Holiday Hiatus

My more fervent readers might have noticed a decline in the frequency of posts these last few weeks. This is partially due to my actually being busy, and partially due to the fact that going to see movies every week is freaking expensive, especially when half of them are in 3D these days.

So I am hereby suspending the Featured New Release portion of the blog for the holiday season, as this is a time when weekend evenings should be spent with loved ones, not alone in a theater watching Resident Evil 4. Also, my limited funds need to be going towards other things, such as Christmas gifts. As much as I regret missing out on reviewing the holiday slate of releases, it is a necessary change at this time. I will bring back the feature in the New Year though.

In the meantime, I will get back on track with follower suggestions and top five lists :)

Greg

"Winner": Saw: 3D

No competition this week meant an instant victory for the modern horror franchise. Lets hope the makers stay true to their word and this is indeed the last one.

The National Film Challenge: Crashing

I had a blast this past weekend making a film for this year's National Film Challenge.

Myself and Steve Valdeck headed up a team of eight that trekked into the heart of a mountain snowstorm, had to reschedule our entire shoot, and ended up making a very good short film, Crashing.

The film deals with a married couple on their way to a marriage retreat who find themselves lost in the wilderness.

The required elements we were given at the beginning of the competition were:

1. Prop- a wooden spoon
2. Line- "I've never heard it put that way"
3. Character- Jesse or Jessie Samson, DJ

The genre our team drew was Drama, which we chose over Sci-Fi.

The shooting was very fun, stretching from Saturday into Sunday due to weather concerns closing our initial location. After lots and lots of post production work, we mailed the film with a half hour to spare.

It will be posted on the National Film Challenge website in a week or so, where it will be up to be voted on for Audience Choice award, so we will be counting on all of your support!

Winner: Hereafter

Okay, so while I was away, the Clint Eastwood drama completely dominated Paranormal Activity 2 in the weekly poll. Will be heading to see it soon.

The National Film Challenge

This upcoming weekend I am going to be participating in another film competition similar to the last one I did. This one however is a 72 hour contest. Just like last time, the contest will begin on Friday evening, where our team, this time led by myself and editor Steve Valdeck, will receive three story elements and the choice of two genres. The story elements are a character, a prop, and a line of dialogue, while genres range from such staples as comedy and drama to more specialized ones, such as film noir, buddy film, and road movie.

From that point, all writing, shooting, editing, and scoring must be completed by Monday, when the film will be mailed in to the contest organizers. Teams from around the world will be competing for cash prizes and the chance to have the film shown at prestigious film festivals.

Needless to say I am very excited about this, as our last film, Jack Staple and the Cubicles of Doom did very well, making it to the Best of Denver screening for the 48 Hour Film Project. We feel we can do even better this time around.

For those who haven't seen Jack Staple yet, here it is, an example of what can be accomplished in a few short days.

(elements were: Sharon Woods, administrative assistant; a lamp; and "he told me not to tell anyone"; genre: adventure serial)

Featured New Release Poll- 10/22

Another spooky Halloween movie comes out this Friday, with Paranormal Activity 2 storming into theaters. The first entry in the franchise was wildly popular despite its meager budget, akin to the infamous Blair Witch Project. Is the second as scary as the first? Well, I didn't see the first, but I will if you make me see this new one (did I mention that I love Halloween? Best holiday ever).

Also coming out this week is the latest Clint Eastwood project, Hereafter, starring Matt Damon and Richard Kind. The film tells of a psychic who can see the fate of everyone he meets. Looks to be an introspective and soul searching affair.

Winner: Red

Happily, Red came away the victor in last week's poll. not to say I don't enjoy the highjinks of the Jackass boys, but I am in the mood for some more sophisticated humor.

The Social Network

I remember when I first heard they were making a Facebook movie.

To call my reaction "mixed" would be a compliment. I was genuinely amused that such a trivial topic would be adapted to a film. "A movie about Facebook? HA!" (My exact words at the time).

But then details began trickling in. David Fincher was attached to direct Aaron Sorkin's screenplay. The trailer revealed the film to be more a biopic of Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg than anything else. Despite the apparent involvement of Justin Timberlake, The Social Network was starting to look like it had promise.

So I went into the theatre with a reasonable amount of expectation. Knowing Fincher's ouevre, it is hard to go into any of his films without expecting to be entertained. And happily, The Social Network delivered.

From the opening of the movie we are immediately clued into one glaring fact; Mark Zuckerberg is not the most socially adept person in the world. The irony that such an introverted person created the world's largest social networking site is prevalent throughout the film, as Zuckerberg manages to alienate his school, his family, and his friends all while on the quest for the millionth Facebook member.

In typical Fincher form, the cinematography is dark and brooding. Much of the action is confined to the dorm rooms and exclusive clubs of Harvard, with the occasional jaunt forward in time to the law office board rooms where litigations against Zuckerberg took place. The screenplay weaves in and out of the telling of Facebook's creation in the mid 2000's and the more recent legal actions against it by both the Winklevoss brothers, who claim Zuckerberg stole their idea for the massive social site, and former Facebook CFO Eduardo Saverin, claiming he was bilked out of his stock option when the company went public.

All the back story and intrigue makes for a fascinating account about how something that we now all take for granted came to be.

Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland) is a revelation as the wormish Zuckerberg. I was surprised at how well he performed the character's social isolation whilst becoming the corporate world's darling. The rest of the supporting cast is also well up to the task. Andrew Garfield (about to turn up as Peter Parker in the Spiderman reboot) was earnest in his portrayal of Saverin, and Armie Hammer provided many humorous moments in his dual roles as the somewhat foppish Winklevoss twins.

The film is of course not without its shortcomings. For those who want some real action in their films, look elsewhere. The Social Network consists of a bunch of nerds talking about nerdy things, and lawyers talking about lawyerly things, sometimes at the same time! But it was all interesting to me.

Also, forget about finding any strong female characters. The most prolific woman in the story begins her character arc performing sexual acts in a bar bathroom and ends it setting a fire in an apartment.

The Social Network has been called the Citizen Kane of our time. While it doesn't match the quality of the latter, Fincher's film is similar in its portrayal of a flawed but ultimately well meaning media mogul. The backstory of the making of Facebook proves to be worthy of a feature film. In a time when very few original movies are coming out, The Social Network is a welcome find at the theater.



Attendance: 2/5
Crazy Fan Boy Factor: 0/5
Crowd Response: 3/5

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Production Value: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Acting Performances: 4/5
Timberlake Douchiness Factor: 6/5



Overall: 8/10

Featured New Release Poll- 10/15

This week we have a break from the recent horror flick onslaught, and a relatively light offering from the major studios, as only two major releases are scheduled this coming week.

First is Jackass: 3D, featuring Johnny Knoxville's band of merry misfits partaking in yet another feature length episode of the decade old pranks and stunts show.

Also, Red storms into cinemas with guns blazing and Helen Mirren, Bruce Willis, and Morgan Freeman pulling the triggers.

Winner: My Soul to Take

Well it was pretty close but My Soul to Take came out on top this week. I think it is only available in 3D... ick.

Meet the Fockers

It was fun going back to poor Gaylord Focker's expolits this week with my viewing of Meet the Fockers, as well as the original Meet the Parents. I always appreciate when a comedy franchise stays true to the original in casting and in tone, but its always great to inject some new blood into the franchise. Meet the Fockers does this with the inclusion of Gaylord (heretofore known as Greg)'s parents, played with much gusto by Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand, as well as his cute-as-a-button nephew Baby Jack.

So Meet the Fockers did everything right in those terms. All the major players from the first return, add a few new zany ones and a cute baby, and you have the formula for a satisfying sequel.

Meet the Fockers has Greg (Ben Stiller) and fiancee Pam (Teri Polo) road tripping down to Florida with Pam's conservative and overbearing parents (Robert De Niro and Blythe Danner) to meet his own aforementioned parents, who are not quite from the same mindset as De Niro's Jack. The overall plot is actually domewhat reminiscent of one of my favorite comedies, The Birdcage.

