174/365 down, 191/365 to go
Metaphor? We don't need no stinkin' metaphor.
The Movie: Scream 2, directed by Wes Craven
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: Best slasher series in recent memory, part 2.
I won't expound on the virtues of Scream 2 much more than I did on the first one. When I first saw it at my favorite theater (which has since been torn down), I was on the edge of my seat. The movie was excellently done, ratcheting up the tension and playing by its rules quite nicely. The main cast returned to take on their roles again, which is always a big help.
Once more, Scream questions the nature of the genre it was undertaking, this time discussing the rules that apply to sequels. There's a conversation starter regarding whether or not sequels are as good as their predecessors. Randy, the avatar of us as the audience and in particular horror fans everywhere, sets out the rules for a sequel. The entire movie plays textbook perfect as a sequel, and it achieved its goal.
There needs to come a new Scream franchise. It's really important to horror movies at this point. We need less of the increasingly stupider Saw and Hostel series, and more creative, boundary-pushing horror. God help me, I almost think we need more along the lines of Rob Zombie's movies, as long as he's started figuring out this whole 'writing a goddamn ending' thing.
-173/365 down, 192/365 to go
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: Best slasher series in recent memory, part 2.
I won't expound on the virtues of Scream 2 much more than I did on the first one. When I first saw it at my favorite theater (which has since been torn down), I was on the edge of my seat. The movie was excellently done, ratcheting up the tension and playing by its rules quite nicely. The main cast returned to take on their roles again, which is always a big help.
Once more, Scream questions the nature of the genre it was undertaking, this time discussing the rules that apply to sequels. There's a conversation starter regarding whether or not sequels are as good as their predecessors. Randy, the avatar of us as the audience and in particular horror fans everywhere, sets out the rules for a sequel. The entire movie plays textbook perfect as a sequel, and it achieved its goal.
There needs to come a new Scream franchise. It's really important to horror movies at this point. We need less of the increasingly stupider Saw and Hostel series, and more creative, boundary-pushing horror. God help me, I almost think we need more along the lines of Rob Zombie's movies, as long as he's started figuring out this whole 'writing a goddamn ending' thing.
-173/365 down, 192/365 to go
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Let there be knives!
The Movie: Scream, directed by Wes Craven
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: It's the beginning of the best neo-horror trilogy set to screen.
Scream changed my life. I count it, along with Schindler's List, Unbreakable, The Truman Show and Princess Mononoke as the most important movies I've ever seen. That isn't because of historical impact, entertainment purposes or emotional resonance-there are other movies that influenced me more in those respects. But these five films each changed the way I looked at film as an art form and a medium of expression. From M. Night's camerawork to Spielberg's fine use of color, I learned how beautiful movies could be. From Jim Carrey, the power a lead actor has to carry a movie. From Billy Crudup, Minnie Driver and Claire Danes, the importance of voice and script in animation. Wes Craven's Scream ushered me into the revelation that one of the most ill-regarded genres of film was capable of holding its own, asking complex questions and challenging the viewer to look deep into the screen. Scream awakened me to the potential of the horror genre and all of the twisty, fascinating gems within.
Well. Now that I've gone and gotten all sentimental on you, I suppose I should actually talk about the movie. Scream's a masterpiece, working both as a horror film and as an examination of the genre. I talked about the new wave of post-90's horror films when I critiqued Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. Scream was the gun that sounded go for those movies. Jason Voorhees and Leatherface were no longer the way to go with a slasher. Intelligent leads and smart killers using tools that Voorhees and company never dared dream of were the new direction. Movies became more self referential after Scream, most without the finesse of Kevin Williamson's deft writing. Guns and cell phones came into vogue after the killer terrorized Woodsboro with a ringing phone and was put down by a Final Girl's bullet. Scream even had measurable effect on the real world: Caller ID use tripled after its premiere, and two of the primary leads, Courtney Cox and David Arquette, got married.
The casting of this movie was likely the key to its success. Drew Barrymore was brought on board at the beginning of her mid-90's comeback. Neve Campbell was having plenty of success on Party of Five. Courtney Cox was pulling in viewers from the Friends crowd. The movie also launched Jamie Kennedy and Matthew Lillard back into the spotlight...which can be construed as possibly a good thing. At the very least, they were good in this one. At any rate, the cast meshed well. The performances were solid, even nuanced (particularily David Arquette's Dewey and Neve Campbell's Sydney). The cameos were appropriately subtle. They wrapped this movie into the glorious package deal that it is today.
-172/365 down, 193/365 to go
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: It's the beginning of the best neo-horror trilogy set to screen.
Scream changed my life. I count it, along with Schindler's List, Unbreakable, The Truman Show and Princess Mononoke as the most important movies I've ever seen. That isn't because of historical impact, entertainment purposes or emotional resonance-there are other movies that influenced me more in those respects. But these five films each changed the way I looked at film as an art form and a medium of expression. From M. Night's camerawork to Spielberg's fine use of color, I learned how beautiful movies could be. From Jim Carrey, the power a lead actor has to carry a movie. From Billy Crudup, Minnie Driver and Claire Danes, the importance of voice and script in animation. Wes Craven's Scream ushered me into the revelation that one of the most ill-regarded genres of film was capable of holding its own, asking complex questions and challenging the viewer to look deep into the screen. Scream awakened me to the potential of the horror genre and all of the twisty, fascinating gems within.
Well. Now that I've gone and gotten all sentimental on you, I suppose I should actually talk about the movie. Scream's a masterpiece, working both as a horror film and as an examination of the genre. I talked about the new wave of post-90's horror films when I critiqued Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. Scream was the gun that sounded go for those movies. Jason Voorhees and Leatherface were no longer the way to go with a slasher. Intelligent leads and smart killers using tools that Voorhees and company never dared dream of were the new direction. Movies became more self referential after Scream, most without the finesse of Kevin Williamson's deft writing. Guns and cell phones came into vogue after the killer terrorized Woodsboro with a ringing phone and was put down by a Final Girl's bullet. Scream even had measurable effect on the real world: Caller ID use tripled after its premiere, and two of the primary leads, Courtney Cox and David Arquette, got married.
The casting of this movie was likely the key to its success. Drew Barrymore was brought on board at the beginning of her mid-90's comeback. Neve Campbell was having plenty of success on Party of Five. Courtney Cox was pulling in viewers from the Friends crowd. The movie also launched Jamie Kennedy and Matthew Lillard back into the spotlight...which can be construed as possibly a good thing. At the very least, they were good in this one. At any rate, the cast meshed well. The performances were solid, even nuanced (particularily David Arquette's Dewey and Neve Campbell's Sydney). The cameos were appropriately subtle. They wrapped this movie into the glorious package deal that it is today.
-172/365 down, 193/365 to go
Sky pirates! Fallen stars! Forgotten kingdoms!
The Movie: Stardust, directed by Matthew Vaughn
Recommendation: Broomie
Reason: Really, a lot of people should get that recommendation, but he bought the tickets.
There have been few good fairy tales told in recent years, at least on film. We've had the Shrek series, which have generally been solid. Amelie and Big Fish sort of stretch towards fairy tale territory. Otherwise, we've had The Brother's Grimm and a smattering of 'OMG I'm a princess' movies. And then, from Neil Gaiman's talented pen, we get Stardust. Gaiman's witty, charming writing combines with a solid director and a decent cast to almost live up to the standard of The Princess Bride.
In Gaiman's usual style, each character that stands at the forefront is unique, and none of them without purpose. In most tales, the guardian of the gate and the kidnapped princess would have been throwaway parts, to give the film some character. In Stardust, they are significant, important in many ways. The story is complete. There are no threads dangling.
The cast is charming. Claire Danes as the Star (literally a star, not just the female lead/star of the movie) was both witty and sweet. Charlie Cox as Tristran was intent, and he carried the movie quite nicely as the lead character. Michelle Pfeiffer played the witch well, and De Niro's sky pirate was inspired. It's from these last two that I hoped for the most, and while they didn't entirely disappoint, they could have done a little better. Not a lot, but a little (Pfeiffer, I'm looking at you in particular during the climactic final battle sequence).
I would recommend this film in a heartbeat to anyone who liked The Princess Bride and is looking for a similar experience. This movie isn't quite there, but it's very close. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
-171/365 down, 194/365 to go
Recommendation: Broomie
Reason: Really, a lot of people should get that recommendation, but he bought the tickets.
There have been few good fairy tales told in recent years, at least on film. We've had the Shrek series, which have generally been solid. Amelie and Big Fish sort of stretch towards fairy tale territory. Otherwise, we've had The Brother's Grimm and a smattering of 'OMG I'm a princess' movies. And then, from Neil Gaiman's talented pen, we get Stardust. Gaiman's witty, charming writing combines with a solid director and a decent cast to almost live up to the standard of The Princess Bride.
In Gaiman's usual style, each character that stands at the forefront is unique, and none of them without purpose. In most tales, the guardian of the gate and the kidnapped princess would have been throwaway parts, to give the film some character. In Stardust, they are significant, important in many ways. The story is complete. There are no threads dangling.
The cast is charming. Claire Danes as the Star (literally a star, not just the female lead/star of the movie) was both witty and sweet. Charlie Cox as Tristran was intent, and he carried the movie quite nicely as the lead character. Michelle Pfeiffer played the witch well, and De Niro's sky pirate was inspired. It's from these last two that I hoped for the most, and while they didn't entirely disappoint, they could have done a little better. Not a lot, but a little (Pfeiffer, I'm looking at you in particular during the climactic final battle sequence).
I would recommend this film in a heartbeat to anyone who liked The Princess Bride and is looking for a similar experience. This movie isn't quite there, but it's very close. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
-171/365 down, 194/365 to go
Delving deep into the ancestry of Reno 911!
The Movie: Super Troopers, directed by Jay Chandrasekhar
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: She just really wanted to watch it, I suppose, and with Final Destination 2 dying off on us, that's what we did.
So, yeah, trilogy week didn't exactly go off without a hitch. Final Destination 2's disc was incredibly trashed. Instead, so the movie train could keep running, I watched Super Troopers, an old favorite. It's the most likely predecessor to Reno 911!, not that that makes either movie or the TV show inferior. They're both very funny.
From the freakout of the stoners to the multiple drunk and sober brawls, Super Troopers was as fun as always. It's Broken Lizard's initial effort, preceding Club Dread and Beerfest, and I think it's probably the best (based entirely on hearsay, of course). It was a little clunky, but still funny.
-170/365 down, 195/365 to go
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: She just really wanted to watch it, I suppose, and with Final Destination 2 dying off on us, that's what we did.
So, yeah, trilogy week didn't exactly go off without a hitch. Final Destination 2's disc was incredibly trashed. Instead, so the movie train could keep running, I watched Super Troopers, an old favorite. It's the most likely predecessor to Reno 911!, not that that makes either movie or the TV show inferior. They're both very funny.
From the freakout of the stoners to the multiple drunk and sober brawls, Super Troopers was as fun as always. It's Broken Lizard's initial effort, preceding Club Dread and Beerfest, and I think it's probably the best (based entirely on hearsay, of course). It was a little clunky, but still funny.
-170/365 down, 195/365 to go
Monday, August 13, 2007
When the going gets lazy.
The Movie: Final Destination, directed by James Morgan
Recommendation: It's Trilogy Week!
Reason: This week I'm trying to push to catch up by watching trilogies! Starting with Final Destination, I'm going to try to get through Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Star Wars and a couple more. Woofun!
You can't get much more lazy than deciding that death is the villain of your horror movie. What a shock, really. It gets creative when you build a franchise around weird, wacky death scenes with shred of a plot holding them together. Though I've only ever seen Final Destination in theaters, I've always ended up eventually renting the sequels. Why's that? Like I said, the death scenes. The idea of death just getting really pissed off and deciding that all the jerks who've avoided deaths' ultimate plan are going to get _really_ dead for doing so is just a little funny.
Originally this was to be an X-Files episode. I'm glad that they didn't do it, since the movie is so original and interesting. The whole franchise is a real boon to the horror movie genre, since it was a fresh, creative idea when it first hit the screen. Aside from what is probably the most...inventive name for a romantic interest in a horror movie (Clear Rivers. Seriously.), the movie's packed with references to strange and unusual deaths. It makes a spectacle out of foreshadowing.
For turning the death clock up to eleven and having some pretty cool promotional items (tarot cards with the plane crash artistically represented on them), Final Destination is really a good movie. It's not an artistic movie, it doesn't have a lot to say, it's just a fun diversion for those of us who are entertained by Rube Goldbergesque death scenes.
-169/365 down, 196/365 to go
Recommendation: It's Trilogy Week!
Reason: This week I'm trying to push to catch up by watching trilogies! Starting with Final Destination, I'm going to try to get through Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Star Wars and a couple more. Woofun!
You can't get much more lazy than deciding that death is the villain of your horror movie. What a shock, really. It gets creative when you build a franchise around weird, wacky death scenes with shred of a plot holding them together. Though I've only ever seen Final Destination in theaters, I've always ended up eventually renting the sequels. Why's that? Like I said, the death scenes. The idea of death just getting really pissed off and deciding that all the jerks who've avoided deaths' ultimate plan are going to get _really_ dead for doing so is just a little funny.
