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The East (2013)
Small role for Patricia Clarkson, and she blasts it out of the park
Patricia Clarkson has a role so small in this film, but like a tiny piece of Uranium has a massive impact.
Here she is the head of the main character's company, a firm that supplies intelligence for corporations, infiltrating underground groups that act out against companies.
In the course of this film, there is a sequence in which our heroine is present when a "monkey wrench" (called a jam) of sorts is about to happen and a large number of people are about to be badly treated. She then calls Clarkson with concerns about the event about to take place mere minutes (like nearly seconds), Clarkson has a response that is the essence of corporate evil.
In this one, brief line, Clarkson nails Corporate Swine Person as well as if not better than Gary Cole in Office Space or Paul Reiser in Aliens.
Overall the film is well made, well directed and has Ellen Page in it. (Anything with Ellen Page is worth watching at least once IMHO.) A good gripping thriller, well made and with an edge. 9/10
Death to Smoochy (2002)
Brilliant, and dark.
This film starts dark as the children's TV star Rainbow Randolph is shown taking a bribe to allow a child special status on his show in a sting operation... or rather, dark before that, with the emphasis on the sales of his likeness and candy style "breakfast foods"... or maybe just in the innuendos of the song he sings at the beginning... or dark when we watch a figure being beaten to death at the very opening.
All of the above: less than 5 minutes of screen time. This dark as the grave comedy just keeps getting darker and darker.
WARNING: With the loss of one of the stars by his own hand, this may be too dark for the fans of Mr. Williams. I thought I could take it. I was wrong. Too soon for me, but I will go back again.
It is, however, as brilliant a piece of dark comedy ever made, and with his untimely loss, maybe some that ignored it then will find it now. Brutal, unflinching and bordering on bitter (but never sweet), this is a grand film for all involved. Read the cast names... yes, this one somehow got away from us.
Maleficent (2014)
Maleficent is Magnificent
Dark, menacing and possessed of a twisted sense of humor, this film is a visual treat. In fact, the imagery is so intense that the story can be missed. Light streams from a distance, fingers of wispy mist.
The story is being casually dismissed by some, but I would point out that it is a fairy tale, a kids movie for adults. Jung would have a field day with the layers on layers of meaning... or just turn off the brain and let the eye candy blow out the walls.
It is worth the extra $ for 3-D. The effects are consistently interesting, and only rarely is there the cheap COMING RIGHT AT YOU effect that was old and worn when it was used in the 50's.
Jolie, not my favorite actress, caught me so totally off guard that I (yep) forgot it was her. Kudos, and it would actually be a good thing to hear "And the Oscar goes to..."
This is the second film from Disney that raises the notion of what is meant by "true love," and I for one endorse this. As in Frozen, an enchantment has to be broken by true love, but it is not a romantic love, but a love for another that, in Frozen, calls for a sacrifice and in Maleficent a love that is rooted in a mother/child relationship. One could say that Maleficent is the Evil Stepmother that comes to regret her actions that were formed at an early age and is thus redeemed.
Oh, and again, Bad Man Falls To Death. Well, y'know: Disney. They do that.
The Fisher King (1991)
As good as it gets
While most of Gilliam's work is known for their over-the-top wild madness, which is a good thing, this is his most restrained, most subdued and possibly the single finest film of his career. Throughout there is a sense that life is going on while he just happened to be nearby with a camera, somehow even magically catching the tormented vision of a Red Knight chasing a hapless soul through Central Park.
The performances are stunning. Possibly the greatest moment in Williams' career, a chance to "be crazy" but in the sense of someone barely capable of functioning. Ruehl controls her reality, which is small and confined, but it is hers, every inch of it. Plummer, always fascinating, here is heart breaking. Jeter's role is small but perfect in every possible way. Najimy is on screen for about a heartbeat, but is totally memorable.
Then, of course, there is: Jeff Bridges as Jack Lucas. Bridges is obvious now, The Dude, Rooster Cogburn, his Crazy Heart beating loud. It is here, though, that the man that has done so much, and from a short line of great actors (father Lloyd and brother Beau as also great) that has given so much, he really deserved the attention that he is only now getting.
Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)
Sad, sad, sad
In the extras of the original, the director was shown giving the make up crew their mission. When given the choice between gruesome and disturbing, always go with disturbing.
