EXPELLED : NO INTELLIGENCE ALLOWED (2008)

EXPELLED: NO INTELLIGENCE ALLOWED
(No Stars)
Rating: PG
Length: 90 minutes
Director: Nathan Frankowski
Writers: Ben Stein, Kevin Miller (After…) and Walt Ruloff
Starring: Ben Stein, Richard Dawkins, Caroline Crocker

Wow. I don’t even know where to start. For all of you Michael Moore haters out there that believe he makes completely biased one sided documentaries, nothing he has made comes even remotely close to how close minded and bullying “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” is. I had a conversation with my buddy Keith about the film prior to it opening. We are both interested in how the world came to be and our opinions slightly differ when it comes to evolution, so we both thought that this film would do a decent job of providing both sides of the story when it comes to evolution vs. intelligent design. Nope. Not even close. Instead, the movie has Ben Stein- a man that is famous solely for his bit part in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (Don’t worry, he cashes in on his catch phrase before the movie is over)- bullying and ridiculing anyone that disagrees with his opinion on how man came to be. He compares Darwin to Hitler- even adding in archival footage of the Holocaust to boot! Stein, in turn, due to his “brave” attempts to spread the word of intelligent design compares himself to Ronald Regan destroying the Berlin Wall- also complete with archival footage that cuts back and forth between him and Regan. What kind of ego trip is this guy on? If he hadn’t have had a monotone minute and a half clip in a 1980’s John Hughes comedy, he wouldn’t even have been lucky enough to land those Clear Eyes commercials. The movie does start off like it wants to be on equal footing. I went into it expecting the movie to lean more towards intelligent design- after all most docs are one sided whether they want to admit it or not, but none have ever been more so than this. After a few scenes where Stein claims religion has nothing to do with it and that he just wants believers in intelligent design to be heard and understood, he starts to interview intellectuals and bash them and humiliate them because they favor Darwinism. When famed philosopher Richard Dawkins is interviewed and Stein asks him what he believes the chances of the Christian God existing are, Dawkins says he believes “in his opinion” that there is a “99% percent” chance that there is none. Stein laughs in his face and retorts with the highly clever, “Why not forty nine percent?” Dawkins squirms uncomfortably in his chair and Stein gives him a smarmy look that basically says “you’re a moron for not believing in what I believe in” (this after Dawkins admits that “intelligent design” is a possible theory in a very kind manner). I’ve read the Bible from cover to cover and I can tell you that the point of Christianity is not to belittle others. The biggest problem with the film is that it doesn’t even explain it’s case properly. It’s so worried with the push back intelligent design is getting, that it fails to inform us why we should believe in it to begin with (at least adequately in my opinion). I can’t remember the last time I saw a film that made me so mad. “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” is the cinematic equivalent of the bully at school that dips the heads of the “nerds” in the toilet for being all “good at math and stuff”. It should also be noted that the majority of the pro-Darwinism interviewers were lied to about what the film was about and the film was edited to make them sound exactly how the filmmakers wanted them to. The crowd that Stein lectures to at the beginning and ending of the film (the ones that stand up and clap and holler like Stein just gave the Gettysburg Address) were also paid to do so- having no idea or strong belief on why they were there to begin with. The filmmakers also went on to make a fuss when it wasn’t reviewed on critic Richard Roeper’s syndicated movie review program (the one that features Roger Ebert when he’s healthy). Roeper’s response after finally seeing it “What a load of crap”. I couldn’t agree more. I’ll sit and listen to intelligent design theories all day and have a mature and gentlemanly debate with anyone. I won’t, however, smile and look on as someone compares someone else to Hitler for differing in a belief on how man was created and changed throughout the times. If you stand behind what you believe in then what’s wrong with presenting in it in an honest and adult like fashion? Save the name calling and mud slinging for the schoolyard.

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The Killers- All These Things That I’ve Done
Johnny Cash- Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode cover)

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THE HOTTIE AND THE NOTTIE (2008)

THE HOTTIE AND THE NOTTIE
*½
Rating: PG-13
Length: 90 minutes
Director: Tom Putnam (Red White Black & Blue; Broadcast 23)
Writer: Heidi Ferrer (“Dawson’s Creek”)
Starring: Paris Hilton, Christine Lakin, Joel David Moore, Adam Kulbersh, The Greg Wilson, Johann Urb, Kathryn Fiore

Somehow over the past month I’ve managed to watch not one, but two Paris Hilton starring vehicles. The sad part is that this second one, “The Hottie and the Nottie” is an improvement over the first, “Bottoms Up”, but that’s like saying one week old expired milk is better than two week old expired milk. Infamously in and out of the theaters faster than you could say “Blonde Ambition”, the movie all ready has the esteemed pleasure of being #4 on the Internet Movie Database’s Bottom 100 Movies of All Time List. Is it worth that ranking? Of course not. I could think of many, many other movies that are worse than this. It’s a bad film, don’t get me wrong, but you know most of the voters probably gave it the one star mark just because of it’s star (Hilton, to be fair, is extremely wooden and uncharismatic as the lead). The movie is kind of a low budget re-working of “There’s Something About Mary”, but with the “ugly” sidekick bit added in. Joel David Moore gets the Ben Stiller role as failed musician Nate Cooper. Not only is he unsuccessful in his profession, his love life is also a mess. After another nasty break up, he comes to terms with the fact that’s he never gotten over his elementary school crush, Cristabelle Abbott (Hilton). He tracks her down and finds that she is still attached to the hip with her best friend from the elementary days, the repulsive June Phigg (“Step by Step”’s Christine Lakin)- hence the title of the movie. Cristabelle remembers Nate and confesses that she has a crush on him. The problem is she made a promise to herself that she wouldn’t get involved in another relationship until June found one of her own. This leads to a series of unfunny bits where Nate and his best friend (comedian The Greg Wilson- never heard of the guy. Guess he fancies himself important enough to merit a “The” before his name though) try to set up a poor sap (Adam Kulbersh) with June. Naturally as the movie plows along to it’s painful ninety minute mark, Nate starts to realize that maybe June is the real “Hottie” after all. Of course, this doesn’t happen until after she gets a huge make over and a stud boyfriend (Johann Urb). As much as Hilton is an untalented actress, her getting the heat for this being a bad flick isn’t fair. She doesn’t help, but everyone had to know that this one was dead in the water before it even went into production. Yeah, it was in and out of the theaters in a blink of the eye- how it ever got in there to begin with says a lot about the current state of cinema.

