The 2009 New York City Horror Film Festival will take place November 18th through the 22nd at the world famous Tribeca Cinemas. Keep your eyes pealed right here for all the gory details to come!

Monstermania and The New York City Horror Film Festival team up for the Killer Shorts Sudden Death Film Competition. If you have a short film under 15 minuets and submit to the NYCHFF no later then August 17th it will screen at Monstermania!!!

The NYC Horror Film Festival in conjunction with Monster Mania Con (http://www.monstermania.net/), & sponsored by FEARSmag.com, is offering short filmmakers a unique opportunity to have their short film viewed by a live audience - THE KILLER SHORTS SUDDEN DEATH COMPETITION. The Monster Mania audience will select one winner that will be part of the 2009 NYC Horror Film Festival programming. The audience will have their say on Sunday, August 23, 2009.

Check it all out at www.NYCHorrorFest.com

The Indie Scene is back with a new writer, Anthony T and some interesting films that are out in the underground, festival and arthouse film circuits. We will be covering all genres here, so there is variety for all you a film lovers. Each column will be monthly and will contain two or three reviews. Some shorts, some feature length. Sometimes there will a central theme to each columns. I’ll talk more about it at the end of this column. Without further ado, on to the reviews.

Running Funny
Year: 2009
Director: Anthony Grippa
Studio: Lifesize Entertainment
Stars: Maximillian Osinki, Gene Gallerano, Louis Zorich,
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 77 Mins.
Official Website: http://www.runningfunnymovie.com/



“Running Funny” is based on a play that focuses on two college graduates that rent an apartment garage, from a blind veteran. During the course of a month, one of them realizes that he has more in common with the veteran, than his best friend. While the other graduate is so desperate to find a real job and not depend on his parents. Can they sustain their friendship, during these tough times?

To put my feeling towards “Running Funny”, this film felt like a good play that doesn’t translate well onto film. Co-writer and director, Anthony Grippa’s direction was good, for the most part. I liked how, he captures the interior and exterior scenery of the garage that the two main characters lived in. It made it like another character, because about two-thirds of the film takes place in that one area. But what made his direction suffer; the way Grippa directs his actors. The acting felt sour and unenergetic. The film really had no energy to it, as the actors were given one note and they had to play that note through out the film. Maybe, it had to do something more with the material than given to them, but still I would have liked to have seen some personality to these characters.

But my major problem with this film has to do with its screenplay. The screenplay had design of a play, not a feature film. It felt lifeless, as there was nothing in the material that would keep your interest. Grippa and the author of the original play, Charles Evered keep this film contained in one place, for a majority of the film. It made the film feel like it had no comedic action, as the characters don’t seem energetic, as they felt flat and dull. That didn’t make me interested in the characters, which was needed in order get the film and it’s humor. Speaking of the humor, it was non-existent. Everytime there was attempt at it, the film dull tone drowns that out. That made me not interested with anything that was going on. I was waiting for funny to happen, but when you think something is going to happen; the film’s lifeless tone drowns it out, which made the action boring.

“Running Funny” is a film that could have been better, but falls flat in humor and storytelling departments.

Review Rating: 2 Stars


Beijing Haze
Year: 2008
Director: JP Chan
Studio: Medium 10-12
Stars: Jo Mei
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 11 Mins.

Here's a clip from Bejing Haze:



During my coverage of the Danger After Dark portion of the 2009 Philadelphia Film festival, I had a chance to review JP Chan’s latest film I Sleep, Before I Dream, which was one of the standout shorts from that festival. This time I review the film that was made before that one, Beijing Haze.

The film is about immigrant who has flashback of the last day that she spend in her homeland, before moving to America. She views America, as her hazy dream of the future. Now living in the country, she can’t help to remember about her past that’s becoming a hazy memory.

Beijing Haze is a visually entertaining film that is on par with J.P Chan’s other film ”I Don’t sleep, I Dream”. The direction was very good. Chan does a good job using the locations to create a realistic tone that this film has. It makes the story and the main character more interesting. He also does a good with the short along, as it never speed up or slows down. It helps make the film interesting, not boring. Chan also did a good job directing his lead actress in this film. He spends time making the performance realistic and someone that you can relate to. That’s needed, for a film like to succeed.

Chan’s screenplay was also good, as this is more realistic than his previous film.The realism the screenplay has helps make the whole character, very lifelike. It makes the screenplay works, as it the main character accessible to the viewer. The character wasn’t confusing at all. Chan creates a character that is like someone that you would see, in real life. He also makes this more of a character study, which really helped me become invested with the main character that made this an entertaining film.

“Beijing Haze” is a very entertaining little character study piece that will leave you daydreaming.

Review Rating: Four Stars

I hope you enjoyed The Indie Scene. In next month edition, I will spotlight the Canadian Independent scene, by reviewing three films from Canada, including The Butler Brothers latest film, “The Notorious Newman Brothers”.

If you want you film review on “The Indie Scene”, contact Anthony T at anthonythurber@filmarcade.net.

RIIFF PSA 2009 from Rhode Island International Film on Vimeo.

235 Films from 57 countries

38 World Premieres / 21 United States/North American Premieres

Tuesday, August 4th: Salute to composer Klaus Badelt (“Pirates of the Caribbean”) including the presentation of a Crystal Image Award and music played throughout “Waterfire” Saturday, August 8th

Thursday, August 6th: Nathanael Greene Humanitarian Award to actor William Shatner and screening of his acclaimed film "William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet," during a special evening in collaboration with the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities (RICH) and Rhode Island College.

RIIFF 2009 from vacilando on Vimeo.

Friday, August 7th: Lifetime Achievement Award to actor Ernest Borgnine and premiere screening of his latest film "Another Harvest Moon," post screening party at the Federal Reserve in Providence. Retrospective of his career in film to be held during the month of August throughout the state of Rhode Island. "Another Harvest Moon" marks Mr. Borgnine’s 199th feature length film in addition to his remarkable run on television. He is also a remarkable 92 years young!

Saturday, August 8th: Roger Williams Independent Voice Award presentation to Wat Misaka and screening of the documentary “TRANSCENDING: The Wat Misaka Story,” that chronicles his barrier-breaking career. Presented in collaboration with Sport in Society.

For complete list of films, times and other events, you can visit the festival's website at: http://www.rifilmfest.org/.

Here's a preview at some of the films that are playing at this year's festival.

Reality Entertainment produces documentary, interview based films on what can be viewed as conspiracy theories. The films look in to present and future problems as well as how we can learn from past cultures. The films are very information heavy. During some moments the large amount of hidden information that the films are able to convey to their audiences can be very eye opening. It can also drown the audience out a bit, particularly at the end of many of the films that just drag on for too long without much variation from the straight back and forth interview style. Overall though the films are effective even if you aren’t 100% convinced of the far out their concepts that differ drastically from popular opinion. In the end the films explores other possibilities quite deeply and provokes their audience to at least question what society tells them to believe.

Lies & Deceptions: UFO’s and the Secret Agenda

The film explores the validity of alien contact and the notion that aliens already could be living among us. It notes that the vast majority of UFO sightings are false alarms, a substantial number are misinformation, but that remaining 5% are very interesting and quite possibly valid UFO sightings. Lies & Deceptions goes in to Roswell, one of the most talked about and controversial UFO incidents, claiming that it did in fact happen and that at least one craft was shot down by US forces. Another main incident that is talked about in the documentary is the Aztec Case in 1949, about the incident that took place in March of 1948 when scientists went in to an alien aircraft filled with small, dead alien bodies. This showed that these aliens weren’t able to survive on Earth do to the exposure to the atmosphere. However, Lies & Deceptions suggested that there are other types of aliens that are able to survive on Earth and have been here longer than humans. The film claims our lack of knowledge of this is because there has been a governmental cover up in several agencies since the 1940s.

Most of the transitioning images throughout the film are pretty basic computer graphics, which serve as an acceptable model, but aren’t anything spectacular. There is also a very awkward shot that for some reason the director keeps on going back to. The shot is during an interview, but doesn’t show the interviewer or the subject being interviewed, but really just the edge of the interviewer’s desk. It lingers there and just takes you out of the film. The old photographs displayed when talking about Roswell and animal mutilations were much stronger images, giving first hand historical evidence.

