HOSTEL PART 2 (2007)

HOSTEL PART 2
*
Rating: R
Length: 93 minutes
Director: Eli Roth (Hostel; Cabin Fever)
Writer: Eli Roth (Hostel; Cabin Fever)
Starring: Lauren German, Roger Bart, Heather Matarazzo, Bijou Phillips, Richard Burgi, Vera Jordanova, Jay Hernandez, Jordan Ladd, Derek Richardson

There’s so much not to like about “Hostel Part 2” that’s it hard to find a place to start. It is an ugly and pointless film. I liked the first film. I had been a vocal critic of Eli Roth’s “Cabin Fever”, but forgave him after I saw “Hostel”. I liked the way he built up his suspense and the violence, although graphic, was almost earned by his patience. The second “Hostel” has none of that patience. It is just Roth trying to out do himself with gratuitous gore and violence. Remember the scene in the first “Hostel” where the Paxton (Jay Hernandez) character has a run in with the pro-violence American? That character basically gets divided into two and we follow two corporate meatheads who have too much money for their own good. Todd (Richard Burgi) has purchased Beth (Lauren German) for his best friend, Stuart (Roger Bart)’s birthday. He gets to kill her. Beth and her also “purchased” two friends- the slutty Whitney (Bijou Phillips) and the nerdy Lorna (Welcome to the Dollhouse’s Heather Matarazzo) - meanwhile are lured to the hostel by a pretty model (Vera Jordanova). The movie opens where the first one ended, but quickly puts Paxton out of the way and forgets about the first movie (save for the same location and a brief Paxton “cameo” later). Roth has nothing new to add here that he didn’t address or film in “Hostel”. It’s the same story as the first movie, but duller- despite upping the gore level (still nothing was as disturbing to me as the eye bit in the original). There’s some kind of odd unwritten rule in the horror genre that if you have even a semi-successful movie you have to make a sequel (or sequels) to it. Some of these movies don’t need any further examination. “Hostel” was definitely one of them.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Habanera (from the opera “Carmen”)

Buy the DVD here
Buy the Soundtrack here

Website

ENCHANTED (2007)

ENCHANTED
***
Rating: PG
Length: 107 minutes
Director: Kevin Liman (Tarzan; A Goofy Movie)
Writer: Bill Kelly (Blast From the Past; Premonition)
Starring: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Susan Sarandon, Julie Andrews, Timothy Spall

It would be pretty hard not to like “Enchanted”. It’d be hard because you’d have to not to like Amy Adams in this movie and I think that would be impossible. It’s unfortunate that after all the pre-Oscar hype she got her performance here didn’t turn into a nomination- she deserved it. She carries the movie. Patrick Dempsey and James Marsden are both game, but neither have the charisma to take this premise and pull it off correctly. The movie opens with a clever spoof of Disney’s animated classics. Adams voices Giselle- the innocent princess to be and Marsden voices her soon to be prince. They meet and fall instantly in love and plan to marry (all in two days). The prince’s evil stepmother (Susan Sarandon) fears Giselle will take over her position as queen and banishes Giselle to modern day New York. No longer animated, but still stuck in the mind set of an animated movie, she is unleashed on the public. There’s some funny “fish out water” sequences that Adams really makes work (imagine someone like Cameron Diaz doing some of the same things and you would have had some problems). She meets a lawyer named Robert (Dempsey) who brings her home to stay with his daughter (Rachel Covey). He thinks she might be mentally ill, but he doesn’t have the heart to leave her out in the street. Meanwhile, Prince Edward has traveled to New York to find his lost love. See how tricky this might have been if it had fallen into the wrong hands? Director Kevin Liman (director of two Disney animated features) knows how to present the jokes in such a loving manner that the spoofs are just as much tributes to the movies themselves. Giselle uses her singing abilities in the cartoon world to have animals clean and dress her and she finds she has the same powers in the real world, but with New York sewer rats and pigeons instead. The romance angle that develops between Adams and Dempsey is obvious, but I like the way the film handled it. There’s a pretty great sequence where Dempsey explains what a date is to Adams. She just loves the Prince. She’s never even taken to thought that they might not have anything in common. Things wrap up about as cheerfully as possible. It gets pretty sugary, but as my girlfriend put it- “that’s the point”.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Amy Adams- Happy Working Song
Amy Adams- That’s How You Know

Buy DVD here (Out 3/8/08)
Buy the Soundtrack here

Website

PENELOPE (2008)

PENELOPE
*
Rating: PG
Length: 101 minutes
Director: Mark Palansky
Writers: Leslie Caveny (“Everybody Loves Raymond”; “Mad About You”)
Starring: Christina Ricci, Reese Witherspoon, James McAvoy, Catherine O’Hara, Nick Frost, Peter Dinklage, Richard E. Grant, Simon Woods

Anytime a movie is delayed for over a year you know you’re more than likely in for a mess. Here comes “Penelope”- Reese Witherspoon’s first film as a producer- finally seeing a U.S. release after a two year delay. The plot concerns a young rich girl named Penelope (Christina Ricci) who is born with the repercussions of the “family curse”. A curse which causes her to have a pig nose. Yep. That’s what the movie is about. You can see why the suits over at the studio didn’t sense box office gold (though somebody green lighted it). Penelope’s parents (Catherine O’Hara and Richard E. Grant) want to marry her off because it’s the only way to break the “curse” (there’s some “convenient” health concerns that prevent Penelope from having plastic surgery). A tabloid reporter (Station Agent’s Peter Dinklage) hires Max (James McAvoy) to pretend to be a suitor to get a picture. Penelope won’t let Max see her, so he has to court her from behind a mirror. Of course, once Max actually sees Penelope there is a “misunderstanding” and Penelope escapes to go live off in the big city. The movie doesn’t really go anywhere from there. Penelope becomes a pop celebrity and Max tries to win her back (though he takes his time). The movie just isn’t marketable. There isn’t really an audience for this type of movie. It doesn’t have any appeal. The performances are awkward. Ricci plays the title character like she’s ten years old. Witherspoon herself fares the worst as Penelope’s best friend- a “tough as nails” barfly. Her scenes cause some nice unintentional laughter. The worst quality about the movie, though, is it's glaring weakness of not having an interesting story to tell. The pig nose, honestly, doesn’t seem all that outrageous (people scream when they see it and/or jump out of windows). I don’t think the whole world would be very shocked or, for that matter, concerned. It’s like a Google news blurb under the “misc.” category. It’s not whimsical enough (though it wants to be) to really qualify as a quirky comedy and it’s not romantic enough to be a romantic-comedy. I’m not sure who they think they’re going to trick into seeing this by giving it a theatrical run. The plot summary on IMDB wisely omits the character having a “pig nose”- instead pretending to be a romantic-comedy about a young girl finding herself. The ads, too, have Ricci’s nose covered completely. Wouldn’t you be upset if you went to see a movie and it ended up being about a girl with a pig nose? This is an early contender for worst movie of 2008.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Stars- Ageless Beauty
Paper Moon- String of Lights