Download Soundtrack MP3s (Right click and “Save As”):
Castaneda- Cyanide
The Skies of America- She’s That Kind of Girl

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SMART PEOPLE (2008)

SMART PEOPLE
**
Rating: R
Length: 95 minutes
Director: Noam Murro (Human Capital)
Writer: Mark Poirier
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Ellen Page, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, Ashton Holmes, Christine Lahti, Camille Mana, David Denman

“Smart People” is a movie we’ve all seen before. It’s not a remake of any sort, but the characters, the actions, the dilemmas- they are all borrowed from other, better movies. I thought about Curtis Hanson’s brilliant “Wonder Boys” afterwards and imagined that this movie had set that film as it’s high mark. It doesn’t quite get there. Why? It’s puzzling. The film does have a great cast- Dennis Quaid is excellent, Thomas Haden Church brings the comic relief, and Ellen Page, fresh from her “Juno” acclaim, portrays a character that could have be Juno in a few more years minus all those baby issues and weird clothing. But despite it’s unoriginality, one of the movie’s biggest flaws is it’s female lead- Sarah Jessica Parker. She was a wonderful Carrie Bradshaw on HBO’s “Sex and the City”, yet for whatever reason she hasn’t been able to pull off an adequate screen performance since she was Steve Martin’s bimbo mistress in 1991’s “L.A. Story”. This film, fragile enough, becomes even more unglued every time she appears onscreen. A scene in which she is greeted, rather unkindly, by Page’s character (Quaid’s daughter in the film) is a pure example, as Page seems to blow her off the screen without even trying. It’s a flaw because her character is essential in making the picture work. She is the outsider brought into a dysfunctional family of selfish, “smart” people. Quaid portrays a literary professor and novelist who is still adjusting to his wife’s death and the fact that he can’t find a publisher for his new novel. After an accident involving his car (well, his attempt to retrieve his car rather), he finds himself in the hands of his slacker adopted brother (Church), who becomes his completely unreliable chauffeur. At home, Quaid isn’t sure what to do about his daughter. She is a perfectionist and their relationship is a distant one. When she receives a call from the hospital after her father’s accident, she is more concerned that she will be missing out on studying for her S.A.T.s then his well being. She, in turn, becomes attached to her uncle because he is the opposite of her father and that relationship begins to grow into an even more unhealthy one. Parker is Quaid’s nurse and former student. Quaid has a terrible habit of forgetting his student’s names- current and past- and only remembers her after her gay best friend (“The Office”’s David Denman) informs him that she had a “thing” for him. She did and maybe it has to do with the fact that he treated her harshly in class and gave her thesis, in her opinion, an unfair grade. So now what? The movie doesn’t really have an answer. It floats around for the remainder of it’s ninety five minutes as the characters awkwardly interact with each other and it all leads to a conclusion that feels even more awkwardly forced and inappropriate. I saw the movie twice at the theaters (yep, still using those free passes), because I felt that maybe I missed something the first time around. The second time I liked it even less. Could it have been a better film without Parker and maybe an Amy Adams instead? The first time I would have said absolutely. The second time I wasn’t so sure.

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Baby Animals- Make It End
Baby Animals- Rush You

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MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY (2008)

MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY
***
Rating: PG-13
Length: 92 minutes
Director: Bharat Nalluri (The Crow: Salvation; Tsunami: The Aftermath)
Writers: David Magee (Finding Neverland) and Simon Beaufoy (The Full Monty; Among Giants)
Starring: Amy Adams, Frances McDormand, Shirley Henderson, Ciaran Hinds, Lee Pace, Tom Payne, Mark Strong, Christina Cole

Mark my words- one day Amy Adams will win an Academy Award. Like a similar complaint I made with my “Snow Angels” review a few posts ago, once Oscar voting starts “Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day” will be long forgotten and Ms. Adams will be robbed of a well deserved nomination (much like she was for her performance in “Enchanted”- though at least she got to sing at the ceremony). She has been nominated once before (and should have won) for her role in the wonderful “Junebug”. Now that the world is finally starting to become familiar with a talent that the critics and her fan base have loved for quite a while- it’s just a matter of time before she’s holding a gold statue. She brings so much energy to her performance in this film that it literally lights up every time she is onscreen- which thankfully is extremely often. Not that she isn’t surrounded by talent- the cast also includes Oscar winner Frances McDormand (Fargo), Ciaran Hinds (There Will Be Blood), and Shirley Henderson (Trainspotting). I have a feeling that the mood and flow of this film is what George Clooney was going for with his recent misstep “Leatherheads”. “Miss Pettigrew” is also a throw back to the screwball comedies of yesteryear- only it works very well here. Unlike Clooney’s film, where only Renee Zellweger seemed to be on the right page, everyone here knows what they’re doing and they do it right. There are times where you think that Adams and McDormand actually are acting in a movie from the 1930’s or ‘40’s, except the movie looks so damned good that it reminds you that it is in fact a movie made in this era. McDormand plays the title character, Guinevere Pettigrew, a personal assistant in London during the days before World War II was about to break out. She is constantly fired from job after job, but it seems like she’s getting the raw end of the deal. When she complains to the boss at the employment agency that maybe her last employer should “stop drinking so much”, she is told that “you change for them, they don’t change for you”. Desperate, Miss Pettigrew swipes an address off the boss’ desk and goes to visit it’s resident- Delysia Lafosse (Adams). Lafosse is stunned to find that it is ten in the morning and not ten at night and has Miss Pettigrew rush her latest lover- an up and coming theater producer (Tom Payne) - out of her flat before it’s owner and her sugar daddy, Nick Colderelli (Mark Strong) arrives home. Pettigrew is in shock at all of Delysia’s loves. “Well there’s also Michael!”, she tells her and then laughs, “That’s only three!”. Delysia doesn’t need a personal assistant as much as she does someone to help juggle her messy love life. She refers to Miss Pettigrew as her “social adviser” to Nick. Delysia needs Nick for a place to stay and a job (she sings at his nightclub). She needs the theater producer, Phil, because he says he can make her a star. Her heart, however, belongs to the piano player in her night club act and ex-con Michael (Lee Pace). Michael is neither rich nor high in social status obviously, but he accepts who for who she really is and we learn later that she really isn’t much of a Delysia Lafosse after all. Meanwhile, Miss Pettigrew does get her chance to live for a day. Instead of fishing bread out of dumpsters and going to soup kitchens, she gets to go to fancy balls, eat gourmet food, and get a make over. She also finds that Delysia isn’t the only one who can attract men, as a prominent fashion designer (Hinds) makes his intentions well known to her after they meet at one of his shows. It’s a busy twenty four hours, no doubt about it, but that’s what makes the film so much fun. It’s a throwback to when an audience could stretch their imagination and remember that they are just watching a movie and that is was possible for people to fall in love at first sight and a happy ending could be had for all.

