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August 2007
Saying boo to ‘Halloween’
Watching Rob Zombie’s Halloween felt like watching Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho - except it was the bad part of Psycho.
That otherwise brilliant 1960 classic concluded with a clumsy, labored scene in which a psychologist tries to explain the demented mind of Norman Bates. Crossing every t and dotting every i, the dialogue diminished the mystery of Bates by explaining him in dull, explicit detail that even the dimmest member of the audience could understand.
Zombie’s version of John Carpenter’s seminal 1978 chiller makes the same mistake, only at an even grosser level, in every sense of the word. But it’s not the added graphic violence that sinks the new film, as I had feared.
What made Michael Myers so effective in Carpenter’s movie was that he was this unknowable, unstoppable force. We knew very little about his character except that he was a ruthless, silent killing machine that had this unnerving tendency not to stay down for the count. Information about his past was kept at a minimum, and wisely so. That made him terrifying.
Zombie, who also wrote the screenplay, keeps the basic structure of the 1978 movie but spends an inordinate amount of time trying to show what made Michael Myers such a loony. I neither wanted nor needed to know what made him tick.
But no, we get to find out his mama was a stripper, his older sister was a whore, and his stepdaddy was a southern hick drunk with a pickup truck. Well, OK, maybe there was no pickup truck, but you get the idea. Michael Myers’ life suddenly became like a bad country song, with a dash of speed metal thrown in.
When the adult Michael goes on his killing spree, the film becomes a mixed bag. I liked Malcolm McDowell’s slightly unhinged intensity as Dr. Loomis, the only person who truly understands the depth of Michael’s evil. Unfortunately, Michael’s new target Laurie (Scout Taylor-Compton) is cute but spineless and dull - a far cry from Jamie Lee Curtis.
To give Zombie due credit, as a director, he is technically skilled. I had worried he would undermine the strength of the original film, eschewing Carpenter’s masterful suspense for a lot of blood and guts. However, many of the murders, especially toward the end, are well staged and intense. Even the extra gore didn’t bother me.
Unfortunately, by the time Michael started killing everything that moves, I had lost interest because of the ham-handed origin story. Even people unfortunate enough never to have seen the 1978 film might find the new movie’s backstory to be over the top.
In this Halloween, Michael Myers suffers a new indignity. He is reduced from being the boogeyman to a dime-a-dozen psychopath worthy of an E! True Hollywood Story. That’s not scary. That’s just sad.
GRADE: C-
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Tom and Julia: Together at last/December movies
Our fall movie preview gift-wraps up with December’s movies.
Missed an installment? Look back at September October November
DECEMBER 7
His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass: In a parallel universe, a young girl journeys to the far North to save her best friend from powerful and secret organization. Looks to be the next truly promising fantasy franchise, with a great cast, including Nicole Kidman, and Casino Royale costars Daniel Craig and Eva Green. Outlook: A
Leatherheads: George Clooney directs himself and Renee Zellweger in a football movie that takes place in 1925. Cool. Wouldn’t it be funny if this turned out to be one of the better pigskin films? Outlook: A
DECEMBER 14
Alvin and the Chipmunks: I have already made my feelings on this movie clear. Suffice it to say I can surely stand the wait. Outlook: D (Saved from an F because Charlotte’s Web reminds me that a movie can be good despite an awful trailer. But I remain pessimistic.)
I am Legend: The world comes to an end, with Will Smith wandering alone in New York in this remake of The Omega Man. This will be a major test for director Francis Lawrence, whose only major credit to this point is the Keanu Reeves demon movie, Constantine. Outlook: B
The Perfect Christmas: A young girl turns to a department store Santa (Morris Chestnut) in the hopes that he will help find a new husband for her divorced mother (Gabrielle Union). Union is a genuine talent, so doesn’t she deserve better than a movie from the director of The Cookout? Outlook: C
DECEMBER 21
Cassandra’s Dream: Woody Allen returns to Match Point mode with a story of two brothers (Colin Farrell and Ewen MccGregor), who each turn to crime in order to prove their commitment to a woman. I loved Match Point, so that bodes well for this. Outlook: A
National Treasure: Book of Secrets: The original Treasure was a nice surprise, overcoming Da Vinci Code-lite claims with a good sense of fun. The same cast and director return, with Helen Mirren (!) joining the gang. One can only hope sequelitis does not strike. Outlook: B
PS I Love You: A widow (Hilary Swank) discovers love letters written by her recently deceased husband (Gerard Butler) that are meant to help her rebuild her life. Swank reunites with her Freedom Writers director, Richard LaGravanese, which is a good sign. Outlook: B
Sweeney Todd: Tim Burton directs a Stephen Sondheim musical with Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman? Drool! Outlook: A
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story: Judd Apatow (Knocked Up) co-wrote this Walk the Line spoof with John C. Reilly starring and with Paul Rudd playing John Lennon and Jack Black playing Paul McCartney. That’s a deliriously weird premise, which is exactly why I’m stoked. Outlook: A
DECEMBER 25 (Tuesday)
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem: Nothing says Christmas like slime, blood, fangs a sequel no one asked for! Pass the eggnog! Oh, you mean you used it for some of the slime? Nevermind. Outlook: F
Charlie Wilson’s War: So heavy is the pedigree here that this film is topping most Oscar lists, sight unseen. No wonder, given that it stars Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts with Mike Nichols directing and Aaron Sorkin writing. Hanks plays a Texas congressman who with his CIA allies, orchestrates the arming of the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan during their war with the Soviet Union. (whistles). Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Emily Blunt costar. Outlook: A
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep: A lonely boy discovers a mysterious egg that hatches a sea creature of Scottish legend - namely, the Loch Ness Monster. From Walden Media, which also brought us Bridge to Terabithia, and the Narnia series, among others. Emily Watson stars and Jay Russell (Ladder 49) directs. Outlook: B
Sometime in December
Atonement: Keira Knightley reunites with Joe Wright, the gifted director who steered her toward an Oscar nomination with Pride & Prejudice. She plays a woman whose lover (James McAvoy) is accused of a crime he didn’t commit. Buzz is extraordinarily strong. Outlook: A
Arriving sometime this fall
Lust, Caution: Director Ang Lee follows up Brokeback Mountain with a sexually charged espionage thriller that took an NC-17 rating without a fight. Wow. Outlook: A
Reservation Road: Joaquin Phoenix, Jennifer Connelly and Mark Ruffalo try to overcome a family tragedy in a film from Terry George, who made Hotel Rwanda. With that director and cast, attention must be paid. Outlook: A
Arriving in 2008
The Bucket List: Why was Jack Nicholson bald at the Oscars this year? Because he plays a cancer patient in the new film from Rob Reiner, who has reportedly made his first good film after a very long dry spell. Morgan Freeman co-stars.