Much of the humor in this film is derived from the conflict between the two families. The Fockers are over sharing, friendly and sexual, compared to Jack, who maintains his suspicious and cold demeanor seen in the first film. His devotion to Jinx the cat has been replaced by his grandfathering instinct. He insists on the "Ferber" method of child rearing, meaning no coddling and a strict dietary and educational regimen for Baby Jack. Naturally, things go horribly awry, of course thanks to Greg.

Ex CIA agent Jack has his own mission, putting it upon himself to prove without a doubt that Greg is not telling his fiancee the entire truth about his past. A revalation he as concerning Greg's ex nanny makes it appear perhaps Jack is on to something.

Granted, the movie is not as good as the first. But nonetheless, it maintains the tradition of the first while advancing the narrative of the hero Greg Focker, and remains funny while doing so. THe genius casting in no small part made the movie. Hoffman and Streisand were perfect for their roles, and provided many of the laughs with their bizarre behavior and parenting techniques.

Ultimately, Meet the Fockers is a satisfyingly funny followup to one of my favorite comedies. While it doesn't stray too far from familiar turf, it still has enough comic moments, and I would not be disappointed in the least to see Little Fockers when it comes out this holiday season.


Production Value: 3/5
Humor: 3/5
Acting Performances: 3/5
Culture Clash: 7/5


Overall: 6/10

You Again

I was somewhat reluctant to go see You Again. I mean, I had seen the trailer and already knew everything I needed to know. Small town girl is ridiculed in high school, goes on to become pretty and successful, and returns home only to find her brother marrying the girl who made her life miserable in high school, thus regressing back to her high school self. Oh, and Betty White shows up and some point, as she is going to do in every romantic comedy from here on out until she dies or her sudden unexplained popularity falls by the wayside.

I COULD have just written a half assed review, based on the trailer, and none of you would be the wiser. However, I am glad I actually went to see the film so that I can tell you all not to go see it, as it was a complete waste of time and the talent of everyone involved.

And there is a LOT of talent, here. Besides White, the cast includes both Jamie Lee Curtis and Sigourney Weaver, as well as the charming Kristin Bell in the lead as Marni. Add to that some impressive cameos and you could have had the makings of a real success.

Unfortunately, You Again falters out of the gate and never manages to gain back any ground. The film is uneven, unfunny, and implausible. A sloppily directed opening introduces Marni as an awkward teenager, speaking to a camera for the High School time capsule (new pet peeve- web cam shots which are popping up everywhere, from Avatar to Easy A). We see her being tormented, as the entire school, led by Odette Yustman's Joanna, singing "We Are the Champions", picks her up and puts her outside, locking the door. Huh? This scene was so weird and so unnatural, I never recovered. Did the writer/director/anyone actually get harassed in high school? Because it wouldn't appear so.

Anyway, years later Marni is revealed to be an attractive and successful publicist. She returns home to find out, to her horror, somehow her brother is marrying the girl who made her life a living hell and, no one has any clue about it at all. Even Joanna herself seems to have no memory of her actions.

She has the family around her little finger, too, all the more vexing to Marni, who decides the only course of action is to reveal Joanna for who she was, in high school. I know, makes no sense. Well, its not my fault.

The film relies on pratfalls and shenanigans of the basest form. Marni falling into an anthill (HA...) her mom getting sprayed in the face with water (ha....), or that dude Marni likes getting hit in the face (hmm). This would be ok, except NONE of the schtick is actually funny. I thought I was going to make it through the entire film without laughing once, but a brilliant cameo appearance (I'll keep it a secret to force you to go see this movie*) in the last five minutes saved the day. Too bad I had to slog through 100 minutes of sloppy and ridiculous You Again to get there.

Marni nearly succeeds in her devious plan, but the dream wedding does indeed happen, of course not before the bride and groom both befall their own "funny" injuries, landing them both in the hospital. So, the dream wedding takes place in a hospital cafeteria, complete with Hall and Oates. Yeah, ok.

Oh, and for the record, I didn't include Yustman in my discussion on talent because... well, you can figure that out for yourself.


Attendance: 2/5
Crazy Fan Boy Factor: 0/5
Crowd Response: 0/5

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Production Value: 3/5
Humor: 1/5
Plot: 2/5
(*Just Kidding): It was Cloris Leachman

Overall: 4/10

Featured New Release Poll- 10/8

This week we continue October's wickedly evil slate of releases with My Soul to Take, Wes Craven's first foray into 3D cinema.

Meanwhile, two heartwarming melodramas round off this week's major releases. First is Life as We Know It, a comedy about a mismatched couple forced to raise their deceased friends' baby together.

Finally is Secretariat, the true story of horse racing's last triple crown winner.

Winner: The Social Network

Somewhat predictably, David Fincher's biopic about Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg easily won this week's poll. The Social Network is being called a "modern day Rashomon" which is good, but they said the same thing about Vantage Point.

Next viewing assignment...

I dug into my pile of surveys and picked out Meet the Fockers, which was selected by family friend Jaime. She writes that she loves this film "because it is sooo happy!"

Meet the Parents is one of my favorite recent comedies, and I watch it every year at least once. I have only seen it's sequel one time that I can remember, so it will be good to watch again in anticipation of the third movie in the series, Little Fockers, coming out this holiday season.

Top Five Funniest One Liners

Having not updated this segment in a month, I thought it would be refreshing to make another list with some great movies on it in between my viewings of all the new crap that keeps coming out, without end.

So, here we have my top five funniest one line gags from cinema history. A one liner, technically speaking, is exactly what you would think. A joke that is told in one line.

For obvious reasons, I eliminated films that rely solely on quick hitting one liners. All apologies to Mel Brooks, Airplane, and the Marx Brothers, but you would have just dominated this list.



5. "It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses."



The Blues Brothers is awesome for many reasons. It has numerous cameo appearances from some of the legends of soul music, an epic car chase, and more attitude than you can shake a stick at. It is also uproariously funny, by far the best of the SNL skit spin off films. The line, while funny in its own right, also sums up the jist of the film and the characters so perfectly, it had to be included on this list.


4. "Duct tape. I need it for... taping something."


The darkest film on the list (barely), American Psycho is also incredibly funny. Patrick Bateman's constant excuses are all worthy of this spot, as is the ATM's classic "feed me a stray cat", but in my opinion Bateman's creme de la creme is the above line. After all the elaborate lies and excuses ("I need to go return some videotapes"), this is the best he can come up with for having duct tape. Pretty sketchy...


3. "These go to eleven."



If you haven't seen This is Spinal Tap, just know it is a mockumentary about a metal band made up of quite possibly the stupidest people on Earth.

Here we see the film's director Rob Reiner, portraying the documentarian Marty DiBergi, as he interviews Christopher Guest, aka Nigel Tufnel, guitarist extraordinaire.




2. "I'll have what she's having."


When Harry Met Sally is widely regarded as one of the best romantic comedies, and this line is from it's signature scene. Meg Ryan's Sally has just accepted Harry (Billy Crystal)'s challenge that she can't fake an orgasm. Funny right? Oh and, they are sitting in a diner. The above line is spoken by an elderly patron, played by director Rob Reiner's mother. Wow, two Reiner references in one blog post, can't say that will ever happen again.


1. "You can't fight in here, this is the war room!"



One of Stanley Kubrick's most under appreciated films, the oft parodied but seldom recognized Dr. Strangelove: Or, How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is one of the funniest movies ever, right up there with Some Like it Hot (let me just say now; "No one's perfect" gets honorable mention). Most side splitting comedies don't come with the tense undercurrents of global nuclear war, so you know this film is special when you laugh at the seemingly ludicrous plot while realizing that it could in fact go down this way.

Featured New Release Poll- 10/1

I know I'm super late getting this poll up, but obviously I have been falling behind in keeping up the blog. Patience, my dear readers.

Coming out this weekend are The Social Network, the amazing true story of the creation of Facebook, Case 39, a super natural horror flick, and Let Me In, a remake of the Swedish vampire film Let the Right One In. Seemingly, the Halloween movie season has officially kicked off.

Winner: You Again

The comedy You Again Won last week's poll, I'll be heading out to see it tonight.

