Hi, I’m Anthony T. This is a new column for Film Arcade.net’s Facebook discussion board. I figured with it being the first edition of “Sound Off” and the fact that this week’s big release is sure to upset some Freddy fans, I figured that I make the first topic all about the Nightmare on Elm Street remake.
To view my thoughts and sound off on the film, you can goto: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=14629&uid=339272402757
Hey everyone, I just want to let you know that we've have a message board on our Filmarcade.net group page over on Facebook in the Discussions area. The only catch is that you have to be a member of our Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=339272402757. You can post various movie topics on our message board and wall. I'll also be debuting a new feature on there called "Sound Off" where you can sound off the various topics in the world of cinema and various releases. I will have my first topic on the site and thoughts on it on our message board and here, later tonight.
Anthony T
Site Administrator.
Harry Brown
Year: 2010
Directors: Sebastian Gutierrez
Stars: Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, David Bradley
MPAA Rating: R
Studio: Marv Films
Running Time: 103 minutes
The theme of revenge is always one that resonates well with movie goers. It’s a bit of fantasy for all of us who have been wronged and who have dreamed of getting revenge in the worst way. Films like Oldboy, Kill Bill, and Taken have done well in recent years, but the theme is not a new one. Death Wish, The Last House On The Left, and Mad Max spoke to audiences in the previous generation. Bridging the gap between the two generations are films like Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino and the new revenge film, Michael Caine’s Harry Brown.
The beginning of every good revenge story should show how our jaded hero (or heroine) has been wronged. Harry Brown is a lonely man who lives alone in The Estate, an apartment community overrun by a vicious gang of drug dealers. He has just lost his wife and soon after, his only friend in the world, Leonard (David Bradley, “Argus Filch” in the Harry Potter films) is brutally murdered by the gang. To make matters worse, Harry learns of the death of his friend when two police officers come to his house to question him about the whereabouts of his friend the day of his death.
While his wife was alive, Harry had made a promise to himself not to discuss any of the horrific things he had witnessed and done while serving as a Marine, but now that she has passed away, Harry uses those skills to get back at the thugs who are destroying the community around him.
As with most revenge movies, the thrill of watching the movie doesn’t come from brilliant writing or unexpected plot twists. Harry Brown is rather by the book in this regard. The thrill comes instead from the satisfaction of vigilante justice. It’s something hard-wired in all of us to want to see the bad guys get what we feel they deserve, especially when the police force can’t prosecute due to lack of evidence.
Harry Brown is definitely a “hard R”, with plenty of bloody violence and foul language. Several scenes will make you cringe, especially a scene of violence against an unsuspecting mother. But still, just like Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino and Liam Neeson in Taken, there’s just something satisfying about watching an older man take action into his own hands. Vigilante justice is something that can only be done onscreen, escapism at its finest.
Review Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars
Spring Break Massacre
Year: 2010
Directors: Rex Kramer
Stars: Toni Buena, Renee Darmiento, Reggie Bannister
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Synkronized USA / Disruptive Media Productions
Running Time: 81 Mins
Film Synopsis.
"Spring Break Massacre" is from the producers of "Reunion of Terror". The film is about six beautiful sorority coeds, who are have a sleepover party during spring break. But their fun ends, when convicted serial killer Stanley Peterson breaks out of the maximum security prison. Now on the run from the authorities, he is out continue his killing spree by stalking the each of the coeds. In order to stop this madman, they must find the mystery of their would assailant before he kills them all in homage to eighties horror with appearances from horror icons Reggie Bannister (Phantasm) and Linnea Quigley (The Return of the Living Dead).
Film Review:
Going into "Spring Break Massacre, I thought that this was just going to be a plain fun campy movie. Instead it's still a campy movie but within the campiness there was also the dark and serious tone that "Reunion of Terror" had. For that, it's a more interesting movie than your normal camp film.
Director Rex Kramer does a good job paying homage to the B movie slasher films of the early eighties. He does that by making the acting and the death scenes in the house feel so campy to the point that you're having fun watching the film. It's effective, because the way Kramer directs the death scenes especially towards the end of the film, as there was actual though into them. Another thing that is done well was the way that Kramer adds various effects to the images of the film. Whether it's old dust print effect that is used in the beginning to the black and white effect that is used in transition for certain parts of the film, as it gives the film a different identity, instead of the making this film your normal eighties camp homage film that tries to be a film that was made in the eighties.
The screenplay is written by Michael A. Hoffman and Megan Jones, who also wrote the screenplay for "ROT: Reunion of Terror", which was recently released on DVD from Shock-O-Rama Cinema. I liked how they made the story feel like a campy eighties horror film, while also using the same dark tone that made "ROT" an interested and inventive film. It's done because if this was complete campy, then the story would have felt more like it was ripped off from films like "The House of Sorority Row" and "Slumber Party Massacre". Instead, it makes the film not completely campy to the point that if feels ripped off from those films. Another thing that I liked was the fact how they made the girl's story campy and the sheriff's story have a different tone to the point that you felt like were watching another film. By doing that, it makes everything interesting. Also, I like how some of the dialogue was written, especially towards the end of the film. It helps make this a fun film to watch. Even though "Reunion of Terror" is better film, I liked how they put some thought into the tone of the film.
DVD Extras:
First on the disc is a four minute behind the scenes featurette that does nothing to go into the making of the film, as it all felt like rehearsal footage. I would have to have interviews from the cast, at least just the feeling of the process of the production. The extras continue to go downhill after that, as there is the official and international trailers for the film and four minutes of deleted scenes. I wished at least a commentary track with the writers and some of the cast members, as I would've have loved to have heard stories on the production of the film. Overall disappointing release extras wise.
Even though it's very disappointing on the DVD Extras front, I still recommend checking this film out if your into the campy films of the early eighties. "Spring Break Massacre" is a fun film that is worth checking out for eighties camp horror fans or fans are mindless fun film.
Film Rating: 3.5 Stars
DVD Extras Review: One Star
Title: The Gray Man
Review Date: April, 2010
Year: 2007, USA
Director: Scott L Flynn
Starring:
Patrick Bauchau ... Albert Fish
Jack Conley ... Det. Will King
John Aylward ... Captain Ayers
Jillian Armenante ... Delia Budd
Silas Weir Mitchell ... Albert Fish, Jr.
Vyto Ruginis ... Detective Maher
Mollie Milligan ... Gertrude
Lexi Ainsworth ... Grace Budd
MPAA Rating: R
Studio: Animationwerks
Distributor: Monarch Home Video
Running time: 96 minutes
Official Website: www.monarchvideo.com
Dominated by the tour de force turn by Patrick Bauchau, The Gray Man tells the story of the tracking and capture of infamous kidnapper and cannibal Albert fish in 1934. With a decidedly television movie feel, director Flynn chooses to let our imaginations work for us instead of giving us graphic horror as in Silence of the Lambs or Hannibal. This is probably a good thing; for the murder and devouring of children is still touchy fare; even in this day and age of non-shock-ability.
The production values for a period piece on a relatively low $1.3 million dollar budget are excellent. It is unfortunate that a larger budget and better script were not available because the material is so compelling it is a shame that it is direct to video and not getting a big screen turn. Jack Conley as Detective Will King in slightly cartoonish but still in keeping with the Edward G Robinson school of flatfoot portrayal that was common in the 1930’s The best thing about the film is the visceral feeling of disgust and revulsion that one gets for Albert Fish while watching it. That alone separates the film from the category of also rans and makes it worthwhile entertainment worthy of your time.
Review Rating: Four Stars.