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Cole Porter- Anything Goes

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FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL (2008)

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL
***
Rating: R
Length: 112 minutes
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Writer: Jason Segel
Starring: Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, Jason Bateman, William Baldwin, Bill Hader, Maria Thayer, Jack McBrayer, Liz Cackowski, Carla Gallo, Gedde Watanabe

I am aware that actor Jason Segel is a regular cast member on the sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” (still haven’t seen it, but my buddy Keith praises it) and that he had a funny supporting role in “Knocked Up”, but to me he will always be Nick Andopolis from the criminally underrated cult classic TV series, “Freaks and Geeks”, which expired way before it’s time. Lucky for Segel, that show was the brain child of current Hollywood comedy king Judd Apatow. His connection to Judd paid off with the “Knocked Up” role and now with “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”, produced by Apatow, and starring Segel based on his own screenplay. Of all the recently great Apatow work- including “Knocked Up”, “The 40 Year Old Virgin”, “Superbad”, etc. - “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” actually ends up being the best yet. The mix of heart and semi-vulgar comedy that the Farrelly brothers perfected in “There’s Something About Mary” and then completely lost afterwards, hasn’t worn thin for Apatow. It just keeps getting better and better. Segel stars as Peter Bretter, who when we meet him is on top of the world. He is a musician who scores a popular “CSI” type show that stars his girlfriend- actress Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). In a way, he is kind of like how I imagined his “Freaks and Geeks” character would have grown up to be. His world soon comes crashing down, though, when Sarah shows up (catching him after a shower in one of the movie’s funniest and most revealing scenes) at his apartment and admits that she has met somebody else- a flakey folk singer named Aldous Snow (Russell Bender- absolutely brilliant here). After sulking in his apartment and skipping out on work, he decides to head off to Hawaii to take a vacation and clear his head. Of course, in one of those “only in a movie” coincidences it just so happens Sarah and Aldous are booked at the same exact hotel as him. Lucky for Peter, the cute and fun hotel receptionist Rachel (Mila Kunis in a star making performance) has a crush on him. The movie then pulls a strange turn and instead of having Peter try everything he can to win Sarah back, he actually begins to fall for Rachel and starts to believe that maybe Sarah wasn’t the one after all. Like any other girl in the same scenario, Sarah sees him having fun with another girl and she herself starts to think if she made the right decision. All the Apatow regulars pop up in funny supporting roles- Paul Rudd as a stoner surf instructor who has a heart to heart with Peter one day and then forgets who he is the next; Jonah Hill as a waiter with a man-crush on Aldous; Bill Hader as Peter’s best friend (who’s wife played by “Saturday Night Live” writer Liz Cackowski steals every scene she’s in). Jason Bateman and William Baldwin also have absolutely spot on cameos as actors on the “CSI” shows. Like the best of Apatow’s work- the heart and the humor is so well balanced it’s amazing that the movie is being helmed by a first time director (Nicholas Stoller) and a first time screenwriter (Segel). It’s just one of those perfect comedies that makes you laugh till you cry, makes you care about the characters, and makes you leave the theater still chuckling a few hours later. I guess now would be the perfect time to write some cheesy tagline like “You won’t want to forget ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’! In a fair world that would land me a blurb spot on the DVD cover.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Belle & Sebastian- Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying
Black Francis- You Can’t Break a Heart and Have It

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SNOW ANGELS (2008)

SNOW ANGELS
****
Rating: R
Length: 106 minutes
Director: David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express; All the Real Girls)
Writer: David Gordon Green (All the Real Girls; Undertow)
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell, Amy Sedaris, Griffin Dunne, Nicky Katt, Michael Angarano, Olivia Thirlby, Jeannetta Arnette, Tom Noonan, Connor Paolo, Leah Ostry

One of the sad facts of the Academy Awards is that great movies that are released before the latter half of their respective year of eligibility end up being largely ignored once voting commiserates. I have a sick feeling in my stomach that “Snow Angels” will be one of those films. I have stated on this blog before that I rarely give out “four star” (and “no star”) reviews. It takes a lot for a film to be considered four star worthy to me (I know Roger Ebert, as much as I respect the man, throws them out like samples at Publix on Sundays). Let me tell you that “Snow Angels” deserves this rating. For all the bullshit “dysfunctional family” dramas that drop every year, here is one that finally feels real and packs a strong emotional wallop that doesn’t feel forced. It also features Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell in the performances of their careers. Come Oscar time if they’re names aren’t in the ring, then there needs to be a serious examination into the process of the voting. Maybe the movie works so well because it really isn’t so much a dysfunctional family drama as it is a dysfunctional people drama. The characters in the movie are flawed, but not because they want to be. They try to be good people, but like the rest of us, things happen that they can’t control or let happen because they don’t want to control them. Beckinsale stars as Annie. Recently separated from her unstable, born again alcoholic husband, Glenn (Rockwell). They have a daughter- a precious young girl named Tara (Gracie Hudson). Neither of them are sure how to be parents. They know that they love their child, but both are so unhappy with their lives that they aren’t sure how to give Tara what she requires, particularly attention. Annie works as a waitress in a Chinese restaurant alongside her best friend, Barb (“Strangers with Candy”’s Amy Sedaris- showing she’s a fine dramatic actress as well) and teenager Arthur (Michael Angarano), whom she used to baby sit when she was younger. Annie is having a guilt heavy (on her side anyway) affair with Barb’s husband (Nicky Katt). He smells her hair in a cheap motel room they rent for an afternoon sex session and tells her he loves the scent. Annie begins to imagine how many other girls he says the same thing to. Arthur’s story makes up the other half of the film. As Annie’s portion is about the death of a love affair, his is about the beginning of one. He meets the new girl in school, Lila (“Juno”’s Olivia Thirlby) and they instantly hit it off, though he is afraid to move too fast. “Why haven’t you kissed me yet?”, she asks him after weeks of flirting. Lila knows just what Arthur needs at the moment, because his home life is on shaky ground. His selfish professor father (Griffin Dunne) has left his mother (Jeannetta Arnette) for a younger woman whom he claims is “just a friend”. There are many comical moments in the first portion of the film and then things start to fall apart, but it isn’t done in a fashion that feels awkward. It feels natural. There is sense of trepidation from the opening shots of the film as Arthur and Lila’s band begins practice and gun shots are heard in the distance. The film flashes back to weeks earlier and we are told the back story from there. The tragedy that awaits is Shakespeare worthy and as we laugh at the movie’s funnier moments deep in the back of our throats we know that this all won’t end well. For some people that’s how they live their entire lives. That’s how most of the characters in “Snow Angels” live theirs. Director David Gordon Green has long been heralded as our generation’s Terrance Malick and here is his “Days of Heaven”- his masterpiece. He puts so much of himself into the film that it’s no wonder he choose the Seth Rogen/James Franco pot comedy “Pineapple Express” as his next project after filming this. If you aren’t familiar with is work, then I highly suggest going through his back catalog (start with “All the Real Girls”- you won’t regret it). He is worth the hype and he proves he is 100% for real here. I doubt there will be a better film in 2008.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Mono- A Thousand Paper Cranes
The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-la-la Band- This Gentle Hearts Like Shot Bird’s Fallen

