I apologize for not posting anything in a week when I promised that I would, but the past week for me has been rather stressful and watching movies wasn’t a part of the new plans. I won’t get into it but yeah, not good times for me. I decided to stop doing wrestling reviews/discussion of local wrestling shows on a Livejournal page, but unless things change drastically for me, I still plan on keeping this open for a long while.
Yesterday I was able to see The Godfather on the big screen at Universal Studios Citywalk. It was me and two random people I did not know (thankfully they behaved; at Universal, I’ve had problems more than once before with trying to watch films there) who watched it and it was a great experience. It was an old film print (not an original, but one created for some sort of re-release, which I think happened in ’02 with a 30th anniversary sort of deal, but I could be wrong) instead of a DVD projection so that’s nice. It’ll be at Universal until Thursday and you can look at Fandango or any other site if you’re around Orlando and wish to see it.
Check back next weekend for at least one new review, and this time I'll deliver.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
The Godfather: Part II
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Runtime: 202 minutes
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, John Cazale, Michael V. Gazzo
From: Paramount
I ended up having free time on Friday so I went to Blockbuster to see Part II on Blu-Ray. Like the first Godfather, it was great in that format. I was able to watch it all in one sitting, despite its almost 3 ½ hour runtime. I don’t think I’d normally be able to do something like that with that long of a program. Now, here’s something that I wish I could see on the big screen like I will soon be able to with the first Godfather.
I still won’t say whether this one or the original is the best of the series; it’s like picking your favorite kid or your favorite flavor of ice cream. Both are all-time classics and well worth seeing for the first time or the 50th time.
I enjoyed watching again the epic tale where it’s divided in two; most of it is the downfall of Michael Corleone as he became obsessed with having all the power and vanquishing all his enemies and ended up ruining things with the ones that love him the most, and the rise of young Vito Corleone (De Niro) as he emigrated to America to escape the clutches of a mob head in his home country of Italy from killing him. Of course, as he became an adult, revenge was on his mind…
It was great seeing this epic film again, as they don’t make movies like this too often anymore… from the length to the dramatics, it’s the type of movie you don’t see these days so you have to go back and watch the classics to get that kind of experience. You had memorable performances all around and not only did it cement Pacino’s superstardom with maybe the best acting he’s ever done (sure, more than once he yells but it’s certainly not as bad as later in his career when he YELLS and SCREAMS to be INTENSE and many people say he’s become a parody of himself); the scene with him and Diane Keaton at the Washington Hotel was pretty fantastic for the few minutes it lasts, as it goes through a range of emotions and at one key plot point you slowly but surely see Michael’s anger boil and boil until he finally snaps. That is a scene that I rank very highly amongst any that I’ve ever seen, I enjoyed it so much, but it also made De Niro a superstar with a role where he mainly speaks Sicilian.
I can gush and gush with glee about the other performances (from the likes of Gazzo as the rough-voiced Frankie Pentangeli and Lee Strasberg as Hyman Roth) but you can read this Great Films article about it to get a detailed recap of the film. Like with the first one, it is difficult to think of anything profound to say about such a well-known movie.
I will be back by Friday with at least one new review.
Runtime: 202 minutes
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, John Cazale, Michael V. Gazzo
From: Paramount
I ended up having free time on Friday so I went to Blockbuster to see Part II on Blu-Ray. Like the first Godfather, it was great in that format. I was able to watch it all in one sitting, despite its almost 3 ½ hour runtime. I don’t think I’d normally be able to do something like that with that long of a program. Now, here’s something that I wish I could see on the big screen like I will soon be able to with the first Godfather.
I still won’t say whether this one or the original is the best of the series; it’s like picking your favorite kid or your favorite flavor of ice cream. Both are all-time classics and well worth seeing for the first time or the 50th time.
I enjoyed watching again the epic tale where it’s divided in two; most of it is the downfall of Michael Corleone as he became obsessed with having all the power and vanquishing all his enemies and ended up ruining things with the ones that love him the most, and the rise of young Vito Corleone (De Niro) as he emigrated to America to escape the clutches of a mob head in his home country of Italy from killing him. Of course, as he became an adult, revenge was on his mind…
It was great seeing this epic film again, as they don’t make movies like this too often anymore… from the length to the dramatics, it’s the type of movie you don’t see these days so you have to go back and watch the classics to get that kind of experience. You had memorable performances all around and not only did it cement Pacino’s superstardom with maybe the best acting he’s ever done (sure, more than once he yells but it’s certainly not as bad as later in his career when he YELLS and SCREAMS to be INTENSE and many people say he’s become a parody of himself); the scene with him and Diane Keaton at the Washington Hotel was pretty fantastic for the few minutes it lasts, as it goes through a range of emotions and at one key plot point you slowly but surely see Michael’s anger boil and boil until he finally snaps. That is a scene that I rank very highly amongst any that I’ve ever seen, I enjoyed it so much, but it also made De Niro a superstar with a role where he mainly speaks Sicilian.
I can gush and gush with glee about the other performances (from the likes of Gazzo as the rough-voiced Frankie Pentangeli and Lee Strasberg as Hyman Roth) but you can read this Great Films article about it to get a detailed recap of the film. Like with the first one, it is difficult to think of anything profound to say about such a well-known movie.
I will be back by Friday with at least one new review.
Friday, February 19, 2010
The Godfather
The Godfather (1972)
Runtime: 177 minutes
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Marlon Brandon, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, John Cazale
From : Paramount
Before I get to talking about this, I’ll mention that I rented this for the night at the local Blockbuster, and they also have a Blu-Ray copy of Casablanca; believe it or not, that’s a film I’ve never seen before. It’s showing right now a few weeks ago at the theatres they have at Universal Studios Citywalk, but the Blu-Ray has some special features I’d like to check out, so when I have a spare day to enjoy that, I’ll get it and then review it.
