The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
"Damn. I've won."
We are all brainwashed. Screenwriting students are taught to construct movie storylines using a strict point-by-point formula. This formula is present in nearly every mainstream movie made within the last 90 or so years. It's not necessarily a bad thing because, clearly, the formula works. But if you've ever disliked a movie and was unable to articulate exactly why you disliked said movie, well, chances are that the reason is simple - it didn't follow the formula. Once again, that's not a bad thing. But it is jarring, and many people don't like to be jarred. Occasionally, I do. Having said that, here's the latest film from Terry Gilliam (Minnesotan), which actually does follow "the formula" - in a very broad sense. On a story point-by-point basis, however, it's way off. Most Terry Gilliam movies are ("Monty Python and the Holy Grail", "Time Bandits", "12 Monkeys", "The Fisher King", "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", and my favorite, "Brazil"). But if you like jarring, freeform storytelling, from a director with the heart of a Chuck Jones-loving Renaissance painter, here you go. It's the story of an immortal storyteller (Dr. Parnassus, played by Christopher Plummer) and his endless gambling habit - he's constantly making bets with the Devil (Tom Waits, perfect combo of sliminess and charm). Then a man named Tony (Heath Ledger), a man with many secrets, drops into his life. This is the film that Heath Ledger was making when he died, and his role had to be finished using three more actors - Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell. Ledger's signature role is still the Joker from "The Dark Knight", but this is a fine farewell. And it's a welcome return to the fantasy genre for Mr. Gilliam.
Outlander
"That is not a bear."
Remember when that spaceship crash landed in Norway in 709 B.C.? Yeah, me too. There was one survivor - Kainan (Jim Caviezel, a.k.a. Jesus from "The Passion of the Christ"), a pilot from another world. Scratch that, there were two survivors. The other one was a Moorwen, a nasty alien creature. Kainan and the Moorwen hate each other. When the Moorwen began to pick off the local Viking population, Kainan decided to join forces with them and strike back. First, though, he had to earn their trust. Remember? Good, because it's all just a loose retelling of the classic "Beowulf" story anyway. First time director Howard McCain and "Lord of the Rings" producer Barrie Osborne have made the best B-movie of 2009. It's a monster movie, a sci-fi movie, and a medieval adventure movie all wrapped into one, and it's solid as a rock. The special effects are kick-ass, the musical score is sweeping and epic, the acting is well done (Ron Perlman's in it - 'nuff said), and it all adds up to an A-list B-movie. What the hell does that mean? It's just a good time at the movies. No pretentions. No explorations of the human condition. Vikings versus aliens. At one point, our heroes fashion swords and axes out of the debris of the crashed alien ship. Cool! Fun fact - this was the most downloaded movie of 2009, for some reason. Correction: illegally downloaded. Which may have led to its negligible theatrical release. Friggin' pirates.
Paranormal Activity
"Obviously, this is incontrovertible evidence that evil forces came from beyond the grave to move your keys."
Huh? What was that? Did you hear that? Ahhhhh! Ohmygodohmygodohmygod. Did you see that? I thought I saw something over there! Oh, wait - I'm a man. I should just puff out my chest and make a smartass remark. That wasn't scary. Aw hell naw. That was stu - AHHHHH! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!!?? THAT was "Paranormal Activity", the surprise hit of 2009, the little movie that came out of nowhere, the movie that came here to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and it was all out of bubblegum, the movie that. . . well, you get the picture. Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat play a young couple named Katie and Micah. They live in a nice house in suburbia. To document the unexplainable occurrences that seem to be, um, occurring, Micah brings home a brand new video camera. It is through this camera that we witness what happens over the next few nights - and what happens is HORROR. Doors move. Something walks very loudly. Keys are moved. Sanity is put to the test. In the tradition of the films of Val Lewton, less indeed proves to be more, and director Oren Peli is clearly a Lewton fan. DO NOT watch this movie alone at night, in a house. I'm warning you. And it delights me to no end to know that the supernatural prankster is NOT a ghost. This movie is lean, mean, and simply scary. Be assured the even-better sequel will appear on my Top 25 of 2010 list, which will be coming sometime within the next 15 years. Or a year from now.
Crank: High Voltage
"You are my shiny lunchbox."
Mini-Review: "Crank" (2006) - Directed by a couple of extreme sports documentarians, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, "Crank" is the cinematic equivalent of a good punk rock tune. Advertised as a straight-up action thriller (it isn't), audiences instead got a zany, adrenalized living video game (years before "Scott Pilgrim vs the World"). It gained a cult following.
There seem to be two kinds of music fans - those who sing with the artist, and those who let the artist sing to them. Punk rock music is made for people who want to sing with the band. Movies are much the same, and the "Crank" movies are made for those crazy audience members who want to sing along with the filmmakers. Neveldine and Taylor's "Crank: High Voltage" is 10,000 times more punk rock crazy than the first one. It is pure fucking cinematic anarchy. Living heads in fish tanks. Vengeful assassins with Full-Body Tourette's (?). David Carradine playing a character named Poon Dong. A power plant fight sequence turning into a cheesy Godzilla-style giant monster showdown (complete with a guy in a Jason Statham mask). It's only appropriate that Faith No More's Mike Patton should provide the score, or that rock anarchists such as Maynard James Keenan and Chester Bennington, among others, should appear in the movie. Plus, I gotta root for Jason Statham. Yay for balding action heroes! With all the great comedies that came out in 2009, this crazy action movie was the funniest thing I saw all year.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
"Are you cussing with me?"
Come on, I couldn't finish up without putting at least one more animated movie on the list! From live-action filmmaker Wes Anderson ("Rushmore", "The Royal Tenenbaums", "The Life Aquatic") comes this stop-motion animated adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic book. Featuring the voices of many talented folks (George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Willem Dafoe), "Fantastic Mr. Fox" tells the tale of the fantastic Mr. Fox, thief extraordinaire (of chickens). At the behest of his wife (Mrs. Fox), Mr. Fox attempts to put his criminal ways behind him and settle down into a respectable life. But not without pulling off one last big score, of course. Needless to say, things don't go as planned. I love stop motion (see the "Coraline" review). The animation in this movie is not very polished, on purpose. It's got a homemade feel to it; you can see it in the way the characters' fur bristles unnaturally. This personal touch creates a very "honest" feel to the movie, like the films of animators such as Ray Harryhausen or Willis O'Brien. And yet, it still feels like a Wes Anderson movie. The characters are well drawn, the dialogue is witty and sharp, and the laughs are character-based rather than situation-based, something that's very, very hard to pull off. This is my favorite animated film of 2009. And then there's the "wolf encounter" scene near the end of the movie - one of my favorite scenes of the year, period. Cracks me up every single time I see it.