Women In Trouble
Year: 2009
Directors: Sebastian Gutierrez
Stars: Carla Gugino, Connie Britton, Adrianne Palicki
MPAA Rating: R
Studio: Screen Media Films
Running Time: 92 Mins
Sebastian Gutierrez first caught my attention with his screenplay for the 2003 remake “Gothika”, a surprising very good horror film. Lately he has been making the transition to focusing everything towards writing and directing his own projects. “Women In Trouble” is his fourth film.
The film follows seven women thought a day of trouble in the city of Los Angeles. A therapist (Sarah Clarke) discovers that her husband (Simon Baker) is cheating on her with the mother of her thirteen year old patient (Isabella Gutierrez). A porn star (Carla Gugino) who finds out that she’s pregnant and to make matter worse, she is trapped in an elevator with a woman (Connie Britton) who has been hiding a secret from her niece. An adult film actress (Adrianne Palicki), who has feeling for her best friend (Emmanuelle Chriqui), gets into some deep trouble with a couple of hitmen. An airline attendant (Marley Shelton) who get into an affair with a rock star (Josh Brolin). This leads to a crazy day for everyone involved.
“Woman in Trouble” is surprisingly entertaining little film considering that I had low expectations. The reason that this is surprising, Gutierrez keeps everything moving at a good pace, considering that there are three stories going on at the same time. By keeping everything moving and setting a tone where the actors bring energy into their characters, it makes you get caught with the characters and everything that goes in the film. Another thing that makes this direction good was Gutierrez’s ability to not get too crazy with the way that he directs some of the sexual material in the film. He takes a more tone down approach in the way that he handles it and it fits with the film’s tone. If he had taken the film down a raunchy route with the sex material then I would’ve had a different opinion of everything that happens in the film. It doesn’t and I liked the fact that he doesn’t make the sex aspects the focal point. Instead he makes the characters and acting, the film’s focal points.
Speaking of the acting, it’s the strongest strength this film has. I liked how Gutierrez get his actors to be interested in the material and not make it one of those films, where it has an all star cast and they are there to just to have a good time and work with one another. Besides the acting, this film also has a very good score by Robin Hitchcock. His score also helps gets you into the groove of the film, as it helps the film become energetic with all the action that is going on.
Another thing that makes this film fun to watch was Gutierrez screenplay. The screenplay does a good job making everything come together, considering this film has multiple plot lines. Gutierrez makes all the characters interesting and the action work, by intersecting the characters into each of various plot lines and making work within the confines of the story. By doing that it does two things, it makes the film entertaining and develops the characters to the point that you find them interesting and entertaining. He also does a good job making the story and the characters offbeat. This is what made this film appealing to me. This is the type of film that could have easily put me to sleep considering that this film feels more of a chick flick than a comedy. But it’s Gutierrez’s ability to have this sense of offbeat dialogue and humor in the action and the characters to grab my attention. That makes it fun to watch.
“Women in Trouble” does a good job not getting into trouble, as this a film that does a good job making the characters and offbeat action entertaining.
Review Rating: Four Stars
Jason Reitman completed his guest programming at the
“This is the voice that I am going to follow forever.”
Welcome to the 232nd Edition of my long running series. This week I pay tribute to the late Corin Redgrave. Yesterday I went to Shelbyville with my mom to try out for WHEEL OF FORTUNE. The way their process works is that you fill out a form to put in a drawing. They then draw five names at a time so they can tell a little bit about themselves and they do a brief puzzle. In that only so many names get drawn so my name was not drawn nor was my mom's name. I had no idea it is easier to get on AMERICA'S GOT TALENT than it is some game show. Now let's get on to my selections for the week.
Doubt (2008): This is apossibly part one of a five part Meryl Streep series but this is very subject to change for right now. Philip Seymour Hoffman stars as the charismatic Father Flynn who is not favorable to the strict customs of the catholic school. Meryl Streep stars as the very strict principal Sister Aloysius Beauvier who becomes very suspicious of Flynn's interest in a young, black child making her believe that there is more to Flynn just wanting him to feel accepted. She does everything she can to uncover proof of her suspicions. Amy Adams co-stars as Sister James who kind of gets this guilt started. Streep and Adams would go on to star in JULIE AND JULIA together. I really liked Meryl Streep's performance in this movie and if I did not know that she was in this movie, I may not have recognized her. This is a very interesting look at scandal in a catholic school and the price of suspicion without proof.
An Officer and a Gentleman (1982): I suppose you could say this is a movie about learning to grow up. Richard Gere stars as Zack Mayo who is a rebellious loner and decides to join the Navy after tiring of his life leading to nowhere and his distant father who did not teach him much. When getting to boot camp, he sees it will not be easy under his instructor Sergeant Foley, played very well by Louis Gossett Jr. in possibly his best performance in his career. Debra Winger co-stars as Paula who attends a lot of Navy functions hoping to meet a guy and meets Zack. Foley teaches Zack about discipline becoming kind of a father he never had type person but it was not easy. This movie is a love story but it is far more than that in my opinion with a good performance from Richard Gere. This is one of many films that John Travolta turned down and Richard Gere obtained which does not sound like a big deal but Travolta would usually go on to be in something far worse.
Lost Boys of Sudan (2003): This is my documentary for the week which I know my dad likes me to have in this blog. I got this from Netflix and it focuses on a couple of refugees named Peter and Santino from Sudan who are brought to live in America. They were orphaned as children in a civil war in Africa and chose along with many others to come to America. Then, they must learn to adapt to the difficult life in American society. This is from the film company Docu-Rama which puts out some pretty good things and I hope to get this documentary more exposure. This is a real-life story on the American dream becoming far more difficult that it was cracked up to be.
A Man For All Seasons (1966): This is my tribute to the late Corin Redgrave who plays Roper in this movie. This is also part two of likely two of a Leo McKern series whose movie A FOREIGN FIELD was featured last week and he plays Cromwell in this one. This is possibly part one of a two-part Vanessa Redgrave series who makes a cameo here as Anne Boleyn. I guess this is my second film of the week centered a lot around Catholicism. Paul Scofield stars as Sir Thomas More, a counselor to Henry the 8th, played by Robert Shaw. Henry is determined to divorce his wife so that he can wed again to his mistress Anne Boleyn. The only problem is that Thomas More refuses to sign a treaty due to his beliefs. This is a great portrait on Thomas More who always stood up for his beliefs. Orson Welles, Wendy Hiller, Susanna York, John Hurt, and many others co-star.
Black Hawk Down (2001): This is part two of possibly three for an Orlando Bloom series whose movie LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING was featured last week and has a pretty small role in this one as Blackburn. This is my war movie for the week directed by Ridley Scott which details a an American mission in Somalia in hopes to capture two top lieutenants of a Somali warlord. They then find themselves in some brutal gunfire between the gunmen and Somalis. This was a very good portrayal of a real life disaster and has quite the all-star cast with Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Sam Sheperd, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, and many others. This is a favorite of our former president George W. Bush. There is some very realistic action scenes and good performances in what went down as one of the great war movies of the era.
Death of a Cyclist (1955): This is my foreign language film for the week that I found on TCM. Juan Antonio Bardem directed and co-wrote the screenplay. This movie shows a couple who is having a secret affair and end up striking a biker. Both people here have a lot to lose and do not want to be exposed therefore they leave the cyclist to die. This shows both people dealing with what they did and what they must do to avoid being exposed. I thought this movie moved along pretty well and shows that actions have consequences.