I rented this for the night on Blu-Ray, since I at least had the time to watch all 177 minutes of it. It looks and sounds great, as you might expect. I’ve only seen it in full like once or twice before, but parts of it at other times I was miffed when I found out after the fact that it was showing at a theatre on the Atlantic coast of Florida about an hour and a half away from where I live. And, once I got home from renting the Blu-Ray, I looked online and saw that at the end of the month they are showing it for a week at… Citywalk in Orlando. I’ll be there to see that so that I can see I saw one of the all-time greats on the big screen (whether or not it’s a DVD projection); I’ve been able to do that and see all-time great films on the big screen, like Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas, Rear Window, Psycho, The Sting, The Shining, Star Wars, The Dark Knight, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien, and Terminator 2. So, yay for me and yay for these special screenings. I’ll talk about how that screening went by the very end of this month.
For now, I’ll get on with this. However, it is difficult to write anything interesting about one of the greatest and most beloved films of all time. I can say that besides seeing it in Blu-Ray form and enjoying it in that format, that it is as magnificent as I remember it being. Whether or not this or its sequel is the better film is a discussion that will exist until the end of time and even after I (hopefully) see Part II soon I don’t know if I can accurately state which one is better or even which one I prefer.
So, instead I’ll post a link to this site, all about the greatest movies, and not only does its take on the movie have a great intro that describes why it is one of the all-time classics, but then the entire plot is talked about and discussed.
Also, there’s this link to a Vanity Fair article about how the movie was made and all the trouble Coppola had in trying to get it made like he wanted it to be made; that is a great story in and of itself. So, if you somehow haven’t seen this movie, you should, and even if you have seen it before, see it again. Whether you rent or buy the movie only on DVD or you acquire the full set with all three movies and then the bonus disc, it's a must-see.
Runtime: 177 minutes
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Marlon Brandon, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, John Cazale
From : Paramount
Before I get to talking about this, I’ll mention that I rented this for the night at the local Blockbuster, and they also have a Blu-Ray copy of Casablanca; believe it or not, that’s a film I’ve never seen before. It’s showing right now a few weeks ago at the theatres they have at Universal Studios Citywalk, but the Blu-Ray has some special features I’d like to check out, so when I have a spare day to enjoy that, I’ll get it and then review it.
I rented this for the night on Blu-Ray, since I at least had the time to watch all 177 minutes of it. It looks and sounds great, as you might expect. I’ve only seen it in full like once or twice before, but parts of it at other times I was miffed when I found out after the fact that it was showing at a theatre on the Atlantic coast of Florida about an hour and a half away from where I live. And, once I got home from renting the Blu-Ray, I looked online and saw that at the end of the month they are showing it for a week at… Citywalk in Orlando. I’ll be there to see that so that I can see I saw one of the all-time greats on the big screen (whether or not it’s a DVD projection); I’ve been able to do that and see all-time great films on the big screen, like Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas, Rear Window, Psycho, The Sting, The Shining, Star Wars, The Dark Knight, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien, and Terminator 2. So, yay for me and yay for these special screenings. I’ll talk about how that screening went by the very end of this month.
For now, I’ll get on with this. However, it is difficult to write anything interesting about one of the greatest and most beloved films of all time. I can say that besides seeing it in Blu-Ray form and enjoying it in that format, that it is as magnificent as I remember it being. Whether or not this or its sequel is the better film is a discussion that will exist until the end of time and even after I (hopefully) see Part II soon I don’t know if I can accurately state which one is better or even which one I prefer.
So, instead I’ll post a link to this site, all about the greatest movies, and not only does its take on the movie have a great intro that describes why it is one of the all-time classics, but then the entire plot is talked about and discussed.
Also, there’s this link to a Vanity Fair article about how the movie was made and all the trouble Coppola had in trying to get it made like he wanted it to be made; that is a great story in and of itself. So, if you somehow haven’t seen this movie, you should, and even if you have seen it before, see it again. Whether you rent or buy the movie only on DVD or you acquire the full set with all three movies and then the bonus disc, it's a must-see.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
In The Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
In The Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007)
4% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 45 reviews)
Runtime: 162 minutes (unrated version, and the runtime is not a misprint; the theatrical version is 127 minutes)
Directed: Dr. Uwe Boll
Starring: Jason Statham, Leelee Sobieski, John-Rhys Davies, Ron Perlman, Claire Forlani, Ray Liotta, Burt Reynolds
From: 20th Century Fox/Boll KG
To me, it’s always interesting talking about those films that you may have missed, the ones that flew under the radar or those that for whatever reason didn’t do as well as they should have. I talked about Waiting… due to it being on TV at the time, it’s theme of relationships on Valentine’s Day… and also because the director is from Central Florida and it didn’t make all that much in the way of money at the box office, but from what I’ve noticed it’s gotten more acclaim once it made its way to DVD.
The movie I’m talking about here is different from that. It’s gotten more attention on DVD, but what stands out about it-besides its nice cast and how it didn’t do well on the big screen at all-is who directed it. He’s well-known in some circles on-line, but if you don’t know, take a few minutes and read Uwe Boll’s Wikipedia entry to find out what he’s all about. He is quite the character, to say the least. He really is like our new Ed Wood, a guy who isn’t really all that talented but he does try and you shouldn’t get too mad at him. Some don’t like him because he started off adapting videogames and didn’t do it too well and wasn’t that faithful to the source either. Me, I never played any of those games, much less be a huge fan of them, so that doesn’t bother me at all. As for what I’ve seen, House of the Dead was SO bad it was like our generation’s version of Plan 9 From Outer Space (to quote someone from Dread Central) and ended up being great to laugh at, Alone in the Dark is pretty wretched all around but at least you can laugh at that, Bloodrayne was better than the first two and at least is bloody, and Seed… that is a horrible movie all around and should never be seen. That and this one are the only ones I’ve seen. But, I hear that Postal is a real demented comedy and he has some recent films (Rampage, 1968 Tunnel Rats) that are legitimately not bad and are worth seeing. So see, he’s improving (aside from Seed) with each movie. So, that’s why I say that all the hate he’s getting online (yes, it still happens, although it’s not as bad as it was a few years ago) isn’t really all that fair. There are other directors who are more worthy of condemnation, both famous (Michael Bay) and only known to hardcore genre fans (Ulli Lommel, who is literally a one-take only filmmaker who really doesn’t show any skill at all). I guess that Boll being loony at times works against him, but overall, he doesn’t deserve that hate any longer.