Originally this was to be an X-Files episode. I'm glad that they didn't do it, since the movie is so original and interesting. The whole franchise is a real boon to the horror movie genre, since it was a fresh, creative idea when it first hit the screen. Aside from what is probably the most...inventive name for a romantic interest in a horror movie (Clear Rivers. Seriously.), the movie's packed with references to strange and unusual deaths. It makes a spectacle out of foreshadowing.
For turning the death clock up to eleven and having some pretty cool promotional items (tarot cards with the plane crash artistically represented on them), Final Destination is really a good movie. It's not an artistic movie, it doesn't have a lot to say, it's just a fun diversion for those of us who are entertained by Rube Goldbergesque death scenes.
-169/365 down, 196/365 to go
Fourteen and a half minutes in, the paradigm shifts without a clutch.
The Movie: The Host, directed by Bong Joon-ho
Recommendation: That darn internet again.
Reason: I'd heard about this groundbreaking monster movie and originally thought it was going to be just another kaiju movie.
Imagine, if you will, a giant monster movie with deep characters, a gripping plot and a clear message. Unlike many of the kaiju movies it was likely inspired by, The Host was a textured, complex film. It had emotion and depth, it was very impactful and it didn't pull its punches. If only action and horror films on the whole were more like it.
The family at the center of this film was the key, of course. Though the monster was impressive, it was the way the family pulled together to fight it that really made the movie great. In particular, Kang-ho Song carried the film nicely as the main character.
I wouldn't miss this movie for the world. It really is a good, solid film. I wish I'd not made the mistake of leaving it dubbed, because I imagine the real actors had a bit more emotion in their voices than the English voiceover actors did.
-168/365 down, 197/365 to go
Recommendation: That darn internet again.
Reason: I'd heard about this groundbreaking monster movie and originally thought it was going to be just another kaiju movie.
Imagine, if you will, a giant monster movie with deep characters, a gripping plot and a clear message. Unlike many of the kaiju movies it was likely inspired by, The Host was a textured, complex film. It had emotion and depth, it was very impactful and it didn't pull its punches. If only action and horror films on the whole were more like it.
The family at the center of this film was the key, of course. Though the monster was impressive, it was the way the family pulled together to fight it that really made the movie great. In particular, Kang-ho Song carried the film nicely as the main character.
I wouldn't miss this movie for the world. It really is a good, solid film. I wish I'd not made the mistake of leaving it dubbed, because I imagine the real actors had a bit more emotion in their voices than the English voiceover actors did.
-168/365 down, 197/365 to go
Whoever wins, we lose.
The Movie: Freddy vs. Jason, directed by Ronny Yu
Recommendation: D
Reason: She hadn't seen it before.
There are good movies, there are bad movies and then there are movies that are good for what they are. Freddy vs. Jason is a good Freddy movie, it's a good Jason movie, it's just not a particularily difficult or challenging movie overall. Is it ever pretty though. Gouts of blood, beautiful fire effects, the boiler room of everyone's nightmares...gives a person a chill, it really does. With Robert Englund reprising his role as Freddy yet again (and no one else could ever do it better) and a new, frighteningly huge Jason in place, the movie kicks off with an excellent summary of the pair's previous antics.
A lot of the movie is fairly straightforward. Teenagers do bad things emphatically, like smoking weed, drinking and having premarital sex. I do mean that, by the by, they jump into 'sin' with great gusto. Then Jason hacks them into tiny pieces. Some of them fall asleep, and Freddy does creative things with their heads. Eventually, rivalry over the victim-herd takes over and the apex predators collide in a reasonably spectacular showdown.
If you like Freddy or Jason, if you enjoy slashers and have a couple of hours free, this isn't a waste of time. The movie's entertaining and certainly fodder for discussion. There's a potential sequel in the works, which makes me very happy (especially since they talked about bringing in even more slashers-fingers crossed for Pinhead or Michael Myers!).
-167/365 down, 198/365 to go
Recommendation: D
Reason: She hadn't seen it before.
There are good movies, there are bad movies and then there are movies that are good for what they are. Freddy vs. Jason is a good Freddy movie, it's a good Jason movie, it's just not a particularily difficult or challenging movie overall. Is it ever pretty though. Gouts of blood, beautiful fire effects, the boiler room of everyone's nightmares...gives a person a chill, it really does. With Robert Englund reprising his role as Freddy yet again (and no one else could ever do it better) and a new, frighteningly huge Jason in place, the movie kicks off with an excellent summary of the pair's previous antics.
A lot of the movie is fairly straightforward. Teenagers do bad things emphatically, like smoking weed, drinking and having premarital sex. I do mean that, by the by, they jump into 'sin' with great gusto. Then Jason hacks them into tiny pieces. Some of them fall asleep, and Freddy does creative things with their heads. Eventually, rivalry over the victim-herd takes over and the apex predators collide in a reasonably spectacular showdown.
If you like Freddy or Jason, if you enjoy slashers and have a couple of hours free, this isn't a waste of time. The movie's entertaining and certainly fodder for discussion. There's a potential sequel in the works, which makes me very happy (especially since they talked about bringing in even more slashers-fingers crossed for Pinhead or Michael Myers!).
-167/365 down, 198/365 to go
Friday, August 10, 2007
"Can you tell me what's going to happen to me?"
The Movie: Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, directed by Scott Glosserman
Recommendation: The internet.
Reason: I read some reviews mentioning this as a very smart horror movie.
The reason I love slasher movies so much is Scream. Wes Craven's trilogy of tongue-in-cheek slasher satire made me fall in love with the genre. Horror movies are so interesting to deconstruct. Their imagery is powerful, and if it's done properly, it resonates. Horror movies allow us to consider the nature of our fear, as well as how and why we soothe it. Behind the Mask subverts the genre while giving a dissertation on the horror movie, specifically the slasher maniac, as we know it. It is akin to Man Bites Dog, but Leslie Vernon, the killer in Behind the Mask, is a different kind of murderer. Benoit is a serial killer, an all too real evil in today's world. Leslie Vernon is a slasher, a figure of myth, with extraordinary capabilities and a deranged mind that is off the charts.
The film takes place in two parts, essentially. The first half is a camera crew's chronicle of Leslie Vernon's training and technique. This section is a like a dissertation on horror movie theory, and it's incredibly clever. The sanctity of the closet is discussed, as well as the use of body armor, flame retardant creams, theatrical makeup, the slow chase, the amazing disappearing-reappearing maniac and best of all, The Final Girl. It is nothing short of inspired. Vernon's mentor Eugene is a retired slasher, and I think his tale provided the most interesting twist in the movie. Eugene married one of his Final Girls, which I found to be a great climax to the morality play that horror movies are. The psycho, the slasher is seeking to create a truly formidable woman-Leslie even addresses this in his wonderful homage to the grooming and triumph of the Final Girl. Why wouldn't he want to 'capture' her in a marriage, once the blood has pooled and the police have arrived way too late?
The second part of the film is where the movie gets really subversive. The 'reality' cameras go away and the slashing really begins. There are still some excellent moments once the blood starts to flow, in particular the plea for benediction from the Final Girl, as though she is the Virgin Mary. There are parts here that are predictable, but they should be. This movie rises head and shoulders above most others, and I'm starting to hope that 'reexamining the genre' films start to come out in other areas. Action movies seem the most likely next candidates (and Hot Fuzz was a good start.) Fingers crossed, I suppose.
-166/365 down, 199/365 to go
Recommendation: The internet.
Reason: I read some reviews mentioning this as a very smart horror movie.
The reason I love slasher movies so much is Scream. Wes Craven's trilogy of tongue-in-cheek slasher satire made me fall in love with the genre. Horror movies are so interesting to deconstruct. Their imagery is powerful, and if it's done properly, it resonates. Horror movies allow us to consider the nature of our fear, as well as how and why we soothe it. Behind the Mask subverts the genre while giving a dissertation on the horror movie, specifically the slasher maniac, as we know it. It is akin to Man Bites Dog, but Leslie Vernon, the killer in Behind the Mask, is a different kind of murderer. Benoit is a serial killer, an all too real evil in today's world. Leslie Vernon is a slasher, a figure of myth, with extraordinary capabilities and a deranged mind that is off the charts.
The film takes place in two parts, essentially. The first half is a camera crew's chronicle of Leslie Vernon's training and technique. This section is a like a dissertation on horror movie theory, and it's incredibly clever. The sanctity of the closet is discussed, as well as the use of body armor, flame retardant creams, theatrical makeup, the slow chase, the amazing disappearing-reappearing maniac and best of all, The Final Girl. It is nothing short of inspired. Vernon's mentor Eugene is a retired slasher, and I think his tale provided the most interesting twist in the movie. Eugene married one of his Final Girls, which I found to be a great climax to the morality play that horror movies are. The psycho, the slasher is seeking to create a truly formidable woman-Leslie even addresses this in his wonderful homage to the grooming and triumph of the Final Girl. Why wouldn't he want to 'capture' her in a marriage, once the blood has pooled and the police have arrived way too late?
The second part of the film is where the movie gets really subversive. The 'reality' cameras go away and the slashing really begins. There are still some excellent moments once the blood starts to flow, in particular the plea for benediction from the Final Girl, as though she is the Virgin Mary. There are parts here that are predictable, but they should be. This movie rises head and shoulders above most others, and I'm starting to hope that 'reexamining the genre' films start to come out in other areas. Action movies seem the most likely next candidates (and Hot Fuzz was a good start.) Fingers crossed, I suppose.
-166/365 down, 199/365 to go
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Parody, done right.
The Movie: Hot Fuzz, directed by Edgar Wright
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: I love Shaun of the Dead, the earlier effort from these guys.
In Shaun of the Dead, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright created a movie packed with references to the zombie movies that had come before. Everything about the film was influenced by its predecessors. In Hot Fuzz, they did it again. With their trademark quick-cuts and the sort of speedy humor that you seem to only get in British film, they carried off the action genre with aplomb.
Every cliche is intentional. Viewers familiar with these guys will probably agree with that statement. Every reference you thought you caught really was a reference, from Romeo + Juliet to Point Break (though that one's pretty blatant). There's even the expected John Woo joke.
I really enjoyed this movie. Everyone should see it. These guys are a sly sort of funny, and always entertaining. I'm really looking forward to whatever they're up to next.
-165/365 down, 200/365 to go
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: I love Shaun of the Dead, the earlier effort from these guys.
In Shaun of the Dead, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright created a movie packed with references to the zombie movies that had come before. Everything about the film was influenced by its predecessors. In Hot Fuzz, they did it again. With their trademark quick-cuts and the sort of speedy humor that you seem to only get in British film, they carried off the action genre with aplomb.
Every cliche is intentional. Viewers familiar with these guys will probably agree with that statement. Every reference you thought you caught really was a reference, from Romeo + Juliet to Point Break (though that one's pretty blatant). There's even the expected John Woo joke.
I really enjoyed this movie. Everyone should see it. These guys are a sly sort of funny, and always entertaining. I'm really looking forward to whatever they're up to next.
-165/365 down, 200/365 to go
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
C'mon wage slaves, say it with me: "I'm not even supposed to be here today."
The Movie: Clerks, directed by Kevin Smith
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: I'm a fan of Kevin Smith's work, ever since I saw Dogma. Clerks makes me smile a lot.
It's obvious, on scrutiny, that Clerks is a student film. The acting is not great, except in a few select cases. The film technique is pretty solid, with a few inspired shots. The script is a little...lofty, being that it's a movie about a convenience store clerk, modeled after The Divine Comedy.
Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson and Jason Mewes are the key to the reason this film is so popular. Without O'Halloran and Anderson's chemistry, Clerks wouldn't have made it out of festival showings. Jason Mewes' appearance as Jay made the movie the cult classic is it today. Though the whole cast gives it their best shot, these three are the best actors in the bunch.
Kevin Smith's primary strength seems to be his script. It's funny, philosophical and twisted in strange and bizarre ways. He creates interesting, human characters and puts them into the weird sorts of situations clerks often find themselves in. Every store has its milkmaids and egg sorters. I think it's the empathy Smith develops, more than anything else.
-164/365 down, 201/365 to go
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: I'm a fan of Kevin Smith's work, ever since I saw Dogma. Clerks makes me smile a lot.
It's obvious, on scrutiny, that Clerks is a student film. The acting is not great, except in a few select cases. The film technique is pretty solid, with a few inspired shots. The script is a little...lofty, being that it's a movie about a convenience store clerk, modeled after The Divine Comedy.
Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson and Jason Mewes are the key to the reason this film is so popular. Without O'Halloran and Anderson's chemistry, Clerks wouldn't have made it out of festival showings. Jason Mewes' appearance as Jay made the movie the cult classic is it today. Though the whole cast gives it their best shot, these three are the best actors in the bunch.
Kevin Smith's primary strength seems to be his script. It's funny, philosophical and twisted in strange and bizarre ways. He creates interesting, human characters and puts them into the weird sorts of situations clerks often find themselves in. Every store has its milkmaids and egg sorters. I think it's the empathy Smith develops, more than anything else.