Find Showtimes here
Buy the Soundtrack here

Website

THE COMEBACKS (2007)

THE COMEBACKS
*½
Rating: PG-13
Length: 107 minutes
Director: Tom Brady (No, not the Tom Brady) (The Animal)
Writers: Ed Yeager (“Dharma and Greg”; “Reba”) and Joey Gutierrez (“Married with Children”; “Yes, Dear”)

Starring: David Koechner, Melora Hardin, Matthew Lawrence, Will Arnett, Dax Shepard, Carl Weathers, Andy Dick, Brooke Nevin, Dennis Rodman, Frank Caliendo, Kerri Kinney, Drew Lachey, Bill Buckner, Eric Dickerson, Michael Irvin, Lawrence Taylor, Nick Searcy, Eric Christian Olsen, John Salley, Chris Rose. Holmes Osborne

No one watches a movie like “The Comebacks” and expects greatness. Nobody. None of the people that signed on to do this movie expected greatness. So why still make it? Because the parody genre refuses to die. Everyone seems to forget that in the history of the “movie spoof” genre there have only been a (literally) handful of movies even worth mentioning- the last being 2001’s “Wet Hot American Summer” (which really is above the genre if you think about it). The recent “Epic Movie” and “Date Movie” haven’t exactly added to the cause and I’m sure “Meet the Spartans” was just as bad. But, I suppose the real question here is not why they are still making these movies, but why am I still watching them? Well, that’s a good question. I should be watching “La Vie En Rose” or “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” or one of the dozens of movies I still need to watch before I can make my official Top Ten of 2007 list (as March of 2008 nears. I’m never on time). Instead I popped in “The Comebacks”. I suppose the real reason is because I loved “Airplane!” and “Kentucky Fried Movie” and truthfully I’ve seen “The Naked Gun” and the “Hot Shots!” movies more than a few times. Every now and then- like those zombie movies- you get lucky. “The Comebacks” did not make me feel lucky. Did I laugh a few times? I did. That’s a step up from “Epic” and “Date”, but to be completely honest with you I just finished the movie and I’m having trouble remembering the parts I laughed at. David Koechner (Anchorman) stars as Coach Lambeau Fields (ha ha- get it?)- the losing-est coach in sports history (he caused the horrid Bill Buckner World Series blunder amongst others). His old friend, Freddie (Carl Weathers), talks him back into the game to coach a team of rag-tag misfits called, you got it, “The Comebacks”. Everything from “Stick It” to “Field to Dreams” to the more recent “Gridiron Gang” and “Invincible” get spoofed along the way. Unfortunately, like “Epic” and “Date Movie”, this movie has the bad habit of spelling out the jokes for it’s audience. For example, the “star” player of the team arrives in a limo for practice, steps out and announces to everyone something along the lines of, “I’m the star player and it’s all about me! I’m going to realize though that it takes team work to really win when it counts”, etc. The movie thinks just because it points out the cliché that that’s enough for the joke. “The Naked Gun” worked because it pointed out the cliché and ran with it- it made us realize why it was funny and then made it something to laugh at. Movies like “The Comebacks” point them out and then kind of smirk about them instead. Where’s the fun in that?

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Gym Class Heroes- The Queen and I
Journey- Don’t Stop Believin’

Buy the DVD here
Buy the Soundtrack here

Website

DON'S PLUM (2001)

DON’S PLUM
**
Rating: Not Rated
Length: 89 minutes
Director: R.D. Robb
Writers: Bethany Ashton and Tawd Beckman
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Jenny Lewis, Kevin Connolly, Ethan Suplee, Amber Benson, Jeremy Sisto, Nikki Cox, Marisa Ryan, Marissa Ribisi, Meadow Sisto, Bethany Ashton

Remember Schwartz from “A Christmas Story”? Well, apparently he (R.D. Robb) made a lot of friends in the business and he cashed in on a few big favors. For his debut (and to date only) film, “Don’s Plum”, he had Leonardo DiCaprio (fresh off an Oscar nomination for “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?”) as one of his leads and a huge cast of up and comers including Tobey Maguire, Kevin Connolly (“Entourage”), Ethan Suplee (“My Name is Earl”), Jeremy Sisto (“Six Feet Under”), model/actress Nikki Cox, and former child star/Rilo Kiley lead singer Jenny Lewis (bandmate Blake Sennett was the film’s music supervisor- which explains the inclusion of two Rilo songs). The movie was filmed in between 1995 and 1996, but didn’t see the light of day until 2001 due to a lawsuit brought on by DiCaprio and Maguire that prevented it from being released commercially in the U.S. or Canada. Apparently a few of those favors didn’t include cashing in on their names once they became “big time movie stars”. Neither DiCaprio nor Maguire are particularly impressive here (Leo is downright obnoxious and Maguire’s character could be described as mentally handicapped), but then again not much about “Don’s Plum” is. The film’s style is very early/mid ‘90’s indie cinema- think “Swingers” with unlikable characters and filthier mouths (and, of course, pretentious black and white cinematography). A group of slackers in their early '20's meet up at their favorite restaurant, Don’s Plum, and proceed with their weekly ritual of spouting out their form of crude philosophy (masturbation, public eating etiquette, etc.) Oh, and they follow up almost every sentence with “bro” It’s a talk-fest- only the script is far from Tarantino or Kevin Smith worthy. The most annoying segments of the film are the individual character trips to the bathroom where they self analyze themselves in the mirror (usually putting themselves down or openly questioning poor decisions- i.e. “I just passed up a great fuck!”). Still, the movie is oddly watchable despite it’s numerous flaws- if mainly just for curiosity purposes (seeing just why Leo and Tobey didn’t want this seen or really just a chance to see Jenny Lewis in any movie is good enough for me). Odds are you’re not going to like it (if you can find it), but you’ll probably still want to finish watching it.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Rilo Kiley - Always
Rilo Kiley- Go Ahead