This film fails more often that it bothered to attempt to succeed. Oh, yes, there are moments that are worthy of the attention of any horror fan. Those moments are few, and far between.
There are whole sections of set design that are hidden behind what appears to be dirty plastic wrap. The 3D effect, that can be used to erase the "fourth wall" is used at one point to actually CREATE a "fourth wall," blood splatter hitting what appears to be a glass wall about ten feet in front of the viewer.
The actors did what they could, which wasn't much, as the story here is garbled.
Final note: I want my money back, I want that time back. Feh!
Nashville (1975)
Top of the line
If Stephen Sondheim were to be approached to turn this into a musical, he would be quite right to shrug it off as he already did Sunday In The Park With George.
Bits and pieces, coming together into one massive quilt depicting a brief moment of human existence in the United States. Very much a document of its time, the film is as we were, scattered, splintered, a herd of cats wandering across the land, and all hearing the siren call and responding.
But to which siren do we respond? Fame and fortune in the music industry, power in politics? The call to faith? Sex and pleasure? It is all here, all at once, all at the same time.
This film is possessed of the zeitgeist, and there is a sense that the fourth wall keeping us from it is slowly melting. The opening sequence, sounding like a K-Tel commercial, reminds us we are in a commercial venture, a performance of an artificial reality but, by the end, that artifice is shattered repeatedly, an assassin's bullet hitting bone and ricocheting around and around.
Having seen much of his work prior to this film, it is here, without any flinching or concern of response, that I stand firm. From here, Nashville, the term Altmanesque is fully realized. Not only does the rest of the body of his own work pale in comparison, but this is his true above-the-rest master work, his magnum opus. (Short Cuts is a brilliant reminder to himself, and us, that he had the capacity to do it more than once. Thank God the plane didn't go down after Nashville! The generation my generation bred needed their own, and they got it.) Much has been written about the use of overlapping dialog, and it is interesting to me that one hears it used to brilliant effect in Citizen Kane (possibly the single finest moment of radio drama: if you ever get the chance, ignore the visuals and just listen to Citizen Kane. A most enlightening experience). What is missed in this damnation by the faintest of praise is that the dialog overlaps the way the individual stories do, and often at the moment in which they must to propel this mad, mad, mad, mad world towards its most brilliant conclusion.
Altman had a dual career: both hit and miss. The sheer momentum of this film, its unswerving gaze, its slow steady build makes it a massive hit, making it possibly the true Important Film of his career. It is Altman's Casablanca, one watches again and gains more from every viewing, it is a living entity, growing and evolving with every frame. It is Altman's Lawrence Of Arabia and Malcolm X, sweeping in majesty and grandeur and telling the greater tale in the focus of the faces of the average man. It is Altman's It's A Wonderful Life, presenting itself without flinching (everyone seems to forget that the standard Christmas chestnut deals with a man contemplating suicide). It is Altman's Intolerance, only watchable and pleasurable. It is Altman's Metropolis, important, powerful and a crowning achievement of the medium of film.
Short Cuts (1993)
aka Nashville 1993
Altman, as many have written, had a career that is pretty much evenly divided between hit and miss. While I have always enjoyed his films, to be totally honest and fair, not all of his work qualifies to the magnificent high standard of being Altmanesque.
Altman loved jazz, and the best of his best work move like a brilliant jazz performance. To move along with his groove, to truly become part of the experience requires a certain presence of mind. Like the greatest jazz artists, there are those who enter into deep debates over which work is best: is Kind Of Blue better than Bitches Brew? More important? In the end, it does come down to taste and preference, and this would be my second favorite Altman film after the sheer perfection of Nashville. The films are like watching someone make a quilt, "bit by bit, putting it together" (as Sondheim said), with no one particular thread being more important than another, just a simple, glorious collection of threads pulling together to form one majestic piece.
The perception that his films are "scattered" or "confusing" or "dull" because of that missing story line is, sadly, understandable: we are being fed a constant stream of Single Story at every turn, being easier to market and exploit. Altman, at his best, had no need of a single narrative line and on those occasions in which there is no semblance whatsoever of a single story arc AND he is moving at his best, he creates films quite unlike any other by any one.
Both this and Nashville are invitations, seductive in their own way: there is no fourth wall in these works, while we watch them, it is as if they are watching us.
Sucker Punch (2011)
I had ridiculously high expectations for this...