At the end of the film, there is a segment entitled, “conversation with Phillip Gardner”. We are given interesting information such as eight UFO files have released to the general public, which was previously confidential. There had been 1.7 downloads by the time of the interview, which Gardner argues shows the interest of the public and that they are at willing to look in to UFO activity as a possibility. The main problem with this segment is it is a conversation, an intelligent one at that, but it’s not even really an interview. This drastically makes the film drag when it had already gotten great points across to its audience prior to this. It just ends on a somewhat redundant and overstated way even though the overall message still resonates with the viewer. There are only about 2 subjects being interviewed so more subjects possibly with different views might have made it more well rounded. The opinions we were given were very insightful, questioning many things even within their own viewpoint. Several other sources are sited to bring the public’s attention to these things and work off the research that has been done on UFO and alien life forms.

The Legend of the Serpent

The Legend of the Serpent is a film about serpent worship and the changing of the perception that the serpent has held throughout time. Serpents were once part of nearly every culture and played some role in forming every mainstream religion today. The film even argues that it was a serpent that helped Mary rather than the angel, Gabriel, and notes that the serpent is the only animal in the bible that has its own voice. It goes on to make connections with Buddha and Jesus to the serpent. Serpent worshipping is traced back to 70,000 years ago, making it the oldest form of worship. In India these forms of worship still exist today and it can be traced all over the world, particularly China, Taiwan, and Far East Japan. The serpent was once associated with wisdom and health. Many people purposely injected themselves with serpent venom over long periods of time, bringing youth upon them and making them look half of their real age. The documentary explains that serpents had a duality of good and evil, giving life and taking it away. 900 years before Christ it was seen as a sign of the devil, which is how it was entered in to the bible, giving the serpent the evil reputation it is most remembered for today.

The visuals were mystical and beautiful in The Legend of the Serpent, ranging from bright, traditional stained glass biblical figures to mythical goddesses and serpents. There are also a number of pictures of worldwide landmarks and events that correlate with the connections to serpents. The film states once the possibility of serpents starting the foundation of cultures and religions around the world that you will be able to see endless connections all around you. Throughout the interviews in the film, many customs are gone in to, giving the viewer a view of the serpent that is contradictory to popular belief.

2012: Odyssey of Time

2012 marks the year of the predicted apocalypse and a time of change. The film notes how both the Mayans and the Egyptians predicted this. Author, Patrick Geryl, decoded this warning in the Egyptain Book of the Dead. It is rumored that this same thing happened to the people of the lost city of Atlantis and the survivors moved to Egypt to warn others. The high priests were the ones who knew about this, which gave them power over those that didn’t know. In order to keep this knowledge, they encoded it to keep it from the average person. Geryl says it took him years to decode it. There has already been a change in the climate, which is part of this theory. When interviewed Adrian Gilbert says this climate change is driven by the sun and is not manmade. He goes on to say, “We live in a universe of change and its foolish for us to think otherwise”. The magnetic fields are already changing. They are in rapid decline, reversing their role, giving them the lowest magnetic point in the past 2000 years. Time will seem to speed up and our bodies will try to match this pulse. The world will make a 360 degree change, turning in the other direction.

The film goes in to why there is an opposition to the theory of the year 2012. JOverall the film argues that since scientists don’t have exact answers this new information is troubling to them. 2012 also goes heavily in Mayan culture, proclaiming them as very accurate and mathematically proficient. The Mayan calendar is also dissected until it gets to the core of the discussion, where this calendar points to the next major upheaval happening on the winter solstice, December 21, of 2012.

2012 has a lot of valid points that show studying and questioning many sources, scientific facts and figures, and observations that we are already heading towards this state. They point out evidence, but the comments don’t come across as they are trying to be forced on you. It also doesn’t make what will be a worldwide life altering event. if it does indeed happen, too overdramatic. It is pointed out that others have survived through this before, but it will also be like starting over again from scratch. Out of all 4 films, 2012 probably has the most steady pacing and smooth editing through a mixture of informing interviews, correlating images, that goes in to the when, the why, and the how.

The Conspiracy to Rule the World: From 9/11 to the Illuminati

The Conspiracy to Rule the World, asks the question are we being controlled, and if so by who? The answer seems to be our own political leaders. The film focuses on the 9/11 attacks. It claims that the war on terror is against the citizens of the US as basic rights are being taken away, “There is a war and we are its victims.” The film claims that the government purposely removed defenses to give Bush a dignified reason to go in to war. It’s suggested that something similar happened during Pearl Harbor to get us entered in to WWII. Joe Quinn suggests that Bush and/or whoever else might have been involved with 9/11 just didn’t have the capacity to feel empathy for another human being, thus could turn on their own people. Bush is also criticized for bringing the 9/11 footage back during his re-election, using it when it is convenient for him. Footage of 9/11 in examined, leading to the argument that the planes physically couldn’t have fit in to the hole that was in the building attacked as it was far too small. They also note that there wasn’t sufficient damage done for the fuel that would have been ignited.

The film sites the recent documentary film, 911: In Plane Site. It was an informative, analytic, and thought provoking documentary even though the validity of the accusations is still debatable. Director of 911: In Plane Site, William Lewis said, “We were tricked in to fear and war”, when interviewed in The Conspiracy to Rule the World. Since both films were arguing the same claim, it was a good film to source. After awhile it seems that it might actually be depending on 911: In Plane Site too much. There a lot of similar points and as I have seen both films, the two seem to blur together a bit here. There are a lot of interesting points made on this event that was so recent and clearly still affecting us. It almost seems more of a 9/11 documentary until we get towards the end. The theory that a man has never landed on the moon is explored through photographs and video. They are dissected thoroughly by lightness, gravity, and what the atmosphere of the moon would show. Still, the film doesn’t feel like it’s about those who are trying to rule the world as a whole, if so it’s not as balanced on each subject as the title would suggest. The Conspiracy to Rule the World: From 9/11 to the Illuminati uses well examined evidence and strong, striking statements through contemplation that might seem a bit to bizarre to completely believe, but it makes a point about how those in power have the capacity to deceive us.

Welcome to the 192nd Edition. We had opening night last night for BIG RIVER and it is going quite well. I don't have much to say so let's get to my selections.

Reefer Madness (1936): This is my Cult of UHF viewing for the week. I decided to use this great movie that shows us the dangers of the drug marijuana. That's at least what they thought they were doing in the year it was put out calling it "The Real Public Enemy #1". The movie starts with a guy organizing a parental meeting to talk about the big menace and telling the story of two innocent teens with lots of potential but their lives get ruined by the big monster of pot. They also have the amusing piano player. This exaggerated film became a big cult classic and one of the top b-movies. Parents, please TELL YOUR CHILDREN and show them this movie. They will get their biggest education that they will ever get and will never want to smoke pot.

Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion (1997): The Facebook friend I chose from this one is Tommy who I was in ANNIE with. Mira Sorvino and FRIENDS alum Lisa Kudrow play the title characters who have been inseparable since high school but big outcasts when they were in high school. Their ten year reunion is coming up and decide to make up a big success story so that people might treat them better, especially the "A-group". This is a good comedy showing the high schoool life and the groups that go into and the big need to "fit in" as well as all the other needs in high school. Alan Cumming plays the nerd of the school. Other include Vincent Ventresca, Jeanine Garafolo, THE PRACTICE alum Camryn Manheim, and many others. I have my 10 year reunion coming next year and I feel I might relate to them some with the way I was in high school but that is just me. This is a fun comedy here that many can relate to.

Bullitt (1968): Peter Yates directed this film which stars Steve McQueen as the title character Frank Bullitt, a San Francisco cop whose witness to a crime boss is left for dead. Bullitt is determined to find who killed his witness and defies his bosses in order to do so. This movie is most known for the car chase scene which is considered one of the best if not the best car chase scenes of all time. This is a very good and accurate movie looking at the police process and the medical process with a good performance for McQueen as the cop on the edge who defies the rules a bit. There is not much else to say here except to check this one out. Other people in this movie include Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Vaughn, and Robert Duvall.

The Puppetmaster (1993): This is not from that horror film series, this is a movie that takes place in Taiwan and is based on the real-life puppeteer Li Tienlu, who during WW2 was used by the Japanese for some war-time propaganda pieces. It also starts with his childhood documenting his rise as a puppeteer. The real-life Li Tienlu does the occasional narration. This is a very beautiful film but can be slow at times. The puppet shows shown are quite interesting to watch and it is good to watch someone who is effected by the war even though he is not in the war. This is definitely something for foreign film buffs.