Love (1919): This is my silent short for the week which stars comedy legend Fatty Arbuckle. He plays a poor but hard-working farmer who is in love with his neighbor Winnie. Her family is arranging for her to marry a rich man named Al, played by Fatty's comedy co-star Al St. John, making Fatty go to hilarious lengths to win over Winnie. This was a pretty funny 23 minutes of a forgotten comedy legend.
Sleeper (1973): This is a futuristic comedy from Woody Allen. He plays Miles, a clarinet player who owns a healthfood store but then becomes frozen. 200 years later he becomes unfrozen by anti-government radicals hoping he will help overthrow an oppressed government. Diane Keaton plays his love interest who forms a very uneasy relationship with Miles. There are a lot of really good comedy bits like with a big banana and his posing of a robot. Woody also wrote the jazzy music score. This is probably my favorite from Woody Allen along with TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN.
Hell Town (1937): With the lack of time I had in the show I am in, I had to resort to the boxed set of much older films from John Wayne. John plays Dare, a gambling cowboy who takes a liking to his cousin's girlfriend but must still deal with cattle rustlers and crooked cardsharps. I will be the first to say, I am not as big of a fan of the Duke as a lot of people and I am glad this was only 59 minutes but it is always interesting to see how Wayne started and has pretty good presence here.
White Fang (1991): This is my live-action Disney movie for the week which they have been showing a lot on WGN lately and I needed a movie from the 90s so I settled upon this one. This is based on the novel by Jack London. This movie takes place during the Yukon gold rush where Ethan Hawke stars as Jack Conroy, a young person in search of gold who forms a relationship with a wolf-dog of the title name. Klaus Maria Brandauer plays his very respectful partner. Much of this is based on the events the wolf must go through. White Fang is captured and put in an illegal dog fighting competition where Jack years later saves White Fang but must work very hard to form the bond they once had due to many years of fighting and people being cruel to him. There is an immediate disclaimer in the beginning of the film which assures that no animals were harmed in this production. I always sympathize with an animal going through hardship so I really liked this movie. It probably is not for younger children though, maybe late elementary age. The dog in the movie is named Jed and has been in other movies like John Carpenter's THE THING.
Well, that is it for this week. Let me know what you like and what you hate. Stay tuned for next week which so far includes the late John Forsyth, Anthony Quinn, Frances McDormand, Akira Kurasowa, LOST alum Terry O'Quinn and many others.
Title: Phantom Punch
Review Date: April, 2010
Year: 2008, Canada
Director: Robert Townsend
Starring:
Ving Rhames ... Sonny Liston
Stacey Dash ... Geraldine Liston
Nicholas Turturro ... Ceasar Novak
Bridgette Wilson-Sampras¹ ... Farah
David Proval ... Savino
Rick Roberts ... Father Alios
Alan Van Sprang ... Nico Orso
Egidio Tari ... Bobby Zazo
Andrew Hinkson ... Muhammad Ali/Cassius Clay
Troy Amos-Ross ... Floyd Patterson
MPAA Rating: R
Studio: Access Motion Pictures
Distributor: Screen Media
Running time: 104 minutes
Official Website: http://www.phantompunchmovie.com/
In the tradition of Rocky and Raging Bull, Phantom Punch tells the rages to riches to death story of heavy weight champion Sonny Liston. Discovered by a Missouri prison chaplain (Rick Roberts), Sonny Liston (Ving Rhames) made an early impression in the prison boxing circuit. Paroled in 1952, he went on to a successful, and colorful. pro boxing career, winning the world heavyweight championship with a first round knock out of Floyd Patterson (Troy Amos-Ross) in September 1962; a crown taken from him by Cassius Clay's infamous 'Phantom Punch' in May 1965, one of the most remarkable moments in sport history. After a year off, he went on to fight until 1970. In between, Liston had numerous runs ins, if not with racism then the mob, if not the mob, then the law. He was found dead by his wife, Geraldine (Stacey Dash) in their Las Vegas home on January 5, 1971 - his death remains a mystery.
Phantom Punch is very well done. While the style is a bit television movie-esque, it nevertheless works very well. Focusing more on the personal travails of Sonny Liston then on his in ring work, there is enough fight scenes to satisfy the fan. The prejudice he suffered at the hands of the press, police and public (including the NAACP) is compelling. Director Townsend gives us a gritty portrait of the fight scene that is realistic and chilling. While short on character development, you don’t mind much because the pacing carries you along like a roller coaster ride. Ultimately a very good film, I cannot speak for its historical accuracy. However, I highly recommend it as an hour and a half of excellent and provocative entertainment.
Review Rating: Four stars.
Vitagraph film recently send us over information on their upcoming release "Paper Man", which goes into limited release tomorrow.
Paper Man is an inspirational comedic drama about an unlikely friendship between Richard (Jeff Daniels), a failed middle-aged novelist who has never quite grown up and Abby (Emma Stone), a 17-year-old girl whose role in a family tragedy years earlier has stolen away her youth. Both are unsure, both are afraid to take firm steps forward, and both are looking for that special friend—that connection—to help guide them into the future. Since his childhood, Richard has mostly relied on the imaginary one that resides in his head—a costumed superhero known as Captain Excellent (Ryan Reynolds).
At the urging of his wife Claire (Lisa Kudrow), Richard has moved to a Long Island beach community for the winter season in order to overcome his writer’s block. There, Richard meets Abby and hires her as a weekly babysitter, even though he has no children. Their tenuous, new friendship is sparked by Richard’s awe over Abby’s homemade soup and Abby’s enjoyment of Richard’s writing and his attempts at Origami. As the season progresses and the warm, quirky friendship between Richard and Abby grows, the two begin to share with each other their dreams and life hardships. With the coming of spring, Richard and Abby discover there comes a time to let go of the imaginary friends of the past and to embrace the future as a new beginning—just as one would embrace a new and unique friendship.
You can catch "Paper Man at these theaters:
4/23 New York, NY • Angelika Film CentreFriday 4/23: Special appearances by Kieran Culkin & co-director Michele Mulroney. Q&A's after 7:55pm show.
Sunday 4/25: Special appearances by Jeff Daniels, Kieran Culkin & co-director Michele Mulroney. Q&A's after 7:55pm show.
11:50am, 2:15, 7:55, and an additional 12:35am show on Friday and Saturday.
Los Angeles, CA • The Landmark
with special appearances by Lisa Kudrow, Emma Stone & co-director Kieran Mulroney. Friday & Saturday 4/23 & 4/24. Q&A's after the 7:20pm show before the 9:50pm shows.
Irvine, CA • Edwards University Town Center 6
4/30
Dallas, TX • Magnolia Theatre
5/7
Seattle, WA • Metro Cinema
5/21
San Fransisco, CA • Landmark Theatres
Austin, TX • Dobie Theatre
Berkeley CA • Shattuck Theatre
5/28
Chicago, IL • Century Centre Cinema
6/11
Minneapolis, MN • Lagoon Cinema
For updated theater listings, please visit the official website at http://www.papermanthemovie.com
"Paper Man": Official Trailer
Brothers is Jim Sheridan’s remake of Susanne Bier's 2004 Danish film of the same name, and it continues his long fascination with families torn apart by war and strife, and of how they fight their hardest to keep it all together. It stars Tobey Maguire as Sam Cahill, a Captain in the United States Marine Corp who is about to be sent off for another tour of duty in Afghanistan. Before he goes, he picks up his young brother Tommy (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) who just got released from prison after a sentence for armed robbery. Despite their differences, they are as close as brothers can be, even if their father (the always reliable Sam Shepherd) clearly values one over the other. But then things get completely turned around and not necessarily for the better.