Redacted: Brian De Palma directs an Iraq war movie with a cast of unknowns. Perhaps he can get his mojo back by going back to his indie/low-key roots?
There Will Be Blood: Paul Thomas Anderson delivers a visually arresting adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s Oil. Daniel Day-Lewis leads the cast.
Youth Without Youth: Francis Ford Coppola returns to directing after a 10-year absence with a story about a man who may have found the secret to eternal youth.
And that concludes the fall preview. Comment and tell me what your top picks are, either for December or the fall as a whole. My choices: Enchanted, American Gangster, Charlie Wilson’s War, The Kingdom and No Country for Old Men.
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Enchanted by November’s movies
I give thanks for the prospects of many of November’s movies, while hoping there’s not too many turkeys out there. The fall movie preview continues. Check out September and October.
First, however, let me add one movie to October’s slate:
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: Brad Pitt plays the legendary outlaw; Casey Affleck the man who betrays him. With that story and the cast, the film sounds promising, but its delay of a year worries me. It expands into wider release in October, with no date specified. Outlook: B
NOVEMBER 2
American Gangster: Denzel Washington plays an up and coming drug dealer, and Russell Crowe plays the cop trying to bring him down. Ridley Scott directs. Steven Zaillian writes. Wow. If this movie fails on any level, the disappointment will be soul-crushing. The adult drama I am most looking forward to seeing this fall. Outlook: A
Bee Movie: Jerry Seinfeld doing animation certainly sounds promising, but some of the ads give me a “we’re so hip” vibe that tells me this movie will be all wisecracking and no soul, which is all too typical of DreamWorks animation. I’m intrigued, but wary. Outlook: B
The Kite Runner: A man returns to present-day Afghanistan to see what has become of his best friend, from whom he was separated after the Soviet invasion of their country. The book is loved by many, and the director, Marc Forster, has an interesting track record (Finding Neverland, Stranger than Fiction, next year’s Bond movie.) Outlook: B
NOVEMBER 9
Fred Claus: Vince Vaughan plays Santa Claus’ brother, with Paul Giamatti playing Santa and the director of Wedding Crashers at the helm. And one of my favorite undervalued talents, Elizabeth Banks is in the film. I’m not pouting or crying, but I am watching out for this one. Outlook: A
I Could Never Be Your Woman: Michelle Pfeiffer falls for Paul Rudd. Good cast, but inconsistent director (Amy Heckerling, who made Clueless and Loser). Outlook: B
Lions for Lambs: Robert Redford directs and stars in a political drama co-starring Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise. I’m there. Outlook: A
NOVEMBER 16
Beowulf: Robert Zemeckis gives us another motion capture animated movie, a la The Polar Express. The footage is stunning, and if the IMAX 3D is as good for this as it was for Express, we’re in for one heck of a ride. Only concern: The involvement of co-writer Roger Avary, who has written some of the most off-putting dramas of recent vintage (Killing Zoe, The Rules of Attraction). I’m confident Zemeckis holds sway, however. Outlook: A
Mister Magorium’s Wonder Emporium: Dustin Hoffman plays the daffy owner of a magical toy store who turns it over to one of his employees, the ever-watchable Natalie Portman. It’s a bit too reminiscent of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but the two leads certainly bode well, and the director and writer is Zach Helm, who wrote last year’s underrated Stranger Than Fiction. Outlook: B
After the jump: The single film I am most anxious to see for the remainder of this year.
NOVEMBER 21 (Wednesday before Thanksgiving)
August Rush: The gifted child actor Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) plays a musical prodigy who hopes to find his lost musician parents (Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers). Robin Williams provides an assist. The trailer is very winning and the cast very appealing. The director is Kristen Sheridan, daughter of director Jim Sheridan; they collaborated on the gem In America. Outlook: B
Enchanted: I am a sucker for Disney’s hand-drawn animated fairy tales. I am a sucker for movies that combine animation and live action. I am a sucker for Alan Menken/Stephen Schwartz songs you can’t get out of your head. I am a sucker for the adorable Amy Adams, the female lead of Catch Me If You Can and an Oscar nominee for Junebug. I am a sucker for actresses who can sing, as Adams does here. This movie combines all these things, making it the single film I am most looking forward to seeing this fall. Yes, even more so than all those heavy-hitting dramas. If the trailer doesn’t win you over, you are a lost cause. I. Can’t. Wait. Outlook: A
Hitman: Timothy Olyphant has been educated to become a professional assassin for hire. Dunno what to make of this one. Outlook: C
The Mist: When Frank Darabont makes Stephen King adaptations, the results have gone over rather well (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile). Still, I get the sense this Thomas Jane starrer about a storm that brings monsters will be a minor effort at best. Outlook: B
No Country for Old Men: A hunter (Tommy Lee Jones) decides to keep heroin and $2 million in cash he discovers amongst a pile of dead men near the Rio Grande. Consequences ensue. The last time a Coen brothers movie had buzz this strong was Fargo. ‘Nuff said. Outlook: A
NOVEMBER 30
Pathology: A group of medical students tries to see which one of them can commit the perfect murder. Alyssa Milano is the lead. Eh. Outlook: C
Thomas Kinkade’s The Christmas Cottage:A look at the early life of painter Thomas Kinkade. Peter O’Toole, Jared Padalecki and Marcia Gay Harden star. Also eh. Outlook: C
UNDATED
Love in the Time of Cholera: A man (Javier Bardem), rejected by a beautiful girl at a young age, turns to torrid affairs to heal his broken heart. Mike Newell directs an adaptation of a very highly regarded novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Outlook: B
Margot at the Wedding: Nicole Kidman travels with her sonfor a weekend with her estranged sister, (Jennifer Jason Leigh), and her soon-to-be husband, Malcolm (Jack Black). The director is Noah Baumbach, who made The Squid and the Whale, which annoyed me to no end, but many loved it. With this cast, I am willing to give him another shot, however. Outlook: B
Coming Thursday: The fall movie preview concludes with films featuring box office titans Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Will Smith. I don’t know about you, but November’s slate seems amazingly strong to me. Well, except for that last week, but that slot is always dull. What do you think?