In other news, reviews for the last four or so weeks are still coming, albeit slowly.

Easy A

I saw Easy A on opening night, and was pretty impressed with the turnout. I'd say there were about 6 groups of at least ten young teen girls (what message did THEY get from this film, I wonder?), and a few girls in their twenties who dragged along their boyfriends, myself included.

I will be the first to admit that I didn't walk into the film with the highest expectations. I have little reason to expect anything from a female centered high school comedy because A. these films are not meant for my demographic and B. there hasn't been a good one made since Mean Girls. Well, imagine my surprise when Easy A turned out to be one of the more mature and intelligent films I have seen in a long while.

Granted, it isn't spectacularly funny or introspective, but it sure wasn't boring either. Emma Stone is charismatic as the main character Olive, a girl who sullies her squeaky clean reputation in order to increase her social standing. An interesting study in Shavian class structures and existentialism, or just a simple minded teenage comedy? It could be viewed either way, which can't be said about many other films of this ilk.

(Am I looking too deep into this?... Probably. Moving on.)

Olive accidentally starts a rumor concerning her own sexual prowess. Rather than squelch the rumor, she instead provokes its spreading amongst her peers. In no time she is a well known harlot, who secretly allows the nerds and losers to say they had sex with her in exchange for gift cards and coupons.

Things get complicated when Amanda Bynes' Marianne, an overtly religious promoter of abstinence, takes it upon herself to rid the school of Olive's influence.

Strong casting aids in pulling this film past the line of respectability. Thomas Hayden Church and Lisa Kudrow are the married teacher/counselor team who have problems of their own. Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci are perfect as Olive's trusting and over-sharing parents. And Penn Badgely, who supposedly is from some stupid TV show, turns up as the school mascot/Olive's long time crush, and the only boy in the school who seems to be impervious to the gossip web.

I have to say that I had a tough time understanding Olive's motivation. Social standing is nice, yes, but at what cost? Hopefully someone can explain to me what exactly it is about being popular that outranks being respected.

Even so, I still enjoyed Easy A overall. the most humor came in the scenes between Olive and her parents, but the rest of the film was not lacking in laughs. And the film's depiction of the teenaged gossip mill as it is today was spot on. This is the Ferris Bueller of this generation. Ok, maybe thats going a bit far, but you get the idea.


Attendance: 4/5
Crazy Fan Boy Factor: 0/5
Crowd Response: 4/5

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Production Value: 4/5
Humor: 4/5
Plot: 3/5
Amanda Bynes: Should stay retired; ick



Overall: 7/10

Featured New Release Poll- 9/24

The next poll is up and ready to determine my fate:

First up is Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, the overdue (some would say late but I am feeling nice) sequel to Oliver Stone's eighties tale of greed, materialism, and masculinity. Starring Shia LaBeouf as Gordon Gekko's (Michael Douglas) new protege, look for this one to win the weekend box office, albeit in underwhelming fashion.

Next is You Again, a silly comedy about coming face to face with your high school nemesis years later. A good ensemble with Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, and Kristin Bell makes this one look like it could be some fun.

Finally is Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (man I had some tough spelling this post, yeesh) From what I heard this is apparently based on a children's book or something. Never heard of it, but I already appreciate this film for supplying me with a cheesy knock-knock joke in the trailer, so it has that going for it.

Resident Evil: Afterlife

Since no one actually VOTED for this movie, the review will be short and sweet.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I haven't seen ANY of the other Resident Evil movies, just played the games.

Basically I went into the theater with very minimal expectations.

So I was not at all surprised when I viewed a ho hum mash up of action and horror movie cliches that was barely worth the price of admission, clocking in at an hour and a half. This is one of those rare movies that could have been better if it were a bit longer, if the dramatic tension played out for longer, a little more exposition here or there, etc.

Resident Evil: Afterlife is a film that is all style and little if any substance.

For those who don't know the back story of Resident Evil, the Umbrella Corporation has unleashed a deadly virus that transforms people into zombies and has wiped out most of civilization.

In the opening act Alice (Milla Jovovich) and her clones storm the evil Umbrella corporation's headquarters en masse. The real Alice stows away on the evil dude (didn't catch his name)'s escape helicopter as the base self destructs. As they fight on the helicopter is crashes, and Alice brushes herself off and gets in a plane and flies away or something. Yeah, I was confused.

The meat of the film is Alice's search for Arcadia, a refuge for survivors of the virus that has devastated the planet.

She meets up with a small group of survivors holed up in an abandoned prison, surrounded by a crowd of infected. This is where the horror elements come into play, and where the movie (briefly) shines.

Unfortunately, the rest is just too bogged down with "action movie coolness". Infinite ammo guns, ninja stars, bullet time... this is all stuff I have seen before in other movies, far too many times. It is not 1999 anymore, it is high time to do away with bullet time.

Some pros include the music score, with was uniformly pretty cool, and the production design, although much of it is CG. The movie looks and sounds very good. Also the acting is decent, nothing Oscar caliber here of course but serviceable for this type of movie.

Cons include most everything story wise, although perhaps I should indeed have watched the first three (...naaah...). The plot and characters are so two dimensional that the whole film feels flat, even if it is in 3D.

Oh and speaking of the 3D, it is nothing revolutionary, and mostly only pops up in the action segments (duh) but it was fairly well done and not headache inducing. Can't say it really added anything to the film however.

On the whole, Resident Evil: Afterlife cannot be faulted too much because it is exactly what fans of the franchise wanted, I'm sure. More action, more violence, more gore. Story and characters are always secondary in these movies.

It is always a shame when you see filmmakers keep churning out the same formulaic stories with different action sequences plugged in, but long as audiences keep paying for it, its hard to blame them.




Attendance: 0/5
Crazy Fan Boy Factor: 0/5
Crowd Response: 0/5

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Production Value: 4/5
Action: 3/5
Plot: 2/5
Reloads: None




Overall: 5/10

Winner: Easy A

Easy A easily won the weekly poll. I saw it tonight so I will have a review coming soon (as soon as I finish those other ones)

Machete

If you are like me and the five other people who went to see Grindhouse in theaters, you will probably agree that the fake trailers were arguably more entertaining than the double feature of Planet Terror and Death Proof. Of all the trailers, the one that was far and away the most memorable to me was Machete. With its awesome tag line ("They f#*#ed with the wrong Mexican") and the casting of Danny Trejo, the trailer was funny and believable. I was not at all surprised when I heard Robert Rodriguez was developing the story into its own feature.

They did a remarkable job in staying true to the original trailer! Same Machete, same bad guy, same Cheech. It is awesome how lots of the stuff they shot for the trailer made it into this film. It is pretty clear Rodriguez was planning on expanding it all along.

The film is exactly what you would expect. Lots of gore, lots of exploding things, lots of hot, mostly naked girls. In short, a very loving homage to the seventies exploitation flicks (If African American entries are "blaxploitation, is Machete "mexploitation"?)

The main difference here from the trailer is the casting of the other main roles. Rodriguez did a superb job rounding up a big name cast including Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, and Lindsay Lohan (I know, I know, but she basically played herself so it worked).

De Niro plays a parody of George W. Bush, a Texas senator who is dead set against illegal immigration, favoring an electric fence and even more radical measures. Ex-Federale Machete is hired to assassinate the senator, but the whole plot falls apart and he must go on the run from the authorities as well as the man who hired him.

Along the way he encounters many luscious ladies, including Alba and Michelle Rodriguez, who operates a Taco truck by the hardware store and might have some ulterior motives.

The whole package of the film is hard to fault. The plot is a one dimensional revenge saga, the gore is over the top, and the serious scenes are intentionally cheesy. It all works on the level of "tribute", and it works well. Don't see this movie if you are in the mood for serious drama. If you are interested in learning fun new ways to rappel down three stories (hint: the human intestine is 60 feet long!), then you need to see this film.



Attendance: 3/5
Crazy Fan Boy Factor: 0/5
Crowd Response: 4/5

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Production Value: 3/5
Humor: 4/5
Action: 4/5
Close up cut-away of something sharp: Its going in someone's face later




Overall: 8/10

Featured New Release Poll- 9/17

After this weekend's slim pickings, it is refreshing to have some uncertainty, as three big releases are coming out in theaters next weekend.

