Critical Outcast

Music Review: Lamb of God - Resolution

2012-01-26T20:33:00.000-05:00

What can be said about Lamb of God that has not already been said? Well, probably a lot and from far better sources than I. However, this will not stop me from sharing a few words about them. Simply put, they are one of the best metal acts in the game. Simultaneously raw and refined, this is a band that knows how to go about their craft, furthering their abilities and expanding their horizons while not forgetting the core of their consent genre. They are among the upper echelon of metal, of this there is no doubt. Resolution only helps to prove it.

I am still amazed that I stumbled across them by pure accident. It was way back on the pre-Sacrament days when I bought As the Palaces Burn by complete accident at a concert. It was some time later hat I actually gave he album some solid listening time, from there, there was no looking back. Here they are now, six albums into their career with still so much potential laid out in front of them.

It has been three years since we last got a new album from them, with the in between time filled with a three disk career retrospective. Hourglass was the collection and while it was a great collection of songs, I questioned its purpose. I was actually scared that I was signaling the end of the band. Fortunately, that was not the case.

Rest assured, Lamb of God endures and with Resolution have turned out an amazing collection of forward thinking, yet classic, LoG metal. It is actually pretty funny. You see, I really liked Wrath, but Resolution has made me rethink that last album somewhat. This new release seems to be a world above what they did there. Don't get me wrong, Wrath has some great tracks on it, but Resolution is easily the best thing they have done in years. No doubt about it. This one definitely stands shoulder to shoulder with As the Palaces Burn and Ashes of the Wake.

Resolution sees Lamb of God taking all of the places they have been and pushing them further. There is a bit more of pseudo-singing style appearing here, ala "Redneck." rest assured, it works and fits the songs and does not sap any of he heaviness from them. There is also a few tracks that would feel right at home among their earlier albums, save for their stronger production values. Not only that,here is even the inclusion of some orchestral stuff on the album's final track.

Resolution starts off with the very roomy sounding cut "Straight for he Sun." it has an unmistakable sound of them, but it is a touch sludgier and much more ominous. It closes with a drunk runs rom Chris Adler and leads right into "Desolation," which really reminds me of "Walk with Me in Hell." it has an old school feel with better production.

Track four is their first single, "Ghost Walking." This cut has that rough, raw feeling we have come to expect from them, but there is something else going on here. From the opening acoustic bit I recognized there was something familiar yet different. The answer is simple, Lamb of God is growing, maturing and bringing their new found influences, and ideas bought with experience to the table and it is showing through in their writing.

This album covers all sorts of ground. Consider the punk/old Pantera styling of "Cheated" and the tech-metal opening of the wonderfully titled "Terminally Unique." They have all kinds of things going on here. Over the course of 14 songs and 54 minutes, Lamb of God put everything out on the table.

Speaking of putting it all on the table, they do that with the album's closing epic, "King Me." Opening with atmospheric spoken word, guitars, and orchestra, this is a departure from what we expect from them. Fear not, the song kicks in soon enough with signature growls and staccato riffs to die for before blending them into a cacophonous creation that sees Lamb of God experimenting and coming out winning on the other side.

Randy Blythe has rarely sounded this focused and powerful. The guy must have a throat made of style to pull off all of those screams and growls and still be able to speak. No one sounds like this guy. Chris Adler is a beast on the kit, he is all over that thing making sure there is always that forward motion and sounding unique doing it. He is one of the drummers who helped open my eyes to what a good metal drummer can sound like. Willie Adler and Mark Morton and Willie Adler prove, once again, a force to be reckoned with. They have a tone I have never heard anywhere else, and they have the riffs to bash your head in. Rounding out the band is bassist John Campbell, filling out the back end and adding to the crushing sound they have honed over the years.

In all seriousness, I love this album. It is one I have been able to listen to a lot and not grow bored with it. This is a band to pay attention to. They have a great following, but can always use more. If you are into metal and don't know or listen to Lamb of God, shame on you!

Highly Recommended.

Movie Review: Haywire

2012-01-25T22:33:00.000-05:00

On the surface, Haywire has a pretty simple and familiar story. How many times have you seen a story where a top government operative goes on a mission, gets betrayed, and needs to find out what happened? Don't bother to answer that, it will probably take too long to count them all. On top of that, you have probably seen me complaining about some recent movies feeling like they have been stripped down to the Cliff's Notes versions of themselves. Normally, this is not a good thing. However, there are exceptions to every rule and director Steven Soderbergh has crafted one. You see, Haywire is a movie that has been boiled to the bare essence, to its benefit.

It is rather strange how much I like Haywire. This is a solid tale of betrayal and action. It is a thriller that tells you what you need to know, but not everything that you want to know. Within its imperfect narrator structure we are given a singular point of view, the view of our central character could not possibly know everything. What we get is that stripped down story, perhaps a little cold, maybe a little aloof, definitely not one prone to emotional outbursts. This is a very strange reaction, the elements that would usually keep me at arms length actually drew me in.

The story centers on Mallory (Gina Carano). She is a highly regarded agent working for an independent contractor. As the movie opens we catch up with her at a small cafe in upstate New York. Aaron (Channing Tatum), a fellow operative catches up with her with intentions to bring her in. This doesn't go well and it becomes apparent that something went down on a recent mission. This leads to a fight and a quick getaway in the car of another patron of the cafe (Michael Angarano).

The car ride/getaway turns into something of a show and tell session as Mallory tells her "hostage" the details that led up to the current predicament. We go through a couple of missions where she is part of an extraction team saving some reporter that the government wants free. This leads into another mission where she plays the role of wife for an MI6 agent named Paul (Michael Fassbender). This mission reveals some not so nice things about her boss (Ewan MacGregor) and a contact (Antonio Banderas). Everyone turns on her and now Mallory is out for answers.

In all seriousness, the story is secondary to the way the story is told, the way everything is executed. I cannot claim to be an awfully big Soderbergh fan, but there is something about the flow of Haywire that is a thing of beauty for me. It has a somewhat lyrical flow that is a lot of fun to watch. There is some good choices made in the audio design with music dropping out during key action sequences, interesting angles, and just an overall unique style. There is a combination of style and stripped down substance that makes this work as a whole that is more than the sum of its parts.

At the same time, there is an interesting patchwork quality. It is kind of like they only had a few days with each of the big name stars to fit in around the full time work they were getting with Gina Carano. So, we get small roles from Tatum, MacGregor, Fassbender, Banderas, Angarano, Michael Douglas, and Bill Paxton. It is a pretty impressive supporting cast for the first time star in Carano.

With that said, Gina Carano is quite the find. Before this movie I had never heard of her. I have come to learn that she is a retired MMA fighter. I loved the fights in this movie. The style is not the usual brawling or martial arts we see so often, it shows the MMA style in a "real world" application and shows how it can be effective. At the very least it looked different and I liked it. On top of that, wow, Carano really knows how to throw down, I feel sorry for the stuntmen she faced off with as she was throwing some brutal punches and kicks. I do hope this is the start of her career, I would live to see some more action movies with her. She can hold her own in fights, yet never loses her femininity.

I may end up on the minority regarding this movie, but I loved it. The stripped down story, the look, the style of the fights and other action, the characters, it all just worked for me. Haywire is strong and to th point. I recommend you give it a shot, see if you see what I see.

Highly Recommended.

DVD Review: Dirty Girl

2012-01-25T07:42:00.001-05:00

I don't know about this one. I remember when I first saw the trailer for Dirty Girl and knowing immediately that I wanted to see it, Partly because I thought it looked like a good movie (as any good trailer should) and partly because I think that Juno Temple could be a good up and coming actress (based on the small parts I have seen her in). Well, now the movie is here and I am not quite sure what to say about it. It is not a terrible good movie, but it isn't downright awful either. It is a movie that feels like a mash up of well meaning ideas woven together by someone who wants to get it all out before he forgets it.

I am sure many of you know the feeling, I know I do. I sit down to write, full of great ideas and insights only to get partway through and find you are forgetting those clever quips and descriptions. By the end the finished piece rarely resembles what you intended for it. Dirty Girl feels a lot like that. Somewhere the brain to screen translation got a bit muddled in trying to make sure the ideas and references are all there.

Dirty Girl tells the story of a high school's dirty girl, Danielle (Temple), and her co-coming of age story with chubby, closeted classmate Clarke (Jeremy Dozier). Danielle's promiscuous, forward thinking ideas pretty much labels her an undesirable and her frank speak lands her in the remedial class, which is essentially a dumping ground for the outsiders that don't fit in with the mainstream.

Danielle and Clarke are thrown together as a de facto couple for the class's lesson on parenting. Their charge is a five pound bag of flour, which becomes its own narrative device as its Sharpie-drawn face takes on a life of its own reflecting the mood of any given situation. In any case, these two outsiders have their share of angst with plenty of daddy issues to spare. This pretty much makes them the perfect friends as they become partners in rebellion.

Danielle is rebelling from her mothers (Milla Jovovich) interaction and the involvement of her Mormon fiancé (William H. Macy). Clarke, on the other hand, finds himself driven further into the closet by an overbearing father (Dwight Yoakam) with no help from his mousy mother (Mary Steenburgen). Danielle eventually ropes Clarke into her search for her absentee father. The road trip begins.

The trip has Clarke stealing his father's car as the duo set out looking for Danielle's father. This leads them on a journey of self discovery set to a steady stream of 80's tunes. It feels a little jammed together and cliched without ever really getting to feel for the characters. It has a lot of surface to watch, some tunes to help set the mood, but when it comes to depth, it falls a little short.

It is my understanding that writer/director Abe Sylvia incorporated a number of details from his life growing up, spreading them across the details of Clarke's and Danielle's lives. I suspect it was something of a cathartic experience for him and allowed him to create a piece of entertainment while also working through some of his own issues. The end result is a moderately entertaining movie that I wish went a bit deeper.

Audio/Video. The DVD is presented in a ratio of 2.40:1. Generally speaking the video looks pretty good. There is a consistent level of detail throughout and it shoes in the lingering closeups on character faces. The color palette appears to be a touch to the muted side, perhaps a bit flat. This is not an action film so I don't feel a pristine detail level or bright colors are absolutely necessary. It looks fine.

Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. It is a good track that brings the important songs to life with a very good representation. Likewise, the dialogue always sounds crisp and clear, and that is always important, right? Surrounds are not awfully important here, but they show a little life here and there.

Extras. The disk has a commentary track from writer/director Abe Sylvia, who discusses many aspects of the film. He is a touch dry, but it is not a bad track. There is also a selection of deleted and extended scenes.

Bottomline. This movie plays a bit like a cross between Juno and Easy A. Not exactly, of course, but the feeling is there, for me. It has its moments, but again, feels a bit rushed and incomplete.

Mildly Recommended.

Article first published as DVD Review: Dirty Girl on Blogcritics.

Movie Review: Underworld - Awakening

2012-01-23T22:05:00.002-05:00

It's hard I believe it as been almost ten years side the first Underworld arrived in theaters. That 2003 film introduced us to a new goth-flavored look a a war between vampires and werewolves. Over the course of the series we have learned the war has been going on for centuries without humanity even knowing. We are also given the story of the first hybrid, a conspiracy between the races and how our hero became a target by pretty much everyone. A prequel film helped provide some insight to the start of the war by taking us back to the start. Now, with the fourth film we get a film that simultaneously furthers the story and feels a bit like a reboot, or at least a new beginning.

As Underworld: Awakening opens we learn that the war has one public. Humans have learned of these before unknown races existence and have united in their efforts to exterminate them. If the creatures appearance has done one thing, it is to unite up humanity against a common enemy. They engage I'm a series of purging and cleanings in an effort to wipe out the vampires and lycans.

And so goes the early scenes. They are told with voice over accompanying a montage of scenes showing the human forces doing a pretty good job of getting closer to their goal. Frankly, I think this story wold have made a pretty entertaining film on its own, but that is not what this movie is about. As the opening comes to a close we see Selene (Kate Beckinsale) and Michael (Scott Speedman) preparing to flee the city and get away from he nearing human forces. Unfortunately, hey are not fast enough and they are captured.

Twelve years pass and Selene is awakened to find herself in some sort of scientific facility. As soon as she awakens from her prison slumber, she finds herself set upon by a horde of security guards. She gets out and discovers the world has changed, the vampires are hiding an the lycans are even worse off, but again, this is not the story.

What is the story? Well, it is one that sees Selene adjusting to this new world and discovering that she has a daughter, dubbed Subject 2 at the lab. Well, it turns out the little girl is important to the scientists at the lab. She is a hybrid child and is being used by them to develop a "cure," well, a cure that is really a serum to enhance lycan strength and size.

In any case, Selene is still known among the vampires as a turncoat who murdered the elders years earlier. So, she isn't exactly welcome there. No matter, she finds enough support to head back to the facility to rescue her daughter and maybe learn a little more of the truth, and perhaps where Michael is.

Underworld: Awakening is an enjoyable entry in the series that I found more entertaining than the prior entry, Rise of the Lycans. It gets back to the story that started in the first two, tweaks it some, and gives us what feels like a fresh start for the franchise. This movie gives us a new direction for the franchise for a few more sequels.

Now, while I certainly enjoyed this movie, I think it could have been a bit longer. It almost feels like the we got the Cliff's Notes version. The runtime clocks in at 89-minutes and I think it could have used a little more fleshing out. Perhaps a better look at this new world and what they've been up to, maybe more exploration of the animosity between the vampires and Selene, a little more with the daughter would have been nice, even more of Michael Ealy's story. I don't know. I liked it, the action was well done, Kate Beckinsale is great in the role, and the universe is fun. Perhaps the next one will give us a little more?

Recommended.

Blu-ray Review: Good Morning, Vietnam

2012-01-19T07:22:00.001-05:00

War comedies are not exactly the easiest thing to pull off. There is the obvious example of Dr. Strangelove, which is a hilarious parody, but for the most part war is not exactly something to laugh about. Well, real war anyway, of we are talking about a fake war created for the purpose of a movie, that is something different, like Tropic Thunder, or dealt with in an over the top fashion like the Rambo movies. Good Morning, Vietnam is not like any of those movies in that it is an at times uproariously funny comedy that also deals with a very real war situation.

This is a movie that was a very questionable production. The Vietnam War is not really fertile ground for comedy, but an inkling was found thanks to veteran Airman Adrian Cronauer, portrayed in this film by Ronin Williams. Now, this is not exactly a biography and much of the story has been factionalized, but the seed of reality is there and the tone has a realistic feel to it. Cronauer has been quoted as saying this movie is about 45% accurate.

The story centers on a military DJ, Cronauer, transferred from Crete to South Korea to help raise morale. Before long he finds himself at odds with his commanding officer as he has a different idea of what music people want to hear and how the comedy and news should be presented. His show came complete with over the top comedy, rock and roll music and a desire to give the people real news, not necessarily that which has been sanitized. Then things take a turn and the reality of the situation comes crashing down on him. I am getting ahead of myself.

It is hilarious watching Robin, err, Adrian do his thing on the radio. It is almost like they wound him up, pointed him at the microphone and just let him go. The monologues almost feel like we are front row at one of Williams' stand up shows. The irreverent attitude, the crazy voices, and the fact that all the soldiers loved him and the brass hated him. Then things take a turn and that reality steps in change the path of his radio career.

Besides his irreverent radio show, we get to watch him try to met a young Korean woman, make friends with a young Korean boy, and teach a class in English. It is during these off times when Adrian barely escapes a bombing of a GI bar. This changes Adrian's outlook and pushes him into the reality of the conflict around him and the very real dangers that threaten him and everyone everyday.

It is interesting to see these dramatic moments interspersed with the big comedic bits. In particular the changes in Adrian's outlook. Sure, he continues to be at odds with the officers, but he realizes something else about himself and what he means to the soldiers who listen to him.

Good Morning, Vietnam is a really good film. It is really funny yet never loses focus on the drama. It is a delicate balance that director Barry Levinson keeps in place. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Robin Williams delivers what is among his best performances.

Audio/Video. The movie is presented in its original 1.85:1 ratio and looks good, if unspectacular. The transfer has decent color levels, but it seems to have been scrubbed a bit. It seems to have lost a bit of that filmic quality along the way. Still, it is not a bad transfer, the colors are well represented, see the explosion sequence and those greens when Adrian crashes in the jungle.

Audio is delivered in a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. It is not the best track I have ever heard, but I suspect some of my problems lies with the original design. The sound is very front heavy, which is probably the way it should be, considering how big a part Robin Williams plays. It is not a bad track, it does the job well.

Extras. This disk has a few extras hidden away. First up is a production diary that runs just about 35-minutes. This video is pretty good, it features interview clips with cast and crew and even with the real Adrian Cronauer. The other feature is an unedited clip of Robin Williams doing his monologue, interesting watching him work.

Bottomline. This is a funny movie that is actually more effective than I remember it being. I mean, it has been a long time since I have seen it. In any case, the real star of the show here is, of course, Robin Williams and he really gives a performance of surprising depth. Definitely spend some time with this.

Recommended.
Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Good Morning, Vietnam on Blogcritics.

Movie Review: Contraband

2012-01-17T21:27:00.000-05:00

You could probably make an interesting case study out of Mark Wahlberg and the roles he gets and the movies he is in. I have never really considered him to be all that great of a actor, yet he seems to fall into a lot of decent roles in a lot of pretty good films. He is an actor of little charisma and charm, yet seems to generally be somewhat appealing. It works for him. With Contraband we again see him in the central role of a decent film. I think the most interesting thing here is hat he is actually the most compelling character we get.

I liked Contraband more in the immediate afterglow of the screening than I do now that some time has passed. It is a heist movie that hinges on you buying into the manufactured tension. To a certain degree it works, but if you pay attention to everything that happens, it gets more and more ridiculous with some crazy timing issues. I don't know, in retrospect it fails to pass the believability test. Add to that Wahlberg as the lead and the action and tension fails to really step to the next level.

As the story begins we find that Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) was smuggling something for a bad guy named Briggs (Giovani Ribisi) and is forced to dump the package when they are boarded by Customs. This leaves him in the lurch l pay back the value of the package or risk losing his life.

It so happens that his brother in law Chris (Mark Wahlberg) and his wife (Kate Beckinsale) are known for a friend's wedding. Chris just happens to be a world class smuggler who has since gone legit, left town, and started a family. This happening lures him back into the business for one more job to save the kid and pay off the bad guy. Stop me if you have heard this before, it is hardly an original plot.

That is it in a nutshell. Kid does something stupid, bad guy threatens family, hero steps up to save the day, secrets are revealed, things happen, emotional climax, role credits. Easy, simple, no mess.

The simplicity of the movie is admirable, but they take the simplicity and add a few too many elements, thus dampening much of what there is to like about it. It starts off decent enough, but things go awry as soon as the smuggling job comes into play. I mean, it goes smoothly enough, but when the ship reaches their Panamanian destination things start running off the rails. Once you get past the fact they plan to hide their smuggled goods behind a tool rack, they find they are getting screwed over by their contact and have to go see another guy (played Diego Luna), who drags them on an armored car heist and then they get their stuff to head back to the ship, all in the span of about an hour. Yeah, that happens.

The plot elements may get a little crazy, but it is still somewhat watchable. Mark Wahlberg portrays a somewhat interesting character. His best moment being when he let slip that he misses the smuggling life. It is a brief flash and I wish it was explored more. Beckinsale is decent as the damsel in distress (rather different than her Underworld role). Giovani Ribisi is fun, as always, as the tattooed bad guy with the funny voice.

The movie also has an interesting piece of trivia. Contraband is a remake of a 2008 Icelandic film called Reykjavik-Rotterdam and it starred an actor named Baltasar Kormakur, who also happens to be a director. Yes, that's right, he directed Contraband, the remake of a movie he originally starred in!

Mildly Recommended.

2011 at the Movies: Top 10 Movies of the Year

2012-01-16T07:19:00.000-05:00

Better late than never, right? I really wanted to get this up closer to New Year's but year after year, that never seems to happen. Now, if you are new to my top movie lists, the rules are simple, it had to be a movie released in the calendar year and I had to have seen it on the big screen. I am sure you have already seen my back ten list covering numbers 20 down to 11, now we can move on to my choices for best movies of the year. Just remember, there are likely movies I missed, it happens, move on, enjoy the movies! (also be sure to check out my video countdown!)

10. Insidious. This haunting tale was brought to the screen by the duo behind the original Saw, James Wan and Leigh Whannell. This movie feels like Poltergeist if it were made in Japan. It is not quite as gonzo as Hausu, but it is certainly headed in that direction. Toss in some touches of Paranormal Activity and there you have it. Insidious really has some of those Japanese touches, where once trapped in the haunting, there is little hope of escape. It is a movie of tone and atmosphere, it is more interested in getting a reaction than telling a story. Sure, the story is there, but it is secondary to rollercoaster like ride.

9. Archie's Final Project. Effective, different, and well worth the effort. Archie's Final Project takes us on a ride into the mind of the modern media saturated youth in a rather strong portrait of the sort of disenfranchisement that should be able to be avoided. I blame it on the deterioration of actual communication as dictated by modern media and technological advances (not that they are a bad thing, but this is still the first generation to have them at this level). It is a challenging movie that may never find an audience. I am actually surprised I had the chance to see it. It is a a surprising work that manages to make its point without becoming cloying or preachy. This is not an easy task when talking about angst and suicide. It also doesn't hurt that the performances are good and Gabriel Sunday does a great job to center the film and lead us through.

8. Martha Marcy May Marlene. This movie does a fine job of putting you in that fractured state where past and present collide as a the mind attempts to correct itself. Elizabeth Olson gives a fantastic lead performance as a former cult member trying to reintegrate with reality. The film really puts us in her head in a unique way, it moves between her present and her past in such a way that they often seem to be the same thing. It is really an interesting film that I suspect will reward multiple viewings. It also features a charismatic performance by John Hawkes as the cult leader.

7. Source Code. This is a lot more than a clever science fiction film. It seeks to bring a sense of hope to the world, even while asking more questions and introducing questionable morality. The Source Code works as intended, but even more not as intended. Sure, its replaying of a sequence multiple times brings to mind Vantage Point and Dennis Quaid's "Stop! Rewind that." exclamation, but it goes beyond that. Little differences each time that could potentially display the faultiness of memory or perhaps something else. Source Code does not explain a lot, nor should it, it retains a mystery about Colter's reality, the origins of the Source Code, and our desire to do good.

6. Hanna. This really is an engrossing film. From the moment the film starts I was intrigued by Hanna, curious as to what made her tick, interested by why her father chose to raise her this way, and wondering why Veigler was so intent on getting her hands on the girl. This movie has action, but it also allows us to spend time with the characters, letting Hanna reveal her humanity, curiosity, and wonder as she encounters the world for the first time. Layer by layer, piece by piece the picture is put together, leaving enough space for you to fill in some of the gaps. Hanna is an action/thriller that comes face to face with the arthouse, creating a new cinematic fairy tale.

5. The Artist. This movie is a wonderful, sweet, charismatic story of the silent era, the dawn of the talkies, pride, bad decisions, and love. The movie is pretty amazing, it is a black and white silent film that feels genuine to the era, just as it takes a wink at the camera and plays with the genre of a bygone era, but never think it is mocking it. It is another of this years nostalgia banking movies that pays off. Jean Dujardin is a the charismatic lead, looking as if he belongs completely in the silent era. This is a beautiful, sweet movie that is well worth tracking down.

4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It's funny, when I saw the original Swedish film, I said it reminded me of a David Fincher film, now we have the American version directed by David Fincher! Amazing. In all seriousness though, this is movie is as good as if not better than the first adaptation of the novel. Fincher's direction, eye for the screen image, and sense of pacing is perfect. The movie feels finely focused and on point even at its run time of more than 2.5 hours. Combine that with a surprising performance from Rooney Mara, who puts her own stamp on the damaged Lisbeth Salander and doesn't try to duplicate Noomi Rapace's fantastic performance. This is definitely a first rate film that deserves the attention.

3. 50/50. A cancer comedy. Never thought that such a thing could work, especially with Seth Rogen involved. It is a movie that is funny and touching while never being manipulative. Rogen turns in a solid supporting performance, but it is Joseph Gordon Levitt in the lead that makes this movie work. He is a very likable guy and it is very easy to sympathize with him. The cancer is never the joke and is treated seriously, as it should. This movie is a wonderful experience that I never expected going in.