When Sam’s helicopter crashes in foreign territory, he is assumed dead. No one even bothers to tell Tommy right away, which shows you the respect he has compared to Sam. But you know from there that he will eventually bond with Sam’s wife Grace (the always lovely Natalie Portman) and her two adorable girls Isabelle and Maggie (Bailee Madison and Taylor Geare), and that Tommy and Grace will get more intimate with each other than they should.
But surprise, surprise, Sam turns out to be alive after having been tortured physically and mentally by militant forces. Thanks to a decision made a la Meryl Streep in Sophie’s Choice, Sam makes it back home to his loving family, but he’s not the same. Full of anger and self-loathing, he becomes distant from everyone around him and has no idea where or how to channel his anger. Soon, he becomes obsessed with going back to
If you have seen the trailer for Brothers already, then you will pretty much get the structure of the film as its beginning, middle, and end parts are clearly defined with only the end being unpredictable. Overall, the movie feels like an average melodrama with the brothers being inseparable, the parent valuing one child over the other, etc. I have seen a lot of movies like this, so the aura of familiarity feels all too played out for me to get completely involved with what’s going on here. There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking about Brothers in the way it treats war and the damage it can do to soldiers and the families they come back to. I guess I just wished that
Don’t get me wrong though; Brothers is by no means a terrible movie. Director Sheridan does a very good job of giving everything a very down to earth feel which draws us much deeper into the story. With a movie like Brothers, this is especially important. The majority of the action takes place in an everyday American town that does not feel all that different from the ones we grew up in. That air of realism keeps the movie from being completely average, and I do want to acknowledge the effort the filmmakers put into it.
But the major strength of Brothers that really makes it worth watching though is the acting. All three main actors are superb in roles you wouldn’t necessarily expect to see in. Jake Gyllenhaal is surprisingly good as the rough and tumble Tommy when you consider that he has mostly been typecast as the good guy in
Seeing the ever so radiant Natalie Portman here is a scary reminder of how horrifically stiff she came off in those Star Wars prequels (thanks a lot George Lucas!). From a distance, she looks too young to take on the role of a mother of two. I mean, as Princess Amidala she did give birth to Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, but her character died just after giving birth, so does that still count? Oh well, it doesn’t matter because Natalie does the kind of excellent work we have always come to expect to her. She handles the complexities of her character with utter skill, and never do we see her acting. Natalie inhabits Grace and gives her strength and inescapable vulnerability in the midst of a tragedy she hoped to never experience first hand.
But the best performance in Brothers clearly belongs to Tobey Maguire who takes his character from a loving father and patriotic soldier to a mere cinder of his former self. When we see him come back from a war everyone thought he perished in, Tobey succeeds in making Sam Cahill a very frightening presence whose change in personality escalates the tension in everyone around him. Like an unstable piece of nitroglycerin on the verge of exploding if you shake it just a little, we stand at attention, knowing he will eventually explode and hope that the damage won’t be too severe. Maguire is a very long way from Peter Parker and Spider-Man with this one, and he once again proves there is more to him than that iconic character (which he won’t be playing anymore anyway).
Furthermore, all three stars are surrounded by a great cast of stellar actors. Sam Shepherd makes roles like the father seem ever so effortless for him to play, and while his is a predictably clichéd character, he still imbues Hank Cahill with a real humanity that is strongly felt. It’s also always great to see Mare Winnigham as Hank’s wife Elsie, and she continues to be one of those underrated actors who never fail in doing fantastic work in one project after another.
However, I really have to give special recognition to the two child actors Bailee Madison & Taylor Grace Geare who give amazingly unforced performances as the young Cahill daughters. I keep talking a lot about certain kids who give performances that are far beyond what we could typically expect (Max Records from Where The Wild Things Are for example), but these two girls come across as so natural to where (like Natalie) you never catch them acting. Bailee
Indeed, there are a lot of strong things about Brothers, and
Brothers does make for a good rental based on the performances alone, but in retrospect, I don’t think that I missed too much by not seeing it in a movie theater.
**½ out of ****
Date Night
Year: 2010
Director: Shawn Levy
Stars: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Walberg
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Running Time: 88 Mins
Yes, I’m reviewing yet another romantic comedy, after having to deal with the humorless film known as “The Bounty Hunter”. Hopefully, “Date Night” will be much better.
The film is about married couple Phil and Claire Foster (Steve Carrel, Tina Fey) who always have a weekly date night to get away from their problems. In order to make that night fun again Phil decides to Claire to an expensive restaurant. Only problem is, they have no reservation. So when Phil finds out that a couple has no showed their reservation, he and his wife decide to take that reservation. That turns out to be a problem, when two men who think that they are the no show couple.
Soon their night becomes chaotic, as they are trying to outrun the police and the mob is out to get them. In order to find a way to find that couple that had the original reservation and why the mob is looking for them. This comedy also has apperences by Mark Walberg (The Italian Job”, “The Departed”) Mark Ruffalo, Kristen Wiig (Adventureland), James Franco (Spider-Man 1-3), and Mila Kunis (The Book of Eli).
At least this film didn’t turn out to be another disaster, like “The Bounty Hunter” was. “Date Night is a funny film that generates laughs that everyone can enjoy. Director Shawn Levy does a good job making every work very well. He makes most of the scenes funny, by the way that he directs them. It’s not forced or so lackluster of personality that you’re sitting there waiting for a humorous moment to happen, which makes you bored and not having a good time with the film. Thankfully there are humorous moments in the film that helps it not fall into chick flick category. The reason that Levy was successful in doing this, the way he directs the acting in the film. He does a good job in developing chemistry between the two leads. It makes the film fun to watch.
Speaking of the acting and chemistry, they both helped make this film entertaining. Both Steve Carell and Tina Fey were both very good here. Their styles of acting gelled very well here, as they really did a very good job developing chemistry that need for a film like this. The other thing that I liked about the main performances, each of them brought personality to their characters. That’s what I want to see in these romantic comedies, not brooding or annoying characters that take up most of the screen time.
The screenplay written by Josh Klausner is effective enough that it generate humor and an entertaining love story. Yes, the story seems generic, but it’s the execution that makes it would worth the hour and a half of my life. One of the things that Klausner does to make this work, the lead characters are likeable and no so annoying to the point that you tune out of the story. That was one of the main problems that I had with a recent romantic comedy that I recently reviewed for the site. I liked how he develops and sets up the main characters, as it helps you get you caught up in the adventure that this couple is having. The other thing that makes it work, the way that Klausner times the humor in the film. It doesn’t come at you a hundred miles per hours; instead it comes in the way that you caught up in the humorous action. Also, I like how there was actual thought into some of the dialogue and jokes. Those worked very well, as it generated laughs to the point that it makes the story and the film enjoyable. The only problem that I can see with this film was that it was a little too short with it eighty-eight minute running time, as there could have been a good ten more minutes added, but still I enjoy this film.
“Date Night” is a perfect date night film for those you are looking for a fun filled film with two very talented comedians.
Review Rating: Four Stars.
