September (NF19/TV7/MM6/CC3/ST1)

* True Romance: (1993 - Action, drama, crime) Written (in part) by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott, this movie had a fantastic cast: Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Michael Rapaport, Val Kilmer, Bronson Pinchot, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Tom Sizemore, Christopher Walken, Samuel L. Jackson, Saul Rubinek, James Gandolfini. The plot is nothing special. The owner of a comic book store (Slater) marries a hooker (Arquette), then steals a briefcase full of cocaine from her pimp (Oldman). They go on the lamb, trying to sell the cocaine, and get away from their crappy lives. The level of violence in this movie was excessive. So much so that it distracted from the finer points of the movie - like the acting, and the writing. Why must Tarantino write such violent stuff? 3 out of 5.
* Innocent Blood: (1992 - Horror, comedy, crime, drama) This sexy crime drama is directed by John Landis, and features a pretty good cast. When a sexy vampire (Anne Parillaud) fails to finish off her latest victim - a ruthless mob boss (Robert Loggia), he awakens to undead status in the morgue. Confused at first, he soon realizes that he's one of the undead. Imbued with vampiric powers, he begins converting his employees to undead status. In the meantime, Parillaud teams up with an unlikely ally (Anthony LaPaglia) in her quest to hunt down and 'eliminate' her mistakes. The vampire played by Parillaud seems obsessed with sex, and this movie features a lot of skin shots with her in the buff. The movie is a bit of a dark comedy, and the director does a good job with this cast. The special effects when vampires are exposed to sunlight were awesome. The pacing was a bit fast, but not too bad. 3 out of 5.
* * * Freaks and Geeks - The complete series (a six disc series): I recently began watching these television shows on DVD. I was surprised to learn that this NBC series only ran for a single season. I found it "Awesome!" I was instantly transported back to my high school - where I was one of the geeks. Many of the actors were too old for the roles they were cast in, but the acting was excellent. The cast did a magnificent job of portraying that 'lost' feeling you experience as a kid in high school. You never really know what clique you're supposed to fit into, and your parents are as alien as Toasters to Coyotes? Disc 6 was excellent. I especially liked the "Discos and Dragons" episode. 5 of 5 (for the episodes on this disc). 5 out of 5 for the series as a whole. Too bad it only lasted one season.
* Suddenly: (1954 - Drama, crime, suspense) Black & White. Frank Sinatra as a Villain! It's a secret - The president is going to arrive in a little whistle stop called 'Suddenly'. It may be a secret to everyone in town. Everyone but a group of out of town gangsters that is. This group of thugs is led by John Baron (Played by Frank Sinatra). Baron and his gang show up unexpectedly with a sinister plan. Long range assassination using a rifle. This movie, pre-dated president John F. Kennedy's assassination by several years, and some would say it foreshadowed his death. The acting, aside from that of Frank Sinatra, was poor, the direction fair, the music poor. The story was suspenseful and taught. The writing was filled with anti-communist propaganda. One can't help but appreciate the way this movie paints the post war era of McCarthyism in America. This one gets a 4 out of 5, primarily on the strength of Sinatra's acting.
* The life aquatic with Steve Zissou: (2004 - Adventure, comedy, drama) Charming, character based drama, with subtle humor and great characters. I really, enjoyed this movie. The attention to detail is unbelievable, the fantastic creatures, the drama, the action sequences (Yes there were action sequences), everything was spectacular. An absolutely fantastic cast, great acting, awesome directing, moving music and more. I have three movies by Wes Anderson, and I love every one of them. Starring: Bill Murray (Comic master), Owen Wilson (A favorite who got his start in another Wes Anderson movie), Cate Blanchett (Galadriel from 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy), Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe and Jeff Goldblum. The plot? A strange twisted one - Aging deep sea explorer uses the tragic demise of his partner, to create a final 'last but best' documentary. While tracking down the sea monster that ate his partner, he suffers a mid-life crisis, discovers a son he never had, his wife leaves him, he rescues a 'bond company stooge' from pirates, etc, etc, etc... The movie kept me glued to the couch while I was immersed in a totally self-contained magical world. I give it a 5 out of 5.