Buy the DVD (Import) here

OVER HER DEAD BODY (2008)

OVER HER DEAD BODY
*½
Rating: PG-13
Length: 95 minutes
Director: Jeff Lowell
Writer: Jeff Lowell (John Tucker Must Die)
Starring: Paul Rudd, Eva Longoria Parker, Lake Bell, Jason Biggs, Lindsay Sloane, Stephen Root, Jeff Lowell

For a movie about a dead lady haunting her (former) fiancée’s new love interest, “Over Her Dead Body” is about as lifeless as she is. If you ever had any doubts on why Eva Longoria was usually the sole “Desperate Housewife” snubbed at the Emmys, her “acting” here should clear that up. I can’t recall a romantic-comedy that I’ve seen that has had such little chemistry between it’s stars. Longoria’s character and her fiancée (Paul Rudd- Why Paul? Why???) seem like they wouldn’t be able to hold a conversation about the weather- let alone find enough common ground to agree to get married. Longoria stars as Kate, a bridezilla who is killed on her wedding day by an ice sculpture of an angel. She’s too bitchy to listen to her guardian angel’s explanation of what to do to get in to heaven, so she is stuck in Patrick Swayze limbo. Meanwhile, fiancée Henry (Rudd) is too depressed to smile or leave his apartment. His sister (Lindsay Sloane) pays a psychic, Ashley (Lake Bell), to pretend to talk to Kate’s ghost to get approval for Henry to move on. Henry is skeptical, but he and Ashley start to hit it off. Then Kate’s ghost actually does appear to Ashley (uh-oh!!!)- and she isn’t too pleased. “Ghost” it’s anything but. Not only is Longoria terrible, but everyone else is too. Rudd is definitely here for a paycheck and Bell is better suited for a sitcom, not a feature length movie. Don’t worry, just to make things extra annoying, Jason Biggs (American Pie) co-stars as Ashley’s “gay” best friend (there’s a really forced and unbelievable twist to that subplot). Director Jeff Lowell got his start writing for sitcoms (“Just Shoot Me”, “Spin City”, “Drew Carey”) and his first movie script was the pretty dreadful “John Tucker Must Die”. His writing and directing style is straight out of the sitcom world. No one acts like they would if it were real life. Granted the plot is pretty incredulous, but come on! When Ashley first sees Kate’s ghost, she’s about as surprised as if she found some change in her washing machine. If you want to see a movie that deals with a similar situation and does it much, much better- I suggest 1991’s “Truly, Madly, Deeply”. Guys, if your girlfriend/wife or whatever has told you she wants to see this, put that one in your Netflix queue instead. Trust me, you’ll both be much better off.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Matt White - Love
All American Rejects- Move Along

Find Showtimes here

Website

VACANCY (2007)

VACANCY
***
Rating: R
Length: 85 minutes
Director: Nimrod Antal (Kontroll)
Writer: Mark L. Smith (Séance)
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Luke Wilson, Frank Whaley, Ethan Embry

Nimrod Antal’s directorial debut was another claustrophobic horror film, filmed in his native Hungary, called “Kontroll”. That movie- about a serial killer in the Hungarian underground subway stations (complete with a heroine dressed in a bear suit)- was utterly creepy and, sadly, utterly unseen by mostly everyone in the U.S. “Vacancy”, his American debut, unfortunately suffered the same fate. Blame bad marketing. For a genre in which critics and audiences alike complain about lack of intelligence and quality, “Vacancy” is definitely above average. Amy Fox (Kate Beckinsale- replacing Sarah Jessica Parker who thankfully bailed during pre-production) and her estranged soon-to-be ex-husband David (Luke Wilson) decide to take a short cut on the way home from visiting her parents (are shortcuts ever a good idea in horror movies?). David tries to avoid making a poor raccoon (or was it a squirrel?) road kill and soon the car starts sounding a little funny. They pull off into a small town that isn’t on their road map and are pleased to discover, despite the late hour, that a mechanic (Ethan Embry) is all too happy to help them get back on their merry way. It’s too good to be true and they are soon broken down on the side of the road. They can either wait it out in the car until morning or stay the night at the deserted motel a mile down the road. Here’s just a small way that “Vacancy” separates itself from the pack- instead of running on auto pilot and having the characters follow the motions- there are actual discussions about whether or not this is a good idea. Unlike most characters in modern horror flicks, Amy and David actually have brains. She’s against the motel, but he talks her into it. It may seem odd that the sole employee (Frank Whaley) is watching horror films at full volume and is a little weird in his mannerisms, but David reasons that anyone would be if they worked at a motel in the middle of nowhere (For some reason, I couldn’t help but think of the hotel in “Touch of Evil”). Their “honeymoon” suite is anything but fancy (“I’m sleeping in my clothes”, Kate declares), but that’s the least of their problems. When they can’t get any reception on the room’s T.V., they decide to pop in one of the videos lying around. It appears to be a horror movie- the clerk must be a big fan- but, wait, the background setting looks awfully familiar… I won’t go into too much detail about what happens next, but you get the idea. At slightly less than an hour and a half in it’s running time, “Vacancy” is tightly paced and very tense. Antal has made a horror movie for adults. This isn’t a “Hills Have Eyes” or one of those “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” remakes. It’s a studio movie (which probably explains some of the ending), but I have a feeling that Antal had his freedom. There’s no forced back story on why the villains are the way they are and it’s slightly hinted at why they are doing what they’re doing, but instead of wasting time on reason- we get an actual horror film instead. Once it gets going, the movie doesn’t stop. Next time you drive through a small town and it’s a little late- you might decide to wait until the next city before you stop for a rest- or maybe just sleep in the car instead.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Paul Haslinger - Main Theme Title
Christoph Harbonnier- Temps Perdu (Mix)