That's all, folks! Good night, and good luck. May the Force be with you. Till next time, homies. Thanks for watching!
'Whew'
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
St. Patrick's Day Special
Top o' the evenin' to ya, me blog-readin' friends! In honor of all things green and tipsy, I've decided to revisit a couple of Irish-themed midnight flicks that I've become a fan of over the past couple of years. No, it's not those damn "Leprechaun" movies! Sit back, shelve your shillelaghs (shelaylees), grab your Guinness(es), and raise your voices high, for the Saints are coming. . .
The Boondock Saints (1999)
"Is it dead?"
Meet the McManus brothers, Connor and Murphy (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus), sons of Ireland. They live in a crappy warehouse in Boston and work at the local slaughterhouse by day. By night, they love nothing more than to kick back a few brewskies, start a couple of bar fights, and have a rowdy good time. One night, a particularly brutal bar fight leads to the death of two Russian gangsters. The brothers turn themselves in to the cops and spend the night in jail - they're to be set free the following day. During the night, they have a revelation. They believe that God has called upon them to eliminate all those evildoers (a.k.a. gangsters) who prey on the innocent and then retreat safely behind the sanctity of the law. Soon they're off on a violent killing spree aided by their good friend Rocco (David Della Rocco), who works for the local Yakavetta crime family. Hot on the trio's trail is FBI Agent Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe), brilliant, eccentric, openly gay, and Il Duce, the Duke (Billy Connolly), a hitman hired by the Yakavettas to take the Saints down once and for all.
If you don't know the sad tale behind this movie, here it is: in 1999 there was a shooting massacre at Columbine High School perpetrated by a couple of truly disturbed dipshits who called themselves the "Trenchcoat Mafia". Hollywood became a scapegoat, mainly because "The Matrix" was in theaters at the time and it featured lots of people in trenchcoats shooting other people, so pop culture must be the cause of it all, right? Later it was proven not to be, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Hollywood reacted by downplaying any movie that seemed "suspicious". "Boondock Saints", written and directed by first-timer Troy Duffy, featured a couple of dudes in black trenchcoats shooting other dudes, so it was a prime suspect and had to be quashed. It's intended 1999 theatrical release was scrapped and the movie changed hands from studio to studio, eventually getting a very small, unadvertised release in 2000. It bombed and, despite the delay of its release, was still lambasted by critics and politicians, its director labeled a "pariah". Troy Duffy soon sank into an alcoholic stupor and disappeared from the filmmaking scene.
Then, the unthinkable happened - the movie gained a cult following. It's legend grew and grew, transforming "The Boondock Saints" into a full fledged underground phenomenon. Ten years later, it still has midnight screenings every weekend in every region of the country. Ah, faith and begorah, sweet vindication!
I must admit, I didn't like this movie all that much when I first saw it. To me, it seemed like just another "Pulp Fiction" wannabe. It's only in the last couple of years that I've grown to love it's grubby charm. Despite some clumsy first-time filmmaking, terrible ethnic accents, uneven script, and too-obvious "homaging" (ripping off) of other films (most notably Quentin Tarantino's stuff, the "Godfather" trilogy, John Woo-style action), it manages to come together in a fun way. The cast has a lot to do with this. Flanery and Reedus hold it all together as the hot-headed vigilante brothers, their friend Rocco is quite an entertaining character (actor Della Rocco is a non-actor friend of the director's), and Connolly is always welcome in movies, if you ask me. But it's Dafoe who steals the show (and chews the scenery). He's waaaaay over the top and the highlight of the film. Be warned, though - he dresses up in drag for scene near the end of the movie - it's one of the most horrifying movie images of all time.
It's a fun movie. Politically incorrect, violent, profane (there's so much swearing it's hilarious), stylish, and appealing to those people who've ever wanted to see the guilty truly get what they deserve. And funny, too.
Soon after the movie became a cult hit, director Troy Duffy got himself cleaned up and threw his green leprechaun hat back into the filmmaking ring. Ten years later, he made the long-awaited sequel. . .
The Boondock Saints II: All Saint's Day (2009)
"This isn't rocket surgery."
-Spoilers Ahead-
After hiding out in the Old Country for ten years (and growing ridiculously fake beards), the McManus brothers (Flanery and Reedus, again) are called back to Boston when they are blamed for the murder of a local priest. Soon they're being chased by a vertically challenged hit man named Crew Cut (Daniel DeSanto), the new head of the Yakavetta family (Judd Nelson), and FBI Agent Eunice Bloom (Julie Benz). Joined by an overly emotional "Saint-in-training" named Romeo (Clifton Collins, Jr), the brothers must clear their name, kill some scumbags, and uncover the secret past of Il Duce (Connolly, again) who, in case you haven't seen the first film, is the father of Connor and Murphy.
I like this movie almost as much as the first one. It takes a little longer to kick into gear, but once it does, it satisfies. It's got much of the same spirit: it's flawed in almost the exact same ways as the original, and has the same strengths. Julie Benz (from TV's "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer", "Dexter", "Rambo"), as Willem Dafoe's "replacement", has the hardest job of all the castmembers, but she does just fine - she overacts almost as entertainingly as Willem did. And she's so much more fun to look at. Aye, she's a fine lass. . .