Welcome to the 229th Edition. This week I pay tribute to the late Peter Graves, Merlin Olsen, and Robert Culp. I have one selection from the Random Myspace Profile selection process. Next week will have none. On April 9th at 8:00 pm, my friends Eric and Sheila Schroeder are one of the couples featured on the show WIFE SWAP on CBS. Don't miss it as I'm sure it will be a pretty entertaining episode. Happy Easter, though none of these selections really reflect that
The Reader (2008): This is a movie that takes place during post WWII Germany and has a lot of the use of flashback. The movie centers on the characters Michael Berg and Hanna Schmitz. David Kross plays the young Michael Berg who forms a relationship with the much older Hanna Schitz, played very well by Kate Winslet. They have an unusual relationship where Hanna likes Michael to read from classic literature hence the title of the film. She soon abandons him leaving his confused and heartbroken. The next era we see is eight years later when Michael, still played by Kross, is in law school and observes a trial and sees that Hanna Schmitz in on trial for Nazi war crimes which leaves him full of mixed emotions and decisions. The next era we see Michael, now played by Ralph Fiennes, who has made a good life for himself and revisits his hometown where the two of the reconnect in an unusual way. I had some doubts as to the significance of the later era and even Ralph Fiennes but then really liked how each story connected itself and the way the generations looked to come to terms with the past.
Flying Down to Rio (1933): Gene Raymond and Delores Del Rio star in this musical extravaganza that takes place a lot in the clouds. Raymond plays Roger Bond, a pilot and the band leader for the Yankee Clippers, who gets his band fired from many gigs for flirting with the band members. He soon meets Brazilian beauty Belinha, played by Del Rio, who he takes an immediate liking to despite being engaged to Bond's friend. This is mostly for musical fans. This is the first of many pairings with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and to my knowledge the only one where they did not have top billing. There is also quite a choreography number that takes place in the air. This is full of song and dance but is most noted for the star-making performances of Astaire and Rogers who would become of the the best film duos of all time.
Up in the Air (2009): Jason Reitman directed and co-wrote this film that won him a few awards for his screenplay. ER alum George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham whose life consists of traveling to places of business in order to fire people for companies. He loves traveling and his job of trying to ease the firing for the employee so they see it as a positive thing. Anna Kendrick co-stars as recent college graduate Natalie who joins the place of his employ and comes up with a cost-saving measure which is firing people through video conferencing instead of flying to the company which jeopardizes what Bingham loves. Ryan then takes Natalie with him hoping to show her that his job works best when talking in person. Natalie soon sees the effect of the job. Vera Farminga co-stars as fellow frequent-flyer Alex Goran who forms quite a friendship with Ryan who then believes he finally might want a relationship. ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT alum Jason Bateman plays the boss of the company. Cameos include OZ alum J.K. Simmons, Zach Galifianakis, Sam Elliott, and Danny McBride. I was not sure what I was going to think of this but it really lived up to what I hoped with a great performance by George Clooney whose character I related to some but I could never do his line of work. Kendrick had a great performance as well as the underrated Vera Farminga. The movie had a rather unusual ending which some people did not like but after done analyzing it I came to think it was the right thing. If you want my actual thoughts, message me and I will explain but I won't spoil it here.
Hey, Hey Fever (1935): This is my animated short and this one includes the classic Warner Brothers character Bosco. In this one Bosco and his dog Bruno go to Mother Goose land during the depression and he feels it is his duty to find food for all the fairy tale characters like Old Mother Hubbard, the old lady in a shoe, and many others. It soon leads him to Old King Cole where the title song occurs. This was very entertaining and could even be thought of as racist in some ways has an imitation of blackface characters which was pretty acceptable in those days. This is a character that was around in the late 20s and 30s.
The Undefeated (1969): This is my tribute to Merlin Olsen who is most known for playing the title character in FATHER MURPHY and makes his debut here. This is my western for the week which takes place after the civil war. John Wayne plays Yankee Colonel John Henry Thomas who forms an alliance with ex-confederate soldier James Langdon, played by Rock Hudson. Langdon is leading his people to Mexico where their emperor has promised them land. They then find themselves in the middle of a Mexican revolution. Other people include Lee Meriwether, Jan-Michael Vincent, and western legend Harry Carey Jr. This is a pretty decent western with some good action scenes and one of my favorite John Wayne films. Hudson was pretty good as Langdon.
Star Wars: Episode VI- Return of the Jedi (1983): This is a selection from the Random Myspace Profile selection process and for this one I chose Ross who childhood friend from the neighborhood. This is the conclusion of the legendary trilogy has will always have a place in pop culture. The Empire is making the second Death Star which is far more powerful than the first. Lando Calrission, played by Billy Dee Williams leads a rebel attack on the Death Star. Han Solo, played by Harrison Ford, leads another group that includes Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and their new friends the Ewoks in an attack to disable the shield to the Death Star in order for the air attack to work. Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill, makes his final confrontation to Darth Vader who hopes to turn Skywalker to the dark side but Luke believes there is still good in his father. There is not much more to say here in what will be passed down to many generations. I was glad to watch this on VHS which my dad got for me years ago for Christmas since I know that Hayden Christian's photo is not re-imaged in this one like on the DVD set. We also have so many iconic scenes like Han Solo in freeze-dried carbonate, the skimpy outfit of Pricess Leia when held captive by Jabba the Hutt, and many others.
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969): This is my tribute to the late Robert Culp who plays the title character Bob. Natalie Wood plays Bob's wife Carol. Elliot Gould and Dyan Cannon play the other couple Ted and Alice. They are all good friends. Bob and Carol have a very unusual relationship where after group therapy they find it more operative to say how they "feel" rather than "think" where their relationship is quite open. They are trying to teach their way of life to Ted and Alice where there is obvious sexual tension. This is very well acted and a very interesting comedy about sex and I guess acceptance and honesty. Paul Mazursky directed and co-wrote this film. There is not much more to really say on this except it kept me pretty entertained.
Wet Hot American Summer (2001): This is my camp comedy for the week. This is a camp set in 1981 where Jeneane Garofalo plays camp director Beth and struggles to keep the camp in order while she is falling in love with science professor Henry Newman, played by FRAZIER alum David Hyde Pierce. Amy Poehler and Bradley Cooper play high schoolers trying to get a group together for the talent show to perform a number in GODSPELL and struggle to find talent. There is quite a bit going on. One part I was not big on was Paul Rudd. I just did not really like him in this movie but maybe I'm not supposed to like him. I liked the part of Gene, played by OZ alum Christopher Meloni, who played a man who is still obsessed with war and played a much different part than the tv roles he usually plays. I also liked the parts with Molly Shannon who is dealing with her husband leaving and the kids being counselors to her about what she should do. There is quite a bit of hilarious hijinks that go on in this film which is a pretty well-written comedy.
Berkeley in the Sixties (1990): I found this one on the Link channel. This documentary takes a look at some militant students from the 60s who are protesting against the Vietnam War. There is some footage of some police busts and also the Black Panthers who teamed with these people. This has a lot of interviews with people who took part in these protests and has some pretty good footage which was pretty brutal at times. These were students from the Berkeley college which was once a quiet school but was changed by disgruntled students who felt we should not be in the war. I can't really relate much to this since I did not live in that time but I'm sure it was a pretty interesting time to live in and I'm sure many from this era will love this documentary.
Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and what you don't like. Next week so far includes Vince Vaughn, Lou Diamond Phillips, Faye Dunaway, and many others. I would also like suggestions to put in Netflix. I want one per person so think hard.