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October movies: Witherspoon, Clooney and more
We continue on with the fall movie preview, looking at the not-too-distant future of October. September’s movies are covered here.
OCTOBER 5
The Darjeeling Limited: Director Wes Anderson returns with a movie about three brothers (Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman) taking a train trip across India. Will this be a gem like The Royal Tenenbaums, or will Anderson be too far inside his own head, as he was with The Life Aquatic? Outlook: B
Feel the Noise: Aspiring Harlem rapper Rob (Omarion Grandberry) flees to a place and father (Giancarlo Esposito) he never knew, and finds his salvation in Reggaeton, a spicy blend of hip-hop, reggae and Latin beats. I’ve heard this described as a male version of Honey, the Jessica Alba vehicle. Not really my speed, but the music does sound interesting. Outlook: C
The Heartbreak Kid: At first glance, this may seem like an inverse of Along Came Polly, with Ben Stiller ditching his new wife (Malin Akerman), whom he married under pressure, for a girl that’s closer to his heart, played by Michelle Monaghan. I’m hopeful this movie transcends the mediocrity that was Polly, because it’s a remake of an Elaine May/Neil Simon comedy, and it’s helmed by the Farrelly Brothers, who are back in the R-rated territory of There’s Something About Mary. Outlook: B
The Seeker: The Dark is Rising: Based on the Susan Cooper novel, this seems like an attempt to cash in on Potter, right down to the use of a Quidditch term. Meh. Outlook: C
OCTOBER 12
Elizabeth: The Golden Age: Cate Blanchett reprises the role that made her famous. That alone is good enough for me. The trailer looks sumptuous too. Outlook: A
The Final Season: Based on the true the story of a small town baseball team facing insurmountable odds, with Powers Boothe, Sean Astin and Tom Arnold. Sounded pleasant enough until I realized the writer-director was David Mickey Evans, the man responsible for the horrid Radio Flyer and the dull The Sandlot. Ugh. Outlook: D
Michael Clayton: George Clooney plays a “fixer” who risks his career, and his life, on a class action lawsuit that pits him against Tilda Swinton. Written and directed by Tony Gilroy, who had a had in writing all the Bourne movies. Clooney’s instincts have been strong, and this seems like the sort of drama that’s right up his alley. Outlook: B
Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married: Perry stars in this movie after staying behind the camera for Daddy’s Little Girls, but he’s not playing Madea. Will audiences care? Can’t say I do. Outlook: C.
We Own the Night: Nightclub owner Bobby (Joaquin Phoenix) and his police officer brother Joseph (Mark Wahlberg) haven taken decidedly different paths in life, until a fateful incident makes them clash with the mobsters who run Bobby’s club. It smacks of The Departed, but the trailer is compelling. From the director of The Yards, James Gray. Outlook: B
OCTOBER 19
Gone Baby Gone: Ben Affleck makes his directorial debut, adapting a novel by Mystic River author Dennis Lehane. Brother Casey Affleck plays a detective tracking down a missing child in Boston. It co-stars Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris. The cast is certainly great, and the trailer has a strong level of intrigue. Seems that Ben Affleck’s return to respectability continues. Outlook: A
Rendition: Reese Witherspoon turns to drama in this story about a woman whose husband disappears, while a CIA analyst (Jake Gyllenhaal) questions his own interrogation of the husband. Sorry, tabloid watchers, Reese n’ Jake apparently don’t have many (if any) scenes together in this movie, but that doesn’t interest me. I’m more intrigued by the entire cast, which also includes Meryl Streep, Alan Arkin and Peter Sarsgaard. Outlook: A
Sarah Landon and the Paranormal Hour: A 17-year-old girl has mysterious encounters with paranormal activity in the small town of Pine Valley. I have no read on this one. Outlook: C
30 Days of Night: A pack of vampires invades an Alaskan town just as the sun is about to set for 30 days. Josh Hartnett and Melissa George co-star,but what really intrigues me is director David Slade, who made the unsettling thriller Hard Candy. Outlook: B
OCTOBER 26
The Comebacks: A college football coach with the worst record in the history of the sport vows to turn things around with a team of hapless newbies. Sounds (yawn) original. Outlook: D
Dan in Real Life: While an advice columnist (Steve Carell) attends his family reunion, he falls for, Beth (Juliette Binoche), who is in a relationship with his brother (Dane Cook). If this is of the same quality as Pieces of April, by the same director, Peter Hedges, this could be a small gem. Outlook: B
Martian Child: Normally I really look forward to films toplined by John Cusack, but the idea of him dealing with a boy who thinks he’s a Martian sounds awfully precious, and the release date shuffle from June has me worried. Outlook: C
Run, Fat Boy, Run: A film starring Simon Pegg not directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) but directed by David Schwimmer, whom I seem to remember from some show about a buncha people in an apartment. Hmm, interesting. Outlook: B
Saw IV: Yes, there’s supposedly no way Jigsaw could be in this movie, but Tobin Bell is in it. The moral of the story? Never, never, never, never, never underestimate the ability of a horror franchise to trump the Grim Reaper. Outlook: C
Things We Lost in the Fire: A recent widow (Halle Berry) invites her husband’s troubled best friend (Benicio Del Toro) to live with her and her two children. The leads are both generating Oscar buzz, but that may be based more on pedigree than the actual film. Berry, in particular, has an upward climb after squandering her talent on garbage like Perfect Stranger - and that was just earlier this year. The jury’s out. Outlook: B
Tomorrow: November’s movies, which include the film I am most looking forward to seeing this fall. In the meantime, tell me what you think of October’s slate.
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Fall Movie Preview: Bring on the brains! (maybe)
Now that I’m back from vacation, I must mark the change of the seasons (turn, turn, turn).
The thermometer and the calendar may not say so, but for all intents and purposes, summer’s over. Time to put away the eye candy and break out the brain food - for the most part. Here come the Oscar bait movies!
As I did with my summer movie preview, I shall offer a forecast of one month’s worth of movies per day: September today, October on Tuesday, November on Wednesday and December on Thursday.
And as before, I will grade each movie based on how anxious I am to see them. To wit:
A: Why can’t this be out already?
B: I’d like to see it, but I have patience.
C: I am unmoved either way.