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BABY MAMA (2008)

BABY MAMA
***
Rating: PG-13
Length: 96 minutes
Director: Michael McCullers
Writer: Michael McCullers (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me; Austin Powers in Goldmember)
Starring: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Steve Martin, Greg Kinnear, Sigourney Weaver, Dax Shepard, Maura Tierney, Romany Malco, Will Forte, Holland Taylor, James Rebhorn, Fred Armisen, Siobhan Fallon

I have a friend that loves “30 Rock” and he’s been trying to get me to watch it for sometime and I still haven’t gotten around to watching an entire episode. I’m a bad friend because I could recommend a diaper commercial to this guy and he’d watch it for me. Maybe it was because I just wasn’t that into Tina Fey. Sure, like the rest of us I laughed at some of her “Weekend Update” bits on “Saturday Night Live”, but she just didn’t have that presence that drew me in (I know she’s the brainchild behind “Mean Girls”, but I thought that one was a bit overrated). “Baby Mama” oddly enough has changed my mind. I was at the movie theaters a couple of weeks ago after the girlfriend and I scrapped together enough change to see “Snow Angels” and towards the end of the film some joker in the theater pulled the fire alarm. They evacuated the theater and Sarah and I ended up with twelve free movie passes in the process (a total score- when I went back a few days later to catch the rest of “Snow Angels”- it didn’t even cost me one of my free passes!). So while Sarah has been hard at work with her night shifts, I have been spending my evenings theater hopping at the local Regal cinemas. I saw the poster for “Baby Mama”, which features Fey and her former “Update” co-anchor Amy Poehler making goofy faces, and decided that it would be worthy of a free pass, but I probably wouldn’t have paid to see it. Twenty minutes into the movie and I decided that I would have paid to see it after all. For everyone that complains that girls can’t make funny movies without turning them into romantic goop, this movie will prove you wrong. Joke after joke works and although it has it’s fair share of scatological humor, it also is more intelligent then has every right to be. Fey stars as Kate- a successful businesswoman who works for a hippie boss (Steve Martin- reminding us that he’s still a comic genius even if keeps making “Cheaper by the Dozen” movies). She had never wanted children, but now that she’s approaching forty her biological clock is clicking. A doctor informs her that she has a one in a million chance of conceiving on her own. She finds out that a single mother could have to wait up to five years to adopt. Her only option is going the surrogate mother route. An agency, run by an extremely fertile middle aged woman named Chaffee Bicknell (Sigourney Weaver), hooks her up with Angie. Angie is pure white trash and brings along her redneck boyfriend (Dax Shepard- finally funny for a change) for the interview. Everything goes fine, until Angie and her boyfriend break up and Kate finds Angie at her doorstep needing a place to live. What could have been a clichéd “Odd Couple” knock off ends up being good for a lot of laughs. Sure they don’t get along at first and eventually they will grow to love one another, but you’ll be laughing so much that you’ll actually be rooting for it happen instead of just waiting for it to happen. Poehler is an underrated comedienne and she has been relegated to smaller roles that don’t give her a chance to show off all her comic chops (her bits in “Southland Tales” were brilliant). Here she is given the freedom to pull out all the punches and it works. She’s great- and, in turn, so is Fey. She has the appeal to be a movie star. I’m starting to think that I need to start taking my friend’s advice and start watching “30 Rock”. If it’s anything like this, then it will be worth my time.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Beastie Boys- Hey Ladies
The Boy Least Likely To- Be Gentle with Me

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SUPER HIGH ME (2008)

SUPER HIGH ME
***
Rating: R
Length: 89 minutes
Director: Michael Blieden (The Comedians of Comedy; “Mad TV”)
Starring: Doug Benson, Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis, Bob Odenkirk, Ron Riggle, Brian Posehn, Dana Gould, Dave Navarro, Paul F. Tompkins, Brian Unger

“Super High Me” is the stoner’s answer to “Super Size Me”. Comedian/Amateur Movie Critic (for the “Mr. Show” website)/pothead (and a member of the VH1’s “Best Week Ever” panel) Doug Benson is the film’s Morgan Spurlock. An avid fan of marijuana, Benson agrees to go sober for thirty days and then follow it up with thirty days of non-stop pot smoking. Don’t worry, he has some doctors, just like in “Super Size”, to help inform us of the going ons and what not. Naturally, the movie doesn’t have the same effect that it’s spoof source did. In fact, it is decidedly pro-marijuana. Benson manages to function just fine without his pot, though he complains that “pot makes everything better”. He is a comedian and he has used marijuana as a crutch for his act since the beginning of his career. He even had an off Broadway show- spoofing “The Vagina Monologues”- entitled “The Marijuana Monologues”. Since the documentary itself is not very informative- we get a few tests and charts comparing Benson’s intelligence and motor skills on and off the drug- the movie has to rely heavily on Benson and he is charming and funny enough to pull it off. He also has the good fortune of having some funny friends to stop by and grace us with their presence (and most to smoke with)- Sarah Silverman, “Mr. Show”’s Bob Odenkirk and Brian Posehn, Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis, and “The Daily Show”’s Rob Riggle to name a few (even Jane’s Addiction legend Dave Navarro puts in a very quiet cameo). Even if you are anti-drugs, the movie should be entertaining and funny enough to keep you watching. Unless of course you are really anti-drugs, then you’d probably be better off just watching “Super Size Me” again. Though to be fair, marijuana is definitely the lesser of two evils when facing off against McDonald's.