As for this film, I saw it in January of 2007 when it was released and it totally bombed at the box office, making about 10 million dollars total in the box office in the U.S. That’s a shame with that kind of cast and it’s not as bad as the critics would let you believe it to be. Sure, it’s apparently derivative of Lord of the Rings (but that doesn’t mean too much to me, as believe it or not, I haven’t seen any of those three films. I’m not joking. Maybe one day I’ll watch them, but I don’t have that much interest currently in seeing those flicks) but that doesn’t mean too much to me, and I at least got entertainment out of it.
To explain, the movie is about a farmer named Farmer (seriously; Statham) who has his son killed and wife kidnapped by creatures known as Krugs. It turns out that they are controlled by an evil wizard (Liotta) who is plotting to overthrow the King (Reynolds). Other stuff is involved, but that’s the real bare-bones breakdown of what the plot is. However, I do have to bring up that there’s a lady (Leelee) who is the daughter of the King’s magus (Davies) who wishes for equality, and the character of Duke Fallow (Matthew Lillard!) who is the King's nephew but the way he acts… the way that Lillard plays the character is like a more drunk and more fey version of Captain Jack Sparrow! It’s quite the mesmerizing performance.
I’ll admit that even in its shorter theatrical version, for some it may be tough sledding at some points as there’s a dull moment or a few, but the action was fine-enough for me, the scenery looks nice and the story is simplistic but engrossing enough for my tastes. So, I won’t say that it’s as bad as you may be led to believe.
As for this unrated edition, it’s only on Blu-Ray so that’s why it was just now that I saw it. I saw it in front of a small crowd on the big screen in ’07 (and most of them were obvious Boll fanatics) and once on DVD but I don’t remember the entirety of them, so watching the director’s cut was like a new experience. It was clear at times that the theatrical version (the original plan was for it to be two feature-length films, a la Kill Bill) had stuff cut out; for example, the fate of one character.
As for the director’s cut, as said about it on Movie Censorship (a great site to go to if you need info on different cuts of movies), there is more action, characters are fleshed out, and you do get to see the fate of one of the characters (and a nice fate it is). So, if you can find the Blu-Ray on DVD for rental or Netflix and you like stuff like Lord of the Rings (and thus can handle a lengthy film) then it may be worth seeing, even if you get more enjoyment out of laughing at it rather than enjoying it. There's that and the nice cast; so, it's not as bad as goofy online people and critics would let you believe.
4% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 45 reviews)
Runtime: 162 minutes (unrated version, and the runtime is not a misprint; the theatrical version is 127 minutes)
Directed: Dr. Uwe Boll
Starring: Jason Statham, Leelee Sobieski, John-Rhys Davies, Ron Perlman, Claire Forlani, Ray Liotta, Burt Reynolds
From: 20th Century Fox/Boll KG
To me, it’s always interesting talking about those films that you may have missed, the ones that flew under the radar or those that for whatever reason didn’t do as well as they should have. I talked about Waiting… due to it being on TV at the time, it’s theme of relationships on Valentine’s Day… and also because the director is from Central Florida and it didn’t make all that much in the way of money at the box office, but from what I’ve noticed it’s gotten more acclaim once it made its way to DVD.
The movie I’m talking about here is different from that. It’s gotten more attention on DVD, but what stands out about it-besides its nice cast and how it didn’t do well on the big screen at all-is who directed it. He’s well-known in some circles on-line, but if you don’t know, take a few minutes and read Uwe Boll’s Wikipedia entry to find out what he’s all about. He is quite the character, to say the least. He really is like our new Ed Wood, a guy who isn’t really all that talented but he does try and you shouldn’t get too mad at him. Some don’t like him because he started off adapting videogames and didn’t do it too well and wasn’t that faithful to the source either. Me, I never played any of those games, much less be a huge fan of them, so that doesn’t bother me at all. As for what I’ve seen, House of the Dead was SO bad it was like our generation’s version of Plan 9 From Outer Space (to quote someone from Dread Central) and ended up being great to laugh at, Alone in the Dark is pretty wretched all around but at least you can laugh at that, Bloodrayne was better than the first two and at least is bloody, and Seed… that is a horrible movie all around and should never be seen. That and this one are the only ones I’ve seen. But, I hear that Postal is a real demented comedy and he has some recent films (Rampage, 1968 Tunnel Rats) that are legitimately not bad and are worth seeing. So see, he’s improving (aside from Seed) with each movie. So, that’s why I say that all the hate he’s getting online (yes, it still happens, although it’s not as bad as it was a few years ago) isn’t really all that fair. There are other directors who are more worthy of condemnation, both famous (Michael Bay) and only known to hardcore genre fans (Ulli Lommel, who is literally a one-take only filmmaker who really doesn’t show any skill at all). I guess that Boll being loony at times works against him, but overall, he doesn’t deserve that hate any longer.
As for this film, I saw it in January of 2007 when it was released and it totally bombed at the box office, making about 10 million dollars total in the box office in the U.S. That’s a shame with that kind of cast and it’s not as bad as the critics would let you believe it to be. Sure, it’s apparently derivative of Lord of the Rings (but that doesn’t mean too much to me, as believe it or not, I haven’t seen any of those three films. I’m not joking. Maybe one day I’ll watch them, but I don’t have that much interest currently in seeing those flicks) but that doesn’t mean too much to me, and I at least got entertainment out of it.