D: Only if I don’t have to rake leaves.
F: I would rather rake leaves.
Here’s what’s coming up next month. Hyperlinks go to Comingsoon.net preview pages. As always, release dates are subject to change
SEPTEMBER 7
The Bothers Solomon: Will Arnett and Will Forte try to land the perfect women so they can sire a grandchild. Sounds like Knocked Up without the heart - or the brains - and probably without the laughs. From the director of Let’s Go to Prison. Woo. Hoo. Outlook: F
Hatchet: The haunted swamp of New Orleans, starring Kane Hodder, AKA Jason. Apparently this has some cache among the horror crowd, but they can have it. Outlook: F
Shoot Em Up: Clive Owen stars in a movie that, so I understand, quite lives up to its title, even to the point of having a gunfight in midair. I’m curious. Outlook: B
3:10 to Yuma: The director of Walk the Line, James Mangold, casts Russell Crowe and Christian Bale in a remake of a Western starring Glenn Ford and Van Heflin. Now that’s a pedigree. Outlook: A
SEPTEMBER 14
The Brave One: Jodie Foster stars in a revenge drama in which her character becomes a vigilante after she’s attacked and her fiance dies. Co-stars Terrence Howard as the cop who tries to dissuade her. Directed by Neil Jordan (The Crying Game). Such stories can be pretty shallow, but with this cast and director, I strongly doubt that’s the case here. Outlook: A
Dragon Wars: Two dragon-led armies bring their war to the city of Los Angelezzzzzzzzzz … Outlook: D
Mr. Woodcock: Billy Bob Thornton plays a teacher who terrorized a student who now wants revenge as an adult. A very similar premise wasn’t that funny a year ago when it was made into School for Scoundrels. We might as well call this one Billy Bob Cashes Another Check. Outlook: D
SEPTEMBER 21
Across the Universe: The idea of a modern-day musical using Beatles songs may sound chintzy on paper (or in a trailer), and it had a troubled production, with the director and the studio chief wrestling for final cut. Nevertheless, I refuse to discount it with Julie Taymor behind the camera. I’ve greatly admired her previous films, Titus and Frida. At the worst, this will be an interesting failure. And a screenplay by the writers of The Commitments sweetens the prospects. Outlook: B
Eastern Promises: David Cronenberg directs Naomi Watts and Viggo Mortensen as she plays a midwife and he plays a crime boss that leads her into the underworld. Sounds very similar to the territory Cronenberg mined in A History of Violence, which was one of the best movies of its year, so the bar is high for this one. Outlook: A
Good Luck Chuck: Dane Cook and Jessica Alba … ah, forget it. Outlook: F
Into the Wild: Emile Hirsch leaves everyday life behind for a journey to the Alaskan wilderness. Sean Penn directs this adaptation of the true story bestseller. He’s yet to hit the jackpot as a director, but this one’s a bold project. We’ll see. Outlook: B
Resident Evil: Extinction: You know, I actually kinda liked the first movie, but enough’s enough. Outlook: C
Sydney White: Just as Amanda Bynes turned Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night into She’s The Man, so Snow White becomes Sydney white in this college comedy with seven outcasts. One can only hope this is the good leading vehicle the gifted Bynes deserves. Outlook: B
SEPTEMBER 28
Feast of Love: Morgan Freeman, Greg Kinnear, Radha Mitchell and others go through romantic trials directed by Robert Benton, who has been hit (Nobody’s Fool) or miss (Twilight). Still, this collection of talent could put it across. Outlook: B
The Game Plan: The Rock discovers he has a 7-year-old daughter who mixes with big football bruisers. Mmff. I like The Rock, but this sounds a little too close to The Pacifier for comfort. Outlook: D
In the Valley of Elah: Paul Haggis (Crash) returns to the director’s chair with this drama about a father (Tommy Lee Jones) trying to find his son who has disappeared from his tour of duty in Iraq. Charlize Theron plays a police detective and Susan Sarandon plays the mother. Opinion is sharply divided on Haggis and Crash in particular, but early buzz on this project makes it sound like he’s delivered the goods. Outlook: A
The Kingdom: More topical drama, this time from director Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) who leads Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner and Chris Cooper through an investigation of the bombing of an American embassy in the Middle East. Berg has consistently proven his mettle behind the camera, and I have a strong feeling this project could propel him to the front ranks of directors. Outlook: A
Coming tomorrow: Previews of an Elizabeth sequel, Ben Affleck’s directorial debut, and films starring Ben Stiller and George Clooney. In the meantime, tell me what you are/aren’t looking forward to so far.
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While I’m away - what are you watching?
I shall refrain from posting to this blog this week while I play host to some friends who are in town. To fill the gap, I invite you to tell me what you’ve watched lately, or to offer any thoughts about movies that may have crossed your mind. Call it a free-for-all.
Here’s what I’ve been watching lately:
After the Thin Man: The second in the detective series with William Powell and Myrna Loy isn’t quite as good as the stellar first feature - it’s a bit overlong, and it’s rather easy to guess the killer if only because the word has been out for quite awhile now among movie buffs. Still, very entertaining on the whole, and the two leads are eternally fun to watch. GRADE: B+
The Sound of Music: Caught this at the Victoria this weekend. My opinion of it is much like my opinion of another beloved “classic,” Gone with the Wind. Which is to say, I think the first half is absolutely terrific, the second half … not so much. The heart of the movie is the relationship between Maria and the children, and when the second half shunts that aside to emphasize the Nazis, the movie becomes far less interesting. However, I am not one to criticize this movie for being “corny.” That would be rather like criticizing corn for being a plant. Isn’t that kind of the point? GRADE: A-
My favorite bit of TSOM trivia: While the von Trapp family hiked over the Alps to Switzerland in the movie, in reality they walked to the local train station and boarded the next train to Italy. From Italy, they fled to London and ultimately the USA. Salzburg is in fact only a few miles away from the Austrian-German border, and is much too far from either the Swiss or Italian borders for a family to escape by walking. Had the von Trapps hiked over the mountains, they would have ended up in Germany, near Hitler’s mountain retreat. Ooooops!
Stardust: A real late bloomer, this ambitious fantasy boasts many imaginative scenes - too many for its own good. Subplots, spells, characters, and jokes so overload the film, it’s maddeningly unfocused. Scenes flash by with such haste, they don’t resonate as much as they should. The movie finally settles into a groove in the last act, primarily because it’s all too easy to see how a guy could fall for a star like Claire Danes. GRADE: B-
Tell me what you’ve seen, or whatever else is on your mind. I’ll keep an eye on the comments, and will return to posting Aug. 27 with a fall movie preview.