(Note: Director Michael Blieden starred as Melvin in Bob Odenkirk’s directorial debut- the cult comedy “Melvin Goes to Dinner”. He also is a series regular on Nickelodeon’s “Zoey 101”- a.k.a. Britney Spears’ pregnant little sister’s show. Just a couple of fun facts to share)

Download MP3s:
Doug Benson- Interview on 103.7 The Mountain (Right Click- Save As)

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Pre-order the DVD Here (Release Date: 06/17/08)

Website
Doug Benson’s Section on the Mr. Show Website (Highly Recommended)
Doug Benson’s Myspace

AN EVENING WITH KEVIN SMITH 2: EVENING HARDER (2006)

EVENING WITH KEVIN SMITH 2, AN: EVENING HARDER
**
Rating: Not Rated
Length: 239 minutes
Director: J.M. Kenny (An Evening with Kevin Smith; Wings of Desire: The Angels Among Us)
Starring: Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, Harley Quinn Smith, Grace Smith

I’ve heard the first “Evening with Kevin Smith” is pretty hilarious. I have yet to see it, but when I stumbled across the sequel, I figured I’d give it a spin. I had no idea it was a minute shy of being four hours long (spread over two discs). Needless to say, this took me a few nights to watch. I have stated before my feelings about Smith and my never-ending allegiance to the first “Clerks” no matter what I think about his later works (“Chasing Amy” aside and I’ve warmed up to “Mallrats” again). I recently picked up both of his books and found them to be quite entertaining. He is an entertaining person. I’d be hard pressed to think of another filmmaker with his level of success that gives back to his fans as much as he does. He really and truly appreciates them. If you are one of those hardcore fans- and man, I thought I had it big for the guy back through 1994-1998- then perhaps you will salivate at every minute of this second “Evening”, then again maybe even you dear friend will find yourself having to break it up into multiple viewings. I complained a few reviews down in my “Jackass 2.5” review that those guys were trying to wring cash out of their fans for barely anything in return, at least Smith gives you your money’s worth. So how does it go down? Smith travels to London and Toronto and does some Q & A’s with the audiences. He bluntly answers all their questions, tells some funny stories, brings out “Jay” himself Jason Mewes to answer some questions too, and we get to meet his family- his wife Jennifer (Dante’s girlfriend in “Clerks 2”) and daughter Harley (baby Silent Bob in “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”). There’s some chuckles, but it’s kind of like watching a four hour concert of a band you like. It’s cool to see it and hear some of your favorite songs, but at the same time it pales in comparison to being there. Plus, we all know that there is a huge difference in seeing a stand up comedian (which essentially Smith is here) live and watching him on TV. It’s just better when you’re there.

Download Classic Kevin Smith Soundtrack MP3s:
Supernova- Chewbacca (from Clerks)
Weezer- Suzanne (from Mallrats)

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SHORTBUS (2006)

SHORTBUS
*½
Rating: Not Rated
Length: 101 minutes
Director: John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)
Writer: John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)
Starring: Sook-Yin Lee, Paul Dawson, Lindsay Beamish, PJ DeBoy, Raphael Barker, Peter Stickles, Jay Brannan, Alan Mandell, Adam Hardman, Rachael C. Smith, Jonathan Caouette, John Cameron Mitchell

For anyone that has seen the classic “Boogie Nights”, there is a scene where the Burt Reynolds character- a porn director named Jack Horner- states that he would like to the be the first adult filmmaker to make a pornography film with a real plot. An actual movie, but, you know, with hardcore sex. I imagine that “Shortbus” would be what along the lines of his idea. I know this movie has a strong cult following. I am familiar with writer/director John Cameron Mitchell based on his (unseen by me still) “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”, which won a good deal of acclaim. Then again so did this, but I may be in the minority here. I know what Mitchell is going for here. He is attempting to make a sweet movie about sex. An honest movie with real people who are good underneath it all (hell, you get to see underneath all of them). I couldn’t get a hold on the sweet factor though. It just felt sleazy to me. In the first five minutes of the movie, one of the characters, James (Paul Dawson) - a former male prostitute- films himself performing self fellatio and, uh, finishing in his own mouth. Meanwhile, James and his former child star boyfriend James’ (PJ DeBoy) sex therapist, Sofia (Sook-Yin Lee), is having kinky sex with her husband Rob (Raphael Barker) in their apartment. Afterwards, she tells him about a couple that she’s helping where the female lies to the male about being able to orgasm. Turns out Sofia herself can’t orgasm. When James and James (sorry, Jamie now) hear about this, they introduce Sofia to the “Shortbus”- a sex orgy club where all the sex freaks in New York come to play. The goal from then on out is to help Sofia reach her orgasm. There’s a slew of side characters that pop up along the way- a dominatrix prostitute (Lindsay Beamish) who wants a real relationship, but is too tough to admit it; a gay stalker (Peter Stickles) of the James’; a third boyfriend (Jay Brannan) who latches on to the James’; and even a former mayor (Alan Mandell) who has come out of the closet. Call me crazy, but between the self fellatio complete with the money shot, an all male threesome that includes graphic salad tossing, and a whole lot of orgy sequences- I just couldn’t find the sweet aspect of the film. It still felt like I was watching a porn- granted a porn that was focused a little more on plot than usual- but a porn nonetheless. The acting, no doubt due to the fact that they had to sacrifice talent in order to find individuals who were willing to do these “activities” on camera, is mostly on porn level too (meaning it’s not too great). Mitchell has a keen eye for visuals and I have no doubt in my mind that he is a talented filmmaker. This movie has found a place in the heart of a good amount of people. It just didn’t find it’s way into mine. So Jack Horner, if you’re reading this, you still have a chance to make that movie. Maybe yours will be the one that works.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Azure Ray- If You Fall (RECOMMENDED)
Yo La Tengo- Night Falls on Hoboken

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JACKASS 2.5 (2007)

JACKASS 2.5
**
Rating: Not Rated
Length: 64 minutes
Director: Jeff Tremaine (Jackass: The Movie; Jackass Number Two)
Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Ryan Dunn, Spike Jonze, Mike Judge, Preston Lacy, Dave England, Jason ‘Wee Man’ Acuna, Brandon Dicamillo, Ehren McGhehey, Three 6 Mafia, Jeff Tremaine, Mat Hoffman, Phil Margera, April Margera