2. Hugo. Martin Scorsese has crafted another masterpiece. This movie feels like something he has been wanting to make for decades. Knowing his love for cinema and his involvement in the effort of film preservation, this feels like a labor of love, at the same time it is completely different from anything else he has made. It is a magical film that centers on a boy and his sense of wonder and discovery, just as it shines a light on an important piece of early cinema. It is wonderful.

1. Super 8. Here is a movie that fires on all cylinders. It takes me back to my younger days watching movies, it demonstrates the love of filmmaking by those involved, and is just great all around. Just thinking about it makes me smile and want to head back to the theater. This is a movie that doesn't play like a potential franchise, it has a goal of providing a great story for everyone while reminding us what made the 80's great. It is not merely a throwback film, it is a successful attempt at making a family friendly adventure without a cynical bone in its body.

That about wraps it up for the year! Let's hope some more great films in 2012!

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CritCast #10: Top Ten Movies of 2011

2012-01-15T23:13:00.000-05:00

It is finally here, my top moves for 2011. I hope you enjoy:

2011 at the Movies: The Back 10 of the Top 10

2012-01-14T01:05:00.000-05:00

2011 had a bunch of good films. I thought I would double the fun of a top ten and give you my top 20. Just remember that this is no "best of" list. No matter how many movies I get to the theater for there will always be a few that got away. So, my self-imposed rules state that the only movies eligible for the list are those released in 2011 and seen on the big screen by yours truly. Without further ado, let's take a look at the back 10, aka 11-20 in the suitable order.

20. Rammbock. This has to be one of the better zombie films of recent vintage. It is barely an hour long yet it successfully sets up the zombie/infected threat, gives us a group of survivors, gives them personalities, and places a variety of obstacles in their way. It is well written, well acted, and well executed. If you are a fan of horror or zombie movies, you need to see this.

19. X-Men: First Class. Comic book movies are always a tricky proposition, no matter how sure a thing looks, we could end up with a disappointing mess like Green Lantern or a day-glo nightmare like Batman & Robin. However, once in a while we get something that gets it right, X-Men: First Class is one of them. It is an intelligent blend of mythology, character, and action anchored by the performance of Michael Fassender as Magneto.

18. Rise of the Planet of the Apes. This movie was a curious project. I cannot say that I thought it was a good idea, and those trailers were just atrocious. However, the movie proved to be thoughtful, touching, intelligent, and just really entertaining. It has a logical build and characters to care about, also Any Serkis turns in another great motion capture job as Caesar.

17. Drive. Here is an interesting movie, part noir, part spaghetti western. It is a movie I am unsure comments on anything, but it does paint a picture of a quietly charismatic lead and a slow, steady film with punctuations of violence, not unlike a Lucio Fulci horror movie. It is movie that is unstuck in time, a blend of 80's and the present day. It may not be remembered as a classic, but it does deserve some attention now.

16. The Adjustment Bureau. This is a pretty interesting film, it has some big ideas and presents them in an interesting fashion that gives you time to digest them. Free will, spirituality, fate, everything just has a nice flow to it. It is held together by the easy chemistry of Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. The movie seems to have been quietly forgotten, if you haven't seen it, go dig it up.

15. Beginners. Sweet and heartbreaking, this movie is sadness with a side of hope. It is a character piece that draws you in and holds your attention. It is told in an unconventional fashion, rather than being a straight narrative, it is accessed like a memory, things are not in order and facts are not always remembered perfectly. Very good movie.

14. Young Adult. Here is a fascinating look into a character who is in a perpetual state of arrested development. Charlize Theron plays a divorced writer of young adult fiction who decides she wants to rekindle her relationship with her now happily married high school boyfriend. It is fascinating to watch her and her self-destructive ways, not to mention the insight from a former classmate played by Patton Oswalt. This is quite possibly Diablo Cody's most mature work, helped by Jason Reitman's direction.

13. Rango. An animated movie that plays like a live action movie is nothing particularly new, but here it feels fresh and unique due to the solid writing, voice acting, and fantastic design. It is like an animated Tarantino film, taking all manner of inspirations and molding them into something new. It is funny and plays perfectly for adults as well as kids.

12. The Muppets. This movie had me smiling from start to finish. It is a clever, funny movie that knows exactly what it is and what it is trying to do. It brings those great Muppet characters back from the fringe and places them front and center. The movie plays on nostalgia for the fans from way back and serves as a great introduction for a new generation. Seriously, I just can't not like this movie.

11. Midnight in Paris. The latest Woody Allen is something special. It is romantic and magical and subtly funny and I suspect if I knew more about literature I'd likely get more out of it, but that doesn't change how much I enjoyed it this time. Owen Wilson gives a great performance full of wonder and Marion Cotillard is deliciously enigmatic. Very good movie, another one that plays on nostalgia to its benefit.

Stay tuned for my top ten!

Blu-ray Review: Puncture (2011)

2012-01-12T07:31:00.000-05:00

When I first heard of Puncture, that is all I knew, the title. With that little bit of knowledge I assumed it was going to be some manner of horror movie. Seriously, doesn't that word evoke perhaps a bit of Saw imagery or perhaps something related to vampires, like The Addiction? Perhaps it is just me and an underlying desire to see horror everywhere. In reality, Puncture has absolutely nothing to do with horror, at least what we normally identify with cinematic horror, and everything to do with lawyer drama involving safety needles for hospital use. Yes, that sounds much more exciting.

In all seriousness, Puncture is half of a good movie. The plot is halfway interesting and we get a solid lead performance. The problem is that while it is half good, I also found it to be half bad. The thing of it is, is the movie tends to be a bit exposition heavy and does not allow the support to distinguish itself beyond being plot points. It is could be likened to walking down a steep incline, you keep going and going and can't stop, ultimately stumbling and falling down as you approach the finish. Still, there is enough substance to recommend.

Based on a true story, Puncture is the story of two lawyers, Mike Weiss (Chris Evans) and Paul Danziger (co-director Mark Kassen), who take on the case of a nurse, who contracted AIDS from an accidental needle stick, and an engineer who invented a safety needle. The goal of the case is to somehow force hospitals to purchase the item. The problem is that there are contracts and deals in place that only allow the medical establishment to work with certain suppliers and no one wants to even look at the data in favor of the safety needle. Of course, there is also the internal strife between Mike and Paul, as they are a small firm with little money and fewer resources to pursue the ever growing case. Paul wants them to drop it, Mike refuses.

Oh yes, there is something else to the story that helps push it forward a little bit and make you wonder about Mike's underlying interest in the needles. Mike, it turns out, is a drug addict. He is a heavy user and a functioning one, more or less. The movie follows him, primarily, as he works the case, getting more and more wrapped up in it, while also indulging his addiction in a variety of fashions.

The real case this is based on is a noble one and one that clearly sees them in the right. The problems with the become compounded because of this and the treatment of the drug addiction. With the lawyers so clearly in the right, the opposition feels overly simplified with many details just never explored. On top of that, we do not really see, definitively, the destructive effect the drugs are having on Weiss. It is a movie of good and bad and suffers from any shades of grey.

Still, Puncture is a slickly produced film that is easily watchable. The "Based on true story" tag helps with getting us into the story initially and bypassing the need for certain developmental elements, allowing us t get behind the protagonists a bit quicker. However, no matter how watchable and enjoyable it may be, it is not one that really digs into the subject or welcomes repeat viewings.

Chris Evans does give a compelling performance. Evans is really becoming a pretty good actor, not necessarily great, but better than I used to be willing to give him credit for. In Puncture, he creates an interesting persona that we want to see play out. It is solid work. Among the supporting cast, Marshall Bell turns in the most memorable performance as the inventor of the safety needle.

Audio/Video. The movie is presented in a ratio of 2.35:1 and is generally solid. There s a good level of detail and color representation is solid. The movie does not have anything in the way of explosions to show it off, so it has to settle on giving us a compelling color palette and solid detail levels. I did not detect any compression issues and the movie looks good across the board in both day and night sequences. I cannot say there are any standout scenes, but this isn't that type of movie.

Audio is presented in a 5.1 Dolby True-HD track that is solid, modestly dynamic, and does its job well. It is workmanlike in the crisp presentation of dialogue and score with slight touches of ambiance. Again, this is not an action movie and does not have anywhere to go to truly differentiate itself. This leaves the track to do what it needs to do, make sure we can hear the dialogue in a clear and realistic fashion, which it does.

Extras. Nothing is included, except for a few trailers, including one for Puncture. The back of the case states "Bonus Material" under Special Features, but I could not locate anything.

Bottomline. Good, if insubstantial film. It is worth it to see what the case is about, nice that it is not just another murder case, and also for Chris Evans performance.

Mildly Recommended.

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Puncture (2011) on Blogcritics.

CritCast #9: The Back 10 of the Top 10 Movies of 2011

2012-01-11T21:33:00.000-05:00

This edition of the CritCast sees me take a look at numbers 20-11 of my best movies for 2011.

Blu-ray Review: In the Name of the King 2 - Two Worlds

2012-01-11T07:37:00.000-05:00

When it comes to genre film fans, there is one name that strikes anger into the hearts of fans around the world, even more than Michael Bay. That name is Uwe Boll. For years this filmmaker has turned out terrible movie after terrible movie. Seriously, sometimes I really wonder of he is capable of making a decent project. Most of the time the films are laughably bad, you need go no further than House of the Dead and Alone in the Dark to recognize his ineptitude. Still, they tend to provide a fun target. That brings us to one of his more recent ventures, a sequel to the 2007 Jason Statham vehicle, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale.

That original film was pretty terrible, despite the number of recognizable faces in the cast like Statham, Ron Perlman, Leelee Sobieski, Matthew Lillard and Burt Reynolds. Sure, an odd cast for a fantasy actioner, but decent nonetheless. This time around it feels like another story in the same realm but with a different everything else, despite there being an allusion to this film's hero being the son of Statham's character in the original. It also feels like a much smaller scale film with a smaller cast, fewer locations, and smaller sets. Not that there is anything wrong with this.

The sequel bears he name In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds. It trades Jason Statham for Dolph Lundgren. Lundgren plays a retired special forces operative named Granger. Yes, this is a fantasy action movie, I know the special ops mention probably threw you of a little bit. You see, this particular movie uses that cinematic plot device of a man out of time.

The movie opens in the past, where the majority of the action takes place. A sorceress name Eliana is running through the forest, pursued by a men dressed all in black. She puts up a good fight just as it is revealed she is in present day Vancouver (the city gets to play itself for once). This allows time for the introduction of Granger, who now teaches martial arts to children and mourns the loss of his old team.

Before you know it, Elianna and some of those black-clad guys show up at Granger's house. He fights them off and is transported to the medieval past. Here he meets the king and is told of being forced out of their kingdom, plague, the Dark Mother, and other such stuff. It is Granger's job to battle through the forest and kill the Dark Mother.

Nothing is quite as it seems and not everyone's motives are as pure and up front as they would seem. Part way through we get some reveals and a shift in what Granger needs to do. This leads to further fighting and swordplay before we reach the inevitable conclusion.

The movie is not a great one, but it is perfectly watchable should you come across it on cable. The action is decently staged, performances are a little funny and work well for a low budget film. More often than not, Dolph Lundgren looks a little bored, but I liked it anyway. I will never view Uwe Boll as a good director, but there are certainly worse, this movie shows that. If you have a little time to kill, give it a shot, just don't expect too much.

Audio/Video. The movie is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Overall, this production looks pretty good. There is nice level of detail, moreso in close-up. The majority of the movie is shot in the woods and the color palette reflects that. It has a very earthy look with plenty of browns and greens. The movie was shot digitally and does lack that distinct "film" look, but it is still a generally a pleasing image.

The soundtrack is presented with a DTS 5.1 Master Audio track and it does its job. Dialogue is clear, the surrounds are used nicely throughout. There are no real standout moments, but it does resent everything clearly separated and easy to listen to.

Extras.

Commentary. The first track is with director Uwe Boll. I have to admit, the guy is pretty entertaining. This track has him describing the origin of the story, talking about the cast and locations, as well as taking a personal phone call, talking about what he doesn't like about digital cameras and discussing his financial movie project.
Commentary. The second track is with screenwriter Michael C. Nachoff. This track is a bit to the dryer side of things, but still is a bit interesting as we hear about how the script came about and the things that didn't work or got modified.
Behind the Scenes. This is a brief featurette that takes us onto the set and features some interviews and some footage shot by Boll, himself.
From Page to Screen. A five minute interview with Michael Nachoff about the development of the project.

Bottomline. Again, not an awful movie, but not really good by any stretch. It is the sort of movie that you can watch and enjoy easily enough, but doesn't offer enough in the way of substance to warrant repeat visits. It is formulaic filler made somewhat worthy by its recognizable star.

Mildly Recommended.

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: In the Name of the King 2 - Two Worlds on Blogcritics.

Blu-ray Review: Zombie Apocalypse

2012-01-10T07:36:00.000-05:00

There was a time when I heard that a movie was being produced by The Asylum, I would scoff, laugh a bit, and move along. Those attitudes have changed somewhat. You see, I do enjoy my fair share of cheesy movies and The Asylum certainly delivers in that regard, just check out the likes of Transmorphers and HG Wells' War of the Worlds for a couple of examples. They often team with SyFy, another fine purveyor of trashy, low-budget genre fare. This time out they bring us Zombie Apocalypse, an entertaining exercise in CG gore and zombie blasting fun.

Zombie Apocalypse is set in America (of course) following a virus outbreak that wipes out the majority of human population. This is shown through a series of clips during the opening credits before we are introduced to the first of our survivors. That is about all the back story you get, this movie is not about what happened, it isn't even really much about anything. It is simply about a shrinking group of survivors trying to get to Catalina where they have heard is a safe quarantine zone.

Essentially, the movie has our dwindling group of survivors fighting a horde of the undead, running, stopping for a little conversation, running, fighting more zombies, briefly stopping, and fighting more zombies. It is fairly simple and straightforward, much like a video game without controls.

I will give some credit to the writers, Brooks Peck and Craig Engler. The characters, thin as they may be, are given a touch of personality which helps raise the overall product a bit. Yes, most of them are there as fodder, but they occasionally demonstrate a spark of personality. It actually helps you feel just a little bit for them.

Overall, this is a movie dominated by running and excessive spurts of computer generated blood. It is a movie that requires no thinking or any actual involvement. Sit back and count the exploding heads! It is nice to see the variety of weapons used to dispatch the undead. In particular, I liked the use of a samurai sword. In my opinion swords are not used nearly enough in zombie movies. Oh yes, there is also the 50 caliber gun mounted on a shopping cart!

Now, the movie is not completely devoid of star power. As the first survivors appear onscreen, I recognized one immediately. Eddie Steeples with his signature hair was there on the screen, you may know him better as Crabman from My Name is Earl. Next to him is Taryn Manning, probably best known for her turn in Hustle & Flow. When the first zombie attack arrives we see the biggest name of the bunch, Ving Rhames, complete with his weapon of choice, the sledgehammer. It was actually kind of funny, I did not know he was in this and first thought it was somebody who just looked like him.

Audio/Video. The video is presented in a 1.78:1 ratio and is a decent high definition transfer. The image sports decent detail, but is not terrible well defined. Don't get me wrong, it looks good, just not great. It sports the look of a low budget feature. The colors tend to the washed out, none of them could be described as anything close to vibrant. It really is a workmanlike product, it does the job, it just won't win any awards.

The audio operates in much the same way. It is a Dolby Digital 5.1 track with heavily centered dialogue and little in the way of ambiance. The surrounds do not get that much of a workout here. It does is job, the dialogue is clear and the gunshots (including that 50 caliber) have a nice punch, just do not expect to be immersed.

Extras. There are a couple of bits included for your enjoyment. There is a brief making of featurette that runs a robust 4:33 and includes some interview footage and behind the scenes clips. It is not terribly in depth and could safely be skipped. There is also a brief one-minute gag reel. Finally there is a selection of trailers for other films from The Asylum.

Bottomline. This is actually a decent movie. It is not classic or anything close to that level, but it is a fun diversion for the genre fan. There are a couple of references to other horror films that were a nice touch, as was the goofiness at the end. I wouldn't go out of my way for it, but I also wouldn't turn it off.

Mildly Recommended.

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Zombie Apocalypse on Blogcritics.

Movie Review: The Devil Inside

2012-01-08T21:35:00.000-05:00

When I exited the theater and friends asked me what I thought of The Devil Inside, I wanted to tell them to stick to the INXS song. The problem was that I was fairly certain a goo portion of them would have no idea what I was referring too. Maybe I am wrong and they do know the tune, in which case I would love to be proven wrong. In any case, the opinion stands. This is not a good movie. Sure, I have seen worse, but I have also seen much better and for the more discriminating cinema goer, there are better exorcism movies of recent vintage to enjoy, such as The Rite and The Last Exorcism (no, I am not kidding).

Frankly, a movie called The Devil Inside should either be a devilishly clever and diabolical satanic film with plenty of blood, sacrifice, and gratuitous nudity, or it should be a documentary about the career of INXS. Instead, what we get is a half backed exorcism movie that wants to feel like a found footage but not actually be found footage. It wants to sucker you in with surface schmaltz and leave you wondering just what it is you saw and why you saw it.

I have to admit that I had some decent expectations for it going in. I swear I saw some positive buzz around it prior to its release. Then there was that fateful night before release screening where the hate and distaste started popping up online. I still had my hopes for it, but they were definitely tempered in the wake of this.

The Devil Inside does have some good ideas, so it isn't a complete waste. The premise is that Isabella Rossi's (Fernanda Andrade) mother killed three people, including two priests, during an exorcism that was being performed on her. The mother was declared insane and quickly moved to a facility in Rome, not far from the Vatican and their exorcism school. Now, Isabella is now grow up and has learned the truth about what happened that night and has decided to make a documentary on her investigation.

Frankly, I quite dig that basic idea. I even enjoyed the movie early on. The problem is that after the good opening, it all goes downhill. Isabella arrives in Rome, with cameraman in tow. She visits the exorcism school and conveniently sits in on a discussion of demonic transference and then meets a couple of priests who are more than willing to go against the Church in regards to bringing people to exorcisms, recording the ceremonies, and performing them on people who may not necessarily need them. All of this is key to what happens.

Isabella is taken to an exorcism and sees what happens prior to meeting with her mother. She then goes to the big meeting where mommy acts all kooky and stuff. Well, there is enough there to warrant an attempt at an exorcism. Now, you can probably guess where this is beginning to head. Obviously nothing goes as they planned, people die, things happen, bang end of movie.

Moving through the movie is kind like walking downhill that gradually gets steeper and steeper until you can no longer walk, your momentum turn into a run and before you know it, you fall of the cliff. You fall and fall and wonder just what happened, then you realize you don't care because soon enough you won't remember anything.

It seems at times the creators were hoping to coast by on jump scares and creepy visuals. It is like they were banking on young audiences ignoring what was being said. The screenplay is littered with bad lines being delivered by questionable performances. It is filled with coincidences that feel as such. I guess they should be credited for not wasting any time, it is too bad the necessary expositional coincidences needed to save that time feel unnatural.

Then there is the ending, which left a lot of people annoyed. I cannot claim to be a fan of it, although I have come to respect it a little bit. It certainly takes the typical routes out of play. The problem is that it is not satisfying, even in a "leave the asking questions" fashion. The Devil Inside ends abruptly, too abruptly. It sort of makes sense in a "how can we end this thing" fashion, but never addresses any possible endgame for the characters. Perhaps I want to much from it.

Whatever. The movie is not completely terrible, but it does get dangerously close. It is no a movie I can recommend, unless you are die hard to see all exorcism movies. I would even recommend Exorcismus over this. It also makes me sad to see this movie hit theaters nationwide when movies like Trick R' Treat and Tucker and Dale vs. Evil barely even register, if at all.

Not Recommended.

2011 at the Movies: Surprises and Disappointments

2012-01-08T16:23:00.000-05:00

Every year has them. No matter how you look at it, they are going to happen. If you are into movies at all and see any number of them, there are bound to be times when you walk out shaking your head in disbelief at what you just saw and just as many times where you come out blown away by what you just saw. Isn't it fun coming out with your expectations exceeded? I know I love that. Anyway, here are some movies that landed in the surprise/disappointment category for the year.

Let's start on the bad end of the scale, and these are in alphabetical order:

Cars 2. Now, I was never all that big a fan of the first, but it looked great and had a breezy feel to it. Well, the second one is here and it is not fun at all. Sure, the animation is absolutely gorgeous, but the story is lame. It is a thin Bond riff that puts Mater at the center of a story that essentially tells you to be who you are regardless of who it hurts. I've seen worse, but I expect more from Pixar.

The Descendants. Not a bad movie, but I expect more from George Clooney and Alexander Payne, particularly Payne. This movie plays on the emotions, chooses not to play the traditional way, instead rely on the character as plot device. If you've seen it (or even just the trailer) you know who I am talking about. It is annoying and makes the whole thing feel unnatural.

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night. On paper this looks like a winning concept (even if it was already explored on Angel). A hard boiled detective dealing with an underworld of supernatural beasties that could border on noir. Sounds like a winner. The problem is the execution is awful and the project is just dreadfully boring. Another reason I wanted t like this is that it is from the same guy who created Cemetery Man (which stands as one of the best zombie movies ever). This probably would have been better as a TV series.

Green Lantern. I had hopes for this one. Even though I was not high on Ryan Reynolds casting, I still thought there was a lot of potential. Sadly, the film feels like two incomplete movies that were shuffled together in the hopes no one would notice. There is no real sense of wonder or excitement, it is all matter of fact and dealt with too quickly, just watch the final battle. Quite the disappointment.

Hangover Part 2. I saw an image making fun of this movie, it was an interview shot that asked what the writing process was like, the bottom said CTRL-C. That about sums it up. This really is the same movie over again, only this time the humor and substance has been sucked out. It is a boring movie that has few laughs and is more annoying than anything. You would be better off rewatching the first.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The first Pirates movie was great, the sequels were good, but less so. This fourth movie seems the franchise on auto-pirate. It is a little boring, a little dull, a little annoying, and for such an epic tale as searching for the Fountain of Youth, it feels awfully constricted. While I have certainly seen worse, and this does have a couple of decent scenes, you would be better served revisiting The Black Pearl.

On the other side of the coin, 2011 had some surprises as well, there were a few more on this side, also in alphabetical order:

Attack the Block. When this played SXSW it had enormous positive buzz around it. It deserved it. This mash of horror and science fiction, with some comedic touches is an utter blast. This movie has elements of other familiar films but rather than rely n familiarity, director Joe Cornish whips them into something that feels fresh and unique. This movie is an adrenalin blast that deserves to be seen and savored.

Bridesmaids. This has been called Hangover for women, and that is partially accurate. What you have here is a surprisingly funny, surprisingly touching movie. It is raunch with heart and helps show just how funny Kristen Wiig can be. I am not exactly a fan of all her SNL characters, but nobody can be funny the way she can. This is a surprisingly strong comedy and also has a great supporting turn from Melissa McCarthy.

Drive Angry. This movie is a blast. Anyone who likes the resurgence of grindhouse style cinema should check this out. Drive Angry is brash, loud, trashy fun with blood, gun fights, car chases, and gratuitous nudity. This is a fun movie that needs to be experienced. I remember looking forward to it but not expecting much, I walked out with a big grin in my face. Nicolas Cage and Amber Heard a fun duo.

The Green Hornet. I may be in the minority here, but I was very pleasantly surprised with this one. Seth Rogen as a masked hero? Who would have thunk it? It has a great blend of superhero elements from the likes of Batman and Superman, some stylish action sequences, an interesting villain, and a great sense of fun. It is far from perfect, but it gets a lot more right than not.

Like Crazy. Here is a movie that caught me off guard. It is a romantic film and these days it seems nearly impossible to get it right, save a few rare occasions. This one features a mostly improvised screenplay and good chemistry between the leads. It is a movie that shows a relationship begin and grow and the effects that time and space can have on it, turning it into something else entirely.

