Chris’s Summer Catchup — Theatrical films and DVDs
It’s been a while since my last update, so here goes. Kris and I’ve seen quite a few films this summer – far more than we can hope to cover even in a capsule format. In an effort to weigh in on these titles (both theatrical and DVD), I’ll simply provide a one to two sentence verdict on each. But first, site updates.
First and foremost, Anime reviews are pretty much out…at least for me. While the traffic has been good for the various reviews we’ve posted, the whole process of Anime reviewing has worn on me. I’ll try to drop a few capsules for the titles remaining in my queue, but for the most part you’ll probably see anime coverage being handled by Greg.
Film, food, and music reviews aren’t going anywhere. In the queue we currently have reviews for Tarsem’s The Fall, Gege no Kitaro, Genghis Khan: From the Earth to the Sea, Hana, and Shogun Assassin 5. Also waiting in the wings are Freesia, My Blueberry Nights, Kantoku Banzai, Yumeiji, Red Angel (still), Getting Any?, the Legends of the Poisonous Seductress series, and more. I also have a few Criterion titles, including If…, Naked Prey, and Sweet Movie if any of you’re interested in hearing about those.
Lastly, tech coverage. I don’t know how interested some of you are in tech articles, but I could start posting the occasional piece from time to time. This wouldn’t be your standard Digg or C|Net stuff, but rather programming issues and the like. For example, I’ve been reading up on a lot of Adobe Flex/Java integration stuff for a new work project, so I can post a few articles on my experience and findings. If that sounds good to you, just drop me a line.
Now, back to the movies.
Theatrical Releases:
Mother of Tears . I don’t know what happened to Dario Argento, but he’s no longer the filmmaker I used to love. Mother of Tears is absolute garbage, an insulting, hackneyed finish to his otherwise artful Three Mothers trilogy. Some people are citing the humor of the film, but I’m afraid it’s completely unintentional. The final final sequence, with the centuries old Mother of Tears partying nude with her new-wave catacomb dwelling posse (fake breasts being the basic requirement for female admission) has to be seen to be believed. People bag on Uwe, but I’d rather suffer through his last three films than Argento’s. Skip it.
The Happening . You’ve already heard the joke in every other review. And it’s true. Terrible acting from a bunch of relatively competent actors (John Leguizamo is actually the best one here). M Night’s script is filled with after school special dialog and curious violations of character integrity. I didn’t mind the explanation behind the menace so much, but like so many of Shyamalan’s work, it’s a whole lot of buildup for not much. Skip it.
You Don’t Mess with the Zohan . I’m not a fan of Adam Sandler, but this had me in stitches. One of the funniest films of the year. I’m definitely checking this out again on DVD. See it.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skill . Forget the haters. This movie was awesome. The story was surprisingly intelligent (Really, David Koepp??), and its extra terrestrial component drew from quite a few legitimate historical findings (Research, people). Action sequences were completely thrilling. A fine return to form for Harrison Ford. And heck, even Shia LeBeouf wasn’t bad. I’m buying this on DVD. See it.
Speed Racer . Absolutely loved this one. In fact, I’d probably watch it again, before Iron Man. Visually interesting, fresh, fun, with loads of action, and an awesome lesson of anti-consumerism, pro-personal integrity for the kids. See it (on DVD now, I guess).
The Incredible Hulk . Naah. Just kidding. I wouldn’t waste my time on this one.
On DVD.
Blade Runner: Final Cut . Quite nice. So far as its tone, this version lies somewhere between the International Cut and the 1992 Director’s Cut. I think the International Version is still my favorite, but this is a very very close runner up. The Dangerous Days documentary on the second disc is amazing as well. Pick up the 5-Disc set if you can.
Karaoke Terror . Absolute crap. Seriously. I don’t usually resort to such cheap critiques, but there was really nothing to get excited about in this film. Unfunny, drawn out, and uninteresting. Synapse really misrepresented this film. Skip it.
Mandingo . Saw this in a summer course on Riots and Rebellions in American History…the oddest viewing experience outside of our Mullholland Drive screening, where the audience consisted primarily of field-tripping senior citizens. At first glance this picture looks like nothing but 70’s plantation exploitation – the story’s something of a bawdy period soap opera, with a plethora of bouncing bosoms and bloody violence — but if you dig deeper, the film’s depiction of slave life on a Northern Louisiana plantation is actually historically pretty accurate. Some great, campy performances abound, most notably Susan George as the jealous plantation mistress. Track it down.
Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry . Awesome. I didn’t intend to watch two Susan George films, but I guess I had the luck of the draw. Another 70’s car actioner, following a trio of bank robbers (also including Peter Fonda and Adam Roarke) on the run from the law in a Dodge Charger. Watching this film it’s readily apparent just how much Tarantino lifted for Death Proof, but once again, the original proves far superior. Watch it for the chases, stay for a surprisingly good story. And the ending, featuring a helicopter vs charger showdown, has to be seen to be believed. Check it out.
Backwoods . Gary Oldman in a Peckinpah homage. This was surprisingly good until the last 20 minutes or so. A pair of couples vacationing in the Spanish back-country (Granados!!!) run afoul of the locals when they happen upon, and rescue a deformed little girl, held captive in a barn. All hell breaks loose, and as the city folk soon find their very lives in danger. In true Peckinpah fashion, the non-violent man is once again forced to take a stand. Check it out.
Revolver . Almost forgot this one! I hated Snatch. Absolutely hated it. So maybe that’s why I enjoyed Revolver so much. To keep this short, just look on IMDB for the synopsis. This film’s smart, intriguing, stylish, awesome. Andre Benjamin gives a standout performance, and Jason Statham proves he can actually act. I can’t wait to watch it again.
The Darwin Awards . I like Finn Taylor — his Dream With the Fishes was one of my favorite films for a long time. However, The Darwin Awards is pretty darn bad. Painfully so. Skip it.
There are a few more, I think… but I’ll cut it off here for now.
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