Doctor Strange (2007): This is my animated Marvel movie for the week which gives a look at Dr. Steven Strange, a doctor who is not a very friendly person. He kind of reminded me of House in some ways in the beginning of the movie. He then has a bad car accident which makes the use of his hands very difficult and sends him into a downward spiral. When becoming broke after his endless search for a good doctor to cure him, he is contacted by the Ancient One and embarks on a long journey to Tibet to learn the gift of magic. He has a hard time at first but then finally learns to "accept the unacceptable" and goes against many enemies plus one within the group. This was a pretty entertaining 68 minutes which took a very long look at his origins. I felt with the time it had that it was too long but on the other hand, this character really has not had much exposure. This is a rather dark story and is even rated PG-13 and for pretty good reason. There was actually a 1978 tv movie and I'm interested in checking that out sometime.

When Willie Comes Marching Home (1978): This is an unknown John Ford film and a rare comedy for him. Dan Dailey stars as Bill Kluggs who decides to make a difference by joining the military during WW2. He hopes to become a war hero but he is stationed in his home town as a trainer where many in the town feels he is a coward because he has been in his hometown. He does however finally get his chance to become the hero he has always wanted to be. Dailey was amusing as Kluggs and this was quite the propaganda film where a guy just does what he is told where friends and even family feel it is not good enough. I thought there was a good quote in there from his superior saying that only about 10% of enlisted men are in the war. I don't know what that is now but the military is more than for war. While I had disagreements on the messages, it was still pretty entertaining.

11:14 (2003): Gregg Marcks wrote and directed this film on the events that lead up to a car crash in the evening at the title time. There are five different stories that each converge into the car crash where each person's actions lead up to that crash. Henry Thomas, most known as Elliot in E.T., plays a driver that gets into some trouble. This is really something that is very hard to explain on here without giving it all way but it is very much worth watching and as a lot of people making bad choices to get us this good movie. Other people in this movie include Hilary Swank, Patrick Swayze, Rachael Leigh Cook, Colin Hanks, Shawn Hatosy, and others. I found this movie on IFC and these are the types of film I am supposed to get exposure for. Swank was great in her small part as was everyone else. You don't always have to have special effects to have a good movie.

How to Start the Day (1937): This is my short film for the week which I found on TCM. Robert Benchley stars as the person who is trying to demonstrate how to start the day but has his own issues not being a morning person and just having things result in disaster making for some pretty funny 8 minutes. This is the first of the "how to" series that Benchley did and was a pretty big humorist at the time.

Death of a Ninja (1981): This is my second Cult of UHF selection for the week. This is a martial arts film with Sonny Chiba which seems to have a very limited release since there was not much on imdb.com about this movie. A fortune-teller foresees that whoever marries the beautiful Ukio will be the ruler of the world where Jotaro must stop the evil Lord Donjo from marring Ukio. I admit I had a hard time following this but had some pretty decent action scenes and quite a bit of violence making it work the watch. If you like B-movies check out the Cult of UHF podcasts on itunes.

A Patch of Blue (1965): I now end with this rather underrated film which stars Sidney Poitier as a successful black man named Gordon. Elizabeth Hartman is the blind Selina, whose sleazy mother Rose-Ann, shelters her from the world, and does not educate her. Shelley Winters plays Rose-Ann and is quite unlikable in her role making it good. Selina's grandfather who is a little bit nicer sometimes takes her to the park to the part where she enjoys being alone and meets Gordon. Gordon and her become good friends but he keeps his race a secret from her but realizes he needs to get her out of the situation she is in with her mother. In some ways, Selina was kind of a Cinderella and Rose-Ann was the wicked mother in this situation who was abusive both physically and verbally while treating her like a servant. Wallace Ford played "Ole Pa" and was his last performance. The performances were great here and was likely a pretty daring film with a relationship between a blind white woman and a black man. This was even pre-GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER. This one really needs to be on the radar and I hope this gets it there. This was a very beautifully filmed movie with great use of black and white.

Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you love and what you hate. I will return next week with Jamie Lee Curtis and director Stanley Kwan.

FUN LITTLE FACTS

Alan Cumming (Romy and Michelle) plays Glitch, a version of the Scarecrow, in the 2007 mini-series TIN MAN. My facebook friend Corey played the Scarecrow in the Muncie Civic Theater production of THE WIZARD OF OZ

Alan Cumming (Romy and Michelle) plays the lecturer in the 2005 musical version of this week's feature REEFER MADNESS.

Alan Cumming (Romy and Michelle) plays the manager of Rachael Leigh Cook (11:14) in the 2001 film Josie and the Pussycats

Alan Cumming (Romy and Michelle) plays Rooster in the 1999 version of ANNIE. My facebook friend Tommy, whose selection of Cumming's movie I used on his profile, played the role at the Anderson Mainstage Theatre version that I was in. My facebook friend Eric played the part in previous Mainstage version.

Robert Duvall (Bullitt) plays Captain Frank Burns in the 1970 film MASH. My facebook friend Bill played the part in our version at Lee's Theatrical Productions

Robert Duvall (Bullitt) is a cop who must stop Barbara Hershey's (11:14) ex-husband from finding her in the 1993 film FALLING DOWN

Film Arcade recently received the teaser poster and trailer for one of the most anticipated horror films of 2009. "Saw VI"

Special Agent Strahm is dead, and Detective Hoffman has emerged as the unchallenged successor to Jigsaw's legacy. However, when the FBI draws closer to Hoffman, he is forced to set a game into motion, and Jigsaw's grand scheme is finally understood.

"Saw VI" stars Tobin Bell, Betsy Russell, Shawnee Smith, Mark Rolston, and Peter Outerbridge.

The film hits theaters, October 23rd.

NeoClassics has announced that they will be releasing St Trinian’s starring Mischa Barton, Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Lena Headey,and Russell Brand on August 28th

St Trinian’s, the infamous school for ‘young ladies’ is once again facing dire financial crisis! The bank are threatening headmistress Camilla Fritton with closure. Her unorthodox doctrine of free expression and self empowerment is also under threat from new Education Minister Geoffrey Thwaits, an old flame of Camilla’s who is determined to bring discipline and order to the anarchic school.

In true St Trinian style the girls are in a league of their own; smart, fearless and determined to defend the school they love to the end. They need to unite the warring girl gang cliques and come up with the cash fast to save the school.

The film stars Mischa Barton, Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Lena Headey, Caterina Murino, Stephen Fry, Jodie Whittaker, Celia Imrie, Anna Chancellor, Gemma Arterton, comedian Russell Brand and Toby Jones

The film hit theaters August 28th from NeoClassics

For more information on this film, you can goto: http://www.neoclassicsfilms.com/filmsSTTRIN.html

Update 7/28: Film Arcade has recently received the trailer for "St Trinians" courtesy of NeoClassics Films.

Stuck Like Chuck
Year: 2009
Director: Jerry Cavallaro
Studio: On My Own Productions
Stars: Joe Moran, Patrick McColley, Jocelyn Deboer
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 86 Mins.
Official Website: http://www.areyoustucklikechuck.com/



When I first heard about “Stuck Like Chuck”, the first thing that drew my attention was the fact that it had Troma president, Lloyd Kaufman in it. If you have Lloyd Kaufman in your film, you will at least earn a visit to your film’s website. But what drew me to this film was the trailer that you see above and a couple of infomercials that can be found on the film’s official website.

Charlie (Joe Moran) is about a loveable loser, who has crush on one of his classmates (Jocelyn Deboer) in his film class. Needing a way to hook up with her, he turns to his best friend (Patrick McColley), who is stoned out of his mind. They hatch a scheme to lock Charlie with this girl in the classroom. The two are then forced to open up to each other though amusing conversations, as they wait for someone to unlock the doors. The film also features a cameo appearance from the president of Troma Entertainment and creator of “The Toxic Avenger”, Lloyd Kaufman.

“Stuck Like Chuck” is a very entertaining and funny romantic comedy that spoofs on movie geeks and fans alike. Director, Jerry Cavallaro, who’s also a contributing editor and blogger (like yours truly) for the website, We Are Movie Geeks, does a very good job with his direction here. He does a good job keeping the pace of the film moving, by making the characters interesting and the action moving. It’s a tough thing to do, as most of the film takes place in a contained area. Cavallaro keeps things interesting and movie, by the way that he directs the three. He allows his leads to bring some personality to the characters they played. The leads needed some personality, because most of this film has more dialogue humor than physical humor. Cavallaro also a very good job making sure that the film’s lead, Joe Moran has chemistry with both co-stars, Jocelyn De Boer and Patrick McColley. It’s important to have chemistry, because if there’s no chemistry, then most likely you not going to the films jokes and humor.