The Rite. Every exorcism movie seems to want to be The Exorcist. Lofty expectations, hard to reach. Well, this one has proved to be pretty dang good, surprisingly so. It has a certain amount of theatrical thrashings, but it also does not appear to mock or belittle faith. Instead it brings a certain intelligence and genuine skepticism that won me over. Plus, Anthony Hopkins appears to be having a good deal fun.

Winnie the Pooh. I am actually still surprised I went to see this, but I am glad I did. It is a delightful movie for kids. It employs the classic style of the old Disney adaptations, makes no attempt to modernize the character, and does not have a cynical bone in its body. It is just a really sweet film that is sure to win over young and old alike.

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CritCast #8: Disappointing and Surprising Movies of 2011

2012-01-08T01:18:00.000-05:00

This episode takes a look at some of those movies you wanted to like but didn't and those you expected little from and proved to be quite good.

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Movie Review: Don 2

2012-01-05T21:00:00.000-05:00

Far be it for me to present myself as any type of authority on Bollywood films, but I do have an appreciation of them. I ask also thankful the Regal Cinema chain to actually be putting some in their theaters. There have been two in the past couple of months, first was Ra One and now we have Don 2, coincidentally starring the same man, Shah Rukh Khan. So, I have definitely taken the opportunity to avail myself of them while they are there and I hope the trend continues and perhaps expand to include other world cinema.

Sadly, I have not seen the first Don, which was released in 2006 and was a remake of a film from the 1970's starring Amitabh Bachchan. Fortunately, I don't think it was really necessary to get this one as their are appropriate flashbacks and background information, otherwise it appears to be is own story. Te story itself is an easy one to follow, it boils down to a heist film and comes with all the requisite parts.

As it opens we are on a yacht with a group of European drug lords and they are discussing the impact that Don (Khan) will have as it is clear he wants in now that he controls the Asian drug market. They quickly decide that he needs to be eliminated. The scene then shifts to Southeast Asia where Don is going to make a deal and learns of the hit out on him. This leads to a big fist fight/shoot out that shows just how adept Don is at dispatching his enemies.

Well, the knowledge of the oncoming horde of European hitmen and their Asian lackies, Don formulates a plan that will slowly be revealed over the film. It is also here where it shifts from being a mob-style action film to the heist movie. We essentially forget about those other drug guys for the bulk of the movie, heck, we even forget that he is a drug lord. I guess it doesn't really matter as this is all about the heist.

We follow Khan as he flies into Kuala Lumpur and promptly turns himself in to his nemesis from the fest film, Roma (Priyanka Chopra). He says he has a deal to make, turning over all of his contacts and such in exchange for worldwide immunity. Now this is a pretty tall order and not one they think they will be able to do. Turns out that it is partially a ruse for him to get inside, contact another former foe, Vardhaan. The two stage an escape and head to Berlin to kick off the heist, the target being Euro printing plates.

So, Don, Vardhaan, and a couple others plot the heist while Roma tries to find a way to stop him. It all ends up in big showdown inside the bank between Don, the police, Roma, and a few others. There are some big action bits and shootouts through to the end where get an expected, but well executed twist.

You know, this movie is rather fun. It is pretty shallow, but it has a lot of style and flash. The production values are pretty solid and the action is staged well. I was a little disappointed that there was only one song production. Sure, there were a couple of lengthy musical montages, but only one big number.

In the end, Don 2 is a solid action/heist movie. It is by no means a game changer, but it is certainly enjoyable and well worth spending some time with.

Recommended.

2011: The Worst Movies of the Year

2012-01-05T09:13:00.000-05:00

Bad movies are bad movies. I know that sounds a little simplistic, but it is the truth. As much as I try to avoid seeing bad movies, it is pretty much impossible. There are times where I just can't help myself. Sure, I can avoid the likes of Chipwrecked, Jack and Jill, and Bucky Larson, but, as you will see, I am often drawn to the dreck of cinema out of some misguided hope that I may be surprised, or at least find a little something to like. Sometimes I find a winner, however there are many more times where I am left ticking the seconds until the end credits roll.

So, let's take a look at them, starting from the least worst to the worst, although it probably doesn't matter what order you put these in.

Dream House. With Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, and Naomi Watts, you would think this would at least be watchable. It isn't. It is a slow, plodding affair that doesn't know if it is about a crazy guy or a ghost. It will leave you with questions, mostly, who let this thing get made?

Bad Teacher. Here I was hoping for a Bad Santa-esque movie, what I got was a movie that was mean and cynical for the sake of being mean and cynical. I don't require likable characters, but there was something about this movie that rubbed me the wrong way. It was flat out mean with no sense of redemption. Now, if you want a movie with unlikable characters who learn nothing that is actually good, check out Young Adult.

Killer Elite. Clive Owen, Jason Statham, Robert Deniro, you say? International action you say? Well, look elsewhere. Shallow characters, dull action, and a story that is hard to keep straight, it is hard to find the good of this movie. Also, if you want to see it based on the trailer, that is not the story.

A Good Old Fashioned Orgy. I really wanted to like this, honest, but I couldn't. This is a movie that goes nowhere, does nothing, is populated by annoying self-involved characters and offers no real humor. This one is best to skip. You would be better off revisiting any Judd Apatow production.

Machine Gun Preacher. Here is a movie that is based n a better story than it tells. It tells the Cliffs Notes version of what really happened, scenes just happen without a beginning or end and when it ends, well, it just stops. It is an annoying, aggravating movie that wants to target the Rambo crowd and give it a moral compass. It misses its target.

The Big Year. Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, and Jack Black in what may be the most pointless movie of the year. This is, quite literally, a movie about people who go around trying to see as many birds as they can. That is it, nothing more, nothing less. If you need to fall asleep quick, this is the movie for you.

Red Riding Hood. The classic fairy tale re-imagined as a horror tale through a Twilight filter. That about sums it up. Poor acting, effects, lame direction all add up for an uninspired movie that panders to that Twilight crowd. I'd say more but I didn't bother to review it and have forgotten the painful details.

30 Minutes or Less. Based on true events, this gives us the skinny on a pizza delivery guy who gets jumped, strapped to a bomb and forced to rob a bank. Could be interesting, but oh no. This movie does not develop anything, it goes through the points of what happens and ends. Boring and uninspired.

Shark Night 3D. The big question with this movie is how it made it onto the big screen. This is about on par with your average SyFy production. Awful effects, terrible acting, and a boatload of stuff that doesn't make sense. I feel fairly certain that one day this will be fun with friends and a lot of beer. Until that time, avoid.

The Roommate. Shallow, vapid, worse than a CW teen drama, this is a movie that should not have been made. It is flat out awful. The psycho is more just supremely weird, the target is oblivious to the warning signs, they are just a match made in heaven. This is, simply put, a product and not a movie at all. It is a "scary" movie made for teens to separate them from their disposable income. I am sad to say I am one of the fools suckered in. This movie and all those I mentioned here should serve as a warning to try and make a better choice when it comes to our movie viewing.

CritCast #7: Worst Movies of 2011

2012-01-04T22:13:00.001-05:00

Here is my video recap of the ten worst movies of 2011 that I subjected myself to.

Movie Review: The Darkest Hour

2012-01-03T22:00:00.000-05:00

When I first saw the trailer for The Darkest Hour, I must admit to being intrigued. Being the genre fan that I am, how cold I not? Invisible alien invaders here to wipe us out and steal our energy while a small group of survivors try to avoid certain death and perhaps find a way to fight back? Sounds familiar, but also sounds like it could be quite enjoyable. Actually, it felt awfully similar to the much derided Skyline, which I somewhat enjoyed for what it was. In execution, this is much along the same lines, with perhaps some War of the Worlds (Spielberg edition) mixed in for good measure.

The plot goes something like this: a couple of would be software developers arrive in Moscow hoping to sell their social networking creation. They find they have been double crossed by a conniving, self involved Swede. So, they go out to drown their sorrows at a nightclub where they meet a fellow American and her Brit friend, who happen to recognize them from their website (yeah, right). They also meet up with the Swede. At this moment they hear a ruckus outside. They all head outside to see these lights falling from the sky, land and disappearing.

It turns out these lights are aliens with bad intentions. Our world has been whittled down to a group of survivors and we follow them as they walk around and hide, run around and hide, and occasionally stop for some poorly executed exposition, you know, to make sure the story gets across.

I don't know. I like the setup and the general direction they go in, but when I comes right down to it, this is a silly movie where logic does not belong. There is some awful dialogue and scenes that defy explanation and do no always relate to what came before. They set up rules for the creatures but then break them, never really settling on what they can or can't see. Also, the random, exposition heavy, visit to Mr. Sergei, the Russian electrician in the Faraday Cage. Although, I have to say the biggest stretch of believability is when they all get dumped in the river to find one of their own missing and she turns up pretty far inland. What was that about?

The Darkest Hour feels like a movie that ran into problems during the production, what they were I do not know. Perhaps rewrites, studio interventions, changes in what the movie was supposed to be, something, anything that helped mess with the resulting film. It is a shame too, there are some good ideas and images here, it just could have used more focus, more attention to detail, a stronger creative direction. It feels, at times, a little lackadaisical, almost like they shot the scene, shrugged their shoulders and moved on.

The movie was directed by Chris Gorak, who should be able to escape unscathed from this experience. This is his second feature and I do look forward to what he does next. His first film was Right at Your Door, a pretty solid thriller about a potential attack and the fallout from it. As for the cast, the top billed are Emile Hirsch, Max Minghella, Olivia Thirlby, and Rachel Taylor, none of whom fare all that well.

I guess on a certain level this is kind of fun. It could be viewed as a modern B movie. I mean, sure it is a B movie, but view it through an 80's perspective and it takes on a slightly different energy. I do not really recommend this to the unwilling, as it might just make it more sad. I just found myself sitting there looking for ways to improve the experience. In the end I can say that I liked it, but with big reservations.

It should also be mentioned that the "Survive the Holidays." tag line is awful. Now, Summit, just because you want to open it on Christmas does not make your movie a holiday movie. It is also a bad idea to make the tag more prominent than the title, people get the wrong idea.

Mildly Recommended.

CritCast #6: Favorite Albums of 2011

2012-01-02T21:08:00.000-05:00

In lieu of doing a written list I decided to do this as a video. Not my best work, but I hope you enjoy!

Movie Review: The Artist

2012-01-02T01:32:00.000-05:00

I recall when I first heard of The Artist, it was a friend telling me he wanted to see it. At the time I had never heard of it. He told me about this silent film that he really wanted to see but figured it would never get much of a release. Then I saw the trailer for it. Interesting to say the least. I was definitely intrigued. So, I went back and mentioned to my friend that I knew where he was coming from. The movie sure did look intriguing. The only thing left, at that point, was to wonder if it would play anywhere nearby to actually see it. Fortunately, it has come close enough for me to go see and I am very glad that I did. The movie is a wonderfully executed throwback that knows what it is and pokes fun at it.

I have to say that 2011 was quite the year for cinematic nostalgia, and they have, by and large, been executed wonderfully. Just take a look at Super 8, Hugo, My Week with Marilyn, and Midnight in Paris, if you don't believe me. I know this does not have much directly to do with The Artist, but it needed to at least be mentioned. I also find it interesting that these all came out in the same year that the manufacture of film cameras stopped.

Anyway, back to The Artist.

This movie is a wonderful, sweet, charismatic story of the silent era, the dawn of the talkies, pride, bad decisions, and love. It is a movie that I was wondering just how it could work. Seriously, when was the last time you saw a silent film in a theater (aside from revivals and special screenings of old silents)? I cannot say I have ever seen it, of course I also thought the opening 15-minutes of silence opening There Will be Blood was pretty exiting (and it was).

The story centers on George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), he is a big star of the silent screen and comes across as some combination of Gene Kelly and Douglas Fairbanks. The screen loves him the people love him, but there is a big change coming to Hollywood, sound. However, before we can get to that, there is another big development. That development is a chance meeting with a young woman who wants to be an actress. Her name is Peppy (Berenice Bejo) and she gets her start as a dancer before becoming a star of the budding talkie era. She is a loyal and caring friend that anyone would love to have.

Well, as the talkie comes into vogue, Valentin finds himself on the outside looking in. He is a forgotten man left to wallow in his pride in an apartment with his only company being his loyal dog. He tries to find a new way, striking a deal to direct himself in a new silent, but that does not exactly work out either. Depressed and alone, he retreats to watching old reels of his films with his dog.

Meanwhile, Peppy's career is blowing up. She is a budding starlet, yet she has never lost track of Valentin, always following his career. When she learns of what has befallen the proud actor, she steps in to help. However, will her attention be welcome? Is George too far gone to be saved?

Sure, that sounds a little dark, and while the movie is not all sunshine, this is not really a dark film. It is one that plays with the frayed ends of your nostalgia. Even if you have no direct nostalgia for the silent era (I mean, how many people are alive from that era), there is no denying the charming effect that it has. The Artist is a delightful movie which plays the silent card wonderfully.

The high concept is one that easily could have fallen flat. It is a movie that, if give the chance, could win a lot of people over but I fear that many won't even give it a shot, even with the positive word around it. The music is perfect, and writer/director Michel Hazanavicius has done a wonderful job of realizing it on film. He recreated the techniques used, even shooting in the old Academy ratio (1.3:1). On top of that, the performances are also wonderful.

Jean Dujardin seems perfectly at home in the silence. He has a highly expressive face and body control. He really works the camera well here. He is a French actor who has done a lot of work in his native country, this the first time I have seen him and it is quite impressive. He really looks like he would have been at home during the silent era. Opposite him, Berenice Bejo does a delightful job as the up and comer, friend, star, and benefactor. She may not quite embody the perfect look of the era, but her performance makes it work and she presents a charismatic aura on the screen.

The Artist is a really good film. It plays with the silent film, the fears that silent stars must have had, and our expectations as a modern audience. It is sweet, charming, and the characters draw you in and make you root for them. This is a movie to watch, savor and enjoy. It is definitely among the more effective and creative films of recent memory.

Highly Recommended.

Movie Review: War Horse

2012-01-01T19:06:00.000-05:00

I was duped! I wanted a talking horse and this horse never said one word. I could have sworn the advertising campaign was just playing coy with the horse, never giving up the big reveal. All right, I guess I always knew this wasn't a talking horse movie, but a guy can dream, can't he? To be honest, War Horse is not a movie I was particularly looking forward to seeing. Sure, the trailer had some nice looking shots, but overall it seemed a bit overwrought and silly. However, the fact that Spielberg's name was on it was enough for me power through my doubts and give it a go.

It's funny, I went in more or less determined not to let myself all prey to cloying sentimentality and by the end there was something there that wasn't when it started. Yes, I had a little bit of the warm and fuzzies. I don't think it really matters how hard you steel yourself against it, if a director of skill like Spielberg wants you to react a certain way, your strings will be pulled.

War Horse is a good movie, don't get me wrong. It is just that it did not connect completely. Yes, I did feel those required emotions and I did feel involved, it is just not a great movie on every level. The story seems a touch disjointed, the acting was not always up to par, and the focus seemed to be purely on eliciting an emotional response, not necessarily about genuine involvement at all passes.

As the movie opens we witness the birth of a horse. This horse stands up quickly and displays an inquisitive demeanor, it is sold as a work horse and trained by a teenage boy name Albert (Jeremy Irvine) until World War I breaks out and the boy's father sells the horse to an officer for the war effort.

What follows this is a horse's journey across the war zone where he has an impact on the lives of a variety of men, women, and children on both sides of the battle before ultimately making his way back home. It is an elegant story of some simplicity, we need not worry about the personality and actions of a person, just the free flowing matter of chance of a horse. We are swept along from place to place, experience to experience, just like the horse. It is easy to respect the simplicity. However, by the same token, the horse has to keep moving and therefore the development of the human characters tends to lack a little bit.

Where the movie really excels is in the way it is shot. You could take just about any frame of this movie and turn it into a postcard. It is really that good looking. But looks and somewhat manipulated emotions do not always add up to a great movie, oftentimes not even a good movie. With regards to War Horse I can honestly say I enjoyed it, it was gorgeous to look at, but when it is all said and done, I don't really care if I ever see it again. It is not a film I feel I will need to see or explore again.

Spielberg and whoever was their horse wrangler did a great job in getting the horse to "act." I swear, that horse was one step away from being human. That is more than I can say about some of the actors. The only one to make much of an impact was Jeremy Irvine as Albert, and it was not good. I swear, I did not want to see him any more than was absolutely necessary. He is a young actor early in his career, but he comes across as one note here and that note is whining. Ugh.

Still, I have no qualms in recommending this movie. It is well shot, paced, and it really is hard to go wrong when Spielberg is on his game.

Recommended.

Blu-ray Review: Branded to Kill

2011-12-29T07:29:00.000-05:00

There are movies that make you wonder just what in the world you just watched. I remember having that reaction when I watched Hausu, a positively gonzo haunted house film made in the 1970's in Japan. I have just had that reaction again to another Japanese film, this one a Yakuza thriller from the late 1960's. The movie is called Branded to Kill and it is one of those movies that reads pretty straight forward on paper, but when it comes to the execution, look out! This is a bizarre movie that borders on the nonsensical. It is also a movie well worth the time if you want to take trip off the beaten path.

The movie was directed by Seijun Suzuki, a director I have come to really like based on the few films i have seen. Other films he has made include Pistol Opera, Tokyo Drifter, and Underworld Beauty. His style is somewhat minimalist and certainly surreal. I have seen him compared to Nouvelle Vague directors of the French New Wave, specifically Jean Luc Godard. I can definitely see the comparisons after watching a movie like Alphaville. With Branded to Kill, Suzuki has crafted a film whose unconventional style, odd editing, and strange characters all serve to distract from the mundane plot. It works.

The story follows Hanada (Joe Shishido, whose chipmunk-like cheeks were the result of plastic surgery), the third best assassin in Japan. He has his sites set on taking the number one spot away from the nameless mystery man who currently holds the distinction.

Hanada is approached by a friend to work a bodyguard job, which he accepts. The job goes well until they are ambushed by assassins 4 and 2. The ensuing battle finds Hanada moving up a slot to number two. He also meets a mysterious woman named Misako, who is morbidly fascinated with death and uses dead butterflies as house decoration. Anyway, she hires him to kill a foreigner, which he botches when a butterfly lands on his rifle. This finds Hanada on the outside looking in as his former employers want him dead. This ultimately leads to a confrontation with the number one assassin in Japan.

Again, the story is only part of the equation. The movie has an intriguing visual pop art aesthetic that helps create a rather surreal atmosphere. There are odd elements throughout, such as Hanada's use of boiling rice as an aphrodisiac, the odd editing employed that jumps around during a few scenes, the way they shoot through car windows as if there is no glass there, and the highly stylized line delivery and camera angles. This is a movie that begs, and rewards, multiple viewings.

Even having watched it a few times I still don't really get it. I am sure that is more to do with me than the film, but there is no denying the arty qualities it possesses. Seijun Suzuki has crafted his own version of reality here, it plays by its own rules and owes nothing to what we know as reality. There is violence always bubbling up around the edges and the psychological cat and mouse of the final act is flat out weird. The whole thing is awfully compelling.

It is interesting to note that Suzuki's producers a Nikkatsu promptly fired him when he showed them this feature. They did not care for his delivering a nonsensical film. Suzuki sued the production company and won but ended up blacklisted and was unable to find work outside of television commercials for a decade. In the end I think he would have won anyway considering the bizarre and compelling film he created.

Audio/Video. The movie is presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio on this release. The film looks very good with the 1080p transfer. They have done a fine job of bringing a natural life to the surreal black and white photography. There is a nice depth and detail level throughout. I did not detect ny digital artifacts or blockiness, even during the darkest of sequences. Facial detail is nice and I never felt I lost anything in the shadows. This is a god example of how compelling black and white cinematography can be.

The audio is presented on a LPCM 1.0 track. It is a crisp and clear presentation that is mixed very well to give some punch to the shootouts, a nice level to dialogue, and appropriate use of other incidental sounds. The music is also given a nice place in the mix. The dialogue (subtitled in English) is always clear and easy to follow.

Extras. This Criterion release contains a few interviews. First is an interview from 2011 with Seijun Suzuki and assistant director Masami Kuzuu talking about the production and release of the film. Next is an interview with Joe Shishido, during which he discusses his plastic surgery and other aspects of his career. Finally there is an interview with Seijun Suzuki from 1997 discussing his career.

Bottomline. This is a really good movie, a really strange movie, one that begs to be watched multiple times. It is surreal excursion, an exercise in distracting you from the mundane plot with plenty of strange characters, quirks, and filmmaking techniques. It is a wonderful film waiting for the curious to discover.

Highly Recommended.

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Branded to Kill on Blogcritics.

Movie Review: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

2011-12-28T20:25:00.000-05:00

How often do you come across a sequel, much less a fourth or fifth go around, that is legitimately better than its predecessors? In my experience not very often. It is a pretty interesting phenomenon that really reared it's head when Fast Five was released. That was, hands down, the best of that series. It is not like it is a great series, but so what. Now, with respect to the Mission: Impossible franchise, the third one was the best of the bunch and now the fourth one has outdone that and has taken the crown as the series best. I don't even think it matters if you've seen the others.

This series has been an interesting thing, I can honestly see it developing into a sort of American James Bond. They have the gadgets and the globe trotting down, not to mention the big action and stunts. Each of the films have attracted quality directors, including Brian DePalma and John Woo. This fourth film has the added bonus of being this particular director's first live action film. The man in the chair is Brad Bird who made a name for himself in animation, having directed The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille. Needless to say, his skills have translated well to live action.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is a big, exciting action film that scarcely ever takes its foot off the gas. Now, it is not exactly the most personally involving, as there is not a heck of a lot of heart in the proceedings, but it does offer some interesting characters and some great stunts. It is an action movie through and though. Although, it should be said that there are a couple of scenes that bring a little bit of genuine emotion that actually works, not much mind you, just a little.

It is not the story that makes this a winner, it is standard thriller fare. There is a bad guy named Hendricks (Michael Nykvist from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the Swedish one) and he has gotten his hands on Russian nuclear missile launch codes and is planning on a strike against the United States. It is up to Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) to lead a team and stop him. Their first stop is the Kremlin, but they are setup. The Kremlin is blown up and it is Ethan and his team that are blamed. The entirety of the IMF is disavowed and they are forced to continue the fight without any backup.

This time around the team consists of Jane (Paula Patton), Benji (Simon Pegg), and Brandt (Jeremy Renner). They follow Hendricks to Dubai and ultimately Mumbai where they desperately try to prevent the missile launch.

In all seriousness, this movie is wonderfully executed. It operated at a breakneck pace while never leaving the viewer behind. I suspect that Brad Bird's background in animation helped with this. He knows how to show rather than tell and he is always showing you the gadgets, giving you good views of the action, and keeping the flow in a proper order. This is how you make an action movie. You hit the ground running and drag the audience right along.

The characters and their myriad motivations all help flesh the whole thing out, lending the action some heft. If you are looking for some big action, look no further than this. The climb up that building in Dubai is worth it by itself, but factor in the fight in the parking garage, and pretty much everything in between and you will never be at a loss for something to look at. Simply put, this is how you make an invigorating action movie, let us see the action, have a plan in how you are making it, allow your instincts to direct your craft. I think it may be a good idea for some action directors to work in animation for a while, I suspect it has a big impact on how to plot out and execute action.

Highly Recommended.

Movie Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

2011-12-27T20:46:00.000-05:00

Remakes and the like have certainly become a touchy subject of the past, I guess, decade. The idea and practice of remakes and other adaptations have been around for as long as there have been movies. Heck, The Wizard of Oz, the much beloved film, was not the first iteration of the story. Still, it seems that in this interconnected information age where anyone with internet access can have a voice (me included) that outcry regarding such things has reached a fevered pitch. Sure, not all remakes/sequels/prequels/adaptations are done with artistic integrity in mind, there are those that seek to bring a genuine artistic expression to the material. Such is the case here with David Fincher's adaptation of Stieg Larsson's book.

