“Random Lunacy: Videos from the Road Less Traveled”
2007
***½ out of ****
Director: Victor Zimet, Stephanie Silber
*Before I actually get to the review, let me apologize to the filmmakers of the documentary. I’ve had this film for at least three months now and I have JUST gotten around to getting the review done. Hope this review is any consolation for them to forgive me.*
I’ve seen a lot of movies before about people traveling around the world to chase their dreams, but never have I seen it in a way caught so brilliantly as the filmmakers did in “Random Lunacy.” The story is told in such a fashion that I’ve been drooling over it for a good time now. I’ve been able to show it to a few people and each one of them have told me how new the concept is. The only reason why I can’t give it four stars? Because sixty minutes is not enough.
David Pearlman, better known has Poppa Neutrino, has been traveling around the world for a lot of his life. He is a nomad, and drags his wives, kids, and friends around with him. His travels include Russia and a trip across the Atlantic Ocean… on a small boat.
I don’t have too much to say about this movie, but if there is one thing to say, it is how the directors Victor Zimet and Stephanie Silber are able to portray the Neutrino clan. As these gang of nomads travel around, you never feel any less attached to them. You are there on the journey with them, whether if it’s while you’re watching old home videos or just listening to them tell the story. “Random Lunacy” is a lot like a poor man’s version of “Man on Wire.” It’s a guy setting out his dream but it is a story better told when it is told by the right people.
Another thing I loved about “Random Lunacy” is how you can care about a few of the characters. Some of the characters aren’t likeable; they are meant not to be. There is a character mentioned that leaves his daughter with Poppa Neutrino and he raises her. But instead of focusing on the unlikeable characters, Zimet and Silber decide to focus on how good these people are for raising her. It is tales like “Random Lunacy” that keep me loving movies.
Hi. this is Anthony T here. Everyday, I receive Press Releases, trailers, and other things in my mailbox. Instead of having ten millions news post, I've decided to start a newswire that will be on the site every couple of day or so. Depends on the volume of news that comes my way. Without any more explanation, here is the first edition of the Film Arcade.net Newswire.
Terminator 2 Skynet Edition Blu Ray and Complete Collector’s Set:
Lionsgate has recently announced that on May 19th, they will be releasing Terminator 2 Skynet Edition on Blu-Ray to coincide with “Terminator: Salvation” and the DVD release of the Schwarzengger DVD Collection.
Blu-Ray Features include:
Multiple THX-certified versions high-definition versions of the film
All-new English 6.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Lossless
Picture-in-picture of behind the scenes video, text commentaries and multimedia galleries
Storyboard-script mode – view storyboards and read the script while watching the film
Interactive quizzes and games
BD-Live™ enabled, featuring games, extra content and more for internet-connected players
Audio commentary with 26 cast and crew members
Audio commentary with director James Cameron and co-writer William Wisher
Enhanced for D-Box™ Motion Control Systems
Includes THX Optimizer
Also on that same day, for the biggest T2 fan, there is a Limited Edition T2 Complete Collector’s Set. That set is a 6 disc set that includes the Blu-Ray, Extreme Edition DVD and Ultimate Edition DVD, which includes every T2 Special feature ever released on DVD. The collector’s set also comes with a digital copy of film for iTunes and Windows Media.
Suggested Retail Price for Terminator 2 Skynet Edition $29.99
Suggested Retail Price for Limited Edition T2 Complete Collector’s Set $174.99
Magnet Takes U.S. Rights to Nicholas Refn’s BRONSON
Magnet Releasing recently announced that they have picked up rights to Nicholas Refn’s BRONSON, which was a critical favorite at it’s screenings at Sundance and Rotterdam.
BRONSON is based on the real life story of the infamous UK prisoner Michael Peterson (aka Charles Bronson), and charts the 34 years of prison life of Britain’s most notorious, dangerous and charismatic criminal (30 of which have been spent in solitary confinement). Played by Tom Hardy (ROCKNROLLA), who underwent a drastic physical transformation for the role, Bronson was initially sent to prison for a botched armed robbery in which no one was hurt, and who has since served up year after year of extended sentences that have been piled on in response to violent outbursts against fellow inmates and guards, motivated by an unceasing desire to become a celebrity super-star. Over time, Bronson has made a name for himself as a world renowned, award winning artist and author, but still remains a “Category A” prisoner, meaning he is still in solitary confinement in Wakefield high-security prison.
Release Date to be determined.
Tokyo Clips:
Liberation Entertainment and Vitagraph Films have recently provided us with to Toyko, a film from directors Michel Gondry (“Be Kind Rewind” Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”), Leos Carax (The Lovers On The Bridge, “Pola X”) and Bong Joon- Ho (The Host).
Click on the link to view each clip on our YouTube page.
Interior Design clip: Dead Cat
Merde clip: Green Suit Guy
Shaking Tokyo clip: Blinding Light
Tokyo! hits theaters, in limited release on March 6th
Gigantic Poster
Brian Weathersby (PAUL DANO) is a 28 year-old salesman at a high-end Swedish mattress company. The afterthought child to elderly parents (ED ASNER, JANE ALEXANDER), and the youngest son in a trio of successful brothers, a shady oil man (IAN ROBERTS), a surgeon (ROBERT STANTON), Brian is searching for his place in the world. Unfulfilled by his work he spends a good portion of his day pursuing his goal of someday adopting a baby from China. He gets swept up in a romance with the lovely but misguided Harriet Lolly (ZOOEY DESCHANEL) when she comes in to his store one day and falls asleep on one of the beds. To win her over, he must compete with her bear of a father, Al Lolly, (JOHN GOODMAN) an art-collecting loudmouth with a bad back and deep pockets. GIGANTIC is a funny, surreal love story about the anxiety that comes when two people with crazy families collide unexpectedly and fall for each other.
Gigantic premiers in New York on April 3rd, before, it expands into other theaters throughout April.
"American Violet" Trailer and Poster
Based on true events in the midst of the 2000 election, AMERICAN VIOLET tells the astonishing story of Dee Roberts (critically hailed newcomer Nicole Beharie), a 24 year-old African American single mother of four young girls living in a small Texas town who is barely making ends meet on a waitress’ salary and government subsidies.
On an early November morning while Dee works a shift at the local diner, the powerful local district attorney (Academy Award® nominee Michael O’Keefe) leads an extensive drug bust, sweeping her Arlington Springs housing project with military precision. Police drag Dee from work in handcuffs, dumping her in the squalor of the women’s county prison. Indicted based on the uncorroborated word of a single and dubious police informant facing his own drug charges, Dee soon discovers she has been charged as a drug dealer.
Even though Dee has no prior drug record and no drugs were found on her in the raid or any subsequent searches, she is offered a hellish choice: plead guilty and go home as a convicted felon or remain in prison and fight the charges thus, jeopardizing her custody and risking a long prison sentence.Despite the urgings of her mother (Academy Award® nominee Alfre Woodard), and with her freedom and the custody of her children at stake, she chooses to fight the district attorney and the unyielding criminal justice system he represents. Joined in an unlikely alliance with an ACLU attorney (Tim Blake Nelson) and former local narcotics officer (Will Patton), Dee risks everything in a battle that forever changes her life and the Texas justice system.
AMERICAN VIOLET also stars Emmy Award® winner Charles S. Dutton and Xzibit.