To explain, the movie is about a farmer named Farmer (seriously; Statham) who has his son killed and wife kidnapped by creatures known as Krugs. It turns out that they are controlled by an evil wizard (Liotta) who is plotting to overthrow the King (Reynolds). Other stuff is involved, but that’s the real bare-bones breakdown of what the plot is. However, I do have to bring up that there’s a lady (Leelee) who is the daughter of the King’s magus (Davies) who wishes for equality, and the character of Duke Fallow (Matthew Lillard!) who is the King's nephew but the way he acts… the way that Lillard plays the character is like a more drunk and more fey version of Captain Jack Sparrow! It’s quite the mesmerizing performance.
I’ll admit that even in its shorter theatrical version, for some it may be tough sledding at some points as there’s a dull moment or a few, but the action was fine-enough for me, the scenery looks nice and the story is simplistic but engrossing enough for my tastes. So, I won’t say that it’s as bad as you may be led to believe.
As for this unrated edition, it’s only on Blu-Ray so that’s why it was just now that I saw it. I saw it in front of a small crowd on the big screen in ’07 (and most of them were obvious Boll fanatics) and once on DVD but I don’t remember the entirety of them, so watching the director’s cut was like a new experience. It was clear at times that the theatrical version (the original plan was for it to be two feature-length films, a la Kill Bill) had stuff cut out; for example, the fate of one character.
As for the director’s cut, as said about it on Movie Censorship (a great site to go to if you need info on different cuts of movies), there is more action, characters are fleshed out, and you do get to see the fate of one of the characters (and a nice fate it is). So, if you can find the Blu-Ray on DVD for rental or Netflix and you like stuff like Lord of the Rings (and thus can handle a lengthy film) then it may be worth seeing, even if you get more enjoyment out of laughing at it rather than enjoying it. There's that and the nice cast; so, it's not as bad as goofy online people and critics would let you believe.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Waiting...
Waiting… (2005)
30% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 86 reviews)
Runtime: 94 minutes
Directed by: Rob McKittrick
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Justin Long, Anna Faris, David Koechner, Chi McBride
From: Lionsgate/Element/Eden Rock Media
Here is a movie that doesn’t have too much to do with Valentine’s Day besides the fact that relationships are part of the plot, but I noticed that this vulgar comedy was showing on Comedy Central tonight (in 15 minutes from the time I’m posting this) and tomorrow, so I figured I would talk about it here and also explain how the DVD is pretty great.
This is a pretty vulgar film (if you’ve seen it, you’ll know what I mean by “The Goat”) that is a day in the life of various young (and some old) people who work at Shenaniganz Restaurant, an obvious spoof on Bennigans, a restaurant chain that is now out of business aside from some independent franchises that are still around, like one in Tampa in the Channelside complex. It includes the sarcastic and smartass Monty (Reynolds), a guy who realized that he should’ve done more with his life and he should’ve graduated regular college by now (Long), and a newbie who is a trainee (John Francis Daley, a guy who I understand you can see on the TV show Bones). It’s a large ensemble cast and you get to see the likes of Dane Cook AND Andy Milonakis. Me, I almost always can never stand the either of them, so you’d think that the both of them means major trouble. However, here they were more than fine with their small roles and in fact, the end credits has Andy rapping a *very* explicit tune that he wrote himself, and it’s so over the top that you have to laugh at it, and it has to be the best thing that he’ll ever do. Also, there’s a large collection of very attractive ladies to look at, including Faris, Jordan Ladd, Kaitlin Doubleday, Vanessa Lengies, and Emmanuele Chriqui. There are also quality character actors such as Koechner, McBride, Luis Guzman, and Wendie Malick. So, it’s a fine cast and it helps to make this some good stuff. Aside from the vulgarness there is a nice story about how Long wishes that he had done more with his life than hanging out with pals at the restaurant and he has to decide whether he wants to stay there or to do more with his life. So, it’s not a pointless grossfest with no point to it. I won’t give more away as I don’t want to spoil any of the small stories that are intertwined throughout the flick. Sure, you can see it on Comedy Central tonight or tomorrow night, but it’s in edited form and I’ve never seen it that way; I can only imagine how much they had to bleep out or completely remove, so it may be best to see it on DVD in original form.
Besides it being the unrated cut, the DVD also has the likes of a feature length documentary that’s almost as long as the movie itself and in a real neat innovation, a “telestrator commentary”, where it’s a commentary but the title device is used and often, the movie is stopped or even moved back to point out various things. It’s something that should be done more often, I say. So, again, if you like crass comedies, then you’ll probably enjoy this.
Check back here on Friday. I plan on seeing more than one movie, and they’ll be wildly different from each other, so you can look forward to that.
30% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 86 reviews)
Runtime: 94 minutes
Directed by: Rob McKittrick
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Justin Long, Anna Faris, David Koechner, Chi McBride
From: Lionsgate/Element/Eden Rock Media
Here is a movie that doesn’t have too much to do with Valentine’s Day besides the fact that relationships are part of the plot, but I noticed that this vulgar comedy was showing on Comedy Central tonight (in 15 minutes from the time I’m posting this) and tomorrow, so I figured I would talk about it here and also explain how the DVD is pretty great.