-164/365 down, 201/365 to go
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
A prequel to a sequel of a remake.
The Movie: The Scorpion King, directed by Chuck Russell
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: It was pretty much a random pick.
So for those who are playing along at home, The Scorpion King is the prequel to The Mummy Returns (in which the Scorpion king is originally introduced, and some sort of horrid CGI abomination is wrought upon the world). The Mummy Returns is the sequel to The Mummy. The Mummy is a remake of The Mummy. Confusing enough for you? Good. The Scorpion King took a character that was vaguely interesting in his initial appearance and centered an entire movie around him. It also cut the crappy CGI and really changed the character.
In The Mummy Returns, Mathayas the Acadian is The Scorpion King, master of a horde of hideous jackal-faced beasts who ravage and destroy everything in their path. He is the evil that the heroes are struggling valiantly to stop. Interestingly, in the movie that centers around him, he is the hero, fighting to destroy a tyrant and despot. When I first saw this movie, I initially believed it was to be set at the peak of The Scorpion King's reign. Instead, it was set at the start. I think that was an interesting decision. If only it could have been followed by at least one more movie dedicated to the fall of the Scorpion King's idealistic youth, the decay of his mighty empire and possibly his descent into supervillainous madness.
The Scorpion King's main function was to get The Rock some film cred. His role in The Mummy Returns and the prequel were very important in launching his career. He's since become a surprisingly good action star, able to carry a movie at the very least. He has a good amount of charisma about himself. It's very refreshing.
-163/365 down, 202/365 to go
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: It was pretty much a random pick.
So for those who are playing along at home, The Scorpion King is the prequel to The Mummy Returns (in which the Scorpion king is originally introduced, and some sort of horrid CGI abomination is wrought upon the world). The Mummy Returns is the sequel to The Mummy. The Mummy is a remake of The Mummy. Confusing enough for you? Good. The Scorpion King took a character that was vaguely interesting in his initial appearance and centered an entire movie around him. It also cut the crappy CGI and really changed the character.
In The Mummy Returns, Mathayas the Acadian is The Scorpion King, master of a horde of hideous jackal-faced beasts who ravage and destroy everything in their path. He is the evil that the heroes are struggling valiantly to stop. Interestingly, in the movie that centers around him, he is the hero, fighting to destroy a tyrant and despot. When I first saw this movie, I initially believed it was to be set at the peak of The Scorpion King's reign. Instead, it was set at the start. I think that was an interesting decision. If only it could have been followed by at least one more movie dedicated to the fall of the Scorpion King's idealistic youth, the decay of his mighty empire and possibly his descent into supervillainous madness.
The Scorpion King's main function was to get The Rock some film cred. His role in The Mummy Returns and the prequel were very important in launching his career. He's since become a surprisingly good action star, able to carry a movie at the very least. He has a good amount of charisma about himself. It's very refreshing.
-163/365 down, 202/365 to go
Monday, August 6, 2007
If you can find two good souls...
The Movie: Taxi Driver, directed by Martin Scorsese
Recommendation: DKS
Reason: It's the Jodie Foster fan catchup we've got going, but also, it's Taxi Driver. I should've seen this long ago.
Taxi Driver is the tale of Travis Bickle, an angel of death trapped or sent to a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. Scorsese's New York oozes sleaze and corruption, with only a paper-thin facade in place to falsify some sense of normalcy. New York seems to be Scorsese's modelling clay-from that city, he can evoke powerful imagery, whether the city is at the cusp of its birth (Gangs of New York) or reverberating with the wounded mood of the time (Taxi Driver). It is the quintessential city, practically the definition of the word in North America. New York is an essential character, as important as Easy, Wizard, even Travis.
Travis himself is a tortured and tormented symbol. Not quite a martyr to the sickness, he is instead a cure. Through the descent into madness, he struggles for goodness. He tries to find it, he tries to create it, and finally he decides it's time to die for it. DeNiro and Scorsese created a man who wasn't just a well acted, well rounded character, they created a man who symbolized the helplessness of the situation so many found themselves in at the time. Travis Bickle may not have been real, but the multitudes of wounded veterans of the Vietnam War were. The stories that came from that generation resonate even now, and I'm glad for films like Taxi Driver and Jacob's Ladder.
As usual, Scorsese's camerawork is spectacular. The movement he uses, the placement of his framing both subtly carry the viewers along Travis' charge towards dementia. In some places, the camera seems to be us, turning away as the scene becomes unbearable. In others, it is Travis, reflecting on the world around him. This movie was incredible, as impactful as Raging Bull. I'm glad I got to see it.
-162/365 down, 203/365 to go
Recommendation: DKS
Reason: It's the Jodie Foster fan catchup we've got going, but also, it's Taxi Driver. I should've seen this long ago.
Taxi Driver is the tale of Travis Bickle, an angel of death trapped or sent to a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. Scorsese's New York oozes sleaze and corruption, with only a paper-thin facade in place to falsify some sense of normalcy. New York seems to be Scorsese's modelling clay-from that city, he can evoke powerful imagery, whether the city is at the cusp of its birth (Gangs of New York) or reverberating with the wounded mood of the time (Taxi Driver). It is the quintessential city, practically the definition of the word in North America. New York is an essential character, as important as Easy, Wizard, even Travis.
Travis himself is a tortured and tormented symbol. Not quite a martyr to the sickness, he is instead a cure. Through the descent into madness, he struggles for goodness. He tries to find it, he tries to create it, and finally he decides it's time to die for it. DeNiro and Scorsese created a man who wasn't just a well acted, well rounded character, they created a man who symbolized the helplessness of the situation so many found themselves in at the time. Travis Bickle may not have been real, but the multitudes of wounded veterans of the Vietnam War were. The stories that came from that generation resonate even now, and I'm glad for films like Taxi Driver and Jacob's Ladder.
As usual, Scorsese's camerawork is spectacular. The movement he uses, the placement of his framing both subtly carry the viewers along Travis' charge towards dementia. In some places, the camera seems to be us, turning away as the scene becomes unbearable. In others, it is Travis, reflecting on the world around him. This movie was incredible, as impactful as Raging Bull. I'm glad I got to see it.
-162/365 down, 203/365 to go
Sunday, August 5, 2007
So much more than what you think.
The Movie: Rear Window, directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Recommendation: AFI Top 100.
Reason: It's #48.
Disturbia was okay, but Rear Window just transcends. It's sweet, funny, poignant, entertaining, tense, suspenseful...it has all of the necessary parts to be an excellent film. And it is one. Grace Kelly and James Stewart were excellent leads in a story that's as much about our voyeurism as it was about Jeff's.
I don't even feel qualified to review this film. It was just great. The perspective-entirely from Jeff's apartment-was so well planned, the supporting actors did so much with so few lines and so much expressive acting, the characters were sympathetic...I could go on and on. The story was just so human.
I can't not recommend that everyone see this movie. It's just so good. For a film that's entertaining, thoughtful and interesting, I wouldn't look much further.
-162/365 down, 203/365 to go
Recommendation: AFI Top 100.
Reason: It's #48.
Disturbia was okay, but Rear Window just transcends. It's sweet, funny, poignant, entertaining, tense, suspenseful...it has all of the necessary parts to be an excellent film. And it is one. Grace Kelly and James Stewart were excellent leads in a story that's as much about our voyeurism as it was about Jeff's.
I don't even feel qualified to review this film. It was just great. The perspective-entirely from Jeff's apartment-was so well planned, the supporting actors did so much with so few lines and so much expressive acting, the characters were sympathetic...I could go on and on. The story was just so human.
I can't not recommend that everyone see this movie. It's just so good. For a film that's entertaining, thoughtful and interesting, I wouldn't look much further.
-162/365 down, 203/365 to go
It's better if you imagine that it's Rex Manning day, and you have to watch his movie.
The Movie: Grease 2, directed by Patricia Birch
Recommendation: H
Reason: I'm not really sure, aside from possibly thinking I hadn't already seen it. Yes, that's right. I've sat through Grease 2 twice.
Hollywood wisdom states that sequels are rarely as good as the original. We don't need to retread that ground, except to say that Grease 2 is the best argument I've ever see for that rule. It does everything wrong that a sequel can do. Most of the original cast, aside from a few sad hangers-on, are gone. The story is exactly the same. Tenuous attempts to connect it to the original come off as stupid (why does Sandi, the AUSTRALIAN GIRL have a cousin from ENGLAND? Could it be that they want another character with an accent?). Multiple attempts were made to recreate scenes from the original movie, instead of setting the sequel apart in any way. Oh, and the director of the second movie is the choreographer from the first one.
Michelle Pfeiffer is unconvincing as the greaser-hanger-on Stephanie. Maxwell Caulfield is probably the best casting decision in the movie, and he still sucks. He's the only thing that makes the movie remotely okay (see the title for the reason, and if you still don't get it, watch Empire Records). The guys playing the T-Birds are...just unbelievable as straight guys. The cameos by characters from the original movie come off as desperate and pathetic-Frenchy and the leader of the Scorpions? Seriously?
I don't want to really get into the singing, the acting, the plot, the shooting, the editing...the only solid part of the movie was, you guessed it, the dancing! The dance sequences were well choreographed, sweeping and ultimately horribly shot and edited. Though they were well done, they were confusing and disruptive to the flow of the film. What a shock.
-160/365 down, 205/365 to go.
Recommendation: H
Reason: I'm not really sure, aside from possibly thinking I hadn't already seen it. Yes, that's right. I've sat through Grease 2 twice.
Hollywood wisdom states that sequels are rarely as good as the original. We don't need to retread that ground, except to say that Grease 2 is the best argument I've ever see for that rule. It does everything wrong that a sequel can do. Most of the original cast, aside from a few sad hangers-on, are gone. The story is exactly the same. Tenuous attempts to connect it to the original come off as stupid (why does Sandi, the AUSTRALIAN GIRL have a cousin from ENGLAND? Could it be that they want another character with an accent?). Multiple attempts were made to recreate scenes from the original movie, instead of setting the sequel apart in any way. Oh, and the director of the second movie is the choreographer from the first one.
Michelle Pfeiffer is unconvincing as the greaser-hanger-on Stephanie. Maxwell Caulfield is probably the best casting decision in the movie, and he still sucks. He's the only thing that makes the movie remotely okay (see the title for the reason, and if you still don't get it, watch Empire Records). The guys playing the T-Birds are...just unbelievable as straight guys. The cameos by characters from the original movie come off as desperate and pathetic-Frenchy and the leader of the Scorpions? Seriously?
I don't want to really get into the singing, the acting, the plot, the shooting, the editing...the only solid part of the movie was, you guessed it, the dancing! The dance sequences were well choreographed, sweeping and ultimately horribly shot and edited. Though they were well done, they were confusing and disruptive to the flow of the film. What a shock.
-160/365 down, 205/365 to go.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Finally, something good.
The Movie: The Jacket, directed by John Maybury
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: Adrien Brody's part in The Village really appealed to me. Also, Keira Knightley.
Keira Knightley taking a swing at an American accent was a little jarring to me. Though hers was better than Hilary Swanks in The Black Dahlia. And guess what? That's my only major criticism of the movie! Huzzah! It's so refreshing to see something good today! With a slightly stronger supporting cast and script, this could have been a true classic, a suitable heir to Jacob's Ladder. It missed, but it was a near miss.
Adrien Brody really is compelling in this role. He's flexible, disappears entirely into the part and portrays everything so clearly that it's really wonderful to watch. He's unconventionally talented. Keira Knightley was a little awkward, but when she was in the role, there was no separation. As mentioned, the supporting cast was a little weak. Jennifer Jason Leigh was the strongest of them, with Kris Kristofferson not quite being as convincing as he could be. Daniel Craig got a quick doubletake, but he didn't stand out enough.
The movie was well shot, with apparently some method acting caught on screen. Adrien Brody spent quite a bit of time locked in his death-metaphor...er...drawer, and some of the effects of that lockdown made it into the film. It was really effective and obviously quite convincing.
-159/365 down, 206/365 to go
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: Adrien Brody's part in The Village really appealed to me. Also, Keira Knightley.
Keira Knightley taking a swing at an American accent was a little jarring to me. Though hers was better than Hilary Swanks in The Black Dahlia. And guess what? That's my only major criticism of the movie! Huzzah! It's so refreshing to see something good today! With a slightly stronger supporting cast and script, this could have been a true classic, a suitable heir to Jacob's Ladder. It missed, but it was a near miss.
Adrien Brody really is compelling in this role. He's flexible, disappears entirely into the part and portrays everything so clearly that it's really wonderful to watch. He's unconventionally talented. Keira Knightley was a little awkward, but when she was in the role, there was no separation. As mentioned, the supporting cast was a little weak. Jennifer Jason Leigh was the strongest of them, with Kris Kristofferson not quite being as convincing as he could be. Daniel Craig got a quick doubletake, but he didn't stand out enough.
The movie was well shot, with apparently some method acting caught on screen. Adrien Brody spent quite a bit of time locked in his death-metaphor...er...drawer, and some of the effects of that lockdown made it into the film. It was really effective and obviously quite convincing.