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Superbad, or 18-Year-Old Virgins get Liquored Up
The ads for Superbad tout the movie as “From the guys that brought you The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up.” A credit like that often means that A) Said guys didn’t actually write or direct this movie, and B) That it’s no good.
A is true for Superbad, but thankfully, B is not. Judd Apatow, who wrote and directed Knocked Up and The 40 Year Old Virgin, neither wrote nor directed Superbad. He only produced it. However Superbad, co-written by Seth Rogen, the male lead of Knocked Up, made me laugh as hard as I ever have this year.
My problem in writing this review is that it’s difficult to describe what makes it funny. This is what they call a hard-R movie, with dialogue so hilariously filthy, I laughed even as I was shocked - and I don’t shock easily. It’s so raunchy, that if I were to quote this dialogue in this space, it would be Not Safe for Work - especially my work.
Still, here’s the drill, as PG as I can make it: Two best buds, Seth and Evan (Jonah Hill and Michael Cera) are about to graduate and would like nothing better than to get drunk and laid before heading off to college. So they set about procuring booze with the help of a raging dork named Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) who calls himself “McLovin” on his fake ID. (I see many vanity plates with that name in the future.)
Then, pretty much everything that can go wrong, does. Seth gets menstrual blood on his pants after dancing a little too closely with a hottie at a party. Evan ends up having to sing “These Eyes” by the Guess Who for a crowd of people who are high on cocaine. McLovin gets held up at the liquor store - and ends up being the luckiest guy of the night.
Like Apatow, Rogen (who also plays a less than upstanding cop) and his co-writer Evan Goldberg understand that raunchy gags may get butts in seats, but they alone do not a good comedy make. Characters worth caring about also have to be part of the mix, and Superbad has a great pair in Hill and Cera.
The two are hilarious together, but they sell their friendship so well that when the movie has its “I love you, man” moment it’s genuine, and yeah, kinda funny too. Same goes for the girls they have their eyes on, Martha MacIsaac and Emma Stone, who are both hot but have personalities to boot.
Superbad does come a little unglued when the last act drags on too long, but people will remember the very end of this movie for an entirely different reason, as it presents an astounding array of ways to draw the male anatomy. And that’s all I have to stay about that.
GRADE: A-
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If the Oscars were held today …
An Oscar nominees list? Why it isn’t even fall yet, you might be saying.
Well, of course it isn’t. But that’s exactly why it’s a good time to compile one.
You see, this list is for those films released in the early part of the year that Academy members are most likely to forget or disregard. Rankings that have popped up on Oscar predicting sites like In Contention or The Film Experience list nary a title from the first eight months of 2007. And they’re probably right.
Do I expect that the Academy will nominate these movies? In most cases, no. Do I believe these movies are worthy of Oscar consideration? In all cases, yes.
Note that I did not include an animated films list, as there have not yet been enough viable contenders in that category, which Ratatouille would take in a walk.
BEST PICTURE
The Bourne Ultimatum
Knocked Up
Once
Ratatouille
Waitress
Winner: No film made me soar higher than Once this year.
BEST ACTOR
John Cusack, 1408
Jake Gyllenhaal, Zodiac
Jonah Hill, Superbad
Glen Hansard, Once
Seth Rogen, Knocked Up
Winner: Tough call among an eclectic group, but out of all these, Cusack had to do the most to carry his film, so I give the nod to him.
BEST ACTRESS
Nikki Blonsky, Hairspray
Katherine Heigl, Knocked Up
Marketa Irglova, Once
Christina Ricci, Black Snake Moan
Keri Russell, Waitress
Winner: A strong group of contenders, but Russell moved me the most. If only she got more roles like this.
(Note: Here is where I must lament not seeing Away from Her yet; otherwise Julie Christie would almost surely be included.)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Chris Cooper, Breach
Andy Griffith, Waitress
Peter O’Toole, Ratatouille (Yes, I believe actors should be nominated for voice work)
Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Superbad
John Travolta, Hairspray
Winner: And yes, I believe O’Toole eclipsed everyone here. Maybe because he played a critic? ;)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amanda Bynes, Hairspray
Janeane Garofolo, Ratatouille
Laura Linney, Breach
Leslie Mann, Knocked Up
Imelda Staunton, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
BEST DIRECTOR
Judd Apatow, Knocked Up
Brad Bird, Ratatouille
John Carney, Once
Paul Greengrass, The Bourne Ultimatum
Adrienne Shelley, Waitress
Winner: With a tip of my hat to Bird and Carney, I have to give this to Greengrass, who gave me the sharpest jolt of energy. In only a few short years, he has become one of my favorite directors, after his astounding achievements with Bourne, United 93 and Bloody Sunday.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Hot Fuzz
Knocked Up
Once
Ratatouille
Waitress
Winner: No story was more brilliantly conceived or executed than Ratatouille.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Bridge to Terabithia
The Bourne Ultimatum
Hairspray
The Namesake
Zodiac
Winner: Terabithia touched me the most, and by all accounts, faithfully adapted the well-loved book.
Tech Categories follow; winners denoted by asterisk.
SCORE
The Bourne Ultimatum
1408
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Ratatouille*
The Simpsons Movie
BEST SONG
Falling Slowly, Once*
Ladies’ Choice, Hairspray
Pop Goes My Heart, Music and Lyrics
Way Back Into Love, Music and Lyrics
When Your Mind’s Made Up, Once
ART DIRECTION
1408
Grindhouse
Ratatouille* (Heck yes, animated movies are designed. This one had to make rats cute, make Paris glimmer and make digital food look edible.)
Sunshine
Zodiac
CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Bourne Ultimatum
Grindhouse
Sunshine*
300
Zodiac
EDITING
The Bourne Ultimatum*
1408
Hot Fuzz
Once
300
COSTUMES
Grindhouse
Hairspray*
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
300
SOUND
The Bourne Ultmatum
1408
Ratatouille*
300
Transformers
MAKEUP
Grindhouse
Hairspray*
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
VISUAL EFFECTS
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
300
Transformers*
Now it’s your turn to play Academy member. What movies from this year would get Oscars if you were voting?