* Snatch: (2000 - Comedy, crime, thriller / UK, USA) Written and directed by Guy Ritchie (wrote and directed Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), this stylistic crime thriller featured a great cast (British and American): Jason Statham, Stephen Graham, Alan Ford, Brad Pitt, Dennis Farina, Rade Serbedzija, Robbie Gee, Lennie James, Vinnie Jones, Benicio Del Toro and others. A very large cast of excellent actors. Every actor played a bottom feeder - A mobster, desperate gambler, scammer, bagmen, bumbling burglar, desperado of some sort. Most had hokey names: Turkish, Brick Top Polford, Boris 'The Blade' Yurinov, Bullet Tooth Tony, Franky Four Fingers. The pacing is break-neck fast forward, and the story is one of multiple plots that all orbit around the same object - An 86 carat diamond. As the diamond moves from character to character, the scenery changes among the cast of this movie. The editing is a bit frenetic, but well done. A stolen diamond of these proportions is a bit like blood in the water to these sharks. Once they start to sniff out the bait, the feeding frenzy begins. In a violent swirl of outstanding performances, these no-good mobsters shoot, maim, and kill each other to possess this sparkling source of power. This is a very violent film, but the comedic elements of the film serve to somewhat blunt those grittier moments. This director does some very good work, I just wish it wasn't so violent. The dialogue was snappy, the costumes excellent, the music well matched, and the acting outstanding. Bradd Pitt does a great job as a pugilistic gypsy with a penchant for rebelliousness and an indecipherable accent. The style is very much like that of Quentin Tarantino films - flashy, fast, furious, explosively violent, and a bit tongue in cheek. 4 out of 5.
* Echo and the Bunnymen - Live in Liverpool: (2001 - Concert / UK) My favorite band - In a terrible concert video. Ian McCulloch had very little energy in this concert. He didn't warm up until half way through the concert. The guitar work by Will Sargeant was mixed wrong. Lead guitar was constantly burying McCulloch's lyrics, and the additional psychedelic flair made me think of the worst Bunnymen album (Yup, the one without McCulloch - Reverberation). I don't have much experience watching concert videos, but it seemed to me that this was a rather poor production. The entire video was masked over with washed out and distorted video of the band (band members) at various stages in their careers, but that was the only notable feature. Aside from that, it was a camera pointed at a stage. 2 out of 5.
* Pirates of Silicon Valley: (1999 - Biography, drama) A made for TV movie, based on a book (Fire in the Valley - The making of the personal computer) published in 1984. An unauthorized biographical movie, loaded with facts about the beginnings of the PC. Unfortunately, the character portrayals were way over the top. Lacking any subtlety or depth, each character was boiled down to a single sentiment. The acting was o.k., but the direction terrible. The writers converted a book into a hollywood script, and that spoiled much of the movie. The pacing was far too fast for this movie. At just over 90 minutes, the movie seemed rushed and incomplete. I'm sure that part of that feeling was brought on by the way the movie ends ...and now Microsoft owns shares of Apple... This movie really deserves a remake - it needs to go further. As an admitted Apple lover, I had to watch it, but can't help but despise the way it ended. 3 of 5.
* Once upon a time in the west: (1968 - Action, drama, western / Italian - C'era una volta il West) A movie by the legendary Sergio Leone (Director of the original spaghetti westerns starring Clint Eastwood). The characters are all misfits, renegades, murderers and opportunists - Archetypes of the old west. The untamed west. The west where men lived on their own. Survived on the power of their own will. Out to make a buck off their fellow man, the characters lie, cheat, steal, and kill in order to survive, in order to stay on top. In the end, as it becomes evident that those days are over, even these cold-blooded men are seeking redemption of some sort or another, they just won't admit it or submit to it. Unfortunately - for the characters in our story, redemption comes at a very heavy price. The consumption of their soul, the destruction of their body, the breaking of their will. Some great acting (Henry Fonda as a heavy was great casting), excellent directing, and best of all was the camera work. The movie was a bit long and drawn out at times, but overall it was a joy to watch. The character intros at the beginning of the film were great, and the music by Ennio Morricone was perfectly suited to this fable of the west. Containing numerous references to other films, this movie is a movie inside many movies. This flick earns 5 out of 5.
* The Vanishing: (1993 - Mystery, thriller, crime) There are two movies with the same title. One Dutch (Dutch name: Spoorloos), made in 1988, and this American one, made in 1993. Both movies are based on a book (The Golden Egg) by Tim Krabbé. Both movies are even directed by the same director: George Sluizer. The cast in this American remake features: Jeff Bridges, Kiefer Sutherland, Nancy Travis and Sandra Bullock. An excellent thriller, with plenty of suspense. The opening was especially creepy, as the psychotic antagonist (played by Jeff Bridges) plans out the more intricate details of his plot. The music during this part of the movie was expertly matched to the mood of the movie. The acting in this movie was great, and the story was fantastic. A man and his girlfriend are on a vacation in the American Northwest. When they stop at a rest stop, the girlfriend (Bullock) is abducted. Over the next three years, the boyfriend is obsessed by her disappearance. He's been searching relentlessly. When he has finally given up, and decides to start living again, he's contacted by the abductor. This remake is very well done, the ending however, is a pale hollywood substitute for that of the original. All in all, I was still very impressed by the movie. 4 out of 5.