This is a pretty vulgar film (if you’ve seen it, you’ll know what I mean by “The Goat”) that is a day in the life of various young (and some old) people who work at Shenaniganz Restaurant, an obvious spoof on Bennigans, a restaurant chain that is now out of business aside from some independent franchises that are still around, like one in Tampa in the Channelside complex. It includes the sarcastic and smartass Monty (Reynolds), a guy who realized that he should’ve done more with his life and he should’ve graduated regular college by now (Long), and a newbie who is a trainee (John Francis Daley, a guy who I understand you can see on the TV show Bones). It’s a large ensemble cast and you get to see the likes of Dane Cook AND Andy Milonakis. Me, I almost always can never stand the either of them, so you’d think that the both of them means major trouble. However, here they were more than fine with their small roles and in fact, the end credits has Andy rapping a *very* explicit tune that he wrote himself, and it’s so over the top that you have to laugh at it, and it has to be the best thing that he’ll ever do. Also, there’s a large collection of very attractive ladies to look at, including Faris, Jordan Ladd, Kaitlin Doubleday, Vanessa Lengies, and Emmanuele Chriqui. There are also quality character actors such as Koechner, McBride, Luis Guzman, and Wendie Malick. So, it’s a fine cast and it helps to make this some good stuff. Aside from the vulgarness there is a nice story about how Long wishes that he had done more with his life than hanging out with pals at the restaurant and he has to decide whether he wants to stay there or to do more with his life. So, it’s not a pointless grossfest with no point to it. I won’t give more away as I don’t want to spoil any of the small stories that are intertwined throughout the flick. Sure, you can see it on Comedy Central tonight or tomorrow night, but it’s in edited form and I’ve never seen it that way; I can only imagine how much they had to bleep out or completely remove, so it may be best to see it on DVD in original form.
Besides it being the unrated cut, the DVD also has the likes of a feature length documentary that’s almost as long as the movie itself and in a real neat innovation, a “telestrator commentary”, where it’s a commentary but the title device is used and often, the movie is stopped or even moved back to point out various things. It’s something that should be done more often, I say. So, again, if you like crass comedies, then you’ll probably enjoy this.
Check back here on Friday. I plan on seeing more than one movie, and they’ll be wildly different from each other, so you can look forward to that.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Black Dynamite
Black Dynamite (2009)
83% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 42 reviews)
Runtime: 90 minutes
Directed by: Scott Sanders
Starring: Michael Jai White, Arsenio Hall, Tommy Davidson, Kevin Chapman, Salli Richardson
From: Apparition/Destination Films/ARS Media/etc.
Here’s the last review I’ll post for at least another week, as the week I have in front of me is going to be pretty busy, I know that already.
Back last year I heard of this film called Black Dynamite and how it was a spoof of 70’s Blaxploitation films, a genre I know about but which I’ve seen far too little of. I followed it online to see if the limited release movie would make its way to Florida or not. It turned out that aside from playing late last year in Miami for two days when I couldn’t make it down there, I had to wait until this weekend (when it will be out 9 days from now) to see it, and it was at the Enzian, the “arty” theatre in the Orlando area which usually shows high brow and alternative faire and have nice couches/chairs to sit on and you can have food made for you, usually of the frou-frou variety. As always, interesting people show up there. It includes the likes of a middle-age guy with Frank Zappa facial hair and who was wearing a tophat, because… well, I have no idea. Also, there were guys with Tekken 6 and Zelda shirts, and a Super Mario Brother 3 trackjacket, with Raccoon Mario proud and center on the front. Like I said, what a crowd.
I had no idea how they would receive the film, but I know that the showing on Friday night and the one on this night (the only two dates they are having it, as both were midnight screenings… well, they went bananas for it, from the opening spoof ad all the way to the animated end credits and then the brief clips played at the very end. I mean, there was loud applause when the end credit started and that rarely happens when I go out to the cineplexes.
In short, this movie is about the title character (White) and the various exploits he goes through while, among other things, avenging the death of his brother, cleaning the local streets of “smack” and then fighting against a conspiracy against African-Americans. It’s over the top in the same way that those Blaxploitation films were, and it’s all hilarious. Like I said people were laughing almost the entire time at all the greatness we got to see. It’s in particular a loving homage to Dolemite, a movie that is technically awful (you see the boom mic multiple times, and not on purpose; in BD, you do see it once, and it was on purpose) but it great due to the late Rudy Ray Moore and his constant rapping; BD has a character named Bullhorn (Byron Minns) that raps the same exact way. Not only is it a laugh riot from beginning to end but it looks exactly as if it was a low-budget flick of the era from the early to mid 70’s, from the clothing to the vehicles to the general look of the film that was used. Also, the action scenes, which like in Dolemite were a lot of kung-fu and gunplay, were greatly done. So, if it sounds like something that you’d be interested in, then it’s something you should fall in love with.
83% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 42 reviews)
Runtime: 90 minutes
Directed by: Scott Sanders
Starring: Michael Jai White, Arsenio Hall, Tommy Davidson, Kevin Chapman, Salli Richardson
From: Apparition/Destination Films/ARS Media/etc.
Here’s the last review I’ll post for at least another week, as the week I have in front of me is going to be pretty busy, I know that already.
Back last year I heard of this film called Black Dynamite and how it was a spoof of 70’s Blaxploitation films, a genre I know about but which I’ve seen far too little of. I followed it online to see if the limited release movie would make its way to Florida or not. It turned out that aside from playing late last year in Miami for two days when I couldn’t make it down there, I had to wait until this weekend (when it will be out 9 days from now) to see it, and it was at the Enzian, the “arty” theatre in the Orlando area which usually shows high brow and alternative faire and have nice couches/chairs to sit on and you can have food made for you, usually of the frou-frou variety. As always, interesting people show up there. It includes the likes of a middle-age guy with Frank Zappa facial hair and who was wearing a tophat, because… well, I have no idea. Also, there were guys with Tekken 6 and Zelda shirts, and a Super Mario Brother 3 trackjacket, with Raccoon Mario proud and center on the front. Like I said, what a crowd.
I had no idea how they would receive the film, but I know that the showing on Friday night and the one on this night (the only two dates they are having it, as both were midnight screenings… well, they went bananas for it, from the opening spoof ad all the way to the animated end credits and then the brief clips played at the very end. I mean, there was loud applause when the end credit started and that rarely happens when I go out to the cineplexes.