Permalink | | Categories: Oscars Sunday Night
The best movies Hollywood never made?
I found a pretty entertaining story online that lists the “10 Most Awesome Movies Hollywood Ever Killed.” It’s a pretty amusing piece with lots of information that I didn’t know.
And to top it all off, would you believe the piece is from the Cracked magazine Web site?
When I was a kid, Cracked was sort of a poor man’s Mad magazine - much of the same stuff, most of it not quite as funny. But I’ve got to hand it to them - their site is very well done. It’s often hilarious, clever, and even kinda newsy in places.
I’ll run down their take on the lost films, followed by my take.
Peter Jackson’s Halo
They say: Fell apart over creative concerns and creative control issues.
I say: Honestly, I’m not broken up about it. After all, most movies based on video games have turned out SO well. (Sarcasm at full tilt.)
Unbreakable 2
They say: Not made because nobody liked the first one.
I say: Now this one I’d like to see. Unbreakable suffered the burden of coming immediately after The Sixth Sense, and M. Night Shyamalan’s follow-up was bound to pale in comparison. Still, I thought it was a very good movie in its own right, and it’s too bad there won’t be more of them. There was potential there.
Ghostbusters in Hell
They say: Nixed after Bill Murray said forget it.
I say: I’m not sure another Ghostbuters movie is really necessary, but it has to be better than those Garfield movies for which Murray dutifully collected his checks.
Kevin Smith’s Fletch Won
They say: Died after Smith couldn’t get Jason Lee to play the title role. Now back on track without Smith but with Zach Braff acting, writing and directing.
I say: I was never a huge Fletch fan, but I’m willing to give Braff a shot.
Rendezvous with Rama by David Fincher
They say: Producers flinched over the budget for this Arthur C. Clarke adaptation.
I say: Anytime a David Fincher film doesn’t get made, it’s a loss. I’d like to see him return to sci-fi.
Dumb and Dumber 2 by Trey Parker and Matt Stone
They say: Parker and Stone and Jim Carrey all bailed.
I say: Too bad, especially given that the two minutes of Dumb and Dumberer I saw were … never mind, my head hurts.
Megalopolis
They say: The film’s distributor went belly-up, continuing Francis Ford Coppola’s bad luck with developing projects.
I say: A shame, but at least Coppola is back with a new film, Youth Without Youth, which will roll out in December, so that’s some consolation.
Fartman
They say: Howard Stern balked when the studio asked for a PG-13 rating. We got the autobiographical Private Parts instead.
I say: I liked Private Parts, but that’s as far as I go with Stern. No loss.
Crusade
They say: The Arnold Schwarzenegger/Paul Verhoeven epic fizzled after the production company was scuttled by the bomb Cutthroat Island.
I say: I would have loved to see how the director of Robocop and Total Recall would have handled the Crusades, but as it turns out, an excellent modern-day Crusades movie has already been made: the long version of Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven.
A Confederacy of Dunces
They say: Hollywood has been iffy about financing the adaptation of John Kennedy Toole’s well-regarded book, given how the similarly quirky Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy didn’t set the world on fire.
I say: I’m curious, so long as Will Ferrell, who is currently attached, drops the project and stays far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far away from it.
Do you bemoan the loss of any of these movies?
Permalink | | Categories: Sir Critic muses
What are you watching, Vol. 2?
Continuing a new tradition on this blog, it’s time to play, what are you watching?
Here’s what I’ve seen of late, outside of what I’ve reviewed in this space.
The Seven Samurai: Inspiring everything from The Magnificent Seven to a bug’s life, Akira Kurosawa’s masterwork never fails to dazzle, especially when you haven’t seen it in several years. A+
The Magnificent Seven: One of the very few American remakes that comes even close to matching its inspiration. It’s tremendous fun to watch thanks to its stellar cast and that unforgettable score by Elmer Bernstein. I especially liked how the chief villain (Eli Wallach) was spotlighted, a nice touch that wasn’t in Kurosawa’s film. A
The Seventh Seal: True to my word, I started catching up with the films of the recently deceased Ingmar Bergman. As expected, it’s a head-spinner, with its provocative meditations on mortality coupled with stark imagery. However, I can only rate this as high as an A-, because the film below is even better …
Cries and Whispers: A profoundly unsettling and very emotionally raw story in which a woman is dying of cancer, forcing her sisters to examine their pasts, and their own lives. Sven Nykvist won a richly deserved Oscar for his cinematography, with his striking use of color, especially the bold reds. A+
Suspicion: Early American Hitchcock never quite overcomes its central conundrum of trying to make Cary Grant into a killer, with an ending that rings false. Even so, it’s fun to watch most of the way, and Joan Fontaine, in an Oscar winning performance, gives the movie more emotional heft than it warrants. B+
Strangers on a Train: One of Hitchcock’s five greatest films, with the second-greatest villain after Norman Bates. Robert Walker SHOULD have been Oscar nominated. (For that matter, so should have Anthony Perkins.) A+
Dial M for Murder: Perhaps a bit too talky, even for a film adaptation of a play, but it’s still great fun, what with the diabolical Ray Milland and the not-so-innocent Grace Kelly. It’s even more fun in 3D; I was lucky enough to see it that way when the Neon Movies had a 3D festival in the 90s. A-
Ace in the Hole: One of Billy Wilder’s most cynical films (and that’s saying something) was kind of the Network of its day, with Kirk Douglas playing an opportunistic newspaper reporter who milks a mining accident as long as he can to feed his own ego. Has extra resonance this days, with the Utah mining disaster in the headlines. A
Your serve. React to my reviews, or tell me what you’ve been watching, even if I’ve already covered it here. Turn us on to (or off of) a movie.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: On Video/DVD
Home (Re)Viewing: Fracture, The Lookout
The best video selections this week are a creative little sleeper no one saw and a solid hit from the spring.
