So I haven't been watching as many of my own movies as I'd like to be, but I have been chipping away at the Netflix instant que for the last week. So here we FUCKING go.
First up is Red Rock West, an effective little thriller from 1993 starring Nic Cage, Dennis Hopper, the great J.T. Walsh and the very ugly Laura Flynn Boyle.
Nic stars as an honest Texas man who has come to Wyoming in hopes of landing a job with a drilling crew. After that falls through, Nic stops at a bar in Red Rock where he is mistaken for a hit man that's been hired by the bar owner to kill his wife. What follows is a movie filled with clever twists and turns and of course a great "ass hole" performance by Dennis Hopper.
One thing that surprised me most about this movie was its confidence. It knows exactly what kind of movie it is, and not in a "winking to the audience" either. It simply revels in its own sketchy characters and situations.
Cage has always been a favorite of mine, but he was especially interesting to watch in 90s as he made the transition from quirky actor to leading man. He is pretty subdued here, but he still manages to hold our attention with a character who wants desperately to the right thing, but for some reason keeps making terrible, terrible choices.
Dennis Hopper and J.T. Walsh are equally as good as Lyle from Dallas and Wayne, respectively. Walsh always soared when playing a scumbag and this is no exception. He's able to bring a feeling of creepiness and believability to the scumbag that few could replicate, allowing the audience to never really be sure what his characters were capable of.
Though its Hopper who steals the show, as he often does, as Lyle. Few can do villains the way Hopper can, and the combination of him and Walsh makes for some great moments onscreen.
The weak link for me though, was Boyle. It's not that she's bad exactly, she fits the role fine. But something about her I just do not find attractive, particularly with the horrible 90s fashion that she wears throughout the movie. I just could not understand how any of these guys would want to be with her.
It's a minor quibble though, as the mood and other performances keep you more than interested the whole way through, making for one of the more surprising movies I've been able to discover through Netflix Instant.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Bridesmaids
I walked into Bridesmaids ready to be won over. The trailers were good, the reviews were amazing and the amount of talented people in front of and behind the camera practically guaranteed that I would be laughing nonstop for the next 2 hours.
Sadly, it was not meant to be. Bridesmaids is an overlong and wildly over hyped comedy that desperately wants to be better than it is.
Part of me wants to blame my own expectations I had for the film, which were admittedly high, but I just can't quite seem to buy that. I've seen almost every single film Judd Apatow has been involved with, be it directing or producing, and I had yet to be even a little disappointed with any of the results. Bridesmaids director Paul Feig co-created Freaks and Geeks with Apatow and has directed some of the very best episodes of The Office. Two shows that, when at their best, have been both side splittingly funny and heartfelt at the same time. Then of course, there is Kristen Wiig, who is one of the very best female comedians working in TV and film today. So I think I was perfectly justified in expecting nothing but the best from everyone involved. So what went wrong?
First off, this movie is filled with comediennes and actresses that are more than ready to give the material their all, but are let down by the fact that the material just isn't there. There are plenty of opportunities and moments that promise big belly laughs but somehow only deliver slight chuckles, mainly because they are situations that we have not only seen before, but have seen done better. Don't get me wrong, I love poop and vomit jokes as much as anyone, but it really feels like Bridesmaids is relying too much on the fact that its girls doing the pooping and vomiting this time around instead of men.
Let me be clear now, I don't think this movie is unfunny because of the fact that it stars women. I think this movie is unfunny because, well, it's just not that funny. Every single one of the titular bridesmaids have proven themselves in the world of comedy at some point, yet the movie either does not know how to use them, or it doesn't use them at all. I mean, how can you have Tim Heidecker and Maya Rudolph play a couple and not even have them say one word to each other in the entire movie?!
I think that's what has frustrated me most about Bridesmaids, that it turned out to be a great big wasted opportunity. I can't say I hate the film, or even strongly dislike it. In fact, I appreciated a lot of the quieter moments between Wiig and Rudolph. The two are real life friends and it shows in their conversations, adding some depth and believability to their on screen friendship, something which can help a comedy go from good to great. Unfortunately for Bridesmaids, there's not enough comedy here to even call it a good one. Instead, most of the laughs either fall flat or don't hit hard enough, resulting in not only my first true disappointing experience with Apatow and company, but also one of the first big disappointments of the year.