First is Easy A, a teen "sex" comedy with Emma Stone that takes some inspiration from the infamous Scarlet Letter.

Next is The Town a bean town cops n' robbers tale with Ben Ass- I mean Affleck and relative newcomer Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker).

Finally, there is Devil, a scary trip to the elevator shaft of an office building. For some reason the marketers thought it was a good idea to put M. Night Shyamalan's name on this, but since he was only in a producing role maybe it doesn't completely suck.

Bachelor Party vs. It's a Wonderful Life... FIGHT!

In the first of a soon to be onslaught of reviews, we will take a detailed look into two cinematic classics; Frank Capra's whimsical It's a Wonderful Life and the equally charming Bachelor Party.




It's a Wonderful Life, chosen by Emily's dad Ben, is one of those flicks that will never get old. I will watch it every holiday season (including the coming one that is fast approaching) and never get tired of it. It is the true Christmas classic, although as my girlfriend Stephanie pointed out to me, the majority of the movie does not, in fact, occur at Christmas time. Details, details.

Stephanie is fascinating to me for how few seemingly essential (in my opinion) classic films she has been exposed to. Conversely, I'm sure she hates the fact I have not seen, I don't know, The Princess Diaries or something. Anyway I mentioned I had to watch It's a Wonderful Life, to which she replied, naturally, "Oh, I haven't seen that one". I usually would facepalm to someone saying that about the most popular Christmas movie of all time (A Christmas Story being close second), but she is Buddhist so I let it slide. Still, I forced her to sit and watch the film with me :).


I am a sentimental person, so It's a Wonderful Life hits me right at the core. Fortunately, I managed to keep from getting all weepy, a difficult task with this movie. Frank Capra was the master of manipulating emotion, the Robert Zemeckis of the 1940's, if you will. Capra's everyman characters were his trademark, and George Baily, as portrayed by James Stewart, is the pinnacle of everymanly-ness. As mentioned before, most of the film is not Christmasy in the least, but rather an extended flashback of George Bailey's life leading up to a critical Christmas Eve.

I don't really want to dwell on the plot, because A: You have probably seen the movie and B: if you haven't GO WATCH IT, for goodness sakes. It is the Godfather of feel good/Holiday movies!

A few details I notice seeing It's a Wonderful Life now that I didn't before I got all educated and stuff include just how well the story is told; every minor character serves a distinct purpose, every scene is well crafted and tightly put together to tell the story. Also worth mentioning is that Stewart turned in one the best performances in his legendary career.

So Stephanie ended up enjoying it, and I teared up a little at the end, like always. If you want to be reminded that you are rich with more than money, this is the film for you.


Production Value: 4/5
Plot: 5/5
Acting Performances: 5/5
Less Christmasy than: Die Hard

Overall: 10/10



NEXT!



Speaking of legendary careers, how about that Tom Hanks, eh? He's been stranded on an island, stricken with AIDS, ran across the country, stormed the beaches of Normandy... Tom Hanks is everywhere. If Robert Zemeckis is this generation's Frank Capra, you could surely say Hanks is his James Stewart. Of course, the above are all films Mr. Hanks WANTS us to remember. Bachelor Party is not one of those movies. For you see, in the eighties, Tom Hanks was more akin to Rob Schneider.

So does Tom Hanks quality acting + gratuitous nudity = awesome? In this case, no. It does not. Only perhaps because Hanks was not quite up to his future standard, for it wasn't for lack of trying in the nudity department.

Indeed, Bachelor Party delivered on cousin-in-law Eric's promise of full frontal nudity. But not on much else, unfortunately. The characters were largely forgettable, the plot seemed to have been forgotten, and frankly, it is just plain not funny. (The one gag that had a chance was deflated by my fond remembrance of a similar sight gag in the infinitely better Animal House.)

The plot centers around the impending marriage of debutante Debbie to slovenly Rick. Rick's best buds (there were four or five, maybe six, all completely worthless) decide to throw him the bitching-est bachelor party around. Meanwhile, Debbie's ex Cole, a ridiculously cliched country club buffoon, tries to sway Rick from marriage, offering bribes, gifts, and eventually resorting to espionage and even kidnapping the bride to be. Its all quite hackneyed and goofy, but its fine. He has a reason for his actions.

Reason is somewhat lacking in the other subplot, wherein the bridal shower relocates first to a Chippendale bar, then, after a quick costume change to appear as hookers, to the hotel where the grand party is taking place.

Ok, did I miss something? Why is it so important for the ladies to break in on the guys' fun? Did they really think the "costumes" were going to fool anyone? When accosted by the pimp's enforcer Milt, why admit to being prostitutes?

The highlight of the movie, by far, comes at the very end, as Rick chases Cole into a theater showing a 3D movie. The action onscreen is mirrored by the two scuffling, sending the crowd into a frenzy over the "best 3D effects [they've] ever seen". One woman requires a punch in the face before agreeing. A very funny commentary on the idiocy of the 3D gimmick, which comes and goes every thirty years or so (50's, 80's, 10's, look it up).

Bachelor Party serves today mostly as a barometer for how Tom Hanks' career path has progressed. Amazing to think that, had he continued down the same road, he might have been a contemporary of Paulie Shore? Even weirder to think about, perhaps given a few different opportunities, we could have had Adam Sandler starring in Inception. Who knows, but I will tell you this, Hanks has always been Hanks, whether he is solving ancient riddles, chasing criminals with an ugly dog, or watching a donkey show.



Production Value: 2/5
Humor: 2/5
Acting Performances: 2/5
Phases of Tom Hanks: Gross Out Comedy/Rom Com/Drama/Shitty Ron Howard movies

Overall: 4/10

"Winner": Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D

Well, Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D just happened to be the only major release this weekend so it won by default!

Haven't seen any of the other films in the series, but unlike Twilight, I'm not going to bother catching up...

Winner: Machete

Well in the midst of a very busy couple of weeks, Machete won the weekly poll. I will be posting a review on it sometime after I finish the one for Its a Wonderful Life, and for Bachelor Party, and for Takers... methinks I bit off more than I could chew last week...

Featured New Release Poll- 9/3

New poll is up!

This week's contenders are:

Machete, Robert Rodriguez's expansion on a fake trailer that played during Grindhouse when it was in theaters. Starring Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, Jessica Alba, and Robert DeNiro, it looks like another ode to schlocky 70's cinema.

The American with George Clooney is next. Clooney plays an assassin who wants out of the biz, but finds some difficulty in retiring peacefully.

Finally we have Going the Distance, a romantic comedy with Justin Long (???) and Drew Barrymore centered on making a long distance relationship work.

The Switch

I took the opportunity to combine blog business with my personal affairs, killing two birds with one stone by taking Stephanie with me to see The Switch. I figured it looked like a perfect date movie, although she did pay for the two of us, hmm. Well anyway, I guess I am a crappy boyfriend.

I was right about The Switch, though. It is downright charming. Not my favorite quality in a film, mind you, but when that is what the flick is going for I cannot fault it for succeeding.

I haven't been pleasantly surprised by many films recently, but this one was better than I had feared. I didn't know anything about it beyond the basic premise (guy stuck in friend zone drunkenly impregnates his gal pal). The writers could have had a field day with that set up. In the hands of Judd Apatow and Co. we might have ended up with Knocked Up 2: Knocked Up Harder or something, but instead the film is understated, touching on the purely comedic aspects of the predicament early before settling in to the more emotional stuff later.

That being said, it is important to point out that The Switch is not altogether that funny. It was marketed as a straight forward rom-com but really that is only a half truth. Jeff Goldblum is humorous as Leonard, Wally (Jason Bateman)'s wry confidant, while Juliette Lewis plays Debbie, Kassie (Jennifer Aniston)'s BFF, with bizarre vigor. The two supporting players inject much of the comedy into the film.