When it became known that there was going to be an American version of the hit Swedish film, I admit that I was a little apprehensive. Even though I am generally all right with the concept of new versions, when it hits something that I have strong feelings or, well, I can be a bit edgy. It was a similar case when Let the Right One In was remade as Let Me In. I have seen both films and think both are great, they each bring something different to the table. Such is the case here. Both adaptations of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo are great, while they share pretty much the same plot elements, the execution is quite different.

Before I go any further, let me be very clear in saying that I love the original Swedish film. Hell, I love the whole trilogy. Of the Swedish film I wrote: "The movie ran two and a half hours but it goes by so fast you scarcely notice. It is fascinating as it is not a terribly fast paced film. There are explosions of shocking violence and sexual abuse (which never falls into exploitation territory) that effectively punctuate the mystery they are investigating and highlighting our characters personal damages. It is all gorgeously shot and exquisitely paced. This will hold your attention until the final frame."

This all leads me to the new take on the tale. Simply put it is amazing. Pretty much all of the praises I said about the prior film apply to this one as well, but in a different way. When it comes to the material, David Fincher would seem to be the perfect director for it. There is something about the technical skill and his sense for the film frame, pacing, and getting just the right performance that matches up so well with the murder mystery aspects as well as the more personal journeys taken by our main characters. Also, writer Steve Zaillian, who, coincidentally, has not seen the original filmed adaptation, has done a fine job of tweaking the focus and changing some of the plot points into something perhaps more cinematic, not to mention a different angle from which to see the characters.

It is amazing how much affection I have for the film considering how familiar the plot is, it is again credit to the execution of the story that it can seem fresh and involving. Seriously, the story is essentially nothing more than a cold case involving the murder of a teenager some twenty years earlier. It is nothing particularly special and could probably be condensed into an hour long episode of any given procedural, like Law and Order.

As the story opens we are introduced to Mikael Blomqvist (Daniel Craig), a writer and editor for a liberal magazine. He has just lost a court case over a story he wrote concerning a powerful businessman. Such are the problems when you get misleading information. Seeing as he needs to spend some time away from the magazine to cool things off, he is offered a job by the reclusive former head of Vanger Industries, Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer). The job is thus, investigate the murder of his niece while under the guise of writing a biography. The suspects? Oh, just the rest of his family. That sets up the main thread that holds everything together.

The real story here is that of outsider researcher Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). She is introduced early as a security firm's top researcher, despite her being different "in every way." She actually did a full a ground work up on Blomqvist prior to Vanger hiring him. While the murder mystery provides the forward motion and a reason for these characters to exist, it is Lisbeth Salander that makes this movie what it is. She is a fascinating character, bold, strong, reserved, vulnerable, damaged, all of these words accurately describe her. She is a character who will only let you know her on her terms.

Now, I cannot say I was happy with the casting when I first heard about it. Frankly, I could not see how anyone would be able to follow up Noomi Rapace's electrifying performance in the Swedish film. The biggest thing I knew Mara from was as Nancy in the A Nightmare on Elm Street remake, where she spent most of the time mumbling. I was happy to be prove wrong. Rooney Mara does a fantastic job bringing Lisbeth to life, not a copy of Rapace's performance, she brings a different quality. Where Rapace was stone faced and emotionally, Mara is a bit nearer the surface. Do not get me wrong, she is still distant and stoney, but the damage is nearer the surface. It is something you see in her face, her eyes, her body language. It is a very good performance, one I did not expect.

I don't really think it is fair to compare the two adaptations, for as much as I love the first take, there are a lot of things that are similar and just as many that are different. The great thing is that they both stand up as their own creations. They both feature strong female leads, neither film sugarcoats its unsavory elements, and each has a unique way of approaching the story. In some ways I do favor this new take, primarily because of Fincher's eye and the wonderful editing, bringing the various threads together.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is sure to divide audiences. It won me over. Of course, it took me until after the bizarre techno/black oil James Bond-esque credits sequence, which was strangely entertaining but felt out of place. Of course, the Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross score is pretty solid.

Now, here's hoping they make the other two movies...

Highly Recommended.

.

DVD Review: Chop

2011-12-26T20:11:00.000-05:00

Is there anything quite like watching a movie that you do not know what to expect or any expectations whatsoever and discovering an entertaining gem? Well, there are probably a lot of things that could match that. Still, I must admit to being quite satisfied when I sit down and check out a movie that turns out to be rather good. It doesn't even have to be great, if it is entertaining and well executed, more often than not it is going to be enough. Such is the case with Chop. It is the latest release from Bloody Disgusting Selects line.

This is not exactly a great movie, but it is inventive, funny, and when it gets to the end it may even make your jaw drop. This is a movie that is not really heavy on the blood, although there certainly is some to be found, it is one that takes a pitch black look at a psychopath/victim relationship. It will make you laugh and cringe and wonder just what else is going to happen. It is a low budget film that knows how to make the best use of its money, it implies some things, uses limited sets, and relies on the central characters and the relationship they have.

It all starts so innocently. A man driving down the road and his car breaks down. After some time of frustration he is picked up by a friendly bloke. As they drive they chat, our hitchhiker, Lance (Will Keenan of Tromeo and Juliet), tells of his half brother and his wife. The driver, simply known as The Stranger (Timothy Muskatell), poses this simple question "If you could only save one, who would it be? Your wife or your brother?" This is followed by the odd question "Have you ever been shot by a tranquilizer gun?" This last question is followed by the real thing.

Now, this is a movie where you really cannot learn too much about what the plot is, lest you start giving things away. I mean the way this movie has a steady relentless flow of the bizarre is quite inviting. We are privy to the sickness of the psychopathic stranger, the increasing anxiety of Lance, and the mystery of what it is that connects them. Let's just say that when you find out what the connection is, you will not believe it. Not only that, the revelations we get along the way are pretty wild to.

Keenan and Muskatell turn in some strong performances. Will Keenan has some great reactions and expressions of incredulity that are just fantastic. He may be a touch over the top but it never turns into parody, it all fits the odd one of the film. Combine that with the cold, calculating, and slightly off kilter actions of Muskatell as the Stranger. He is the kind of Every Man psychotic that should scare you, he looks just like everyone else.

The movie was written by Adam Minarovich and has a nice sense for wordplay. The tale is populated primarily with Lance and the Stranger and their dialogue is snappy, genial, and just sounds right, as bizarre is that might be. Directed by first timer Trent Haaga (who wrote the excellent Deadgirl), Chop just keeps building and building into something increasingly strange and twisted. Perfectly paced and not overly long, this tale does not overstay its welcome. It gets to the point and gets out.

No, this is not a great film and could easily have been more extreme, but as it stands, it is a very satisfying excursion into low budget horror with a comic twist. Looking for something a little different? This is it.

Audio/Video. The DVD is presented in a 1.85:1 ratio and generally looks pretty good. Detail is solid and blacks are good. Still, it seems to lean a little towards the flat side of the coin. Most of the film takes place in relatively well lit locations and it just looks pretty good. Nothing particularly special to write home about and no scenes that I could necessarily point to as being particularly special. Likewise, the stereo audio track has crisp and clear dialogue, but nothing really jumps out at you. There is not much in the way of ambiance, it just is what it is.

Extras. The disk has a short gag reel with flubbed lines, prop gun problems, and the usual gag reel stuff. It is pretty funny. There are also a couple of deleted scenes to round it out. Too bad there isn't a commentary track.

Bottomline. I had no expectations for this movie and while it is not one I would term great, it is a solid example of what good writing and effective performances can mean to a film. This is a clever film that certainly sets itself apart from a good chunk of the direct to video market and certainly deserves some attention.

Recommended.

Movie Review: We Bought a Zoo

2011-12-24T21:47:00.000-05:00

Well, it's no Zookeeper. I guess that is a fact we can be proud of, although at time it feels like a related film. The big difference between Zookeeper and We Bought a Zoo is that in the latter the animals don't talk. Of course, there are other differences but this is a major one. Another movie of recent vintage that came to mind while watching this movie was The Descendants. The first pair have the animals in common, the other pairing shows films that feature a big Hollywood star playing a father who is struggling to raise two young children in the aftermath of the untimely death of their respective wives. The problem is that while all three of these films are good (to wildly varying degrees), they all have flaws that ultimately hold them down.

The movie on hand here is We Bought a Zoo. This is a sweet natured tale that is based on a true story of a family in England. Here the reality has been adjusted by co-writer/director Cameron Crowe by moving it to Southern California and reformulating it into a formulaic exercise where sentiment and good will is sprinkled throughout in a predictable fashion without any real consideration for character.

You know, this is not a bad movie so much as it is one that feels like a paint by number exercise. This movie struck me as a good one for an outing with the family, it has some good actors, a decently involving story, and it is unoffensive. It will make you smile (even if you want it to be a little something more). Coming from Cameron Crowe, a man who has made some great films in the past (look no further than Almost Famous) but seems to be slipping somewhat as this is his most tepid release to date (well, that might still be Elizabethtown, the jury is still out). It is just that everything that happens here feels inevitable, there is no real drama or surprises to be had, you pretty much see everything as it comes.

Anyway, the story picks up a scant few months after the death of Benjamin Mee's wife. Benjamin is a reporter who has spent his career going on all manner of adventures to write about, now he is on one he is completely unprepared for. He has no idea how to connect with his children, mourn the loss of his wife, or move on with life. Following the expulsion from school of his son, Dylan, Benjamin decides it is time for a change and begins looking for a new home. The search leads them to a home in the country that has plenty of land and seems perfect. The kicker is that it is a zoo... literally.

The Mee family moves in, inherits a group of zookeepers, who run the gamut of the doesn't realize how pretty she is all business head zookeeper Kelly (Scarlett Johansson) to a hard drinking Scotsman named Peter (Angus Macfadyen) to a guy whose character is defined by always having a Capucian monkey on his shoulder at all times (Patrick Fugit, star of Almost Famous). It is clear that Kelly and Benjamin will eventually share a kiss and to even things out the cast includes Elle Fanning as a farmgirl who has a crush on Dylan. To complete the formula and introduce a way to manufacture crises is John Michael Higgins as a hard nosed inspector who relishes his anal retentive ways.

Heart and emotional moments are sprinkled liberally throughout the film, from the precociousness of young Rosie, to the equating of an old lion to a dead wife, plus the trials of running a zoo with no knowledge. It works on the surface, but it seems to pass over the moments that could take it to the next level. It is almost like they were intentionally trying to make a family friendly movie rather than one that touches on familial issues in a friendly fashion. In short, it could have used a little more development, make the characters mean more than what formula calls for.

The cast is good and it is genial enough, just do not expect to much from it.

Mildly Recommended.

Eyes on Christmas: Miracle on 34th Street

2011-12-24T02:03:00.000-05:00

It is hard to eleven that Christmas is just about here. When I was thinking about the marathon, I was thinking of doing 3 or 4 movies a week, but I ended up doing one a day and it feels like I just started. Anyway, since the day is so close, I decided to go to a classic holiday film that I have not seen in some time. This is a movie that I am not sure if I have seen this since I was a little kid. Whatever the time was, it was a big enough time gap so that as I watched it, it felt pretty new. I liked that.

The movie is the original Miracle on 34th Street, a bonafide classic. As I sit here looking for words to write about it, I cannot think of any. It is the sort of movie that has been covered and written about so much over the years that anything I would have to say would be but a drop in the bucket, more noise filling the echo chamber.

There is something infinitely sweet, hopeful, and touching about it that never feels insincere or pandering. It is one of those movies that is so easy to watch and enjoy. Part of that enjoyment has to be the performance of Edmund Gwenn. His portrayal of Kris Kringle is just pitch perfect.

For those unfamiliar with the story, it concerns a nice man hired to be Santa at Macy's who claims to be the real thing. He is eventually committed for being insane only to have an idealistic young lawyer step to his defense and look to prove that he is the real deal.

What helps the move pass the test of time is the way it plays as a way of allowing children to believe, it also puts the commercialization of the holiday on trial. It certainly as an interesting way it plays to the two different audiences.

All I really know is that I should make it a more regular viewing each year. Maybe one day I will actually have something interesting to say about it.

Highly Recommended.

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Eyes on Christmas: P2

2011-12-22T22:09:00.000-05:00

As the Christmas marathon run is starting to wind down I decided to go with a thriller of recent vintage, it is thriller produced by horror director Alexandre Aja and directed by Franck Khalfoun and is a rather delightful little romp through a parking garage. I am not sure you could go so far as to call it a great film, but it certainly is effective and has plenty of Christmassy overtones to fit right in with the season.

Rachel Nichols is Angela, she works for a law firm and is in the office late on Christmas Eve. Everyone else in the building, save for a security guard, has gone home. Angela finishes up her work and heads down to the P2 parking level to head to her sister's for a family gathering. As she gets to her car, she finds it doesn't start. This brings her to the lonely parking attendant, Thomas (Wes Bentley).

This is when the tension truly begins to rise. You see, the loneliness of being the lone parking attendant in the dark, wet, grimy parking garage can do things to one's brain. Thomas has gone a little nutter spending the long lonely nights in the garage, patrolling the emptiness. Give someone a little power and a lot of alone time and they begin to thirst for companionship at any cost and have a heightened sense of right and wrong, potentially fostering desires of vigilantism. Angela's car troubles and a recent incident at a company Christmas party are all that is needed to spark Thomas to take his dreams and ideals to the next level.

The premise of P2 is a simple one, simple enough to drive the cynical horror fan running for the exit. However, that would be a mistake. Despite the simple setup, the execution is really quite good. This is due to the script, the performances, and the taut direction. No, there is nothing particularly revolutionary about the film and it is not likely to end up on any best of lists, but it should not be ignored.

The script is a good one that sets up the cliches but doesn't fall trap to them. The dialogue is realistic and believable. It sets up the woman in danger scenario that we have seen time and time again over the years, yet creates interesting ways of allowing her to get out of said cliches without becoming itself, a cliche. The script also gives us some clever banter between the stalker and the stalked, as well as interactions with other characters (like the cops that show up) that do not feel like your typical movie characters.

For as good as the script is, it is the performances that really sell the drama, credit to both Rachel Nichols and Wes Bentley. Let's begin with Rachel Nichols. She does a wonderful job of being the imperiled woman, balancing the freaking out with the ability to do what needs to be done given the situation. Well, that and having the years best cleavage. Fortunately, though, she is more than just a pretty face, she makes the character worth becoming invested in. Now for Wes Bentley. Here is an actor I am surprised isn't a bigger name than he is. I remember him in American Beauty and Ghost Rider, but that's about it. His portrayal of Thomas is completely creepy, and absolutely terrifying. He brings such earnestness to it, his desire to have Angela as a friend is very unsettling. The further in we go the further down the rabbit hole he goes. Without these two there is no way it is as successful as it is.

Franck Khalfoun has made a strong debut. I guess it doesn't hurt to have Alexandre Aja backing you. The pace is kept moving, rarely does a moment drag on. No time is wasted in getting the plot moving and building the two leads. Khalfoun shows a deft hand at making this location feel claustrophobic as well as expansive, with plenty of room for the two to play out their game of cat and mouse.

Is P2 perfect? No, there are some plot holes and a few cheap jump scares, but overall this is a highly effective thriller. You could sit and pick it apart, but I was caught up in the characters to the point that I could overlook the issues.

The bottom line is I like this movie. Nichols and Bentley were excellent, the chills were there, and I was drawn into what was going on. P2 exceeded my expectations. How well does it succeed? Quite well, it excelled in its ability to create genuine tension and deliver thrills in an organic manner without having to rely to heavily on genre cliches. Yes, the cliches are there, but their resolution is borne out in a more believable manner than would be expected. Give it a shot, you might be surprised.

Recommended.

Two Eyes on Christmas: Black Christmas and Black X-mas

2011-12-21T22:20:00.000-05:00

Last night I decided to treat myself to a double feature Christmas excess. No, I was not about to go overboard with some Rankin and Bass stop motion gloriousness, nor was I about to dive headlong into any collection of holiday sap fests, what I was looking for was something with a little bid of blood, a little tension, perhaps some over the top visual style. I went with a pair of films that are sure to raise the ire of many a film fan, well, at least some of them anyway.

This is a tale of two Christmases that come in the darkest color imaginable. One is the 1974 feature Black Christmas and the other is its 2006 remake (also known as Black Xmas on the promotional materials and DVD cover). This was the fist time I have seen the original, something I have been putting off for far too long. The remake, however, is one's subjected myself to back in theaters but have not seen since.

I chose to watch them in reverse order. Why? I don't know. Something told me they would be better that way. Although, I guess it doesn't really matter.

The new Black Christmas is an over the top affair with more than is fair of scooped out eyeballs. The movie does not waste any time getting going with a girl getting a plastic bag over her head and a pen stabbed through it. Fun, no? The story then picks up with a sorority house filled with pretty girls played by the likes of Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Lacey Chabert, and Michelle Trachtenberg. They are snowed in and opening Christmas gifts as is their tradition. This includes a gift for Billy Lenz, whose family used to live here, before he went crazy, killed them and was locked away.

This movie is a none too serious look at what happens when jaundiced Billy escapes from the asylum and comes home with his sister/daughter to reclaim their house. It is a pretty crazy affair that I enjoyed despite its lack of logic, goofiness, and disjointed structure as we get flashbacks to younger Billy throughout. There are stories of disagreements between director Glenn Morgan and the studio which led to Morgan's attempt to have his name taken off the film. I wonder how much of this was actually his?

I would not recommend this to fans of the original or anyone who wants a quality horror-holiday. This is just for those who like to watch silliness.

So, what about the original? I fear I did not pay as much attention to it as I should have. I will say it is clearly a better movie and is one of the earliest examples of the slasher film. It is also a lot more subtle than the remake. It, too, is about a sorority house that used to be the home of crazy Billy and Billy does indeed come home and make a mess of things, but it is decidedly classier. The killer is kept most in the shadows, gore is understated, and it is just a better made movie. At some point I am going to revisit it and give it the due that it deserves. Until then, I will recommend this one.

Recommended.

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Eyes on Christmas: Christmas Evil

2011-12-20T20:44:00.000-05:00

Following the family friendly mediocrity of Santa Claus: The Movie, I felt the need to get back a little bit of my holiday cynicism back. How better to cure a pleasant mood during he holiday than with a little something called Christmas Evil? Well, there probably are better ways, but this one is not a bad route to take. Unlike Thanksgiving, Christmas has a whole host of horror movies centered around it, some good and some really, really bad. This one, originally called You Better Watch Out, is not that bad.

It is actually a little funny, when the disk arrived from Netflix I read the synopsis and thought to myself that it sounded awfully familiar to something else I had seen recently. The plot reads a lot like Silent Night, Deadly Night. Of course, plot synopsis aside, the wo movies take decidedly different approaches to the concept. Christmas Evil is easily the more serious of the two, but I think I prefer my Christmas night to be silent and deadly more than just evil, but that is for another day. Today we are all about the Evil.

As the story opens we see a couple of kids excitedly waiting for Santa to arrive. They watch on from the stairs and them he is there, down the chimney, complete with his bag of presents. Santa spies them on the stairs and turns and smiles to them and back up the chimney he goes. As the boys go up to bed, one tells the other it was just their dad in a costume. This upsets the younger one, Harry. They lay in the dark but a noise downstairs draws one of time out. What he sees will forever warp his mind.

The sight in the glow of the Christmas tree brings new meaning to "I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus." Seeing Santa and mommy in that light changes Christmas forever for Harry. The time jumps ahead to present day 1980 and Harry works for a toy company. He frets over toy quality and in his spare time he spies on the neighbors kids, keeping a list of who's been naughty or nice.

While Harry may be a little bit off, he does not seem particularly evil. Still, he believes in the spirit of Christmas and wants nothing more than for everyone to live up to the ideal. Well, he is pushed over the edge by the adults teaching their kids to always be good but never doing it themselves. So, after donning the red and white suit, Harry heads out to hand out toys and punish the others. A few murders and a Christmas party crashing later, Harry is on the run from a Frankenstein-style mob, complete with torches.

He heads off to his brother's house in his van painted like Santa's sleigh. His brother is none too happy that he is there and wants nothing to do with his explanation of what is going on. This leads into a bizarre ending that does not make sense and will leave you scratching your head.

I dug Christmas Evil. It is not quite what I expected it to be, but it was a different take on the psycho Santa tale.

Recommended.

Eyes on Christmas: Santa Claus - The Movie

2011-12-19T20:14:00.000-05:00

Dipping back into some seasonal fare has led me to the modestly entertaining Santa Claus: The Movie. This is a product of the 1980's but is in no way, shape, or form in the same league as Die Hard and Gremlins. Of course, this is an actual seasonal film that centers on Santa Claus, duh, and doesn't just use the setting of the season on which to hang its story. It is a movie that does what it needs to and tries to have a heart while it goes about doing it.

The movie stars David Huddleston as the jolly big guy in the red suit, but he doesn't start that way. You see, this movie actually starts way back in the past and follows some of his journey from the early day on up through modern day, well the modern day of 1985 anyway.

As the movie starts we are at some undefined point in the past. It is winter and everyone is huddled around the fire and the kids are anxiously awaiting the return of one of the men who has been out chopping wood. He does indeed return and comes bearing gifts. The kids are ecstatic and they all wonder where he gets his energy. Anyway, he and his wife head out in the cold snow to deliver toys to more kids only to get caught on the snow. The couple are rescued by else and he becomes Santa.

He is assisted by an elf named Patch (Dudley Moore) and we watch him on his inaugural journey. However, Patch has some forward thinking production ideas for the workshop,but when they do not work out too well, the frustrated elf leaves. It is this that sets up the conflict for the second half of the movie.

In the real world we meet a couple of young protagonists, a street smart homeless boy named Joe and a parent less rich girl named Cornelia. They strike up something of a friendship starting with her leaving food out for him in the cold. Their involvement becomes more important when we meet the girls uncle, a ruthless toy tycoon played by John Lithgow.

It is with the toyman that the naive elf hooks up with as he looks to prove his skills and show Santa that he is really good. Ganged, nothing goes as it should and it is up to Santa and the children to save the day.

It is not really a bad movie, the performances are effective if flat. I believe the problem for me lies on the way each act feels like an act, the flow from one story to the next is not all that good. I would have proffered one chunk be used for the whole and allow the characters to Gina little bit more traction. Of course, the animatronic deer are a little bit creepy on their own.

I could recommend this is a one time seasonal watch. It is not one I foresee becoming an annual tradition, but it is non offensive and has some familiar faces chewing up the scenery, Lithgow in particular seems to relish the over the top nature of his toyman.

Mildly Recommended.

Eyes on Christmas: Lethal Weapon

2011-12-18T23:08:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week I revisited Die Hard as part of this year's Christmas marathon. What an experience that was. It had been awhile since I had watched it, frankly I do not remember the last time I saw it. Man, what a last, that is a seriously awesome action film that holds up perfectly. Now, after a cheesy animated break, I decided to revisit another classic actioner from the 1980's with a somewhat Christmasy side. It is not so much a Christmas movie so much as it is inexplicably set during the holiday season.

The movie is none other than the franchise starter Lethal Weapon. Well, I must say that it holds up just as well as Die Hard, although I suspect it is a notch below. That is not to put it down at all, this movie still holds some surprises up its sleeves. Seriously, much like Die Hard, I have not seen Lethal Weapon in quite some time and I had forgotten just how serious the movie is. Sure, there is comedy, but it is not like my memories which drift towards the Pesci presence. This movie is certainly not the comedic self-parody it would become (don't get me wrong, I enjoy the sequels, but the tone is way different than this first film).

For those who don't remember, Lethal Weapon pairs veteran detective Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) and suicidal crazy Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson). Murtaugh is feeling the weight of the job and Riggs is suffering from his Vietnam experience combined with the recent loss of his life. Together they find themselves mixed up in a drug smuggling ring.

I don't know what to say about this movie, it is an absolute blast. Action from start to finish, characters that are actually develop and are interesting, and an overall energy that cannot be denied. I cannot say I remember the Riggs character being this way, so suicidal, so unhinged, so full of emotion, it was quite exciting. It was also fun seeing Gary Busey in a movie where he matters. I think the last time I actually saw him in a movie he was voicing a killer cookie (no joke).

In any case, Lethal Weapon is a movie that holds up and is better than my memories give it credit for. Not to keep harping on it, but between this and Die Hard, I am feeling awfully nostalgic for 1980's style action. Sure, there are some great action movies made today, but there is something about these movies and their combination of character, action, and practical effects is rather exhilarating.