A lot of fans were disappointed with this one, and I don't quite understand why. I think it's because the humor is a little bit more pronounced this time out. I've noticed there are a few hardcore "Boondock" fans who take the first movie far too seriously. They see all sorts of religious implications where there are none, they think director Duffy was making some sort of serious crime drama. . . uh huh, sure. In the "making-of" materials on the first movie's dvd, Mr. Duffy clearly states that he was making a "fun" movie, something to sit back, relax, and have a good time with. Don't look for deeper meanings where there are none. Unless you're really bored. Which some people clearly are. To me, the first movie was just as humorous as the sequel. It's just that the humorous character elements here are amped up a notch or two. This is all balanced out by some serious dramatic scenes that occur later on in the movie which, to me, have a balancing effect on the movie's overall tone.
The last few scenes in "Boondock II" are awesome, leaving me quite eager to see a third one. Will a "Boondock Saints III" ever occur? Well, you know that old saying about the luck of the Irish. . .
Happy St. Patty's Day, everyone!
The Boondock Saints (1999)
"Is it dead?"
Meet the McManus brothers, Connor and Murphy (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus), sons of Ireland. They live in a crappy warehouse in Boston and work at the local slaughterhouse by day. By night, they love nothing more than to kick back a few brewskies, start a couple of bar fights, and have a rowdy good time. One night, a particularly brutal bar fight leads to the death of two Russian gangsters. The brothers turn themselves in to the cops and spend the night in jail - they're to be set free the following day. During the night, they have a revelation. They believe that God has called upon them to eliminate all those evildoers (a.k.a. gangsters) who prey on the innocent and then retreat safely behind the sanctity of the law. Soon they're off on a violent killing spree aided by their good friend Rocco (David Della Rocco), who works for the local Yakavetta crime family. Hot on the trio's trail is FBI Agent Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe), brilliant, eccentric, openly gay, and Il Duce, the Duke (Billy Connolly), a hitman hired by the Yakavettas to take the Saints down once and for all.
If you don't know the sad tale behind this movie, here it is: in 1999 there was a shooting massacre at Columbine High School perpetrated by a couple of truly disturbed dipshits who called themselves the "Trenchcoat Mafia". Hollywood became a scapegoat, mainly because "The Matrix" was in theaters at the time and it featured lots of people in trenchcoats shooting other people, so pop culture must be the cause of it all, right? Later it was proven not to be, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Hollywood reacted by downplaying any movie that seemed "suspicious". "Boondock Saints", written and directed by first-timer Troy Duffy, featured a couple of dudes in black trenchcoats shooting other dudes, so it was a prime suspect and had to be quashed. It's intended 1999 theatrical release was scrapped and the movie changed hands from studio to studio, eventually getting a very small, unadvertised release in 2000. It bombed and, despite the delay of its release, was still lambasted by critics and politicians, its director labeled a "pariah". Troy Duffy soon sank into an alcoholic stupor and disappeared from the filmmaking scene.
Then, the unthinkable happened - the movie gained a cult following. It's legend grew and grew, transforming "The Boondock Saints" into a full fledged underground phenomenon. Ten years later, it still has midnight screenings every weekend in every region of the country. Ah, faith and begorah, sweet vindication!
I must admit, I didn't like this movie all that much when I first saw it. To me, it seemed like just another "Pulp Fiction" wannabe. It's only in the last couple of years that I've grown to love it's grubby charm. Despite some clumsy first-time filmmaking, terrible ethnic accents, uneven script, and too-obvious "homaging" (ripping off) of other films (most notably Quentin Tarantino's stuff, the "Godfather" trilogy, John Woo-style action), it manages to come together in a fun way. The cast has a lot to do with this. Flanery and Reedus hold it all together as the hot-headed vigilante brothers, their friend Rocco is quite an entertaining character (actor Della Rocco is a non-actor friend of the director's), and Connolly is always welcome in movies, if you ask me. But it's Dafoe who steals the show (and chews the scenery). He's waaaaay over the top and the highlight of the film. Be warned, though - he dresses up in drag for scene near the end of the movie - it's one of the most horrifying movie images of all time.
It's a fun movie. Politically incorrect, violent, profane (there's so much swearing it's hilarious), stylish, and appealing to those people who've ever wanted to see the guilty truly get what they deserve. And funny, too.
Soon after the movie became a cult hit, director Troy Duffy got himself cleaned up and threw his green leprechaun hat back into the filmmaking ring. Ten years later, he made the long-awaited sequel. . .
The Boondock Saints II: All Saint's Day (2009)
"This isn't rocket surgery."
-Spoilers Ahead-
After hiding out in the Old Country for ten years (and growing ridiculously fake beards), the McManus brothers (Flanery and Reedus, again) are called back to Boston when they are blamed for the murder of a local priest. Soon they're being chased by a vertically challenged hit man named Crew Cut (Daniel DeSanto), the new head of the Yakavetta family (Judd Nelson), and FBI Agent Eunice Bloom (Julie Benz). Joined by an overly emotional "Saint-in-training" named Romeo (Clifton Collins, Jr), the brothers must clear their name, kill some scumbags, and uncover the secret past of Il Duce (Connolly, again) who, in case you haven't seen the first film, is the father of Connor and Murphy.
I like this movie almost as much as the first one. It takes a little longer to kick into gear, but once it does, it satisfies. It's got much of the same spirit: it's flawed in almost the exact same ways as the original, and has the same strengths. Julie Benz (from TV's "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer", "Dexter", "Rambo"), as Willem Dafoe's "replacement", has the hardest job of all the castmembers, but she does just fine - she overacts almost as entertainingly as Willem did. And she's so much more fun to look at. Aye, she's a fine lass. . .
A lot of fans were disappointed with this one, and I don't quite understand why. I think it's because the humor is a little bit more pronounced this time out. I've noticed there are a few hardcore "Boondock" fans who take the first movie far too seriously. They see all sorts of religious implications where there are none, they think director Duffy was making some sort of serious crime drama. . . uh huh, sure. In the "making-of" materials on the first movie's dvd, Mr. Duffy clearly states that he was making a "fun" movie, something to sit back, relax, and have a good time with. Don't look for deeper meanings where there are none. Unless you're really bored. Which some people clearly are. To me, the first movie was just as humorous as the sequel. It's just that the humorous character elements here are amped up a notch or two. This is all balanced out by some serious dramatic scenes that occur later on in the movie which, to me, have a balancing effect on the movie's overall tone.