Sadly, it was not meant to be. Bridesmaids is an overlong and wildly over hyped comedy that desperately wants to be better than it is.
Part of me wants to blame my own expectations I had for the film, which were admittedly high, but I just can't quite seem to buy that. I've seen almost every single film Judd Apatow has been involved with, be it directing or producing, and I had yet to be even a little disappointed with any of the results. Bridesmaids director Paul Feig co-created Freaks and Geeks with Apatow and has directed some of the very best episodes of The Office. Two shows that, when at their best, have been both side splittingly funny and heartfelt at the same time. Then of course, there is Kristen Wiig, who is one of the very best female comedians working in TV and film today. So I think I was perfectly justified in expecting nothing but the best from everyone involved. So what went wrong?
First off, this movie is filled with comediennes and actresses that are more than ready to give the material their all, but are let down by the fact that the material just isn't there. There are plenty of opportunities and moments that promise big belly laughs but somehow only deliver slight chuckles, mainly because they are situations that we have not only seen before, but have seen done better. Don't get me wrong, I love poop and vomit jokes as much as anyone, but it really feels like Bridesmaids is relying too much on the fact that its girls doing the pooping and vomiting this time around instead of men.
Let me be clear now, I don't think this movie is unfunny because of the fact that it stars women. I think this movie is unfunny because, well, it's just not that funny. Every single one of the titular bridesmaids have proven themselves in the world of comedy at some point, yet the movie either does not know how to use them, or it doesn't use them at all. I mean, how can you have Tim Heidecker and Maya Rudolph play a couple and not even have them say one word to each other in the entire movie?!
I think that's what has frustrated me most about Bridesmaids, that it turned out to be a great big wasted opportunity. I can't say I hate the film, or even strongly dislike it. In fact, I appreciated a lot of the quieter moments between Wiig and Rudolph. The two are real life friends and it shows in their conversations, adding some depth and believability to their on screen friendship, something which can help a comedy go from good to great. Unfortunately for Bridesmaids, there's not enough comedy here to even call it a good one. Instead, most of the laughs either fall flat or don't hit hard enough, resulting in not only my first true disappointing experience with Apatow and company, but also one of the first big disappointments of the year.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Green Street Hooligans
Green Street Hooligans stars Elijah Wood as a journalism major who has just been wrongly expelled from Harvard and retreats to England to stay with his sister but ends up apart of the surprisingly violent underworld of extreme football fans.
I know that description sounds a little silly, but trust me, this movie is ridiculously violent.
Anywho, I hadn't watched Hooligans since 2005 when it came out. At the time I was extremely affected by the film. I had just moved out of my parents house for the first time and was living with 5 of my best guy friends, so I was instantly drawn to the camaraderie that was being displayed in the movie. I was just starting to be comfortable on my own and with my friends so after watching a movie about guys doing nothing but having each others back, I very easily related to that and in turn held the movie up in very high regard over the next few years.
Going into it again, I expected to have a somewhat strong emotional reaction and while I still really liked it, I definitely realized it's a much weaker movie than I remembered. It was director Lexi Alexanders first movie and it really shows. There are multiple scenes and plotlines that fall completely flat, specifically any moment where Elijah and his father are on screen together. It's supposed to be a big moment for Elijah, having stood up to his father for the first time about having never been around, but instead it's just kind of there. No real payoff or emotion. This scene also leads to an even sillier moment in the film having to do with Elijah's past as a journalism student that also does nothing to add to the film.
Having lived a good 24 hours from most of my friends for 2 years now though, I still find myself drawn to the film and its depiction of friends and family above all else. Charlie Hunnam in particular stands out thanks to his incredible performance as the leader of "the firm" and the one who takes Elijah under his wing.
Overall, while not being as great as I remembered it, I still really like Green Street Hooligans and would definitely recommend giving it a shot.
I know that description sounds a little silly, but trust me, this movie is ridiculously violent.