Buy the DVD here
Buy the Soundtrack here

Website

27 DRESSES (2008)

27 DRESSES
**½
Rating: PG-13
Length: 107 minutes
Director: Anne Fletcher (Step Up)
Writer: Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada; Three to Tango)
Starring: Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Edward Burns, Melora Hardin, Judy Greer, Malin Akerman, Anne Fletcher

“27 Dresses” is a romantic-comedy that plays completely by the rules. So if you’re a fan of the genre (and ladies you know most of you are) - this is going to be your cup of tea. Jane (Katherine Heigl) is always a bridesmaid (27 times as the title states) and, of course, never a bride. When she was just a child, her father (Brian Kerwin) was left widowed and heartbroken. Jane had to take over the motherly role for her younger sister, Tess (played as an adult by Malin Akerman). It was during caring for Tess at their cousin’s (Jane Pfitsch) wedding that Jane, helping her cousin with a last second near disaster, fell in love with weddings. When the film opens, she is frantically taking a taxi from one wedding to another. Desperate to please both of her friends- even if they might not return the favor if it came down to it. She is so devoted to helping everyone else out with their weddings that she has given herself no time for her a love life of her own (all together now: "awwww"). She is hopelessly in love with her oblivious boss, George (Edward Burns- phoning it in here), but is too scared to profess her feelings. When Tess comes to live with her, George takes immediate notice to her instead and, before you know it, it’s Tess that is engaged to George. Never willing to rock the boat, Jane is stuck with the painful task of literally putting together their wedding. Her only ally, besides her horny co-worker best friend (Judy Greer), is a cynical newspaper columnist, Kevin (James Marsden) who covers local weddings. Kevin is assigned to cover Tess and George’s wedding, but once he discovers Jane’s bridesmaid past, he begins to find he has a better story on his hands. Will Jane realize that Kevin is better for her than George? Will she finally stand up her to snotty sister? Will she finally get that dream wedding she’s always wanted for herself? Well, I won’t give anything away, but let’s just stay if you’ve seen one of these type of movies you’ve basically seen them all. Still, there’s a good deal of charm here, mainly thanks to Heigl. After her star turns in TV’s “Grey’s Anatomy” and last year’s excellent “Knocked Up”, she is proving to be a real presence. Stick someone like Jessica Alba in this role and the movie would be a complete dud. Heigl proves that she has the star power to carry a movie on her own- even if it’s familiar ground.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Mark Ronson (featuring Amy Winehouse) - Valerie
Elton John- Benny and the Jets

Check Showtimes here
Buy the Soundtrack here

Website

BECOMING JANE (2007)

BECOMING JANE
***
Rating: PG
Length: 120 minutes
Director: Julian Jarrold (Kinky Boots)
Writers: Kevin Hood and Sarah Williams
Starring: Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters, James Cromwell, Ian Richardson, Sophie Vavasseur, Tom Hollander

Not much is known about Jane Austen’s life- particularly her romantic liaisons. One of her only known (and most famous) suitors was Ireland’s future Chief Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench, Thomas Lefroy. Most Austen biographers have only Austen’s letters to her sister, Cassandra, to base this evidence on (only two known letters- which Cassandra edited- mention their brief relationship). Lefroy himself in his old age admitted to his nephew that he did have a “boyish love” for her. “Becoming Jane” takes this vague relationship and creates a fictional account of it. As many believe that Lefroy was the basis of “Pride & Prejudice”’s Mr. Darcy, the story here shares a bit of resemblance to Austen’s masterpiece. Austen (Anne Hathaway), at the young age of 21, is part of a large, lower class family. Her mother (Julie Walters) is determined to marry her off to a rich suitor, Mr. Wisley (Laurence Fox) - who Jane is simply not in love in. Through her brother Henry (Joe Anderson), she meets his dear friend Thomas (“Atonement”’s James McAvoy) and its love at first awkward misunderstanding. Lefroy at the time was penniless himself- reliant on his rich uncle (Ian Richardson) to pay his way through law school. Their romance, due to both of their financial situations, was hopeless, but that doesn’t stop them from falling madly in love with each other. The title is fitting as Jane’s relationship with Lefroy begins to mold her as both a woman and an author (during one sleepless night without him, she begins to pen an early draft of “Pride”). It’s clear to see why class and it’s effect on romance played such a large theme in her works. While many Austen fanatics may have trouble with “Becoming Jane”’s obvious historical inaccuracies (many critics did), the film is undeniably made with a deep affection for it’s material and heroine. While director Julian Jarrold is no Joe Wright (who helmed 2005’s excellent “Pride & Prejudice” adaptation), he has made a really beautiful looking movie. It looks just as radiant as “Pride” did. The only thing working against this film is it’s odd change of tone at it’s midway point. It starts as a bouncy romantic-comedy and finishes on a much more sour note (though given the actual historical facts- it was the only way to end it). Still, it’s hard to fault a film as likable as this. Hathaway continues to prove that she is an actress to recognize. She transforms herself into Austen and was probably not given proper credit due to the fact she’s an American playing one of England’s most precious female icons. McAvoy also continues to impress- his gradual transformation of Lefroy as boyish and cocky to a broken man with a heavy heart is just as brilliant as his lauded performance in “Atonement”. Truthfully, if you aren’t a fan of Austen’s, then “Becoming Jane” may not be your cup of tea (got that Mark Twain?), but if you are unfamiliar with her work- it may be a great place to start.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Adrian Johnston- Bond Street Airs
Adrian Johnston- Selbourne Wood
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart- Non Vieni Del Tardar