The last few scenes in "Boondock II" are awesome, leaving me quite eager to see a third one. Will a "Boondock Saints III" ever occur? Well, you know that old saying about the luck of the Irish. . .
Happy St. Patty's Day, everyone!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The Top 25 Movies of 2009, Part 4
Ponyo
"That was weird."
From the always-reliable animators of Studio Ghibli comes the oddest animated movie of 2009. Well, okay, all Studio Ghibli movies are weird, but that's part of their undeniable (if unexplainable) charm. Ghibi's head honcho and master storyteller Hayao Miyazaki (called the "Japanese Walt Disney" by many) writes and directs "Ponyo", the story of a 5-year-old kid named Sosuke. Living in a swank seaside house with his overburdened mom and his often-gone dad (a sailor), he finds a strange little fish near the beach, names her Ponyo, and takes her home. This "strange little fish" is actually a princess of the sea (obsessed with ham) who's escaped from her overburdened father and often-gone mother (the goddess of the sea). Unfortunately, her escape has triggered a fatal chain reaction in the balance of the Earth, and the fate of the entire world hinges on her growing relationship with Sosuke. Loosely based on Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Mermaid", this is old fashioned hand-drawn animation at it's best, filled to the brim with brilliant (and odd, did I mention that?) little touches of detail. There are many strange mythological creations on display here (typical Ghibli), and yet they fit perfectly into the world of the movie, even if you don't quite understand what they're all about. Just go with it, people, says I. And it's so dang cute, certainly the cutest movie of 2009, and possibly Miyazaki's cutest film since 1988's "My Neighbor Totoro". There is also an English-dubbed version for all you non-readers (what the hell are you doing here, then?) featuring reliable voice performances from Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Liam Neeson (voicing a very un-Liam-Neeson-like character), Betty White and others. Check it out.
Moon
"You look like a radioactive tampon."
In the future, fossil fuels will be replaced by a new, clean energy source called helium-3. The corporation Lunar Industries will provide H-3 to the masses via a series of harvesting sites on the moon. Each harvesting site will be manned by a single employee, bound to service by a 3-year contract. Sam Bell is one such employee, and his contract will be up in just a few days time. Looking forward to reuniting with his wife and daughter, he performs his daily tasks like a good little worker - until strange things start happening. He starts to have waking visions. His helpful computer servant GERTY seems to be hiding something. He starts to feel a little "off". Then something malfunctions with one of the harvesters. . . To give away any more would be criminal. While the upcoming plot twists aren't entirely unguessable, they aren't the point of this movie. Sam Rockwell, as Sam Bell, owns this movie. In one of (if not the) best performances of 2009, he plays multiple characters and each one of these characters is real, relatable,and interesting to watch in their own unique ways. And not even an Academy Award nomination for the guy? Stupid Oscars. Director Duncan Jones does a lot with a little (it's a very low budget movie), using old-school special effects techniques to convincingly bring to life "the future". It's a loving tribute to classic sci-fi flicks like "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Alien", while carving out a niche all its own, but the entire movie relies on Rockwell's acting abilities and thrives on them. Side note: Jones' upcoming movie "Source Code" apparently takes place in the same fictional world and features many references to "Moon". Neat.
Thirst
"Absoposilutely."
No Top Movie list would be complete without something from South Korea. They've been churning out so much quality stuff over the past couple of years it's insane. My list for 2010 will most likely feature at least two movies from South Korea. Smart, stylish stuff. "Thirst" is the new flick from Chan-wook Park, director of the classic Vengeance Trilogy ("Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance", "Oldboy", and "Lady Vengeance"). In it, Father Sang-hyeon (played by the talented and prolific Kang-ho Song) is tired of watching people die in hospital while he attends to their spiritual needs. Wanting to make a difference, he volunteers to be a test subject at a facility which is dedicated to finding the cure for something called the Emmanuel virus. One day he receives an emergency blood transfusion from anonymous donors - and becomes the only survivor out of 50 volunteers. He returns home to recover, staying with the dysfunctional family of a sickly childhood friend. Then he begins to have strange urges - for BLOOD. Yup, it's another vampire film. But a damn good one. Father Sang's vampiric awakening triggers all sorts covetous feelings within his soul, especially for his friend's entrapped wife, Tae-ju. The title does not refer only to blood drinking, my friends. Oh. Hell. No. It's not long before events spiral out of control for Sang in a whirling tornado of blood and sex. Highly erotic and brutal yet filled with large dollops of weird black humor, this is a visual feast for the senses bolstered by solid performances and subtly done special effects. I gotta give special kudos to actress Ok-bin Kim, who plays beleaguered wife Tae-ju. Not only is she as fearless an actor as Song, but her role is the most volatile, going from pent-up wife to out-of-control monster. This movie is frank, odd, and sumptuously delectable.
Taken
"I know the world, sweetie."
Probably the best straight-up action movie of 2009, this movie was actually released around the world in 2008. Us Americans didn't get to see it until over a year later. Produced and co-written by action icon Luc Besson ("La Femme Nikita", "The Professional", "The Fifth Element"), this was directed by French guy Pierre Morel, who gave us a little action movie gem called "District B-13" in 2007 (no relation to "District 9"). Peppy teenager Kim (Maggie Grace) is on vacation in Paris with a friend, when suddenly she's kidnapped by a group of faceless baddies. Fortunately for her, her estranged father Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is an ex-spy and is very skilled in the art of Badassery. Guess who's on his way to Paris? Look out, faceless baddies! It's a straight forward action thriller, full of implausibilities and lacking any deep character development. Doesn't matter. At all. It's an A-to-B asskicker that satisfies. Liam Neeson is totally convincing and kind of scary as a badass spy dad. His phone speech to the villains is legend, Neeson's most memorable movie moment. Well, until 2010, that is - "Release the kraken!" And there's a lot of lead-in time as well. It's not until 30-40 minutes into the movie that we get any action scenes and, you know what, it works perfectly. I've noticed that many of the best action flicks take their sweet time to get to the goods. Also - there's no main bad guy in "Taken", just a couple of little groups of bad guys whom Mr. Neeson plows through in sequential order. But I don't miss a "big bad". It's something different, and it works. While derivative of the "Bourne" films and "24", this little rollercoaster does exactly what it promises.
