Reviews

I saw this movie as a rental years ago on a cross country trip...we rented Born on the 4th of July and Blood of Heroes. Honestly, we appreciated Heroes more and we aren't sci-fi geeks or comic book junkies. Blood is a simple themed film that executes that theme unsentimentally and is filled with bursting talent that exploded a few years after. Joan Chen, Delroy Lindo, Vincent D'Onofrio...I even saw Anna Karenina in THE GAME recently. Catch this film...it's addicting.

With the release of Drunken Master II (or Legend of the Drunken Master) I have to admit to feeling a bit of remorse. This was a fun little secret my friends and I discovered after I returned from a visit in China. Drunk ourselves and entirely blown away by the film, we made it a ritual to indoctrinate the unknowing into the cult of Jackie through this film. Now, out as it is for the whole world, our little secret club is broken. Yet, I feel great cause now everyone can at least talk about how amazing Jackie was at his best in this film and maybe I can get more people over to watch it drunk in the middle of the night. SEE IT!

Hilarious...not a brainy or brilliant picture but it carries some off-the-wall moments that make it all worthwhile. The dialogue is unflinchingly crude and certain scenes will just catch you off-guard...definately worth your time. Don't worry if you aren't into KISS...it's more about their journey TO the concert.

Not many people probably know this, but Ted Demme actually rented out a theatre in LA and had a weekend of free screenings for this film just so people would go to see it. That's a testament to the filmmaker as well as his film. I think Monument Avenue is Demme's stab at Cassavettes and Scorcese and quite a succesful one. Outside of STATE OF GRACE, I don't think I've seen any other Irish 'mafia' films (pardon the classification). You won't find Dennis Leary any better...and for God's sake please take note of the always great Ian Hart, Colm Meany and the bombshell waiting to go off Famke Jansen. Too bad Demme has to make his bread and butter with such mediocre fare as LIFE instead of films like this and BEAUTIFUL GIRLS. He's obviously an actor's director.

I read an article in the LA Weekly talking about the new wave of filmmakers who are re-invigorating film. They listed Liman and 'GO' right next to other such films as the Wachowski Brother's 'THE MATRIX' and Todd Solondz 'HAPPINESS'. I agree. A lot of people criticized the film as 'Pulp' this or Tarantino that. I think it's more. Liman has taken the style and structure of such filmmakers like Altman and given them a few hits of X. He and August wrap the three stories of the teens and twenty-somethings together in a surprising and original way. The structure may be borrowed from previous experiments (pre-dating Tarantino) but the pace and voice are unmistakably NOW. I think Liman has not only dodged the sophomore curse but gone one further, like GO's nerdy cousin's RUSHMORE and ELECTION, and exceeded his previous craftsmanship. He should be lauded alone for being one of a few directors who's capable of telling a story about teens and twentysomethings that actually looks and sounds like teens and twentysomethings.(Thanks to a dream cast from casting director Middleton that dodged obvious and inane choices). It gave me faith that with the onslaught of 'youth' films, some can actually be watchable.