HONORABLE TV MENTION
The Shield (2002-2008): With my Roku player, it gave me the opportunity to finally see the last season of the show I missed. This is the first original fictional series on the FX network and a show that is by no means for everyone. The main part of the show consists of the Strike Team lead by Vic Mackey, played by Michael Chiklis. In his team are mainly Shane Vendrell, Ronnie Gardocki, and Curtis Lemansky aka Lem. Other people come and go but these are the four main guys that make up this team. This is a team that is not above breaking laws to solve their cases. Vic has a very difficult relationship with his ex-wife and struggles with his kids. Benito Martinez plays the head of the department turned politician David Aceveda who is determined to bring down Mackey but is also forced to team up with him at times as well. CCH Pounder was always very good as the dedicated detective Claudette Wyms who also did everything possible to bring him down. This show is based on an actually unit in L.A. called the Rampart division who has some known corruption. Chiklis did a good job of making the character of Vic Mackey humanistic even if he is clearly very corrupt. The big part of the series shows how tension mounts with the strike team and quite a thing to see how it began and the way the series ended. This shows takes a good look at a police unit. Some might say it stereotypes L.A. cops but unfortunately some of them are corrupt but I guess you'll have that anywhere you go. However, most of the cops on the show are not corrupt like Claudette, Dutch, Danni, Julian, etc. High-profile movie actors like Glenn Close and Forrest Whitaker have season stints on this show. I believe the FX series CHANGES came out shortly after Glenn Close was done with this series.
Flying Down to Rio (1933): Gene Raymond and Delores Del Rio star in this musical extravaganza that takes place a lot in the clouds. Raymond plays Roger Bond, a pilot and the band leader for the Yankee Clippers, who gets his band fired from many gigs for flirting with the band members. He soon meets Brazilian beauty Belinha, played by Del Rio, who he takes an immediate liking to despite being engaged to Bond's friend. This is mostly for musical fans. This is the first of many pairings with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and to my knowledge the only one where they did not have top billing. There is also quite a choreography number that takes place in the air. This is full of song and dance but is most noted for the star-making performances of Astaire and Rogers who would become of the the best film duos of all time.
Up in the Air (2009): Jason Reitman directed and co-wrote this film that won him a few awards for his screenplay. ER alum George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham whose life consists of traveling to places of business in order to fire people for companies. He loves traveling and his job of trying to ease the firing for the employee so they see it as a positive thing. Anna Kendrick co-stars as recent college graduate Natalie who joins the place of his employ and comes up with a cost-saving measure which is firing people through video conferencing instead of flying to the company which jeopardizes what Bingham loves. Ryan then takes Natalie with him hoping to show her that his job works best when talking in person. Natalie soon sees the effect of the job. Vera Farminga co-stars as fellow frequent-flyer Alex Goran who forms quite a friendship with Ryan who then believes he finally might want a relationship. ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT alum Jason Bateman plays the boss of the company. Cameos include OZ alum J.K. Simmons, Zach Galifianakis, Sam Elliott, and Danny McBride. I was not sure what I was going to think of this but it really lived up to what I hoped with a great performance by George Clooney whose character I related to some but I could never do his line of work. Kendrick had a great performance as well as the underrated Vera Farminga. The movie had a rather unusual ending which some people did not like but after done analyzing it I came to think it was the right thing. If you want my actual thoughts, message me and I will explain but I won't spoil it here.
Hey, Hey Fever (1935): This is my animated short and this one includes the classic Warner Brothers character Bosco. In this one Bosco and his dog Bruno go to Mother Goose land during the depression and he feels it is his duty to find food for all the fairy tale characters like Old Mother Hubbard, the old lady in a shoe, and many others. It soon leads him to Old King Cole where the title song occurs. This was very entertaining and could even be thought of as racist in some ways has an imitation of blackface characters which was pretty acceptable in those days. This is a character that was around in the late 20s and 30s.
The Undefeated (1969): This is my tribute to Merlin Olsen who is most known for playing the title character in FATHER MURPHY and makes his debut here. This is my western for the week which takes place after the civil war. John Wayne plays Yankee Colonel John Henry Thomas who forms an alliance with ex-confederate soldier James Langdon, played by Rock Hudson. Langdon is leading his people to Mexico where their emperor has promised them land. They then find themselves in the middle of a Mexican revolution. Other people include Lee Meriwether, Jan-Michael Vincent, and western legend Harry Carey Jr. This is a pretty decent western with some good action scenes and one of my favorite John Wayne films. Hudson was pretty good as Langdon.
Star Wars: Episode VI- Return of the Jedi (1983): This is a selection from the Random Myspace Profile selection process and for this one I chose Ross who childhood friend from the neighborhood. This is the conclusion of the legendary trilogy has will always have a place in pop culture. The Empire is making the second Death Star which is far more powerful than the first. Lando Calrission, played by Billy Dee Williams leads a rebel attack on the Death Star. Han Solo, played by Harrison Ford, leads another group that includes Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and their new friends the Ewoks in an attack to disable the shield to the Death Star in order for the air attack to work. Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill, makes his final confrontation to Darth Vader who hopes to turn Skywalker to the dark side but Luke believes there is still good in his father. There is not much more to say here in what will be passed down to many generations. I was glad to watch this on VHS which my dad got for me years ago for Christmas since I know that Hayden Christian's photo is not re-imaged in this one like on the DVD set. We also have so many iconic scenes like Han Solo in freeze-dried carbonate, the skimpy outfit of Pricess Leia when held captive by Jabba the Hutt, and many others.
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969): This is my tribute to the late Robert Culp who plays the title character Bob. Natalie Wood plays Bob's wife Carol. Elliot Gould and Dyan Cannon play the other couple Ted and Alice. They are all good friends. Bob and Carol have a very unusual relationship where after group therapy they find it more operative to say how they "feel" rather than "think" where their relationship is quite open. They are trying to teach their way of life to Ted and Alice where there is obvious sexual tension. This is very well acted and a very interesting comedy about sex and I guess acceptance and honesty. Paul Mazursky directed and co-wrote this film. There is not much more to really say on this except it kept me pretty entertained.
Wet Hot American Summer (2001): This is my camp comedy for the week. This is a camp set in 1981 where Jeneane Garofalo plays camp director Beth and struggles to keep the camp in order while she is falling in love with science professor Henry Newman, played by FRAZIER alum David Hyde Pierce. Amy Poehler and Bradley Cooper play high schoolers trying to get a group together for the talent show to perform a number in GODSPELL and struggle to find talent. There is quite a bit going on. One part I was not big on was Paul Rudd. I just did not really like him in this movie but maybe I'm not supposed to like him. I liked the part of Gene, played by OZ alum Christopher Meloni, who played a man who is still obsessed with war and played a much different part than the tv roles he usually plays. I also liked the parts with Molly Shannon who is dealing with her husband leaving and the kids being counselors to her about what she should do. There is quite a bit of hilarious hijinks that go on in this film which is a pretty well-written comedy.
Berkeley in the Sixties (1990): I found this one on the Link channel. This documentary takes a look at some militant students from the 60s who are protesting against the Vietnam War. There is some footage of some police busts and also the Black Panthers who teamed with these people. This has a lot of interviews with people who took part in these protests and has some pretty good footage which was pretty brutal at times. These were students from the Berkeley college which was once a quiet school but was changed by disgruntled students who felt we should not be in the war. I can't really relate much to this since I did not live in that time but I'm sure it was a pretty interesting time to live in and I'm sure many from this era will love this documentary.
Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and what you don't like. Next week so far includes Vince Vaughn, Lou Diamond Phillips, Faye Dunaway, and many others. I would also like suggestions to put in Netflix. I want one per person so think hard.
