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
Sunday, August 26, 2007
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
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