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Reviews
Shades of Gray (2005)
Finally, a film done for the craft of film-making
If you frequent Red vs. Blue, chances are you've heard of Jesse Cowell, aka Jeskid. He got together some money and his friends to make Shades of Gray. In this story, we have Eric, a man in a relationship with life going well for him. However, that will all change when his friends steal his black book as revenge for the humorous torture he inflicted upon each of them.
This film was well thought out. I've met Erics in my life. Heck I became an Eric for a few years. His friends are also quite the characters. Dave, the smoking friend, is HILARIOUS. He looks like he's going to pop a blood vessel even when he's relaxed. The music, with everything from the Safety Dance to Prodigy, fits the situation.
It's available online at his site so there's no reason that anyone should miss this.
Shadow Hours (2000)
Good actors; OK movie
When I catch this, one thing is certain: this is Peter Weller's movie. His presence is freaky whether playing Russian Roulette or betting on underground fights. BZAR Getty does all right keeping up but is more of a standout when talking to the other players. The supporting players were good considering what they had to work with. I was shocked to see Brad Dourif look somewhat normal. I will also say I was glad Rebecca Gayheart got some much needed work after that accident that killed that kid. Regarding the writing, aside from some choice one-liners (I've seen stuff that makes Dante's Inferno read like Winnie the Pooh) it's OK at best.
If it's on cable and are an insomniac (like Getty in this film), give a glance.
Red vs. Blue (2003)
I'm sooo glad I found this gem
My brother's friend had a DVD laying around next to his HALO game. He brought it over to my house and I ended up watching it with them. I get introduced to a civil war between the red team and the blue team. Other than subtle differences, they have similar characters- trigger happy warmongers Sarge and Tex, sarcastic slackers Grif and Tucker, oddballs Donut and Caboose, with Simmons and Church as the only guys with any amount of common sense in the box canyon with no way in or out.
I love everything about this series. The rivalries the teams have with each other, within the teams themselves, there is never a dull moment. Even in its third season, it still makes me laugh despite being a little juvenile. If you ever take a break from the story, be sure to watch the Public Service Announcements they offer, especially the holiday ones. I have tried to spread the word about this series, now my other brother is a fan. I highly recommend it.
Series 7: The Contenders (2001)
Darkly humorous outlook at reality tv
I have always said reality tv will get to the point where someone ends up dying on them. This mockumentary hits the vein that The Running Man touched on so many years ago. We have six contenders "randomly" selected to slay each other(I think that producers know full well who its going to boil down to, even in a field of 100 or so). We end up with a teenager, an old man, an unemployed family man, a nurse, a pregnant girl, and her now married, cancerous ex begging for death. Issued 9mm pistols, they hunt each other down. There are also side stories to each player, giving it an "Osbournes on drugs" feel(wait a sec, that IS the Osbournes).
That said, here is the review. I just loved it. If I hadn't known it was a movie, I would have believed it was a real tv show. Everyone had personalities and showed they weren't just monsters out to kill anything in sight, though they definitely acted like animals, resorting to anything BUT the 9mms they were issued. It makes you wonder how society will get if reality tv keeps going. Perhaps we will have a tag game where points are given out based on whether you wasted them with a rocket launcher or a samurai sword, maybe a million dollars if you killed them with a plastic billy club(assuming you live long enough to enjoy the money). It also makes you think if producers make sure to get whatever dirt they can on the later survivors of any game like we saw with multimillionaire, joe millionaire, survivor, etc.
Spoiler note:
One gripe I had was with the sniper scene. Everyone got one but Connie, who orchestrated the meeting with two contenders losing. If you wanted to generate any suspense, have her get one too. That way, we could have assumed maybe the producers gave them.