Do yourself a favor, pay it a visit. It will surely get you in the holiday spirit.

Highly Recommended.

Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows

2011-12-18T22:11:00.000-05:00

It was just a couple of years ago that the character of Sherlock Holmes was reintroduced to the mass audience. It is not that people did not know of Holmes, but I believe his popularity with the public at large was not as high as it once was. Of course, I could just be making that up based on my own anecdotal evidence. I will admit to having an extremely limited experience with the character. Frankly, I made a lot of assumptions about what the character was all about, all my fault. At some point I actually plan to do some Holmes reading. In any case, that 2009 movie was pretty awesome. It was a lot of fun, and that is what I hoped for with the sequel.

A Game of Shadows takes us back into the world of Holmes and his ever expanding web of conspiracy. The central part of this tale focuses on the culmination of a battle that has been going on between Holmes and his nemesis, Prof. James Moriarty (Jared Harris). It is not exactly a direct battle, although that is what everything is building to. It is a case of two evenly matched intellects in a virtual game of chicken, who will back down first? It is a staring contest as Moriarty, in the guise of an Oxford professor and personal friend to the Prime Minister, is maneuvering state leaders into a war where he will profit immensely from his secret munitions factory.

Of course, Holmes knows that Moriarty is a bad guy even if he has no hard proof to show for it. It is in their one on ones where the movie sparkles. They have a few scenes together where they engage in a chess match, both literally and figuratively. Their dialogue is tinged with sharp barbs, you can feel the tension in the air. Their meeting at the end of the film is particularly strong during their literal chess match and its aftermath. Now, I have a slight issue with some of the ending, but not enough to ruin it. It is a well designed and paced sequence that is hard to ignore.

Now, before we are able to get to the meaty part of the confrontation, there is some set up and other conflicts to work through. You see, Holmes and Watson have not exactly been working together much. As the movie starts Watson has come back to town as his wedding date approaches, Holmes is the best man and they have a stag party to throw! Well, this turns from a party to an intel gathering mission for Holmes. This introduces us to Madam Simza (Noomi Rapace from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), a gypsy fortune teller who is unknowingly involved in Moriarty's anarchist plot.

The story takes us though Victorian London, Paris, and Switzerland. It is a bit of a whirlwind tour that makes it feel a little bit like a James Bond adventure played out in period clothing. That's all right, it still works. Now, it is not a perfect movie, far from it. I actually found it to be a little draggy through the middle. It is still entertaining enough, I just cannot say it outdoes the first film. This one does not quite have the same fun factor.

What makes this movie work as well as it does, aside from the Holmes/Moriarty face offs, are the performances and the style. Sounds pretty simple doesn't it? The Holmes/Watson relationship is pretty great and that is in no small part due to Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law. These two work very well together. Even if Sherlock seems just a couple shades away from Tony Stark, Downey still strikes an impressive screen presence. Law is a strong foil as the straight man to Downey's egomaniac genius. They are fun to watch together.

As for the supporting cast, Noomi Rapace is a welcome addition. Granted, she does not have an awful lot to do, but she fits the film and does a fine job of playing the role. Rachel McAdams returns and her period presence has not improved, I like her as an actress, but here she seems, just like in the prior film, uncomfortable and out of place. Then there is another new addition, Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes. He is pretty funny and Fry certainly goes for the gold with a few Austin Powers-esque nude bits.

Guy Ritchie returned to the director's chair for this second outing and his visual sense is still felt throughout. His look fits the material, it gives it a visceral flair and he makes good use of slow motion, seriously. The chase through the forest with the trees exploding is really good. I also like the return of the conceit from the first where we see Holmes plot a fight out in the split second before it starts. I always enjoyed this, it shows just how quick Holmes' mind works and allows us to extrapolate to the bigger mysteries he is working on.

In the end, A Game of Shadows is a fun, entertaining movie. It may not live up to its predecessor, but that is not to sell it short. This go around has style and fun to make it a worthwhile ticket. Check it out, have a little fun with it.

Recommended.

Blu-ray Review: Chillerama

2011-12-17T11:55:00.000-05:00

I must admit that I was really looking forward to this. A horror anthology featuring four directors, including a couple whose films I have enjoyed? Sure thing, count me in. So, here I am on the opposite end of the starting line, feeling rather let down. I went in clean, I did not read up on it, nor did I see the trailer. It is not that I went out of my way avoiding such things, they just never crossed my path and did not bother to look for them. I kind of wish I did, perhaps I would have been better prepared for what I was to experience.

Now, it is not all bad. Chillerama is not without its moments, but at the same time it feel as if this quartet of old school horror loving chums tried a little too hard to emulate that which they loved from the past. The idea they came up with is a great one, and certainly one that I salute and respect. They are clearly lovers of drive in cinema and grindhouse excess. They have decided to make an anthology that pays homage to that era. They do this by creating a lovesong to its dying days.

The movie is set within a drive in that is shutting down. To mark its closure, the owner is putting on a night of unearthed grindhouse titles sure to please the masses. As it opens we are introduced to the proprietor, and a few cars and their occupants. They get settled in and prepare for the movies.

The first movie is called Wadzilla and is directed by Adam Rifkin, who doesn't have much in the way of horror to his name (probably best known for movies like Detroit Rock City, Small Soldiers, and Underdog) but shows that he is more than capable. Well, sort of. Rifkin also stars as the mild mannered Miles in what is revealed to be a 1950's era monster movie. It is not your typical monster movie as Rifkin takes it right over the top, you see, his creature is a giant sperm. Yes, you read that right. Miles is given experimental drugs to help his lack of said cells, but the side effect is that it grows to monstrous size.

I admit, it is kind of funny, and some of the early bits made me laugh, particularly with the doctor, played by Ray Wise, and on his blind date, played by model Sarah Mutch. Overall, however, it felt a little too forced and I could never get an in with it. It is interesting to note that the sperm monster was created by the Chiodo brothers, who brought us a true cult classic in Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

The second film within a film was directed by Tim Sullivan, who brought us the entertaining 2001 Maniacs and the awful 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams. His entry is called I was a Teenage Werebear. Now, where Rifkin's film targets the '50s, Sullivan's goes after the 60's beach movie. The story centers on Ricky who is struggling with his latent homosexuality, which becomes even tougher when he meets local tough Talon. One day, Ricky gets bitten on the butt by Talon and, much like a werewolf bite, is turned into a werebear. This is not a case of a bear instead of a wolf, it is a bear in that he gets big and hairy and dresses in leather. Yup, that kind of bear. So, we follow Ricky in between song and dance numbers as he comes to grips with his reality.

I found this bit to be a touch insufferable. I was never a big fan of those surfer/beach movies and this isn't going to change my opinion. That said, it is an interesting way to tell a story of some one learning something about himself and dealing with said something. In that regard, it does not make light of it, which is a good thing.

The third film within a film is called The Diary of Ann Frankenstein and is probably my favorite of the bunch. I could actually see myself revisiting this segment again. Adam Green is the man behind this piece, he has previously delivered us Hatchet, Hatchet II, and Frozen. It is a tasteless mash up of Ann Frank and Frankenstein.

The Frank family is hiding in the attic and young Ann learns their real name is Frankenstein and the notebook she is reading contains her uncle's notes on creating life. Well, before long Hitler (Joel David Moore) shows up, gets the book, and proceeds to make his own creature (Kane Hodder of Friday the 13th fame), with unexpected results.

This piece is in German and subtitled, that is except for Moore. He doesn't know the language and is left to spout increasingly bizarre banter in a bad German accent (at one point he exclaims "Boba Fett!"). On top of that, it is also shot in black and white. Quite entertaining.

Following the last short we return to the drive in to continue the wrap around story which has been developing before and between the other shorts, directed by Joe Lynch. It is a zombie story that finds patron turning on patron as the place erupts into a zombie orgy of a sort. Again, like everything else in Chillerama, has its moments, but nothing I couldn't have done without.

I do like the idea of revisiting the drive in and grindhouse style, but this feels forced. I do feel these four directors had the best intentions and truly had a blast making it, it just doesn't really come together for me.

Oh yeah, we do get glimpses of one more short at the end. It is called Deathication and it is, quite literally, shit. If you like number two in explosive fashion, watch this. As for me, I found it disgusting, not funny, and unnecessary.

Audio/Video. The movie is presented in a ratio of 1.78:1 and offers a pleasing high definition image. With that said, it is one that is not your traditional presentation. As this is an attempt to somewhat recreate old films, there is some artificial processing done on some of the films. For example, Wadzilla is made to look like an aged three strip Technicolor print and is pretty successful at it. As for Diary of Ann Frankenstein, it is made to look like an old black and white era film, it does make it halfway there. It may be more successful as showing how nice digital cameras can simulate old school black and white film with its rich shadows. I was a Teenage Werebear is the least affected and is filled with bright heavily saturated colors, it really does a god job of replicating those old beach blanket films. The wrap around bits are the most realistic and natural looking as they are meant to be the real world.

At no point will you believe you are watching an old film, but the looks work. As a whole this is certainly a successful transfer that won't disappoint, so long as you understand what they were trying to accomplish.

The audio, a DTS 5.1 track, is treated much the same way as the image. The wrap around tale makes nice use of all channels, primarily during the conclusion when the zombies are scaring up screams all around the drive in. As for the shorts, there is very little surround work as they are simulating the old rushed films of the grindhouse era, with all the dialog and sound centered in the front. There are also some audio tricks such as syncing issues in Werebear and the illusion of rushed ADR leading to a slightly detached feel to the voices of Wadzilla.

Extras.

Commentary. This track is presented picture-in-picture style with all four directors talking about how the project started, their influences, and other notes about the production. It is a pretty good track.
The Making of Diary of Ann Frankenstein. This is a near half hour look at the development of the story and the shoot. It is actually pretty interesting, especially the bits on Joel David Moore's German experience. Definitely worth a watch.
Deleted Scenes from Wadzilla. Six-minutes worth of bits.
The Making of I Was a Teenage Werebear. Clips and interviews about the making of the film.
Deleted Scenes from I Was a Teenage Werebear. Fourteen-minutes of cut clips.
Zom-B-Movie Deleted Scenes. Cut bits from the wrap around story.
Famous Monsters Comic-Con Interview. This is a short interview with the four directors.
Comic-Con Interview. Another interview with the quartet.
Trailers. Included trailers are Chillerama, Diary of Ann Frankenstein, and Wadzilla.

Bottomline. I love the idea, but the final product I found less than inspiring. I still like these guys, but I did not find enough to latch onto here. It is a recreation with some inspired bits of lunacy surrounded by a mediocre morass.

Not Recommended.

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Chillerama on Blogcritics.

Eyes on Christmas: He-Man, She-Ra, and Mr. Magoo

2011-12-15T22:41:00.000-05:00

I decided to take a little break from my live action Christmas spectacular that has been going on for the past week and a half and squeeze in a couple of animated holiday titles. Well, it is not so much by choice as it was a bit of a time squeeze. You see, there are only so many hours in the day and after a long day of work and other obligations, I had only a small window in which to keep the run going. So, I decided on a pair of short specials that aired on television years ago.

The unfortunate thing is that I found neither one to be all that inspiring in terms of writing about them. They are, at least for me, somewhat enjoyable in the moment but mostly forgettable as soon as the end credits roll.

The first one I watched was The He-Man and She-Ra Christmas Special. Oh yes, what memories this brings back, although I do not recall ever seeing this special before. It was produced in 1985 and tied in with the cartoon series, which were, admittedly, little more than half hour toy commercials with a moral at the end. To be honest, I was a big fan in the days of my youth, having had a bunch of the toys.

This special sees the brother/sister tandem of Adam and Adora getting together with all their fiends in Eternia to celebrate their birthday. Amidst the decorating and glimpses of the animated gang, Adam and Man At Arms all about a new spy ship hey will use to track the evil Skeletor. Miniature floating comedic relief, Orco, sneaks into the ship and accidentally launches it. Soon enough Skeletor is on the hunt. Then something happens and Orco ends up crashing on Earth.

Orco meets a couple of kids who he brings back with him when he is saved, the kids teach everyone about the holiday and they combine it with the birthday party. Of course, both she's of bad guys get involved, Skeletor reveals his soft side and we all go home happy, except for those who had to sing the lame Christmas song they wrote for the holiday.

It was enjoyable enough, sparked a touch of nostalgia, but for the most part you can feel free to skip this unless you are a fan and want to stoke the nostalgia.

The second special I watched was Mr. Magoo's A Christmas Carol. Yes, everyone's favorite, nearly blind octogenarian. Now, this one, this one is not as much fun as I remember. It may just be that I am not much of a Magoo fan. Be that as it may, this one is notable as being the very first animated holiday special. That's right, this here is a little bit of old school.

The story is a familiar one, it is one of countless adaptations of A Christmas Carol. This is a liberal adaptation, removing things, moving other bits around, but still telling the same story. It is framed as Magoo playing Scrooge in a stage adaptation with an opening bit of him arriving at the theater and a closing that sees him bring down the house.

I found the humor to dated and the songs to be grating. I did not hate it, it is just not a preferred version of the story. It is hard to hate it, considering the story and the season. Well, I am sure it has its fans, just not me. Not much anyway,

Not Really Recommended.

Eyes on Christmas: Die Hard

2011-12-14T21:50:00.000-05:00

After the debacle that was Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, I decided I needed to turn around quick and watch something hat was genuinely worth watching, not just something enjoyed for the camp value. I think I succeeded. Sure, the movie can only be called a Christmas movie based on setting alone, but it is a certifiable classic that holds up beautifully despite closing in on the quarter century mark. Not only that, it is a movie that can be enjoyed, and should be enjoyed any time of the year.

This is the movie hat launched Bruce Willis into cinematic stardom, inspired hosts of imitators, and stands up as one of the best action films ever made. It is none other than the John McTiernan directed Die Hard. Yes, it is a Christmas movie, it is set during he holiday season and much of the action takes place in the disrupted aftermath of a Christmas party.

I am pretty sure everyone knows the story. Bruce Willis is John McClane, New York City police officer and estranged husband to Holly (Bonnie Bedelia). He has flown to LA to try and and patch things up. However, shortly after he arrives at the new office building, terrorists decide to strike, they have eyes on millions of dollars worth of bonds kept in a safe by the building's owner. Fortunately, they don't see McClane who stages a one man all out assault on the terrorists. Of course, he does have some help from a local officer on the outside, played by Reginald VelJohnson.

Yes, that makes it sound a little too simplistic and just like a million other action films. However, you need to remember that this is a movie that more or less established the formula, much like what Halloween did for the the slasher film. Not to mention this movie has aged very well, it is just as good now as it was then.

Die Hard is a movie that is filled with action, seriously, there are fist fights, bullets, bombs, explosions, all sorts of good stuff. While that is all well and good, what really makes this stand out is the characters. Seriously, this movie is filled characters you will love and those you will hate. It is an action movie that really does it all, it gives you a badass hero to cheer for, a slimy villain to root against and a host of supporting cast members who all play pivotal roles in the success of the movie.

I am really not sure what I can say about this movie. It has had countless reviews written about it and I am sure you all know about what makes it great. I just had a great time rewatching it. I highly recommend that you all take some time to revisit this classic action movie.

Highly Recommended.

Eyes on Christmas: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

2011-12-13T21:49:00.000-05:00

Well, I was on a roll, albeit a limited two day run. Much like my Halloween marathon, no sooner do I start to get on a roll of quality movies, I shoot myself in the foot and watch something such questionable quality that it would make you question one's sanity.that someone would be me, of course. I seem to have made a good habit of being inextricable drawn to the low grade oddball titles of pretty much any genre. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does help point out the distinctly higher quality of other films that I subject myself to.

Over the weekend, I watched the funny creepy holiday classic Gremlins and then I introduced myself to the wonderful oddity that is Rare Exports. These two are simply great, so what do I do? I turn to my Netflix queue and watch Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Yes, that's right, one of the worst movies ever made turned camp classic. Actually, I think it would make a great double feature with the 1959 movie Santa Claus. Now, if you haven't seem that one, you are missing out.

The plot of this film, err, movie is pretty simple. On Earth the kids are getting ready for Christmas, watching a special report live from Santa's workshop. Meanwhile, on Mars, we find that the Martian children have gotten hooked on Earth television to the point they are not sleeping or eating. So, the Martian adults get it in their heads to go to Earth, kidnap Santa Claus and use him to bring some joy to their children who seem to grow up too fast. Interestingly enough, the Martians have lost their humanity to advancements in technology (sounds a bit like today, doesn't it? Perhaps they were on to something and were just way ahead of their time).

On Earth the Martians stumble across a couple of children who point them towards the real Santa and become prisoners of the visiting aliens. They head to the North Pole where, with some unwitting help from a dopey Martian, the kids get away and hide. The Martians, including one particularly mean one, go searching, encounter an awful costume of a polar bear and use an awful costume of a robot to help the kidnapping.

The kids and Santa end up back on Mars where the intention is to imprison him and use him to spread joy to Martian children. If you read the title, you know who wins this battle. It is not a deep movie, it is a silly movie made for kids, although I am not sure how much actual thought went into planning it out. It really is a terrible production from start to finish. Still, it is oddly compelling.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is a movie I would like to see remade. I think the right minds could bring some inspired lunacy to a movie such as this. Make it animated, that could work to. The bottomline is, if you want a strange wacky Christmas movie, this will fit the bill.

Not Really Recommended, Unless you like that sort of thing...

Eyes on Christmas: Rare Exports - A Christmas Tale

2011-12-12T21:51:00.000-05:00

Well, hasn't this marathon taken a turn for the awesome. After mediocrity like Call Me Claus, awfulness like A Christmas Too Many, and the utter oddness of Santa Claus (1959), it is nice to sit back with some genuinely awesome holiday films. First there was Gremlins which, let's face it, is a flat out great movie. Not perfect by any stretch, but I is hard not to have a good time with it. Now we have one that was a first time watch for me, I had heard good thins about it, but I was caught off guard by just how great it is. Again, it is not perfect by any stretch, but it is one I can find myself revisiting many times.

The movie is the Finnish export Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale. It is a Christmas horror film that blends myth, fantasy, coming of age, and genuine sense of unease under one roof. It is an insidious movie that sucked me and then flipped the crazy switch when things start to unfold in the second half of the movie. It caught me off guard.

I had heard some positive word about it, but I had no idea how it would get me. Now, before the film was made last year, a couple of shorts were made, on in 2003 and one on 2005. I did not see either of these until after the film, but I can see how they would help fire interest in a feature.

As the movie opens we are introduced to an American of some wealth who is sponsoring an archaeological dig in a mountain. His reasons for digging are rather secretive and specific. It is revealed that he is searching for Santa Claus. You see, he was a real person and this is said to be his burial mound.

The scene shifts to a young boy who reads up on the legend of Santa and learns that the Coca-Cola Santa is a lie. The real Claus turns out to be not so nice of a fellow who seems more interested in punishing naughty children. He becomes convinced that Santa is coming back due to the dig on the mountain, but no one seems to pay attention. Reindeer are found slaughtered, kids disappear, and our young hero is scared of what is coming.

The boys father and a couple other townsfolk find an old man caught in one of their traps. The man is barely alive and mostly unresponsive, save for the creepy looks he gives the boy. The men surmise that this is Santa that the Americans are looking for and attempt to sell him to the diggers.

Well, this is where things begin to go a little sideways and take a turn for the crazy. I dare not reveal any more. This is an original film that is worth experiencing relatively fresh from any overly specific details regarding the plot directions.

I will say that I have seen a movie quite like this before. When it started, I wasn't quite sure I was going to like it; however, it was not long before I was drawn into the drama. This film is well acted, believable, and everything is played completely straight. This is a story that very easily could have veered into camp, but it never does.

Rare Exports is one of those rare exceptions where the creative took a creative idea and created something new and fresh out of it. This is a movie to savor, to enjoy, to give much respect for its originality and creativity. It may have traditions different than those here in the States, but the movie has traces of some of the masterworks from Spielberg, Dante, and Carpenter. If you are looking for something different, something original, fresh, different, than this is it. On top of that, it is heartwarming as well, led by solid performances from the boy and his father (Onni Tomila and his real life father Jorma).

This is the first feature from writer/director Jalmari Helander. It is a creation of maturity and vision and I really look forward to seeing what he does next. He was also the maker of he two prior shorts which are also well worth watching.

Rare Exports is a holiday treat.

Highly Recommended.

Blu-ray Review: Griff the Invisible

2011-12-11T20:53:00.000-05:00

What a quirky little movie. It is a movie that seems to be born completely out of quirk. Without quirk there would be no movie. Granted, there is not anything explicitly wrong with quirk, the question is how much quirk is too much quirk? Fortunately, this movie does not take it overboard. With that said, it probably could have used a more even distribution of its total quirk amount, as it seems to have bunched up in a few areas throughout, leaving some parts a little on the dull side. The movie is called Griff the Invisible and brings together two quirky individuals in the name of potential love. I will now attempt to avoid the use of "quirk."

Griff the Invisible joins the burgeoning sub-genre of the superhero film that is not a parody of the genre but a look at the idea of regular people wearing the costume and fighting evil when they aren't working their day jobs. It joins such movies as Kick Ass, Defendor, and Super and combines it with quirky character movies such as Eagle vs. Shark and Napoleon Dynamite. I even detect touches of Observe and Report, but without the medication.

Griff (True Blood's Ryan Kwanten) is an office worker by day and costumed hero by night. When he is at the office, he is quiet, unassuming, seemingly lacking in social skills, and the target of office jerk Tony (Toby Schmitz). Once the work day ends, he spends his free time using a bunch of high tech gear to monitor the neighborhood. When danger is spotted, Griff leaps into action and appears on the streets in a rubber suit. He sees himself something of a cross between Batman and Spider-Man, taking a great deal of responsibility upon himself for what he is doing.

The other half of the equation is Melody (Maeve Dermody). She is a socially awkward girl who is obsessed with the space between atoms and the possibility of walking through walls. When we meet her, she is dating Tim, Griff's older brother who recently moved back to town seemingly to keep an eye on him. However, it is plainly clear that Melody is meant to be with Griff. In the socially awkward office worker Griff, she sees a kindred spirit.

Both of these characters are not quite there and they seem to feed each other's delusions, just check out the results of the invisibility suit they develop together. You will learn that a lot of the way they perceive the world around them is not reality. In another movie we would be concerned about their mental stability and thinking they should be on some form of medication. So, instead of worrying about their mental state and the possibility that it could lead them to harm themselves or others, we are meant to concern ourselves with their budding, tentative love.

Griff the Invisible is an interesting movie with a great level of sweetness to it. The plot is rather nondescript and the focus seems to be more on the characters and their perceptions and outlooks. It is a movie that is easy to get involved in, even during the multiple slow segments. I liked these characters and they have pretty good chemistry. Also, while their may be some mental health issues here, it is nice to focus on the fact they are finding ways of dealing with the world around the, and not hurting anyone without the use of medication. Just like Melody states, they are happy and not hurting anyone.

This is the debut feature from writer/director Leon Ford and it is a good one. He shows a good grasp of character and the ability to present odd characters with unique outlooks and allow them to sill exist in a reasonably believable reality. With Griff the Invisible he has made a movie that is enjoyable and does not get sucked into cynicism. This is a rather cheerful film that has a nicely optimistic bend. It is not perfect, there are definite issues with pacing, but it is more enjoyable than not.

Audio/Video. The film is presented in a ratio of 1.85:1 and is a solid looking transfer. There is very good detail, particularly in close up. I cannot say it is the very best I have ever seen, but it is quite slid. What makes the movie look as good as it does is the execution of the color palette. The color saturation shifts depending on the reality were are meant to be in, the real world is a bit muted, while the hyper-real world of Griff the hero is a bit more super saturated and bright. Both ends look quite good. I would say my favorite looking scenes are the sequences in the alley with Griff as the hero taking care of business.

The soundtrack is presented with a DTS-HD Master 5.1 track. It is a good track that makes nice balanced use of surrounds, particularly with the use of songs. They are not overly active as this is relatively quiet movie with a heavy focus on the dialogue. Still, it is a solid track and nothing to be disappointed with.