Buy the DVD here
Buy the Soundtrack here

Website

NO END IN SIGHT (2007)

NO END IN SIGHT
**
Rating: Not Rated
Length: 102 minutes
Director: Charles Ferguson
Writer: Charles Ferguson
Starring: Campbell Scott

I’m as anti-war as the next person. I don’t disagree with “No End in Sight”’s point of view or it’s statements. I did, however, find the film to be very dull in it’s delivery (They couldn’t find a more lively narrator than Campbell Scott?). Good intentions don’t automatically make a good documentary. First time documentarian Charles Ferguson personally funded, produced, wrote, and directed the film and I do believe that his intentions are good. The facts presented are certainly sad. The mistakes made leading up to the war are pointed out. The lives that were negatively affected by everyone involved- the citizens of Iraq, our soldiers, even the politicians/officials that regret their errors are shown. It just didn’t make for a very involving film. One review I read pointed out that if you read the New York Times that none of the information presented here would be any kind of news to you. I don’t think having followed the Times is even necessary for that. Anyone who has taken the slightest interest in finding out what this war is about and what lead up to it probably all ready knows what is on display here- and Ferguson doesn’t bring anything really new to the table. It’s the typical documentary formula that you’d see in every run of the mill doc- interviews, still frames, news footage, and screen cards stating facts. I know that the documentary format doesn’t have a whole lot of options when it comes to mixing it up, but I’m just being honest when I tell you that I, personally, found the film to be bland and repetitive. “No End in Sight” is favored to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary this year. Out of it’s fellow nominees, “Sicko” is the only other one I’ve seen so far. I plan on watching the other three before the awards are presented- though two of them also have the Iraq war as their subjects as well. Is that all it takes to get noticed by the Academy? I found “King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters”, “Kurt Cobain: About a Son”, and “Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten” (if I wasn’t a Nirvana and/or Clash fan- I’d still enjoy the latter two) to all be superior documentaries to “No End in Sight” and “Sicko”- even if they didn’t make any important “statements”.

Download MP3:
Talk About Films Podcast

Buy the DVD here

Website

DAY OF THE DEAD (2008)

DAY OF THE DEAD
*
Rating: R
Length: 87 minutes
Director: Steve Miner (Friday the 13^th Part 2 & 3; Halloween H20)
Writer: Jeffrey Reddick (Final Destination)
Starring: Mena Suvari, Nick Cannon, Ving Rhames, Ian McNeice

Every zombie movie fan knows you’re usually going to get more bad than good- though it’s always rewarding when you find the good. This remake of George A. Romero’s classic “Day of the Dead” (if you can even call it a remake) is anything but good. It’s just as bad as the so-called sequel “Day of the Dead 2: Contagium”. It’s no wonder that despite the success of the “Dawn of the Dead” remake and with Mena Suvari, Ving Rhames, and Nick Cannon in the cast that it didn’t get a theatrical release. Director Steve Miner, who made some of the best “Friday the 13^th”s (does that make him a talented director though?), clearly is trying to duplicate the “28 Days/Weeks Later” films and he fails miserably. The movie has basically nothing to do with the original- which is probably the most underrated of Romero’s zombie flicks. Instead, Miner decides to follow the usual formula and starts with a mysterious outbreak of a government virus (as luck would have it the survivors run into one of the doctors who worked on it, so we get a nice explanation- very convenient) in a small town. The army comes to quarantine the town and soldier Sarah (Suvari) is brought along because she grew up there. Of course the army is no match for the walking dead and she finds herself trying to save her family and survive along with a few of her fellow soldiers- including Cannon in what is possibly the most annoying performance in the history of cinema (the “comic relief” he literally doesn’t shut up the entire time he is onscreen). Don’t be fooled by Rhames being involved- this has nothing to do with the “Dawn” remake- he has a brief role as Sarah’s chief. The zombies, like in the “28” series are a lot faster than in the Romero films, but they are also a lot smarter (I guess taking note from “Land of the Dead”)- they can talk (kind of), think, and shoot guns! They can even crawl on the ceiling when it comes in handy! A zombie movie doesn’t have to have good acting, dialogue, etc. to serve it’s purpose, but it can’t lack in the quality of it’s zombie action too. Here everything moves so fast they you can barely decipher what the hell is happening. There’s a lot of gore and carnage, but if you blink you’ll miss it. Even if you have an extreme case of A.D.D. you’ll be aggravated. At least there’s the new Romero directed “Diary of the Dead” on it’s way. Skip this and wait for that instead.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Deadboy and the Elephantmen- Stop, I’m All Ready Dead
Damone- Out Here All Night

Pre-order the DVD here (available on 4/8/08)

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL (2007)

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL
***½
Rating: PG-13
Length: 106 minutes
Director: Craig Gillespie (Mr. Woodcock)
Writer: Nancy Oliver (HBO’s “Six Feet Under”)
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner, Patricia Clarkson, Lauren Ash