...And Zack Snyder delivered the goods over and over and over the top. He is now (having not seen the Owls film) IMHO in a small collection of directors as Masters Of The OTT: Terry Gilliam, Baz Lehrman, Ken Russell... and now, Zack Snyder.
This film has been sniffed at and derided by the critics, a collective shrug of Meh... and it is wholly undeserved.
This is Zack Snyder's The Matrix Inception at Moulin Rouge, as stylish a musical as anything else out there, but filtered through the creative mind that has lived the era of MTv meaning music videos that were short musicals and sometimes (all of my favorites, anyway) short musical avant garde films.
Wild, rollicking, slipping into and out of eras and aeons, seriously cool soundtrack, it is eye candy for people with functioning brains.
Machete (2010)
Worthy of attention, wildly out of control: Rodriguez strikes again
Robert Rodriguez seems hellbent on creating films as if he was Robert Rodriguez... you know, the guy that made both From Dusk Til Dawn and The Faculty. Fortunately, he is more than up to the challenge with Machete.
The term OTT applies here, but that is quickly becoming his hallmark, and Thank God for that! While others are making retreads of stale bread, RR is returning to his preferred film genre (70's Grindhouse Cheese) and bringing to the screen something other directors fail to comprehend... this is entertainment, dammit, and laying down the limited supply of cash one has to sit in the dark for a couple of hours means you'd better bring the goods.
There are weaknesses, to be sure. Any of those are IMHO removed by the impressive display of macho in the lead: Danny Trejo IS the ultimate tough guy, and Machete Cortez is now firmly ensconced in my mind in the pantheon of Tough Men from Hollywood alongside Dirty Harry.
Some critics have written that Senor Trejo is the weakest link in this film. I would not merely disagree, but I sneer at the dogs who think this. Senor Trejo in this film is like Lee Marvin or Clint Eastwood or Humphrey Bogart... his face is a sculpture of human flesh, the weight of a man's life showing his soul. Amazing. Just ... amazing.
Without him, this film would probably be a 6 to me. Because of him, it is a 9.
Now: how can we get him a script that really lets him show off???
Hannibal Rising (2007)
A disaster in need of repair
I am a major fan of Thomas Harris, and have read all of his novels several times, with the exception of Hannibal Rising. Once was enough. I have all of the films based on his novels with the exception of this one. I saw it at the theater, and like the reading of the novel, once was enough.
There is much to say that would be of interest, preventing it (barely) from being listed as "awful." I have nothing against the visual impact of the cinematography, an art form that is long neglected. The film is mostly dark, and even the daylight sequences seem to have an absence of light.
The editing and pace of the film moves right along. The actors are all fine and well. What went wrong? ***** SPOILERS ***** *The storyline is an abortion. Harris was commissioned to write another Lecter story with the intent of it becoming a film, and no one told him that to drag the boyhood of a monster forward so we, as an audience, would come to understand the monster came from a sad, tormented boy.
Bosh.
Who cares? Having read the other novels where we encounter this true Monster, I was impressed how much his story was told in bits and pieces, not unlike the story of Nero Wolfe series. Why give us everything all at once, when it so much more fun to be able to glean the story from brief anecdotes? Lecter's sister was mentioned in earlier novels, as well as some of his past. Those brief glimpses made the character more interesting, giving him a sense of mystery. By releasing this mess, there was no mystery. Even the clever use of the mask... sigh... are you kidding?? What I feel SHOULD have been done was to continue forward from the previous novel, ignoring the mangled end of the film Hannibal. Leave our Monster to be a Monster, but show him more for what he truly is, and once we see that, we can see how this mess could have been made interesting...
He is a Moriarty without a Holmes. If we are to go back into his previous life, then tell the tale of how he was captured in the first place... wouldn't that have been an interesting story?
A Perfect Getaway (2009)
What is needed in the genre
The only reason I purchased this film is Milla Jovovich. Period. I adore her, I think she is a fairly decent actress and could probably do more, but she seems to prefer making genre films. Action, horror, sci-fi: she has the serious attitude chops and I love watching her kick people in the face (so long as it helps advance the plot, of course).
When I first started watching this film, the most immediate thing that leaped from the screen was the singular beauty of the cinematography. The greens are varied significantly and the sky is a collection of blues and grays that sets off the greens. Beautiful.
The story line is, at first, rather standard, nothing too surprising. As the film progresses, there are some scenes that appear recycled from other, similar films.