Anywho, I hadn't watched Hooligans since 2005 when it came out. At the time I was extremely affected by the film. I had just moved out of my parents house for the first time and was living with 5 of my best guy friends, so I was instantly drawn to the camaraderie that was being displayed in the movie. I was just starting to be comfortable on my own and with my friends so after watching a movie about guys doing nothing but having each others back, I very easily related to that and in turn held the movie up in very high regard over the next few years.
Going into it again, I expected to have a somewhat strong emotional reaction and while I still really liked it, I definitely realized it's a much weaker movie than I remembered. It was director Lexi Alexanders first movie and it really shows. There are multiple scenes and plotlines that fall completely flat, specifically any moment where Elijah and his father are on screen together. It's supposed to be a big moment for Elijah, having stood up to his father for the first time about having never been around, but instead it's just kind of there. No real payoff or emotion. This scene also leads to an even sillier moment in the film having to do with Elijah's past as a journalism student that also does nothing to add to the film.
Having lived a good 24 hours from most of my friends for 2 years now though, I still find myself drawn to the film and its depiction of friends and family above all else. Charlie Hunnam in particular stands out thanks to his incredible performance as the leader of "the firm" and the one who takes Elijah under his wing.
Overall, while not being as great as I remembered it, I still really like Green Street Hooligans and would definitely recommend giving it a shot.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Unforgiven
My original plan was to watch The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, The Outlaw Josey Whales and Pale Rider before revisiting Unforgiven. Eastwood made this movie knowing it would be his last western and I was hoping to go through most of his previous films so I could get the ultimate effect when finally watching again.
However, my movie penis zoned in on Unforgiven in a way I just couldn't ignore.
Even without watching Clint's previous westerns, Unforgiven easily remains one of his greatest triumphs as both actor and director. He stars as William Munny, a reformed gunman who once was known to kill women and children at the drop of a hat, now off the bottle and trying to take care of his youngsters after the passing of his wife. And in an effort to provide for his family, he takes one last job killing two cowboys who severely beat and cut a hooker.
As I keep saying on here, the western genre just calls to me. I can't help it. So it's not hard to believe that this movie is one of my all time favorites. Not only is it a complete examination of the genre itself, but its made by the man who single handedly carried the western for 20 years once The Duke was out of the game.
I love how Eastwood uses the image the audience has of him and completely flip that on its head as a way to introduce Munny. When we first see him, he is trying to separate sick pigs from the healthy ones with little success. Then moments later we see him miss every single shot he takes at a tin can, followed by an extended sequence of Munny struggling to get onto his horse, eventually falling on his ass. It feels almost unnatural to watch Eastwood struggle with these seemingly easy cowboy duties, which is exactly the point. His Munny is a broken man, struggling with the loss of wife who freed him from the bottle and his previously devilish ways and Eastwood plays it beautifully, filling each moment he's on screen with sorrow and regret. The scenes particualrly with him and his young partner asking him about his past, as if he were some kind of legend are both fascinating and chilling.
With all the talk of gunfighting and killing, the movie itself is surprisingly light on actual gunfights, save for the finale. Again though, Eastwood didn't set out to make an action film, but instead a study of men in the old west and the difference between man and myth. You could even go as far as to say that this is an anti-violence film to a degree, as it shows repeatedly the toll it can take on a man after killing or harming another.
I can't talk about this movie and not mention how good Gene Hackman is. I had forgotten how good he is honestly. He somehow knows exactly how to play badass lawman and complete asshole at the same time. Specifically the scene in the jailhouse with him and Richard Harris where Hackman explains how to win a gunfight is masterfully delivered. He won an Oscar for the role and watching his performance again really made me miss his presence onscreen.
I still plan on watching Clint's other western's as I continue my mission throughout the summer, so stay tuned for more western love from this idiot.
However, my movie penis zoned in on Unforgiven in a way I just couldn't ignore.
Even without watching Clint's previous westerns, Unforgiven easily remains one of his greatest triumphs as both actor and director. He stars as William Munny, a reformed gunman who once was known to kill women and children at the drop of a hat, now off the bottle and trying to take care of his youngsters after the passing of his wife. And in an effort to provide for his family, he takes one last job killing two cowboys who severely beat and cut a hooker.
As I keep saying on here, the western genre just calls to me. I can't help it. So it's not hard to believe that this movie is one of my all time favorites. Not only is it a complete examination of the genre itself, but its made by the man who single handedly carried the western for 20 years once The Duke was out of the game.