Originally released for free on the web through a deal with Blockbuster, “Jackass 2.5” is basically deleted scenes stitched together to loosely form a movie- hence the .5 added on to the title. It’s nothing spectacular- nothing that wouldn’t have made a two disc collector’s edition of the sequel worth buying had it been added on that. Instead, they limited the “free” deal once they realized they could milk a few bucks off this and yanked it down and put it out for sale for $19.99 at your local retail outlets. Let me be the first to tell you what you probably all ready know- this “movie” isn’t worth dropping $20 bucks down for. It’s debatable if it’s even worth renting, unless you are a hardcore fan of the series. Put it this way- the majority of the movie consists of interviews with the cast and filmmakers explaining why the scenes they are about to show you weren’t good enough to make it into the movie to begin with. Naturally, because these guys are funny, there are some moments of hilarity, but like I stated earlier those scenes could have made for some great special features on a future “Jackass 2” Special Edition release (which I’m sure will happen anyway). Given that most of the people involved with the series/movies are anti-establishment, it’s tough to imagine that they would be comfortable with their fans paying to buy something like this. It was fun for free. Paying for it will make you feel like the jackass.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
The Minutemen- Corona
Turbonegro- We’re Gonna Drop the Atomic Bomb

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BUY THE TICKET, TAKE THE RIDE: HUNTER S. THOMPSON ON FILM (2006)

BUY THE TICKET, TAKE THE RIDE: HUNTER S. THOMPSON ON FILM
***
Rating: Not Rated
Length: 73 minutes
Director: Tom Thurman (Sam Peckinpah’s West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade; Immaculate Funk)
Writer: Tom Marksbury (Sam Peckinpah’s West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade; Bullets Over Hollywood)
Starring: Bill Murray, Johnny Depp, John Cusack, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Benicio Del Toro, Gary Busey, Harry Dean Stanton, Tom Wolfe, Leonard Maltin, George McGovern, Ed Bradley, William F. Buckley, Anita Thompson, Ralph Steadman, Jann Wenner

I’ve been wanting to see the Hunter S. Thompson documentary, “Breakfast with Hunter”, for quite some time and am currently waiting for it to arrive to me. I did stumble across this nugget in the meantime. “Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride: Hunter S. Thompson On Film” is a loving, tribute to the legendary journalist. It follows the standard documentary format- photos and interview excerpts of Thompson and clips from the two films “based” on his life, 1980’s “Where the Buffalo Roam” (where he was played by Bill Murray) and 1998’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” (played by Johnny Depp). We also get a plethora of interviews, ranging from celebrities (including Murray and Depp), to politicians (George McGovern), his family, and other literary legends (Tom Wolfe). It all adds up to paint Thompson as larger than life, but with also with a certain sadness to him as the film leads up to it’s eventual conclusion with his suicide. Though, his death is handled with a certain grandiose and humor- as it was in reality- as we get to see Thompson planning the extravagant event almost twenty years prior with his good friend (and famed illustrator of his work) Ralph Steadman. Depp, who funded the funeral, is teary eyed just explaining the loss. I hear “Breakfast” is a bit more full and telling and I am greatly looking forward to finally watching it, as Thompson was a personal hero of mine (long before the Gilliam picture). “Buy the Ticket”, however, was well worth the watch. If “Breakfast” doesn’t live up to expectations than at least I’ll have seen this. The Gary Busey interview here is worth it’s weight in gold alone.

Download Interview:
Hunter S. Thompson- Lecture at Boulder City University (1977) (Courtesy of Eggcityradio.com)

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PROM NIGHT (2008)

PROM NIGHT
*
Rating: PG-13
Length: 88 minutes
Director: Nelson McCormick (“Nip/Tuck”; “Prison Break”)
Writer: J.S. Cardone (The Covenant; The Forsaken)
Starring: Brittany Snow, Scott Porter, Johnathon Schaech, Jessica Stroup, Linden Ashby, Dana Davis, James Ransone, Brianne Davis, Kellan Lutz, Jana Kramer, Rachel Specter, Joshua Leonard

With remakes of “Friday the 13^th” and “Hellraiser” on the way (not to mention “The Stepfather” by the same director of this film), Hollywood is doing it’s best to revive the horror franchises of the ‘80’s. Rob Zombie’s “Halloween” remake (technically a ‘70’s remake) made enough bank to realize a potential market. They were right. This remake of the 1980 overrated slasher classic, “Prom Night” opened at number one at the box office in it’s first week with over $20 million in ticket sales. Unlike Zombie’s remake, which was at least interesting and faithful to it’s predecessor, this remake is lame and in name only. The original movie centered around the revenge of an accidental death of a high school student. The plot here centers around high school senior Donna (Brittany Snow) and her dopey “Laguna Beach” group of friends and the bloodshed at their prom. Three years earlier, Donna’s family was murdered by one of her teachers, Richard Fenton (Johnathon Schaech), who had fallen obsessively in love with her. Now Donna is trying to move on with her life and is heading out to the prom with her sweet boyfriend, Bobby (“Friday Night Light”’s Scott Porter), and their above mentioned MTV reality show-ish entourage. Turns out Fenton has escaped from his mental hospital a few days earlier and is at the prom waiting to pick them off one by one. The movie follows all the standard horror clichés. You could play a drinking game with how many times the ol’ “somebody is in the mirror behind you” bit pops up- though most of this film’s audience wouldn’t be able to participate because the movie is rated PG-13! Works for the box office, sure, but the film suffers. The scares are limited by it’s rating and you get a lot of weak off-screen murders and conveniently covered stabbings. The acting is drab. Snow is terrible and the scenes in between the action are painful to watch. Especially when the friends have the played out “Guys, this is our last year at high school together. We could never see each other again!” conversations. Director Nelson McCormick and most of the cast are all TV veterans and it shows. The movie could have premiered on MTV as one of their “original” movies. At least that way it could have reached it’s target audience where they’re most comfortable- at home where they don’t have a curfew.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Bloc Party- I Still Remember
Silversun Pickups- Lazy Eye

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NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VAN WILDER: THE RISE OF TAJ (2006)

NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VAN WILDER: THE RISE OF TAJ
*½
Rating: R
Length: 97 minutes
Director: Mort Nathan (Boat Trip; National Lampoon’s Bag Boy)
Writer: David Drew Gallagher
Starring: Kal Penn, Lauren Cohan, Daniel Percival, Glen Barry, Anthony Cozens, Steve Rathman, Holly Davidson