"American Violet" hits theaters April 17th
The Good Student
A.K.A. Mr. Gibbs
Year: 2009
Director: David Ostry
Stars: Tim Daly, Hayden Panettiere, William Sandler
MPAA Rating: R
Studio: Screen Media Film
Running Time: 80 Mins
“The Good Student” is a dark comedy about Mr. Gibb a loser teacher (Tim Daly) who starts to begin obsessed with one of his students (Hayden Panettiere). She’s also a local celebrity. Then, one day a mysterious person kidnaps her. All fingers point to Mr. Gibb, as he becomes the main suspect, in the investigation, as he was the last to see her. Now, he must find he must find the kidnapper himself, as her father is interested in using it to make money off this and a student, who suspects he is the kidnapper. The film also co-stars William Sandler and co-executive produced by Kevin Spacey.
As a reviewer, there are some films that you want to write a good review for, but can't. “The Good Student” is one of those films, as it has some good moments and some bad ones too. The film was at times is a very good mystery/ dark comedy, but what happened with the film was that it got too dark, which some of that might have to do with the eighty minute running time and the fact that the screenplay was short. David Ostry’s director was average, at best. One of the things that make his direction average, the way this movie moves at a slow pace. It really made this film too dark, as I was starting to be bored with this film and the subject matter. Another thing that makes it that way, the fact that a couple of the mistakes that the filmmakers noticeable, like a scene where Tim Daly was talking to another teacher, after that teacher got kicked out of the bar. The scene looked completely black and white. Maybe there was something wrong with the camera, but that’s a very noticeable mistake.
Even though I didn’t like those things, there were things that were good, in his direction. Like, the dark humor that works very well. Ostry does that by making Daly’s performance come off, as someone who you could conceive, as a complete loser. It makes the character and the humor work well. He also gets the performances, from the other actors too, including Hayden Panettiere (who’s in it for maybe twenty or so mintues) and William Sandler (who made his character very unsympathetic). The characters were interesting and made this film from becoming bad.
The screenplay was also the same way. It was one of those screenplays that had a good beginning and nice finish. What was missing in this story, a middle part. The reason for that was, the film’s tone felt like, it was playing one note, until the last twenty-five minutes or so. Also, the story felt so short. This really affected the character development, in the film, as Planettiere’s character in this film, for a fourth of it. You really don’t get to really get to know of her character or interact with most of the characters.
With that said, there were positives, in Adam Targum’s screenplay. He does a good job focusing on his main character, who’s obsessed with the abducted girl. Targum goes into the state of the character’s mind and why he thinks, he wants her. He also goes into the girl’s father’s greed to exploit her kidnapping and the various things he does. The works well, because you really want to hate this character, as he is nothing but a greedy businessman.
“The Good Student” is a film that I wanted to like, but hate giving this film a failing grade, because there are too many things wrong with this film.
Review Rating: 2.5 Stars
Alien Raiders
Year: 2009
Director: Ben Rock
Studio: Raw Feed Films/ Warner Home Video
Stars: Carlos Bernard, Mathew St Patrick, Rockmond Dunbar.
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 85 Mins.
“Alien Raiders” is the latest film, from the gang at Raw Feed films. The company responsible for such entertaining horror films, such as “Rest Stop”, “Sublime”, and “Otis”.
The film takes place in a grocery store, where it’s about closing time. Before the store closes, a group of militants start killing some people and taking the rest of people hostage. But these aren’t your typical group of militants, as they group of scientist, who have tracked and discovered an alien infestation that’s happening, in this supermarket. The group is trying to find out, which of the people are human and which are extraterrestrials that are hell-bend, on starting an invasion and stop it. Before it gets any worse.
Film Review:
After watching “Alien Raiders”, I was left with one question. When is Warner Bros going to have a “Raw Feed” film come out in theaters, as they been one of the few bright spots, in the horror genre that’s been plagued with remakes, squeals and boring PG-13 films.
Ailen Raiders is one of the most intense alien invasion film, I’ve seen in a long time. It’s very suspenseful and gory. The credit for that has to go to director, Ben Rock, who’s direction helps makes this film, what it is, an intense and shocking thrill-ride. One of the things that made the direction excellent was the fact that the atmosphere was intense, which makes you think anything can happen. That’s what I want to see, in these types of films. Another thing that he does very well, he makes some of the shots look stylish, with the film intense action, as he doesn’t get too carried away and the it made sense. It helped made the situation, much more darker. The reason, Rock doesn’t get carried away, because he wants the story to take focus. You can have all the stylish shots in the world, but if it takes away from the story, you have no film, as everything becomes redundant and mind numbing. Thankfully, that was not the case. Also, the acting was very good, as it felt like an episode of “24” at times, with the intense action and acting. Rock utilizes that talent very well, as there are a lot of noticeable faces in this film like, Carlos Bernard (24), Mathew St. Patrick (Six Feet Under) and Rockmond Dunbar (Prison Break) . The performances matched the intense action that was happening. That why this was a great alien invasion flick.
The film also had a very good screenplay from Julia Fair and David Simkins. They created something original, from a tireless Sci-Fi subgenre. Yes, alien invasion films are a tireless subgenre of science fiction, because they all feel, like the same film. Not this one though, as there is a couple of things that make this different. First, the action was intense. You usually don’t see it, in this type of film. But what the screenwriters do was not make the story feel like “Invasion of the Body Santchers” all over again. Instead, they created a story that focused on intense action, while not getting bogged down with any mythology that would slow the film down. Second, they create suspense with the film’s action. It makes the pace of the film move well, as you’re sitting there and having fun. Not being bored and watching paint dry, like some of the films, in this subgenre. Finally, they do a good job developing the characters and the situation. It made the characters interesting while delivered up some intense moments. Also, you’re invested in the situation, as the action wasn’t predictable.
DVD Extras:
There is a good amount of extras on this DVD. First on this the DVD is an eight minute featurette “Hidden Terror: The making of Alien Raiders. It does a very good job, going into the production of the film, as the people involved talk about the film and have some of the aspects that went into the film story. Next on the Dvd, a three-minute featurette, Blood, Sweet, and Fears: The Special Effects of Alien Raiders. It goes into the detail, on how all the bloody effects were created. It was a very interesting featurette, as I liked how the director and the Special Effects supervisor go into detail, on why they wanted the effects to be scary and bloody. Next, the three featurette served as found footage videos. Tape # 9, Sterling Explains Aliens, Tape #12 Spookie’s job and Whitney’s blog. They all did a very good job giving background information, to those three characters. Finally, wrapping up this disc are trailers, for all of the Raw Feed films that are currently out on dvd, “Alien Raiders”, “Otis, “Believers”, “Rest Stop”. Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back” and Sublime”
Please don’t let the cheesy title fool you. Rent or Buy “Alien Raiders”. It’s suspenseful and intense alien invasion film that the scifi and horror fan will enjoy.
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Dvd Extras: 4 Stars
The Alphabet Killer
Year: 2009
Director: Rob Schmidt
Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment
Stars: Eliza Dushku, Cary Elwes, Timothy Hutton
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 98 Mins.