I love how Eastwood uses the image the audience has of him and completely flip that on its head as a way to introduce Munny. When we first see him, he is trying to separate sick pigs from the healthy ones with little success. Then moments later we see him miss every single shot he takes at a tin can, followed by an extended sequence of Munny struggling to get onto his horse, eventually falling on his ass. It feels almost unnatural to watch Eastwood struggle with these seemingly easy cowboy duties, which is exactly the point. His Munny is a broken man, struggling with the loss of wife who freed him from the bottle and his previously devilish ways and Eastwood plays it beautifully, filling each moment he's on screen with sorrow and regret. The scenes particualrly with him and his young partner asking him about his past, as if he were some kind of legend are both fascinating and chilling.
With all the talk of gunfighting and killing, the movie itself is surprisingly light on actual gunfights, save for the finale. Again though, Eastwood didn't set out to make an action film, but instead a study of men in the old west and the difference between man and myth. You could even go as far as to say that this is an anti-violence film to a degree, as it shows repeatedly the toll it can take on a man after killing or harming another.
I can't talk about this movie and not mention how good Gene Hackman is. I had forgotten how good he is honestly. He somehow knows exactly how to play badass lawman and complete asshole at the same time. Specifically the scene in the jailhouse with him and Richard Harris where Hackman explains how to win a gunfight is masterfully delivered. He won an Oscar for the role and watching his performance again really made me miss his presence onscreen.
I still plan on watching Clint's other western's as I continue my mission throughout the summer, so stay tuned for more western love from this idiot.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Thor
Thor is Marvel's 4th film in their build up to The Avengers, which finally comes out next May.
In many ways, Thor is a bit of a make or break film for Marvel. Unlike Iron Man or The Incredible Hulk, Thor's powers aren't created by science or experimental mishaps which not only gave Tony Stark and Bruce Banner new abilities, but also kept them human and therefor more relatable from an audience standpoint. Thor however, is a God whose powers are based on magic, something that most superhero films have strayed from, instead trying to somewhat ground themselves in a more recognizable reality.
But it's that decision to really embrace the magic and mythology of Thor that really makes it work. It gives the film a unique, epic feel that no superhero movie before has had. Not only do does it blend the magical aspects in with the more "realistic" tone of the previous Marvel films, but Thor also continues to lay the ground work that leads to The Avengers. I'm genuinely excited to see what Marvel is going to do with that film now that they have successfully introduced the magical quality that is so prominent in the comics.
One thing that really surprised me about the film though, was the humor. The Marvel films have wisely never taken themselves too seriously, but there is a lightheartedness to Thor's humor that really makes it stand out. It's that particular aspect that also has a huge hand in being able to convincingly sell the audience on the more mythical tone of the film.
Overall, Thor is an extremely entertaining and confident superhero movie that not only builds on the ever growing Marvel movie universe, but also has no trouble standing on its own.
In many ways, Thor is a bit of a make or break film for Marvel. Unlike Iron Man or The Incredible Hulk, Thor's powers aren't created by science or experimental mishaps which not only gave Tony Stark and Bruce Banner new abilities, but also kept them human and therefor more relatable from an audience standpoint. Thor however, is a God whose powers are based on magic, something that most superhero films have strayed from, instead trying to somewhat ground themselves in a more recognizable reality.
But it's that decision to really embrace the magic and mythology of Thor that really makes it work. It gives the film a unique, epic feel that no superhero movie before has had. Not only do does it blend the magical aspects in with the more "realistic" tone of the previous Marvel films, but Thor also continues to lay the ground work that leads to The Avengers. I'm genuinely excited to see what Marvel is going to do with that film now that they have successfully introduced the magical quality that is so prominent in the comics.
One thing that really surprised me about the film though, was the humor. The Marvel films have wisely never taken themselves too seriously, but there is a lightheartedness to Thor's humor that really makes it stand out. It's that particular aspect that also has a huge hand in being able to convincingly sell the audience on the more mythical tone of the film.
Overall, Thor is an extremely entertaining and confident superhero movie that not only builds on the ever growing Marvel movie universe, but also has no trouble standing on its own.
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