Cavallaro’s screenplay also does a very good job delivering on the humor aspects that’s needed, in order for a film to be successful. One of the reason, I was able to get with his story, the way he references films like “Clerks”, “Back to the Future” and “Saw” to name a few. By referencing some of these films, it gets the target audience interested with the film’s story. Also, I liked how Cavallaro develops the relationships that his main character has with his best friend and love interest. It makes you interested, because he goes into detail of the exact relationship to the point that you’re invested with the film, as this film is very chatty, but also entertaining. That’s why you need this in a film, especially if your film has lots of dialogue.

“Stuck Like Chuck” is a funny film that would make a film geek proud.

Review Rating: Four Stars

Simon Says
Year: 2009
Director: William Dear
Studio: Lionsgate
Stars: Crispin Glover, Margo Harshman, Greg Cipes
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 87 Mins.
Official Website: http://www.simonsaysthemovie.com/

I remember back in my childhood there was a very good family film that William Dear directed called “Harry and the Hendersons”, which was directed stars like John Lithgow, M Emmet Walsh and Don Ameche It was very entertaining and fun to watch. He has also directed the remake of Angels in the Outfield and the upcoming “The Perfect Game”. Back in 2006, he made a film called “Simon Says”

The film is focuses on five college kids, who decide to spend their vacation in the woods. As they find the perfect camping spot, they look forward to a fun vacation of love and fun. But it takes a turn for the worst, when the kids come across Simon and Stanley, twin brothers. Soon the brothers begin to knock off the kids, leading to one gruesome camping trip.

I thought to myself after watching this film, what the hell is a director that has made a career making family films all of a sudden want to direct a horror film? I’m sorry, but this is awful attempt to make a horror film

“Simon Says” is a very unoriginal horror film that does nothing to make you remotely interested. William Dear’s inexperience in making a horror film shows, as everything in this film really made no sense, since this film had no logic to being with. Never in this film, I didn’t feel scared or interested for that matter. The reason for that was the Dear’s direction. It felt like there was no moments of suspense, as he really way too much time with the blood effects and the high body count. It’s boring and makes you wonder why you are seeing this film, in the first place.

The acting was atrocious. All of the young cast members were annoying. They made their characters all clueless like, which made me never care about them. But the worst thing about the acting is the fact Crispin Glover’s performance was just bad. His performances just doesn’t even make you interested in this film, it annoys the hell out of you. It’s sad to say this about a decent actor like Glover, but I don’t know what else to say. The performance was just very bad. If you want to Crispin Glover turn in a good performance rent the “Back to the Future” or last year’s remake of “The Wizard of Gore”. That’s where Glover is at his best.

The screenplay was just as horrible as everything else with this film. There was no attempt into go into the psychology and backstory of the film’s main character, which made the film very hard to sit through. I was disinterested with the character. There was no layer to that character. It was your typical horror villain, as the character’s purpose was just to kill off characters. While were also on the character, they were all characters that you would consider disposable and annoying. That’s what makes you horror stupid, not scary, when the sole focus is to kill people in ten million ways. Films like this should be scary, not stupid. Also, while I’m talking about the stupidity that this film has. The ending was just made no sense and sent up on an uproar. It was like, Dear was trying to set this film up for a franchise. Sorry, I don’t think there is going to more Simon Says films, as this is just fucking awful.

I usually don’t offer career advice, but I have to give it here. William Dear, I know most of the films that you’ve done are made for families. Please stick to that genre; it’s what your good at, as I really don’t want to review another horror film from you ever again.

That why “Simon Says” is a Screener From Hell.

Filmarcade.net has recently started to highlight some of the films that are playing at this year's Rhode Island International Film Festival over on our youtube page at www.youtube.com/filmarcade .

Here are trailers for some of the films playing at this year's festival.




For Information on tickets, you can visit the Rhode Island International Film Festival website at www.rifilmfest.org .

It’s pretty clear by now that Sasha Baron Cohen has big cojones. With his latest mockumentary “Bruno,” he and Director Larry Charles (“Borat” and “Religulous”) once again take the most outrageous of characters and insert him into situations with unsuspecting people. That there are any unsuspecting people left after “Borat” is pretty amazing. The results prove to be offensive, almost unbelievable, and occasionally gut bustingly hilarious. “Bruno” could be one of those movies where you might end up giving away the best parts of it to your friends before they see it, but a lot of the scenes that Cohen and Charles pull off here have to be seen to be believed. Bruno is one of Sasha’s most infamous characters that he originated on “Da Ali G Show” years ago, and this will probably prove to be the character’s swan song as Bruno is so big now that he can never walk around unnoticed ever again.

Bruno, as he constantly refers to himself in the 3rd person, is a 19-year old Austrian fashionista (Sasha Baron Cohen was 37 when he made this) whose show is supposedly a really big deal in his native country. However, he ends up getting fired after he accidentally (that’s being generous) disrupts a fashion show when his 100% Velcro outfit ends up attaching itself to just about every piece of clothing he comes in contact with. Bruno loses his show and is soon dumped by his Pygmy lover Diesel with whom he engages in sex with through the most bizarre of machines (one which looks borrowed from “Burn After Reading”). From there, he travels with his assistant Lutz (who secretly lusts after him) to America where he attempts to become famous with a whole new fashion show.

Let’s get this out of the way now; “Bruno” is not as brilliant as “Borat” was. Now that we have a clear idea of how both Larry and Sasha pulled that one off, their formula of doing things is no longer revolutionary, and we spend a lot of time trying to see through the character as well as the people he interviews. Are the people they pick actually in on the joke? Do they know that what they are doing and how they are behaving will end up on the big screen? Are they doing this in the hopes of trying to extort some money from Universal Pictures through lawsuits? As a result, “Bruno” predictably suffers in comparison, but if you can get past that, there are still many moments of audacious hilarity to be found throughout this one.

Indeed, Bruno as a character has many stereotypical traits that we have come to expect from homosexuals (this probably says more about us though). Many are coming out (no pun intended) against this movie as it “reinforces negative stereotypes.” Cohen is not even trying to hide the fact that this character is a caricature of sorts, and he shouldn’t have to because that’s the only way the character could work throughout this film. Be it this or “Borat,” Sasha’s objective is to get an emotional response from each of the people he comes in contact with. Either with celebrities like Paula Abdul or with politicians like Ron Paul, he wants to make both them and the audience uncomfortable so that maybe we can see into ourselves and see the truth that we should have seen a long time ago. We are nowhere as perfect as we think we are, and we are not above the realm of racism or homophobia. It is embedded into our consciousness one way or another, and once we recognize the bad parts of ourselves clearly, the better we will be for acknowledging it.

The original title of this movie was going to be “Bruno: Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Males Visibly Uncomfortable in the Presence of a Gay Foreigner in a Mesh T-Shirt.” This could have become a one-joke movie with the title character going around making everyone uncomfortable by being unmistakably gay and bringing out the ignorant schmuck in all of us. But it’s to the credit of everyone involved that the joke doesn’t stop there. Both Cohen and Charles have bigger fish to fry, and they even go after others like the religious right and those are even further to the right than they are. One of my favorite scenes is where Bruno and his assistant are stuck together in this S&M outfit that they cannot unlock themselves from, and they run into that Westboro Baptist Church group that carries all those fascist signs that say “God Hates Fags”. Seeing them get punked by Sasha Baron Cohen was alone worth the price of admission.

Bruno takes things even further when he meets with certain church groups who take it upon themselves to turn gay people straight, as if such a thing were actually possible. They see homosexuality as a lifestyle choice, not something that you are born with. Yet the funny thing is that these people who run these groups are probably hiding in the closet still, and this seems to be the case in the way that one of them stares at Bruno when he talks to him. It’s like this guy can only convince himself of so much. Another scene has Bruno talking with another church member who essentially treats women as though they are animals to be reckoned with. This is the kind of guy you would just love to stick in a big group of feminists to see how long he stays standing.

I’m sure I find it as ironic as Sasha Baron Cohen does at how these churches try to promote peace and togetherness while at the same time sinking into the quicksand of sexism and of separating people they see as living a “life of sin” out of some misguided interpretation of the Bible. Granted, not all churches are like that (thank god), but its people like these who give churches a really bad name.

Another big target in “Bruno” is the world of celebrity itself, and of one’s desperate need to be famous. I’m not just talking about Bruno himself, and he doesn’t hesitate to stoop to some ridiculously low level to achieve his dream of fame. In one of the film’s infamous scenes, he has an audition for a photo shoot with parents to see which ones will best work with his own little bundle of joy (we’ll get to him later). Bruno asks the mothers (the fathers are nowhere to be found) if they would mind subjecting their children to a swarm of bees, or to be tied to a cross like Jesus. Their reactions are shocking in that they don’t seem to mind doing any of that. They appear to be quite accepting of the terms to where you have to wonder what is more disturbing; What Bruno is supposedly attempting to put the babies through, or the fact that the parents appear to have no problems with it.