“The Alphabet Killer” is based on the killings that took place in the early seventies, in Rochester, New York. Megan Page (Eliza Dusku) is a police officer, who begins to develop schizophrenia, during her investigation of these killings. These episodes lead her to a mental breakdown, which she almost committed suicide. This leads her to lose everything, in her life, including her job and fiancé (Cary Elwes). Two years after that incident, Page’s life has gotten better, until that case that has been driving her crazy resurfaces in her life, as the killer is continuing his rampage. Now, she is determined to find this killer, even if it costs her sanity and well-being. The film also features a very talented cast that includes Timothy Hutton (TV’s Leveage, The Falcon and the Snowman) Michael Ironside (Scanners, Starship Troppers) Bill Moseley (Repo: The Genetic Opera, The Devil Rejects) and Carl Lumbly (Alias).
Kelsey’s Review:
The ongoing case of The Alphabet Killer centers around a man who raped and strangled all of his victims who were young girls. They also all had first and last names that began with the same letter. Three out of the four girls’ bodies were dumped in county’s that began with the same letter as their name. Just about everything that I described above is both true in the context of real life and the portrayal in the movie. The basic situation and the nature of the Alphabet Killer’s deaths stayed pretty true to the real events. This is so rare in based on true event horror films. The Alphabet Killer did this while creating an entirely new aspect to the film through out our schizophrenic protagonist, Megan Paige.
Actually having our main character diagnosed with schizophrenia pretty early on in the film I think it added a lot of great questioning for the audience. The bulk of the movie is told through Megan’s perspective. We see things through her eyes, but we have to question what is real and what is just part of her illness. A lot of horror films play the crazy person card, discrediting the person trying to get answers. Most of the time this isn’t very convincing to the audience. Here though, Megan truly doesn’t even know what is real and not. She sees the images of these dead girls and her inability to find the man who murdered them is literally driving her insane. I really thought that that obsession that Eliza Dushku portrayed in Megan really gave the film this great tension, but more importantly it paints her as a character. She gets so in to every element of cases she works on, which is what you have to do. However, Megan is haunted by it in a way that eats up her insides. This is such a part of her though that she can’t stop even once she is cured and gets a second chance at life. It’s really a vicious cycle though as it just tears her apart again, yet as long as she is alive this is all her life can be.
I went in to the film with pretty low expectations since I had heard enough bad things about the movie to be weary. The Alphabet Killer doesn’t quite hit all of it’s marks but it is far better than I expected. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and I was drawn in to what was going on. It’s suspenseful and you can never be quite sure what is going on. Overall the film is pretty tame for an R rating. The only violence are the dead bodies that are recovered as well as Megan when she is injured. That’s fine though since the film doesn’t really rely on the gore. It’s much more about questioning ones own psyche, witnessing your own destruction, and becoming helpless while girls are being victimized by a twisted man that they have trusted and died for that decision. There are some great scenes where we see how the families deal with this along with Megan. We get in to the possible mindset of the killer enough too, which gets you thinking how some power hungered pedophile plants his next victim and continues to get away with it.
The film’s ending is what hurt it the most for me. Leading up to the ending the insight that is offered on the killer was strong enough. However, what followed that just seemed really typical and generic. The dramatic music with the voice over saying, “I will find him and I will kill him” really made this seem cheesy and took away what the film had built up for most of the movie. There was no real ending, it’s more of a ‘to be continued’ type of thing, probably so they can leave it open for a sequel if given the chance. I really think that would be a terrible idea as I don’t think there is enough that they could go off of to make another good film out of the material. Plus I doubt that there will be enough of a market for it. They made a bold decision in naming a killer and coloring him as a killer and deceptive person. So I am not sure why they couldn’t end it one way or another, whether he was caught or not. My biggest problem with the ending isn’t even really the actual outcome of the film. It is just how it was done that seemed degrading to the rest of the film. The Alphabet Killer doesn’t do anything that drastically different to stand out from superior films that have come before it like Se7en and Zodiac. The film throughout is held back and doesn’t have the material to really push the boundaries. Wrong Turn is the better Rob Schmidt-Eliza Dushku collaboration in my opinion. Overall, The Alphabet Killer is still a compelling suspenseful thriller that takes you in and creates that blurred line of illusions and reality
Anthony T’s Review:
This is what, the second edition of She Screams, He Screams, this year and for the second time, I’m going to have to trash a film, because it was just that bad, but not in the same way, as the last one, since there is real effort here. “The Alphabet Killer” is film that felt like an episode of “Medium”. This was a hard film to sit through, as I became uninterested with this film. The main reason for this was that the story felt like something that you would ordinary see in a TV movie of the week, where you have a crime and it’s somehow solved or explained to you, in the end.
The screenplay written by Tom Malloy (who also co-stars) had a story, where nothing seemed to work. There was no real suspense, as the film was hitting the same dark and dull note, all the time. It really made the film, very boring and made the identity of the killer, predictable, as I saw it coming just over the halfway point. It would have been nice, if we actually got into the killer’s mind like Seven and Zodiac, as they were very entertaining films. Also, another problem with the screenplay, I really never got to know the main character, very well. The screenplay doesn’t slow down enough to develop the Megan character, in the film, as really doesn’t spend the time going into the relationship that she with Carl Elwes’ character, in the beginning of the film. The screenplay also doesn’t make any attempt is show how the main character developed her mental disorder and effects that the case had on her, before her first stint, at the hospital.
But the main problem with this film was Rob Schmidt’s direction. His direction was felt unenergetic. He doesn’t do anything to try to change the pace of the film, as it kept hitting that same dull note. It’s that same note that makes the action boring and the characters uninteresting. That’s something that you would see in a made for television film, not a film with this caliber of talent. His direction of the actors was very bad. Schmidt doesn’t take advantage of a cast that features many talented people, like Eliza Dushku, Cary Elwes or Timothy Hutton. It sad to see these people wasted here, as this could have been a well-acted film, but the performances had no personality to them, which made the characters uninteresting and dull to watch.
Overall, this was a waste of time, as “The Alphabet Killer” is stuck on the same dull and dreary note for ninety plus minutes, which makes the whole story feel like a made for TV movie.
Welcome to the 171st Edition of my series. I'm trying out for AMERICA'S GOT TALENT for the second year in a row on Sunday. Last year, I moved up a little bit just not to tv. I'll try to repeat my success this year plus more if possible but we'll see. Starting this week, I will be looking into some past work for the winners of the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, the Independent Spirit Awards and the Academy Awards. They will just come periodically. There are two from the Random Myspace Profile selection. Next week will probably have two or three but that is always subject to change.
My Bloody Valentine (1981): I saw this at the Attic Grindhouse film viewing after watching two and a half hours of Betty Page. Fred may like this selection and I'm sure he has done a review and he is welcome to give the site for his review if he has done one. This takes place around the planning of the first Valentine's Day party in 20 years where murders took place from Harry Warden and he warned to never have another dance again. In trying to have another dance, murders begin happening once again. I admit, I probably wouldn't have watched this by myself and was good to watch it in a crowd. This is not for everyone but good for horror buffs.
Pecker (1998): This is part 19 of the Random Myspace Profile selection and this one I chose Kylee, who brother Jeremy I have known for years. I decided to use director John Waters this week who wrote and directed this comedy sort of showing the price of fame but in a rather unusual way. Edward Furlong plays the title character who is very obsessed with taking pictures of the unusual people and family in the Baltimore area. His pictures are soon discovered and are posted at an art show winning him overnight success but at a very high price. Christina Ricci is Pecker's girlfriend who owns a laundry mat. Her like many others start to become very embarassed by the pictures taken and Pecker must do what he can to make things right again. His grandmother was very amusing who was obsessed with her Mary doll and believed a miracle happened. Look closely for former WWE diva Stacy Keibler.