Where the Wild Things Are
"I don't like frozen corn."
While watching this film, based on the classic children's book by Maurice Sendak, I realized one important thing: this is not a movie for kids. It's a movie for adults who still remember what it's like to be a kid. When "creative types" write a novel, or paint a picture, make a movie, or do whatever their creative juices tell them to do, you need to realize one thing - doing something creative is a way for a person to come to terms, psychologically, with certain aspects of their life. Every character you create is an aspect of you, is you. When engaged in the act of creation, you never truly realize this fact. It's often pointed out to you later on, by others, and that's how it should be. Kids have a lot to work out. They're still growing, still trying to figure out the world around them, what they're going to become. They play, they imagine, they create. And psychology never enters into it. Max is one of these creative kids. He's a very volatile young man with issues. After a particularly bad incident (biting his mom in anger), Max runs away, ending up on an island full of wild Muppet-like beasts. They crown him king, and he begins to change their lives. My interpretation: this entire movie takes place within the imagination of little Max. All of the Wild Things clearly (to me, at least) represent various aspects of Max himself. The entire island does seem to run on kid-logic, no? Which characters represent which aspect is up to you, this is a very subjective movie, and while digging deep into it's hidden meanings may be be all fine and dandy, it's not necessary. Essentially, this movie is pure emotion. The ending has always moved me and, you know what, I've never tried to figure out exactly why. It's intangible. The movies of director Spike Jonze ("Being John Malkovich", "Adaptation") have always worked like this. And Max Records (as Max) is a great kid actor, very natural. In the end, this is not a living cartoon. It's an experience.
"That was weird."
From the always-reliable animators of Studio Ghibli comes the oddest animated movie of 2009. Well, okay, all Studio Ghibli movies are weird, but that's part of their undeniable (if unexplainable) charm. Ghibi's head honcho and master storyteller Hayao Miyazaki (called the "Japanese Walt Disney" by many) writes and directs "Ponyo", the story of a 5-year-old kid named Sosuke. Living in a swank seaside house with his overburdened mom and his often-gone dad (a sailor), he finds a strange little fish near the beach, names her Ponyo, and takes her home. This "strange little fish" is actually a princess of the sea (obsessed with ham) who's escaped from her overburdened father and often-gone mother (the goddess of the sea). Unfortunately, her escape has triggered a fatal chain reaction in the balance of the Earth, and the fate of the entire world hinges on her growing relationship with Sosuke. Loosely based on Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Mermaid", this is old fashioned hand-drawn animation at it's best, filled to the brim with brilliant (and odd, did I mention that?) little touches of detail. There are many strange mythological creations on display here (typical Ghibli), and yet they fit perfectly into the world of the movie, even if you don't quite understand what they're all about. Just go with it, people, says I. And it's so dang cute, certainly the cutest movie of 2009, and possibly Miyazaki's cutest film since 1988's "My Neighbor Totoro". There is also an English-dubbed version for all you non-readers (what the hell are you doing here, then?) featuring reliable voice performances from Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Liam Neeson (voicing a very un-Liam-Neeson-like character), Betty White and others. Check it out.
Moon
"You look like a radioactive tampon."
In the future, fossil fuels will be replaced by a new, clean energy source called helium-3. The corporation Lunar Industries will provide H-3 to the masses via a series of harvesting sites on the moon. Each harvesting site will be manned by a single employee, bound to service by a 3-year contract. Sam Bell is one such employee, and his contract will be up in just a few days time. Looking forward to reuniting with his wife and daughter, he performs his daily tasks like a good little worker - until strange things start happening. He starts to have waking visions. His helpful computer servant GERTY seems to be hiding something. He starts to feel a little "off". Then something malfunctions with one of the harvesters. . . To give away any more would be criminal. While the upcoming plot twists aren't entirely unguessable, they aren't the point of this movie. Sam Rockwell, as Sam Bell, owns this movie. In one of (if not the) best performances of 2009, he plays multiple characters and each one of these characters is real, relatable,and interesting to watch in their own unique ways. And not even an Academy Award nomination for the guy? Stupid Oscars. Director Duncan Jones does a lot with a little (it's a very low budget movie), using old-school special effects techniques to convincingly bring to life "the future". It's a loving tribute to classic sci-fi flicks like "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Alien", while carving out a niche all its own, but the entire movie relies on Rockwell's acting abilities and thrives on them. Side note: Jones' upcoming movie "Source Code" apparently takes place in the same fictional world and features many references to "Moon". Neat.
Thirst
"Absoposilutely."
No Top Movie list would be complete without something from South Korea. They've been churning out so much quality stuff over the past couple of years it's insane. My list for 2010 will most likely feature at least two movies from South Korea. Smart, stylish stuff. "Thirst" is the new flick from Chan-wook Park, director of the classic Vengeance Trilogy ("Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance", "Oldboy", and "Lady Vengeance"). In it, Father Sang-hyeon (played by the talented and prolific Kang-ho Song) is tired of watching people die in hospital while he attends to their spiritual needs. Wanting to make a difference, he volunteers to be a test subject at a facility which is dedicated to finding the cure for something called the Emmanuel virus. One day he receives an emergency blood transfusion from anonymous donors - and becomes the only survivor out of 50 volunteers. He returns home to recover, staying with the dysfunctional family of a sickly childhood friend. Then he begins to have strange urges - for BLOOD. Yup, it's another vampire film. But a damn good one. Father Sang's vampiric awakening triggers all sorts covetous feelings within his soul, especially for his friend's entrapped wife, Tae-ju. The title does not refer only to blood drinking, my friends. Oh. Hell. No. It's not long before events spiral out of control for Sang in a whirling tornado of blood and sex. Highly erotic and brutal yet filled with large dollops of weird black humor, this is a visual feast for the senses bolstered by solid performances and subtly done special effects. I gotta give special kudos to actress Ok-bin Kim, who plays beleaguered wife Tae-ju. Not only is she as fearless an actor as Song, but her role is the most volatile, going from pent-up wife to out-of-control monster. This movie is frank, odd, and sumptuously delectable.
Taken
"I know the world, sweetie."