HONORABLE TV MENTION
The Shield (2002-2008): With my Roku player, it gave me the opportunity to finally see the last season of the show I missed. This is the first original fictional series on the FX network and a show that is by no means for everyone. The main part of the show consists of the Strike Team lead by Vic Mackey, played by Michael Chiklis. In his team are mainly Shane Vendrell, Ronnie Gardocki, and Curtis Lemansky aka Lem. Other people come and go but these are the four main guys that make up this team. This is a team that is not above breaking laws to solve their cases. Vic has a very difficult relationship with his ex-wife and struggles with his kids. Benito Martinez plays the head of the department turned politician David Aceveda who is determined to bring down Mackey but is also forced to team up with him at times as well. CCH Pounder was always very good as the dedicated detective Claudette Wyms who also did everything possible to bring him down. This show is based on an actually unit in L.A. called the Rampart division who has some known corruption. Chiklis did a good job of making the character of Vic Mackey humanistic even if he is clearly very corrupt. The big part of the series shows how tension mounts with the strike team and quite a thing to see how it began and the way the series ended. This shows takes a good look at a police unit. Some might say it stereotypes L.A. cops but unfortunately some of them are corrupt but I guess you'll have that anywhere you go. However, most of the cops on the show are not corrupt like Claudette, Dutch, Danni, Julian, etc. High-profile movie actors like Glenn Close and Forrest Whitaker have season stints on this show. I believe the FX series CHANGES came out shortly after Glenn Close was done with this series.
Horror Society is thrilled to announce another Women of Horror Film Festival in May… Women of Horror 2.
With each festival we try to bring a new and different theme into the movie theater, and once again it’s Lady’s Night!
Horror Society will feature films directed, produced, or written by women.
Saturday MAY 1st
5pm to 2am
Portage Theater
4050 N. Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60641
ONLY $12 for over 8 hours of BLOODY GOOD FUN! Online Tickets coming soon!!
Our goal for this festival is to show the female side of the horror genre in a way that most of the horror fans are not familiar with. Many studios and companies need to stay away from this point of view because it does not attract the audience they are looking for. To us that is a shame. There are so many female directors doing indie horror now without the recognition they need and deserve. This is our chance to show those women that are making these types of films.
————————————————-
FILM LINEUP SO FAR…
GARGALESE
http://www.gargalese.com/
SNUFF
http://maudemichaud.com/home.
ALICE JACOBS IS DEAD
http://www.strange-case.com/
I SPIT ON ELI ROTH
http://deviantpictures.com/
HEADING HOME
http://www.jane-rose.com/
DONT LOSE HEART
MOVIE MONSTER INSURANCE
http://www.imdb.com/title/
BODY OF WORK
http://www.panicattackfilms.
TRIPPIN'
http://www.trippinthemovie.
NEAR DARK (35mm)
http://www.imdb.com/title/
**ANOTHER SPECIAL FEATURE ANNOUNCEMENT SOON**
Various Local Trailers and a GRINDHOUSE/EXPLOITATION compilation Cult Movie fans will love!!
SPECIAL GUESTS:
Devi Snively
(Director Death in Charge, Teenage Bikini Vampire, Trippin’)
http://www.imdb.com/name/
Svengirlie
(She will be at the KISS OF DEATH table!)
Dead Man’s Wake
(Female fronted band takes the stage at 5pm)
More Coming Soon….
For more information on Women of Horror 2 you can goto: www.horrorsociety.com/festivals
Focus Features recently send us over the a couple of images and the official trailer for "The Kids Are All Right", which hits theaters in limited release on July 7, 2010.
The Kids Are All Right is the heartfelt new comedy from acclaimed director Lisa Cholodenko, starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, and Mark Ruffalo. Two teenaged children (Alice in Wonderland’s Mia Wasikowska and Journey to the Center of the Earth’s Josh Hutcherson) get the notion to seek out their biological father and introduce him into the family life that their two mothers (Bening and Moore) have built for them. Once the donor (Ruffalo) is found, the household will never be the same, as family ties are defined, re—defined, and re—re—defined. The New York Times raves that it’s "a generous, nearly note—perfect portrait of a modern family," and Entertainment Weekly calls the movie "funny, smart and sexy!"
The film is directed by Lisa Cholodenko (“The L Word,” Laurel Canyon) and starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson.
Welcome everyone to the 231st Edition of my long running series. This was difficult to put together as I have been busy with rehearsals with my show but much was done at the Starbucks across from where we are having rehearsals. I am pretty satisfied with my end product, maybe not my best selections but well under the circumstances so get out your Netflix and Blockbuster queues and read on.
The Cove (2009): I start this week with 2009's most award-winning documentary. Louis Psihoyas directs this film and takes a group of activists to Taijii, Japan in order to investigate the questionable means of capturing dolphins so that we can have our wonderful dolphin shows at the zoo. A lot of this movie centers a lot on former dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry who feels responsible for what goes on in this country for his part in helping to train the dolphins on the tv classic FLIPPER. Even then, he felt his job was rather unethical and turned activist hoping to make up for what he did. This documentary is very thought-provoking and informative plus quite real.
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008): Now I bring you more of a comedy. Sally Hawkins stars as Poppy who is a school teacher who is always very optimistic but her constant optimism does not reflect on her friends and the people around her. She becomes tested when certain things are going on in her life. She is learning to drive after many years and has a very difficult instructor who might just have feelings for her. She also is in Flamenco dance class who has a very fiery instructor. She then must deal with the aggression of a boy in her class with the help of a social worker who she starts to like. These events lead to situations that test her optimism. Hawkins was great in the lead and carried this very well. This was not my favorite movie of all time but seeing her and the interaction with her driving instructor made this worth it for me.
The Ballad of Narayama (1983): This is my Asian film for the week from director Shohei Imamura. This takes place in a small village in Japan where due to the scarcity of food, people who reach the age of 70 must go to the top of the mountain to die. We then meet the 69 year old Orin who is 69 who does not object to this custom but wants to find her son a wife before she dies. It is a very good movie about a community which is I suppose in the late 1800s and 1900s who use unusual means for survival. It is clear, the community is not trying to be mean by their law of what happens when they become 70 but just trying to find ways to keep the younger generation and children fed. There is not much more to explain here except that is another that can provoke thought. I guess I am doing that a lot this week.
A Foreign Field (1993): This is part one of likely two in a Leo McKern series. I watched this one instantly on my Roku player. I guess this is really an episode of the BBC tv series SCREEN ONE but I let that pass since it was 95 minutes and I was interested in seeing acting legends later in their career. This one takes place where a lot of WWII buddies reunite after 50 years. Alec Guinness and Leo McKern play WWII friends who decide to go visit the grave a friend who died during the D-Day invasion. They then meet up with another WWII veteran they knew named Waldo, played by John Randolph. Waldo and Leo vie for the affection of a Frenchwoman they competed for during WWII. I was actually quite surprised by this and how funny it actually was. Edward Herrman, Geraldine Chaplin, and Lauren Bacall co-star.
A-Haunting We Will Go (1949): I had to delve into my animated shorts for this week and for this one I chose Casper, the Friendly Ghost. I guess the theme of any Casper cartoon is that we fear the unknown. Casper has a hard time making friends with his brothers because he just does not want to scare like they do and other people and animals fear him because he is a ghost. In this one, a baby duck gets left behind and Casper befriends him. Casper then must deal with some mean hunters who want that little duck which provokes Casper to do what is necessary to save his friend. I cannot believe I am going even this in-depth with Casper but this was pretty enjoyable.