* The Grapes of Wrath: (1940 - Drama, historical) Another timeless classic. This movie was directed by John Ford (one of the greatest American directors). Based on the novel by John Steinbeck. Starring Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine and many others. This movie tells the story of the American midwest during the depression. It's the story of a family of crop share workers from Oklahoma. When they're evicted from their homes, they decide to head west - To the land of Milk and Honey. It's a cautionary, dark, but true tale. Some wouldn't believe that these things could happen in America. They did, they could, and they might happen again. What has happened to the labor unions in America? What has happened to health care, welfare, wages, labor laws? Amazingly charged with political and social commentary. The characters are fantastic. Especially the fallen preacher played by John Carradine. The dialog is rich with deeper meaning than any film made today. I should probably read the book. If it's anywhere as good as the movie, I'm missing out on something special. 5 out of 5. (This time around I listened to the commentary track. A couple of college egg-heads who debated the various sociopolitical aspects of the film, John Ford and John Steinbeck. At one point the argue over Steinbeck's personal politics. Was he conservative or liberal? This scientific discourse was dry, boring, and as it turns out, a great soporific. I fell asleep several times.)
* Overlord: (1975 - War, drama / UK) This black & white film featured some fantastic photography, and editing. Much of this film consisted of archival footage integrated into the film. The editing was done in such a way as to make the archival footage seem to be part of the film. The director and cinematographer did an excellent job of integrating this archival footage. The camera work in this movie was excellent. The story was a slowly paced one about one boys call-up to war. The film opens with a foreboding dream like scene. As we follow this young Brit through his basic training, we're exposed to a grueling sense of reality where service is depicted in fairly authentic terms. Service isn't a cake-walk, even if you aren't in the field the whole time. After he completes his initial training, he's secreted away to an undisclosed location. At this training camp, the training is notched up a gear. In preparation for the invasion. This movie accurately portrays the preparations for invasion in WWII's D-Day landing (operation Overlord). Throughout the movie, there's an over-riding sense of dread that culminates in the last few minutes of the film. A fine film, well worth watching. Not a glorious explosion of patriotism and heroics. This movie is a very complex, subtle and realistic look at the rigors of service. 3 out of 5.
* * Star Trek - The original series - Vol. 35, episodes 69 & 70: [That Which Survives / Let That Be Your Last Battlefield]: I've been watching episodes of the original Star Trek series for the last couple of years. I watched it as a kid when I was growing up (Yow! that makes me... old?), I loved it back then, and I still love it. My friends and I used to pretend to be members of the 'Starship Enterprise', and this television series was a great source of imaginative exercise while I was growing up. That Which Survives features an uninhabited planet that appears to have been terraformed. The Enterprise is transported 990.7 light years away from the planet when Kirk and crew beam down to investigate. A beautiful but deadly woman appears, and begins to kill crew members one after another. As Spock and Scotty try to prevent the out of control Enterprise from exploding, Kirk and crew investigate some strange power readings. Eventually Kirk and crew are confronted by a trio of identical killing machines, projected images that act as a self defense mechanism for the planet. In the second episode, the Enterprise is the stage for a final battle between the last two inhabitants of a planet that self-destructed in a genocidal race based conflict. The ending of this episode was especially poignant, and I liked the fact that the writers let the episode end on such a note.
* Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels: (1998 - Action, drama, crime, comedy / UK) Another movie written and directed by Guy Ritchie (see Snatch). This movie was made before Snatch, and frankly, it's better. I have to admit that I liked the writting, the direction and editing. The acting (starring Jason Statham and a slew of other British actors) was very good, and the full throttle pacing was properly geared for a movie with a high octane rating. The plot was something about someone who owed someone some money for some reason or other. But, who really cares? I really lost track - it was a bit hard to follow, but I gave up after a while. This movie was an orgy of violent evil characters, doing bad things for bad reasons. By the time the movie ended, I had to squegee the blood off my living room floor. Unfortunately, all this talent was wasted on a movie that was ultimately empty. Full of style, flash and panache, but lacking in substance or subtlety. I'm still waiting for Guy Ritchie to focus his energy on a tale worth telling. 3 out of 5.