Sasha Baron Cohen proves to be one of the gutsiest comic actors working today as well as one of the most outrageously creative. With Bruno, he creates a character that (from a physical standpoint) looks completely different from Borat. I mean, that had to be the case because otherwise more people than not would have picked up on his act, and there would be no movie. But seriously, he interviews a leader of a Hammas terrorist group, he traps Ron Paul into a room in hopes of doing a sex tape that he thinks will give him a huge audience, he spends a night with a group of hunters talking about “Sex and the City,” and he even goes on a Jerry Springer-like TV show where he shows off his black adopted baby who he gives a “traditional African-American” name of O.J. Where does Sasha get the balls to do all these things? Just about everyone else would do their best to avoid situations where they would be subjected to total humiliation or end up being hated so much by others. But Cohen is much like the late Andy Kaufman in that he feeds off of peoples’ volatile emotional reactions to what is going on, and he is all the funnier (let alone the more shocking) for it.

Still, there’s no way we can recapture the same feel of this revolutionary concept of comedy on film. Now that we have seen “Borat,” we can see where this movie is heading to where it all becomes a familiar formula. It’s kind of sad because there is nothing more invigorating than a comedy that gives you one gut busting laugh after another. “Bruno” threatens to be more hit and miss than its predecessor, but there are still many brilliant moments scattered throughout that are both incredibly funny and seriously shocking. It would actually be worth it for me to see it again with a big audience just to hear them react. I saw it on a Monday night with a very tiny audience. Maybe I’ll see it again if I get the chance (I probably won’t though).

“What’s up??!!”

*** out of ****

“The reason you caught me Will is we’re just alike! You want the scent? Smell yourself!”

-Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox) speaking to Will Graham (William Peterson) from a scene in Michael Mann’s “Manhunter”

After all these years, Michael Mann still has a great fascination with criminal masterminds and those who spend their careers chasing them down. Film after film, he has spends his time delving into how the “good guys” and “bad guys” feed off of one another, and of how and if they could not exist without each other. “Public Enemies” reminded me a lot of “Heat” in that respect, and it shares a lot of similarities as it looks at the famous John Dillinger played here by Johnny Depp, and at the man sent to catch him, Melvin Purvis. It’s not as great a film as “Heat” was unfortunately, but it is still a masterful piece of filmmaking and the kind we have come to expect from director Michael Mann.

The movie starts with Dillinger and some buddies of his breaking out of a maximum security prison, something that almost seemed easy to do the way they did it back in 1933. It turns out that he is actually quite the celebrity, and can find safe havens in one town or another. To many he is seen as a hero, and to others he is nothing more than a criminal. But as Dillinger continues to rob more and more banks, the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover (played by Billy Crudup of all people) become increasingly persistent in bringing him down. Hoover ends up turning to a man who just shot and killed another public enemy, Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale in his second movie this summer). Melvin ends up leading a manhunt to take down Dillinger, and in the process changes from the person he thought he could be to the kind of person he is chasing after.

One thing that has not changed about Michael Mann’s movies is that he still knows how to stage one hell of a gunfight. Back in 1995, he gave us one of the greatest with Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino shooting off a barrage of bullets in downtown Los Angeles in “Heat,” and Mann has lived in the shadow of that brilliantly staged moment ever since. Still, he has choreographed gun battles that were every bit as effectively brutal in “Collateral” and his film version of “Miami Vice.” In his films, you don’t just watch guns go off, you feel them going off. Along with an obsession in getting every visual detail just right, he makes you feel like you are in the middle of a war zone literally. When a bullet hits a body here, characters don’t just fall down like in an old western. Their bodies are forever shattered, and the wounds they carry last long after the end credits have finished. There are a lot of strong action scenes like this throughout “Public Enemies,” and each one is equally hair raising.

Having Johnny Depp cast as Dillinger must have seemed like a no brainer. They appear to share some similar tastes minus the heavy gunfire, given Depp’s previous reputation as a “wild boy:”

“I like baseball, movies, good clothes, fast cars... and you. What else you need to know?”
-Johnny Depp as John Dillinger from “Public Enemies”

Johnny Depp still remains one of the best actors of his generation, and he will never lose that title which is great. Throughout his career, he has constantly challenged himself as a director, and this role is no exception. Dillinger was a criminal celebrity, perhaps one of the first of that kind, and Depp almost effortlessly shows you how he made that all seem possible. With his eyes, he can still seduce the most knowledgeable and naïve of women without even having to try too hard. Depp clearly brings out the joy that Dillinger gets out of life, and he also gets at the depth of pain he experiences as those close to him leave him, cut him loose, or get killed off.

With the role of Melvin Purvis, Christian Bale delves into many of the same situations that haunted Bruce Wayne/Batman in “The Dark Knight.” Melvin starts off as a man dedicated to the law and who follows the rules and regulations to the letter, but after some serious setbacks, he finds he has to use different methods to get his man. These methods includes acts and people which work outside of the law. In the process, just like Bruce Wayne, he ends up seeing what he has to become in order to capture Dillinger. But unlike Bruce, Melvin may not be able to live with himself when this is all through. Bale actually pulls off a really solid accent, and he has a much more nuanced character to play here than he did in “Terminator Salvation.”

But the one performance that I really enjoyed watching in “Public Enemies” was Marion Cotillard’s who plays Dillinger’s girlfriend Billie Frechette. She of course won the Best Actress Oscar for one of the greatest performances of all time in “La Vie en Rose.” She shares great chemistry with Depp throughout the film, and she is delightful to watch as she is ever so quickly drawn into Dillinger’s dangerous world. Billie does sense the trouble that lies ahead, but all that’s happening is too exciting for her to pass up. Showing both fear and excitement in a film scene without words is easier said than done, and she pulls it off like it’s no big deal. I can’t wait to see Marion in her next film!

If there’s anything that takes away from this film, it is that the movie doesn’t delve as deeply into the characters’ lives as I had hoped it would. If anything, “Public Enemies” would have benefited more from a back story, especially for Dillinger as to why and how he became a bank robber. It was also said that Dillinger was a hero because the banks he robbed ended up freeing things up for those who were economically challenged thanks to the Great Depression. I would have liked to have seen more of that because Mann may have thought this was clear from the way regular people treat him, but it doesn’t feel like they have a good enough reason to. Had there been a little more depth to these characters, this could have been as great a movie “Heat.”

Still, “Public Enemies” is fine filmmaking in a summer that could really use more of it (I’m still reeling from “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”). It continues Mann’s theme of looking at how the line between cops and criminals is often blurred, and of how the two are actually one and the same. You could almost call this “Heat” as a period piece. Mann makes you wonder if a criminal can ever find and hang onto a love despite being the constant law breaker that he is. He also makes you wonder if the cop can ever lead a normal life outside their career of going after the crook. From William Petersen trying to think like the killer in “Manhunter” to James Caan trying to leave a life of crime behind in “Thief,” it’s a thin line indeed. Perhaps Mann keeps pursuing this theme in hopes that there will be a tomorrow for these people despite their separate ways of life which are actually more similar than we would ever want to realize. Maybe he will find that answer in his next film, but that’s something we will have to wait several years for probably.

***½ out of ****

Moon
Year: 2009
Director: Duncan Jones
Studio: Sony Picture Classics
Stars: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 97 Mins.





Most recently, your truly managed to catch what I think is one of the top 3 films of the year, so far. It’s films like this that made me what want to write reviews, because it’s a film that people should see instead of the Terminator: Salvation’s and Transformers of the world. This sci-fi film actually has a story, unlike those films that only care about the big bucks that it’s getting at the box office.

“Moon” focuses on Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell), a guy who has been faithful employee, to his company, as he has been living in a moon base, for the last three years. He spends his day alone, as the only thing he has interaction with is a talking computer, known as GERTY. Two weeks before he is set to leave the moon base, one of his routine extractions goes wrong. When he gets back to the base, Bell finds out that the company that he works for wants to replace him. If matters aren’t worse, the new person at the base is very familiar. He soon finds out that his life may not be his own.

After watching “Moon”, I couldn’t help to compare it another under appreciated sci-fi film called “Primer”. Both film have different premises and concepts, but what both films have in common is the way that they go against the typical sci-fi film of robots destroying each other or having endless amounts of explosion, instead it becomes a film that you can appreciate for the story, direction, and performances.