In short, this movie is about the title character (White) and the various exploits he goes through while, among other things, avenging the death of his brother, cleaning the local streets of “smack” and then fighting against a conspiracy against African-Americans. It’s over the top in the same way that those Blaxploitation films were, and it’s all hilarious. Like I said people were laughing almost the entire time at all the greatness we got to see. It’s in particular a loving homage to Dolemite, a movie that is technically awful (you see the boom mic multiple times, and not on purpose; in BD, you do see it once, and it was on purpose) but it great due to the late Rudy Ray Moore and his constant rapping; BD has a character named Bullhorn (Byron Minns) that raps the same exact way. Not only is it a laugh riot from beginning to end but it looks exactly as if it was a low-budget flick of the era from the early to mid 70’s, from the clothing to the vehicles to the general look of the film that was used. Also, the action scenes, which like in Dolemite were a lot of kung-fu and gunplay, were greatly done. So, if it sounds like something that you’d be interested in, then it’s something you should fall in love with.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Ninja
Ninja (2009)
Runtime: 94 minutes
Directed by: Isaac Florentine
Starring: Scott Adkins, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Mika Hijii, Todd Jensen, Togo Igawa
From: Nu Image/First Look Studios
On here I’m willing to talk about any sort of film. This includes direct to video flicks, which in the past means that it will be of low quality and it won’t be worth your time. In recent years, though, it seems like a lot of quality stuff that doesn’t have to go through “the studio filter” and whatnot turns out to be worth seeing. What I’ll be talking about here isn’t the best representation of the gems you can find in that format (not only does it include B-movie action, but also horror movies); if you’re an action fan, though…
This is something that’s been talked about on certain messageboards for awhile now; those people got excited when they saw this clip, and it indeed was a highlight of the film. Not that the other action was bad, though. You had a variety, from swordfights to gunplay to hand to hand combat to acrobatic actions.
To be brief, the plot is about a conflict between Casey (Adkins) and Masazuka (Tsuyoshi Ihara), both at a dojo in Japan; Casey ended up there as-shock of shocks-an orphan. They both would like to guard the McGuffin… er, I mean the Yoroi Bitsu, a warchest (literally) that has ancient weapons from their clan. Masazuka also doesn’t like that Casey is a white boy, so to speak. He tries to kill Casey during a practice session, so he gets booted out by the Sensei (Igawa) and the Bitsu, along with Casey and the Sensei’s daughter (Hijii) is sent to New York for protection. From there, that’s where things kick in and you get much action.
I’ll warn you guys that if you’re put off by some plot holes or obviously fake sets, then that’s a caveat to keep in mind. It’s filmed in Bulgaria; Eastern Europe is a popular place for low-budget flicks due to tax breaks and whatnot. The outdoor scenes in the daytime look fine and are convincing for Japan, Russia, and NYC. However, some of the outdoor night scenes SO look like a set. Look at this for an example. But, if you aren’t bothered by that, then there’s no problem. For the budget the CGI looked decent enough and it won’t take you out of the experience. I'd even argue that it's better than Ninja Assassin but your mileage may vary; both movies have their positives and negatives but if you managed to enjoy NA then you should see N, you know.
Note that while the movie officially goes on sale on 3/2, it's been available at Blockbuster for the past few weeks now, oddly enough.
I'll be back by late Monday night with one more review.
Runtime: 94 minutes
Directed by: Isaac Florentine
Starring: Scott Adkins, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Mika Hijii, Todd Jensen, Togo Igawa
From: Nu Image/First Look Studios
On here I’m willing to talk about any sort of film. This includes direct to video flicks, which in the past means that it will be of low quality and it won’t be worth your time. In recent years, though, it seems like a lot of quality stuff that doesn’t have to go through “the studio filter” and whatnot turns out to be worth seeing. What I’ll be talking about here isn’t the best representation of the gems you can find in that format (not only does it include B-movie action, but also horror movies); if you’re an action fan, though…
This is something that’s been talked about on certain messageboards for awhile now; those people got excited when they saw this clip, and it indeed was a highlight of the film. Not that the other action was bad, though. You had a variety, from swordfights to gunplay to hand to hand combat to acrobatic actions.
To be brief, the plot is about a conflict between Casey (Adkins) and Masazuka (Tsuyoshi Ihara), both at a dojo in Japan; Casey ended up there as-shock of shocks-an orphan. They both would like to guard the McGuffin… er, I mean the Yoroi Bitsu, a warchest (literally) that has ancient weapons from their clan. Masazuka also doesn’t like that Casey is a white boy, so to speak. He tries to kill Casey during a practice session, so he gets booted out by the Sensei (Igawa) and the Bitsu, along with Casey and the Sensei’s daughter (Hijii) is sent to New York for protection. From there, that’s where things kick in and you get much action.
I’ll warn you guys that if you’re put off by some plot holes or obviously fake sets, then that’s a caveat to keep in mind. It’s filmed in Bulgaria; Eastern Europe is a popular place for low-budget flicks due to tax breaks and whatnot. The outdoor scenes in the daytime look fine and are convincing for Japan, Russia, and NYC. However, some of the outdoor night scenes SO look like a set. Look at this for an example. But, if you aren’t bothered by that, then there’s no problem. For the budget the CGI looked decent enough and it won’t take you out of the experience. I'd even argue that it's better than Ninja Assassin but your mileage may vary; both movies have their positives and negatives but if you managed to enjoy NA then you should see N, you know.
Note that while the movie officially goes on sale on 3/2, it's been available at Blockbuster for the past few weeks now, oddly enough.