-159/365 down, 206/365 to go
They're like twins. Totally twins.
The Movie: The Black Dahlia, directed by Brian De Palma
Recommendation: L.A. Confidential. I believe they know one another.
Reason: I love noir, I loved L.A. Confidential, I love Mia Kirshner, I liked Carrie and Mission: Impossible. C'mon, this was practically a sure thing!
I've got to find some way to turn today around. The Night Listener was lukewarm, The Wicker Man BLEW and now The Black Dahlia somehow turned out uninteresting and horribly convoluted. It started nicely, it looked so right, they...okay, so they had some casting problems going on. Like Josh Harnett, for starters. Scarlett Johannsen. Hilary Swank. The feel that L.A. Confidential pulled off with aplomb was caught in bits and snatches here and there, mostly when the visuals were telling the story.
Unfortunately, once the look of the movie is overtaken by the performances and the story, the goodness evaporates. Don't get too attached to the story of the Dahlia herself-her life and death seem like afterthoughts, overwhelmed by subplots and rambling offshoots. One of the more compelling unsolved Hollywood murders is shelved to showcase Josh Harnett's inability to command the screen and Hilary Swank and Scarlett Johannsen slinking around in vaguely appropriate costumes (and in the former's case, a godawful accent).
If you look for the good, though, you can find it. Aaron Eckhart finds some soul and neurosis in the case the movie's supposed to revolve around. He digs deep to play his part and he would have made a much better protagonist than Harnett's soulful gaze. Mia Kirshner plays well, perhaps overworking her moderate screentime. In comparison to the other women in the picture she's a shining star. Rose McGowan, clocking in at around five minutes of screentime as Sheryl Saddon, has more personality than Hilary Swank's Madeleine Linscott. Let's not even mention Fiona Shaw utterly dominating the climax of the film, pushing the madcap campiness much too far and simultaneously ripping any possibility of one of the leads outshining her from their limp grasp. I don't know that those performances and the look of the film are enough to recommend it to anyone, though.
-158/365 down, 207/365 to go
Recommendation: L.A. Confidential. I believe they know one another.
Reason: I love noir, I loved L.A. Confidential, I love Mia Kirshner, I liked Carrie and Mission: Impossible. C'mon, this was practically a sure thing!
I've got to find some way to turn today around. The Night Listener was lukewarm, The Wicker Man BLEW and now The Black Dahlia somehow turned out uninteresting and horribly convoluted. It started nicely, it looked so right, they...okay, so they had some casting problems going on. Like Josh Harnett, for starters. Scarlett Johannsen. Hilary Swank. The feel that L.A. Confidential pulled off with aplomb was caught in bits and snatches here and there, mostly when the visuals were telling the story.
Unfortunately, once the look of the movie is overtaken by the performances and the story, the goodness evaporates. Don't get too attached to the story of the Dahlia herself-her life and death seem like afterthoughts, overwhelmed by subplots and rambling offshoots. One of the more compelling unsolved Hollywood murders is shelved to showcase Josh Harnett's inability to command the screen and Hilary Swank and Scarlett Johannsen slinking around in vaguely appropriate costumes (and in the former's case, a godawful accent).
If you look for the good, though, you can find it. Aaron Eckhart finds some soul and neurosis in the case the movie's supposed to revolve around. He digs deep to play his part and he would have made a much better protagonist than Harnett's soulful gaze. Mia Kirshner plays well, perhaps overworking her moderate screentime. In comparison to the other women in the picture she's a shining star. Rose McGowan, clocking in at around five minutes of screentime as Sheryl Saddon, has more personality than Hilary Swank's Madeleine Linscott. Let's not even mention Fiona Shaw utterly dominating the climax of the film, pushing the madcap campiness much too far and simultaneously ripping any possibility of one of the leads outshining her from their limp grasp. I don't know that those performances and the look of the film are enough to recommend it to anyone, though.
-158/365 down, 207/365 to go
I do not have a thing for Nicolas Cage
The Movie: The Wicker Man, directed by Neil Labute
Recommendation: The internet.
Reason: The Best Scenes from The Wicker Man
I swear, I could watch Leelee Sobieski get kicked in the face all day. I used to think she might be a decent actress in years to come, but damn was I ever wrong. I mean it, in a movie like this it's hard to pick out a particularily bad actor, but jeez. Leelee stole the show. Nick Cage at least got to stomp around punching people while wearing a bear suit. Sobieski just sucks.
You really don't _need_ to see The Wicker Man. Youtube has it right-the scenes in that now-famous clip are the best of the whole thing. Putting yourself through it is an exercise in torment. I watched it because of the video, and because I'd heard the original was unsettling and creepy. In this...mockery...we get Nicolas Cage assaulting children and kicking Leelee Sobieski in the face. No, I'm not going to stop mentioning that. She really is terrible.
I can only assume Molly Parker was involved in this travesty under duress. That's what I'm choosing to believe, since she's one of my favorite Canadian actresses. I just don't know what else I can possibly say. Watch the Youtube clip. It's all there. I seriously can't improve on the 'commentary' as presented in those two and a half minutes. If you're entertained by Nick Cage punching women while in costume, this is really the movie for you. Oh yeah. And Leelee Sobieski getting kicked in the face.
-157/365 down, 208/365 to go
Recommendation: The internet.
Reason: The Best Scenes from The Wicker Man
I swear, I could watch Leelee Sobieski get kicked in the face all day. I used to think she might be a decent actress in years to come, but damn was I ever wrong. I mean it, in a movie like this it's hard to pick out a particularily bad actor, but jeez. Leelee stole the show. Nick Cage at least got to stomp around punching people while wearing a bear suit. Sobieski just sucks.
You really don't _need_ to see The Wicker Man. Youtube has it right-the scenes in that now-famous clip are the best of the whole thing. Putting yourself through it is an exercise in torment. I watched it because of the video, and because I'd heard the original was unsettling and creepy. In this...mockery...we get Nicolas Cage assaulting children and kicking Leelee Sobieski in the face. No, I'm not going to stop mentioning that. She really is terrible.
I can only assume Molly Parker was involved in this travesty under duress. That's what I'm choosing to believe, since she's one of my favorite Canadian actresses. I just don't know what else I can possibly say. Watch the Youtube clip. It's all there. I seriously can't improve on the 'commentary' as presented in those two and a half minutes. If you're entertained by Nick Cage punching women while in costume, this is really the movie for you. Oh yeah. And Leelee Sobieski getting kicked in the face.
-157/365 down, 208/365 to go
I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the subtext here.
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
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
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
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Mr. Cage and the Gooey Kablooie
The Movie: The Rock, directed by Michael Bay
Recommendation: We'll say...oh...Roger Ebert?
Reason: "The Rock is a first-rate, slam-bang action thriller with a lot of style and no little humor." Also, I bloody well love this movie.
Let's talk about iconic moments for a moment here. Movies, like music, books and other forms of art that have a distinct progression about them, follow a pattern of rise and fall. The action, dialogue, intensity, whatever you like, escalates through the movie until there is finally a moment. The climax. THE moment. If you've seen this movie (and even if you haven't), you probably know what this moment is in The Rock. If we can give Michael Bay credit for one thing, it's that he can certainly create one hell of a climactic image.
In The Rock, Mr. Blows-Things-Up-All-The-Time stumbled across an excellent script and managed to blackmail and/or hire three great actors to take the lead roles. They play hard, and the utter conviction that Connery, Cage and Harris bring to their roles lends a strange sort of gravity to what is otherwise an utterly looney story. Who else would take a movie about domestic terrorism on Alcatraz seriously? Though there are shades of later, less how-shall-we-put-this 'good' projects in the performances, the chemistry between the actors is great. Even the supporting cast (including Corporal Hicks!) turns in some solid work. The Rock is, essentially, a demonstration of what the action genre as a whole should be. I agree with Ebert-this is the peak.
Are there problems with the movie? Likely. I can't think of any right now, as the action still has a hold on my head. I love this movie, always have and always will, so thank you to the scriptwriters for giving us a film with cunning and wit. Thank you to the actors, for giving us characters with meat and texture, with more personality than was asked of them. Thank you to Michael Bay. I have never seen a San Francisco trolley do a triple flip outside of this film.
-151/365 down, 214/365 to go
Recommendation: We'll say...oh...Roger Ebert?
Reason: "The Rock is a first-rate, slam-bang action thriller with a lot of style and no little humor." Also, I bloody well love this movie.
Let's talk about iconic moments for a moment here. Movies, like music, books and other forms of art that have a distinct progression about them, follow a pattern of rise and fall. The action, dialogue, intensity, whatever you like, escalates through the movie until there is finally a moment. The climax. THE moment. If you've seen this movie (and even if you haven't), you probably know what this moment is in The Rock. If we can give Michael Bay credit for one thing, it's that he can certainly create one hell of a climactic image.
In The Rock, Mr. Blows-Things-Up-All-The-Time stumbled across an excellent script and managed to blackmail and/or hire three great actors to take the lead roles. They play hard, and the utter conviction that Connery, Cage and Harris bring to their roles lends a strange sort of gravity to what is otherwise an utterly looney story. Who else would take a movie about domestic terrorism on Alcatraz seriously? Though there are shades of later, less how-shall-we-put-this 'good' projects in the performances, the chemistry between the actors is great. Even the supporting cast (including Corporal Hicks!) turns in some solid work. The Rock is, essentially, a demonstration of what the action genre as a whole should be. I agree with Ebert-this is the peak.
Are there problems with the movie? Likely. I can't think of any right now, as the action still has a hold on my head. I love this movie, always have and always will, so thank you to the scriptwriters for giving us a film with cunning and wit. Thank you to the actors, for giving us characters with meat and texture, with more personality than was asked of them. Thank you to Michael Bay. I have never seen a San Francisco trolley do a triple flip outside of this film.
-151/365 down, 214/365 to go
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Potential and realization.
The Movie: The Accused, directed by Jonathan Kaplan
Recommendation: DKS
Reason: She's catching me up on my Jodie Foster fandom.
This year, I've seen a striking amount of torture scenes. A lot of eye gouging, a lot of needles and knives. Plenty of decapitations. Saw a guy's head almost get bisected in Pan's Labyrinth. I've seen Oldboy, Zombi 2 and Audition. I've only seen two rape scenes, and they stand out in my mind more than any of the gore. In The Accused, Jodie Foster steals the entire movie out from under Kelly McGillis, making every second of her screentime wrenching (including the aforementioned scene). The story of The Accused is based on the real life "Big Dan's rape". As usual, real life is actually worse than fiction.
It's par for the course that Jodie Foster, in her younger years, would outdo almost anyone she shared the screen with. I'm not saying she's a hack, simply that her presence is overwhelming. For once the supporting cast held up with distinction, and while Foster overwhelms McGillis several times, it's the latter that delivers one of the better summations I've seen on screen (No, I haven't seen Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Yet.). If you want to read it, here it is (huge block of text, you can't miss it), but I would strongly recommend seeing it for yourself.
This movie could have easily been made-for-TV. They've made movies of more horrible things and aired them. There were script issues and there were a few questionable editing decisions. I know some people question the necessity of the length of the rape scene, but I think I understand the director's point-rape isn't a comfortable time. It's not something that is over with quick and easy. I believe shortening the sequence would detract from the impact of that summation I mentioned earlier, neutering the climax of the film.
If you took a moment to flip through the article up above from Massachusets Lawyers Weekly, you'll note that the story this movie was based on was one of the first nationally televised trial. Kaplan made some interesting decisions in the background setting of his film to point out the bread-and-circuses spectacle the real case became, and the astute will easily pick up on them. Televisions are prevalent in his set dressing, and the images they show give some very subversive commentary. To give an example, a sexy commercial plays at the bar as the prosecutor visits to get an idea of the circumstances surrounding the rape. It's an interesting point, and one of the reasons this movie was so much more than it could have been.
-150/365 down, 215/365 to go
Recommendation: DKS
Reason: She's catching me up on my Jodie Foster fandom.
This year, I've seen a striking amount of torture scenes. A lot of eye gouging, a lot of needles and knives. Plenty of decapitations. Saw a guy's head almost get bisected in Pan's Labyrinth. I've seen Oldboy, Zombi 2 and Audition. I've only seen two rape scenes, and they stand out in my mind more than any of the gore. In The Accused, Jodie Foster steals the entire movie out from under Kelly McGillis, making every second of her screentime wrenching (including the aforementioned scene). The story of The Accused is based on the real life "Big Dan's rape". As usual, real life is actually worse than fiction.
It's par for the course that Jodie Foster, in her younger years, would outdo almost anyone she shared the screen with. I'm not saying she's a hack, simply that her presence is overwhelming. For once the supporting cast held up with distinction, and while Foster overwhelms McGillis several times, it's the latter that delivers one of the better summations I've seen on screen (No, I haven't seen Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Yet.). If you want to read it, here it is (huge block of text, you can't miss it), but I would strongly recommend seeing it for yourself.