It’s no secret that “Juno” is probably going to win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay this year. I liked “Juno”- don’t get me wrong- but they’re going to give the award to the wrong movie. As snappy as the dialogue was, you can’t tell me that it was very realistic. Movies have a problem with the way their characters speak. People don’t always respond with witty comebacks or know exactly what to say at the right moment. “Lars and the Real Girl” is a rare film that understands this. The characters say and act the way normal people would act and react. Funny given the premise- a lonely guy named Lars (Ryan Gosling) in a small town orders a sex doll and when it arrives he pretends she is an actual person- his girlfriend to be precise. What a ridiculously stupid movie this could have been if it had fallen into the wrong hands- hell, when I saw that director Craig Gillespie’s only other prior movie credit was the dreadful “Mr. Woodcock”, I thought it was going to be ridiculously stupid. Instead it is one of the best movies of 2007. It doesn’t go for cheap laughs. It fleshes out it’s characters and nothing feels false. You don’t question why the townspeople would go along with it and accept “Bianca” (the doll) as one of their own or why one of Lars’ co-workers (Kelli Garner) is desperately in love with him despite his obvious mental issues. Take for example a scene where Lars’ brother, Gus, (the always brilliant Paul Schneider) and sister-in-law, Karin, (Emily Mortimer- robbed of an Oscar nod) have to bathe the doll. In the middle of it, they look at each other and laugh and Karin says “Isn’t this hilarious?”. How refreshing- this is a movie that treats it’s audience with respect. There are no obvious sex gags (Lars and Bianca don’t even sleep in the same bed) or forced jokes. The humor comes from the film’s honesty in dealing with the situation. The performances are all excellent. I’ve been on the fence about Gosling for years, but I’ve finally come around. He is perfect here. Schneider and Mortimer are absolutely terrific, so is Garner (she’s the next Amy Adams). Everything just works. “Lars and the Real Girl” is warm, intelligent, and just flat out wonderful. More Oscar nominations or not- “Juno” should be jealous.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
The Talking Heads- Naïve Melody (This Must Be the Place)
Tom Tom Club- Genius of Love

Find Showtimes here
Buy the Soundtrack here

Website

FACTORY GIRL (2006)

FACTORY GIRL
**
Rating: R
Length: 99 minutes
Director: George Hickenlooper (Mayor of the Sunset Strip; Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse)
Writer: Captain Mauzner (Wonderland)
Starring: Sienna Miller, Guy Pearce, Jimmy Fallon, Hayden Christensen, Mena Suvari, Mary-Kate Olsen, Cary Elwes, Shawn Hatosy, Beth Grant, Illeana Douglas, Pat Wilson, Brian Bell, Colleen Camp, George Plimpton, Armin Amiri

The real Edie Sedgwick’s life practically begged for the Hollywood treatment. You couldn’t have penned a better screenplay. She was a rich girl with a big heart who came to New York to be famous, met Andy Warhol, became famous, dated Bob Dylan/Jim Morrison/Mick Jagger, got hooked on drugs, and well, if you don’t know the story all ready I won’t ruin it for you. Not that this movie should be the place for you to start if you want to learn about her. The movie itself was plagued with just as many problems. Most of the cast was called back for re-shoots months after production wrapped. As is the case with most movies where re-shoots occur, the movie ends up being a complete mess. Blame director George Hickenlooper. A perfect story with an incredibly talented leading lady fell right in his lap and he managed to screw it up. Hickenlooper started off making documentaries which makes his failure here even more puzzling (he made the excellent “Apocalypse Now” doc “Hearts of Darkness”). With the exception of Sienna Miller’s knockout performance, you know that you are watching a movie. The majority of the cast- including some bizarre miscastings (Jimmy Fallon? Hayden Christensen as Bob Dylan???)- act like its Halloween. The post production editing is particularly brutal- after a lengthy build up, Edie’s fall from grace happens in the blink of an eye. Hickenlooper also tries to incorporate some really worn out “groovy sixties” camera tricks to try to get you in the moment. It doesn’t work. It just makes the movie more frustrating. Edie got the short end of the stick. Her life was tragic enough- she deserved better than this.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
The Count Five- Psychotic Reaction
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas- Nowhere to Run

Buy the DVD here

Website

KEN PARK (2002)

KEN PARK
*
Rating: Not Rated
Length: 96 minutes
Director: Larry Clark (Kids; Bully) and Edward Lachman
Writer: Harmony Korine (Kids; Gummo)
Starring: Amanda Plummer, Maeve Quinlan, Wade Williams, James Bullard, Tiffany Limos, Stephen Jasso, James Ransone, Bill Fagerbakke, Larry Clark

“Ken Park” has topped “Happiness” as the number one film I would not want to watch with either of my parents. Banned in the United States (and pretty much every where else), “Ken Park” is Larry Clark’s sad attempt to re-create the brilliance he had with his debut film, “Kids”. He even re-teams with “Kids” screenwriter Harmony Korine. I say sad attempt because the film seems to exist only as a source for cheap shock value. “Kids” worked because there were fully realized characters (even if they were totally unlikable). The characters in “Ken Park” are nothing more than props for Clark’s perversions. The film opens with the suicide of the title character and then moves on to show Park’s circle of friends and their troubled lives. Shawn (James Bullard) is having an affair with his girlfriend’s married mother (Maeve Quinlan); Claude (Stephen Jasso) is a pothead who’s Dad verbally and sexually abuses him; Tate (James Ransone) has some kind of bizarre hatred for his grandparents (he cusses his grandmother out for offering to make him lunch); Peaches (Tiffany Limos) is viewed by her strict religious father (Julio Oscar Mechoso) as a replacement for his dead wife. There’s a lot of oral sex, full frontal nudity, masturbation, incest, and even a threesome thrown in at the end for good measures (followed by a clumsy conclusion that explains why the Park character offed himself). I’ve seen all of Clark’s films (except “Bully” which I’ve heard mixed reviews on) and all of them, “Kids”, withstanding have been let downs. I’d say “Ken Park” is his worst, but it’d be hard to ignore his sci-fi porno “Teenage Caveman”. Harmony Korine (who has far surpassed Clark as a film maker) ended his friendship with Clark over this film (Clark altered his script considerably). Good career move.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Rancid- Antennas
Black Star- Brown Skin Lady

Buy the DVD here

DAFT PUNK'S ELECTROMA (2006)

DAFT PUNK’S ELECTROMA
***
Rating: Not Rated
Length: 74 minutes
Director: Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo
Writer: Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo, Paul Hahn, and Cedric Hervert
Starring: Daft Punk (Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo), Ritchie Lago Bautista, Daniel Doble, Bradley Schneider, Athena Stamos