Human Resources (1999): I happened to catch this at a viewing at the local Unitarian church for the Social Justice group. I like going to see community viewing events and this one was great. Laurent Cantet, who ironically just won an Independent Spirit award for his movie ENTRE LES MURS. This movie really looks at the dark side of the corporate world. We have Frank who is interning in the human resources department of a factory which his father has worked at for 30 years. He then asks his employees for their opinions and finds out that they have been manipulated by upper management into future firings which drives tension between him and his father who only wants to do his job. This was a very good look at this world and shows even France has its moments as much as we like some of their work laws, they can get political too.
Howard Zinn: You Can't be Neutral on a Moving Train (2004): I found this documentary about the activist, historian and author on the Ovation channel. This talks about his life and times through his eyes and through the eyes of his colleagues. Matt Damon also narrates passages from books that he wrote. The title reflects one of his many novels. I had never heard anything about him but was glad to have this film on a man and his beliefs on war and just the American system in general.
White Lightning (1973): This is the start of my award winner series and this marks the debut for Laura Dern who appears unbilled. Dern won a Golden Globe and Screen actors guild award for Best Actress in a tv movie for RECOUNT. Burt Reynolds stars as Gator who agrees to help Federal Agents break up a moonshine ring which is lead by a corrupt sheriff, played by Ned Beatty. One of the great Burt Reynolds chase films and one of his most underrated and it was too bad that he had to choose so many horrible roles through the years. Reynolds fans will love it and it was perfect for the 70s.
The Bad Seed (1956): Melvin LeRoy directed this very daring film for the time. Nancy Kelly stars as Christine Penmark who has a seemingly sweet and perfect daughter named Rhoda, played by Patty McCormack. Her mom starts to see that maybe she's a little too perfect and begins to suspect her when bad things start happening. It was a pretty disturbing film with a very good performance from McCormack. They were forced by the censors to make a little more happy ending than the script calls for but the suspense remains.
The Good Earth (1937): I found this underrated film on TCM which centers on a farmer in China through the years named Wang Lung, played by Paul Muni. It starts with his poor days as a slave worker to his later days when he becomes free, marries and becomes more wealthy until a famine hits. There is not much to explain, it's about a man's life through the years. Paul Muni was very good and was a pretty tasteful perfomance, though any American playing an Asian today would probably be considered racist, and he's pretty believable in the performance. Muni was a very underrated and versatile actor who unfortunately got unfair comparisons to Lon Chaney about his "chameleon" status.
Mr. Piper and the story of Ali Baba (Unknown, likely the 30s and 40s): This is my short film for the week with the Pied Piper presenting this animated short on the famed Ali Baba story which features the 40 thieves. This was part of my classic cartoons boxed set which was the Giant 600 cartoons.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007): I bought this with my $25 Wal-Mart gift card that I got from work and dewanted to get my money's worth and this was priced reasonably. Brad Pitt plays the famed outlaw Jesse James whose "Robin Hood" status made Bob Ford, played very well by Casey Affleck, idolize him. Bob Ford and his brother Charlie eventually join the James Gang but Bob slowly becomes very resentful of James and becomes very conflicted. Sam Rockwell plays Charlie Ford, the older brother of Robert and Sam Sheperd plays Frank James. This movie centers mostly around Ford from the day he met Jesse James, to the day he shot him, and to his final days afterwards trying to deny the accusations of cowardice. I really liked the humanistic portrayal of Bob Ford by Affleck and his realization to the end of his days. I liked the portrayal of Jesse James as just a common outlaw who the public needed to idolize. Look for singer Nick Cave who sings a song about Jesse James in a bar and co-wrote the beautiful music score which I felt was used very rightly.
The Singing Nun (1966): I found this one on the TBN network. Debbie Reynolds stars as Sister Ann, a Belgian nun sent to a slum finding herself in a different environment. She becomes a bit overzealous in her help of the family of a young child she takes a liking to. She also shows off her musical talents and getting discovered by a big label. She then starts performing for places like Ed Sullivan which brings her fame that starts to interfere with the nunnery. Greer Garson co-stars as mother Prioress and Ricardo Montalban plays the priest that really sees the talent. Katherine Ross also co-stars as a troubled young girl who does degrading things to support the family. The real story of the person this film is based on is much darker, at least in the person's later years but this was a good discovery on the Trinity Broadcasting Network that I find myself using from time to time.
Well, that is it this week. Please leave your comments and stay tuned next week.
FUN LITTLE TRIVIA
WHITE LIGHTNING actresses Diane Ladd and Laura Dern are real-life mothers and daughters as they were in the movie. Dern makes her debut and is uncreditted. They later play mother an daughter again in 1990 film WILD AT HEART and two others.
Matt Damon (Howard Zinn) and Casey Affleck (Assassination of Jesse James) co-wrote and co-starred in the 2002 film GERRY.
Eileen Heckart (Bad Seed) plays Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1979 tv series BACKSTAIRS AT THE WHITE HOUSE and the 1980 tv movie F.D.R.: THE LAST YEAR. Greer Garson (Singing Nun) plays the role in the 1960 film SUNRISE AT CAMPOBELLO.
My Facebook friend Eric directed a Mainstage Theater production of this weeks feature BAD SEED.
Brad Pitt (Assassination of Jesse James) was originally cast as Colin Sullivan in the 2006 film THE DEPARTED but dropped out and the part went to Matt Damon (Howard Zinn)
Nancy Kelly (Bad Seed) plays the Zee James, the wife of Jesse James, in the 1939 film JESSE JAMES and Mary-Louise Parker plays the role in this week's feature THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD.
Katherine Ross (Singing Nun) plays Elaine in the 1967 film THE GRADUATE. My facebook and Myspace friend Lisa played the part in her debut in the Muncie Civic Theater.
Here it is, folks! We've waited and waited, watched all the movies, groaned over the nominees, and now the Big Show is here.
The 81st Oscars!
Be here all night for the latest - the winners, the losers, the fashion, the faux pas.
Jenny - Marion Cotillard - My pick for last year's Best Actress (and she won!) - she's been working on her English. Her accent isn't nearly as prominent as it was last year.
Jenny - Beyonce's dress --- What do you think? I don't like it. Kate Winslet's dress however, is gorgeous.
Tony - You can also follow my Twitter feed at http://www.twitter.com/tonydfa and Jenny's Twitter feed at http://www.twitter.com/beccajane67
Tony - And Ryan Seacrest can lick the crust off my ass...
Jenny - EWWWW! I don't know what's wrong with me, but he's a little less annoying this year than he's been previously...
Jenny - And Jeff says "Ryan Secrest is the smegma on the dick that is the E Network"
Tony - Did you see that Slumdog Millionaire interview? What a p-r-i-c-k.
Tony - Finally, enough of E!'s bullshit and onto the real shit at ABC.
Jenny - No, I missed that interview. MissMovieFan said something about it too. Who are these people on ABC? The incredibly ripped lady?
Jenny - Taraji P Henson is adorable. Sarah Jessica Parker looks like she's wearing a Barbie dress.
Jenny - Ugh, please someone drop a car on Brangelina. Why does everyone feel the need to suck up to them so much?
Tony - Whoops, will be gone for a few minutes...