This movie could have easily been made-for-TV. They've made movies of more horrible things and aired them. There were script issues and there were a few questionable editing decisions. I know some people question the necessity of the length of the rape scene, but I think I understand the director's point-rape isn't a comfortable time. It's not something that is over with quick and easy. I believe shortening the sequence would detract from the impact of that summation I mentioned earlier, neutering the climax of the film.
If you took a moment to flip through the article up above from Massachusets Lawyers Weekly, you'll note that the story this movie was based on was one of the first nationally televised trial. Kaplan made some interesting decisions in the background setting of his film to point out the bread-and-circuses spectacle the real case became, and the astute will easily pick up on them. Televisions are prevalent in his set dressing, and the images they show give some very subversive commentary. To give an example, a sexy commercial plays at the bar as the prosecutor visits to get an idea of the circumstances surrounding the rape. It's an interesting point, and one of the reasons this movie was so much more than it could have been.
-150/365 down, 215/365 to go
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Kirikirikirikirikirikirikirikiri.
The Movie: Audition, directed by Takashi Miike.
Recommendation: Horror fans!
Reason: J-horror really raises the bar for freaking people out, and Miike pushes even those limits.
Now that I've chased off everyone else who's seen this movie with the noise that lives in my and their nightmares...not even Rob Zombie could make it through Audition. Rob Zombie, who made House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects. Now don't assume that just because he (and I) were disturbed by the film, that it's a useless heap of schlock akin to Eli Roth's Hostel series. Audition is a good, solid film with interesting themes and gore that is truly horrific. It's a commentary on the lofty expectations of many men and women when it comes to relationships.
The protagonist, Aoyama, presents a list of criteria for his potential mate to a friend in a bar. At no point does he list 'sane' as something he seeks in a wife. His friend encourages him to have the women come to him, under the pretense that he's producing a movie soon (Aoyama is a television producer). Miike's presentation of these two men isn't subtle. They're portrayed as slightly boorish, occasionally heading into 'pig' territory. Though Aoyama is generally a sympathetic character, he doesn't raise his head too far above the line of 'decent person'. Like the protagonist in Chan Wook Park's Oldboy, he thinks he's better than he is. When he meets Asami, a vulnerable, pretty young woman, his shallow self is sold. She seems to be just what he wants, and he pays and pays for not seeking the real person below the facade.
It's so simple for the bad guys to steal the show in movies like this. They get the gravitas, the ponderous shots (I fell in love with the shot of Asami's secret smile), the buildup. The hero is the focus of the film, but the focus of our terror is the villain. If a weaker actor had had the part of Aoyama, I think that could have been the case here, but with two strong talents playing off of each other, the result is beautiful. Miike's controversial work is a good film, though I really stress that having a strong stomach is a requirement to watch.
-149/365 down, 216/365 to go
Recommendation: Horror fans!
Reason: J-horror really raises the bar for freaking people out, and Miike pushes even those limits.
Now that I've chased off everyone else who's seen this movie with the noise that lives in my and their nightmares...not even Rob Zombie could make it through Audition. Rob Zombie, who made House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects. Now don't assume that just because he (and I) were disturbed by the film, that it's a useless heap of schlock akin to Eli Roth's Hostel series. Audition is a good, solid film with interesting themes and gore that is truly horrific. It's a commentary on the lofty expectations of many men and women when it comes to relationships.
The protagonist, Aoyama, presents a list of criteria for his potential mate to a friend in a bar. At no point does he list 'sane' as something he seeks in a wife. His friend encourages him to have the women come to him, under the pretense that he's producing a movie soon (Aoyama is a television producer). Miike's presentation of these two men isn't subtle. They're portrayed as slightly boorish, occasionally heading into 'pig' territory. Though Aoyama is generally a sympathetic character, he doesn't raise his head too far above the line of 'decent person'. Like the protagonist in Chan Wook Park's Oldboy, he thinks he's better than he is. When he meets Asami, a vulnerable, pretty young woman, his shallow self is sold. She seems to be just what he wants, and he pays and pays for not seeking the real person below the facade.
It's so simple for the bad guys to steal the show in movies like this. They get the gravitas, the ponderous shots (I fell in love with the shot of Asami's secret smile), the buildup. The hero is the focus of the film, but the focus of our terror is the villain. If a weaker actor had had the part of Aoyama, I think that could have been the case here, but with two strong talents playing off of each other, the result is beautiful. Miike's controversial work is a good film, though I really stress that having a strong stomach is a requirement to watch.
-149/365 down, 216/365 to go
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Dude. Sweet. Shibby. Learn it, love it.
The Movie: Dude, Where's My Car?, directed by Danny Leiner
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: It's been awhile.
There are subgenres of comedy, and not everyone appreciates every subgenre. Black comedies are not written for people who only like screwball comedies, and slapstick routines are not usually intended for highbrow viewers. Dude, Where's My Car? is a strange sort of fantasy-comedy, but it's mainly screwball. The ridiculousness of the movie is continually amped up to go for bigger and bigger laughs.
Something about Dude, Where's My Car? keeps it funny, even though parts of it have aged a little. For instance, I don't think anyone's as fazed by cell phones now as they were then. I think I'd feel confident saying that the chemistry between Seann William Scott and Ashton Kutcher (when he was still entertaining) is the main source of the funny. They worked really well together here.
I like this movie. Not everything needs to be a high art, high tension masterpiece. Sometimes a dumbass comedy is a great source of stress relief. Dude, Where's My Car? isn't the best funny movie out there, but it's one of my favorites.
-148/365 down, 217/365 to go
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: It's been awhile.
There are subgenres of comedy, and not everyone appreciates every subgenre. Black comedies are not written for people who only like screwball comedies, and slapstick routines are not usually intended for highbrow viewers. Dude, Where's My Car? is a strange sort of fantasy-comedy, but it's mainly screwball. The ridiculousness of the movie is continually amped up to go for bigger and bigger laughs.
Something about Dude, Where's My Car? keeps it funny, even though parts of it have aged a little. For instance, I don't think anyone's as fazed by cell phones now as they were then. I think I'd feel confident saying that the chemistry between Seann William Scott and Ashton Kutcher (when he was still entertaining) is the main source of the funny. They worked really well together here.
I like this movie. Not everything needs to be a high art, high tension masterpiece. Sometimes a dumbass comedy is a great source of stress relief. Dude, Where's My Car? isn't the best funny movie out there, but it's one of my favorites.
-148/365 down, 217/365 to go
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Mel Gibson, the original Eli Roth.
The Movie: Apocalypto, directed by Mel Gibson
Recommendation: Me.
Reason: Part morbid curiousity, part genuine interest.
Alright everyone, admit it. When you heard that Mel Gibson was going to do a movie about the end of the Mayan civilization, most of you probably groaned, rolled your eyes or shook your head. How could crazy old Mel pull together such a film? It would be an epic, of course. There would probably be violence. Mel probably wouldn't be in it. There would probably be some pretty heavy Catholic allegory.
Guess what everyone! You were right! Apocalypto is violent (frequently without a point), really long (40 minutes longer than it needed to be) and...not covered in crosses and Virgin Marys. Rudy Youngblood plays Jaguar Paw, the protagonist member of a jungle tribe who is captured in order to be sacrificed to the gods. That's the majority of the movie right there. Then he escapes to flee back to his family. That's not the majority of the movie. If it had been the other way around, with more time devoted to the chase through the jungle, I think the movie might have improved.
Mel Gibson's use of torture and gore in his films often has a point, or at least a reason behind it. The Passion portrayed the suffering of Christ in a very real way that impacted hundreds of people's faith. Braveheart's noble sacrifice was inspiring. But now it's getting old. We didn't need a thirty minute 'slaughtering the village' sequence. Didn't need loving, lingering shots of guts being torn out and repetitive sacrifice sequences. We saw the head go bouncing down the steps the first time Mel, don't need to see it again.
-147/365 down, 218/365 to go
Recommendation: Me.
Reason: Part morbid curiousity, part genuine interest.
Alright everyone, admit it. When you heard that Mel Gibson was going to do a movie about the end of the Mayan civilization, most of you probably groaned, rolled your eyes or shook your head. How could crazy old Mel pull together such a film? It would be an epic, of course. There would probably be violence. Mel probably wouldn't be in it. There would probably be some pretty heavy Catholic allegory.
Guess what everyone! You were right! Apocalypto is violent (frequently without a point), really long (40 minutes longer than it needed to be) and...not covered in crosses and Virgin Marys. Rudy Youngblood plays Jaguar Paw, the protagonist member of a jungle tribe who is captured in order to be sacrificed to the gods. That's the majority of the movie right there. Then he escapes to flee back to his family. That's not the majority of the movie. If it had been the other way around, with more time devoted to the chase through the jungle, I think the movie might have improved.
Mel Gibson's use of torture and gore in his films often has a point, or at least a reason behind it. The Passion portrayed the suffering of Christ in a very real way that impacted hundreds of people's faith. Braveheart's noble sacrifice was inspiring. But now it's getting old. We didn't need a thirty minute 'slaughtering the village' sequence. Didn't need loving, lingering shots of guts being torn out and repetitive sacrifice sequences. We saw the head go bouncing down the steps the first time Mel, don't need to see it again.
-147/365 down, 218/365 to go
Sunday, July 15, 2007
A child is missing, and Julianne Moore isn't playing the lead.
The Movie: Flightplan, directed by Robert Schwentke
Recommendation: DKS
Reason: We share a mutual like of Jodie Foster and the movies she chooses to star in. Admittedly, this does extend to Panic Room and Flightplan, which both have their good points along with the bad.
Bite me.
That's for everyone who dislikes movies I've enjoyed and wants to make sure I know it, as loud and annoyingly as possible. I'm not interested in discussing it with you unless you have some new insight. NEW. INSIGHT. I don't feel that I'm asking too much here, really. I don't force anyone to read my reviews, don't force me to listen to endless droning about how repetitive and awful my bad-movie darlings are. Now that I've got your attention...Flightplan wasn't a great movie. Peter Sarsgaard is too slimy not to be evil (oh, sorry guys, spoiler warning!). Sean Bean surprisingly did not die. Attaboy Sean, keep up the good work. The editing was...questionable. The acting, even Jodie Foster's bit, wasn't top notch.
This movie really just vanished into thin air (hahahahahaha) after it hit the screens around the same time as Red Eye. I haven't seen that movie, but it could just be a little better than Flightplan. This movie didn't have much of anything going for it aside from Jodie Foster and though she's really great, she does need a bit of help if she's going to be the one and only highlight of the show. She didn't get that help here, which is a major suffering point of the film.
This movie wasn't really bad, it was just pedestrian and forgettable. Foster's frantic attempts at maintaining drama and pushing the plot along aside, Flightplan just plodded along by the numbers, not really forking away from the formula and certainly not breaking new ground. It's not her best, but it's something to tide us over until she wows us again.
-146/365 down, 219/365 to go
Recommendation: DKS
Reason: We share a mutual like of Jodie Foster and the movies she chooses to star in. Admittedly, this does extend to Panic Room and Flightplan, which both have their good points along with the bad.
Bite me.
That's for everyone who dislikes movies I've enjoyed and wants to make sure I know it, as loud and annoyingly as possible. I'm not interested in discussing it with you unless you have some new insight. NEW. INSIGHT. I don't feel that I'm asking too much here, really. I don't force anyone to read my reviews, don't force me to listen to endless droning about how repetitive and awful my bad-movie darlings are. Now that I've got your attention...Flightplan wasn't a great movie. Peter Sarsgaard is too slimy not to be evil (oh, sorry guys, spoiler warning!). Sean Bean surprisingly did not die. Attaboy Sean, keep up the good work. The editing was...questionable. The acting, even Jodie Foster's bit, wasn't top notch.
This movie really just vanished into thin air (hahahahahaha) after it hit the screens around the same time as Red Eye. I haven't seen that movie, but it could just be a little better than Flightplan. This movie didn't have much of anything going for it aside from Jodie Foster and though she's really great, she does need a bit of help if she's going to be the one and only highlight of the show. She didn't get that help here, which is a major suffering point of the film.
This movie wasn't really bad, it was just pedestrian and forgettable. Foster's frantic attempts at maintaining drama and pushing the plot along aside, Flightplan just plodded along by the numbers, not really forking away from the formula and certainly not breaking new ground. It's not her best, but it's something to tide us over until she wows us again.
-146/365 down, 219/365 to go
Saturday, July 14, 2007
She's never seen the sea.
The Movie: Van Helsing, directed by Stephen Sommers
Recommendation: Me
Reason: It was on TV!
Alright, I'll admit it. I like this movie. I know, I know, turn in your critic-badge right now. Truthfully, I can't defend my love of this movie aside from this: I love campy movies. I have a soft spot for them. Van Helsing is amazingly campy, the sort of funny one gets from turning on a camera, telling everyone to speak in really fake accents and giving Richard Roxburgh free reign to act as madcap as possible.
Stephen Sommers is probably one of the directors who entertains me the most. When I first saw this movie in theaters, I actually left laughing so hard that I was in tears. The words 'the sea' would send me into fits. Kate Beckinsdale delivered every line with such awful conviction that it blew me away. If Roxburgh hadn't been overacting, prancing and dancing his way along, chewing the scenery, she surely would have earned herself a place among the worst actors in hollywood.