Extras. There are a few extras included.

Commentary with Writer/Director Leon Ford, Producer Nicole O'Donohue and Actor Patrick Brammall. The track is pretty good as they talk about the origin of the story, the shoot, and other aspects of production.
Behind the Scenes. This is a short look at the film filled with a lot of clips from the film.
Anatomy of a Scene. A look at three scenes with storyboards and actual shots from the film.
Deleted Scenes. About seven minutes worth of cut bits.
Appear Calm: Diary of a First Time Director. A look inside the mind and stresses of a man doing something for the first time.
Rain Stops Play. An interview on set during the rain.
Patrick's Set Tour. A look around the set, duh!
Music Video by The Shadow Bureau.

Bottomline. Good not great is the best way to describe this film. It is sweet and avoids cynicism. It gives us some interesting characters who have chosen to take the world on their terms.

Recommended.

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Griff the Invisible on Blogcritics.

Eyes on Christmas: Gremlins

2011-12-11T13:29:00.000-05:00

Now, Christmas movies have never been my favorite sort of movie. There is something about the relentless cheer that many of them bring that gets to me. Perhaps it is because so few of them move beyond the feeling of manufactured joy. Still, there are some, and there are even more that set themselves around the holiday without necessarily being of the holiday. This marathon allows me to investigate films on both sides of that line. This latest film in my marathon takes a look at a holiday gift, given with the best intentions, that just goes wrong.

The movie is Gremlins and it is a fantastic mash of family holiday cheer and little green terror, think of it as It's a Wonderful Life invaded by a horde of miniature Godzillas. It is a movie that will tickle your funny bone, charm you with its characters, and then creep you out when it all begins to hit the fan. It is not a perfect movie, but its execution approaches it. It is a movie that has held up over the years since its release. It exists in a town that is unstuck from time, a moment frozen in history that is able to survive becoming dated. It is also one of the movies that helped spur on the creation of the PG-13 rating (you have to admit this does push some the boundaries of PG, if only a little).

As the movie opens we are introduced to inventor/traveling salesman Randall Peltzer. He goes into this small, obscure Chinese shop looking for something unique to give his son for Christmas. He discovers a little critter called a Mogwai and just must have it. And that he does, but with this little guy come a couple of rules, sort of like Asimov's Three Laws for monsters instead of robots. We learn that they hate bright light (sun light can kill them), do not get them wet, and do not feed them after midnight.

They do not get into the subtleties of the laws, or else we may learn more about why they all get broken. There is a movie screening that doesn't seem to bother them much, they can apparently run through snow without repercussions, and when exactly is it after midnight? If you think about it, all time is after midnight, and does time zone come into play? I suspect there are more specifics to each that we weren't told, it is easier to think that way.

Anyway, Billy (Zach Galligan) loves the little guy, now called Gizmo. But then things go wrong, we find out that water causes them to multiply and feeding them after midnight causes them to transform into slimy little monsters. Before you know it, there are hordes of the little guys wreaking havoc all over town. They mess with traffic lights, kitchen appliances, and you should see them at the bar!

It is up to Billy and his love interest, Kate (Phoebe Cates), to find a way to stop the Gremlins and their leader, Stripe. This leads to plenty of action don the home stretch as the multitude of Gremlins make their way roughshod through the town.

You know, this really is a fun movie. It is really funny, has characters you actually care about, and some really good puppetry. Seriously, these critters are animated wonderfully. This was a big movie in my youth and I am happy to see it hold up so well. It has been awhile since I have seen it and it was a lot of fun to revisit it.

I am not sure how it falls in the canon of Christmas movies, besides the look, setting, and some decorations, I am not sure. Still, if you are looking for a delightfully creepy and funny movie for the holiday, this is one to push play on.

Highly Recommended.

CritCast 5: The Descendants, The Sitter, Christmas Marathon

2011-12-11T11:10:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe this video experiment has lasted to number five so far! Anyway, it has been a slow couple of weeks. This week I take a look at The Descendants, The Sitter, and a few entries in my Christmas movie marathon. The audio seems to be off, not sure what happened there. Sorry. Hit the jump for the video.

Blu-ray Review: The Art of Getting By

2011-12-11T01:12:00.001-05:00

When it played Sundance earlier this year the film went by the name Homework. I am not sure if the name change was the only change or if it underwent any other edit in the wake of its distribution deal, but I can say that the new title is certainly an improvement. Don't you think The Art of Getting By sounds better? The original name makes it sound like some lame MTV Films production, whereas the final title makes it appear more like the quirky indie that it is. It also sounds like it would make a great double feature with It's Kind of a Funny Story (which, coincidentally, also co-stars Emma Roberts). Both are populated with quirky characters and a central character trying to deal with the world around him in angsty, indie fashion.

Freddie Highmore stars as George. George has issues, he spends a lot of time grappling with mortality and the pointlessness of everything. It makes me feel a little conflicted. On one hand there was something strangely affecting about the youth's fatalistic angst expressed through art without meaning (he is always drawing something, but never has anything to say); however, the enjoyment was counterbalanced by the feeling that this was little more than indie shorthand, collecting many of the tropes, quirks, and affectations of other teen-centric indies while not really offering anything of itself.

Do you know what I mean? It is as if the writer/director took all of the indie elements that have influenced him over the years and after a slight period of fermentation have spat them back out into one project. It approaches the border of being too much. Fortunately, it never flows over the dam, leaving the movie to play on its own terms, not exactly a realistic journey, but one that has interesting moments to make you ponder your own reality.

The Art of Getting By focuses on George (Highmore), a too smart for school senior who is suffering from fatalistic depression brought on by the realization that everyone dies and that life has little point, considering the inevitability of death (such happy thoughts). On top of that, his mother and stepfather are having money issues, and he is in danger of not graduating due to the fact he stopped doing his school work in the face of his soul-crushing mortality. Pretty much all he is able to do is draw and sketch in whatever he happens to have at hand, but nothing is good enough for him, no heart, no soul. Nothing seems to carry any meaning for him, so why bother?

The center of the story is George and Sally (Roberts). He is the loner, she is the pretty rebel (she, gasp, smokes!). They become awkward friends, it is a friendship that seems to carry the inevitable with it, although they move in fits and spurts and there is the third wheel of Dustin (Michael Angarano), a slacker mentor artist to George, who interferes with the proceedings. Yes, they would seem destined to become a couple. The friendship appears to bring the first realistic weight of meaning to his life and it is toppling him, sending him further down the angsty rabbit hole.

It moves along in expected fashion, being sure to hit on all the things that identify it as a quirky indie. It is a shorthand collection of all things indie, yet it still manages to work. Is it original? Not particularly. The cast is good. I think Highmore does a good job of embodying the stereotypical smart/loner type while the unlikely relationship is believable with Roberts able to pull of that certain something that makes us believe her and still be surprised at some of the things she does.

This is the first feature for writer/director Gavin Weisen and he does a decent job of pulling everything together. What I think he needs to do next time is, much like George, find his artistic voice and something to say rather than show us what he thinks we want to see. I like the indie hipster affectations, despite my general distaste for the hipster, but I do like to see something different blended in. It is like Weisen knew how to make all the pieces together and have it make sense, but wasn't sure what to do then. We are left with interesting ideas steeped in a highly unbelievable reality.

I like the film despite its lack of a unique voice. It is primarily due to the performances of Highmore and Roberts, as well as some supporting work from Michael Angarano, Blair Underwood as the school principal, and Jarlath Conroy as George's stepfather, than what the story had to offer itself. Also, there is the fact that a young friend of mine is an artist seeking his voice, not unlike the main character, although I feel it safe to say he is going about it in a much less fatalistic fashion.

Audio/Video. The film is presented in a 2.4:1 aspect ratio. It is a decent looking disk that has a good level of detail . The problem is that it feels terribly flat and at times a little to the soft side. Where I have seen films with flat color palettes pop with great detail differentiating on screen items, this one seems to treat everything the same. Sure the evidence of detail exists, but the characters often do not seem to be any different than the trees or furniture. There is a lack of depth that I do not recall from the theater, but that may just be my memory. It is a fine transfer, just unspectacular.

The audio is presented in a 5.1 DTS MasterHD track. It is a solid track with great dialogue clarity, but like the video it does not establish itself as being anything special. There is nice use of surrounds for ambiance whenever they are outside on the streets of New York City. Aside from ambiance, the surrounds don't a lot of activity and there is not much bass to play with. That is all right as this is very much a dialogue driven film.

Extras. This release has a few things included on it.

Audio Commentary with Director Gavin Wiesen. The track has some good information, but is generally to the dry side.
New York Slice of Life. A brief look at shooting in NY, accompanied by some film clips.
On Yong Love.
Fox Movie Channel Presents – In Character with Freddie Highmore.
HBO First Look – The Making of The Art of Getting By.
Theatrical Trailer.

Bottomline. This is a decent film I think many will enjoy. It was sort of fun watching teenage George talk like he is an old man. It felt a touch rehearsed, but that is all right. I say give it a watch, but there shouldn't be any need to watch it again.

Recommended.

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: The Art of Getting By on Blogcritics.

Eyes on Christmas: Friday After Next

2011-12-10T15:21:00.000-05:00

While I have certainly subjected myself to some lousy movies. On the plus side, I like the fact that my broad idea for the Christmas movie with regards to this marathon has brought me a rather wide variety of films so far in just the first week. This latest entry is the third film in a series and the first one to be centered around the holidays. It is not really a Christmas movie in the strictest sense, it is more just the setting for them to string their comedic bits along. It is far from a great film, but it is the second best in the run which probably should have stopped after the first.

The movie is none other than Friday After Next. The original Friday was a really funny movie with Ice Cube as the recently out of work Craig and Chris Tucker as his pot smoking pal Smokey. The movie follows them as Smokey's problems catch up to them and they have to comedically extricate themselves from their predicament. A few years later, in Next Friday, we catch Craig when he moves in with his cousin, Day Day (Mike Epps), to try and save his uncle's home. It was not all that funny, but there it was. Then, in 2002, a third film arrived and that brings us to Friday After Next.

This Friday happens to be a Christmas Eve and there is a guy dressed in a mask and Santa suit going around stealing Christmas presents. As the movie started, the fake Santa breaks into Craig and Day Day's apartment and starts to clean them out. He is caught mid robbery by Craig who attempts to beat him down, but fails to stop him. Now we have our set up, the cousins' rent money is gone and they have a day to pay up.

They dress and head down to the job Craig's uncle was able to get for them, as security guards for a strip mall. This is just the start of what is going to be a long day for the duo. Besides having had their stuff stolen, they are supposed to be throwing a party that night, but the place is a mess. They also have to deal with Damon (Terry Crews), a stand in for Deebo from the original, a muscle head just out of prison. They have a variety of run ins with people around the strip mall. Nothing seems to be going right for these guys, but in the spirit of the season, Craig is able to get everything sorted out by day's end.

Friday After Next is not without laughs, but it is much more a series of vulgarity laced skits and scenes than a movie with actual heart and character, which the first film was, believe it or not. Still, there is something about Ice Cube and his easily charismatic onscreen presence. He helps make this movie a mostly cheery experience. This easily could have been mean spirited and cynical, but it never goes that route. This is a movie about guys who just want to be left alone and have some fun. Mike Epps has some funny moments, but is no replacement for Smokey from the original.

The supporting cast is littered with familiar faces and laughs. There is the pairing of John Witherspoon and his curious affectations and Don Curry as the fathers of the main two, they are just flat out funny. Katt Williams as the pimp Money Mike is hilarious, although his bit with Terry Crews and the vise grips goes on a touch long.

Overall, this movie does not really do a whole lot to get me in the Christmas spirit, but it is funny, set during the holiday, and is mostly upbeat so it is hard to say no to it.

Mildly Recommended.

Eyes on Christmas: Call Me Claus

2011-12-10T00:31:00.001-05:00

The fifth movie in my Christmas marathon is probably the most traditional in terms of actually being a Christmas movie. I have watched a scarcely connected horror movie, a surreal Mexican Santa movie, a tale of drugs and commercialism, and a misbegotten story of a dysfunctional family that will bore you to tears. This time around I have a holiday movie that actually has a little bit of the Christmas spirit and is actually easy to watch, it is not exactly the best one around, but it was mildly enjoyable and actually felt like a Christmas movie I could see my family watching.

Mind you, this is no It's a Wonderful Life, or A Christmas Story, or even Elf. What this is is a direct to television movie that appeared way back on 2001. I had never heard of it before now, and I probably would have been just as happy having never seen it in the fist place, however, as I search for movies to watch this season, I am bound to stumble across the likes of these.

Call me Claus is an inoffensive little tale of Santa Claus and his search for a replacement. You see, every 200-years a new person is picked to take up the mantle of the legendary gift giver. This particular year sees the current Santa (Nigel Hawthorne) in his final ride and unwilling to give it up. The rest of the elves are now trying to get Santa to do the right thing because there is a contract involved. Of course there is, without it we wouldn't have a story.

The elves refer to it as the water world clause. If a new Santa is not selected the clause kicks in and I guess that is the end of the world. Wow, I did not notice the apocalyptic overtones when I was watching, but there it is. Why is this so? One of the elves mentions Noah and the flood and alludes to it being caused by the lack of a Santa selection. Hmmm..

Anyway, he story starts some years ago when a little girl named Lucy wishes to have her father home from Vietnam. She also asks to put his hat on, which he obliges and the hat glows. Could it be a sign? Maybe. In any case, Lucy and her mother and brother go home only to learn that her father had been killed. Way to put a downer on things, right?

We jump ahead to the present day and pick up with a now grown Lucy (Whoopi Goldberg). She is a grouchy TV producer of a QVC-esque home shopping network. She is looking for a Santa to sell stuff on air and it just so happens that the Santa of her youth (and the real Santa) is looking for her and stumbles into the audition.

What follows are Santa's attempts to get Lucy to lighten up and embrace a new career path. Meanwhile, she and her boss are focused on selling lots of junk, and the real Santa, despite some quirks is doing a great job of it. Of course there will be some miscommunications along the way, but Lucy will ultimately see the light and take up the reigns.

The movie is a trifle, disposable entertainment. I will say that I really liked Nigel Hawthorne's performance as Santa. He brings class to the role, he is believable and has great warmth. Sadly, it was his final performance as he passed away in December 2001. Whoopi, on the other hand, is, well, Whoopi. She doesn't do anything particularly great and is annoying at times. Among the supporting cast the standouts are Victor Garber, who always does the job well, and Taylor Negron as the head elf, this is a strange dude who does a fine job being weird.

Sure, watch it, it is harmless enough and has its heart in the right place. Besides, you can picture Whoopi goldberg as a Predator!

Mildly Recommended.

Eyes on Christmas: A Christmas Too Many

2011-12-08T22:05:00.001-05:00

The first week of the Christmas marathon is chugging along, although it is starting to resemble my Halloween marathon. You see, I am not planning this out very well, scrounging for titles, looking for things I haven't seen before, in some cases anyway. Well, this latest viewing is a good example of my poor planning. This has to be one of the worst excuses for a Christmas movie ever, and considering some of the cast members, it certainly should have been at least modestly entertaining. It wasn't

Even with my broad definition of the Christmas movie, which allows me to include the one I watched just before this, Dead End, onto the list, this is a bad holiday themed movie. At the same time, it is the first one to truly center on a family celebrating the holiday.

What is it called? It is called A Christmas Too Many. It features such stars as Mickey Rooney and Clint Howard, plus a few others I recognize, but cannot remember their names. In the end it doesn't matter, this is a movie you want to avoid, not see, and dismiss with prejudice. It is a movie that even if you have not seen it, you should discourage anyone from seeing it or, more importantly, allowing anyone to inflict its awfulness upon you. I think the only thing this is good for is a bout of insomnia, it will put you out like a light.

Well, the movie centers on a family gathering to celebrate the holiday. They are us unlikable a bunch as you are likely to meet. Drunks, louts, plain annoying, and the inexplicable mafioso in the kitchen. They all come together with dirty mouths, ulterior motives, and severed digits. They annoy each other, pull a Weekend at Bernie's situation, and other stuff that I can scarcely remember and do not wish to inflict on you.

Seriously, I don't really want to write about this thing and I wish I had chosen better. Sure, I have seen worse movies, but this is just not good. It may be set around the holiday and be a family gathering, but there is certainly none of the spirit or joy.

Pass on this.

NOT Recommended.

Eyes on Christmas: Dead End

2011-12-07T21:02:00.000-05:00

The early days of this year's Christmas marathon have certainly proven to be an odd bunch. You see, this is what happens when you don't give it any hard planning and play it by ear as you go along. Day one featured a film that equated holiday commercialism with drug addiction, day two was an uber bizarre holiday fable from Mexico, and day three has delivered a movie that for intents and purposes should not be considered a Christmas movie. However, I am employing a rather broad definition for a Christmas movie, therefore it counts.

The movie is a horror movie with a strong Twilight Zone feel. It is called Dead End, if you don't think that sounds like a suitable holiday feature, you would be right. The holiday connection is tenuous at best, but here it is: the family is heading to grandma's house on Christmas Eve for dinner. That about sums it up. So, while this may not be a good example of a Christmas movie, it is a good example of a creepy horror movie that seems to have flown under the radar, yet is of surprisingly high quality. Seriously, this is a solid film that if you miss it, you are missing out.

The story follows the Harrington family, Frank (Ray Wise), Laura (Lin Shaye), son Richard (Mick Cain), daughter Marion (Alexandra Holden), and her boyfriend Brad (Billy Asher). They are making the trip to Laura's parents for the holiday and for the first time in twenty years Frank decides to take a different route, a choice made while everyone was sleeping and could not protest. This proves to be a bad decision and following a near crash when Frank dozes off, we begin to find out just how bad an idea it was.

This is about all the detail you really need. Generally speaking, the fewer known specifics, the better it is. There is a bit more I can reveal, but most of it should be experienced as you watch. The first sign that things are going to go horribly wrong is when a lady in white shows up having apparently suffered some sort of trauma and in need of help. They help her, but then things start to get even worse.

I will leave the rest to you to find in the movie. What I can say is that this is a solidly written, acted, and executed film. It has limited sets and locations and involves the characters interacting a lot. It is written in a way that actually made me care about them. Secrets are revealed, feelings change and evolve, and the solid presence of Wise and Shaye keeps everything rolling.

There is humor to be found, not just of the tension relief variety. Much of the humor is derived from the characters and it works very nicely. On top of that, there is some decent use of blood and gore. It all combines in a nice melange of atmosphere and character.

It may not be much of a Christmas movie, but it is a solid horror movie that shouldn't be overlooked.

Recommended.

Eyes on Christmas: Santa Claus (1959)

2011-12-06T21:09:00.001-05:00

Well, the first day of the Christmas marathon was not all that Christmassy. Sure, the holiday was there, there were some decorations and the need for a present, but it was not your standard jolly holiday fare, it was one that used the season as something of a backdrop. Well, the second movie is much more in line with the season. It is also much more bizarre, strange, quirky, and just plain weird. It is a Mexican film called Santa Claus. I know, imaginative, right?

The movie was made way back in 1959 and never had an official release I'm the US. It is my understanding that it was booked to play a few festivals but that was about as far it goes, theatrically anyway. Frankly, I am not sure how well it would have done on he national stage. You see, this is a weird, weird movie. It is a movie that plays to the cult crowd, or at least that is who it plays to these days. It is a movie that appears to have been born or a drug induced fever dream. It is a trippy twist on the Santa story and one that defies explanation.

Santa Claus tells the story of, duh, Santa. He can come to Earth one day a year where he does battle with the devil Pitch. He must beat Pitch and deliver all his toys in one night. Fortunately, he does not have to do it alone, you see Santa has his own gadget man, like James Bond's Q. This gadget guy is none other than Merlin the Magician. Yup, you read that right. Merlin provides things like sleeping powder, a universal key, and a flower that will turn you invisible if you sniff it. Not only that, Santa has some tech he uses to keep an eye on the kids of Earth, like a telescope with a big eye on a stalk, an ear mounted on an oscillating fan, and creepy mouth that knows all!

Wow, I am getting a bit ahead of myself. Before the story starts, we are introduced to Santa's "helpers." They are not elves, more like indentured servitude, kids with questionable singing skills from all over he world separated by nationality (or region). The kids are presented as stereotypically as possible, and you will scarcely believe your eyes. This takes a good ten minutes at the start as the groups of kids are introduced while Santa plays an organ with some seriously creepy expressions.

Meanwhile, Pitch is on Earth influencing some kids to do bad things. Fortunately, not many buy into his wants. There are two other kids who become the focal point for our battle of good and evil. There is a little rich boy whose parents are never around, all he wants is them to be there with him. There is also a little girl, Lupita, who only wants a dolly, and to be good.

This movie is so out there that it really needs to be seen to be believed. The weirdo Santa, the racist depiction of kids, the nightmare creating clockwork reindeer, Santa being chased up a tree, the interpretive dance of the dollys in Lupita's head, the rich kid's parents in boxes, Santa's chimney room, his memory complaints, Pitch's prancing about, and countless other bits.

What a crazy, crazy movie. I have to say that I liked it. It is not a good movie by any stretch, it has even been immortalized on Mystery Science Theater 3000. This is definitely the sort of movie that can become an annual tradition. If you like the weird, you have to see this.

Recommended.

Eyes on Christmas: R-Xmas

2011-12-05T20:56:00.001-05:00

It is hard to believe it is December already. In any case, I decided to do a marathon in conjunction with the oncoming holiday, much like I did with Halloween in October. I have a nice lineup of Christmas movies lined up, although I will say that some of them are not directly Christmas movies, some of them are just set around the holiday through chance or just a backdrop. For example, the first movie I have chosen is not really a Christmas, although it could be seen as a commentary on consumerism.

So, I sat down and took a look at the titles I have compiled and looked for one to be the first. The winner is none other than R-Xmas. Prior to looking for christmas titles on Netflix I had never heard of this. It turns out that it is a pretty interesting film, not great by any standard and one I am unlikely to want to revisit, but one I am lad to have watched.

The movie was co-written and directed by Abel Ferrara. He is a Brooklyn native who has been a rather prolific filmmaker over his career. He has made some really good films like King of New York and Bad Lieutenant, not to mention some odd ones like The Addiction. While I am not exactly a follower of his career, it seems that he has not really made a movie of any import for a while. This one was made back in 2001 and despite playing some tfestivals, was unceremoniously dumped to home video where very few people actually seem to have heard of it.

Set in the days leading up to Christmas the story centers on a Latino family who balance a nicely upscale and social life and their smack dealing business. With this time frame and business choice, Ferrara takes a look at the similarities of commercialism and drug addiction. As Husband (Lillo Brancato, who remains unnamed) attempts to purchase the latest hot toy for his daughter, he witnesses two women fighting tooth and nail over the last one. Could these customers of merchandise be any different than those looking to score their next hit of his stuff?

Ferrara focuses on the minutiae of their lives. This is not sensational filmmaking, it is much more matter of fact look at what they do on a day to day basis. We see the stress of finding the right Christmas gift, the lengths they go to keep up social appearances and how they keep their illegal business separate. We watch them bagging the drugs and stamping them with the brand logo.

Things change up about halfway through when Wife (Drea de Matteo) is finishing picking up a couple of those special dolls for her daughter when she is approached by a man with her husband's wallet. He is behind kidnapping Husband, so he is known as Kidnapper (Ice-T). Now it is up to Wife to get him back.

It is a slow, deliberate movie whose only focus is just the characters, and even they are of questionable interest. It is interesting t pick out the commercialism/drug comparison, but at the same time I never felt like taking all that much time to try and figure it out.

The best part of this movie is Drea de Matteo. She is the linchpin of the film and does a rather convincing job. She is strong, intelligent and unsure of what the next step is and even if this thing is the real deal.

My recommendation would be to give it a shot, ponder it, and never watch it again. It is not bad, but it is not a traditional Christmas movie and it is not one to lift the holiday spirits.

Mildly Recommended.