If dog sperm shooting all over people at a stuffy British dog show is your idea of comic brilliance then have I got the movie for you! I know that the original “Van Wilder” has it’s fans. I’ll admit that while I didn’t particularly like it, it had it’s moments, but that was thanks to Ryan Reynolds. You know, the guy that actually plays Van Wilder- the Van Wilder who’s name graces the title of it’s sequel, yet is nowhere to be found in it (except in a photoshopped picture). The movie- which surprisingly got a theatrical release- focuses on Van’s assistant, Taj (Kal Penn AKA ‘Kumar’), whom Van mentored in the first film. Taj travels to England to become a student teacher at Camford University. He is rejected from his father’s Alma mater and instead is forced to join a small frat of nerds/rejects- including the tough Irish thug, the nerd, the sex obsessed chick, and the silent, crazy guy. He decides to give them the “Van Wilder” treatment (don’t worry, he mentions Van about three dozen times in the first twenty minutes of the movie) and make them fun loving party animals. Their main rival, of course, is the stuffy frat that rejected Taj- and so it seems the rest of the nerds too. Taj also happens to fall for the golden boy of the frat (Daniel Percival)’s girlfriend (Lauren Cohan). To call the movie even semi-inspired would be too much of a compliment. It’s a cheap way to cash in on a minorly popular gross out comedy- the same thing the “American Pie” franchise has been doing with it’s last few films. How many people do you know that have seen any of those and said “Man, “Naked Mile” was hilarious!” or “You have got to watch “Beta House”! It’s awesome”? You won’t hear anybody say that about “The Rise of Taj” either.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Starlight Mints- Eyes of the Night
The Lashes- Pop Song

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IN THE LAND OF WOMEN (2007)

IN THE LAND OF WOMEN
*
Rating: PG-13
Length: 97 minutes
Director: Jonathan Kasdan
Writer: Jonathan Kasdan (“Dawson’s Creek”; “Freaks and Geeks”)
Starring: Meg Ryan, Adam Brody, Kristen Stewart, Ginnifer Goodwin, JoBeth Williams, Olympia Dukakis, Dustin Milligan, Makenzie Vega, Elena Anaya, Clark Gregg

Every moment of “In the Land of Women” feels false. It comes as no surprise that writer/director Jonathan Kasdan- son of director Lawrence (The Big Chill) and brother of director Jake (Walk Hard)- cut his teeth writing episodes of “Dawson’s Creek” (though one episode of “Freaks and Geeks” which he has to get props for). The movie feels like young Jon watched “Garden State” a few dozen times and decided he wanted to make his own version with a shot of that trademark “Dawson” banter. Soft core porn writer Carter Webb (“The O.C.”’s Adam Brody- fitting) had just been dumped by his movie star girlfriend (Elena Anaya). He escapes to the comfort of his ailing Grandmother (Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis) who lives in a small suburban Detroit town. He hopes to forget about his ex and work on a long in the works project on his high school years. Instead, he meets the neighbors and gets involved in a love triangle with the mother, Sarah (Meg Ryan) and teenage daughter Lucy (Kristen Stewart). Sarah has discovered she has breast cancer and that her husband (Clark Gregg) is having an affair. Lucy is going through typical awkward high school issues including another love triangle involving the captain of the football squad (Graham Wardle) and his aloof best friend (Dustin Milligan). There’s a lot of dialogue and everyone seems to believe they are saying the most important things in the world- especially the younger daughter of the family, Paige (Makenzie Vega) who spouts out “Dawson’s”-esque dialogue until you want to smother her with a pillow. Talk about not believing in what you’re watching. Kasdan has an astonishingly annoying habit of having his characters hesitate and sigh before they say something particularly “heavy”. It might have worked for the WB, but for a feature length movie it grates on one’s nerves.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Mates of States- Goods (All in Your Head)
Rogue Wave- Publish Your Love

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THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION (1981)

THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION
***
Rating: Not Rated
Length: 100 minutes
Director: Penelope Spheeris (Wayne’s World; Suburbia)
Writer: Penelope Spheeris (Suburbia; The Little Rascals)
Starring: Black Flag, The Germs, X, The Circle Jerks, Fear, Alice Bag Band, Catholic Discipline

Punk rock migrated to the West Coast of the United States the same way a secret makes it’s way through an elementary classroom. By the time it reaches the last student, it’s changed so much it barely resembles the original statement. “The Decline of Western Civilization” was a mystic film in my youth, seen by all of my friends on a blurry VHS that was a copy of a copy presumably. Seeing it again brought back a lot of found memories and now that I’m older I was able to appreciate the documentary on a fuller level. Back then I was just happy to see The Germs and Black Flag in a movie. I mean, I got to see the late, great Darby Crash performing live! Writer/Director Penelope Spheeris (who later went on to direct “Wayne’s World” and write episodes of “Roseanne”) filmed the movie between 1979 and 1980- shortly before Crash’s intentionally fatal heroin overdose. It’s a time when punk had been around in the East. The Sex Pistols, the Ramones, the Clash, the Talking Heads, CBGB- everything had happened and now it was time for the Western interpretation. The music was faster and rawer. The Germs, like the Stooges before them, started off not knowing how to even play their instruments and morphed into a band. The lyrics are supposed to be more political, but they seem to be more about angst and depression- hence Black Flag’s historic performance of “Depression” here. If you’re a punk fan and it’s because you’re only familiar with the music thanks to Green Day or the Offspring, this should be mandatory viewing. If you’re a fan of documentaries in general, this should be mandatory viewing. It offers what every good documentary should- a glance into a subject that deserves to be examined beyond it’s exterior. Besides the performances, we get backstage looks at Black Flag living in an abandoned church for $15 a month (they calculate that they actually lose money by being in the band). X is the band of the moment and they lament, as they tattoo each other, that they aren’t sure they should be being playing songs about being poor anymore. And, of course, the film’s purest punk moment- when a friend of the Germs tells a story about the band discovering a dead painter in their backyard. He had been there for a few days, unnoticed. They took pictures with him. “It was funny!”, she exclaims. That’s the point in the picture when the title of the movie makes perfect sense.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
X- Johnny Hit and Run Paulene
Black Flag- White Minority

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THE SAVAGES (2007)

THE SAVAGES
***½
Rating: R
Length: 113 minutes
Director: Tamara Jenkins (The Slums of Beverly Hills; Family Remains)
Writer: Tamara Jenkins (The Slums of Beverly Hills; Family Remains)
Starring: Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco, Peter Friedman, Cara Seymour, Debra Monk, Rosemary Murphy, Hal Blankenship, Guy Boyd