***** MULTIPLE SPOILERS FOLLOW *****
*When the film reached a certain point, and the notion of who the villains of the piece truly are, it was becoming obvious to me... and I kept wishing that the writers had enough stones to simply make the couple we've been watching throughout the film the villains... because as a hopeful writer, that is what I would do. The film Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer spends the entire film inside the head of one of the worst examples of the human condition, and having just seen it, it did make an impact.
Imagine my stunned amazement when the film did just that very thing. There are those who say that they saw the twist coming. I won't debate that; I didn't until it happened. What struck me, though, was that the "reveal" (as it were) happened rather early in the film. There is a second twist, of sorts at the very end, but I thought that more predictable than who the villains were: Hollywood redemption is a curse on modern horror films.
The primary reason the reveal of who the villains were caught me so off guard is simple: the current Hollywood concept of what a horror/thriller film should do and how it is to be done is so formulaic as to be totally predictable. This is a major step forward in the Hollywood concept of the genre, IMHO: to not spoon feed the story.
The main drawback, and what prevented me from giving this film a perfect score, was the aforementioned redemption scene.
Granted, I do not want to see Milla as a villain, but still... would it have been so difficult to show her smiling after the last gunshot? Would it have been so wrong to have her beautiful, smiling face be the last thing we'd see? Something to indicate that while she did betray her lover, she had no remorse for it or her previous actions... which may even have lead to a sequel. A true sequel, a carrying forward of the story line with her going out on her own.
The Hollywood Redemption is a cancer on the intellect. True horror fans do not need to know that Michael Myers had a bad childhood (Mr. Zombie: Are you listening??), we don't need to know that Freddie Krueger was a tortured soul. If a character is a monster, let them be monstrous. The single most putrid example remains the abortion known as Hannibal Rising, both film and novel.
Regardless, this film is entertaining, worthy of attention and hopefully, someone will catch on that a Bad Person need not be redeemed.
Highwaymen (2004)
A Road movie with teeth
The first 8 minutes or so of this film, no one speaks. Just images. Men, machines. Roadway, asphalt roaring past.
This is the film Vanishing Point, The Driver and Death Proof wanted to be.
The engines supply the bass riff. The song of the road is here.
Had this film been made in the 70's, it would still be in the theaters, a classic. It is an out of place artifact. It is still worthy of consideration and serious contemplation.
The classic 'Cuda and the Caddy. The road belongs to these monster road machines, and them as are willing and capable of driving same.
The fetish of Detroit lives here: the ferocious machines made by men like Clint in Gran Torino.
The cinematography is brilliant, huge sweeping vistas, claustrophobic tunnels, vehicular interiors that are lived in, not Hollywood perfect.
This is a great film. I was hoping to see it on the big screen, but it went from "Coming Soon" to "Now Available On DVD" before it ever made the screens in this area.
Joy Ride (2001)
Big Enough For A Truck To Drive Through
The Good: Interesting cast, characters well thought out. 1971 Chrysler Newport (sweet choice of wheels). All actors did a decent job with what they were given, which was a fair amount. Decent script in terms of people, places.
The Bad (or just unfortunate): Ted Levine's missing face. On the deleted scenes, there is a moment between two characters, the first whistles to the second and indicates they should speak on the phone, and the second whistles back, giving the "bird" and then indicating why the "bird" is flown. That less than 30 second bit of business is flawless.
The Ugly: In the summary I am referring to Plot Holes. There are so many logical inconsistencies throughout that I stopped feeling any real tension. One character consistently has access to information (names, travel plans, room numbers) that simply is not available... which would be fine in a film about supernatural events. This is not a supernatural film. The film has that slick, smooth Hollywood feel that the independent film community cannot afford, and when the Indies use the cheap, digital cameras there is a grittiness, a sense of real urgency. The cinematography was simply too pretty to work in a film of this type.
Overall: 5/10. Not really a complete loss. Worthy of a sit through with plenty of popcorn, or a higher score for folks that want to watch an action based horror film with friends/family/etc that really don't normally care for that kind of thing, but not powerful enough to warrant full attention from a fan of the genre.
2012 (2009)
A sburg movie
Roger Ebert likes to coin movie terminology, as he is OH so clever, so here is mine: Sburg.
Sh!t Blowed Up Real Good.
Yes. Incorrect grammar is required here. This is a film where things blew up, over and again. Repeat.