Jenny - I love Frido Pinto (sp?)'s dress. GORGEOUS. Why isn't Dev Patel nominated for anything?
Jenny - Is it wrong that I have a little bit of a crush on Zac Efron?
Jenny - Viola Davis is ROCKIN' that gold dress.
Jenny - Miley's dress looks like something that a Disney princess would wear.
Jenny - Have they done this every year? Glorifying the accountants who bring in the envelopes? I don't remember this.
Jenny - I have never ever thought Penelope Cruz was all that pretty...until Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Now I can't get enough of her. She's beautiful tonight.
Jenny - Awww....Richard Jenkins...I just love that guy. Shame he's not going to win.
Jenny - I love Jack Black. Jack honey, You look great tonight!
Jenny - Why did that guy tell Tomei that she needed the "matching Best Supporting Actress Oscar"? What for? So she can use them as bookends?
Tony - Yeah Hugh Jackman really isnt funny
Jenny - I like him.
Jenny - But I'm a big musical theater dork like that. :)
Jenny - LOVING this opening number.
Tony - Billy Crystal did this best.
Jenny - Yes he did, but this is awesome.
Jenny - I love that he's giving cred to the films that probably should have been nominated.
Jenny - I loved every second of that.
Tony - I like the way they're doing the nominations so far.
Jenny - I want to be Amy Adams when I grow up.
Tony - Amy Adams is one of the best actresses of our generation. Too bad she won't win...
Tony - Predictions - 1 for 1.
Tony - I wasn't stunned with Penelope in VCB, but will admit she made it feel more alive. Calling Wall-E for Best Animated.
Tony - Steve Martin and Tina Fey - perfect! They're already doing a better job together here than on Baby Mama
Tony - I'm calling Wall-E for Best Original Screenplay
Tony - Oscar predictions: 1 for 2. This Lance Black guy is weird. But in a cool way.
Tony - Actually, that was deep. And "Slumdog" for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Tony - Called it. 2 for 3 for the evening.
Tony - I wish I saw Slumdog Millionaire before watching the Oscars.
Tony - Watching this Wall-E clip makes me want to watch the film again
Tony - LMFAO!!! SPACE CHIMPS!!!
Tony - Can't wait until Wall-E beats Kung Fu Panda... and it does. 3 for 4
Jenny - Yikes, I'm 2 for 4. I got both the screenplays wrong.
Jenny - And now I'm 2 for 5. Ugh. Pixar didn't win?
Tony - I saw it coming. 3 for 5. And Best speech of the night by far.
Tony - Calling the Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Jenny - I picked TDK, but my picks have sucked so far tonight.
Tony - 4 for 6. This might be my best yet.
Tony - Calling Benjamin Button again... and I lose. 4 for 7. If I get 12+, I'm happy
Jenny - I got this one right! The Academy loves costume dramas for Best Costume. And The Duchess really deserved this award.
Tony - 5 for 8 for the evening. Not bad so far...
Tony - EDWARD CULLEN OMG!
Jenny - HELL YES, EDWARD CULLEN!! Don't hate, TonyD. lol He's freaking awesome.
Tony - It could be worst... could be Ben Lyons... and no Wall-E?
Jenny - LOVE Natalie's dress.
Tony - Slumdog for Cinematography?
Tony - Another fucking Joaquin Phoenix impression...
Tony - 6 for 9 tonight... *giggles like a school girl*
Tony - Twitter is one of the best things ever invented. I get to read all of these fanboys bitching about the Academy cheating them out.
Tony - Not that I don't want the Dark Knight to win... I just love bitchy fanboys thinking life's not fair.
Tony - This Pineapple Express short really isn't funny... hahaha until the Mamma Mia part...
Tony - Hahah this was actually pretty funny once I got into it.
Jenny - I loved that Pineapple Express bit.
Jenny - I picked On the Line. And another one down.
Tony - 6 for 10. Still not bad.
Tony - These next ten minutes decide if fanboys post an already-written article on Heath Ledger's snub.
Jenny - I think I've only gotten 4 right so far. lol
Jenny - I'm really scared to find out what will happen if Ledger doesn't win.
Jenny - They do song montages like this for people like me.
Tony - At least the first number was entertaining... this second one is boring me... and is that Zac?
Tony - It goes from The Oscars to The Tonys
Jenny - There's nothing wrong with the Oscars being more like the Tonys. At least the Tonys are entertaining. Have you ever watched a Tonys broadcast? I doubt it. The Oscars can get boring and pretentious.
Tony - Once. I did get bored, I'll admit.
Tony - And here comes the moment of truth...
Tony - It's over. Thank god. I don't want to hear another "What if..." 7 for 11.
Tony - Calling "Man on Wire"
Jenny - I picked Man On Wire as well.
Jenny - Shut up , Bill Maher. This isn't about you.
Tony - Hahah Bill Maher... and 8 for 12. Does anyone really care about my predictions?
Jenny - Sure we do!
Tony - And for that, I say I'm callin The Witness.
Tony - 8 for 13. According to Twitter, Roeper was 10 for 10 before Heath Ledger's award. Does anyone think he's 13 for 13.
Jenny - No clue. lol I got Doc Short correct.
Tony - Wow... he's 13 for 13... could he get a perfect 24 for 24?
Tony - Does anyone know that song from the Action Montage?
Jenny - No clue...again. Calling TDK.
Jenny - DAMN!! Button is NOT that good.
Tony - 8 for 14. Calling "The Dark Knight" for sound editing.
Tony - And Roeper goes 14 for 15 as I go 9 for 15.
Tony - Wow Wall-E so got snubbed... 9 for 16.
Tony - Calling Slumdog Millionaire for Editing
Jenny - I picked Milk.
Tony - 10 for 17 tonight. If I get at least two more (which I'm sure I will) I'll be happy.
Jenny - A bit cocky, are we? lol
Tony - Lol, I'm just assuming that I'll be right with Best Original Score and Best Direction, which are locks.
Tony - Eddie Murphy still comes to the Oscars? And giving an award to a comedian like Jerry Lewis?
Tony - Starting to feel Oscar Overload
Jenny - Is the Best Director a lock? I'm sure it is, but my pick is probably not whatever that is.
Jenny - I'm just ready for them to get back to the awards. Enough Jerry Lewis already!
Jenny - Last year was when they had that group of people acting out the movies to the scores, remember that? The silhouette people? That was cool.
Jenny - I picked WALL*E for score and I'm standing by it...although I'm sure Slumdog will win it.
Tony - 11 for 18. I'd consider it a lock. But who knows?
Jenny - YES!! More singing and dancing!!
Tony - I didn't like how Jai-Ho was mixed with Down to Earth, but I called Jai-Ho. 12 for 19.
Jenny - I really liked how Jai Ho was mixed with Down to Earth. Thought it was beautiful. And I got Best Song correct. That makes only 7 right for me. lol
Tony - Calling Waltz with Bashir
Jenny - I picked Waltz with Bashir as well. And got it wrong. Have you seen it, Tony? Amazing film.
Tony - Nah, just called it off of buzz. Never came here. Didn't see Departures coming at all. 12 for 20.
Tony - Haven't seen many film commercials.
Jenny - This is the one I'm sure I've gotten wrong. I picked Gus Van Sant. I really think he deserves this one. I don't care what the Academy says.