Die Another Day (2002)
Good but could have been better
This Bond film does everything a Bond film should do: action, an over-the-top villian, and Bond getting the girl(or girls rather). However, they had a great chance in the beginning of the film. We are treated to him getting captured with no hope of escape for once. Spending a year in a foreign prison would change any person, even the most hardened soldier. It seemed that they were going in the direction of a new, tougher Bond when he escaped from his cell at MI6. This escape only led to him going back to his old self. While this is not terrible by any means, it would have been nice to see a new direction for the superspy. Otherwise, its a solid film with solid acting by Brosnan, Dench, Cleese, not to mention newcomers to the scene Rick Yune, Toby Stephens, and the lovely Rosamund Pike. Action was great though the surfing was a little on the hokey side and it would have been cool to see Jinx get herself out of a few jams(the flooding ice room) rather than have Bond save her all the time. 6/10
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
It seemed to be missing something
I absolutely loved the first matrix movie with its visual effects, action, and its questions about reality. Here I think it focused too much on the action and too much on the real world with little emphasis early on with the matrix. I think this happens because the Wachowskis naturally assume the viewing audience saw the first matrix(a problem with star wars: attack of the clones). While there was plenty of action, scenes like the car chase didn't make me feel on the edge of my seat like when Neo and Smith faced off while Sentinels burrowed into Morpheus's ship(though the ghost twins did show they could be worse than agents). Fights were fun to watch but predictable(Neo will beat up everyone, while his friends will get their asses kicked). With regards to the end, I would have asked more questions about the origin of the matrix since that question could have been answered. I'm not sure why Reloaded felt wooden to me, perhaps because the first one was a genuine piece whereas this film seemed forced. Matrix: Reloaded was filmed just before Revolutions started filming which is a little worrying considering Revolutions could be the same as Reloaded. As with Star Wars, I hope the finale is the best of them all.
The World According to Garp (1982)
Funny yet strange
What do we have here? We have Robin Williams in Mork mode, his feminazi mother Glenn Close, and his transvestite neighbor John Litgow. I had never read the book so I can't compare those. However, I did see a clever, well done film where Robin's wit shone. One of my favorite scenes is where he visits his mother's home, now transformed into a commune for women who cut out their tongues in response to a woman's rape DESPITE the raped woman saying she got over it. You may find yourself scratching your head at times wondering whats happening but if you stay on track its a fun film to watch.
Insomniac with Dave Attell (2001)
hilarious
I've seen plenty of Dave's standup routines and he has a very dark sense of humor. What better way for a dark man to be on than at late night. He travels cities in search of the night life, whether that be clubs, bars, or just people that work the graveyard shift. My favorite scene happened when he went to a bikini contest consisting of only attractive mothers. He took a few photos of the contest which led to a bouncer confiscating it. He simply points to his brain, exclaiming, "THEY CAN'T TAKE AWAY THE CAMERA IN HERE!" I absolutely cracked up. That was only one of the many funny moments this show offers. A must see for anyone.
L.A. Confidential (1997)
Then don't be a detective
Spoilers in:
From the word go, there is always something going on. Fights, murders, the action never stops with a big shootout finish. Good screenplay and direction, making sure no scene is dull. Where the film really shines is in its acting. Spacey deserved his best supporting actor win but Kim Basinger's performance, though great, didn't seem enough for her oscar win. Crowe, Cromwell, DeVito, and Pearce give good performances as well. Its interesting watching the character development unfold in all of them. Spacey as a corrupt cop who gets shot trying to be honest on a case, Crowe, who planted evidence and assaulted suspects, softens up after getting shot and abusing his girlfriend. The biggest transformation was Pearce. Asked early on by his chief, he said he could not plant evidence or shoot suspects that could go free. By the end, he pulls a shotgun on the guilty. It is one of those rare films where everything works.
Clerks (1994)
A day in the life of nobodys
I didn't catch it when if first came out in the early 90's but I got clued into this little film. I looked at these Dante and Randall and I could see myself in their shoes: people calling in sick on my day off, slacking on the job, being pestered by strange customers(yes, even I got the "no ice in my coffee, you expect me to drink it hot?"). The humor is raunchy and thats how I like it. Jay and Silent Bob are great as the other slacking duo. From introducing Olaf to giving dante dating advice to pranking Randall, what is there not to like? In fact, I think a good portion of the film is trying to see who are the better slackers, those without jobs or those actually working. What really stays in my mind, though, is the realization is that Dante and Randall will be working their jobs until they die and they know it. If that day didn't shake them up, nothing will. Though its reaching, from that perspective, it could be seen as a $30,000 stay in school message.
Slap Shot (1977)
They brought their ++++ing foil with them
I had only heard of Slap Shot as a hockey movie with Paul Newman in it. Boy was I in for a surprise. In the opening faceoff, Newman is told by the center of the other team he will pee on himself if he gets checked. Not much into the game, Newman sends a guy out there to promptly hit him. The profanity count rises throughout the film along with the hijinx done by the Hanson brothers. The Hansons make the team, as well as the movie, click. Solid film, unlike its sequel 20 years later. My advice: buy it on VHS, DVD, or catch it on premium cable. The edited version takes all the fun out of it.