“Moon” is in the discussion for the best film of 2009. If you can keep my interest with the premise this film has and not looking at my watch during the film. That’s what separates the great films from the good films. Moon was truly a great film.

There were three people that made this film, the film that was. Let me first start with the director Duncan Jones (son of David Bowie). It’s one of the best debut films that I’ve ever seen. His direction was amazing. One of things that he does very well, he directs a film that could be conceivably be described, as a film that doesn’t have a lot of action. But what keeps kept my interest, the way he moves the story though the scenes in space station, through the subplots and messages that this film brings up. Jones does that, by keeping the tension of the film at a high level, as the main character is figuring out these strange events that are taking place. That made it very entertaining. He also does a good job in the way that he directs Sam Rockwell and Kevin Spacey. Jones did a great job making both performances from Rockwell seem different from each other. It’s another thing that makes this film great. Also, I liked how he directed Kevin Spacey, as his performance just keeps you guessing to if you can trust the ship’s computer.

The film’s screenplay written by Nathan Parker is very imaginative and original. The screenplay does a very good job focusing on the issues of corporate greed, cloning and space exploration. The issues are used as a backdrop to the film’s story, so that it creates tension with everything that goes on in the ship. It does not become one of those films that let the message take center stage, before everything else. Parker lets the subtexts of these issues become part of the backdrop, so that he is able focus on the main character’s state of mind. That becomes a major part of the film, because you need to tell a story while bringing out various issues. He does effective, as my focus was on the story and the situation at hand. That what’s makes movies with issues more effective.

But the key to this film’s success is the performance of Sam Rockwell. It has to be, as two of the three main characters, are played by one person. In order for this film to work, the performances had to be different and believable from each other. The performances are just great and convincing. It hard considering the roles that Rockwell played, as they felt like two different characters. The best thing about it was that both of performance gel very well with one another. It’s very tricky to pull off but this is definitely a testament to Rockwell’s abilities as an actor, as this is truly his best work yet. Hopefully it will get some consideration, come Oscar time.

I hope to see more from Duncan Jones, and Sam Rockwell in the near future, as they are both talents that people should keep their eye on. “Moon” is a very captivating film that will become a cult classic for years to come, as it’s the best science fiction film to come out, this decade.

Review Rating: Five Stars

Evil Bong 2: King Bong
Director: Charles Band
Studio: Full Moon Features
Stars: John Patrick Jordan, Amy Paffrath, Robin Sydney
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 83 Mins






“Evil Bong 2: King Bong” is the sequel to the 2006 film “Evil Bong”. This time around, most of the stoner gang from the first film, are suffering some side effects, from the weed that they smoked from the bong. The gang decides to travel to South American in order to find the antidote to what has been going on. Soon, they will encounter an ancient tribe known as the Poontang tribe. But, the Evil Bong is back and badder than ever, as she tries to get even with the stoners, while meeting her old nemesis, King Bong. The film is directed, by the creator of the “Puppet Master” and “Trancers” series, Charles Band.

The “Evil Bong” series has driven me back to the films of Charles Band and Full Moon features, as there was a time where I totally lost interest in the company around 2003 as Band and the company’s films didn’t have that comic bookish feel or gothic overtone that made films like Puppet Master and Subspecies appeal to me and most full moon fans from nineties until around 2002, when they were getting help from Tempe Entertainment. This series and the Upcoming “Puppet Master: Axis of Evil” film has got me back on aboard with Band and the company.

Evil Bong 2: King Bong is a film that doesn’t disappoint. Director Charles Band does a really good job capturing the same level and feel that the first film had. I liked how, he doesn’t try and tweet the formula that made the first film entertaining. Instead, Band creates the same atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re on an acid trip that makes this fun, instead of being dull and stupid. He moves the movie along, using sexual, comedic and drug elements to grab your attention, as this is one of those films that you have to check your brain at the door and let your brain get high. Band also really directs his actors, as the actors are allowed make their characters as fun as possible. That’s one of the reasons, why this series in enjoyable. The actors makes the characters fun to watch.

The screenplay written by August White, who also wrote the first film, does a really job bringing the same elements that made the first film, very fun. The screenplay does a good job continuing on the same premise that the first film had, by making the screenplay more fun than trying to be all serious or spoofing to the point that it made it funny. He also does a good job going into the Evil Bong character, a little more into detail, while introducing King Bong. If you think the Evil Bong is vulgar, wait until you hear the King Bong. It’s that vulgarity that makes the films successful, as it was on par with the first film. The humor provided some good laughs that will make you get high. It really didn’t feel like, been there, done that. That’s what makes a B-movie entertaining.

Smoke a couple of joint and rent Evil Bong 2: King Bong. It’ll make you high.

Review Rating: Three and a half stars

Film Arcade.net has the trailer and poster from Neo Classic Films, for the indie film "Surviving Crooked Lake", which hits select theaters July 24th.

In this sensual, intense, indie feature drama, a quartet of teenage girls embark on a canoe-and-camping trip with a slightly older male guide in the endless wilderness of the Canadian Shield. His younger sister Steph – who is desperately afraid of the water – is one of the campers. Once the group is underway, romantic tensions erupt and disaster strikes, forcing the girls to face a grueling and desperate trip back to civilization. Shot in tight close-ups with a fluid camera that sees the landscape first as an embodiment of desire and second as a distortion of reality, Surviving Crooked Lake crackles with suspense and intrigue. It will leave you wondering about the mysteries of the adolescent heart and mind, the bonds of family, and to the looming influence of nature and landscape. Surviving Crooked Lake makes for an elemental example of the cinematic survival story, in the tradition of Deliverance and Open Water.

The film will play in limited release on July 24th. To find out, where the film is playing, you can goto: http://www.neoclassicsfilms.com/filmsscl.html .

Film Arcade.net recently received the official trailer and teaser poster courtesy of Lionsgate for the upcoming Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman film "Brothers" directed by six-time Oscar® nominee Jim Sheridan (IN AMERICA, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER).

BROTHERS tells the powerful story of two siblings, thirty-something Captain Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) and younger brother Tommy Cahill (Jake Gyllenhaal), who are polar opposites. A Marine about to embark on his fourth tour of duty, Sam is a steadfast family man married to his high school sweetheart, the aptly named Grace (Natalie Portman), with whom he has two young daughters. Tommy, his charismatic younger brother, is a drifter just out of jail who’s always gotten by on wit and charm. When his Black Hawk helicopter is shot down in the mountains Sam is presumed dead and the Cahill family suddenly faces a shocking void. Tommy tries to fill in for his brother by assuming newfound responsibility for himself, Grace, and the children. In the grief and strangeness of their new lives, Grace and Tommy are naturally drawn together. Their longstanding frostiness dissolves, but both are frightened and ashamed of the mutual attraction that has replaced it.

But Sam is not dead; he and a fellow soldier have been captured by Taliban fighters. In Afghanistan’s harsh, remote Pamir Mountains, Sam is subjected to traumas that threaten to rob him of his very humanity. At the same time that Sam’s sense of self is being destroyed overseas, Tommy’s self-image is strengthening at home.

When Sam unexpectedly returns to the States, a nervous mood settles over the family. Sam, uncharacteristically withdrawn and volatile, grows suspicious of his brother and his wife. Their familiar roles now nearly reversed, Sam and Tommy end up facing the ultimate physical and mental challenge when they confront each other. In the shifting family dynamics, who will dominate?

BROTHERS tells the compelling tale of how two brothers come to terms with issues of love, loyalty, and manhood—and with the woman caught between them.

The film will open in theaters on December 4th, just in time for awards season.

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Bonnie Wright, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Allan Rickman, Tom Felton
Directed By: David Yates
Written By: Steve Kloves (screenplay), J.K. Rowling (novel)
Grade: A

The last Harry Potter was noticeably darker than the 5 films that came before it. Harry has grown and with him the series has adopted much more adult themes alongside a gloomy atmosphere. It’s not quite as care free as the early ones where our main characters fought against dark forces, but everything was alright in the end. Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix even had elements of this prevail even throughout the dark weapon that Harry’s own mind proved to be against him. Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince takes on this same mature and eerie direction, but ventures in to territory that is even darker. It transforms further in to the frightening yet defining road that is ahead.

The dark lord and his followers seem to be as strong as ever. People are disappearing every day. The death eaters destruct nearly everything around them as they recruit for others to join them. Danger might be closer to Hogwarts than imagined though. Draco Malfoy (Felton) becomes a top suspicion of Harry’s (Radcliffe) and it becomes clear that there is some agreement between Draco and Harry’s least favorite teacher, Snape (Rickman). Their agreement isn’t clear, but whatever they are involved in isn’t good. It is clearly taking a toll on Draco as he seems to be weaker each day, losing his sanity. Dumbledore (Gambon) trusts Snape though and as he has promised to follow Dumbledore’s every word in their battle against Voldemort he can’t take any real action against Snape. Harry trusts Dumbledore and has faith in him, he just prays Dumbledore’s judgments are right.