* Commando: (1985 - Action, adventure, comedy) The epitome of bad 80's action movies. Here's Arnold Schwarzenegger in one of his cheesiest roles ever. The acting talent (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Dan Hedaya, Vernon Wells, James Olson, David Patrick Kelly and Alyssa Milano) is uniformly bad, so as not to upstage the star! The plot. Bad guys make the mistake of kidnapping the daughter of John Matrix - Former elite commando. When John won't go along with their plans (for him to assassinate the president of some South American country), we're all in for a wild ride. In 11 hours, Arnold manages to shoot, blow up, decapitate (with a saw blade), break the necks, and knife to death more than 80 bad guys (according to IMDB). While the lines were great, the delivery wasn't. I can only imagine that this movie would make a great excuse for a drinking game. Every time John Matrix kills someone, you have to take a drink. The electro-retro 80's soundtrack was terrible, and the hair do's - oh my 80's! Vernon Wells was lame as the primary protagonist, and Dan Hedaya was terrible with his South American 'by way of New York' accent. Preposterous waste of time. 2 out of 5.
* The Desperadoes: (1943 - Western, drama) The first movie from Columbia to feature color (Technicolor). This western is a well written screenplay, featuring a great cast: Randolph Scott, Claire Trevor, Glenn Ford, Evelyn Keyes. The acting and direction were pretty good. The part that impressed me was the depth of the story. This wasn't just your usual 'Bank Robbers make off with the loot' plot. It was a bit more complicated than that. The role reversals - Bad guy who's good, good guy's who are bad - were well scripted. In this movie, an escaped convict shows up in po-dunk town to pull of a bank robbery. Unfortunately, the heist has already happened. That's when things start to get rather interesting. Some really nice outdoor shots, good acting, fine directing, and great writing all combined to make for a great movie. I highly recommend it. 4 out of 5.
* La Dolce Vita: (1960 - Drama, adventure, romance / Italy) A fantastic film by one of the great Italian directors: Federico Fellini. Starring: Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimée, Yvonne Furneaux, Magali Noël, Alain Cuny, Annibale Ninchi, and many others. This movie focuses on an out-of-focus life. Marcello (Mastroianni) plays a playboy in a decadent society. For seven days and seven nights in Rome, we follow the main character, a man adrift in his life. Ignoring his longtime girlfriend (who attempts suicide at one point), envying an intellectual and serious friend (who later commits suicide and kills his entire family), flirting with a vacant American actress, working in a meaningless but profitable field of gossip based journalism. This movie is a contemplation on life - A black humor satire of life. As Marcello examines his life, we are taken along for a wild ride, an adventure through the crowded nights and empty streets of a man who's life is full of noise, but void of meaning. This movie was full of wonderful camera work, some excellent acting, outstanding music, great costumes and so much energy that it took me two days to take it all in (over three hours long). What you won't find is a coherent plot, an overarching aim or goal. This is a dramatic character study. A film which examines emotions and relationships, not events and actions. 4 out of 5.
* 3:10 to Yuma: (2007 - Western, action, drama) Saw this one in the theater with a couple of co-workers. I was a bit hesitant to see it. The original was really good, and I had a feeling that this remake was unnecessary. Before the movie even opened, we were subjected to an extensive barrage of studio advertisements - Banners for the production, distribution and film studios responsible for the movie. Not only did we see three different studio banners, they were longer than normal (individually), and repeated twice. All in all, it took more than five minutes to get past the 'Here's who made this movie' opening segment. It was so ridiculous that I started to chuckle, and so did a few other people. On with the movie... Here's the remake of an excellent western from 1957. This remake featured a great cast: Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Logan Lerman, Dallas Roberts, Ben Foster, Peter Fonda, Vinessa Shaw and others. Before the movie even opened we were subjected The camera work was pretty good. The costumes, sets and props were great. The direction was o.k. but the writing left me wondering. The basic story is the same as the original. A down on his luck rancher (Christian Bale) hires on with a group of hired Pinkerton (railroad security) agents in order to transport the leader of a gang (Russel Crowe) to Yuma, Arizona. The only way they can pull this off is through deceit. They trick the rest of the gang into thinking he's in a stagecoach - headed overland for Yuma.. In reality, they're planning to put him on a train. The Pinkerton agents set off towards the railway station, and the gang heads overland. When the gang figures out that they've been fooled, they head back towards town in order to rescue their leader. Will this outlaw be put on that train? Will he face justice? Or, will the rest of the gang spring him before he has to pay the price of his crimes? The sound work and music was excellent. The best part of the writing was the dialog. "Tommy was weak, Tommy was stupid, and now Tommy is dead" The acting was good. The best acting actually came from Ben Foster as the second in command of the outlaws. There's plenty of gun-play in this movie. Too much in my opinion. The tension between characters, and the acting in general were great. Some of the background information was welcome, but eventually the info comes spoon-fed, and feels forced. Unfortunately, the movie turns into a Hollywood shoot-em-up during the last fifteen minutes of the movie, and the ending. Preposterous... 3 out of 5. FYI: I rate the original a 4 out of 5.