Cusack apparently needed the paycheck (no problem there: John needs the work), and Oliver Platt shows once again why certain actors are always worth seeing. Danny Glover hasn't had a decent role in a really long time, and getting the chance to be Morgan Freeman in Deep Impact would have been interesting, but here he is a milquetoast Peter Sellers' Merkin Muffley (he deserves better). Amanda Peet was ... well, she's Amanda Peet, and after that I really don't care.
Bottom line: plot line? Sburg. Character development? Sburg. Deeper understanding of the human experience? Sburg. Cinematic genius? Sburg.
Sburg, sburg, sburg, sburg and then sburg.
Hey, I don't get on a roller-coaster to contemplate the mysteries of the universe, I get on for the ride, throw my hands in the air and give off a whooping sound. This would be the film equivalent of that. While I hate to see some of my favorite actors in roles that just aren't good enough for their obvious talents, wtf, wotthehell, you buy the ticket and take the ride.
Saving Grace (1986)
Practically Perfect In Every Way
Sadly, this little gem has fallen by the wayside, and truly deserves the whole nine yards of restoration and re-release. This is one of those rare Good For The Whole Family productions that lives up to that idea.
Truly heartwarming and uplifting. This is what Disney tried to achieve, and often released in the form of overbearing or overly saccharine productions. It is one of the strongest pro-Catholic films I have ever seen, and not being Catholic it actually affects me to the point that I seriously considered becoming Catholic.
Tom Conti plays a troubled, conflicted man, a simple priest in many ways, who finds himself elected Pope. He questions whether or not he should remain as Pope, or step down. While puttering about in the Vatican garden, his letter is swept away by a gust of wind, and he gets locked out. His security fails to see this, totally enraptured (like the entire nation of Italy) when Italy wins the World Cup.
Watching this film is a revelation to Conti's abilities as an actor. All of the subsidiary actors are excellent, and the story moves along with a sense of power and purpose rarely seen in film.
10 out of 10.
The Final Destination (2009)
One last time into the breach, dear friends!
First and foremost, being the last in a series of four, and each of the four films carry the same format/storyline, I feel it needs to be said to all that trash this film: What, pray tell, exactly were you expecting? There is a premonition of violent death, the means of death initially escaped, and then the body count begins. Right. That is why I saw all four of these silly things, and yes, I enjoyed each and every one.
I find that the complaints created with Roger "I don't know diddly about horror films and will talk forever about them" Ebert's comment, calling this a Dead Teenager movie. Wow. How... clever...
Watching people die in strange and unusual ways is a staple of horror. If doubt arises, please check out: The Abonimable Dr. Phibes; Dr. Phibes Rises Again; Theater Of Blood; Asylum; countless others. These movies are made for those of us who revel in the magic of the movies: How did they pull it off? Be that as it may...
While the acting and writing ... um ... are what they are, something far more interesting to me became apparent. I saw the 3D version, and in many of the scenes that did not involve dismemberment and then death, but just people talking and interacting, the camera placement was such that it really felt like looking into a 3d space. That was worthy of attention in and of itself.
If you have yet to see it, I would strongly suggest the 3D. Watch for scenes where three characters are shown, and notice how many times they all stand in a row, each one farther back than the others. Nice effect! Possibly the weakest of the three. Mr. Todd's absence is worth a loss of two stars alone. Ah, well. Maybe they'll think to call me first next time...
WALL·E (2008)
Superb in every way... but ....
The thing here is something that I am not seeing on any other comments (yet, okay, I haven't read them all yet)... but does anyone recall Honey, I Shrunk The Kid? Fair enough film, good fun for the kiddies and the folks weren't insulted, but ... the reason we flocked to it was the oddity of something the parents remembered, but the kiddies had never seen before: an opening cartoon.
The short animated bits before Pixar's films are as good as, if not better than, the films they precede. While the opening short (Presto, as I recall) is not better than Wall-E, it is one of the funniest shorts I have seen since Duck Amok.
Seriously. When it was over, I looked to my wife and said "Thank God it was short. If it was any longer, I'd probably have done myself an injury."
Wall-E is another Pixar masterpiece. Sad, funny, touching, and even sometimes disturbing, it tells a tale with nearly no dialog. It is also a brutal assault on the state of things in terms of the environment, personal responsibility... it is the kind of film that parents need to watch carefully, as there are hours of conversations that one can start with the little ones.