Review: Hudson Horror Show 4 - December to Dismember

2011-12-04T18:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the fourth Hudson Horror Show. Never heard of it? Well, if you are a fan of classic and old school horror, it is the place to be! What they do is get a collection of 5 or 6 movies and a nice selection of old trailers, all on 35mm film. and put on a show! A full day of old school projections. It is a great and exhausting time, this edition was no different. I tell you, there is nothing like watching an old worn print of an old school horror movie with a theater full of like minded fans. It really amps up the energy. Seriously, if you are into horror movies, this is the place to be.

Now, I would love to tell you all the trailers I saw and what movies they were paired with, but that just isn't going to happen, my memory for such details is not so good and I have never been good with taking notes. I will tell you day included the likes of Annihilators, Vigilante Force, The Shining, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Road Warrior, Mad Max, Masters of the Universe, Commando, Predator, Total Recall, Phantasm II, and Hellraiser.

The first movie of the day was called The Werewolf vs The Vampire Woman. It stars Paul Naschy and is a lot of fun, even if it doesn't make sense all the time. There are no real explanations, it just is. Two women on a road rip end up at these ruins with a home where the werewolf guy lives, they uncover an old tomb where a vampire queen is buried. Of course they mistakenly awaken the thought dead woman. She starts haunting people culminating in a battle between Naschy's werewolf and the vampire woman.

The movie is filled with awkward edits, terrible dialogue, and some of the worst day for night shooting I've ever seen. That said, this is a lot of fun. It is a fun example of Eurotrash cinema. Also, it is quite reminiscent of Subspecies, if you have seen that one

Next up was the secret film. When I first heard there was going to be a secret addition to the lineup, I thought for sure it was going to be the original Black Christmas, I was wrong. The movie turned out to be a Godzilla movie, and surprisingly one that I hadn't seen before. It was Godzilla vs the Cosmic Monster. It is the first appearance of Mechagodzilla, and possessor of some awesome comical monster moments.

There is some great stuff like the assumption that the bad guys are spacemen, the fact they look like apes when you shoot them, plus Godzilla acting like pro wrestler playing to the crowd. Loved it!

Watching this made me realize that I need to go back and revisit the Godzilla series. This is not one of the more serious films of the series, in fact it is downright silly at times. Seeing it with a crowd was a blast.

Godzilla also brought the first glitch of the night as the projector just shut off at one point. Fortunately, it started back up pretty quickly and the movie marched forward.

The third movie was probably the one movie I was most looking forward to, even with the ones I had never seen, this was high up there. The movie is none other than Lucio Fulci's masterpiece The Beyond. It is a movie that is just a fantastically surreal experience. It has a deadly serious tone with some some very funny moments. It is a zombie movie with no way out, once it starts there is no stopping and no going back, it is just a matter of how long you want to fight it before succumbing to the inevitable.

There are some great gore moments, like the opening crucifixion, a face eaten by spiders, and plenty of zombie head shots (and torso shots, despite knowing they are ineffective), not to mention some requisite Fulci eye violations. It is a movie that really needs to be experienced by all horror fans.

It should be said that this print was in fantastic shape. Most of the damage seemed localized to the beginning and end of the film, and the sound was great. This has to be be of the better prints t have screened her. This print actually came from the show's sponsor, Grindhouse Releasing.

The fourth movie is another one that I had never seen before, Rolling Thunder, a 1977 revenge film. It is a movie that has never been officially released on DVD or even VHS! It stars William Devane as a recently freed POW, held for seven years in Vietnam. He is having some trouble adjusting to life home, especially after learning his wife wanting a divorce. It doesn't get any better when his home is robbed and his wife and son are murdered. He enlists the aid friend and fellow POW, played by Tommy Lee Jones and head to Mexico for a little bit of revenge.

What a gritty movie with a great violent ending. Devane gives a great subtle performance of a troubled man. It is a shame it has never had a home video release. I cannot see how there would be no interest in it. It is also interesting to note that this film appeared as number 10 on Gene Siskel's Top Ten of 1977.

The fifth movie is said to be one of the scariest horror movies ever made. The marked, worn print, with faded colors did nothing but enhance the effect. The movie is none other than The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. What can I say that has not already been said about this? It is dark, gritty, scary, unsettling cinema. It is a movie that could only be the product of the 70's, it could not be made the same way today, it would be more created and less authentic (although I should note that I quite liked the remake).

That first quick appearance of Leatherface is scary as anything ever put to film. Sure, the hitchhiker may have stirred up some unease, but it is Leatherface's appearance and the screams that follow that seal the deal. Let's not forget the dinner scene, talk about unsettiling.

Yes, this is one of the all time greats. It's hard not to cheer for Marilyn Burns as she screams her way through most of the movie.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre was also the second glitch of the night. As the opening scroll with the John Larroquette narration rolled, the film bound up and melted. Literally. It took a few minutes but they were able to splice the film, but a chunk of that opening is gone. Sad, as we pegged this print as one dating back to the mid 1970's.

The last movie of the day was Silent Night Deadly Night. A great and controversial slasher from the mid 1980's, A young boy is told by his mentally ill grandfather that Santa punishes naughty children. Later that night he witnesses his parents murder by a guy dressed as Santa. This warps his view of Santa and Christmas. Years later he is put in a Santa suit at a toy store and he just snaps, picks up an axe and proceeds to punish the naughty all over town. This is seriously over the top holiday fun and has gone a long way towards getting me ready for Christmas. To make it even more fun, take a drink whenever you hear them say "naughty" or "punish." Trust me.

Oh yeah, this was a third and final glitch of the night. At one point the film split, the projectionist said she's never seen anything like it. Apparently, one side of the film caught and the other side kept going, splitting the movie right down the middle. Again, they were able to splice the film and get us going again in short order.

That brings the day to a close. It was an exhausting, back killing day of movies, but it was worth it. Also they have vendors too, selling dvd's toys and other stuff. It is like a mini convention, and it is growing as this show was a virtual sellout, biggest crowd yet! Look up Hudsonhorror.com or on facebook for when they announce the next show, I am guessing either May or June.

That about wraps it up. Be sure to let me know what you think. Until next time be sure to check out full length ramblings at critical outcast.com

Hudson Horror Show: December to Dismember Video Report.

2011-12-04T17:23:00.000-05:00

My video report on The Hudson Horror Show 4.

Movie Review: Dead Heat

2011-12-01T22:42:00.000-05:00

Now, can someone tell me why it took over 22-years for me to see Dead Heat? Also, can anyone tell me why no one ever told me it was a zombie movie? Seriously, I had no idea what this movie was about. I never even gave it a second thought. Never read a description or a synopsis, never looked it up on IMDB or asked friends about it. No one ever offered me any information about this little gem. Please, don't get me wrong, this is far from a masterpiece, it is not even really in the upper echelon, but it is certainly an entertaining little thing. Besides, this is probably the only time you will see a combination as odd as Joe Piscopo and Vincent Price. Yes, you read that right. It is too bad that Price was unable to participate more than he did.

For some reason I never noticed the zombie hand holding the police badge title card on the DVD art. Frankly, I would glance at the title, see Joe Piscopo and Treat Williams, take in the rather cheap looking art and write it off as just another Lethal Weapon clone. It looked like it would be B-grade buddy cop movie and I was not interested. Well, somebody should have slapped a little sense into me. This is an almost gleefully silly mashup of buddy comedy and zombie movie. It has stupid one liners, gun fights, some bloody effects, and what may be the first teaming of the living and the dead. Yup, this is kind of fun.

Dead Heat opens with a brazen daylight robbery. A couple of big guys in masks go into a jewelry store and proceed to order people around and start bagging up the jewelry. They don't seem like the brightest bulbs, but their brute force seems to be more than enough. Fortunately, there are a couple of detectives nearby, Roger Mortis (think about that name, it is a clue) and Doug Bigelow. One look and you can see they fall into the standard buddy cop movie cliches. That's all right, the movie seems to embrace them and have fun with it.

Well, they, and a whole mess of other cops, get into a shootout with the bad guys, but something seems off. After violently subduing them, they discover they were dead, before our heroes had their way with them. Their investigation leads them to a large corporation doing questionable experiments. Mortis uncovers an undead mutation in one of the labs, a big fight later and he is dead. Fortunately, the experiments the company is doing involve resurrecting the dead! In goes Mortis dead, out comes Mortis alive. Well, at least the semblance of life.

We know have a team of a wisecracking goon in Bigelow (Joe Piscopo) and a living dead straight man in Roger Mortis (Treat Williams). Get the name now? Rigor Mortis? Oh come on, that is funny right there. This odd couple now need to find the man behind these ungodly experiments.

Now, there is nothing particularly unique in the format. There is just some goofy stuff being done. What I found interesting is that I was wondering if it could have been better if the players involved had been a little lower rent? I kept thinking that I wanted to see this as a serious B movie, perhaps Italian trash style. I know, I am not quite all together...

Whatever, whatever, the fact remains that this is a fun mashup that is apparently easy to miss. Frankly, you probably aren't missing all that much by missing it, but I was surprised to find that it holds up pretty well. Yes, clothes and some of the jokes are dated, but it stands up, especially the effects! That fight at the Chinese restaurant is pretty fantastic with the living dead cow corpse and the duck heads and such. However, the one scene that really sold the whole thing for me is a reveal I won't give away, but the special effects are really amazing. I daresay jaw dropping.

Oh yeah, there is also the little fact that Vincent Price is in it! Unfortunately, he was sick and could not participate much so his role is pretty limited. Still, there is something about his presence, his voice, the man is amazing. There is also Darren McGavin in a pivotal role. It is an interesting cast for director Mark Goldblatt (who only directed one other feather, 1989's The Punisher, but whose career has lasted as an editor having worked on some great projects) and writer Terry Black (who, coincidentally is the brother of Lethal Weapon scribe Shane Black).

This is worth checking out, it is a quirky little movie that plays with a couple of genres and is moderately successful at both. Still, wonder what it would have been like had it been made by someone like Antonio Margheriti or perhaps John Carpenter...

Recommended.

.

Movie Review: Hugo

2011-11-30T22:27:00.000-05:00

Here is a movie that I like very, very much. I may even love, but as I sit here staring at the screen searching for the words, I am having a hard time finding them. Hugo is a beautiful, mesmerizing film. It is a wonderful story told with warmth, imagination, and intelligence. It is a movie that surprised me. I went in with a certain bunch of expectations and while they were met, there was a while different part of the story that wasn't even hinted at that just opened up the world of and spoke to different interests. Altogether Hugo is a family friendly tale of whimsy, nostalgia, mystery, hope, and friendship, and probably more that is escaping me.

Hugo is a deceptively simple story of an orphan living in a train station in 1930's Paris. It is the sort of story that in lesser hands could become an ever further simplified tale that wouldn't carry half the charm, wit, and magic that this movie does. Director Martin Scorsese has done something special here. It is a movie unlike anything else he has made in his career (not to mention the biggest budget), it is a movie that may not be on the same level as his best work, but at the same time it feels like a work that is very close to his heart, perhaps even a culmination of many different aspects of his film passion.

You see, Hugo is more than a movie about an orphan, it is about the dawn of film, or special effects, the fear of being forgotten, the importance preserving vision and memory. This is a movie that wraps you up in its arms and tells you about the magic of movies and storytelling, of family and adventure.

Hugo (Asa Butterfield) lives in the walls and crawlspaces of a train station. He keeps all of the clocks wound and running. So long as he isn't seen by the station inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen), that is. Following the untimely death of his father (Jude Law), he is taken in by his drunk uncle (Ray Winstone) who teaches him about the clocks. Soon enough, his uncle has disappeared and he is once again alone.

The thing that keeps the lonely boy going is the broken automaton that his father was working on with him. He has kept up the work by pilfering parts from a clockwork toy shop run by a cranky old man named George (Ben Kingsley). One day he is caught and the adventure really starts. He meets Isabelle (Chloe Moretz) who is in the care of George and his wife. She helps Hugo on his way.

What helps make this movie so special is the way it shifts gears between the first and second half. At first I thought it was a bit jarring, but the more I think about it the transition is rather elegant. You see, early on we learn about how Hugo's father would take him to the movies and how much the cinema meant to them, then we learn about the filmmaker character and his connection to the automaton and the collective link to Hugo and his father. Wow, that is a clumsy sentence, isn't it? In any case, it builds up the magic of cinema and the way it can connect people. Hugo learns more about the movies and is drawn closer to his father. It is nicely subtle and doesn't discuss it explicitly.

This is a wonderfully executed film that does not have a cynical bone in its body. It is a movie full of hope and wonder. It is not a fast paced film, it is one that takes its time, slowly allowing it to work its magic on you, letting you take in the detail and care that has gone into designing it. At the same time, it never lets itself slip into pretension or lose that fun feeling. There are some fun chases an funny comedy involving the inspector keeping the tone light.

I am not sure what else to say about this movie. It is not what I expected, although I am not sure if that is for better or for worse. Considering how much I like this movie, I am not sure that matters all that much. It is a movie that has heart and is made by someone who clearly understands the technology. The 3D is quite good, adding depth and texture, plus the opening shot is pretty spectacular.

What it comes down to is that this is a really go movie made by a master of the medium. It is a project that brings a number of different ideas together. This includes nostalgia, a love for a bygone era and the dawn of cinema. Just go and see it.

Highly Recommended.

Movie Review: Land of Doom

2011-11-30T20:40:00.000-05:00

There is something about these old goofy genre movies that just appeals to me. Sure there are a lot of bad, really bad, movies that are unwatchable, but there are also the ones that are surprisingly good or bad in a way that is perfectly entertaining. I am rather glad hat Netflix has made a bunch of these movies available. Not to sound like a commercial or anything, but I am not sure I would have been exposed to them were it not for the service. In any case, this particular film is not a good one, it is pretty poor actually, but it has a certain goofy energy that is engaging and that makes it pretty entertaining.

The movie is saddled with the ominous title Land of Doom (Oooohhhhh!) and strikes me as another in a seemingly endless line of Road Warrior rip offs, although, to is credit, there are touches of Lucio Fulci's The New Barbarians in there too. It is a post apocalyptic future where the Earth has been ravaged by nuclear war and now humanity survives in small towns, villages, and roving gangs of Raiders who subscribe to the Scorched Earth philosophy and would seem to be happy not having anyone else around at all.

We open on a raid by the Raiders, there are raping and pillaging and burning everything to the ground. Pretty standard fare for the genre. There is one woman, Harmony, who manages to avoid the bad guys by ducking into a surprisingly well lit cave. Here she meets Anderson, a wounded survivor who has been hiding there for a couple of days. She begrudgingly shares a bit of food with him.

The next morning she goes to leave and finds he wants to tag along. Harmony os not cool with this at all. She is a loner, and apparently has had been raped at some point in the past and is distrusting and downright angry against all males that she meets. Anyway, they head off to, well, I don't know where there end goal lay as they never get there. Yes, the movie just sort of ends with nothing resolved.

It is a road movie where the good guys wear tattered clones and the bad guys wear studded leather and ride motorcycles with goofy modifications. It seems as if some time has passed since the apocalypse, but there also does not seem to be any real society forming, no one seems to be farming or creating an economy, they just roam around picking fights or just simply existing.

The main thrust of the story is Harmony hating men, Anderson acting like a protective daddy, and they are chased because Anderson used to be a Raider leader who tried to make them good guys to the chagrin of their current boss, whose name I cannot remember. Seriously, there is no story, scarcely any character development, and just odd people put in the way of their route. Still, I found enough here to actually enjoy. Seriously.

The lead performances are suitably goofy, Deborah Rennard as Harmony has this look of feigned disgust and yells whenever a man touches her. It is petty funny seeing her get into some of these predicaments while claiming to be a loner. Meanwhile, Garrick Dowhen as Anderson has the big square jawed thing going on, looking like a low rent Bruce Campbell. Let's no forget the goofy wld eyed bad guys, the cannibal family, and the random group of Jawas they meet along the way. Oh yes, there is also that new character that is introduced right near the end in order to help affect an escape.

Man, this movie has some silly stuff in it. I did particularly enjoy the bad guy who falls off his motorcycle going up a tiny hill, is punched out by another biker (after he is insulted for his aroma), followed by a guy laughing and then taking his bike right off a ledge. There is also the bit towards the end where the good guys cross a bridge and block it off o the bad guys. Seems normal, right? Well, one of the characters runs up a hill to celebrate with the Jawa-looking things that were on the other side of the bridge! Amazing geography.

It is a fun movie that has moments that are completely ludicrous. I have to say that I liked it. It is no great thing, but I could certainly be convinced to visit it again.

Recommended.

Movie Review: Deep Space

2011-11-29T18:53:00.000-05:00

It seems like just yesterday that Netflix was pulling a fast one on me, swapping in Alienator for Star Slammer. Sure, they are both Fred Olen Ray movies, but it was not just a simple retitling. Anyway, there I was, once again trolling for some should have been forgotten title to subject myself to, and what should I come across but another Fred Olen Ray flick. Granted, I did not know this until he credits rolled, but I probably should have known as it seemed to be along the same quality line as Alienator. Fortunately, this one was eminently more watchable.

This gem of a genre flick is called Deep Space, and that title is more than a little misleading. You see, there is nothing about this movie that involves deep space. I mean, it doesn't even take place in space save for the opening shot, there is no space involved at all. With that said, Deep Space is essentially an Alien rip off made to make a buck on a low budget. This is something that Ray seems rather adept at, churning out low budget genre fair to cash in on the direct to video market. I cold be wrong, but I am not aware of any theatrical runs for this movie.

As the tale opens, we see what looks like a message tube tumbling through space. Apparently it is a secret government experiment in bio weaponry hat was being conducted in space. I guess they thought I would be too dangerous to do down on the ground, although they don't seem to have thought it necessary to have any precautions for if it got away. Which it did and is crashing down to earth, but they don't know where it is going, even when it lands they have no idea. They know when it is active versus dormant. Wonderful bunch of men in white coats, I tell you.

Anyway, we get a cliche twofer with a pair of teens and a drunk witnessing the thing arrive. They head off to investigate with disastrous results. The teens find the big cockroach egg looking thing and are promptly ripped apart by tentacles, all witnessed by the drunk.

Without giving too much away, we are introduced to a couple of rebellious detectives, a rookie cop, their boss (Bo Svenson), and their investigation into what these egg things are. We are given the astute observation that it is organic material and is therefore alive (spot on that one). The big egg is dragged back to police headquarters for examination while the detectives each sneak away with smaller ones.

While we wait for the big reveal, our head detective, Mclemore (perennial tough guy Charles Napier) seduces the female rookie cop by playing the bagpipes. I tell you, the bagpipes don't get nearly the romantic respect they deserve. Back at the station the the big egg cracks open and reveals a rather Giger-esque creature who growls and snarls, kills the doctor and manages to get out of the station undetected.

The small eggs clue our hero in to what is going down and this leads to the big climactic showdown where we learn hat bullets don't help but chainsaws work mighty nice. Unfortunately, the streaming video was rather dark and mush of the detail of this last showdown is lost, aside the sounds and screams.

Seriously, this movie is pretty ridiculous. There is very light grasp on reality, evidenced by the actions of he entire cast, how no one seems to do what is logical. However, there is an infectious quality to the proceedings that makes It very easy to watch and even somewhat enjoyable. Some the stuff that happens just defies description. Besides the familiar cliches and the elements taken from Alien, there are some real groaners in the script. The military are more interested in berating the white coats, the white coats don't know much of anything, they can't even find it, despite knowing what state it is and being able to send commands to it (although it is organic), the detectives having their guns taken away but still expected to investigate cases, plus the previously mentioned bagpipes.

It is amazing it is as watchable as it is. I cannot say I really liked it, but it was fun to watch and I could probably be convinced to watch it again.

Mildly Recommended.

Movie Review: Bloody Reunion

2011-11-28T20:37:00.000-05:00

As I looked over a bunch of my recent viewings, I noticed that I have not been watching all that many foreign titles. Conveniently enough, I found an interesting title buried deep in my Netflix queue that is set to expire soon, so I decided to give it a shot. I must say that it is certainly an interesting gem of a horror flick that I wish was presented better. You seem it was not a high definition stream and it was, let's just say it was less than ideal. As for the content, I have to say that I liked it, right down to the overly long twisty ending.

The movie is called Bloody Reunion, and it certainly is bloody and does have a reunion in it. Leave it to the Koreans, and Japanese, to turn a slasher film into a melodramatic tragedy with a full on teary eyed catharsis at the conclusion. Now, you may think that gives things away, but it doesn't, just recognize the fact that thins are not quite what they seem to be.

As the. Obie opens we are shown a teacher out with her young students, presumably on recess. Things are going fine until she goes into labor, a strained one that is signaled with blood. She is rushed to the hospital where she gives birth to a severely deformed child. The child is locked in the basement out of embarrassment and to keep him away from the taunts of the other children. The husband ends up hanging himself and then our timeline jumps ahead, presumably to the present.

We are presented with a detective investigating a grisly murder scene. The basement o a home is strewn with bloodied and tortured bodies. There were two survivors at taken to the hospital. One is the teacher, now older and terminally I'll, confined to a wheelchair and she is in a coma. The other is Mi Ja, a former student and now live in aid. She begins to tell her story of what happened in that house.

Now we flashback to the weekend prior, this is where the majority of the film takes place. Mi Ja thought it would be nice to reunite some of the teacher's old students before she does. So, a number of them come out to visit her secluded home and all seem anxious to see her. However, before long it is revealed that she may not have been the best of teachers and all of the now adult students have reasons to want to get renege on her. This is shown through their confrontations with her, telling of stories from their time in her class.

Then the brutal killings start. There's a killer in a crude bunny mask, think of Jason Voorhees hockey mask after a day with a kindergarten class. He pops up and kills people in nicely cruel fashion.

The big question is who is the killer? There are good reasons to suspect most of the former students, not to mention the seemingly forgotten deformed child. Who could it be? Who has the best motive to want them dead?

It all leads to a seemingly complicated and extended conclusion where all is revealed. I liked this, it is different than what usually get with domestic horror and adds an intriguing layer of overwrought emotion to the proceedings. It does pull the rug out from under you and makes you question all hat you had seen. Still, if you stop to consider it, it all makes pretty simple sense and is somewhat elegant in is reveal.

I would not necessarily call it a great slasher, I still think it takes a little too long to get to the kills, but there is a lot to like about it. The characters are more interesting than your usual bunch of killer fodder, and there seems to be some interesting ideas lurking just beneath the surface. The idea of a teacher's, or any adult for that matters, good intentions turning out to be the wrong call. Sure, she was tough and made some questionable choices (I know i wouldn't have liked them), but were they worthy of being murdered for? Probably not. Still, interesting to wonder about the effects of certain actions on young minds and potential long lasting effects.

Overall, this is a solid slasher movie with some nicely bloody kills, some interesting characters, and a conclusion that changes everything that you just saw with its clever narrative. Definitely worth spending time with. It is also interesting to note that the original title is To Sir with Love, a title that makes no sense.

Recommended.

Movie Review: The Muppets (2011)

2011-11-27T20:22:00.000-05:00

I grew up with the Muppets. I remember watching the show with the funny antics and celebrity guests, Animal going crazy, Kermit and Piggy, Gonzo and his chickens, and let's not forget the Swedish Chef and Lew always blowing stuff (or himself) up! It was always so much fun, and then there were the movies. You cannot deny that there was something special about Jim Hensen's creations; however, you also cannot deny that they have fallen out of favor over the years. Sure, the Muppet Christmas Carol gets some annual play, but generally speaking, there hasn't been all that much of a place for them for sometime. Well, Jason Segel set out to prove that attitude to be wrong and does just that.

The Muppets is a movie that is aware of what it is trying to do. It realizes that it is playing the roll of underdog, trying to make these classic characters relevant again. The screenplay gleefully embraces this status and just goes for it. As written by Segel (who is an unabashed fan of the Muppets since his youth and has lng wanted to make a movie with them) and Nicholas Stoller (who directed Segel and his vampire puppet show in Forgetting Sarah Marshall) the movie trades on the nostalgia that so many adults must have for them, while not forgetting that this could also be the introduction of these characters for a new generation.