Rendezvous (1935): I found this one on TCM. This is my WWI comedy for the week which stars William Powell as Lt. Bill Gordon. Rosalind Russell co-stars as the meddlesome Joel Carter who is the niece of the Assistant Secretary of War. She notices he is very good at deciphering codes so she has his orders to cancel his orders of going to war in France in order to decipher enemy codes. He does not like his new assignment but does what he must hoping he'll be reassigned. Binnie Barnes co-stars as Russian Spy Olivia Karloff. Bill must juggle his feelings for Joel while still find a way to get a book from Olivia. This was a pretty funny film. Russell might have been unnecessary for the purposes of the plot.
Mean Streets (1973): This is a more random selection than usual but I was just looking for a DVD on my shelf from the 70s and decided upon this on to watch at Starbucks after my rehearsal. This is the first of many teamings between director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro. This movie takes place in New York City's Little Italy. Harvey Keitel plays Charlie, a small-time hood trying to make his way up the local mob ladder. Robert De Niro, in his star-making role, plays Johnny Boy who is an irresponsible gambler in debt to about every bookie in the area. Charlie really likes Johnny and tried to put in a good word for him but puts himself in jeopardy. Amy Robinson plays Teresa, who is Johnny Boy's cousin and has a secret affair with Charlie who knows his family will disapprove because of his epilepsy. SOPRANOS alum David Proval and Cesare Danova are a couple of the people Johnny Boy is in debt to and they are running out of patience. This is a great character driven story which was made to look pretty authentic with the hand-held camera. This movie is one of the films to set the foundation for the future of Martin Scorsese. Shortly after this one, De Niro won Best Supporting Actor for THE GODFATHER PART II.
When a Man Loves (1927): This is my silent film for the week which stars John Barrymore who stars as Fabien who is studying to enter the priesthood. Delores Costello stars as Manon who is saved by Fabien when her brother is trying to "sell" her. Fabien and Manon soon fall in love making him abandon his priest ambitions. They are soon separated however when she is blackmailed by her brother to leave Fabien. Fabien then soon discovers she is endanger to the King of France. I always jump at a chance to see John Barrymore who was very good here. If you like silent films, this is one to check out. If you do not like silent films, then this one may not be for you. I actually observed some resemblance in the face to his granddaughter Drew Barrymore.
Marty (1955): This was another one where I had to make a more random selection. This actually comes from a United Artists boxed set my dad got me for Christmas and I liked the idea of 95 minutes. Ernest Borgnine stars in this film as the title role who is in his 30s and remains single and living with his mom while his other siblings have married and become parents. Betsy Blair co-stars as Clara who is a schoolteacher and also rather lonely and shy woman who is shunned. Marty takes an immediate liking to her since he can relate. This is a great love story here. These lonely people come together but does not get approval from Marty's mother because Clara is not catholic. This is not only a great love story but a really good look at a catholic family and their traditions. Borgnine was great in this unusual role for him where he usually played more tough guy parts. I suppose one theme for this film is that we really need to look more into the inner-beauty of people which no one really took the time to do with Marty and Clara. This is the type of love story that many can actually relate to.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001): This was the first of the trilogy of the J.R.R. Tolkien novels which were directed by Peter Jackson. Elijah Wood stars as the courageous, little hobbit Frodo who is entrusted with an ancient ring which has done more harm than good. He must go to Mount Doom where the ring is to be destroyed. Sir Ian McKellan stars as Gandolf the Grey who is a good and wise wizard and is with him on the journey. The legendary Christopher Lee co-stars as the villain Saruman who will do what he must do to stop the ring from being destroyed. Lee actually fought for the role of Gandolf but with his friendship to Tolkien wanted to be part of this in any way he could accepted the evil wizard. Frodo is not alone in his journey and has the protection of Aragorn (Viggo Mortenson), Boromir (Sean Bean), Legolas the elf (Orlando Bloom), Gimli the Dwarf (John Rhys-Davies), and Frodo's other hobbit friends Sam, Merry, and Pippin (Sean Astin, LOST alum Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd. Liv Tyler, Ian Holm, Cate Blanchett, and Hugo Weaving co-star in this great fantasy film. It had been a while since I saw this but this really renewed my interest in this series. I'm sure the others will be featured on here in time but I don't really know when. Peter Jackson is a great director who puts a lot of effort into his special effects so that they mean something and makes sure that the story and the characters come first.
Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and what you hate. Stay tuned for next week which so far includes Meryl Streep, Richard Gere, a documentary, more Leo McKern, and many others.
The Bounty Hunter
Year: 2010
Director: Andy Tennent
Stars: Gerard Butler, Jennifer Aniston, Peter Greene
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Running Time: 110 Mins
Going into “The Bounty Hunter”, I was going into the film thinking that it would be a fun and entertaining action comedy like in that vein of “Midnight Run” meets any romantic comedy. Instead, I watched a film that lacks in humor and action scenes that don’t get you in the mood.
The film is about a bounty hunter (Gerard Butler), who finds out that his next assignment is finding his ex-wife (Jennifer Aniston), who skips her court date when she gets a lead on one of her stories, which involves a murder cover up within the police force. They begin to one up each other, as she tries to slip away from him. But when the two get deeper their findings in the cover up, they begin to run for their lives. As they run for their lives, they give new meaning to their promise to love honor and obey.
The first thought that I had when I walked out of theater of this film was the thought of a wasted opportunity. “The Bounty Hunter” looked like a film that could be fun to watch, but in the end was just unbearable to watch. The main reason why this is very bad was Andy Tennent’s directing. The direction was just horrible. This film felt like it didn’t have a pulse, as everything on the screen felt dry. The action sequences didn’t have the intensity that it is needed to make the action work and the acting from Bulter and Aniston was just horrible.
The action sequences in the film weren’t exciting enough to get me to get into the flow of this film. The reason the sequences didn’t work here, it seemed to me that Tennent didn’t really care about the action, as some of the scenes were just flat and no emotion. In these action/comedies, you need scenes that generate some suspense to get you into the film’s flow. There was none of that here, because the chases were boring plus the fact that it generates no reaction. You need reaction or adrenaline to those chases scenes or else the scenes don’t work.Time and time again in this film, there was none, which loses your interest.
Also, the acting was painful to watch. If there is one thing that I learned while watching this film, it’s the fact that Gerald Butler should not be allowed to make comedy films. He is humorless in this film. Butler makes this character like the characters in his previous films, “Gamer” and “Law Abiding Citizen”. Very bad ass and very broody. That is what really makes this film bad. Blame also has to got to Tennent, as he makes no attempt to help Butler develop a personally to generate laughs and develop chemistry with Jennifer Aniston. It was like they were both acting in two different movies with Butler being that the actor that thinks he an action film. It makes the lead acting very badly, which in turn makes the screenplay and anything else worthless.
The screenplay by Sarah Thorp was also not as good as the film. One of the reasons why this screenplay doesn’t work, the humor wasn’t there for over two thirds of the film. It really dragged the film down, as some of it was predictable and some of it just felt dry. Dry humor with a plot line like this has never worked for me, because I want to laugh when I watch a film like this. For most of the film, I didn’t. Thorp also didn’t do a good job making the characters likeable. With the exception of Aniston’s character, there wasn’t a single character that got my interest here. Butler’s character felt like something out of a straight up action film and you have supporting characters were just flat out annoying to the point that made me disgusted with this film. That’s not the type of film that I signed up to watch.
If you want to see a funny action bounty hunter film, then I suggest you rent “Midnight Run” with Robert Deniro and Charles Groden. That was a funny action film filled with humor and action. I wished, the filmmakers watched that film and used it as a blueprint for this one. It would have been a whole lot better than what I saw.
“The Bounty Hunter” is film that has a workable premise, but it fails miserably at executing it to make this a very boring and horrible film.
Review Rating: One Star
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