Tony - Danny Boyle
Tony - 13 for 21
Jenny - I'm glad Danny Boyle won, but I think that Van Sant deserved that more.
Jenny - This one was difficult for me, but I ultimately decided on Streep.
Tony - I see Hathaway taking this one, but I'm gonna go for Winslet.
Tony - Did this lady even SEE THE READER?!
Jenny - Doesn't sound like it, LOL. Winslet should have gotten nominated for Revolutionary Road instead.
Tony - Or this should have been in Best Supporting Actress. 14 for 22
Jenny - Or nothing at all. I didn't like this performance. It wasn't that great.
Tony - GOOOO MICKEYYYY!
Jenny - GOOOO MICKEYYYY!!
Jenny - What?
Tony - the?
Jenny - No. That's just wrong. I'm done now, f the Academy this year.
Jenny - I don't want to see anything about the Reader ever again. I dislike that movie more and more every day. It doesn't deserve the accolades that it's getting. It just doesn't. Not any more than Gran Torino, The Wrestler, The DARK KNIGHT.
Jenny - That's the big one of the night and I got it right. WOO!
Jenny - Finally, after the Best Actor and Best Actress categories, the winner for Best Picture actually DESERVED to win.
Jenny - That's it for me, folks! Good night and good luck! :) Thanks to everyone for joining us, and thanks to TonyD and FilmArcade for hosting this year's live Oscar Blog!
Tony - Thank you Jenny! Thanks for tuning in everyone! You guys made tonight one of the most enjoyable nights in the history of the site. I don't know about Jenny (especially after Sean Penn's win), but I'll be back next year. Good night all!
Tony - Oh, and finished with 15 to 24 predictions correct.
Oscars is always a great time for a movie fan, and even though this year is likely to suck or surprise, we at FilmArcade.net will be live blogging it tonight.
FilmArcade.net writers TonyD and Jenny (with possible special guests) will be live-blogging throughout the night, from the Red Carpet until the end of the show when they announce the Best Picture winner.
You can also follow our Live Oscar Blogging over at our Twitter Feed.
Oscars come on at 8 PM EST, but you can stay tuned to our live blogging at 7:30 PM EST
The “Friday The 13th” movies are essentially the equivalent of a fast food meal. You know, the ones that have an obscene amount of cholesterol in them. You know it’s bad for you, but you keep coming back for more. It’s not just tapping into our deepest desires, but into our willingness to be bad and to rebel against what our parents didn’t like. Film critics never stopped attacking these movies and bashing them to pieces, yet they made so much damn money on such low budgets. It represented horror being taken to the next level for the children of the 80’s. Our parents hated the movies, and they made us all the more curious about seeing them. We came to know who Jason was as we knew who Santa Claus. I remember when “Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter” (ha, ha, ha) came out when I was in the 2nd grade, and none us had ever looked more forward to a movie that none of us would be able to see (nor had we any business to). Yes, these slasher flicks bring back a lot of nostalgia for me.
With the reboot of the franchise, it allowed me the opportunity to revisit the very first one as it was playing on demand on the FearNet channel. It was free to watch, and it was constantly interrupted by promos for the new adventures of Jason Voorhees which got increasingly annoying as it stopped the movie dead in its tracks for a moment. Now I see why these movies were being presented for free. I mean, it’s either watching the movie trailer or a Mitsubishi commercial instead. Anyway, let’s get back to the flick at hand.
The original “Friday The 13th”, in retrospect, actually seems much better in retrospect. This is especially the case when you compare them to all the sequels (let alone all the endless knockoffs) that came right after it. There is a rawness and intensity to this rough exploitation flick that the recently released reboot could not capture in all its slickness and higher production values. What surprised me is that some of the murders that occur in this movie actually occur off screen. We have no idea that they have occurred until we see the carnage put on display right in front of our eyes. It’s pretty vicious what is perpetrated in the film, and this was back when an arrow through an eye was actually shocking. For the most part, this film and a couple of sequels felt very real and didn’t always feel stagey. You have to give the filmmakers credit because none of these movies made today can even touch that feeling of reality. We all know we’re watching a movie when we see one of the later sequels, but the original of the bunch was experienced more than it was watched.
I’m sure we all know now what Drew Barrymore should have known at the beginning of “Scream;” Jason was not actually the killer in this one. It was his mother, played in a ridiculously over the top performance by Betsy Palmer. Betsy’s character of Mrs. Voorhees is basically what Norman Bates’ mother would have looked like, had he not have killed her off. Those moments where she is clearly schizophrenic, and acting as if her son is actually telling her to kill people, is both chilling and hilarious at the same time. This is far from a convincing performance, but Betsy is so much fun to watch in her deranged state that it doesn’t really matter in a movie like this.
Jason, of course, makes a grand entrance towards the end of the movie that would rival the jump out of your seat moment from “Carrie.” From there on out, it’s Jason’s show and no one else’s. How many other characters do you know of that have held a grudge against others as long as Jason Voorhees has?
The cast of actors here are basically cast not so much for their acting talent, but because they resemble (as director Sean S. Cunningham put it) those kids who came out of a Pepsi commercial in those days. In many ways, this casting choice really helped give the movie a stronger feeling of reality as they could have been people we knew from our own hometowns. They are not models who have enhanced themselves with god knows how many plastic surgeries (those would appear in the sequels). The ladies look very sweet and fetching, and the men look down to earth and definitely look like they have spent some time at the gym.
This was also the movie that started the cliché that if you have premarital sex with your boyfriend of girlfriend, then you would die. The last person left standing was always the virgin, or the one too shy to ask a boy for a date. As a result, many people think that there is this highly conservative Christian value system in place that one must follow in order to survive an experience with a masked maniac. Some will say that John Carpenter started this with the original “Halloween,” but he makes it clear in the DVD commentary that he was not trying to spread some religious dogma. John basically said that the characters got killed because they weren’t paying attention. But ever since “Friday The 13th,” it’s been open season on those kids who don’t practice safe sex.
There is also the crazy old man (Walt Gorney as Crazy Ralph) who warns everybody of how they “are all doomed.” Of course, it’s always some crazy guy that no one ever listens to. God forbid that it’s some seemingly normal person who people listen to. If President Barack Obama told you this, you would listen for sure. If it was George W. Bush, your annoyance over what he said would be justified, but that wouldn’t keep you from getting your slashed (in the end, your loss). Of course, if everyone were to believe this guy, then there would be no movie.
Of all the actors in this film (let alone the entire series), Kevin Bacon seems to be the one with the most successful career. This may not show off the best of his talents, but he does get to have one of the coolest death sequences when he gets a spear shoved right through his throat. We can all tell now that this was done with a fake body with Kevin’s head still poking out of it, but it still gets you just as bad as when the hand comes out from under the bed to grab him.
Kevin also gets to have one of the sweetest love making scenes any horror movie could ever hope to have. I mean it, his character and his girlfriend actually do make love. It’s not one of those humping and pumping moments that you can find in so many other movies where one person is doing all the work, and the other is having not enough pleasure. It makes their inevitable deaths actually kind of sad. Even if we wanted to see these two people get bumped off, we don’t entirely look forward to it.
Sooner or later, we were bound to see this movie because people couldn’t stop describing some of the more graphic moments in it. I remember my brother telling me about the scene where Kevin’s girlfriend does finally get it:
“You see her looking into the shower stalls and no one’s there. But while she is looking, you can see in the background the shadow of an ax being raised up. When she turns around, you can see the ax going into her face!”