The two leads, however, are spared from the typical pratfalls and physical gags that are so annoyingly common to the chick flick genre (although Bateman does have some good drunken scenes). Instead, the two are given scenes and lines that actually carry emotional weight, especially Bateman in his interactions with his supposed son Sebastian.

Ah yes, the boy. Played by Thomas Robinson, Sebastian could not have been any cuter if the casting director tried. Child actors miss the mark all too often in films such as this, especially when given such a heavy load, but the young Robinson was fine. His scenes with Bateman are the highlight of the film.

At the end of the night, I left the theater satisfied. Not emotionally taxed, not questioning the meaning of life or anything like that, but satisfied. Bottom line, The Switch isn't great, but I applaud it for trying to be different.


Attendance: 2/5
Crazy Fan Boy Factor: 0/5
Crowd Response: 2/5

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Production Value: 3/5
Humor: 2/5
Acting Performances: 4/5
Discuss: Diane Sawyer= Arousing? Yea or nay



Overall: 6/10

Winner: Takers

Hmm, not sure if I should call this an upset or not, but I was expecting the other film to win. Never the less, I will view Takers and let you know my take on it (ha).

Featured New Release Poll- 8/27

After last weeks epic slew of releases (one wide release didn't even earn a spot in the poll- sorry Nanny McPhee), this week's selection will be a bit easier... only two films to chose from. Summer is officially winding down.

The Last Exorcism is an indie horror flick produced by Eli Roth of Hostel fame. It concerns a young girl possessed by demons, and the exorcist who lets a film crew document his process. (Random thought- why are only young girls possessed by demons in the movies? Are demons just picky? Why no dudes? Come on demons, a guy could projectile vomit waaay better than Linda Blair. Just sayin'.)

Next on the ballot is Takers, a heist film with Paul Walker and Matt Dillon. And Hayden Christensen. Yeah, the one from Star Wars. No, not the little kid, that was Jake Lloyd, the older, more annoying, less talented one. Yes, he is still "acting". I know, I know.

Anyway, what was I talking about?

Oh, yeah please vote!

Next viewing assignment...

I haven't pulled a suggestion from the hat in a long time, sorry folks! To do a little catching up, I am going to pull a double feature this coming week!

I couldn't have selected more opposite films if I had tried...

First up will be It's a Wonderful Life, selected by Ben, the father of my friend Emily. On his survey he cites the film's central question, "what would this world be like without having you a part of it?", as his reason for loving it. This is my all time favorite Christmas movie, and also one of my top favorite overall movies, so I am looking forward to seeing it again.

Next will be Bachelor Party, a 1984 sleazy screwball comedy starring Tom Hanks. It was chosen by Eric, my cousin-in-law and resident goofball who only wrote "full frontal nudity" to explain his choice. So does Tom Hanks + breasts = awesome? I will let you know...

Winner: The Switch

Well this last poll was a beast but the voters gave a resounding approval to The Switch. I'll be seeing this one later tonight, wish me luck.

Featured New Release Poll- 8/20

Another week, another poll, but this isn't any poll. FOUR movies to choose this week, for the first time this summer.

First up is Piranhas 3D. An earthquake unleashes hordes of prehistoric piranhas on the reveling spring breakers, and chaos ensues, presumably. Looks to be one of the schlocky horror films of the SyFy variety (low budget, low scares, bad acting) but I will go see it if you vote it to be so!

Next is Lotto Ticket. Looks kinda meh but I will reserve judgement.

The Switch, a comedy with Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman, comes in at number three. In this one Bateman accidentally hijacks Aniston's artificial insemination, with predictably comic results.

Finally, Vampires Suck, from the same minds that inflicted the most recent rash of spoof films on the American viewing public. This film joins Epic Movie and Date Movie, in the filmmaker's impressive ouevre, several of which grace IMDB's Bottom 100 list. If I have to see this, I am hoping it isn't worthy of joining them on that list.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

You guys chose for me to go see Scott Pilgrim vs. the World last weekend and I obliged, heading to the Friday night showing with Stephanie.

I went into the theater with absolutely no expectations. I have never read the graphic novel on which the film is based, so I didn't know what was coming my way. The film wasted little time showing its hand; by the time the Universal logo appears, you will be clued into the uber-geeky nature of the Scott Pilgrim universe.

If you have never played one of the old 8 bit Nintendo systems, or heck, video games in general, 90% of the humor in Scott Pilgrim will zoom miles over your head. Fortunately for me, I am somewhat of a dork, so I enjoyed all the little inside jokes.

Visually, the movie brings much of the graphic novel aesthetic with it. Split screen shots, visual representations of sounds, explosions of hearts when Scott kisses the girl of his dreams Ramona, etc. This one of the most visually impressive films I have seen since 300.

It seems that every frame has been constructed with the greatest care by director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead). From the intimate romance scenes to the spectacular "battles" between Scott and Ramona's evil exes, the entire film is stimulating to the aural and visual sensibilities.

The "battles" are amazing. You would think that Scott fighting seven different exes would get old, but each one is unique and rewarding in its own way. My favorite involves a sonic fight between Scott's band The Sex Bob-ombs (Mario joke) and the Katayanagi brothers.

That brings me to the music. I don't know why, but the thrashy amateurish punk rock of Scott's band seemed to fit the film perfectly. The band members are earnest, aware of their own mediocrity yet still determined to make it to the top. Alison Pill is especially memorable as Kim, Scott's own ex and the band's Animal-esque drummer.

I know I have dissed Michael Cera before for simply playing himself in every movie. He does more of that here, but also shows a side of himself that I have not yet seen. He has a chance in the later fights to play the badass, albeit a nerdy one.

So I enjoyed the film for its quirks, its visuals, its music, and its action. The story takes a back seat in this one, but thats ok. I suppose to enjoy it you have to be able to accept the premise that a woman's evil exes are joined into a guild by her evilest ex to keep her from dating other guys. I accepted it, and found a considerable amount of fun in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.


Attendance: 4/5
Crazy Fan Boy Factor: 1/5
Crowd Response: 4/5

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Production Value: 4/5
Humor: 4/5
Plot: 3/5
Thank God: They didn't make this in 3D



Overall: 7/10

Dinner for Schmucks

I was unfortunately barred from watching Dinner for Schmucks last weekend due to filming the 48 hour project I was working on. I saw it as soon as possible afterwards.

Honestly, I was surprised by this movie. This summer has been somewhat lacking in the straight up comedy department (don't make me mention the only other notable entry so far... ick), so Dinner for Schmucks was something I needed to see, plus I was still decompressing from a stressful weekend, so the film hit me at an opportune time. I enjoyed it. (editors note: haven't seen Cyrus yet)

Granted, Dinner for Schmucks is not THAT funny. Nor is it memorable, or altogether different from any of the other raunchy comedies from the last few years. But it kept me smiling throughout, which, this summer, might just be enough for me to crown it comedy of the year.

But the film has a heart at its center, and not an imitation heart either (ok ok, think Grown Ups) but a sincere attempt at making characters that the audience really can care about. Steve Carrell is endearing as Barry, the lovable idiot who is perhaps wiser than he seems. Paul Rudd, one of my favorite comic actors, does a good job as Tim, the lead character whose descent into the corporate world provides the impetus for conflict.

This is a movie that is pretty much entirely about the characters. What little story there is mostly serves to introduce us to schmuck after schmuck, culminating in the dinner from the title where they vie for the trophy for the most "special" guest.

This wouldn't work if the characters were boring or unfunny, but fortunately, there are plenty of great comic actors hamming it up playing dumb, and it saves the movie. Jemaine Clement was my favorite, playing an artist who is perhaps a little too into his work. He didn't even garner an invite for the dinner! Too bad.

The schmucks at the dinner are mostly forgettable, save for Barry and his equally strange boss, played by Zach Galafianakis. For all the builup given to the dinner party (see: title of the movie), the scene is actually a let down. Nothing all that spectacular or funny happens which was disappointing.

So Dinner for Schmucks was enjoyable for a night out, but I can't say how much I would have liked it if I expected ANYTHING from it. It was funny enough, only just. Charming enough, if barely. So, not one I would watch again or recommend to see in theaters but it is a solid enjoyable film.