* The Warriors: (1979 - Action, drama, crime) This movie rocks! Directed by Walter Hill (The Long Riders, 48 Hrs, Last Man Standing, Supernova), starring a large cast, which included: Michael Beck, James Remar, Dorsey Wright, Brian Tyler, David Harris, Tom McKitterick, Marcelino Sanchez, Terry Michos, Thomas G. Waites, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, Roger Hill, David Patrick Kelly, Lynne Thigpen, Mercedes Ruehl. Made in the late 70's, it was one of the first movies (that I know of) to feature a graphic novel feel to it. The transition scenes would fade from single frame still, morph from photo to graphic, change over to multi-scene comic spread, transition to single frame comic scene, then morph back from graphic to single frame photo shot. Awesome editing! The music was fantastic. The acting was good (not great), but the performance by David Patrick Kelly (as Luther, leader of the Rogues) was really good. Very good. The writing and lines were great. The story is relatively simple. A relatively small time gang sends 9 members to a convocation at the end of the train/subway line. All the gangs of New York are on the verge of unification, under the leadership of one 'Cyrus'. As the leader is speaking to these gangsters, the crowd is 'digging' it, until... Some thug (No one was supposed to be packing), pulls out a snub nose and kills the evangelical leader of the Riffs, deader than a doornail. When Luther realizes that he's been spotted by one of the 'Warriors', he starts shouting 'They did it, the Warriors killed Cyrus!' The rest of the movie is an action packed trip on New York's streets and subways, as the Warriors fight their way through a gauntlet of various gangs. The truce is broken, and the Warriors are wanted men! 5 out of 5. Added to my 'Must Buy' list.
* Night and Fog: (1955 - Documentary, war, history / France) A black and white stark revelation (parts in color). The horrors of the holocaust. This French documentary lifts the veil on the atrocities of the Third Reich. Featuring newsreel and archival footage, this documentary was filmed on the site of the Auschwitz death camp in Poland. Narrated with a firm but emotionless voice, the documentary covers those things done in the death camps, the fate of millions wasn't determined on a glorious battlefield. For many, it ended here, in camps like these. The truly gruesome nature of the Nazi solution is revealed in a short thirty minute film. This film is NOT for children. I was left shaken, saddened and stunned. How could man, any man, do these things? With a population under complete control of their government, the self serving media reported only what the leaders wanted them to report. The bulk of the population had no idea what their government was doing in the name of Germany. Could this ever happen again? Don't kid yourself. What we do not learn from history, we are doomed to repeat. What do you, or your children know of the holocaust? Is this even taught in American schools? 4 of 5.
* Samurai Rebellion: (1967 - Drama, action / Japan - Jôi-uchi: Hairyô tsuma shimatsu) Based on a novel, this compelling story about a samurai clan is directed by Masaki Kobayashi. Starring Toshiro Mifune in the lead role, the story tells the tale of an aging samurai who finds himself pushed too far. The story is a complex drama, featuring themes of love, loyalty and family. When a corrupt clan leader abuses his authority, and believes that his position guarantees his safety. What he doesn't count on is traditional bushido values above fealty. This movie starts out very slowly, establishing a family background and social setting of relative peace. About mid-way through the movie, things begin to heat up. The ending of the movie is a sword forge incendiary of emotional swordplay. The acting by Toshiro Mifune (and many others) was outstanding, The direction superb, and the ending excellent. 4 out of 5. I'm planning to watch more movies by this director.
* Barbarella: (1968 - Sci-fi, fantasy, adventure) Starring an incredibly hot Jane Fonda in the lead role. This bizarre sci-fi flick is anything but ordinary. In the year 40,000, Jane Fonda plays an oversexed secret agent, sent to the planet Lythion to rescue the scientist Durand Durand from the evil city of Sogo. The opening credits feature Jane Fonda in a zero-g strip-tease as she removes her space-suit in a fur lined spaceship. The opening sets the scene for a phantasmagoric fantasy where killer dolls, blind angels, and hollow leather-men constitute a small portion of this shagadelic movie. Fonda is half naked in many scenes, and she engages in various forms of sex throughout the movie. Old fashioned sex with a hairy forest warden, futuristic hand to hand sex (with the help of some 'exultation transference pills'), and deadly musical sex, with a machine designed to 'pleasure her to death'. Fonda changes her skimpy costumes several times, strikes suggestive posses and searches for Durand Durand in this incredibly cheesy 60's sci-fi sexscapade. The music is terrible, the acting bad, the writing atrocious, and the camera work was constantly out of focus. The redeeming features. A very sexy Fonda, a psychotic menagerie of characters, and a visually stunning movie. If you like B-grade sci-fi cult flicks, this one rates up there with the best. So bad you've gotta love it. I give it a 3 out of 5.