Probably the best straight-up action movie of 2009, this movie was actually released around the world in 2008. Us Americans didn't get to see it until over a year later. Produced and co-written by action icon Luc Besson ("La Femme Nikita", "The Professional", "The Fifth Element"), this was directed by French guy Pierre Morel, who gave us a little action movie gem called "District B-13" in 2007 (no relation to "District 9"). Peppy teenager Kim (Maggie Grace) is on vacation in Paris with a friend, when suddenly she's kidnapped by a group of faceless baddies. Fortunately for her, her estranged father Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is an ex-spy and is very skilled in the art of Badassery. Guess who's on his way to Paris? Look out, faceless baddies! It's a straight forward action thriller, full of implausibilities and lacking any deep character development. Doesn't matter. At all. It's an A-to-B asskicker that satisfies. Liam Neeson is totally convincing and kind of scary as a badass spy dad. His phone speech to the villains is legend, Neeson's most memorable movie moment. Well, until 2010, that is - "Release the kraken!" And there's a lot of lead-in time as well. It's not until 30-40 minutes into the movie that we get any action scenes and, you know what, it works perfectly. I've noticed that many of the best action flicks take their sweet time to get to the goods. Also - there's no main bad guy in "Taken", just a couple of little groups of bad guys whom Mr. Neeson plows through in sequential order. But I don't miss a "big bad". It's something different, and it works. While derivative of the "Bourne" films and "24", this little rollercoaster does exactly what it promises.
Where the Wild Things Are
"I don't like frozen corn."
While watching this film, based on the classic children's book by Maurice Sendak, I realized one important thing: this is not a movie for kids. It's a movie for adults who still remember what it's like to be a kid. When "creative types" write a novel, or paint a picture, make a movie, or do whatever their creative juices tell them to do, you need to realize one thing - doing something creative is a way for a person to come to terms, psychologically, with certain aspects of their life. Every character you create is an aspect of you, is you. When engaged in the act of creation, you never truly realize this fact. It's often pointed out to you later on, by others, and that's how it should be. Kids have a lot to work out. They're still growing, still trying to figure out the world around them, what they're going to become. They play, they imagine, they create. And psychology never enters into it. Max is one of these creative kids. He's a very volatile young man with issues. After a particularly bad incident (biting his mom in anger), Max runs away, ending up on an island full of wild Muppet-like beasts. They crown him king, and he begins to change their lives. My interpretation: this entire movie takes place within the imagination of little Max. All of the Wild Things clearly (to me, at least) represent various aspects of Max himself. The entire island does seem to run on kid-logic, no? Which characters represent which aspect is up to you, this is a very subjective movie, and while digging deep into it's hidden meanings may be be all fine and dandy, it's not necessary. Essentially, this movie is pure emotion. The ending has always moved me and, you know what, I've never tried to figure out exactly why. It's intangible. The movies of director Spike Jonze ("Being John Malkovich", "Adaptation") have always worked like this. And Max Records (as Max) is a great kid actor, very natural. In the end, this is not a living cartoon. It's an experience.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)
"Look at him, he's like a little monkey."
So I was chilling out last weekend with hot lady friend of mine (whom I shall call "Freshypants", to protect the innocent) when she asked me to pick out a movie for us to watch. Hmmm, what to choose? There are so many options in the Shifty Library. She wants something funny. Okay, then. How about a low-budget horror/comedy from 2006 called "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon"? She says she's never heard of it. Perfect!
I had the pleasure of seeing this movie on the big screen on its original theatrical run. I remember that, besides me, there were three other dudes in the theater, and it was clear from their reactions that we were all on the same wavelength - we loved it! This is a true cult film. See the "Drive Angry" review for my thoughts on le cinema du cult.
Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel) has a dream. He wants to be the next infamous serial killer on the block. In a world where Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers and Chucky really exist, there are many wannabes looking to make it big in murder and mayhem. Why, you ask? Because in order to have "good", there must be "evil". Oh, that old excuse.
Living in the town of Glen Echo, he plans to use a local legend (and an apple orchard) as a backdrop for his murderous grand resurrection. But here's the hook - he's hired an amateur documentarian named Taylor Gentry (Angela Goethals) to film all the behind-the-scenes preparations, leading up to the night of his big bloody debut. Much of the first two acts of the movie are shot like a documentary, only occasionally switching to classic "movie style". The last act ditches the documentary style altogether, when the characters put down the cameras and become trapped in a real horror movie.
It's not a very scary movie at all. Damn funny, though. Director Scott Glosserman and company deftly dissect all the classic cliches of slasher cinema with giddy glee. We see Leslie train (lots of cardio), prepare the murder house, engage in "flybys" (pre-scares intended to spook his "survivor girl", Kelly), all while explaining his methods and waxing philosophic about the deeper meanings of his occupation. Nathan Baesel, as Leslie, owns this movie. He's a charismatic guy, engaging, funny, kind of eccentric, passionate about his work and rather likeable. Sometimes, though, the mask cracks and the not-so-nice Leslie peeks through, reminding us all that, yeah, he's planning on killing a whole lot of people. He's actually convincingly scary in these moments. But still oddly likeable. His performance calls to mind a similar star turn from Michael C. Hall in "Dexter", which debuted the same year this movie was released. I guess 2006 was the Year of Charismatic Crazy Guys.
Angela Goethals is fine as the eager up-and-coming documentarian looking for her big break, somewhat insecure, yet professional, and totally naive. Her two cameramen (Doug and Todd) are only faceless voices until the last act, when they finally step out from behind their cameras. None of the "target group", a.k.a. the teen victims, are played very well, but I think that's on purpose. Prepare to see two of the worst "stoner" performances of all time - hilarious!
There are some neat guest actors as well. The great Scott Wilson ("The Thin Blue Line") shows up as Leslie's mentor, and ex-serial killer who's long since retired, married his own "survivor girl", and lives a quiet life in the country. Zelda Rubenstein (from "Poltergeist" - Stay away from the light, Carol Anne!) plays a helpful librarian (is there any other kind?) in this, one of her last performances. And Robert (Freddy) Englund is Doc Halloran, Leslie's "Ahab", bringing some old school horror cred into the mix. Also keep an eye out for burly Kane Hodder (Jason), who makes a very small cameo appearance as the owner of the Freddy Krueger house. Cool.