Attendance: 2/5
Crazy Fan Boy Factor: 0/5
Crowd Response: 3/5

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Production Value: 3/5
Humor: 3/5
Acting Performances: 3/5
You may say I'm a dreamer: but I'm not.



Overall: 6/10

Featured New Release Poll- 8/13

Three more selections this week means another huge poll. However, all three are legitimate contenders, so this week could be interesting.

First is the latest from Julia Roberts, Eat Pray Love. based on the apparently popular book (I never heard of it), this one will be a favorite for the feminine set. I haven't had to watch a chick flick for a while, could this be the week...?

Next is Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, a trippy comedy from the director of Shaun of the Dead. Starring Michael Cera and based on a graphic novel, this one does look fairly interesting, although Cera looks to be sticking to what he does best (playing himself).

Finally, the Expendables, the long awaited (ahem) pairing of Sly Stallone, Jason Statham, and a bunch of other tough dudes.

So will it be a girly exploration of what it is to be human, a brawny sweaty 'splosions and sausage fest, or something in between? That, my friends, is up to you.

Winner: Middle Men

Ok, so Middle Men won the vote which was a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, the film isn't out in Denver yet (???) so I will have to wait on it, but as soon as I can I will watch it.

48 Hour Film Project Update/ New Poll

Hi folks, its been a long last couple of days for me.

First of all, the 48 Hour Film Project was an absolute blast. I was brought on the project by Anthony Larocca of Dangling Carrot films, and the team he and writer/producer Christian Link put together was great to work with. Everyone involved went above and beyond the call of duty and we ended up making a very strong film considering the amount of time we had to do it in.

The required elements we were given at the beginning of the competition were:

1. Prop- a lamp
2. Line- "He told me not to tell anyone"
3. Character- Sharon or Sherman Woods, administrative assistant

The genre our team drew was "Adventure serial"

We ended up shooting Jack Staple and the Cubicles of Doom, one 'episode' of an imagined adventure series featuring the heroic Jack Staple, a purveyor of office antiquities. In this episode, he infiltrates the offices of William Turnstiles to extract the fabled "Golden Floppy".

The shooting was tough, 15 straight hours before heading down to Litteton to dive into the edit. The head editor stayed up through the night while the other editors and I got a few hours sleep, then we traded off. We got the project done and turned in in the nick of time. Despite being rushed, I am pretty proud of what we accomplished, and would love to see you at the premiere showing at the Gothic theater on the 8th at 6:30 (Group C). its only 10 bucks at the door for a dozen short films! You can buy 8 dollar advance tickets here.

Now, back to normal business here at There Will Be Blog.

There is a new poll for you to vote on. Now I know, the last few weeks have been pretty slim pickings for you to choose from but we can't have Twilight and Inception coming out every week you know. So please vote! I want to see some competition.

This is a good week for that as there are three large releases.

First is the new Will Ferrell vehicle The Other Guys, costarring Mark Wahlberg. The two play a bumbling pair of policemen trying to be action heroes. Marky Mark's involvement makes this one look a cut above the last few Ferrell flicks, but we shall see.

Next on the menu is Step Up 3D, which looks like something I would pretty much entirely hate. But if you want me to have to see it, go ahead and vote for it!

Finally, we have Middle Men which is about the birth of internet pornography. Starring Luke Wilson, this film could be pretty interesting.

Winner: Dinner for Schmucks

Another boring poll led to another underwhelming turnout at the polls this week. Once again, the winning film didn't have much in the way of competition, as Winner: Dinner for Schmucks easily beat Winner: Cats and Dogs and Winner: Charlie St. Cloud.

I will be shooting for the 48 Hour film contest this weekend but I will see the movie as soon as is humanly possible!

What I have been up to the last couple weeks....

Some of my more loyal readers might have noticed a slight decline in my amount of posts. This does not reflect at all on my loyalty to you all, or to my interest in writing these articles. Rather, I have actually for the first time in months been actually BUSY! Which is refreshing, if only a little bit.

First of all, I have become involved in the 48 Hour Film project, a film contest where teams from cities all over the world are given two days to write, shoot, and edit a short film containing some secret elements to eliminate cheating. I am working with Dangling Carrot Films and producer Anthony LaRocca, and will be directing the film. The kick off to the event is tonight at seven, so for forty eight hours after that, don't expect to hear from me!

Also, I am very lucky to announce that I have been hired on as a pre-production intern/location scout for Black Wing Digital, an independent production company based in Boulder. They are currently in development phase for Mind's Eye, a cerebral mind bending thriller. I have been tasked with helping to find suitable locations for the film.

So, that's what I have been up to lately as far as my own career goes. This blog has been lacking a personal touch as of now, so I will try to keep updating you all on my own endeavors as often as needed.

Greg

Salt

I had the privilege of spending last weekend in rural Nebraska. I was worried that the four horse town I was staying in would prevent me from watching your selection, Salt, but to my pleasant surprise my parents and I came across the Eagle Theater, a four screen movie theater that looked to date back to at least the fifties. Tickets were six dollars, and we got two bottles of water, a small popcorn, a box of junior mints and a bag of Reeses Pieces for eight. Talk about culture shock. The theater itself was cozy, art-deco inspired, and had very nice seats. I actually got to look upwards at the screen, which I love but can only do from the front row around these parts. So all and all, even before the movie began this was my most enjoyable and surprising excursion to the cinema yet this summer. I might have to trek to the Eagle every weekend.



As for the film itself, Salt didn't disappoint, although considering I did not go in to the theater with very high expectations I should elaborate.

Let me just say first off that it is refreshing to finally see a film like this centered around a strong female lead. Angelina Jolie plays her role with an unnerving confidence, while also portraying an inner vulnerability. Roles such as this, double agents or double-double agents or whatever, are always tricky, when you have to convey something to the audience while concealing it from the other characters. Difficult stuff, but something Salt pulls off admirably well. So major points for having a girl up there, kicking ass.

Unfortunately, the film as a whole is not a vehicle worthy of Jolie's talents. Instead of really going in a different direction with the female spy angle, it seems copied and pasted into the same spy flick formula from the Bourne films, Die Hard, and many others. Jolie's Evelyn Salt is desexualized to the point where it is not out of the realm of possibility to imagine the entire film with a man in the role instead. In fact, this is exactly how the project came about. Tom Cruise stepped out, Jolie came in, and the filmmakers thought that was enough. Well, it keeps the film above the rest of the schlocky action flicks of recent years, but only barely. For the little amount that Salt is unusual for having a female lead, it is very much cliched in every other aspect.

And the worst cliche of all is implausibility. Salt could have been such a smart movie, but instead it devolves into some of the usual tricks, plus inventing some of its own.

Among the "wow really?" eye rolling moments: Jolie emptying an assault rifle into a three foot thick wall to drill through it to a lock release mechanism, Jolie surviving and walking away uninjured from a forty foot fall inside a police car, and the best of all, moments after a man says, "once this door is shut, God himself couldn't get through", a swat team uses a blow torch to easily get through it. Bad, bad ,writing.

Salt at least kept me entertained though. The entire film is literally action packed, essentially an hour long chase scene with the occasional assassination thrown in. Jolie, despite looking like Kate Moss, manages to savagely beat down every body-armored 230 pound SWAT officer in her path. The film's story provides adequate twists and turns, enough to keep even me guessing until the end an ending which naturally sets up the inevitable Salt franchise. Lets only hope that the filmmakers in charge can do more with Salt's feminine side next time around; that would have been much more interesting than Bourne with breasts.


Attendance: 2/5
Crazy Fan Boy Factor: 0/5
Crowd Response: 2/5

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Production Value: 4/5
Action: 4/5
Acting Performances: 4/5
Implausibility: 5/5, too high to ignore.

Overall: 6/10

Top Five "Mind Benders"

In honor of the recent release of Inception, I decided to compile a list of my favorite cerebral flicks.

A "mind bender" is a film that challenges the audience in one or several of many different ways, perhaps with a non-linear plot or with a difficult to comprehend subject matter. These films are typically independent "artsy" works.