I'll be back by late Monday night with one more review.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Shine A Light
Shine A Light (2008)
86% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 118 reviews)
Runtime: 122 minutes
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: The Rolling Stones, Buddy Guy, Christina Aguilera
From: Paramount Vantage
It’s an odd way that I decided to chat about this particular film, a concert flick released early last year and shown in IMAX also. Before I get to that, though…
Here is a factoid you may not know (and I didn’t know until just a few hours ago): Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner, of The Hurt Locker film, made his film debut as one of the leads in… National Lampoon’s Senior Trip. Yes, the 1995 film that I’ve seen a few times before (including once a few years ago) and I had no idea that he played that role. It’s not as bad as you may think; I’m sure it’s better than the awful-looking direct to DVD titles that they put out all the time.
I’ll be seeing some flicks in the next few days so I’ll be able to add some more to this page. My plans have been screwed up as of late due to some serious things out of my control (I should be fine… I hope) but at least I can zone out by watching some motion pictures.
This one I haven’t seen since I saw it on an IMAX screen last spring, but I remember it well. The reason why I’m bringing it up is… Ke$ha. I’ve always noticed that she had the perfect face for radio, to put it bluntly. Not that I’m shallow or anything… that awful song Tik Tok (maybe the worst new song I hear in 2010) namechecks Mick Jagger as someone whose looks she and her pals are turned on by. I have no idea either. No offense, but even back during the 60’s, his looks… not that I swing that way, but just no. To be perfectly honest, she looks more masculine than he does and if I had to smooch either her or Mick, the lead singer of The Rolling Stones will be able to tell what flavor breathmint I was using beforehand! And, I’m admitting this as I remember how Mick looked in picture-perfect clarity; “Skeletor” was a phrase I remember using at the time.
So, I thought that this movie is worth mentioning. It’s from a famous director who loves having Stones songs in his films and it was filmed at an intimate theatre in New York back in 2006 and features Buddy Guy and Christina Aguilera guest-starring in one song each. Jack White also appears in another song. Now, if you’re a fan of the band and enjoy hearing their songs on the radio (if you don’t own a few albums from them, even if it’s best-ofs only) then this is worth seeing. This is something not really for the blog but there are many quality Stones tunes that you don’t hear on the radio but I think they’re pretty great and are worth acquiring, no matter how. This movie has some favorites that you hear on the radio all the time, but also others that are not as familiar; they're still great, though.
So, if you like this band, it's a must-see as you should enjoy it. They still are great live in the current day, as I can attest to.
I'll be back Sunday night with a new review or two.
86% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 118 reviews)
Runtime: 122 minutes
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: The Rolling Stones, Buddy Guy, Christina Aguilera
From: Paramount Vantage
It’s an odd way that I decided to chat about this particular film, a concert flick released early last year and shown in IMAX also. Before I get to that, though…
Here is a factoid you may not know (and I didn’t know until just a few hours ago): Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner, of The Hurt Locker film, made his film debut as one of the leads in… National Lampoon’s Senior Trip. Yes, the 1995 film that I’ve seen a few times before (including once a few years ago) and I had no idea that he played that role. It’s not as bad as you may think; I’m sure it’s better than the awful-looking direct to DVD titles that they put out all the time.
I’ll be seeing some flicks in the next few days so I’ll be able to add some more to this page. My plans have been screwed up as of late due to some serious things out of my control (I should be fine… I hope) but at least I can zone out by watching some motion pictures.
This one I haven’t seen since I saw it on an IMAX screen last spring, but I remember it well. The reason why I’m bringing it up is… Ke$ha. I’ve always noticed that she had the perfect face for radio, to put it bluntly. Not that I’m shallow or anything… that awful song Tik Tok (maybe the worst new song I hear in 2010) namechecks Mick Jagger as someone whose looks she and her pals are turned on by. I have no idea either. No offense, but even back during the 60’s, his looks… not that I swing that way, but just no. To be perfectly honest, she looks more masculine than he does and if I had to smooch either her or Mick, the lead singer of The Rolling Stones will be able to tell what flavor breathmint I was using beforehand! And, I’m admitting this as I remember how Mick looked in picture-perfect clarity; “Skeletor” was a phrase I remember using at the time.
So, I thought that this movie is worth mentioning. It’s from a famous director who loves having Stones songs in his films and it was filmed at an intimate theatre in New York back in 2006 and features Buddy Guy and Christina Aguilera guest-starring in one song each. Jack White also appears in another song. Now, if you’re a fan of the band and enjoy hearing their songs on the radio (if you don’t own a few albums from them, even if it’s best-ofs only) then this is worth seeing. This is something not really for the blog but there are many quality Stones tunes that you don’t hear on the radio but I think they’re pretty great and are worth acquiring, no matter how. This movie has some favorites that you hear on the radio all the time, but also others that are not as familiar; they're still great, though.
So, if you like this band, it's a must-see as you should enjoy it. They still are great live in the current day, as I can attest to.
I'll be back Sunday night with a new review or two.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Sex Drive
Sex Drive (2008)
46% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 107 reviews)
Runtime: 109 minutes
Directed by: Sean Anders
Starring: Josh Zuckerman, Clark Duke, Amanda Crew, James Marsden, Seth Green
From: Summit Entertainment
I apologize for not having something new posted much sooner, but the end of the month and the start of this one I was so busy with a number of activities and finally I have the time to do this. It will be something I saw more than once on the big screen back in late 2008 and I’ve seen on DVD, but only its original cut and not the unrated cut (more on that later).
This was released in October of ’08 and it was advertised on TV well enough but for whatever reasons, it did not do all that well at the box office; that’s a shame. It’s one of those raunchy flicks starring young people; but, it’s not one of those mindless crapfests such as the previously reviewed College. Rather, this has a heart and you’ll enjoy it instead of being sent into alternating fits of rage and boredom. It’s about a dorky guy, Ian (Zuckerman) who creates an exaggerated persona online and he finds a girl on there and she asks to meet him in Knoxville, Tennessee. That’s a problem as he lives in suburban Chicago. But, the rest of his blended family happen to be out of town for the weekend, so they leave and he, his chubby dorky friend Lance (who nonetheless is suave with the ladies) (Duke) and his tomboy lady friend Felicia (Crew) “borrow” the 1969 Pontiac GTO-a sweet-looking ride-of Ian’s homophobic brother (Marsden) and they drive down to Tennessee so that he can have “an encounter” with the online girl, without knowing for certain if she’s actually a young lady, or a lady at all. Along the way they engage in various hijinx, including ending up on an Amish farm and meeting one sarcastic guy there (Green!)
