The Road, The Box, and more — movie review catchup
It’s been a while since our last film review update, but to be completely honest, we haven’t seen all that much worth talking about. For every meeting with a film of quality we’ve suffered through countless hours with with mediocrity the likes of Wrong Turn 3, Men Who Stare at Goats, and The Informers. Still, there are some things worth recommending.
Shotgun reviews and trailers follow.
The Road
Not quite the action film I thought it was going to be, but nonetheless interesting for it. A quiet, meditative, surprisingly hopeful take on the apocalypse. Definitely worth checking out. Also, be sure to see the director’s previous film, The Proposition if you haven’t already.
Tell No One
We somehow missed picking this one up for quite a while, but once we finally did I wondered what took me so long. A surprisingly intelligent little thriller. Not the breakneck Fugitive-style ride the NPR critics made it out to be, but certainly intriguing. Just don’t stick around long enough to mull over the plot implausibilities after the end.
Franklyn
Not the best executed film, but a tad more original than your usual offering these days. The film’s something like City of Lost Children crossed with Closer, if you can imagine that. Stick around past the derivative and unwieldy first 45 minutes and you’ll be in for a treat. Don’t worry, it’s not really a superhero film.
The Box
I quite liked this one. Richard Kelly’s bit of penance for Southland Tales is intriguing and mysterious. I liked the ethical dilemmas and the pseudo-Phantasm feel. Check it out if you have a chance.
Demon Seed
Quite possibly the stupidest film ever made. A rogue AI breaks free of his scientist creators and rapes a lady living in a high tech house. Honest to god, that’s what happens. I recommend this only so that you too can say you’ve seen the stupidest film ever made.
September Dawn
A look at the little-known Mountain Meadows Massacre, where a group of Mormons killed 120 men, women, and children. The film’s narrative is ham-handed and the acting wooden, but it does feature the creepy Palm Pre commercial girl getting shot to pieces by John Voight. That alone is worth the price of admission.
Infection
A little J-Horror title we’ve had in our collection for a couple years now, but never watched. Too bad, since it was actually pretty solid. Basically the story sees a dark and stormy night in the ER, where the medical staff encounter supernatural and biological terrors, and a handful of moral dilemmas. Good stuff. The film also stars Yoko Maki, Tae Kimura, Mari Hoshio, and Koichi Sato. So, not all bad there either.
Banlieue 13: Ultimatum
The sequel to Banlieue 13. Not as good as the original, but still pretty fun. Worth it just to see all the city’s gangs rise up against the corrupt government officials. Check it out once it releases stateside.
And that’s really about it. Kris and I will be delving back into genre and arthouse fare in the coming weeks, so you might hear some more frequent updates as we come across more interesting titles. Stay tuned.
About the Author