Having gone to film school for four years, I have seen plenty of these such films. Keep i mind I am not rating on the confusing-ness of the film alone, but rather that paired with my own enjoyment.

5. That Obscure Object of Desire



Luis Bunuel, the father of surrealist film, is to this day best known for his film collaboration with Salvador Dali in Un Chien Andalou. That film is easily more mind destroying than any on this list but I didn't really care for it. That Obscure Object of Desire, on the other hand, I greatly enjoyed. The film was Bunuel's last, but he continued his penchant for making audiences scratch their heads through some ingenious directorial decisions.

See the two girls in the picture above? Well, they happen to be the same person. Not in real life, of course, but in the film. They play the same character, Conchita, who personifies the desires of the main character Mathieu. Speaking, of, he is a lot older than both actresses, making their romantic tryst quite creepy. Finally there is a band of terrorists running around causing havoc for no apparent reason. If you aren't confused by this film, apply for MENSA.

The device of having two actresses playing one character is this film's defining legacy. Bunuel was the only director who could pull that trick off. He didn't do it for a thematic reason, having one girl turn into the other when she was angry/sad/horny/etc (Hulk syndrome). He hired both actresses and they came in on alternating days. Simple as that. And yet the move prompted endless discussions on Bunuel's decision, perhaps how one actress related to "desire" in a different way than the other, or one represented temptation, the other virginity, blah blah blah ad nauseum... that is one of the true signs of a mind bender; the amount of IMDB forum posts.

4. Blow-Up



Admittedy, I am not a big Michelangelo Antonioni fan. I find most of his work to be pretentious, overly long, boring, and sleep inducing.

So I was pleasantly surprised when Blow-Up kept me not only wide awake, but actually riveted. The film deals with a photographer who believes he may have mistakenly photographed a murder. His suspicions are heightened when a body turns up, then disappears, then reappears... it is all quite discombobulating (its a word look it up). By the end of the film, we still are not sure that a murder did in fact take place.

And then there are those pesky mimes.

Much like the terrorists in That Obscure Object of Desire, the mimes permeate the film, coming in and out, seeming entirely out of place... until they somehow wrap everything up at the end.

The film is about perception versus reality, and a bunch of other deep stuff. Plus it has a rare cameo performance from the Yardbirds sandwiched in for some reason.

3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind



Like Bunuel's work, a casting decision helps the confusion spread, but Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind has much more going for it than that. Some nifty forced perspective photography, bizarre flash backs and flash forwards, and scenes that get erased from existence right before our eyes, all add up to make Eternal Sunshine a bizarre love story that will pull on your heart strings while simultaneously reminding the audience that our memories make us who we are. Without them, things go just plain screwy.

Like Inception, much of this film takes place within the fabric of the characters' minds. Arguably the version of the subconcious that we see here is more convincing. Director Michel Gondry did a great job capturing the ephemeral nature of memory. Pretty scary to think what our lives would be like without it... see below for more on that.

2. American Psycho



Some of the other movies on this list are subtle in their insanity, delving carefully into areas of the human psyche and trying to impart some layer of meaning into the viewer. American Psycho does all that, but is in your face, bat shit insane, and not shy about it.

Christian Bale was born to play Patrick Bateman, the main character who is never at a loss for words ("I have to return some video tapes"). A stereotype from a materialistic chauvinistic society, Bateman speaks in sales pitches, hires prostitutes, and, oh yeah, kills people on the side. There are mistaken identities, plot twists, and bizarre moments aplenty in this film, and at the end we are left wondering, was it all real?

While it is indeed confusing on a first watch, American Psycho revels in its strangeness. Some of Bateman's off the wall lines are classics.

1. Memento



My favorite overall movie also happens to fall into the "mind bender" category, so naturally it takes the top spot!

People who try to sum up the plot will say that it goes backwards and leave it at that; but to reduce it to that is to over-simplify the genius of the film. It starts in two different places, and then meets in the middle! One story goes backwards, the other forwards. As if that wasn't enough, the plot happens to concern a mystery being solved by a man who can not make memories. No problem, as he tattoos the most vital clues on his body and leaves himself notes to help in his daily routine. The only question is, can he trust himself?

Here is writer/director Christopher Nolan's reasoning behind the uniqueness of Memento's narrative structure: if the main character doesn't have a clue what just happened to him, why should the audience?

Memento, like these other films, is great because it doesn't spoon feed any information to the viewer. Sometimes, letting people figure things out for themselves can lead to a much more rewarding and entertaining cinema experience.

Featured New Release Poll- 7/30

As one poll closes, another one opens, and you, dear readers, are once again called upon to decide my movie-going fate.

Next week there are three studio movies opening in wide release.

First we have Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, which is apparently a continuation of a series but I have no idea, honestly. Something about dogs and cats engaging in kiddy friendly warfare. I don't know.

The second selection is Charlie St. Cloud, what looks to be a weepy romance about Zac Efron on a sail boat. Oh yeah and ghosts. Well thats what I got from the trailer I saw before Eclipse anyway.

Finally we have Dinner for Schmucks, this summer's entry in the raunchy comedy genre which has been popularized recently by The Hangover and Superbad. It stars Paul Rudd as a douchebag, Steve Carrell as an out of touch idiot, and Jeff Dunham as a ventriloquist. Wow, what a stretch that was.

An interesting group, to be sure. But only ONE can have the supreme honor of being viewed by me (no more ties!!!), so get on the poll and vote please!

Winner: Salt

Poll just closed, and its another landslide. Angelina Jolie and Salt easily beat out Ramona and Beezus with 90% of the votes. So, I will go check it out and let you, my devoted readers, know what I think. The things I do for this blog... (sigh)

Inception

I really feel that the more I say about the film, the more disservice I do to those who want to see it. It is best to go in completely fresh so I will refrain from any synopsis here. If you go to Frank Costanza levels to avoid spoilers, might as well not read any of this, just go see the film!




Anyone who has ever dreamed has surely made note of the fact that the dream world operates with a different set of rules, as far as time and space are concerned.

Christopher Nolan's latest film Inception takes these rules and sets an entire movie around them, playing with the audience up until the very last shot cuts to black.

The effect is... bold, brilliant, entertaining, confusing.... all of the above.

I had a very strange experience with my first viewing of this film. Going in to the night, I was beyond excited. This has been my most anticipated film since it was first announced, and frankly there aren't any movies on the horizon that look to measure that level of excitement.

I went to the midnight showing with Stephanie and my friends Jeff, Casey and Greyson, not sure if it would be modestly crowded (ala Toy Story) or swamped (more akin to Eclipse but with fewer Team Jacob T-shirts).

Sadly, neither proved to be the case. There was NO LINE. By the time the previews started, the theater was only half full, as it remained. Needless to say, this was disappointing.

My disappointment continued as Inception began, a nonstop barrage of pretty images and characters yes but for the life of me, I had no idea what was happening. Was this going to be the biggest disappointment of the summer, nay, my life?

In a word: No. In two words, hell no! Once again, Christopher Nolan has constructed a cerebral thriller that pulls no punches, forcing the viewer to struggle initially but then rewarding that first grasp of understanding with a eureka moment which pays off for the rest of the film.

Those who have seen Memento should already be familiar with this arrangement.

The last hour or so Inception completely erased any doubts I had through the first act; not only is this movie not a disappointment, it is one of the most entertaining films I have ever seen.

What Nolan has managed to do here is make a brainy action thriller that combines the mind-bending plot of indie thriller Memento with the enormous budget and action set pieces of summer blockbuster The Dark Knight. In other words, a movie that should be enjoyed by just about anyone (to those complaining that the plot is too hard to follow; Inception is more cohesive than anything Michael Bay has done so shut your traps).

Nolan also proves once again that he is a great action director, forming grand set pieces that could indeed only be dreamt of.

In other words, Inception is a miraculous and harmonious blend of plot and action, something that is rarely seen.

As for weaknesses, well there are a few, generally in the acting category. Don't get me wrong the performances are solid, but just not up to snuff with the perfection of the rest of the film.