It’s a Daft Punk movie. That much is certain. They play themselves as only we get to see them- dressed as robots, black jackets with their logo on the back. There’s no dialogue and there’s also, quite oddly, none of their music either. Yet if you’re a fan of the group, as I am, you know what you’re getting yourself in to. Back before music was a click away on the internet, my cousin Curtis and I discovered Daft Punk on MTV’s “Amp”. First with their awesome “Around the World” video and then with their Spike Jonze helmed “Da Funk”. For everyone that questioned whether electronica had a “soul” or not, you couldn’t deny that Daft Punk had brains. And so, as groundbreaking as their debut album, “Homework”, was- so where the videos that accompanied it. Their debut feature length movie, “Electroma”, is a visual exercise. If you’re expecting an hour plus music video, you’re going to be disappointed. Actually, odds are that if you aren’t in to experimental filmmaking you’re going to hate it. This is the first movie I’ve reviewed where the side bar of the blog here must be noted- “just because I loved it, doesn’t mean you will”. Love is a strong word here- I didn’t love it, but I did enjoy it. It’s a science-fiction film at it’s core and while I wrote about the accessibility of “Sunshine” a few days ago- the opposite can be said of “Electroma”- as with any film with no dialogue would be. Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel De Homem Christo drive through what appears to be the Midwest in a 1987 Ferrari 412. Their license plate reads “Human”. They enter a town full of similar looking robots (the preacher, the waitress- everyone looks like they’re in the group). They stop at some sort of laboratory and are given some kind of human makeover with latex masks and prosthetics (the results are pretty creepy). Then things go all Gus Van Sant and they end up stranded in the desert. One thing leads to another and all kinds of arty hell breaks loose (face meltings, robots on fire- you know, the usual stranded in the desert stuff). I’m sure none of that makes sense, but if you see the movie you’ll see why I had such a hard time explaining it. Which brings up the question- why should you see it? I don’t know. You probably shouldn’t. I’m not trying to be an indie snob or anything. I think even if you love Daft Punk you might have issues with this movie. I was kind of transfixed by it. Most of the reviews I’ve read have compared it’s style to “2001”. High praise indeed and while I wouldn’t quite put it up in those ranks, it isn’t too far off base.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Jackson C. Frank- Dialogue
Sebastien Tellier- Universe

Buy the DVD here

Website

DEUCES WILD (2002)

DEUCES WILD
**½
Rating: R
Length: 96 minutes
Director: Scott Kalvert (The Basketball Diaries)
Writer: Paul Kimatian and Christopher Gambale
Starring: Matt Dillon, James Franco, Johnny Knoxville, Drea de Matteo, Brad Renfro, Stephen Dorff, Frankie Muniz, Deborah Harry, Fairuza Balk, Vincent Pastore, Max Perlich, Balthazar Getty, Norman Reedus.

Poor “Deuces Wild”- it was destined to be forgotten right from the get go. It was the only other studio movie to open in the theaters the same week the original “Spider-man” was released. It didn’t stand a chance. Despite being the type of movie that welcomes a cult audience (street gangs always do), it didn’t fare any better when it came out on video/DVD. The less than positive reviews didn’t help any (It has a remarkably low 3% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) and it vanished. Now thanks to IFC, its getting some play and hopefully picking up some fans. Yes, I know I only rated it two and a half stars. That’s because it’s not a particularly award worthy movie or anything. It may appeal to the “Goodfellas” audience, but that doesn’t mean it’s up to par with “Goodfellas`” quality. It is, however, an entertaining movie. It’s filled with cheesy dialogue and some hammy performances, but I think that was kind of the point. Think of “Deuces Wild” as a more profane and violent mix up of “The Outsiders” and “West Side Story”. Stephen Dorff and the late Brad Renfro star as Leon and Bobby- two brothers in 1950s era Brooklyn who start a gang called the Deuces. The Deuces are formed after another local gang, the Vipers, introduce drugs to the neighborhood- indirectly killing Leon and Bobby’s younger brother by an overdose. The Deuces want to keep the streets clean and the tension starts to rise between the gangs when Bobby falls for Annie (Fairuza Balk) - the sister of one of the main Vipers, Jimmy Pockets (Balthazar Getty). It’s not too difficult to figure out where the movie is going to go from there, but it’s not boring either. Director Scott Kalvert’s prior feature film was the “Basketball Diaries” and the movie has the same style and feeling. I’m not sure where Kalvert was born and raised (his IMDB profile is pretty vague), but he seems to have a lot of affection for this time period and setting. He’s no Scorsese, that’s for sure, but I think it’s a positive attribute for a director when you can stamp your movies with your own touch. The commercial and overall critical failure of this movie apparently led to the collapse of Kalvert’s career (he’s produced a couple of direct-to-video features and a Bad Religion concert DVD since). Hopefully somewhere down the line he gets another chance.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Richie Valens- Come on, Let’s Go
Robert & Johnny- We Belong Together

Buy the DVD here

LITTLE CHILDREN (2006)

LITTLE CHILDREN
**½
Rating: R
Length: 130 minutes
Director: Todd Field (In the Bedroom; HBO’s “Carnivale”)
Writer: Tom Perrotta (Election (novel); Little Children (novel))
Starring: Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly, Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Noah Emmerich, Jane Adams