In order to fight Voldemort, Dumbledore has requested that Harry befriend Professor Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), who Dumbledore has brought to Hogwarts just for this purpose. Dumbledore has a very important memory of his when Tom Riddle (Voldemort) came to Slughorn asking about restricted magic. The memory had been tainted though and it is vital that Harry gets it for them so they will know what Voldemort is up to and how they can stop him. While Harry attempts this, Voldermort’s followers seem to be getting stronger and creating plenty of trouble along the way.

The acting is not surprisingly top notch just as we have come to expect from this cast. Rupert Grint as Ron is exceptionally charismatic, charming with great ease, and even fun lovingly goofy at times. Emma Watson deals with some more emotional scenes than usual as she is heartbroken over her best friend’s seeming inability to notice her. Daniel Radcliffe shows how he has grown along with Harry, nailing the suspicious, but overall trusting wizard who clearly holds some heavy stuff with him. Tom Felton surely ups the darkness factor as well. He isn’t the typical classmate rival anymore. He’s distant, bitter, and is struggling more than anyone. Bonnie Wright takes on the bigger role Ginny Weasley has in this film, putting forth the charming, classy, and kind girl of Harry’s dreams. Evanna Lynch is responsible for some of the quirkiest moments in the film as the oddly loveable Luna. Lynch has perfected everything from her tone to her mannerisms for a peculiar but delightful delivery. She’s manages to help Harry out more than once when he is in need, which makes her a symbol of purity, goodness, and power in an unexpected place.

I found this Harry Potter film to have a much stronger element of reality in it. There was a certain thrill throughout the young, but determined wizards taking on evil. We always knew that they were going to be okay, so it was really a question of what is before them and how they will be able to overcome it. With this film we don’t have that same sense of security. We believe in these wizards all the same, but there isn’t that same comfort that they won’t fail. This will surely rub some people the wrong way. Those who won’t enjoy Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince are most likely looking for the childlike happy go lucky view of the magical world, where the pure willed heroes are always victorious no matter the forces piled against them. This could only go on for so long though. The books don’t follow this nature so wishing for this hints at trying to hold on to the past. What happens in each movie shaped Harry and he isn’t that same young boy. He couldn’t be; he has seen far too much that has both damaged him and made him stronger. This should make fans out of those who weren’t too impressed with the first films and brushed off the series along with the existing fans who have liked the direction of the last film.

Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince is gut wrenching and downright depressing at times. The viewer is so much more on edge as it becomes clear no matter what happens its going to end morbidly for someone, there is no clean cut ending. There is a sense of lost hope that embodies the fear of our heroes falling. There are great themes questioning trust. It is suggested that there are so many deadly deceptions all around, but at the same time it asks if all hope is already gone if you can’t even trust those closest to you, the ones who you need to have faith in if you don’t want to succumb to the darkness.

Despite the somewhat pessimistic and evil nature of the film, Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince also has far more comedy and romance than any other Potter film. A lot of the comedy is quirky, especially anything to do with the odd Luna Lovegood. It’s subtle, but funny and sharp enough that it makes you laugh out loud during a good part of the film. Romances are ignited through love triangles between Ron (Grint), Hermione (Watson), and an obsessive admirer of Ron’s and Harry, Ginny (Wright), and Ginny’s boyfriend, Dean. The momentum is built up in the film just as the closeness in these relationships has been built up since the beginning of the series. That tension and the passion that clearly surfaces makes the romance thrilling, keeping you waiting for that highly awaited moment for everything to come together.

These lighter elements help the film still be fun rather than just being completely drowned with pessimism and overpowering evils. We have come to love the characters so much that their relationships and their happiness becomes nearly as important as the dark plot. It seems like this might seem out of place, but this is avoided by having most of this being towards the beginning and primarily in the middle of the film, while Harry is still getting close to Slughorn and the darkest secrets are still unknown. There is trouble building up, but it isn’t until the end that it is fully revealed and escalated. Once this does hit, it is given full priority. Blending the two opposing tones somewhat until the darker one finally takes over completely is what makes the film work as well as it does.

There are some great sweeping shots in the opening scene that take us in the film right away. The film really encompasses the audience and makes them feel like they are right there inside of this magical world. The colors are far more muted than usual, hinting on the dreary state of things. The somewhat faded colors also symbolize the fight between light and dark, neither side has truly won yet, but it is clearly an ongoing battle. All of darker and last films are under David Yates direction, thus showing the series is in good hands and is sure to end on a good note. This note may be dreary, dark, and unrelenting, but it will leave the series with a sense of growth, knowledge, and great contemplation. Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince is quite a revelation in the series and is the best potter film yet. I say yet because it’s clear that this is a transitioning film, letting us know that the best is yet to come.

DIRECTED BY
Andrzej Bartkowiak

STARRING
Kristin Kreuk - Chun-Li
Neal McDonough - M. Bison
Chris Klein - Charlie Nash
Michael Clarke Duncan - Balrog
Taboo - Vega
Robin Shou - Gen
Moon Bloodgood - Detective Maya Sunee
Edmund Chen - Xiang Huang
Josie Ho - Cantana
Elizaveta Kiryukhina - Rose

Genre - Action/Video Games

Running Time - 96 Minutes

Score - BOMB


Dear Hollywood,
Hi. How are you doing? It's Fred again. I'm not sure if you received any of my previous letters, but I've made it quite known that you and I have not been seeing things eye-to-eye lately. You already know how displeased I am with the remake trend. You know that the whole "let's extend a tired franchise with another sequel" has been getting on my nerves. And now I have another concern: the continuation of video games-into-films adaptations. Let me give you some advice:

Just stop. JUST. STOP. PLEASE.

It's been, how long, and you guys still can't create an adaptation that will please both fanboys and casual film goers? From DOOM, to RESIDENT EVIL, to BLOODRAYNE, to SUPER MARIO BROS., you guys are really yanking my chain with really poor adaptations. Sure, you've hit a few triples - MORTAL KOMBAT and SILENT HILL ring to mind - but the success rate compared to the failure rate is more miss than hit.

Let's add STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI to the failure list. I understand the need to erase the bad taste of the original 1994 STREET FIGHTER: THE MOVIE by rebooting the franchise. But doing a film based on Chun-Li instead of Ryu and Ken was a really bad move. You know what else is bad? Making me want to see STREET FIGHTER: THE MOVIE over this piece of garbage! When the original film seems like a more fun experience to watch than the update, we have a serious problem.

PLOT
Chun-Li (Kristin Kreuk) is a young girl who dreams of a simple life as a concert pianist. Her dreams are almost shattered when her father (Edmund Chen), a martial artist who is also a businessman with connections, has a run-in with evil businessman/crime lord/leader of Shadaloo M. Bison (Neal McDonough) and his henchman Balrog (Michael Clarke Duncan). Chun-Li witnesses the two men kidnap her father, leaving her full of vengeance until she's much older. Coincidentally, a mysterious scroll leads her to Bangkok to find some guy named Gen (Robin Shou), who happens to be a former member of Shadaloo and an enemy of M. Bison. Meeting up, Gen decides to take Chun-Li under his wing, teaching her ways to fight against Bison and the rest of his organization.

While this goes on, some Interpol agent named Charlie Nash (Chris Klein) arrives in Bangkok to take down Bison. With the help of a local detective named Maya Sunee (Moon Bloodgood), their paths intertwine with Chun-Li's - leading to more destruction and boredom.

REVIEW
I have three words for STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI:

WHAT THE F***!?

Say what you will about STREET FIGHTER: THE MOVIE. Yes, it's a horrible film. Yes, it had nothing to do with the video game itself. Yes, it stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as an AMERICAN with a BELGIAN accent. But at least it was bad to the point where you could sort of make fun of thing for its psuedo-camp factor. Unfortunately, THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI is not campy or bad enough to really make fun of it. It's just a boring, confusing mess of an origin story for a character in a franchise that doesn't really deserve one.