* 3:10 to Yuma: (1957 - Western, drama) Here's a great drama. Very much like 'High Noon', but a great movie in it's own right. Starring Glenn Ford and Van Helfin on opposite sides of the same coin. Two independent men trying to eke out an existence in the hardscrabble landscape of Arizona. Both men claim to be interested in money, but their motivations are much deeper. The leader of a gang of outlaws is captured by small town heroes. Fearing retribution by the remaining gang members, a small group of ordinary men turned heroes attempts to move the outlaw leader to a more secure location in Yuma. As this taught drama unwinds, and the clock ticks down, a western drama with amazing depth is played out in near real time. I had to watch this movie (again), after seeing the remake earlier this month (Sep 2007). This movie is easily the better movie. While it lacks the explosive action, and copious amounts of gunplay, the characters are more believable. The pacing more realistic, the drama is tenser, and the ending far more believable. 4 out of 5.
* The Eye 2: (2004 - Horror, drama / Hong-Kong - Gin gwai 2) Like the first movie, this one is directed by the Pang brothers. Unlike the original. This sequel (which isn't really a sequel) doesn't have the same sense of dread or suspense that the first movie had.What it does have is good acting and a descent sound track. The lead actor: Qi Shu, does an excellent job. The story is one of reincarnation. When a young woman becomes despondent over a break up, she attempts suicide, then learns that she is pregnant. She then develops the ability to see souls or the dead. She sees the souls of the dead as they are preparing to enter the bodies of newborns in order to be reborn. The soul destined to enter her child is not very friendly, and morning sickness is the least of her worries. I really didn't care for it. Never got into it, and never saw it as frightening. The ending was far too predictable. 2 out of 5.
* Stranger Than Paradise: (1984 - Drama, comedy, adventure) Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch (see Dead Man with Johnny Depp and Broken Flowers with Bill Murray), this film is shot in black and white. It's the tale of some typical New Yorkers. When Willie's cousin arrives from Hungary, he isn't too thrilled to put her up for a week. She doesn't speak much English, and he considers her a cramp in his style. This is a three part story of three people. Willie, his Hungarian cousin Eva, and Willie's best friend Eddie. First part of the movie is the three of them in New York. The second part is a road trip to Ohio. The third act is a road trip down to Florida, where things aren't as much fun as they were hoping. Very sparse on dialog, and only fair in the acting, this movie has some really good camera work. I especially liked the long takes, the music, and the fact that the movie wasn't chopped into little itty bitty pieces or edited in some bizarre out of order sequence. The character interactions were believable despite the fact they slightly off the beaten track. Dry understated humor and a touch of romance. 3 out of 5.
* Ed Wood: (1994 - Biopic, comedy, drama) Here's an excellent film-within-a-film biopic. Directed by Tim Burton, starring: Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette, Jeffrey Jones, Bill Murray, Lisa Marie, George 'The Animal' Steele, and others. The music (the only Tim Burton film not to feature Danny Elfman's music) was outstanding, and the acting excellent. Especially Martin Landau's portrayal of Bela Lugosi. Here, Tim Burton manages to make a movie about the worst director of all time, without depicting him in a pale light. Ed Wood is portrayed as an optimistic realist who never gave up. This is definitely an actors movie, the lines and characters were great. Everyone seemed to really invest themselves in their characters. There are a lot of subtle tongue in cheek moments in this film. One that I really liked was a scene where Ed Wood (Johnny Depp) is excited about Bela Lugosi's (Martin Landau) first day on the set. He grabs a megaphone, and shouts for everyone to gather round. Then, still using the megaphone, he begins to whisper to the assembled crew. Who would have imagined that Ed Wood was ten times more interesting than the movie that he made. 4 out of 5.