Southland Tales (2006)
Donnie Darko went to Wild Palms, became a Watchman, said Flow, My Tears
A plot that is scatter-shot.
Characters that appear to have floated in from sketch comedy.
Jon Lovitz doing Dirty Harry. Will Stasso doing a tough guy.
A Big Libowski tribute with Justin Timberlake mouthing the words to The Killers' All These Things That I've Done, supported by a chorus line of high kicking pretty girls in a video arcade.
The best use of The Pixies' Wave Of Mutilation since Pump Up The Volume.
"Pimps don't commit suicide."
"Have a nice apocalypse." If you have read every silly thing that I have just written, scratched your head and said "This guy (fill in your favorite slander)" then you probably will not like this film. And I am okay with that...
If, however, you read it and said "Oh, MY...", then I would suggest that you at least sit though it once.
Good luck with the once.
The Break-Up (2006)
A little too close to home
I have a feeling that the reason this film isn't doing very well has more to do with the ad campaign, which suggests it is a comedy. It has its funny moments, lots of them, but it also has scenes of almost pain inducing drama. I can only think of "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?" with Taylor/Burton when I last saw two people tear into each other with such vitriol.
I kept wondering where Jennifer Anniston learned how to go for the throat like that...
Having been in relationships that included arguments like the ones shown in this movie, and having been one of the unfortunate audience members in real life when other couples have had similar arguments, I can say that while the fights ring true, they are sometimes too real for a 10 rating.
What is missed in the complaints of the ending, though, is the dead on comedy in the film. There are moments not only Laugh Out Loud, but long, continued and building laughter... one joke runs into another, then another, and when the jokes start jamming, the facial expressions take the comedy to another level.
V for Vendetta (2005)
This is not a film for everyone...
For those folks that hated "Fight Club" and whose reasoning was that it was just about guys beating each other up, for those who disdain "Watership Down" because it was about rabbits, those who sneer at "The Little Prince" because it is a children's book... those folks will hate this movie, and they will tell you that it is about a crazy person that blows things up.
A unique film experience in that it is possessed of much flash and boom and sturm und drang, it remains literate, and very much true to its source. So much so, that my estimation of Alan Moore has dropped as he insisted his name be removed from this film. Your loss, Mr. Moore.
While the windmills Mr. Moore was tilting at have proved to be just shadows on the political landscape, forbearing that which is as things are, the story, and the impact, remain.
Final Destination 3 (2006)
Ready? Put your hands in the air!
There are a lot of people bashing this film, and for the most part I would say, "Different Strokes for Different Folks," but there is one point that must be addressed.
There is a sense that the film is lacking because there is nothing new, the film is now part of a formula.
To this, I must respond: well, yeah. Duh. And what did you expect from any film that has a numeral in the title, and the title has been used in other films. This complaint is as pointless as saying that one does not like the Bond series simply because there are beautiful women, flashy cars/gadgets and an opening segment that involves a hellacious stunt. Again: DUH.
In defense of FD:3, let us turn to the opening death sequence. The first was an airplane crash, the second was a (brilliant) mulitvehicle auto accident (sidebar: I work in an 800 # call center for one of the top 5 insurance carriers in the US of A, and I have taken that claim!Or at least, its really close cousin...) and this one starts with a roller coaster.
Now.
Why does one ride a roller coaster? You can see how it starts and track it to the end. There are, really, no surprises on a roller coaster. You know what to expect and when. In concerning these engines of falsified machines of mayhem, there are two types of people: those that cannot wait to get on and ride, and those who walk on by.
For those of you who walk on by, that prefer a deeper, more intellectually challenging ride, please, do walk on. Feel superior. Feel as though you have something of great value to offer the world. Feel free.
For those of you who stand in that line, watching and listening and giggling... get in, strap in and put your hands in the air. Yee ha! Loop de loop! Possibly the best of the three, although I will grant that some of the character studies are lacking, and the Horny Guy could have been taken out about a minute into the film IMHO, but if you liked the first two and hoped for a third, here it is and enjoy!
The Devil's Rejects (2005)
If you don't like this, then you don't like the movies. Period.
No spoilers here unless, of course, you don't watch movies for pleasure, entertainment and/or release from life as you live...
Do you recall hearing the phrase "What song is it you want to hear?" If you do, then this is the film you have been waiting for f*cking forever...
If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me? I must be travelling on now, because there's too many places I've got to see. If I stayed with you girl...