Every year I have to wait and wait for a movie to find it’s way to me before I can write my Top Ten Best Movies of the Year List. Last year it was David Lynch’s “Inland Empire”, which was interesting, but not worth the wait. This year it was “The Savages” and it was absolutely worth the wait. “The Savages” is one of the Best Films of 2007. The list, by the way, will be on the blog by the end of the month. I know April is a bit far into the following year for a best of list for the prior year, but I believe in a fair and just list and waiting to see all the movies I need to see before compiling it and then giving it some time to order (I’m a geek, I know). That’s off topic. What I want to talk about is how wonderful this film is. It’s wonderful on so many levels. One, of course, being it’s phenomenal two leads. Laura Linney is one of my favorite actresses and she gives what is probably the best performance of her career. Philip Seymour Hoffman, all ready putting in excellent work in 2007’s “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” and “Charlie Wilson’s War” (earning an Oscar nod) also outdoes himself. The trailer for the movie made it look a bit obnoxious. I’m familiar with it’s writer and director through a movie I’ve still never seen all the way through, “The Slums of Beverly Hills”. Not a knock on the movie- I’ve liked what I’ve seen, I’ve just never managed to watch the whole thing. From the previews, I imagined “The Savages” as a film where the characters tossed “witty, you can tell we’re trying to be clever” dialogue back and forth with some stale observations about getting older. I couldn’t have been more off base. The dialogue is witty and clever, though in a completely natural way. There are observations about getting older, yet they aren’t stale- they are sad and true. It’s a movie about people searching desperately for happiness as time is closing in on them. They self sabotage themselves and wonder why they can’t find it. Sounds depressing, I know. Granted, moments of the movie are, still it is a comedy and it is at times very, very funny. You know people like the family in the film. The father, Lenny Savage (Philip Bosco), hasn’t been in much contact with his biological son, Jon (Hoffman) and daughter, Wendy (Linney) for twenty years or so. He lives in Arizona with a walking zombie of a girlfriend, who indeed finally dies mid-nail polish. Jon and Wendy are called in take care of him. Lenny is slowly losing a battle with Alzheimer's and wasn’t exactly a model father growing up. Wendy has written a play about her childhood entitled “Wake Up When It’s Over”. At one point in the play the father character repeatedly slaps the son character in the face in the kitchen. Needless to say Wendy, herself, is a mess. She lives with her cat and is having an affair with a cowardly married man (Peter Friedman), who cares enough about her for sex, but barely re-acts when she lies to him about a potential cancer issue. She is an office temp, not a professional playwright, though she tells her brother it is the other way around. Jon is a bit more accomplished. He is a college professor with a girlfriend (“American Psycho”’s Cara Seymour) who is being deported because he won’t marry her to get her a green card. The girlfriend tells Wendy that he won’t shed a tear about her leaving, yet he cries when she cooks him eggs for breakfast. Even though the years have separated the children from their father the resentment and repercussions are fresh. The father knows it and he slips into oblivion with guilt as his freshest memories. It reminded me of a more realistic “Royal Tenenbaums”, except this father isn’t able (or willing) to redeem himself and the worst part about it is that he’s passed the trait along to his offspring. Jenkins’ superb script lost out to “Juno” for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards this year. Unfair. As I’ve stated before, “Juno” was all well and good, but real people don’t talk like that (“Lars and the Real Girl” also lost- I would have liked to have seen a first ever tie- for screenplay anyway- with this instead). The heart that beats in “Juno” was charming and cute. The heart that beats in “The Savages” is like the heart that beats in a real human being. A human being who is afraid of failure, of not being loved, of growing old and dying. Did I mention it was a comedy?

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
The Velvet Underground- I’m Sticking With You
The Kinks- Sitting By the Riverside

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WEIRDSVILLE (2007)

WEIRDSVILLE
**½
Rating: R
Length: 90 minutes
Director: Allan Moyle (Empire Records; Pump Up the Volume)
Writer: Willem Wennekers (Night Class)
Starring: Wes Bentley, Taryn Manning, Scott Speedman, Matt Frewer, Greg Bryk, Maggie Castle, Jordan Prentice

There seems to be a sort of genre that has spawned over the years that can loosely defined as “frantic/drug induced/caper comedy”- if that makes any sense. There has been the good (“Go”; “Gridlock’d”), the watchable (“Stark Raving Mad”) and the god awful (“Fifty Pills”). “Weirdsville” falls more in the watchable category, but you get my drift on what kind of movie it is if you’ve seen any of the above mentioned flicks. The main character or characters are usually druggies or if not, involved heavily with untrustworthy (but well-meaning) druggies, and are trying to pull of some kind of get rich quick scheme or trying to find a way out of some crazy predicament. The two smack and potheads here- Royce (“American Beauty”’s Wes Bentley) and Dexter (Scott Speedman- I swore he was Chris Evans until I saw his name in the end credits instead)- do mean well and just want to pay off a dope dealer (Raoul Bhaneja) who Royce and his prostitute girlfriend Matilda (Taryn Manning- again! What the hell?) accidentally screwed over while Dexter was off trying to kick his habit. They plan to rob a rich hippie (Matt Frewer) who has been hospitalized after an ice pick jammed into his skull. His mansion, which contains a safe with all of his money (he doesn’t believe in banks), is only being guarded by a horny teenage pothead named Jeremy (Joe Dinicol). Should be easy enough- but nobody counted on the deranged Satanists whom Royce and Dexter stumble upon performing a sacrifice. No coincidence that the Satanists also happen to be loyal followers of the hippie and need some blood (somehow it ends up being Matilida’s) to bring the hippie back to full health. Throw in some medieval time re-enacting midgets bent on revenge and a few other obstacles and you’ve got “Weirdsville” in a nutshell. It doesn’t always work. Obviously, some of the plot points are a bit far fetched to say the least, but there are some genuine laughs and the movie is truthfully never boring. The biggest surprise to me was Wes Bentley. I have never been a fan (hated him in “American Beauty”- sorry “Beauty” fans). He gives a really terrific comedic performance. If his true calling are roles like this, then god bless him let them cast him in more. Movies like “Weirdsville” end up having a strong shelf life because they always end up finding a cult audience. Director Allan Moyle, in fact, you may recognize from a couple of other cult “classics” (though I despise both) “Empire Records” and “Pump Up the Volume”. One day you’ll be sitting on one of your friend’s couches flipping through the stations and this movie will be on and your friend will say something like “Oh man, have you seen this? It’s actually pretty funny”. A movie could have a worst fate.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Calla- Swagger
Black Mountain- Druganaut

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