* The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: (1984 - Adventure, sci-fi, action) This is a cult movie. You either love it or you hate it. Well, color me luke-warm. I'm sitting in the middle. Starring: Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, Robert Ito, Vincent Schiavelli, Dan Hedaya, and many others. The cast was great, but the acting terrible. Everyone (except Peter Weller) overplayed their roles. The story was an unfathomable sci-fi tale where Buckaroo Banzai (Adopted by Japanese parents) is the head of a group of Rock-N-Roll superheros. He seems to be the head of some sort of super law enforcement agency (The Hong Kong Cavaliers). He's also a brain surgeon, rock star, particle physicist, samurai warrior and comic book hero? While he's experimenting with an oscillation overthruster, he breaks through the solid matter barrier and experiences the eighth dimension. That's when he discovers the presence of the Red Lectroids from planet 10. Living inside our Earth, and walking among us, they've been banished to Earth for some unspecified crimes (I think). Now they're after Buckaroo. They need the oscillation overthruster in order to escape from the Earth. When other Lectroids (from outer space), show up to help the Earthlings (help them destroy the Earth if they fail), it becomes a melee of mind boggling proportions. The movie flies along at break neck speed, and I couldn't really understand everything that was going on. There are lines that make no sense, and set ups that are missing their punch lines. The costumes, music and special effects were the worst I've seen, or heard, in many, many, years. The only redeeming feature of this movie was some of the lines. Extracted from the context of the film, they're quite humorous. "Sealed with a curse, as sharp as a knife. Doomed is your soul, and damned is your life." "Evil, pure and simple, from the eighth dimension." "Laugh-a while you can, Monkey boy." "Hey, hey, hey. Don't be mean. We don't have to be mean because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are." "Warning, warning, there are monkey boys loose in the facility." The intense parody, and great lines brought this movie up out of gutter. It's too bad the writers didn't take more time with the plot of this movie. 3 out of 5.
* In the Mouth of Madness: (1995 - Horror, fantasy, thriller) Directed by horror legend, John Carpenter. This movie is inspired by the writings of H.P. Lovecraft. I've read several of these Cthulhu mythos novels, and this movie did a very good job of keeping to the ethos that runs through this genre. Starring Sam Neill, Julie Carmen and one of my favorites - Jürgen Prochnow, the acting was good, as was the camera work. The story was a very creepy tale set smack dab in the middle of New England. When a famous horror novelist disappears, the publishers hire an independent insurance investigator (Sam Neill), to find him. There's a deadline approaching, and they want to make sure that he delivers his promised novel. The investigator teams up with the authors publicist (played by Julie Carmen), and together they follow a string of clues in search of Sutter Cane (played by Jürgen Prochnow). As they begin to unravel the mysteries of the missing novelist, their reality begins to unravel. Are Sutter Cane's books creating a reality all their own? They travel to a place named "Hobb's End", smack dab in the middle of New Hampshire, the town doesn't exist on any maps, and that sets the scene for where this movie takes us. Filled with literary reference, the pacing reminds me of a good read, and the elements of dread and terror are well played. The mind bending terror builds slowly in this movie, and the tension holds throughout. The excellent writing and direction make for a thrilling horror flick. Well worth watching. 4 out of 5.
* The Gamers: (2002 - Fantasy, adventure) Yes - I'm a total geek, I admit it. This is a fanboy movie. The movie is produced by gamers. Those who play RPGs. Not the online sort. The table-top face-to-face kind that I love. Here is a group of geeks gathered around the DM's screen, rolling dice, chugging soda and cracking inside jokes. The movie moves back and forth between shots of the gamers, and 'live action' re-enactments of the characters actions. The costumes, props and production are all low budget, but the writing is top notch, and the jokes are great. I've had many fun hours playing D&D, and I'm not the only one. Here's a group of gamers who finally did what many of us fantasized about. 'Hey we could definitely make a movie out of this adventure'. The adventure in this case is nothing spectacular, nothing extravagant, no epic campaign. It's a standard straight up 'shoot and loot' episode, straight out of anyone's Saturday afternoon campaign. The acting is pretty poor, and the sound work terrible. The characters are laughable, but loveable, the dialog is snappy, and the villains are - well, one dimensional. The ending was a classic RPG twist, one I've used in my own campaign. Despite it's flaws, I couldn't help but love it. If you're a 'Gamer', you'll agree, this movie is awesome! This particular disc is the DVD version of the movie. Originally produced in 2002, this "Director's Cut" features a plethora of special features and short films. 4 of 5.