And the guitars begin to soar, and this bird you cannot chain, and Lord Knows I Can't Change...
This is the cinematic recollection of the best of the 70's rock era, with a visual sense that only Sergio Leone could understand, as filtered through John Woo and a simple slide guitar could visualize...
This feeling I can't change, please don't take it so badly, 'cos Lord knows I'm to blame...
And as the car leaps forward, the road ends, the American Night comes to its final end, Lord knows I can't change, Lord Help Me I Can't Change, fly oh free bird change...
And three THREE screaming guitars assault forward into a perfect ending and this is the film that understands that Bonnie and Clyde was brought forward into the end of the last century with Falling Down and Jesus MARY AND Joseph is Dr Thompson really dead???? and if you understand what was written before then FEAR THE F*CKING CLOWN & MOVE ON!!!! Roll drums. Keith Moon is missing, but Who cares and Who are YOU????
King Kong (2005)
A $200 million, 3 hour long love letter to a different era
There are those who will not like this film, and to each their own. Myself, I was stunned into amazement several times over. The look and feel of this film brings to memory Jackson's LotR series as well as the idealized New York as shown in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
There is a similar feeling in Titanic as well, that every dime spent in making the film is up there on the screen, the details, the minutiae, and not because the director is some obsessive/compulsive freak but because he has a deep and abiding love of the subject at hand.
Several scenes look as though they'd been lifted from the original and then spruced up a bit through current technology.
There are long and beautiful moments that seem to have come from the memories of daydreams that the director had as a boy when reliving the tale of the Beauty that killed the Beast.
Doom (2005)
A sad waste of the acting talents of The Rock...
That, in and of itself, should be more than enough to explain just how sad this film truly is. The Rock, IMHO, has what it takes, given the right role, in the right film, to show off acting chops as good as if not better than Stallone or Diesel. This is not it.
While there is much in this film that is entertaining, in the Jerry Bruckheimer "Things blow up real good" fashion, there is simply far too much that just lays there like a festering gob of infectious human waste.
The simple fact is that there are roughly two dozen scenes (I quit counting after a while) where the script reads as follows: we see two Marines enter a dark corridor where... there is nothing, then they rush forward into another dark corridor where... there is nothing, then they enter into another dark corridor where... there is nothing. (Repeat, over and again.) Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) does have several moments that allow him to shine. He may well have done all of his own fighting/stunts, as I have seen (suffered) through enough of his WWF or WWE performances to believe that he did. I kept thinking of watching Unleashed, which was a wretched movie, but Jet Li wasn't bad.
If there is one moment that stands out, it is a brief 4-5 minute sequence near the end which looks as if it was taken from a screen capture, and when played on the big screen, and played loud as thunder called from the skies, it leaps off the screen, grabbing you by the throat and refusing to let go. Then, it goes back into a dark corridor...
I would give it 10 out of 10 for screenwriters looking for a great example of what NOT to do, and 8 of 10 for fans of The Rock. Otherwise... 2.
Fever Pitch (2005)
Here's the windup, and there's the pitch!
(1 point deducted for not being about my beloved Detroit Tigers.)
A truly grand film about a simple and gentle love story that only those of us possessed of the very torments of the Damned will understand. Jimmy Fallon, One Of Us, is one guy (labeled Winter), a totally perfect man for any woman, caring, loving and her abject love puppet... and another (labeled as Summer Guy, but really, a Baseball Fan) once spring training begins. Drew Barrymore (not labeled as such) is Career Woman on one hand, logging in the impossible hours and never so much as going to the bathroom without her cell phone and Loving Woman on the other, desperately trying to understand The Obsession with grace and dignity.
There are many times in the course of this film that the male/female dynamic is exposed for being hypocritical on both sides, and many when the main characters are shown for being the loving couple that that will eventually become.
Who knew that the Farrelly brothers could make an entire film of such intelligence and gentility? Not me, that's for sure.
Okay, maybe it is a 10... if for no other reason than the comment made, and sadly not shown, about the Yankees toilet paper. My wife smiled, but my son (a Cubs fan, but I love him anyway) and I nearly required medical attention at that joke...
DVD worthy, hopefully with a special on just the series itself. In fact, to the marketing mavens and wizards out there... due yourself an enormous favor and simply sell this with a second disc of nothing but the 2005 highlights of the playoffs and Series...