My reply to this at the time was:
“Whoa! Cool!”
Sooner or later, I had to see it for myself. Now many of you out there may think that kids should not be exposed to this. They probably shouldn’t, but a lot of kids become wise beyond their years and have their ways of seeing what they shouldn’t see. Besides, with teachers reading to us from “The Black Cat” by Edgar Alan Poe, we are exposed to graphic material a lot sooner than you think. Seriously! That story by Poe had a moment where a husband ends up sinking an ax into his wife’s brain! They teach us about what Poe wrote in school! Moreover, the kids in my class totally dug it too! Aw, those were the days!
Then of course, you have the unforgettable Harry Manfredini music score which basically sounds like Bernard Herrmann’s “Psycho” score on speed. Never have woodwind instruments been as thoroughly pummeled as they have been in this movie’s soundtrack. This is not to mention the "chi chi chi, ha ha ha" (it’s actually "ki ki ki, ma ma ma") that is so clearly identified with this infinite franchise. When you hear it, you know that Jason is not far away with his rusty machete.
Sean S. Cunningham is no John Carpenter, and he is probably a better producer than he is a director. But he does keep the suspense quota of the movie up pretty high and does get some good scares in there. This one did not actually focus so much on the killings as much as it did the messy aftermath. While you did see some characters get it in some of the most painful places imaginable, there were a couple of others you kept wondering about until you see their bloodied corpses. The later sequels would get more creative with the kills as time went on.
There’s no doubt that there will be more of these movies, especially since they still make an obscene amount of money. In the end, maybe people see evil in the world as more of a reality than good. Or maybe they just see movies like these as an opportunity to face their fears in a healthy way. These days I prefer to believe the latter. Besides, watching how people react in the audience to these movies is so much damn fun!
*** out of ****
Kelsey: The main character is very plain, but she also seems to be very interested in fashion. Did you intend this to be used as an escape from her home life?
Kelsey: What’s the relationship like between the dad and his boyfriend?
It’s a Win it, Before You Buy It Weekend, for all our Myspace Friends
Film Arcade.net and Reviews From The Horror Chamber is giving away two copies of “Epitaph” which will be release Tuesday from TLA Releasing’s Danger After Dark Label.
Both visually lyrical and horrific, Epitaph is a bloodstained foray into the depths of obsessive love and unbearable grief. Set in a small Korean hospital, the once peaceful place is now a labyrinth of haunted corridors and the stage for frightful events: a medical student is inexplicably drawn to a beautiful dead girl; a troubled child is tortured by bloody visions of her dead parents; and a married couple find themselves investigating a series of gory murders. Certain to give you goosebumps and have you peering over your shoulder with every ghastly twist, this Korean chiller will keep you guessing till the end.
To enter, you must be either a Film Arcade or Reviews From the Horror Chamber friend on myspace
If not, you can either add the Film Arcade,net Myspace page at: Http://www.myspace.com/filmarcade or Reviews From The Horror Chamber at: http://www.myspace.com/reviewsfromthehorchamber
Once added, you can send your name and address to either of those myspace pages.
All entries must in 11:59 PM, Febuary 22nd, 2009
US Residents Only.
Feast 3: The Happy Finish
Year: 2009
Director: John Gulager
Studio: Dimension Extreme
Stars: Jenny Wade, Diane Ayala Goldner, Clu Gulager
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 79 Mins.
“Feast 3: The Happy Finish” picks up where “Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds” left off, where the survivors are left on a rooftop and trying to fend off the monstrous beasts. A mysterious prophet, Shot Bus Gus who mysteriously can control these beasts, rescues them, from their situation. He leads them to the sewers, so they can escape to the big city. Along the way, the group get added assistance from a teenager and karate expert, who goes by the name (get this) Jean-Claude Seagal. Soon they begin to learn, where these beasts came from and begin to fight back and fight back in this alleged final chapter, of the Feast saga.
Film Review:
Going into “Feast 3: The Happy Finish, I was hoping for something different, even though the last film left, with a cliffhanger ending. But, this film is pretty much the same thing as its predecessor, but with a few differences. If you liked the second one, like I did
, then this isn’t a bad film for you. But if you did hate it, then don’t bother with this film. John Gulager’s direction, for the most part was good. One of the things that I like about him is that he’s not afraid to try something different. I like how he allows his director of photograph to use various techniques, in filming some of the scenes, like the night vision and the slow motion methods. It makes the film very weird, which it’s suppose to be. He also handle the gore factor, very well, as it’s was campy and bloody. The acting in this, for the most part was good. All the actors were enjoyable to watch and they delivered film’s sick and twisted action, very well.
Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, the duo behind the lifeless and boring “Saw V” are back writing the screenplay, in this installment. The screenplay, for the most part was good. The two did a great job in moving of the pace of the along, something that should been in their “Saw V” script. I liked how they went all out here, as I didn’t personally think that it could even more deranged than in the “Feast II, but it did. The story is that way, because the screenwriters are going for a shock value that succeeds and makes this film fun. The film, like the second film is not short of outrageous characters, as there is a couple of new one here including, like a prophet like characters, and knife wielding karate kid that came out of “The Karate Kid”. It helps bring humor to the film and make the action. Also, the ending of the film is something that totally fucked up and you would never see in a horror film, but I found myself loving it nonetheless, as provides a good laugh. It’s like one of those things that you would expect to see in spoof movies, not in horror films. Also stay for the end credits, as that part is more bizarre too, but good nonetheless.
If there was a downside to this film is was the fact that we don’t get to know more about these beasts, instead we are introduced to zombie like creatures that lives underneath the sewers. That’s all good and everything, but the main focal point is find out, how these things came from, not trying to blend every genre that they can think of, which they kind of did here. I though this was supposed to be your creature feature type film, not the all the horror genres blend into one film. What next, vampires or werewolves making appearance. Maybe we can squeeze in the mummy too. I’m just saying, the screenwriters should stay the course that made the original “Feast”, so great. Mix in, the bloody violence with humor, as long as they don’t keep us hanging with eternal question that this series has. Where did the beast come from?
DVD Extras:
Like “Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds”, this disc lacks in extras. First on the disc is the audio commentary track, which Director John Gulager, Writers, Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan and Producer Michael was surprising a very commentary track, considering that I didn’t enjoy the Feast 2 commentary track. One of the main differences is that this goes more into the film’s production, then coming off, like a Gulager family picnic, which the second o
ne felt like. They also gave information into the film production and how some of the cast came to work, on the project, which made it interesting.
Next on the disc, an 8-minute featurette entitled “A Look Back at John Gulager” This pretty is look at the director, after winning “Project Greenlight”. It was a good look, at Gulager. It’s pretty much, looks at him as a person after “Project Greenlight” and the films that he directed.
Finally, there are a couple of trailers for “Feast” and “Feast 2”
All in all, I wished that they would have had a behind the scene featurette for this film, but that’s a problem when this film along with “Feast 2” was shot back to back. It doesn’t give detail into the behind the scenes process, which doesn’t give you an idea, how the production went.
Summary:
If you liked the first two “Feast” films like I did, then you will like this. If you didn’t or haven’t seen any of the two previous films, then either skip this or go back, which I recommend and catch up on one of the most outrageous and bloody horror franchises to come out, in the last ten years.