* Showgirls: (1995 - Drama) Another cult film. You either love it or you hate it. It's the movie that everyone hates, but secretly likes. First things first. Yes this movie contains a LOT of Nudity. The full frontal type, the topless type. A lot of sex, lap dances, sex in a pool, simulated sex (stage shows), lot's of kissing, lots of sex, skin, tits, ass, and more. There's a bit of violence as well. Broken bones, a rape scene, slapping, physical violence. Directed by Paul Verhoeven (Hollow Man, Starship Troopers, Basic Instinct, Total Recall, RoboCop), starring Elizabeth Berkley (from Saved by the Bell), Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon, Glenn Plummer and others. The Story - Nomi (played by Elizabeth Berkley) is a drifter, hoping to make it big in Vegas, she hitch hikes into town one day, only to discover that Vegas isn't all glitz and glitter. It's gritty, competitive and dangerous. She starts out with nothing but raw ambition and energy. She starts working as a stripper, bunks up with a costume designer, and soon gets that lucky break, an audition at the Stardust. Soon she's in the chorus line. That's not enough for her though. Ambition gets the best of her, and she does what she has to in order to make her way to the top of the heap. As she claws her way to the top, she sacrifices some of her principles, makes compromises, indentures herself to the corruption of the system that put her on top. In the end, her secrets are all held by others. She's owned by the system. Can she ever escape? Can she get it all back? Can she? really? Despite the poor acting (by Elizabeth Berkley), mediocre direction, and very cliched writing, the dance moves, energy and choreography were outstanding. The costumes, sets, and music were excellent. Oh yeah, then there was the 'Sexiness!' I give it a 4 out of 5. Boy, did I just blow that NetFlix ratings algorithm. NF predicted a 1.8 out of me.
* * Heroes - Season 1 (disc 1): I don't usually watch television. One of the reasons is my schedule. I work shift work, twelve hours at a time, nights, and weekends. If I found a series I liked, I'd have a hell of a time watching all the episodes. I don't own a TiVo, and Comcast only has NBC on demand. Aside from my schedule, I find most network programming to be poor. Poor quality, poor line up, poor selection, etc. I prefer the movies. With NetFlix, I can watch what I want on my schedule. If I don't like it, I've only myself to blame. Anyway, I've been hearing quite a lot of buzz about this particular series. From friends at work, and reviews online. Given the subject matter, I figured I'd give it a try. Wow! I'm impressed. What's the series about? A group of people, from all over the world, are slowly discovering the fact that they have super powers. Abilities which cannot be accounted for in the general populace. A high school cheer leader with incredibly augmented healing abilities; an artist who sees, and illustrates the future; a politician with the ability to fly; a Japanese cubicle worker with the power to bend space and time; a mysterious mom on the run, who has an extremely violent alternate personality. As these characters struggle with their realization, we're introduced to a possible unifying plot. One of the heroes paints images of the future. One of the pictures illustrates a massive explosion, set in downtown New York. Will these heroes come together in an effort to avert this forthcoming disaster? This disc contained the first two episodes. The first episode (Genesis) was a feature length premiere. An impressive demonstration of excellent writing, fine acting, excellent production quality and a compelling introduction. With several suggested sub plots and character connections, this series promises a rich and complex plot, where anything is possible. The second episode (Don't Look Back), contains a lot of recap (another reason I avoid television), but it does a good job of building on character background, while introducing a new thread. Not all of the heroes are benevolent. This episode pushes all the characters forward. Developing their backgrounds and motivations. Same writer, same high quality production. I'll keep watching. 5 out of 5 (for the series so far)
* Robot Monster: (1953 - Sci-fi, drama, fantasy, adventure) These 'cult-flicks' are killing my NetFlix recommendations. O.k. Here's another B, as in bad, sci-fi movie from the 50's. Thankfully, this movie is only an hour long. The acting is spectacularly bad, the special effects are the paper mache on a string type, with some fireworks thrown in as explosions. The production was terrible, the audio indecipherable, and the story. Well, let's talk about it for a minute. Aliens devastate the earth using bombardment from space. Afterwards, one of the aliens (wearing a gorilla suit and a dive helmet topped with a television antenna) is sent to Earth in order to wipe out the few remaining Humans. He's sent in advance of the colonization effort. One by one the alien succeeds, slowly but surely wiping out the small group of remaining Humans, until, he falls in love? with the hot young thing. Strangling small girls with his bare hands was no problem, but love. Now that's something they didn't calculate. Pure schlock in the 3rd dimension. I was amused by the hairy gorilla alien; what with his highly exaggerated arm and hand gestures, bubble head, and bubble machine, but that amusement only lasted thirty minutes or so. When the show ended, I realized that I'd fallen asleep. Normally, I'd have left it at that, but it was still too early to go to bed, so I went back and watched the chapters I'd missed (are you enjoying this review? Will you read every word that I type? Are you completely under my control!). This movie was so bad that the director edited in some old dinosaur footage, just to add some excitement! This movie is a curious piece of celluloid crap. Mildly entertaining, but nowhere near the quality of plan 9 from outer space! As it mildly amused me, I give it 2 out of 5.