It's not a perfect movie, but I love it. I wish the horror elements of the film worked better, but it's filled with enough laughs and razor-sharp wit to ensure that I would still be showing it to friends 5 years later, so that's gotta count for something.
I'll let Freshypants sum it all up perfectly: "I REALLY liked it. It was funny as hell. Made me laugh a lot."
So I was chilling out last weekend with hot lady friend of mine (whom I shall call "Freshypants", to protect the innocent) when she asked me to pick out a movie for us to watch. Hmmm, what to choose? There are so many options in the Shifty Library. She wants something funny. Okay, then. How about a low-budget horror/comedy from 2006 called "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon"? She says she's never heard of it. Perfect!
I had the pleasure of seeing this movie on the big screen on its original theatrical run. I remember that, besides me, there were three other dudes in the theater, and it was clear from their reactions that we were all on the same wavelength - we loved it! This is a true cult film. See the "Drive Angry" review for my thoughts on le cinema du cult.
Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel) has a dream. He wants to be the next infamous serial killer on the block. In a world where Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers and Chucky really exist, there are many wannabes looking to make it big in murder and mayhem. Why, you ask? Because in order to have "good", there must be "evil". Oh, that old excuse.
Living in the town of Glen Echo, he plans to use a local legend (and an apple orchard) as a backdrop for his murderous grand resurrection. But here's the hook - he's hired an amateur documentarian named Taylor Gentry (Angela Goethals) to film all the behind-the-scenes preparations, leading up to the night of his big bloody debut. Much of the first two acts of the movie are shot like a documentary, only occasionally switching to classic "movie style". The last act ditches the documentary style altogether, when the characters put down the cameras and become trapped in a real horror movie.
It's not a very scary movie at all. Damn funny, though. Director Scott Glosserman and company deftly dissect all the classic cliches of slasher cinema with giddy glee. We see Leslie train (lots of cardio), prepare the murder house, engage in "flybys" (pre-scares intended to spook his "survivor girl", Kelly), all while explaining his methods and waxing philosophic about the deeper meanings of his occupation. Nathan Baesel, as Leslie, owns this movie. He's a charismatic guy, engaging, funny, kind of eccentric, passionate about his work and rather likeable. Sometimes, though, the mask cracks and the not-so-nice Leslie peeks through, reminding us all that, yeah, he's planning on killing a whole lot of people. He's actually convincingly scary in these moments. But still oddly likeable. His performance calls to mind a similar star turn from Michael C. Hall in "Dexter", which debuted the same year this movie was released. I guess 2006 was the Year of Charismatic Crazy Guys.
Angela Goethals is fine as the eager up-and-coming documentarian looking for her big break, somewhat insecure, yet professional, and totally naive. Her two cameramen (Doug and Todd) are only faceless voices until the last act, when they finally step out from behind their cameras. None of the "target group", a.k.a. the teen victims, are played very well, but I think that's on purpose. Prepare to see two of the worst "stoner" performances of all time - hilarious!
There are some neat guest actors as well. The great Scott Wilson ("The Thin Blue Line") shows up as Leslie's mentor, and ex-serial killer who's long since retired, married his own "survivor girl", and lives a quiet life in the country. Zelda Rubenstein (from "Poltergeist" - Stay away from the light, Carol Anne!) plays a helpful librarian (is there any other kind?) in this, one of her last performances. And Robert (Freddy) Englund is Doc Halloran, Leslie's "Ahab", bringing some old school horror cred into the mix. Also keep an eye out for burly Kane Hodder (Jason), who makes a very small cameo appearance as the owner of the Freddy Krueger house. Cool.
It's not a perfect movie, but I love it. I wish the horror elements of the film worked better, but it's filled with enough laughs and razor-sharp wit to ensure that I would still be showing it to friends 5 years later, so that's gotta count for something.
I'll let Freshypants sum it all up perfectly: "I REALLY liked it. It was funny as hell. Made me laugh a lot."
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Drive Angry (2011)
"Even in hell, there is compassion."
You can't force a cult movie.
When you make a film, you have exactly 0% control over how it will be received by audiences. They will determine the fate of your film and where it will stand, in terms of status. The "popular" ones, the giant studio-produced megahits, their fates hinge on gazillion-dollar ad campaigns and "brand recognition", as well as a good enough reception by audiences so that the box office take for each subsequent weekend doesn't drop by more than 50%. Most cult movies are failures, at first. Either their campaigns fail, or they are barely released at all. In time, however, someones sees it, loves it, and shares it. Like a virus, word spreads, until a like-minded audience of passionate folks, a "cult", is born. The audience makes the movie.
The makers of "Drive Angry" set out with intention of creating a cult movie. Nope. It didn't work for "Snakes on a Plane", either. Here's the only good part in that entire movie -
There, now you don't need to see the rest of it. Wait a second, here's the edited-for-TV version of that same scene. Even better -
What the hell does this have to do with "Drive Angry"? Just killing time. I guess.
I really wanted to like this movie, but didn't. It left me feeling "meh". Nicholas Cage plays a badass monkey fighter who escapes from hell to save his baby granddaughter from a Satanic cult leader, who plans on sacrificing her on the night of a full moon so that hell will "walk the earth", all the while being pursued by an agent from hell known as the Accountant. Oh, that old story.
No, it's not like "Ghost Rider". Stop it.
So it's a chase movie. Awesome, I love a good chase movie. There's a cool 1969 Dodge Charger in it. Sweet. It's a cliche to put one of those in a chase movie nowadays, but sweet.
Cage's character is named John Milton. Heh, heh, I get it.
There are plenty of classic Southern rock songs in the soundtrack. Another chase movie cliche.
Does Cage have a funky toupee - I mean, hairstyle? Check.
There's plenty of b-movie sex and violence, none of it original or impactful in any way (there's even a scene where a character participates in a gunfight while having sex - done far better in "Desperado" and "Shoot-Em-Up").
There are car stunts and chases, none of them particularly memorable or original. You'd think a movie called "Drive Angry" would have at least one outstanding moment of automobile mayhem. Nope.