Fracture: Anthony Hopkins does yet another variation on Hannibal Lecter, but to good effect, as a man who tries to kill his wife and dares a cocky young prosecutor (Ryan Gosling) to crack his diabolical plan. The movie plays a tad dryly at times and goes too far out of its way to make Gosling unlikable, but with two actors of this caliber going head to head, the results can’t help but be entertaining. GRADE: B+
The Lookout: This is the little-seen sleeper, starring Joseph Gordon-Levittt as a man whose memory is impaired following a grisly car accident. He unwittingly gets caught up in a criminal scheme, with the crooks deliberately taking advantage of his disadvantage. It’s maybe a touch too clever sometimes, but this is one of the more successful Memento-esque movies, with fine performances across the board and good direction by Scott Frank, the crafty writer of such screenplays as Minority Report, Out of Sight and Dead Again. GRADE: A-
Also out now
Disturbia: Since this has been described as Rear Window for the X-Box/iPod generation, that means that the younger you are and the fewer thrillers you’ve seen, the better this movie is going to come across. The cast is good, the premise is clever, and the movie delivers some creepily effective shocks toward the beginning before becoming a bit too loud and obvious by the end. GRADE: B-
Hamlet: Kenneth Branagh’s epic version of the Shakespeare play finally comes to DVD with its stellar cast and its inclusion of the entire text of the play, which has not been true of other adaptations. Best: Branagh in the title role and Kate Winslet as Ophelia. One of the last theatrical features, if not the last, to be shot in 70 millimeter. GRADE: A
Inland Empire: David Lynch turns to digital photography, layering on his patented oddity for nearly three hours. Lynch fans will discuss it todays, others …. know what you’re in for.
Wild Hogs: I haven’t seen the movie so I’ll reserve judgment, but still … THIS made $168 MILLION? Wow. Just … wow.
Permalink | | Categories: On Video/DVD
Would you see these movies?
Tell me: Would this poster make you want to see the movie it’s trying to sell?
That poster advertises The Invasion, the third remake of The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. For those of you unfamiliar with Invasion lore, the basic premise is that an alien race walks among us, posing as us. If we fall asleep, we cease to exist and become one of them. The Nicole Kidman-Daniel Craig pic comes out this Friday.
You’d hardly be able to tell, though, based on the scarcity and vagueness of the ads. Warner Bros. doesn’t seem all that intent on letting people know this movie’s coming out, which is rather incredible for a movie of this scope. It’s also not being screened for critics here - almost always a bad sign that is, alas, becoming more and more prevalent.
But then, this is one of those infamous “troubled” projects. The credited director is Oliver Hirschbiegel, who made the acclaimed drama Downfall, about the last days of Hitler. Somewhere along the line, relations reportedly soured between Hirschbiegel and the producers, who brought in the Wachowski Brothers’ right-hand man, James McTiegue (V for Vendetta), to helm extensive reshoots.
Not a bad pedigree, but even so, buzz abounds that the movie didn’t turn out so great anyway, with WB basically dumping it and hoping for the best. This bears all the hallmarks of last year’s The Wicker Man, which by all accounts, was a disaster on all fronts. And what do you know - that film was also a remake, and it was handled by Warner Bros. Double ouch.
All that said, I’m morbidly curious to see how it’s all turned out. It can’t be that bad … can it?
Oh well. I’m happy to report that much more promising fare is on the way. I just came across this trailer for Be Kind, Rewind, starring Jack Black and Mos Def. When a video store’s entire inventory of tapes is erased, (must be the early 90s) the duo make their own cheesy reenactments of Ghostbusters, The Lion King, Robocop, etc., which become cult hits. It’s absolutely priceless stuff, particularly their take on Driving Miss Daisy. Check it out.
What makes this even more fun is that the director is Michel Gondry, who made Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. He has just the right offbeat comic touch to make this strike gold. This is the movie of the “fall” season I am now most looking forward to seeing this year.
It’s due for limited release Dec. 21, which probably means it won’t get here until January, but at least then it will tie us over through the awful movies that come out in the dead of winter.
What do you all think of these films’ prospects?
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Coming Attractions
Third ‘Hour’ not such a ‘Rush’
At the end of Rush Hour 2, during the obligatory outtakes, a stunt went awry. Looking after the errant stuntman, Chris Tucker went off-script and deadpanned, “Well, he ain’t gonna be in Rush Hour 3.”
That stuntman was probably OK, but something else is missing from Rush Hour 3. Like many other big guns of the summer, this series is running out of ideas, and on fumes.
I liked the movie enough to give it the slimmest of recommendations, and people who enjoyed the earlier movies may have a good time. Still, even the least discriminating viewers ought to be able to see anything this sequel throws at them from miles away.
Plot involving foreign intrigue that gives Jackie Chan a guilt complex? Check.
A scene involving Tucker gettin’ funky to an R&B tune? Check. Make it Prince this time.
Callbacks of the Beach Boys’ “California Girls” and Edwin Starr’s “War”? Check and check.
Required scene where Chan and Tucker have a falling out and a melancholy pop hit plays on the soundtrack? Check. Pipe in Elton John’s “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word.”
Lots of physics-defying stunts by Chan, filmed proficiently but indistinctly by Brett Ratner? Check all over the place.
Scene after scene of Tucker’s character being made into a buffoon, with Tucker going for the obvious gag every time? Check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check and check.
Tucker’s manic energy is still good for a few laughs, but his shtick has worn thin. I find it very telling that the only work this actor has done outside of the Rush Hour movies since 1998 is an appearance in Michael Jackson’s “You Rock My World” video - the finest hour of no one involved. A little of Tucker goes a long way, and he’s as lazy as his voice is irritating.
That Rush Hour 3 is as watchable as it is thanks mainly to Chan, whose skills as a comedian are what I like best about him. His stunts may not be quite as breathtaking as they once were because Chan isn’t as nimble as he once was, but that’s OK. Chan always brings a sense of good fun to even less than great movies like this one. He keeps this movie afloat practically by himself.
I enjoyed Rush Hour 3 while I watched it. Ninety minutes felt like … 90 minutes. I got exactly what I expected, which wasn’t much. And I have a feeling that I’ll completely forget about it by the time Labor Day rolls around.
GRADE: B-
Permalink | | Categories: Reviews
Something pink and trippy while I’m laid low
My apologies for my absence from the blog this week, folks. I’ve been laid low by a rare (for me) summer cold - and a nasty one at that.
To tie you over, though, I present you with something I found via Movie City News the other day: Whatever became of trippy movies for kids?
I was highly amused to see that a couple of the choices (e.g. Labyrinth, The Neverending Story) were named by some of you in my post about movies that seemed better when we were kids. Hmm … maybe we were drinking too much Mountain Dew back then?