Damn you Todd Field! You frustrated the hell out of me again… First it was his 2001 directorial debut “In the Bedroom”. Highly touted and nominated for all the important Oscars, I went into the theater and was thoroughly impressed up until the third act where it completely fell apart. Same thing with his follow-up “Little Children”. The difference here is this film takes slightly longer to implode on itself- which made the damned thing even more frustrating. The first two hours deal with all ready overly saturated themes better suited for Lifetime movies (ditto “Bedroom”) and gives them breathes of fresh air. The depictions of an extra-marital affair and a rehabilitating child molester are actually honest and true for a change. They side step most of the clichés that we usually see in the films that deal with such subjects. Once I realized I only had fifteen minutes or so until the movie ended, I was ready to give Field some well deserved credit- and then he goes and ruins the entire movie (I was literally yelling "No!" over and over again at the TV). The worst offense in a movie- in my book- is to tack on an ending that seems forced- or in this case lazily pretentious. Kate Winslet (a much deserved Oscar nomination for her performance) plays Sarah Pierce. She’s trapped in a loveless marriage with a sweet young daughter. Her husband (Gregg Edelman) has developed an online relationship with an internet porn star and she catches him red-handed masturbating to her photos with a pair of the porn star’s panties wrapped around his face. Sarah's circle of “friends” aren’t very supportive and are more interested in gossip and drooling over the neighborhood’s studly 'Mr. Mom' they have nicknamed “Prom King”. On a five dollar bet, Sarah goes over to talk to the “Prom King” at the park and one thing leads to another and they share a hug and then a quick kiss. “Prom King” is actually a failed lawyer named Brad Adamson (Patrick Wilson). He is trapped in a marriage that isn’t necessarily loveless, but is lacking passion. His wife, Kathy (Jennifer Connelly), prefers to have their young son in their bed over him. Brad and Sarah ignore their kiss, but start to spend more time together with their kids at the community pool. It doesn’t take long before one thing leads to another. The other plotline in the story deals with a recently released from prison child molester named Ronnie (former child star Jackie Earle Haley in an Oscar nominated performance). He lives with his mother (Phyllis Somerville) who is in denial about her son’s perversions. She tries to set him up on dates, but a dinner with a lonely women (Jane Adams) ends in the most awkward way possible (to put it lightly). Ronnie, though, has bigger issues to deal with- the neighborhood wants him out and a “retired” policeman (Noah Emmerson) goes out of his way to make Ronnie’s life a living hell. Can’t say that there’s much original about the storylines- but Field has a way of making the viewer feel like voyeurs. The dialogue and character reactions are painstakingly perfect. There’s not an unbelievable transaction or forced moment for 90% of the movie. That’s why that damned conclusion stings so bad. It’s as if things went all “Apocalypse Now” and they had to tack on an ending just to have one. I think I like Todd Field the actor much better. After all, how cool was Nick Nightingale in “Eyes Wide Shut”? No let down there.

Buy the DVD here
Website

SUNSHINE (2007)

SUNSHINE
***
Rating: R
Length: 107 minutes
Director: Danny Boyle (Trainspotting; 28 Days Later)
Writer: Alex Garland (28 Days Later; The Beach)
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh, Cliff Curtis

“Sunshine” was overlooked during its short summer theatrical run and now it’s out on DVD- so you should watch it. It’s a sci-fi picture, yeah, but it’s an intelligent thriller too- the eeriness of “Event Horizon” combined with the brains of the original “Solaris”. In other words- if you normally don’t like science-fiction, you still might like this. A crew of astronauts are sent into space to re-attempt a mission to re-ignite the sun. After traveling for seven years and nearing their destination, they run across the original mission that failed. What follows is a cleverly directed thriller that demands a lot of attention to detail. Danny Boyle has made an interesting career for himself (he re-teams with “28 Days Later” writer Alex Garland here) and he’s given the sci-fi genre a much needed shot in the arm. The genre has been pretty much brainless since the “Solaris” remake (also sadly overlooked). “Sunshine”, I think, will find it’s audience now and it’ll start to get it’s due.

Soundtrack downloads:
Underworld- Peggy Sussed (River Run Version)
I Am Kloot- Avenues of Hope (RECOMMENDED)

Website

Buy the movie here

I couldn't find the soundtrack for sale online- sorry. I recommend it if you can find it.

MARGOT AT THE WEDDING (2007)

MARGOT AT THE WEDDING
**½
Rating: R
Length: 91 minutes
Director: Noah Baumbach
Writer: Noah Baumbach
Starring: Nicole Kidman (Margot), Jack Black (Malcolm), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Pauline), John Turturro (Jim), Zane Pais (Claude).

When I was imprisoned in Fernley, Nevada for the latter half of the summer, I found “The Squid and the Whale” playing almost daily on the satellite movie package. It was hard to change the channel once I stopped on it and the movie ended up being more rewarding each time I watched it. I have been looking forward to writer/director Noah Baumbach’s next project, “Margot at the Wedding’, even more since I returned home. I was, of course, a bit let down. Not that Baumbach has made an uninteresting picture. It’s just a bit depressing- even for him. The sum is like the most dour moments of “Squid” and “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” (which Baumbach co-wrote) combined. Nicole Kidman plays the title character- an insecure novelist who has come to visit her sister, Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh), in preparation for Pauline’s upcoming wedding. She brings her puberty-stricken emo son, Claude (Zane Pais) and are greeted at the train station by Pauline’s fiancée, Malcolm (Jack Black). Malcolm is a former musician who is now a professional painter (kind of). He also has a mustache that, he explains, is supposed to be funny. Pauline and Margot haven’t been on speaking terms and are at each other’s throats in no time. Baumbach had originally titled the movie, “Nicole at the Beach”, as a tribute to French new wave icon Eric Rohmer. He changed the title after Kidman was cast as the character (funny, considering Rohmer made “Pauline at the Beach”). It’s a fitting tribute as Baumbach’s film feels very Rohmer-ish. It is heavy on dialogue and character study. The large difference between Baumbach and Rohmer are their character’s views on morals. Rohmer’s are obsessed with following (or trying to anyway) them and Baumbach’s can’t seem to recognize them at all. “The Squid and the Whale” worked because it had a way of making it’s ugliness comical, “Margot” doesn’t seem to be trying to touch on it’s own humor. It lets it’s characters get nastier and more despicable until you can’t sympathize with any of them.

Soundtrack MP3s:
Blondie- Sunday Girl
Dinosaur Jr.- The Wagon

Pre-order the DVD here (Feb. 19th)
Buy the soundtrack here