Swearing? You bet your Monday to Friday ass there is, none of it well-written. It's like someone who swears a lot just because they have low vocabulary skills. Sounds lazy.
Are there crappy special effects sequences that look even crappier when viewed in 3-D? Checkedy check. Way too many of those.
And how is the overall 3-D, you may ask? Good quality. There are some great 3-D shots sprinkled here and there, and it adds to the movie a tiny bit. I just wish it had been used for a better movie.
The cast doesn't do a bad job, considering what they have to work with. Nicholas Cage is fine. He gets a couple of nice badass moments, but his character is a cliche. Amber Heard (blonde helper monkey) is the eye candy and her character is annoying for most of the film, but she still comes across as strangely likable. Billy Burke, as the cult leader Jonah King, is appropriately slimy and scumbaggish. Heck, David Morse and legendary b-movie actor Tom Atkins even show up to collect their paychecks.
But the real standout in the cast is William Fichtner as the Accountant. He steals the show in almost every scene he's in, and captures some of the maniacal spirit that the rest of this movie desperately needed. It's almost worth seeking this out just to see his performance. Almost.
Director Patrick Lussier and scripter Todd Farmer also made the 3-D remake of "My Bloody Valentine", which would have been completely lame without the gimmick of 3-D. "Drive Angry" is a better movie than "Valentine". But not by much. All the ingredients were here for a punk rock night at the movies, but what we're left with is elevator muzak. With a decent guitar solo by the Accountant.
This movie just fell flat for me at every critical juncture. The filmmakers tried to make a cult film, but there's nothing much here for an audience to hold onto. It's a wannabe. Time will tell if I'm wrong about this, but we'll see. Time to go watch "Vanishing Point" again. . .
You want a cult movie? Here's yer cult movie. It's been screening at plenty of film festivals over the last year or so, it already has a cult following, and will be in theaters next month. Stop me if you've heard this before - a car tire comes to life, develops telekinetic powers, then obsesses over and stalks a beautiful woman. In other words, it's totally in my wheelhouse -
Wheelhouse. Ha, ha.
You can't force a cult movie.
When you make a film, you have exactly 0% control over how it will be received by audiences. They will determine the fate of your film and where it will stand, in terms of status. The "popular" ones, the giant studio-produced megahits, their fates hinge on gazillion-dollar ad campaigns and "brand recognition", as well as a good enough reception by audiences so that the box office take for each subsequent weekend doesn't drop by more than 50%. Most cult movies are failures, at first. Either their campaigns fail, or they are barely released at all. In time, however, someones sees it, loves it, and shares it. Like a virus, word spreads, until a like-minded audience of passionate folks, a "cult", is born. The audience makes the movie.
The makers of "Drive Angry" set out with intention of creating a cult movie. Nope. It didn't work for "Snakes on a Plane", either. Here's the only good part in that entire movie -
There, now you don't need to see the rest of it. Wait a second, here's the edited-for-TV version of that same scene. Even better -
What the hell does this have to do with "Drive Angry"? Just killing time. I guess.
I really wanted to like this movie, but didn't. It left me feeling "meh". Nicholas Cage plays a badass monkey fighter who escapes from hell to save his baby granddaughter from a Satanic cult leader, who plans on sacrificing her on the night of a full moon so that hell will "walk the earth", all the while being pursued by an agent from hell known as the Accountant. Oh, that old story.
No, it's not like "Ghost Rider". Stop it.
So it's a chase movie. Awesome, I love a good chase movie. There's a cool 1969 Dodge Charger in it. Sweet. It's a cliche to put one of those in a chase movie nowadays, but sweet.
Cage's character is named John Milton. Heh, heh, I get it.
There are plenty of classic Southern rock songs in the soundtrack. Another chase movie cliche.
Does Cage have a funky toupee - I mean, hairstyle? Check.
There's plenty of b-movie sex and violence, none of it original or impactful in any way (there's even a scene where a character participates in a gunfight while having sex - done far better in "Desperado" and "Shoot-Em-Up").
There are car stunts and chases, none of them particularly memorable or original. You'd think a movie called "Drive Angry" would have at least one outstanding moment of automobile mayhem. Nope.
Swearing? You bet your Monday to Friday ass there is, none of it well-written. It's like someone who swears a lot just because they have low vocabulary skills. Sounds lazy.
Are there crappy special effects sequences that look even crappier when viewed in 3-D? Checkedy check. Way too many of those.
And how is the overall 3-D, you may ask? Good quality. There are some great 3-D shots sprinkled here and there, and it adds to the movie a tiny bit. I just wish it had been used for a better movie.
The cast doesn't do a bad job, considering what they have to work with. Nicholas Cage is fine. He gets a couple of nice badass moments, but his character is a cliche. Amber Heard (blonde helper monkey) is the eye candy and her character is annoying for most of the film, but she still comes across as strangely likable. Billy Burke, as the cult leader Jonah King, is appropriately slimy and scumbaggish. Heck, David Morse and legendary b-movie actor Tom Atkins even show up to collect their paychecks.
But the real standout in the cast is William Fichtner as the Accountant. He steals the show in almost every scene he's in, and captures some of the maniacal spirit that the rest of this movie desperately needed. It's almost worth seeking this out just to see his performance. Almost.
Director Patrick Lussier and scripter Todd Farmer also made the 3-D remake of "My Bloody Valentine", which would have been completely lame without the gimmick of 3-D. "Drive Angry" is a better movie than "Valentine". But not by much. All the ingredients were here for a punk rock night at the movies, but what we're left with is elevator muzak. With a decent guitar solo by the Accountant.
This movie just fell flat for me at every critical juncture. The filmmakers tried to make a cult film, but there's nothing much here for an audience to hold onto. It's a wannabe. Time will tell if I'm wrong about this, but we'll see. Time to go watch "Vanishing Point" again. . .
You want a cult movie? Here's yer cult movie. It's been screening at plenty of film festivals over the last year or so, it already has a cult following, and will be in theaters next month. Stop me if you've heard this before - a car tire comes to life, develops telekinetic powers, then obsesses over and stalks a beautiful woman. In other words, it's totally in my wheelhouse -
Wheelhouse. Ha, ha.
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