This movie is bubbly, dumb fun. Don't look for a deeper meaning, don't even really look for a subtext. It's just an entertaining game.
-145/365 down, 220/365 to go
Recommendation: Me
Reason: It was on TV!
Alright, I'll admit it. I like this movie. I know, I know, turn in your critic-badge right now. Truthfully, I can't defend my love of this movie aside from this: I love campy movies. I have a soft spot for them. Van Helsing is amazingly campy, the sort of funny one gets from turning on a camera, telling everyone to speak in really fake accents and giving Richard Roxburgh free reign to act as madcap as possible.
Stephen Sommers is probably one of the directors who entertains me the most. When I first saw this movie in theaters, I actually left laughing so hard that I was in tears. The words 'the sea' would send me into fits. Kate Beckinsdale delivered every line with such awful conviction that it blew me away. If Roxburgh hadn't been overacting, prancing and dancing his way along, chewing the scenery, she surely would have earned herself a place among the worst actors in hollywood.
This movie is bubbly, dumb fun. Don't look for a deeper meaning, don't even really look for a subtext. It's just an entertaining game.
-145/365 down, 220/365 to go
Friday, July 13, 2007
Starscream, Starscream, STARSCREAM!!!!
The Movie: Transformers, directed by Michael Bay
Recommendation: Broomie (cause he saw it first)
Reason: It's Transformers, and it showed a lot of promise in the area of not playing Dare to be Stupid.
If this movie had been nothing but wall to wall Megatron versus Optimus Prime for two and a half hours, I would have paid full price to see it twice. If this movie had been nothing but Shia LeBeouf and Megan Fox's characters interacting, I would have...at least seen it once. I don't have that much faith in LeBeouf's talent just yet. Transformers as I saw it today, I could certainly see again, but mainly to see the giant robots smashing each other to pieces. The worldbuilding that was done in the film was very strong, with fairly realistic reactions on the parts of multiple world governments to sudden strange assaults. The animation was holy-shit-amazing. The design of the Transformers themselves was really top notch.
There are however, some weak points. Boo and hiss all you like. The pacing was off and felt a little hitchy in places-the movie could have been trimmed up a bit, particularily in the second act. The acting could have been a lot better. Jon Voight and John Tuturro were massive hams in a movie that was making a reasonable attempt at credibility. There could have probably been one or two less Decepticons to tighten up the final fight. There was a setup for a sequel, but anyone who didn't see that coming must be deluded.
The original voice actor was brought back to play Optimus Prime, which was a truly excellent decision, but it was that all-too-brief scene between Megatron and Starscream that really felt 'old Transformers' to me. The quick berating leading into the final battle made me wish for more 'villain' action. I think that was an issue with this movie-too many semi-villains, when there were at least two perfectly good candidates right in front of them. I was actually surprised to see so little of Starscream, given his crazed lust for power. Perhaps the second movie, whenever it comes, will deliver.
Oh, and did you catch this trailer from the guys who brought us Lost? I cannot wait for this one.
-144/365 down, 221/365 to go
Recommendation: Broomie (cause he saw it first)
Reason: It's Transformers, and it showed a lot of promise in the area of not playing Dare to be Stupid.
If this movie had been nothing but wall to wall Megatron versus Optimus Prime for two and a half hours, I would have paid full price to see it twice. If this movie had been nothing but Shia LeBeouf and Megan Fox's characters interacting, I would have...at least seen it once. I don't have that much faith in LeBeouf's talent just yet. Transformers as I saw it today, I could certainly see again, but mainly to see the giant robots smashing each other to pieces. The worldbuilding that was done in the film was very strong, with fairly realistic reactions on the parts of multiple world governments to sudden strange assaults. The animation was holy-shit-amazing. The design of the Transformers themselves was really top notch.
There are however, some weak points. Boo and hiss all you like. The pacing was off and felt a little hitchy in places-the movie could have been trimmed up a bit, particularily in the second act. The acting could have been a lot better. Jon Voight and John Tuturro were massive hams in a movie that was making a reasonable attempt at credibility. There could have probably been one or two less Decepticons to tighten up the final fight. There was a setup for a sequel, but anyone who didn't see that coming must be deluded.
The original voice actor was brought back to play Optimus Prime, which was a truly excellent decision, but it was that all-too-brief scene between Megatron and Starscream that really felt 'old Transformers' to me. The quick berating leading into the final battle made me wish for more 'villain' action. I think that was an issue with this movie-too many semi-villains, when there were at least two perfectly good candidates right in front of them. I was actually surprised to see so little of Starscream, given his crazed lust for power. Perhaps the second movie, whenever it comes, will deliver.
Oh, and did you catch this trailer from the guys who brought us Lost? I cannot wait for this one.
-144/365 down, 221/365 to go
Thursday, July 12, 2007
This movie (probably) sponsored by...cocaine!
The Movie: Blood and Chocolate, directed by Katja von Garnier
Recommendation: Broomie.
Reason: It looked to be a really bad werewolf movie.
Well, that's exactly what it was. The werewolf subgenre doesn't have a lot of good movies associated with it...in fact, I think I can count six (Ginger Snaps 1-3, Wolfen, An American Werewolf in London and The Howling 1). There are a few key factors in making a werewolf movie work, and like so many others, Blood and Chocolate didn't quite make it.
The single most important factor, in my not-so-humble opinion, is the plot. Aside from the usual concerns like 'making sense' and 'not being boring' (Blood and Chocolate failed those points), werewolf plots that deal with a certain narrow range of themes tend to work the best. The horror of transformation (Ginger Snaps) and the fear of the wild (Wolfen) are really the best to play with, because the werewolf as a monster opens up so many new and interesting doors when applied to those scenarios. Though Blood and Chocolate touches on both, it instead decided to be a fuzzy version of Romeo and Juliet, right down to a visit to the apothecary. This could be a personal preference, but I imagine a werewolf romance would have to be handled...differently. These are very visceral creatures, judging by the myths surrounding them. If you want a werewolf 'romance', for lack of a better word, Ginger Snaps 2 should provide you with everything you're looking for.
The second most important consideration for a good werewolf movie is special effects. Transformations are a crucial part of understanding the monster, really getting a feel for the creature's state of being. Whether the werewolf is intentionally malicious or under control, we like to see how it gets there. American Werewolf in London has the best, hardest to watch transformation sequence I've seen yet. Blood and Chocolate had...really bad special effects. I understand how expensive prosthetics or transformation sequences would have been, given the number of werewolves in the movie, but I'm certain a better choice could have been made. The monster itself is another thing many werewolf movies have to consider-like Wolfen, Blood and Chocolate's werewolves transform fully into wolves, probably a good idea considering the subject matter.
Lastly we come to the usual suspects, the things everyone wants to see in a good movie. The acting in Blood and Chocolate was alternately flat and overwrought, the effects...well, see above. The set was gorgeous, but eastern europe generally is. The story was confusing and a little dumb. This just wasn't a very good movie.
-143/365 down, 222/365 to go
Recommendation: Broomie.
Reason: It looked to be a really bad werewolf movie.
Well, that's exactly what it was. The werewolf subgenre doesn't have a lot of good movies associated with it...in fact, I think I can count six (Ginger Snaps 1-3, Wolfen, An American Werewolf in London and The Howling 1). There are a few key factors in making a werewolf movie work, and like so many others, Blood and Chocolate didn't quite make it.
The single most important factor, in my not-so-humble opinion, is the plot. Aside from the usual concerns like 'making sense' and 'not being boring' (Blood and Chocolate failed those points), werewolf plots that deal with a certain narrow range of themes tend to work the best. The horror of transformation (Ginger Snaps) and the fear of the wild (Wolfen) are really the best to play with, because the werewolf as a monster opens up so many new and interesting doors when applied to those scenarios. Though Blood and Chocolate touches on both, it instead decided to be a fuzzy version of Romeo and Juliet, right down to a visit to the apothecary. This could be a personal preference, but I imagine a werewolf romance would have to be handled...differently. These are very visceral creatures, judging by the myths surrounding them. If you want a werewolf 'romance', for lack of a better word, Ginger Snaps 2 should provide you with everything you're looking for.
The second most important consideration for a good werewolf movie is special effects. Transformations are a crucial part of understanding the monster, really getting a feel for the creature's state of being. Whether the werewolf is intentionally malicious or under control, we like to see how it gets there. American Werewolf in London has the best, hardest to watch transformation sequence I've seen yet. Blood and Chocolate had...really bad special effects. I understand how expensive prosthetics or transformation sequences would have been, given the number of werewolves in the movie, but I'm certain a better choice could have been made. The monster itself is another thing many werewolf movies have to consider-like Wolfen, Blood and Chocolate's werewolves transform fully into wolves, probably a good idea considering the subject matter.
Lastly we come to the usual suspects, the things everyone wants to see in a good movie. The acting in Blood and Chocolate was alternately flat and overwrought, the effects...well, see above. The set was gorgeous, but eastern europe generally is. The story was confusing and a little dumb. This just wasn't a very good movie.
-143/365 down, 222/365 to go
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
I want to major in Skepticism.
The Movie: Accepted, directed by Steve Pink
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: I admit it. I like those Mac vs. PC ads, and we both have wanted to watch Accepted since it was first advertised.
So, Justin Long's actually pretty funny, and I'm looking forward to seeing him in Live Free or Die Hard. I'm sure it'll be a tour de force. In Accepted he was quite good, entertaining without being too stupid. It was a good thing he was involved actually, since his supporting cast was a little weak.
The story of the film definitely stretches credibility-losers start their own college in an old mental institute. It's a fun premise though, and if you can get past the ludicrousness, it's an enjoyable movie. I just sat back and enjoyed the 'school' as it was presented. Who wouldn't go to a class that was essentially a bitter old man ranting and raving about whatever came to mind? I know some of the more entertaining lectures I ever attended were exactly that. I learned a lot from them too.
Not a lot of innovation in this movie, though it felt very personal. The writing really brought that perspective forward and developed some empathy for the main characters. Their situations were described in quick broad strokes, then they were allowed to develop from there. I was, at the very least, entertained.
-142/265 down, 223/365 to go
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: I admit it. I like those Mac vs. PC ads, and we both have wanted to watch Accepted since it was first advertised.
So, Justin Long's actually pretty funny, and I'm looking forward to seeing him in Live Free or Die Hard. I'm sure it'll be a tour de force. In Accepted he was quite good, entertaining without being too stupid. It was a good thing he was involved actually, since his supporting cast was a little weak.
The story of the film definitely stretches credibility-losers start their own college in an old mental institute. It's a fun premise though, and if you can get past the ludicrousness, it's an enjoyable movie. I just sat back and enjoyed the 'school' as it was presented. Who wouldn't go to a class that was essentially a bitter old man ranting and raving about whatever came to mind? I know some of the more entertaining lectures I ever attended were exactly that. I learned a lot from them too.
Not a lot of innovation in this movie, though it felt very personal. The writing really brought that perspective forward and developed some empathy for the main characters. Their situations were described in quick broad strokes, then they were allowed to develop from there. I was, at the very least, entertained.
-142/265 down, 223/365 to go
Cute Furry Animal Movie #326
The Movie: Over the Hedge, directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: I had to choose between this and Beauty Shop.
I actually watched this a couple of days ago, I just haven't been able to focus myself enough to review it until now. Since I watched it, the one thing I've found myself contemplating more than anything else is Avril Lavigne's voicework. At first I couldn't figure out why, out of everything else the movie had to offer, I fixated on that. Then I understood-her performance was nuanced and natural, the only one of the bunch who actually created a convincing character. No awards are, or should be, forthcoming, but I was impressed that she was even capable of such a feat.
This movie really is a cute fuzzy animated animal movie, every joke just for kids. The only thing it didn't have was the expected singing. The message was pretty loud and clear. I don't disagree with the point of the show. It was just...fairly blatantly presented. I usually enjoy a little more subtlety.
The animation was nice, very clean, though I didn't catch any major new developments or daring attempts at pushing the envelope. I think I watch too much Pixar for that. The voicework was generally alright, though Wanda Sykes was criminally underused. Basically, the movie accomplished what it set out to-make a kids movie, cram in a message and the kids might like it.
-141/365 down, 224/365 to go
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: I had to choose between this and Beauty Shop.
I actually watched this a couple of days ago, I just haven't been able to focus myself enough to review it until now. Since I watched it, the one thing I've found myself contemplating more than anything else is Avril Lavigne's voicework. At first I couldn't figure out why, out of everything else the movie had to offer, I fixated on that. Then I understood-her performance was nuanced and natural, the only one of the bunch who actually created a convincing character. No awards are, or should be, forthcoming, but I was impressed that she was even capable of such a feat.
This movie really is a cute fuzzy animated animal movie, every joke just for kids. The only thing it didn't have was the expected singing. The message was pretty loud and clear. I don't disagree with the point of the show. It was just...fairly blatantly presented. I usually enjoy a little more subtlety.
The animation was nice, very clean, though I didn't catch any major new developments or daring attempts at pushing the envelope. I think I watch too much Pixar for that. The voicework was generally alright, though Wanda Sykes was criminally underused. Basically, the movie accomplished what it set out to-make a kids movie, cram in a message and the kids might like it.