Review Rating 3.5 Stars
DVD Extras: 2 Stars
“Zack and Miri Make a Porno”
2008
**** out of ****
Director: Kevin Smith
Cast: Seth Rogan, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson
I have a confession – I’m a hardcore Kevin Smith fan.
It’s no secret, actually. From the VHS days, my first Kevin Smith film was “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.” I’ll never forget the day that I rented it – my mom was going into labor the day after, and she allowed me to rent one movie. I decided to rent this movie, and I had no idea what I was getting into. Within the first few minutes, the film fired off at least fifteen f-words, and it made me the way I am today. What made me more interested is that this was the fifth film in the “Jersey Trilogy,” as Kevin Smith called it. Over the years I rented Smith’s other films and I cannot find a dull moment in any of them. And when I heard he was making his second film away from the Jersey films, you KNEW I jumped on it… especially when the title was “Zack and Miri Make a Porno.”
And believe me, I’ve been looking forward to this movie every single day since it was announced. I bought a ticket for his Q&A in Red Bank so I could just hear him talk about the film one week after it released in theaters (which I will write about November 8th, the night after). Back in June, I thought that I wouldn’t be looking forward to a film more than Pixar’s “Wall-E,” but I was wrong. “Zack and Miri” isn’t necessarily my favorite of the two, but it is my favorite comedy of the year and Kevin Smith’s best film.
Zack (Seth Rogan) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) have been best friends for almost all of their lives. For ten years, they’ve lived together and have shared each other’s company in their home in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. And like everyone else in the world, Zack and Miri have problems with money. After Miri has gained internet fame as being recognized as “granny-panties,” and after Zack meets a gay porn star (Justin Long) at a high school reunion, they decide the only way to get out of their financial problems is to make a porno.
So Zack gears up his best friend Delaney (Craig Robinson) to act as the producer and his hockey teammate Deacon (Jeff Anderson) to shoot the porno, and there begins the auditions… but the question is begged on both Zack and Miri’s side… will they have sex in this new porno? And will it affect their friendship?
I don’t want to get too into the humor and spoil any hilarious jokes (and believe me, there are a few hilarious ones, including one joke that you’ll miss if you don’t play very close attention), but I’ll set up a scenario for you guys. Say if you are wary about a new comedy that is being released into theaters. You think it’ll be funny, but you don’t want to waste your money on it with the chances that it might not be deadly hilarious. So you find it on the internet via bootleg, and you begin to watching it. It’s a great quality, but it is so damn funny that you are missing bits and pieces of the dialogue because people are cracking up laughing. Unfortunately, you don’t understand what jokes are being said and you will end up hating the movie.
The theater that I went to go see “Zack and Miri” in was literally packed. It was filled with Kevin Smith fans, moviegoers, and teenagers who snuck in. And we all had one consensus of the film – we all loved it. Everyone in the theater laughed. The crowd went wild throughout the entire picture. We cheered for the characters and we let them walk into our lives. We related to them and their feelings. Though most of us haven’t made a porno, we’ve all been in situations like this before, whether if it was the whole “just-friends” deal, the financial shit, and facing your high-school class at your reunion. Even I don’t want the third one.
The movie has everything, but the one thing that shines more than anything is the chemistry. We have chemistry all over the place from every single actor. They all get along very well with each other and they are all a joy to see on screen with each other. Jason Mewes is continuing to prove that he can do something other than play Jay, but it might take a little bit more work. (Sidenote: I think that Mewes character is just as, or even more, hornier than Jay was.) Pornstars Katie Morgan and Traci Lords have bits in the film that are pretty memorable, but not as memorable as the supporting role played by Craig Robinson. I don’t think that a team had such a better sidekick, but god, was I wrong. He’s so good in this movie that by the end of the weekend, I can promise you that the guy will be flooded with offers to star in new comedies.
The film isn’t without the usual Kevin Smith cameo appearances. No, Ben Affleck and Jason Lee don’t appear, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some awesome performances by some cameo actors. The scene at the high-school reunion is absolutely hilarious, but that isn’t done without the help of Brandon Routh and Justin Long. Smith’s wife Jennifer Schwalbach Smith also has a little cameo in the film, which is hilarious for all of the wrong reasons. Tom Savini comes out of nowhere with a little cameo too, as ironic as it sounds (being shot in Monroeville, where “Dawn of the Dead” was also shot). Tyler Labine gives an excellent cameo by just shooting outta nowhere.
“Zack and Miri” isn’t without… well… Zack and Miri. Both Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks have the best chemistry that I’ve seen in any Kevin Smith movie. First off, think about what that means – Dante and Randall, Jay and Silent Bob, Holden and Alyssa, Bartleby and Loki, Quint and Brodie – Zack and Miri beat them all. They have chemistry throughout the film – when they are just normal everyday people who are just friends, from when they are making the porno, and from when a sudden twist comes. Nothing changes; their amazing chemistry remains the same.
Which leads me to the writing and directing. I recall Seth Rogan saying something in the movie along the lines as, “Acting and directing at the same time is harder than it looks.” I can see why Kevin Smith sat out for this film. I’ve read tons of reviews coming from different websites that it is almost like Kevin Smith is trying to cash-in on the new Judd Apatow movies by making his very own Apatow flick. I’ve read comments on forums and blogs that say stuff such as Kevin Smith forgot to add jokes in the second half. I’ve read people who actually thought this was Kevin Smith’s worst film because the film isn’t like his other films.
Because moviegoers, may I direct your attention to “Chasing Amy.” His third film is his most well-received one, but it was well-received for a reason – it wasn’t a comedy, but it was a romantic comedy. Kevin Smith made this movie a couple of years before Apatow came on the scene. The second half of “Chasing Amy” has little to no jokes, but is basically compiled of dialogue about life’s troubles. Tell me now – doesn’t “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” sound like another one of his films? Almost like that he hasn’t lost any of his touch?
I want to end this review on a note that I’ll be able to put this on my Best of 2008 list at the end of the year. Folks, Kevin Smith never went anywhere. He put a few of his characters to rest for a while so he could try something new and what he tried was a little shift in his path. It isn’t a huge one, but for a guy that is planning on taking on a horror flick and a sci-fi flick in the span of a few years, it’s a step. There is nothing offending in “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” but there is enough for you to fall in love with the new characters.
Like I said before, I’ll always be a Kevin Smith fan until the day I die.
EXTRAS:
The DVD features a multitude of extras, but not one of them is a commentary that I would have liked to have heard by Kevin Smith and the rest of the cast on the making of the film, but that’s not too much of a big deal. The first disc has over an hour and a half of deleted scenes, including a twenty minute deleted scene with just Justin Long and Brandon Routh going back and forth at each other. A lot of these were very funny scenes – some I could have seen why they were cut out from the movie, others I can’t.
On the second disc there is an hour and fifteen minute long featurette of the making of the film. It’s interesting to see how they did a lot of the film, including one “shot” in particular. (Though I heard a lot of these stories while I was at a Kevin Smith show in Red Bank, it was nice to revisit those memories.) There are your standard outtakes and bloopers, and about twenty minutes from the panel at this year’s Comic Con are featured on the DVD. About forty-five minutes of Webisodes called “Money Shots” are included on the DVD, which were uploaded on the internet before the film’s theatrical release. Rounding the DVD release is “Seth vs. Justin,” where Seth Rogan and Justin Long just improvise jokes the entire time.