Of course, Leo's work is great as usual. Marion Cotillard plays his wife and brings a wonderful nostalgic bent to her scenes. I could see either of them getting Oscar nods.

I have never liked Ellen Page since Juno so perhaps I am biased but I never really cared for her character or her portrayal. Ariadne serves mostly as a vessel for much needed exposition though so I have to thank her for that.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Arthur was awkward and underused in the first act, but by the end he was my favorite character. His scenes in the hotel were just amazing, my favorite part of the entire film.

Underlooked will be Cillian Murphy, who stands out in his supporting role as Fischer, the target of "inception".


The film ended and my friends and I looked at each other, agape and/or grinning huge grins. Stephanie didn't like it quite as much as we, but still did enjoy it, less for the plot than for the action and effects.

Overall, the night was perfect save for the poor turn out. Word of mouth is going to make Inception huge, I predict. And I intend to do my part, so....

DO YOUR UNDERUSED BRAIN A FAVOR!!! GO SEE INCEPTION!! RIGHT NOW!! SERIOUSLY, STOP READING AND GO!


Attendance: 2/5
Crazy Fan Boy Factor: 1/5
Crowd Response: 4/5

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Production Value: 5/5
Action: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Time on the edge of your seat: About 80 minutes, ironically starting when the "fasten seatbelt" light goes off.

Overall: 10/10

Back to the Future

Back to the Future is one of those movies that I can watch maybe nine or ten times, but still every time I see it feels like the first time. Generally, this quality is a good one for a movie to have (conversely, I have seen films that felt like four sit-throughs just to see once- cough cough Grown Ups).

Its 1985 in Hill Valley CA. Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is a 17 year old slacker who shows his disdain for authority by skateboarding, playing guitar, and wearing suspenders without putting them over his shoulders. Take that, establishment!

He is friends with Doc Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd), a wacko scientist who has just solved man's age-old question- how can we sell more DeLoreans?

Just kidding, but he does turn a DeLorean into a time machine somehow, and Marty winds up in 1955, face to face with the 17 year old versions of his meek father George and amorous mother Lorraine.

I really do love the Back to the Future series, and the first one remains my favorite of the three. As Scott mentioned in his survey, the way that the writers played with the concept of going back in time and meeting your parents is just so clever that the premise keeps the entire movie entertaining by itself.

The film takes a microscope to the 50's decade with pop culture references, era appropriate costuming, and a great soundtrack. It is especially interesting to consider the amount of change that happened to Hill Valley in the 30 years separating Marty from his own time of 1985. Farms where there should be malls, empty fields where Marty's street should be, a bank where now a porno theater stands. Funny to think that now, 25 years later, Marty's house is probably also a mall (eminent domain sucks don't it Marty?)

The film chugs along at an impressive clip, and before we know it we are hit with not one, but THREE climaxes (George laying out Biff, the first kiss, the clock tower/lightning scene) not to mention a massive cliff hanger that was not even intended to spawn two more films in the first place. The filmmakers obviously did something very right.

They best part of the film, in my opinion at least, is seeing all the changes Marty caused when he does make it back to 1985. I won't give anything away but suffice it to say that the ending is classic.

They playfulness of Back to the Future is enough to get it a solid rating in my book. It deals with a preposterous subject matter in a manner that is not overly serious but still dramatic. I will ignore the fact that the whole thing is one big plot hole, because I grew up with it and these great characters, and because it is so timeless (ha).


Production Value: 4/5
Action: 4/5
Humor: 4/5
Plot Holes: 1.21 Gigawatts worth of them but who cares??

Overall: 8/10

Featured New Release Poll- 7/23

The new poll for next weekend's new releases is up.

Vote between either Salt, a stylish espionage thriller with Angelina Jolie, or Ramona and Beezus , an adaptation of the popular children's novel by Beverly Cleary.

Can't say I am pulling for anything in particular... :-/

Winner: Inception

Well there were a few hours left to vote on the poll but I'm calling it- The Sorcerer's Apprentice didn't put up much of a fight as Inception dominated the poll with 100% of the vote.

Wait that can't be right... let me recheck that... yep, NO ONE voted for The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Ouch.

Words cannot express how much I have been anticipating this film. Stay tuned.

Despicable Me

I'd like to start this review off with a special belated happy birthday for my good friend Emily, who came along with Stephanie and me to Thursday night's premiere of Despicable Me. It was her first time at a midnight movie and hopefully a good kickoff to her day.

Now, on to the main attraction: Despicable Me.

The choice everyone has to make these days seemingly, 2D or 3D, was unanimous as Emily Stephanie and I all agreed that we enjoy 2D more. (editor's note: I hate 3D)

However, I can honestly say that this movie made me want to see it again... in 3D no less.

How you ask? Well, for starters, it is a good movie, which I will get to in a moment. But there are many instances in the film that you could tell were designed solely to play with the 3D (further proof that the trend is, in fact, a gimmick). This playfulness is something that has been missing from most 3D movies, especially the ones that were post-converted to 3D, not originally shot in 3D. I have heard terrible things about Clash of the Titans and The Last Airbender.

As for the overall quality, Despicable Me is a charming, if not overly innovative, animated flick. It lacks the substance of Pixar's work but still has its heart in the right place.

The main character is "super" villain Gru, a humanized version of Wile E. Coyote. He has schemes to spare but is lacking in execution. He and his band of minions (hybrid Oompa Loompa/ Twinkie the Kid cross breeds) set out to pull the greatest act of villainy the world has ever seen.




A wrench is thrown into Gru's dastardly plans as three girls he initially adopts to aid him end up as more of a distraction than he had bargained for (the littlest girl Agnes is cute to the point where it is incomprehensible that she had not yet been adopted).


Then there is Vector, the weaselly, sea-life obsessed rival to Gru's enterprises. I never really bought him as a threatening character, but he does do a good job serving as the roadrunner to Gru's coyote. He has all the cool gadgets, the spiffy ultra modern fortress, and an impressive stolen monument cleverly disguised in his back yard.

Gru must make a decision: is his quest for the ultimate act of villainy getting in the way of his relationship with the girls, or the other way around?

Naturally mistakes are made, lessons are learned, and we are sent home happy. But the plot really isn't the selling point of Despicable Me. Rather, that would be the spectacles and the laughs.

The animation is vibrant and the humor is ever-present, with plenty of physical gags for the kids and slightly more sophisticated laughs for the parents. The voice acting too is top notch, Gru is characterized so well that I forgot that Steve Carell was even involved. And Russell Brand did an amazing job in his part (I didn't even realize who he played until getting on the imdb page).

Despicable Me is a good film, hopefully it has the staying power of such franchises as Shrek and Ice Age.


Attendance: 4/5
Crazy Fan Boy Factor: 1/5
Crowd Response: 4/5

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Production Value: 4/5
Animation: 4/5
Humor: 4/5
Agnes Cuteness Quotient: 9/5

Overall: 8/10

Featured New Release Poll- 7/16

My most anticipated poll of the summer has officially arrived.... that's right, Nicolas Cage in The Sorcerer's Apprentice!!!

Haha just kidding. That movie does come out this week, though. It is an expansion and reimagining of the classic Disney 'toon featured in Fantasia. How that works, I have no idea. If you want me to find out, send me to see it.

Or, you could do me a favor and vote for Inception, probably the only movie this summer I would actually go to at midnight by choice. The psychological thriller stars Leonardo DiCaprio and is directed by Christopher Nolan, my favorite contemporary director.

So which will it be, Inception or The Sorcerer's Apprentice?

Winner: Despicable Me

For the second week in a row, we had a dominating performance at the polls as Despicable Me ran away from Predators with 76% of the vote.

I'll check this out at the Westminster Promenade at midnight!

Next viewing assignment...

In honor of the 25th anniversary of its release, the next movie I am going to watch is Back to the Future, which came out in July of 1985.

This was selected by Marianne's (Steel Magnolias) husband Scott. On his survey he writes, "I loved the actors and the fun they had with time travel, and I loved the comedy". Great, Scott! (haha)

Back to the Future is an old favorite of mine but I don't mind re-watching it.