-141/365 down, 224/365 to go
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Ow! Right in the squeedly-spoodge.
The Movie: Superman Returns, directed by Brian Singer
Recommendation: More like an anti-recommendation.
Reason: Everyone I know who saw this movie before I did refused to rewatch it with me.
My first impression upon walking away from this movie is that Brian Singer set out to make a Superman movie that was everything Superman isn't. Superman Returns is a muddled, jumbled mess of canon and interpretation. Where Singer's slice-and-dice of X-Men canon made the result leaner and easier to understand, he's cut away at the wrong parts of Superman. It just seemed as though he did everything wrong here. He added a kid, cast most of the more annoying actors in Hollywood (including my personal arch-nemesis, Parker Posey) and unfortunately set up Superman's romantic side against a guy who's really just...nice.
As Supes, Brandon Routh is boring and vaguely uncharismatic. I hate to say it, but after reading the list of men who were previously considered for the role (while they were bouncing the scripts between directors like a volleyball), I've got a shortlist who could've easily bettered Routh's performance. Let's not even get into annoyingly flat and uninteresting Kate Bosworth. Once again, there were better Lois Lanes that could have occupied space and been damseled at earliest convenience. There is also no reason AT ALL that PARKER POSEY had to be in the movie. NO REASON AT ALL. She had no point. All she did was shuffle after Kevin Spacey and whine in that awful high pitched voice that sprouts directly from hell.
Speaking of the master. Kevin Spacey's campy Lex Luthor was probably the only one in the whole movie that made it worth watching. He was a good supervillain, and I wish they'd given him more to work with. Also, James Marsden made me like him a little, which was a feat since I kept thinking of Cyclops every time I saw him. And Cyclops is a dick. Superman just happened to be the bigger dick in this movie.
-140/365 down, 225/365 to go
Recommendation: More like an anti-recommendation.
Reason: Everyone I know who saw this movie before I did refused to rewatch it with me.
My first impression upon walking away from this movie is that Brian Singer set out to make a Superman movie that was everything Superman isn't. Superman Returns is a muddled, jumbled mess of canon and interpretation. Where Singer's slice-and-dice of X-Men canon made the result leaner and easier to understand, he's cut away at the wrong parts of Superman. It just seemed as though he did everything wrong here. He added a kid, cast most of the more annoying actors in Hollywood (including my personal arch-nemesis, Parker Posey) and unfortunately set up Superman's romantic side against a guy who's really just...nice.
As Supes, Brandon Routh is boring and vaguely uncharismatic. I hate to say it, but after reading the list of men who were previously considered for the role (while they were bouncing the scripts between directors like a volleyball), I've got a shortlist who could've easily bettered Routh's performance. Let's not even get into annoyingly flat and uninteresting Kate Bosworth. Once again, there were better Lois Lanes that could have occupied space and been damseled at earliest convenience. There is also no reason AT ALL that PARKER POSEY had to be in the movie. NO REASON AT ALL. She had no point. All she did was shuffle after Kevin Spacey and whine in that awful high pitched voice that sprouts directly from hell.
Speaking of the master. Kevin Spacey's campy Lex Luthor was probably the only one in the whole movie that made it worth watching. He was a good supervillain, and I wish they'd given him more to work with. Also, James Marsden made me like him a little, which was a feat since I kept thinking of Cyclops every time I saw him. And Cyclops is a dick. Superman just happened to be the bigger dick in this movie.
-140/365 down, 225/365 to go
Thursday, July 5, 2007
The plane has been redeemed by love. Now it seeks a mate!
The Movie: Stealth, directed by Rob Cohen
Recommendation: Nobody.
Reason: I needed something to watch that I could pause partway through. Reno 911! was on.
So. The movie is about a unmanned combat fighter jet that is struck by lightning and goes insane. Wackiness follows. That's essentially everything you'll ever need to know about Stealth. As expected, Jamie Foxx's character dies, prompting the white people to attempt to avenge him. There's a hotshot orphan rebel jet pilot with a heart of gold. There's a tough-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside girl pilot who predictably damsels up at the end. There's a corrupt commanding officer. It's every action movie ever made, with a chick flick twist. Oh, and the sentient plane likes wailing guitar solos.
Though there were some interesting visual transitions, the movie wasn't that incredible looking. I wasn't paying much attention to the music, but according to Dee, the composer should be shot. Looking at imdb, that's Incubus. I am not opposed. Aside from one really subtle bit of manipulation, the sound was average. The effects were pretty standard for a fast-moving-airplane movie. Stealth just wasn't much of a surprise.
So...now we get to the acting. The characters were written as action figures at best, stereotypes at worst, and the actors did nothing to grow from the roles as-written. Jamie Foxx was the token black guy and made sure everyone else knew it. Josh Lucas was uninspiring as the hotshot leader (and how lame do you have to be as a pilot to earn the nickname 'Bic'? Did the other pilots keep flicking him or something?). Jessica Biel has some really excellent muscle tone, but can't act her way out of a paper bag. The rest of the cast was forgettably boring. Don't bother with catching Stealth, or paying money to see it.
-139/365 down, 226/365 to go
Recommendation: Nobody.
Reason: I needed something to watch that I could pause partway through. Reno 911! was on.
So. The movie is about a unmanned combat fighter jet that is struck by lightning and goes insane. Wackiness follows. That's essentially everything you'll ever need to know about Stealth. As expected, Jamie Foxx's character dies, prompting the white people to attempt to avenge him. There's a hotshot orphan rebel jet pilot with a heart of gold. There's a tough-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside girl pilot who predictably damsels up at the end. There's a corrupt commanding officer. It's every action movie ever made, with a chick flick twist. Oh, and the sentient plane likes wailing guitar solos.
Though there were some interesting visual transitions, the movie wasn't that incredible looking. I wasn't paying much attention to the music, but according to Dee, the composer should be shot. Looking at imdb, that's Incubus. I am not opposed. Aside from one really subtle bit of manipulation, the sound was average. The effects were pretty standard for a fast-moving-airplane movie. Stealth just wasn't much of a surprise.
So...now we get to the acting. The characters were written as action figures at best, stereotypes at worst, and the actors did nothing to grow from the roles as-written. Jamie Foxx was the token black guy and made sure everyone else knew it. Josh Lucas was uninspiring as the hotshot leader (and how lame do you have to be as a pilot to earn the nickname 'Bic'? Did the other pilots keep flicking him or something?). Jessica Biel has some really excellent muscle tone, but can't act her way out of a paper bag. The rest of the cast was forgettably boring. Don't bother with catching Stealth, or paying money to see it.
-139/365 down, 226/365 to go
Monday, July 2, 2007
Walked away, ladies and gentlemen, walked away!
With this movie, I'm altering my format. Due to a relative inability to track down as many 'new-to-me' movies as I'd hoped, I'm allowing myself to watch movies I have previously seen.
The Movie: Hedwig and the Angry Inch, directed by John Cameron Mitchell
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: This movie's a real classic of the musical genre.
I actually rewatched Hedwig last week. This movie contains perhaps the best song from any musical ever (feel free to challenge me on this), The Origin of Love. As a song it stands up so well that the context of the movie is unnecessary. But what a context to put it into. Hedwig is the story of a transgendered person having an identity crisis, whose transition from male to female didn't go entirely as planned. With an 'angry inch' and a boatload of fabulous, Hedwig hit the road, telling the story of her life through song and pseudo-documentary.
Do not see this movie if transgendered people or cross-dressers creep you out. You'd be doing Hedwig a great disservice, because this movie is touching, sweet and very, very funny. The music also completely rocks. It's all new-wave, with a touch of country and an excellent punk interlude dedicated to that angry inch. The film is saturated with color, through Hedwig's flamboyant costumes, wigs and makeup.
I'd be remiss not to mention the absolutely great performances that follow John Cameron Mitchell's overwrought dramatics. Miriam Shore as Yitzak and Michael Pitt as Tommy Gnosis are both excellent in their roles (Miriam Shore had a bit of an advantage, having played the part when Hedwig was a stage show). As foils for Hedwig, both characters were strongly played and well developed.
138/365 down, 227/365 to go
The Movie: Hedwig and the Angry Inch, directed by John Cameron Mitchell
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: This movie's a real classic of the musical genre.
I actually rewatched Hedwig last week. This movie contains perhaps the best song from any musical ever (feel free to challenge me on this), The Origin of Love. As a song it stands up so well that the context of the movie is unnecessary. But what a context to put it into. Hedwig is the story of a transgendered person having an identity crisis, whose transition from male to female didn't go entirely as planned. With an 'angry inch' and a boatload of fabulous, Hedwig hit the road, telling the story of her life through song and pseudo-documentary.
Do not see this movie if transgendered people or cross-dressers creep you out. You'd be doing Hedwig a great disservice, because this movie is touching, sweet and very, very funny. The music also completely rocks. It's all new-wave, with a touch of country and an excellent punk interlude dedicated to that angry inch. The film is saturated with color, through Hedwig's flamboyant costumes, wigs and makeup.
I'd be remiss not to mention the absolutely great performances that follow John Cameron Mitchell's overwrought dramatics. Miriam Shore as Yitzak and Michael Pitt as Tommy Gnosis are both excellent in their roles (Miriam Shore had a bit of an advantage, having played the part when Hedwig was a stage show). As foils for Hedwig, both characters were strongly played and well developed.
138/365 down, 227/365 to go
Is there any way we can make the movie go faster?
The Movie: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, directed by Adam Mackay.
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: "It's another quotably funny Will Ferrell movie!"
I'm starting to wish that more movies came out that weren't quotable. Movies that just left you with a sort of 'wink and nod if you've seen it' crowd. I have no idea if that's even possible, so instead Will Ferrell gets another greenlight. Talladega Nights comes from a lot of the same people as Anchorman, which was possibly the highlight of Ferrell's career so far. This take on Nascar and racing movies in general was alright, though the pacing was absolutely awful.
Will Ferrell has range and depth, he just chooses not to use it. While he managed to create a full-bodied but still ridiculous character in Anchorman, he does no such thing here. Ricky Bobby's his usual idiot-squared, propped up by sidekicks who are barely more competent than himself. The character's absurdity just doesn't balance as well as his previous creations have.
This movie could have been a lot tighter. It abruptly stopped being remotely engaging during the repeated 'you can do it' speeches, started by the Nicole-Kidman-in-Days-of-Thunder imitator. Though I was mildly entertained until that point, chemical intervention would have been necessary to elevate the remainder of the movie from the pit it fell into.
-137/365 down, 228/365 to go
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: "It's another quotably funny Will Ferrell movie!"
I'm starting to wish that more movies came out that weren't quotable. Movies that just left you with a sort of 'wink and nod if you've seen it' crowd. I have no idea if that's even possible, so instead Will Ferrell gets another greenlight. Talladega Nights comes from a lot of the same people as Anchorman, which was possibly the highlight of Ferrell's career so far. This take on Nascar and racing movies in general was alright, though the pacing was absolutely awful.
Will Ferrell has range and depth, he just chooses not to use it. While he managed to create a full-bodied but still ridiculous character in Anchorman, he does no such thing here. Ricky Bobby's his usual idiot-squared, propped up by sidekicks who are barely more competent than himself. The character's absurdity just doesn't balance as well as his previous creations have.
This movie could have been a lot tighter. It abruptly stopped being remotely engaging during the repeated 'you can do it' speeches, started by the Nicole-Kidman-in-Days-of-Thunder imitator. Though I was mildly entertained until that point, chemical intervention would have been necessary to elevate the remainder of the movie from the pit it fell into.
-137/365 down, 228/365 to go
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Oh god what the hell.
The Movie: The Messengers, directed by Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang
Recommendation: Nobody.
Reason: I saw the commercials and was really struck by one section-the teenage girl being snatched back through a doorway by greyed hands.
I like horror movies. I really do. My wall is heavily seeded towards that end, ranging from The Descent to Scream to...eurgh...Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation. So I sometimes get excited by new concepts and interesting visuals, which the previews of The Messengers certainly included-the child's legs appearing as a bedspread billows upwards was quite eyecatching. I usually forget that movies with interesting visuals tend to sort of suck in the story and horror department.
As it turns out, this movie was filmed in my province. Credit should be given, I couldn't tell, but then again North Dakota and Saskatchewan do look a little alike. Wish I had known this was happening. I might have been able to stop it. The Messengers isn't a bad movie so much as it is damn boring. Seriously boring. The 'shocks' are telegraphed horribly and the 'scary' never comes. It's basically Cold Creek Manner without Stephen Dorff's innate ability to create utter crap.
Apparently it hit #1 in between Epic Movie and Norbit, which just goes to show that the stupid ran high for three weeks in February. Don't bother seeing The Messengers. There are better things to do with your time. Watch The Changeling. I've heard it's good.
-136/365 down, 229/365 to go
Recommendation: Nobody.
Reason: I saw the commercials and was really struck by one section-the teenage girl being snatched back through a doorway by greyed hands.