The story introduces us to Gary (Segel), resident of Smalltown USA, big brother to the newest Muppet character, Walter, and boyfriend to the lovely Mary (Amy Adams). Gary and Walter grew up as fans of the Muppets. Walter, in particular, was enthralled with them. In them he saw hope and laughter. The three then travel to Los Angeles and part of said trip includes visiting the Muppet Theater, which is now a rundown shell about to be sold to a ruthless oil baron (Chris Cooper).

The bulk of the film has the starstruck Walter helping Kermit put the gang back together to put on one more show. They have a chance to stop the oil baron from getting the studio, but they have to raise some money. This movie just had me grinning from ear to ear.

It really is a simple story, one that doesn't take a lot of brain power to figure out. Its success lies in the execution. The screenplay is full of heart that gets the characters right, there is funny stuff, sweet stuff, nostalgic stuff, and sad stuff. All of these things come together into a magical concoction that is the stuff of happiness.

No, this is not the greatest thing ever, but it is one of those movies that is clever, knows its place and just does it. I loved the characters, the songs are catchy, and it did what it set out to, make the Muppets fun again. Sure, it's not like they ever really went away, but they have not really been a big part of pop culture over the past decade or so, more along the fringe.

I feel like I am starting to ramble. I just really enjoyed this movie. There are some really funny jokes and bits, there are a bunch of fun cameos, plus the requisite nostalgia. This is a movie I think I can watch a bunch of times without it ever getting old and I feel the desire to revisit the old movies.

On one last note, I really liked Animal's story thread, and Chris Cooper's bad guy laugh, and Rowlf's bit, and Walter's reaction to the oil baron, and Amy Adams solo song, and the references to them being in a movie, and so much more.

Highly Recommended.

Movie Review: Arthur Christmas

2011-11-27T15:22:00.000-05:00

I have to be honest, when I first saw the teaser for this movie over the summer, I was not really interested in it at all. It looked a little too silly, a little too much for the kids. There really isn't anything wrong with that, it just did not appeal to me and I had no intention of seeing it (everyone has to draw the line somewhere, right?). Well, the closer the release got the more my ideas started to change a little bit. You see, the final trailer came out and it looked a little better, possible even interesting. Combine that with the positive buzz that was bubbling up around it, and my learning that Aardman Studios (Wallace and Gromit) was involved and I was convinced this could be worth spending time with.

As the movie opens we are flown to Santa's North Pole home, accompanied by the voice over of a letter to Santa. The letter is from a young girl named Gwen. She tells of her steadfast belief in Santa, but it is laced with touches of skepticism ("If you live at the North Pole, how come I can't see your house on Google Earth?"). As the letter is read, we are continuing on our journey to and through Santa's home. We see the Santas through the ages, the mantle passed on as the older gift givers retire. We settle on Arthur (James McAvoy), Santa's youngest son. He is a clumsy, warm hearted, true believer in Santa and what he means to children around the world and he spends his time answering the letters sent to Santa each year.

While Arthur responds to letters, we are given a look at the rest of the operation. This is a large scale, high tech operation that can no longer be handled by a fat man on a sled with some reindeer. Santa now travels the world in a huge stealth ship with a team of thousands of elves getting all the presents into place and bungeeing down to the houses to aid in effective delivery. All of this is coordinated by a massive command center at the North Pole, run by Santa's eldest son, Steven (Hugh Laurie).

With all of that set up out of the way, the story focuses on Gwen, who is mistakenly missed n Santa's rounds. This is a travesty to Arthur who tries to convince Santa to get that present delivered while Steven convinces him that it is an acceptable mistake. Well, Arthur does not agree and overcomes his fears of going outside and with the help of Grandsanta (Bill Nighy) and Byrony the wrapping expert elf, get the reindeer and old school sled together and set out on an adventure to make things right.

I have to say that Arthur Christmas was really quite enjoyable. It is heartwarming, funny, and has some really clever gags. There are nicely placed references and sight gags that all add up to a very enjoyable time. I have to admit to being surprised by how much I liked this movie. It is not perfect, the characters are a little to the thin side, but there is enough warmth, humor, and good cheer to fight through the lackluster elements.

It is fun watching the inner workings of the Santa family. The current Santa is nothing more than a figurehead who just happens to hold the title. The power is mostly held by Steven who runs the command center and has his eyes on the being the next Santa. Meanwhile, Arthur believes in the magic and the tradition of it, while being a rather bumbling fellow. And let's not forget the very funny Grandsanta who wants to show the old ways are still effective.

This is a pleasant holiday movie that is fun for the family. Yes, it surprised me too. Sadly, there were not many people seeing it, at least locally. It does not look like this is going to be embraced, and I blame those bad ads. Hopefully word of mouth will help it, or at least when it hits home video next year. It really is a good movie.

Recommended.

.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T10:03:00.002-05:00

Movie Review: ThanksKilling

2011-11-24T00:55:00.000-05:00

When it comes to Thanksgiving and horror, there is not that much to choose from. There is Home Sweet Home from the early 1980's, a slasher that doesn't seem to have a lot going for it, but I still need to see it. There is also that Eli Roth directed Thanksgiving trailer from Grindhouse, would like to see that get mafe, Aside from that, the only one I have come across is the 2009 low budget turkey (sic) ThanksKilling. This wonderful little gem doesn't even make it to 70-minutes, and that is fine by me. This terrible movie does a lot of things right (believe it or not), and one of them is not belaboring its point and staying on past its expiration date.

The movie opens just after the first Thanksgiving with the lingering shot of a lone Pilgrim breast. It pulls back to expose the exposed chest of a frightened Pilgrim. This is gratuitous nudity for the sake of getting some breasts in the film, and if you ask me they could have chosen better. In any case, the frightened woman goes bounding in seemingly slow motion through the woods. She predictably trips and her assailant is revealed to be a turkey, well, a rubber headed puppet turkey anyway. It is said because of disrespect to Native Americans, a curse was placed on a turkey that it would kill the white man for his transgressions. A side effect of said curse allows the turkey to talk in sarcastic and vulgar one-liners.

The story jumps head in time and picks up in the present day. A group of college students are heading home for Thanksgiving break and they may hold the record for most mismatched group of friends ever in a movie. They cover the standard cliches, jock, nerd, slut, survivor girl, and fat guy. There car breaks down and they encounter the killer turkey. One by one they get picked off.

This is not a movie that has anything to say. It feels like a bunch of friends found an old turkey puppet and got the bright idea to try and make a movie. They succeeded, plus they helped fill a hole that needed some stuffing, Thanksgiving horror, that is. Anyway, the dialogue is laughable, the acting is atrocious, and the turkey, well, the turkey is actually kind of funny. There is also this one scene with the turkey wearing Groucho glasses and a guy in a turkey costume that leads into an homage to Silence of the Lambs, I loved the ridiculousness of it.

In all seriousness, he only people that need apply are those looking for a comedic holiday horror fix and those who love the cheapies. I won't lie and say I hated it or snobbish enough to look down on it, as a matter of fact I found it pretty easy to watch, It is fun to make fun of it, some of the comedy is a little bit clever. I can see this becoming an annual tradition until something better comes along.

Mildly Recommended.

Movie Review: Alienator

2011-11-23T22:11:00.000-05:00

Oh Netflix, you really got me this time. You went to the second level of bait switch and got me to watch something I had not intended to. Of course, it was probably just as bad as I what I was expecting to watch. At first I figured it was similar to the level one bait and switch, which consists of the correct movie but with a different in movie title than the one advertised. This happens often with these old, low budget genre films. However, the only thing this one had in common with my intended title was the director, Fred Olen Ray. Yes, that Fred Olen Ray. I probably should have just let go. I didn't. I soldiered forth into the great unknown and watched this rather lame science fiction/action flick.

The movie I thought I was getting was Star Slammer. What I got was Alienator. Now there is a funny title, Alienator. The title can be seen as a warning to the audience as that is what it is going to do to you, alienate you. Now, this movie is nothing you are going to want to go running home to see. In the grand scheme of things, you would be much better off not having laid eyes on it.

Alienator stars Jan Michael Vincent. Yes, the same. Well, perhaps stars is not the right word. The truth is that he gets top billing and only appears in the opening moments and once more at the end. He has maybe five minutes of total screen time and his character doesn't even have a name, he is credited merely as Commander. Doesn't matter much, it is not like his presence is an actual game changer or anything.

The story goes that Kol (Ross Hagen) is some sort of intergalactic bad guy about to be executed on board a prison ship. Things go wrong and he escapes, using a conveniently located escape pod from the high tech ship whose interiors look like factories and cardboard. The escaped bad guy sets course for Earth where he lands in a forest and is promptly hit by a group of twenty-somethings out for a little camping fun.

The gang picks up the unconscious guy and attempt to help him, along with a forest ranger named Ward Armstrong (John Philip Law). When Kol wakes up, he tells of an evil being that is looking for him and will kill anything in its path. The gang decides to protect him, or save themselves, and make the assumption he is on the level.

Back at the start, the last thing Commander does before disappearing for the bulk of the movie is activate the Alienator, a cyborg programmed to kill. The Alienator (bodybuilder Teagan Clive) is a a female cyborg with a costume that is simply indescribable. Well, it shows up in the woods and everyone begins running around shooting.

There is no plot development, no characters, and no action of any consequence. They continue running and shooting and screaming until Kol is revealed to be a bad guy and the climax is reached which allows for some final action on board the ship.

There is not really much of anything to say. There are no characters to really care about. The action is boring. The story is non existent. There is no redeeming value for this. Even bad movie fans would be better off looking elsewhere. I am left wondering if Star Slammer might have been any better...

Not Recommended.

Blu-ray Review: Brazil

2011-11-23T07:41:00.000-05:00

In 1985 Terry Gilliam's Brazil was released after a battle between writer/director Terry Gilliam and studio executives. Gilliam's original cut of the Orwellian film ran 142-minutes and was the version that was liked in Europe upon its release. The problem is that American executives did not like the downer of an ending and insisted on a happy ending, this resulted in a 94-minute version which has been dubbed the "Love Conquers All" version. A third cut compromise was made by Terry Gilliam, who screen tested on his own and even took out ads imploring the studio that the film be released. This last step returned a 132-minute version which everyone agreed upon and was ultimately released in theaters. It is this last theatrical cut which is the first to appear on Blu-ray.

Brazil is a fascinating film It is a movie filed with nuance and meaning for those willing to interpret it for themselves. It is a movie whose commentary on bureaucratic society rides close to the surface where it becomes the actual substance of the movie. It is a movie filled with imaginative visual splendor, featuring a style that can be no one but Terry Gilliam. Beyond all of that, Brazil is a quirky movie with a strange, slapsticky style of comedy blended with mystery and fantasy in a retro-science fiction setting. Love it or hate it, it is really quite remarkable.

Terry Gilliam's quirky vision of the future as a retro world hamstrung by bureaucracy and completely reliant on information and paperwork seems to be as much a comment on society as it is on his own efforts to get movies made. It always seems that when he is trying to get a project off the ground that there are countless roadblocks erected in his way.

The movie centers on the drab information worker Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce). However, before we get to him we need to get the plot in motion. The story is spurred by a literal bug in the machine, when a swatted fly falls into a printer causing a typo, Buttle rather than Tuttle. The error is made on an arrest warrant for a terrorist. The wrong man is arrested and subsequently dies during interrogation. Well, Lowry discovers the error, has an encounter with the real Tuttle (Robert Deniro), who turns out to be somebody branded a terrorist because he does the work and circumvents the paperwork.

It should be known that Lowry is not a man of action. He has accepted this lot in life, working with forms and moving the information to where it needs to go. His only escape is into his fantasies where he soars high above everything, he has wings, a sword, bigger hair, and always sees a woman, the woman of his dreams. In any case, when he trues to correct the Buttle error he meets Jill (Kim Greist), and she is the woman from his dreams!

He becomes infatuated with her and before long, he is branded a terrorist and is on the run with Jill from the paper pushing bureaucracy that is unwilling to admit they made a mistake. To tell more would be telling and believe me when I tell you that this movie is worth your investigation, if you have not found it already.

There is something terribly engrossing about Brazil. The acting is not the most naturalistic, but it fits the universe of the movie. Jonathan Pryce is very good as the dweebish Lowry, something that was enhanced by the fact that when I first saw the movie, many years ago, I had only known Pryce as the Lexus pitchman. Now, as good as I thought he was, this is really all about Terry Gilliam.

The design, the effects, the setpieces all have a distinctly Gilliam feel. It is almost like he let his imagination run rampant and just went for the gusto regardless of cost. He brings a great retro-future to the screen that makes it look like a large chunk of society stopped developing in the 1950's, look at the computer displays, for example, they look like old televisions with big magnifying glass panels in front of them. Also, look at the clothing, very old school.

What it really comes down to is that Brazil is a fascinating movie that can be watched as pure entertainment or as something more, a statement on society, big business, big brother, and individualism. Either way is correct and it pays off in both directions. Also, let us not forget the beautiful recurring use of "Aquarela do Brasil."

Audio/Video. The movie is presented in its original aspect ration of 1.85:1. The Blu-ray is definitely a step up from my old DVD. The colors are nicely saturated and there seems to be improved detail. At the same time, the movie still looks soft, something that seems to have always been, regardless of format. I can only assume it was meant to be that way, and it is the way I have always thought of it. It is not bad by any stretch, it adds to the fantasy look of the fictional retro-futuristic city. It will never be compared to a new Hollywood release, but it is probably the best it has looked since it was in theaters.

The audio track is a DTS-HD 5.1 track that does its job well with solid dialogue fidelity. The mix is mostly upfront, although there are some instances of surrounds kicking into gear with some the louder moments, such as when Tuttle's men step in to help out Lowry. It is a solid mix that represents the material well without really calling attention to itself.

Extras. Nothing. Aside from it being BD-Live enabled the disk contains nothing. This is a definite shame, but I am still glad to have the movie in high definition.

Bottomline. Brazil is one of Terry Gilliam's best films and a great example of what science fiction can do. It is an imaginative journey that uses its setting to creatively comment on modern society that feels just as timely today as it must have in 1985.

Highly Recommended.

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Brazil (1985) on Blogcritics.

Movie Review: The G.I. Executioner

2011-11-22T19:44:00.000-05:00

Netflix grabbed my attention last night, although I had no idea what I was in the mood for. I was going to grab some lousy horror film, as that has been my MO of late, but I wasn't quite feeling it. My taste was definitely leaning towards low budget and old school, perhaps towards the exploitation side of thins. Well, this led me to a little movie called The G.I. Executioner. Sounds promising, right? So, there I go, my movie for the evening.

The movie has an alternate title of Wit's End, which makes a bit more sense, being it is the name of the opening credits song and there are no GI's and no genuine executions either. The center of our action thriller is Dave Dearborn, played by the unlikeliest of action hero's, he is a former Marine and undercover reporter running a disco in Singapore. He is hired, despite being out of the business, to see what he can find out about a defecting Chinese nuclear scientist. He is brought in to track him down before being tracked down by the Chinese or the Russians.

He doesn't really seem all that interested, but he takes the job and soon finds that pretty much everyone he encounters wants him dead. This droves him further down the rabbit hole, where encounters a stripper, an ex girlfriend dating a gangster suspect, as well as other agents who want to kill him.

It is not a good movie, let's get that out of the way right here. It is entertaining in an exploitative fashion of low budget movies of the era. The dialogue is atrocious, the acting is poor, the action is not exactly well staged, and the story is disjointed at best. I cannot say I ever felt connected to the story or cared about how any of the pieces fit together. For example, what is the deal with Cindy (Janet Wood)? Sure, she is cut, but she is completely infatuated with Dave (Tom Keena), for no discernible reason. It is stand, I sort of liked the movie, but I did not care about anything in it.

The sights were interesting. It was shot on location, probably guerrilla style, which gave the proceedings a little authenticity. Sure, it has the regional requirements, it has the international cast, the faux intrigue, requisite female nudity, and odd plot twists required of the low budget B-movie nature, with the result being oddly watchable.

The movie was made in 1971, but languished on the shelf until it was picked up and distributed by Troma. The film's director would go on to direct the cult film Bloodsucking Freaks. It is a movie that doesn't really deserve much attention, but it is sure to have some fans out there. I won't lie, I would likely watch it again.

Mildly Recommended for the Discerning Movie Lover.

Movie Review: Breeders

2011-11-21T20:53:00.000-05:00

Following my incredible experience with the so freaking awful it becomes so freaking awesome Mutant Hunt, I decided against my better judgement to sample another one of his offerings. I was going to go with Robot Holocaust, a movie I suspect I have seen, but it wasn't on Netflix or Hulu. Instead, I decided to go to the movie he shot immediately before Mutant Hunt, Breeders. It is not to be confused with the similarly themed Breeders from 1987. Granted, the quality is probably about on par with this one.

Breeders is not a good movie. It does offer up some camp entertainment, but it is not nearly as brilliantly awful as Mutant Hunt is. As a matter of act, I had to rematch the last twenty minutes as I had fallen asleep. This is not a good sign when the movie only runs 76-minutes to begin with. It turns out these last moments were the best of the bunch. They could be seen as a defining moment of trashy cinema, so, if you are a fan of trash (no, not Linnea Quigley's Return of the Living Dead character) but don't want to be bored, fast forward to the end.

The basic premise is about as simple as can be. There is an alien race that can inhabit humans as hosts an apparently they need to breed (duh). The weird thing is that they can only do it with virgins, so there is a sudden rash of virgin rapes in New York City. They all end up at Manhattan General Hospital, the attack radius must be pretty small. Anyway, Doctor Gamble Pace and Detective Andriotti are on the case. Well, sort of.

There is not much to the plot. The doctor and detective show up from time to time to spout some terrible dialogue and show off some awful bedside manner. In between their expository moments, the tale is full on exploitation, rest assured that most of the women will get naked at on point and demonstrate just why they are still virgins, well, kind of. Take, for example, the model, she is a former gymnast who, between photo sessions, snorts coke and does naked stretching in front of an open window. Or perhaps the "good girl" who, upon stripping to shower, turns to find a new boyfriend has let himself into her apartment, she then cooks dinner while wet and wearing a towel. While this is all gratuitous nudity, it is handled more of as a fact of the exploitation as opposed to the reason for exploitation cinema. This matter of fact handling of 80's era nudity can be explained by Tim Kincaid also being a director of gay porn. (not that I have seen any, but it explains his handling of women here).

Anyway, the injured women eventually get up and walk out of the hospital on their own and head down to the sewers. They end up at the alien nest where they take a bath in some suspicious alien goo (it is a movie called Breeders and I will leave it at that). It is a bizarre, surreal finale that sees the lame alien reveal, some fighting, some electricity and then it is all done, or is it?

Breeders certainly has some moments that the B-movie fan will get a kick out of. The thing is, I am not sure it is worth the boredom to get to them, there are others that do a much better job of this that should come before this. Still. if you have Netflix and some time to kill, have at it.

Recommended for Scant Few moments, but overall Not Recommended.

Movie Review: J. Edgar

2011-11-20T21:14:00.000-05:00

I have never been a big history guy. I am aware of some things, but when it comes to big picture, retention, understanding, and application of such historical information, forget it. I know I should not be this way, but that is just the way I am wired. Why am I talking about this? Well, the movie at hand is about a historical figure and one of the more mysterious political personalities of the past century, J. Edgar Hoover. I am aware of him and the talk of him wearing women's clothing and the possibility that he may have been gay. I also know that he kept files on all sorts of different people containing information that he used to help keep and increase his power. Now we have a movie offering some insight into his life.

J. Edgar was directed by Clint Eastwood and features a screenplay by Dustin Lance Black (Milk). The film is framed with Hoover narrating his life for his memoirs. This frame takes us through much of his life, spanning his young years with the Department of Justice, to his appointment of head of the department, and his tenure as head of the Bureau of Investigation which lasted until his death in 1972. We are also given a look at the relationship he had with his lifelong receptionist, Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts), and his second in command, and thought to be partner, Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer).

The movie is interesting, a bit on the dry side, but definitely interesting. If nothing else, J. Edgar Hoover was a fascinating individual. He was intent on retaining power, having information on everyone to keep in his back pocket, and at times seemingly a petty, petulant man. Of course, with all of my background, I am not exactly the right guy to say.

So far as the movie is concerned, it works because of the work of two men, Leonard Dicaprio and Armie Hammer. Hammer gives a solid performance as Tolson, particularly as the character ages. The man who was not qualified for the position given by Hoover, yet became his closest adviser and confidant. Hammer brings strength and sensitivity to the screen as he takes hold of the character.

Dicaprio, on the other hand, turns in another great performance and is likely to be recognized by the Academy with an Oscar nomination. If nothing else, they are a sucker for mimicry and transformation, which Leo and the make up department do exceptionally well here. From the "what you see is what you get" man that everyone saw to the mama's boy who lived with his mother for a long time, from the unemotional man gathering all the power too himself to the man who wept like a baby and put on his mother's dress after her death, Dicaprio nails it.

Still, I cannot help but feel that the movie really was not all that great. Good and solid for sure, but it is not something I think I will ever watch again. It was just a dry experience and I see a couple of things working against it. One is the timeline, it jumps around to the various events of his life, for me this style lessens the cumulative impact of the events of his life. Perhaps it is just me, but I would have preferred a more straightforward approach. Then there is Eastwood's directing style, which has become more minimalistic over the years and this approach does not help the already dry material. I am not asking for something big, but the material could have used a bit of a punch up.

This is not a bad movie, and watching the Dicaprio/Hammer combo is definitely worth the time. It is really hard to go wrong with an Eastwood film, even flawed ones are going to be good movies. It doesn't hurt that the subject of this particular one was a mysterious individual. The one funny takeaway I had from J. Edgar is that a couple different turns and Hoover could have been Ed Gein....

Mildly Recommended.

Movie Review: Mutant Hunt

2011-11-19T22:46:00.000-05:00

Some months ago I stumbled across a site dedicated to classic VHS cover art from the 1980s. There is something to be said about the frequently awesome and often misleading cover art. Quite frankly, I sort of miss those days of killer cover art disguising lovingly mad, yet totally inept B movies. Anyway, at the time I decided to take a look on Netflix and see if any of the movies whose art I saw could be found. Getting into movies at such a late date as I did caused me to miss a lot of these gems during the VHS glory days. Well, I found a few of them and tossed them right into my queue. I have finally gotten around to watching one and I think I'm in love.

Mutant Hunt is one of those movies that you know before you even start isn't going to be good. The thing is, once you start playing and find your initial suspicions confirmed you are already sucked into its web of awful and you cannot look away. This is the sort of bad movie that laps the dial, it goes all the way past the far end of bad, comes out the other side and somehow finds its way to awesome. Well, awesome for some. I still firmly believe it takes a certain type of the movie fan to like something like this. Fortunately for me, I am one of them.

As the movie opens we witness the activation of a new line of androids. They are worker drones but there is something more. The boss, a guy named Z, activates an alteration. Some of the things go nuts and beat other machines into a pile of scraps and then take off. Z then orders the doctors in charge to be detained. One of them, Darla, manages to get away. She heads out to find Matt Riker, a friendly mercenary, with a couple of androids on her tail.

Oh, who am I kidding, the story doesn't make a lot of sense. Z is feuding with Domina, they used to be business partners, I guess, and now they are fighting over some drug. It just so happens the drug is what is making those androids go crazy. Riker teams with a couple other mercenaries to fight the runaway bots who go around killing people.

I don't know what to say, but there is some wacky stuff in this movie. For example, Darla shoots her way into Riker's place when he doesn't answer the door, Riker fights the androids in his tighty whiteys, apparently the androids only get violent in 6 hour periods, and people never seem to go about anything with that much urgency.

I don't know why I am having problems thinking of what to say about this movie as it is one of those crazy B movies that just works for no particular reason. The best thing I can say about it is that there is some really nice make up work done as the androids deteriorate.

Mutant Hunt was written and directed by Tim Kincaid who apparently has made a career of bad science fiction and gay porn. I'll stick to bad science fiction, thank you. This is the sort of movie that you have to wonder what they were thinking when they made it. Do you think they new they were making a stinker? Or do you think they were just having too much fun making a movie that they didn't care? I am more apt to believe they were just having a good time.

In all seriousness, the wackiness that is on display here, the bad acting, the bad directing, the bad story, everything adds up to a movie that I feel I need to own. What a blast!

Recommended.