Written by inexperienced screenwriter Justin Marks, he thought it would be a great idea to focus on a Street Fighter character that people loved. While Chun-Li is my personal favorite character in the franchise to use in the video game series, I never really wanted to have a 90 minute backstory about her. But Marks sure did, only for the sexy Kristin Kreuk to show her flexibility and for her hotness to overcompensate over how bad the script is. I wouldn't have minded if the story was simple and straight-forward enough for me to invest in the characters and actually enjoy seeing the plots flow together and make sense. But nothing here is logical and there's just too much going on for what's supposed to be a reboot/origin story. We have Chun-Li's revenge arc. We have Bison's shady business deals that are so weak and don't amount to much that I'm left wondering what the point was. We have supernatural things where consciences are being implanted in and out of souls. We have the stereotypical training montages that lead to a horrible fight sequence at the end. We also have the whole sub-plot with the cops who may or may not shag. I mean, how do all these things mesh together? It's like Marks vomited his ideas on paper and decided to attempt putting them together like a jigsaw puzzle, not realizing that the pieces don't go together at all. It actually made the film seem longer than it should have been because story arcs would continuously appear without resolving the others. Instead, he wrote a freakin' psuedo-lesbian dance sequence in between Chun-Li and Cantana that just left me scratching my head. IT WASN'T EVEN SEXY!! How do you mess up a lesbian dance sequence between two hot chicks? This guy should not write another screenplay again. BANNED, I DECLARE THEE! BEGONE!

Speaking of character development, there's not much here. Sure, we see Chun-Li's evolution from innocent little girl to revenge-filled ninja wannabe. But it doesn't progress as well as it should. We constantly get voice-over narration by Chun-Li about what she's been doing or what she will do. But we never see these things. So it's all telling and not enough showing, which hurts the narrative greatly. Same goes to Bison's backstory, which is given maybe five minutes and it's just him mainly killing his wife to send his conscience into his baby daughter's soul. Why he does this is never even explained. I guess he couldn't just be an evil bastard who wanted to hurt people to display his great power. He had to send his good side to someone else to explain his villainy. Uh huh. And don't get me started on the two cop characters. There was supposed to be sexual tension between them, but we know NOTHING about these two or why they would even want to bang each other to begin with. I guess Marks figured there had to be a love story in the flick and he inserted these two idiot characters to do that. And adding Vega just to have his ass kicked within 2 minutes like some pussy? Like I said...BEGONE!

I won't even mention the dialogue. It makes the original STREET FIGHTER read like Shakespeare. So cliched. So ridiculous. And even the actors seem ashamed to recite them. They sure weren't ashamed of that nice paycheck though. Greed...gotta love it.

The fight choregraphy and the SFX to THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI are pretty lame. The SFX pretty much consists of Gen teaching Chun-Li her fireball move, the Kikouken. And it looks really REALLY bad. The fact that the fireballs in both DRAGONBALL and MORTAL KOMBAT looked better is pretty sad. The fight choregraphy was also pretty bland. Lots of wire work used here, but the fights are very disjointed and too damn short. I think the longest one was probably 8 minutes and that was the final battle between Chun-Li and Bison. EIGHT F**KIN' MINUTES. This is a movie for a FIGHTING game and we barely get FIGHTING.

F*** YOU, FOX AND CAPCOM.

Not only that, but no one uses their special moves! Okay, Chun-Li uses that damn fireball and at one point does her Spinning Bird Kick [which knocks everyone down and out even though she makes no contact with them], but where's the Lightning Kick? Where's Bison's Psycho Crusher? Or Vega's Wall Jump moves? Hell, where was Balrog's...um, what does he do again? Yeah, STREET FIGHTER: THE MOVIE did more special moves than this one. Sad, I know.

I don't blame the fighting technicians or stunt actors for the crappy fight scenes. I blame the director of the film, Andrezj Bartkowiak, for that. For a guy who directed CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE, EXIT WOUNDS, and DOOM, I would think he would know how to capture action on film. Nope, he makes it seem fairly dull and an afterthought. The fight scenes are edited poorly, clearly showing the actors not making contact with each other. They're also edited in a way where tension is lost and you're not excited to watch what's going on at all. At least that feeling is consistent with the rest of the film, which just seems to meander as it continues, destroying all signs of good pacing and making the film feel like an eternity to finish. I will say the cinematography is very nice but that's really the only GOOD thing I can say about this film. A director should be able to make multiple sub-plots visually seem as if they all relate to each other. Not this guy. A director should make a fighting movie feel like a fighting movie. Not this guy. A director should make a sexy dance scene between two very attractive women seem titlating. Not this guy. I have one word for this guy:

HACK!!!

The acting was just as abysmal. Kristin Kreuk, best known as Lana Lang on Smallville, does her best with the material as Chun-Li. I'll give her credit for doing her own stunt work and trying to deepen the shallow script and characterization, but it's in vain. She doesn't have the range to really carry a film like this. And her voice-over narrations were really painful to hear. It sounded like she was bored reading her character's thoughts. And I was bored hearing them. Neal McDonough, from a whole bunch of sh** typecast as the villain for pretty much all of them, is totally miscast as Bison. He's supposed to be Irish but has an accent that switches between that, British, and American. It's actually pretty funny to hear. And while he does make a cool villain in some other films, he just feels like a joke here. Michael Clarke Duncan does nothing of note as Balrog but laugh, smile, and flex his muscles. Must have been a nice paycheck. Robin Shou will be torched by all MORTAL KOMBAT fans for committing treason by going over to STREET FIGHTER and playing Gen - and playing him horribly as well. Wooden and cold is the best way to describe his performance. Moon Bloodgood, from TERMINATOR: SALVATION and recently Burn Notice, is actually decent but isn't given anything to do but show some cleavage [which was very nice by the way, thanks]. But the worst actor has to be, hands down, Chris Klein as Charlie Nash. I have no idea how this douche is still getting acting jobs. He can't act. He has this smirk on his face that makes me want to knee him in the junk. He's a wannabe playing a wannabe ladies' man, growing a five o'clock shadow to look cool and sporting hair that's about to be sued by Nicholas Cage for copyright infringement. Klein either overacts or underacts throughout the entire film, becoming the stereotype of a badass cop but looking just like an ass instead. And what was up with the voice he used here? He was trying to be Clint Eastwood and shit. Sounded more like David Caruso to me.

THINGS I REFUSED TO LEARN WHILE WONDERING WHERE THE F*** WERE RYU AND KEN [a.k.a. THE REAL STARS OF THE STREET FIGHTER FRANCHISE]
- Chun-Li had a Caucasian mother. Nice to see some women who don't believe in the "Size Matters" theory. Oooh BURN!!

- Michael Clarke Duncan, an Academy-Award nominated actor, plays the American boxer, Balrog. I guess walking down THE GREEN MILE makes you DAREDEVIL enough to star in really sh*tty films.

- "Show a prisoner the world and all he sees are the bars on the window." He also sees the soap on the wet shower floor. No one talks about that but it's a pain in the ass to bring up anyway.

- Some scroll reader told Chun-Li to "Go to Bangkok... Find Gen to find out what you are missing." I heard that's how Asia Carrera got into porn.

- Robin Shou, who played Liu Kang in the MORTAL KOMBAT films, plays Gen. Wait a minute...a MORTAL KOMBAT actor in a STREET FIGHTER film!? Not only is that fanboy treason, but I think Shou just performed a Hara-Kiri on his career. FATALITY!

- In order to get closer to the enemy, Chun-Li had to initiate with a lesbian dance with one of Shadaloo's female heads. It was like an episode of The L Word, except the L stood for Lame. How sad...

- Bison beat up Cantana, literally using her as a punching bag, after she got her ass kicked by Chun-Li. If he wanted to torture her this badly, he should have just sent her to Detroit.

- Bison had to transfer the good part of his soul to his unborn child... by ripping the belly of his pregnant wife open in order to do it. He could have just used a Ouija Board or a bouncing bed like everyone else. Sheesh.

- While trying to kill Chun-Li, Balrog got distracted when a watermelon was thrown at his head. Since the stereotype is deliciously obvious, I'll keep my mouth shut on this one.

- Nash wanted everyone to run away from the scene when he noticed a bomb waiting to explode. If that's the case, shouldn't they have refused to sign on for this project?

Oh...wrong bomb. My bad.

THE FINAL HOWL
When will I watch a good film for once? Not that I was expecting STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI to be any good. I wasn't expecting it to be this horrible either. From a horrible script, lame action and lesbian sequences, and terrible acting led by Chris Klein, THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI cements that 2009 is one of the worst years in terms of cinematic quality. How this ever get released to theaters is beyond me! Just stop the video game adaptations. It's never gonna work. For the sake of my sanity, just end it. Avoid. Avoid. Avoid. I'm sending this bitch into the WTF? Vault with a big Hadoken!