I like horror movies. I really do. My wall is heavily seeded towards that end, ranging from The Descent to Scream to...eurgh...Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation. So I sometimes get excited by new concepts and interesting visuals, which the previews of The Messengers certainly included-the child's legs appearing as a bedspread billows upwards was quite eyecatching. I usually forget that movies with interesting visuals tend to sort of suck in the story and horror department.
As it turns out, this movie was filmed in my province. Credit should be given, I couldn't tell, but then again North Dakota and Saskatchewan do look a little alike. Wish I had known this was happening. I might have been able to stop it. The Messengers isn't a bad movie so much as it is damn boring. Seriously boring. The 'shocks' are telegraphed horribly and the 'scary' never comes. It's basically Cold Creek Manner without Stephen Dorff's innate ability to create utter crap.
Apparently it hit #1 in between Epic Movie and Norbit, which just goes to show that the stupid ran high for three weeks in February. Don't bother seeing The Messengers. There are better things to do with your time. Watch The Changeling. I've heard it's good.
-136/365 down, 229/365 to go
Sorry. My bad.
The Movie: Reno 911!: Miami, directed by Ben Garant
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: I love Reno 911. Yup.
So, Reno 911! was hilarious, as I expected it would be. I'm a pretty big fan of the TV show, and the movie kept the spirit of the show while taking it to a new level. I don't know if I can really provide a review that's objective here, because I really do like the show enough that I feel it might cloud my judgement. But for those who enjoy the improvisational humor Reno has to offer, it was a good movie.
The story of the movie is a little over the top, not unexpected in a comedy like this. The Reno sheriff's department, comprised of short-shorts wearing Dangle, probably-insane Weigle, asleep-at-the-wheel Junior, moderately skanky Clementine, butch Kimball and ethically questionable Garcia and Jones, is put in charge of preventing crime in Miami after an accident. This is about as good an idea as it sounds to those familiar with the series, and the cast really gets into their new environment.
This was a truly entertaining movie, head and shoulders above the other movie I saw on the same night. If the show's your thing, watch the movie, flip off the brain and enjoy yourself.
-135/365 down, 230/365 to go
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: I love Reno 911. Yup.
So, Reno 911! was hilarious, as I expected it would be. I'm a pretty big fan of the TV show, and the movie kept the spirit of the show while taking it to a new level. I don't know if I can really provide a review that's objective here, because I really do like the show enough that I feel it might cloud my judgement. But for those who enjoy the improvisational humor Reno has to offer, it was a good movie.
The story of the movie is a little over the top, not unexpected in a comedy like this. The Reno sheriff's department, comprised of short-shorts wearing Dangle, probably-insane Weigle, asleep-at-the-wheel Junior, moderately skanky Clementine, butch Kimball and ethically questionable Garcia and Jones, is put in charge of preventing crime in Miami after an accident. This is about as good an idea as it sounds to those familiar with the series, and the cast really gets into their new environment.
This was a truly entertaining movie, head and shoulders above the other movie I saw on the same night. If the show's your thing, watch the movie, flip off the brain and enjoy yourself.
-135/365 down, 230/365 to go
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Yo-HAR!
The Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, directed by Gore Verbinski
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: I had to finish the trilogy.
I was dragged to Pirates of the Caribbean. I really was. I did _not_ want to see it at all. For crying out loud, it was based on a Disney ride, and the Haunted Mansion movie looked bad enough. Imagine my surprise when the original movie turned out to be a slightly longish swords and seas flick with a spectacular performance by Johnny Depp as the possibly-villainous, possibly-heroic Jack Sparrow. It was thrilling. I giggled with glee. Then they started putting out sequels, and that wasn't...so bad. I liked Dead Man's Chest, which wasn't the general consensus, and I did like At World's End.
At the end of the movie, I was so tired I didn't stick around for the after-credits bit. Apparently it was important, but unless it was Elizabeth standing behind the wheel of a pirate ship in full regalia, I can wait for DVD. If I did miss that, I apologize and I will rectify it as soon as possible. That's the part of the ending that probably annoyed me the most-Elizabeth is left on a stupid beach, pining away for Will...and everything we've seen so far makes that conclusion of her character a little difficult to accept. I think I'll settle for being happy to have seen so much of Naomie Harris and Geoffrey Rush-his scenery chewing manic-pirate antics would've punched up Dead Man's Chest quite a bit.
This third installment was adequate, I'd say. It wrapped up the stories it started, everyone went on their merry way and it was nearly a happy ending. Sorry if I've gone and spoiled things for people, but I've left out the more...bizarre stuff. Go and see it, assuming you haven't already and you liked the first two movies. At the very least, there's a damn cool ship-battle.
-134/365 down, 231/365 to go
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: I had to finish the trilogy.
I was dragged to Pirates of the Caribbean. I really was. I did _not_ want to see it at all. For crying out loud, it was based on a Disney ride, and the Haunted Mansion movie looked bad enough. Imagine my surprise when the original movie turned out to be a slightly longish swords and seas flick with a spectacular performance by Johnny Depp as the possibly-villainous, possibly-heroic Jack Sparrow. It was thrilling. I giggled with glee. Then they started putting out sequels, and that wasn't...so bad. I liked Dead Man's Chest, which wasn't the general consensus, and I did like At World's End.
At the end of the movie, I was so tired I didn't stick around for the after-credits bit. Apparently it was important, but unless it was Elizabeth standing behind the wheel of a pirate ship in full regalia, I can wait for DVD. If I did miss that, I apologize and I will rectify it as soon as possible. That's the part of the ending that probably annoyed me the most-Elizabeth is left on a stupid beach, pining away for Will...and everything we've seen so far makes that conclusion of her character a little difficult to accept. I think I'll settle for being happy to have seen so much of Naomie Harris and Geoffrey Rush-his scenery chewing manic-pirate antics would've punched up Dead Man's Chest quite a bit.
This third installment was adequate, I'd say. It wrapped up the stories it started, everyone went on their merry way and it was nearly a happy ending. Sorry if I've gone and spoiled things for people, but I've left out the more...bizarre stuff. Go and see it, assuming you haven't already and you liked the first two movies. At the very least, there's a damn cool ship-battle.
-134/365 down, 231/365 to go
I have a crush on Doug Jones.
The Movie: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, directed by Tim Story
Recommendation: Broomie
Reason: He's a Chris Evans fan, and a Marvel comics geek.
So, the first Fantastic Four movie is probably best forgotten. In a real case of the sequel kicking the ass of the original, Rise of the Silver Surfer completely wipes the slate free of our sickening memories of Dr. Doom arriving at the final confrontation on a bus, and Ben Mulroney. Wanktastic Marvel geeks are going to hate it, as their precious Galactus is altered from 'retarded looking planet eating robot' to 'amorphous cthonic cloud', as well as loads of other 'inaccuracies'. I'm going to take the perspective of a DC fan and say 'suck it'. I've had to put up with all sorts of jackassery surrounding the Batman franchise-yon Marvel wankers can just deal with the 'assault on canon' the Fantastic Four are undergoing.
But I get off track-spent a little too long discussing that particular bit with Broomie I think. Rise of the Silver Surfer is a really good movie. Nothing that's going to win any awards, but for a comic book movie, it rises to the occasion. It ranks with X2, Batman Begins and X-Men, though doesn't quite reach Spiderman levels of excellence. The effects were stunning (even Galactus, you whiny fanboys), the performances were alright and the story was better than the first one. Altogether, Rise of the Silver Surfer was just all-round a better movie. It was less boring, much tighter, and Doug Jones was in it. We have a silly amount of love for that man.
From the perspective of a comics fan, I liked the movie. It had a good feel to it, it found the balance between the multiple storylines better than the first movie did, and the superpowers were appropriately over-the-top. As a movie, it's good summer fare, and that's all it needed to be.
-133/365 down, 232/365 to go
Recommendation: Broomie
Reason: He's a Chris Evans fan, and a Marvel comics geek.
So, the first Fantastic Four movie is probably best forgotten. In a real case of the sequel kicking the ass of the original, Rise of the Silver Surfer completely wipes the slate free of our sickening memories of Dr. Doom arriving at the final confrontation on a bus, and Ben Mulroney. Wanktastic Marvel geeks are going to hate it, as their precious Galactus is altered from 'retarded looking planet eating robot' to 'amorphous cthonic cloud', as well as loads of other 'inaccuracies'. I'm going to take the perspective of a DC fan and say 'suck it'. I've had to put up with all sorts of jackassery surrounding the Batman franchise-yon Marvel wankers can just deal with the 'assault on canon' the Fantastic Four are undergoing.
But I get off track-spent a little too long discussing that particular bit with Broomie I think. Rise of the Silver Surfer is a really good movie. Nothing that's going to win any awards, but for a comic book movie, it rises to the occasion. It ranks with X2, Batman Begins and X-Men, though doesn't quite reach Spiderman levels of excellence. The effects were stunning (even Galactus, you whiny fanboys), the performances were alright and the story was better than the first one. Altogether, Rise of the Silver Surfer was just all-round a better movie. It was less boring, much tighter, and Doug Jones was in it. We have a silly amount of love for that man.
From the perspective of a comics fan, I liked the movie. It had a good feel to it, it found the balance between the multiple storylines better than the first movie did, and the superpowers were appropriately over-the-top. As a movie, it's good summer fare, and that's all it needed to be.
-133/365 down, 232/365 to go
Friday, June 15, 2007
ZOMG! You stole his idea!
The Movie: The Last Broadcast, directed by Stefan Avalos and Lance Weiler
Recommendation: A lot of people who claimed The Blair Witch Project ripped it off.
Reason: As the above.
Sometimes horror movie nerds (yes, I am a horror movie nerd) just plain piss me off. When The Blair Witch Project came out, I heard a lot of hype about how terrifying it was. Lots of my 'hardcore' buddies were really blown away by the movie, and when I went to see it, it terrified me. I actually didn't sleep that night-I couldn't. I ended up barricading the door to my room and staying up with the lights on, reading. To this day, I still admit that The Blair Witch Project scared me stupid and I will probably never forget the last minute of the film. So people who claim that the movie didn't scare them at all usually get a dubious look. The people who claimed that The Blair Witch Project wholly ripped off The Last Broadcast will be getting a double-dubious look because while there are some surface similarities, it's just not close enough.
The Last Broadcast is about a couple of local-cable access geeks in New Jersey who haul The Internet, a sound guy and a psychic out into the Pine Barrens to go looking for the Jersey Devil. Only the psychic comes back, and he's charged with murder when the other guys turn up really really dead later on. The movie we watch is an attempt to find the real killer and prove the psychic guy didn't do it. I know, it sounds so much like The Blair Witch Project it's creepy, huh? The initial 'buildup' phase of the movie is repetetive and slow, with the main source of tension becoming a box of videotape sent to the guy making this documentary about the murders. In the age of CSI and its many spinoffs, I think we've all become a bit jaded by 'zoom-enhance-zoom-enhance-zoom-enhance', even when it's portrayed realistically. Therefore what I was left with was a few wonderfully atmospheric shots framing some really redundant 'reveals'.
For the two dollars I paid for it, The Last Broadcast was an okay film. It doesn't age well at all, and if they mentioned THE INTERNET one more time I was going to die laughing, but there was at least some development of mood. Blair Witch was better and scarier by far.
-132/365 down, 233/365 to go
Recommendation: A lot of people who claimed The Blair Witch Project ripped it off.
Reason: As the above.
Sometimes horror movie nerds (yes, I am a horror movie nerd) just plain piss me off. When The Blair Witch Project came out, I heard a lot of hype about how terrifying it was. Lots of my 'hardcore' buddies were really blown away by the movie, and when I went to see it, it terrified me. I actually didn't sleep that night-I couldn't. I ended up barricading the door to my room and staying up with the lights on, reading. To this day, I still admit that The Blair Witch Project scared me stupid and I will probably never forget the last minute of the film. So people who claim that the movie didn't scare them at all usually get a dubious look. The people who claimed that The Blair Witch Project wholly ripped off The Last Broadcast will be getting a double-dubious look because while there are some surface similarities, it's just not close enough.
The Last Broadcast is about a couple of local-cable access geeks in New Jersey who haul The Internet, a sound guy and a psychic out into the Pine Barrens to go looking for the Jersey Devil. Only the psychic comes back, and he's charged with murder when the other guys turn up really really dead later on. The movie we watch is an attempt to find the real killer and prove the psychic guy didn't do it. I know, it sounds so much like The Blair Witch Project it's creepy, huh? The initial 'buildup' phase of the movie is repetetive and slow, with the main source of tension becoming a box of videotape sent to the guy making this documentary about the murders. In the age of CSI and its many spinoffs, I think we've all become a bit jaded by 'zoom-enhance-zoom-enhance-zoom-enhance', even when it's portrayed realistically. Therefore what I was left with was a few wonderfully atmospheric shots framing some really redundant 'reveals'.
For the two dollars I paid for it, The Last Broadcast was an okay film. It doesn't age well at all, and if they mentioned THE INTERNET one more time I was going to die laughing, but there was at least some development of mood. Blair Witch was better and scarier by far.
-132/365 down, 233/365 to go
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