The movie is of the vulgar type and not everything’s realistic (while it’s true that as seen in the movie, the Amish teenagers always go through a period of Rumspringa, I don’t think it’s a huge bash that rivals anything the largest frats on the largest campuses can put on, and certainly you won’t have Fall Out Boy performing there. Yes, they’re in the film), but overall the few times I’ve seen it I have always had a good time with it. There are funny moments throughout and it’s never dull; the story moves along about as fast as a ’69 GTO, as a matter of fact. Some things are on the predictable side (Felicia and Ian are “just friends” but things start to change…) and there are some curveballs along the way; it’s always entertaining and like I said it’s not just raunchy stuff the whole time. It’s a game cast where the leads are people that many people aren’t familiar with but they equate themselves well (Crew looks very attractive in the film, IMO); Duke is best known for being Michael Cera’s pal and does stuff online with him-I’m just going off of hearsay as that’s not the sort of thing I watch-and he’s a nice find. Marsden is great as a buff obnoxious lout who unveils a big surprise at the end and I’m not always a fan of Green-Robot Chicken’s popularity is beyond my comprehension-but he was pretty amusing in his role. You’ll probably recognize another familiar face or two as some character actors have some brief but good roles. So, if you like vulgar comedies but want to see something with a heart too, check this out.
The unrated cut on the DVD is 20 minutes (!) longer and while I’ve only seen the intro to it, I can tell you it’s a parody of unrated cuts with alternate takes and some blown takes too. As the intro (which is the opposite of subtle) states, unrated cuts on DVD are almost always BS as it really should be “an alternate cut” as usually it’s just added footage rather than more visceral stuff being cut out to avoid an NC-17 or R rating, depending on the rating they ended up with. So, the producers/director made it a gag and from what I hear it’s pretty humorous if you have the taste for something like that. I say it’s something that needs to be spoofed, so one of these days I’ll watch it.
I’ll be back on Friday with another review.
46% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 107 reviews)
Runtime: 109 minutes
Directed by: Sean Anders
Starring: Josh Zuckerman, Clark Duke, Amanda Crew, James Marsden, Seth Green
From: Summit Entertainment
I apologize for not having something new posted much sooner, but the end of the month and the start of this one I was so busy with a number of activities and finally I have the time to do this. It will be something I saw more than once on the big screen back in late 2008 and I’ve seen on DVD, but only its original cut and not the unrated cut (more on that later).
This was released in October of ’08 and it was advertised on TV well enough but for whatever reasons, it did not do all that well at the box office; that’s a shame. It’s one of those raunchy flicks starring young people; but, it’s not one of those mindless crapfests such as the previously reviewed College. Rather, this has a heart and you’ll enjoy it instead of being sent into alternating fits of rage and boredom. It’s about a dorky guy, Ian (Zuckerman) who creates an exaggerated persona online and he finds a girl on there and she asks to meet him in Knoxville, Tennessee. That’s a problem as he lives in suburban Chicago. But, the rest of his blended family happen to be out of town for the weekend, so they leave and he, his chubby dorky friend Lance (who nonetheless is suave with the ladies) (Duke) and his tomboy lady friend Felicia (Crew) “borrow” the 1969 Pontiac GTO-a sweet-looking ride-of Ian’s homophobic brother (Marsden) and they drive down to Tennessee so that he can have “an encounter” with the online girl, without knowing for certain if she’s actually a young lady, or a lady at all. Along the way they engage in various hijinx, including ending up on an Amish farm and meeting one sarcastic guy there (Green!)
The movie is of the vulgar type and not everything’s realistic (while it’s true that as seen in the movie, the Amish teenagers always go through a period of Rumspringa, I don’t think it’s a huge bash that rivals anything the largest frats on the largest campuses can put on, and certainly you won’t have Fall Out Boy performing there. Yes, they’re in the film), but overall the few times I’ve seen it I have always had a good time with it. There are funny moments throughout and it’s never dull; the story moves along about as fast as a ’69 GTO, as a matter of fact. Some things are on the predictable side (Felicia and Ian are “just friends” but things start to change…) and there are some curveballs along the way; it’s always entertaining and like I said it’s not just raunchy stuff the whole time. It’s a game cast where the leads are people that many people aren’t familiar with but they equate themselves well (Crew looks very attractive in the film, IMO); Duke is best known for being Michael Cera’s pal and does stuff online with him-I’m just going off of hearsay as that’s not the sort of thing I watch-and he’s a nice find. Marsden is great as a buff obnoxious lout who unveils a big surprise at the end and I’m not always a fan of Green-Robot Chicken’s popularity is beyond my comprehension-but he was pretty amusing in his role. You’ll probably recognize another familiar face or two as some character actors have some brief but good roles. So, if you like vulgar comedies but want to see something with a heart too, check this out.
The unrated cut on the DVD is 20 minutes (!) longer and while I’ve only seen the intro to it, I can tell you it’s a parody of unrated cuts with alternate takes and some blown takes too. As the intro (which is the opposite of subtle) states, unrated cuts on DVD are almost always BS as it really should be “an alternate cut” as usually it’s just added footage rather than more visceral stuff being cut out to avoid an NC-17 or R rating, depending on the rating they ended up with. So, the producers/director made it a gag and from what I hear it’s pretty humorous if you have the taste for something like that. I say it’s something that needs to be spoofed, so one of these days I’ll watch it.
I’ll be back on Friday with another review.
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