Any other nominees for trippy kids films? I’ll throw out the first one I can clearly remember seeing in a theater: Yellow Submarine. One could argue that a few “trips” inspired that film …
I’ll be back on Friday with a review of Rush Hour 3. In the meantime, have at it in the comments! And just for fun, here’s a video of what I think is still the trippiest animated sequence of all time: “Pink Elephants on Parade” from Dumbo.
And they said Fantasia was weird …
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Sir Critic muses
Don’t kids deserve better movies than these?
Recently, the movies subjected me to a sight so sickening I just about lost my lunch.
No, it wasn’t one of those “torture porn” movies, because I wouldn’t go to one of those of my own free will. Shown before The Simpsons Movie was the trailer to Alvin and the Chipmunks, due out Dec. 14.
Why’s that so scary? Take a look for yourself and see.
For those of you with multimedia-unfriendly systems, the trailer actually starts off fairly cleverly, making it look like it’s about one of the big 60s groups. I recognized some of the footage as Beatlemania coverage.
Lo and behold, it turns out to be Alvin and the Chipmunks, who are given a double dose of deadly “modern” sensibility. Not only are they rendered in crummy, ugly CGI, but they are also made to crack a joke about eating chipmunk droppings. Yes, you read that right.
An IMDB search reveals that the director is Tim Hill, who last brought us Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties. He allegedly is the nephew of George Roy Hill, the director of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, among others. I can only say the apple catapulted from that tree.
Then, as if that weren’t bad enough, the next trailer I saw was the one for Dummy … I mean, uh, Daddy Day Camp, which comes out this Wednesday. Click at your own risk:
I’ve had the singular displeasure of being subjected to this POS about a half-dozen times this summer, and let me tell you, it’s a painful process to regenerate those brain cells. I don’t know about you, but jokes about spraying skunks and exploding toilets weren’t funny to me, at age 6 or 36.
I have a few questions for the filmmakers and/or the parents who would take kids to these movies.
1) Why make these movies about cartoon characters where they’re rendered in CGI to mix with real humans? It’s never worked, whether it was Garfield, Scooby-Doo or Underdog. If you’re going to make these, make the characters 2D, or make everyone CGI.
2) Speaking of Underdog, what in the name of Syndrome inspired Jason Lee to star in not one, but TWO of these movies? Don’t they pay him enough on My Name is Earl?
3) Daddy Day Camp not only couldn’t bring Eddie Murphy back, it couldn’t even get his sidekick Jeff Garlin back. And this was still made because … ?
4) Since Fred Savage of The Wonder Years directed Daddy Day Camp, why not give math genius Danica McKellar (Winnie) a crack at a big feature?
5) Look, I know a lot of little kids think bodily function jokes are funny, and this is supposed to be “harmless fun.” I’m not convinced it’s “harmless.” When screenwriters crack these jokes, they’re almost always going for the easy laugh because they have nothing else to offer. Shouldn’t kids see movies that spark their imaginations instead of deadening them with the obvious?
6) (See title of blog post)
Permalink | Comments (11) | Categories: Coming Attractions
Bourne of greatness: ‘Ultimatum’ a must-see
The Bourne Ultimatum grabbed me by the throat, slammed me against the wall, zapped me with a 10,000 volt charge, then made me run the New York City Marathon twice without stopping.
At least, that’s what it felt like - and I loved every minute of it.
Not only is The Bourne Ultimatum crackerjack summer entertainment, it’s the best movie of this franchise and one of the year’s best movies of any speed. What’s more, I want its director, Paul Greengrass, to create several clones of himself that will make every action movie from this point forward.
Greengrass, who helmed the second entry in this series, The Bourne Supremacy, and the best film of last year, United 93, has proven himself a master at building suspense with virtuoso camerawork and riveting editing. He wastes no time in flexing his muscles in this movie, opening with a sequence that’s so intense, it seems to start in the middle. The movie takes off at lightning speed and rarely slows down.
This time, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), the spy without a memory, is moving closer to discovering the truth about his past and how and why he got to be such an efficient assassin. But the stakes are higher all around. The black ops section of the CIA, now led by the unscrupulous Noah Vosen (David Strathairn), is bent on catching Bourne even if it means murdering innocents who get in the way. This does not sit well with Agent Landy (Joan Allen), as she finds herself conflicted over the amorality of the program.
So not only are the action stakes higher, so are the emotional ones. Damon increases his intensity, even as he allows his character to become more vulnerable to the one thing that could slow him down: finding his true self. Someone who may or may not hold the key to that mystery is Agent Nicky Parsons, once again played by Julia Stiles, whose character figures ever more strongly in the heightening drama.
The whiplash-style editing and the heavy use of “shaky cam” may be hard on some viewers, but unlike less savvy directors, Greengrass knows how to make those techniques enhance the drama by putting the audience in the middle of the action. That’s a necessity in Ultimatum, because the action not only supports the story, it tells the story.
What Greengrass uses here is essentially the same technique he employed in United 93, about the 9-11 flight that missed its target. In that film, he cut between the planes, the air traffic controllers and the military personnel, ratcheting up the tension while creating a fly-on-the-wall sense of realism with his nervous camera.
In The Bourne Ultimatum, some chases cut between Bourne, his pursuers, and the CIA personnel running the whole show from afar, with Greengrass expertly orchestrating the action. But even in simpler scenes, Greengrass’ directing pulses with energy, particularly in a brutal hand-to-hand fight that ranks right up there with the train battle in From Russia With Love. So in that way, Bourne has indeed caught up with Bond.
If Greengrass can’t make his clones, he can invite all the directors of this summer’s big movies over to his screening room. These include Sam Raimi, (Spider-Man 3) Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End) Tim Story (Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer), Len Wiseman (Live Free or Die Hard), and last and most certainly not least annoying, Michael Bay (Transformers).
Greengrass should give Raimi and Verbinski a couple of stress pills and offer them a refresher course. He should sit Wiseman down and suggest a tutorial in how to improve his craft. Then he should kick Story out, because he simply doesn’t belong. As for Bay, Greengrass should tie him to a chair and pin his eyelids open with that Clockwork Orange device.
Then they can all watch The Bourne Ultimatum, a master class in action moviemaking. This, students, is how it’s done.
GRADE: A+
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Reviews
Siskel lives (with Ebert) online - video clips
Those of us who fondly remember the days of Siskel and Ebert’s movie review program just received a terrific (and very large) gift.
Buena Vista Television, which has backed the show since 1986, has just placed an enormous video archive online, consisting of every episode in the Buena Vista library. You can search the archive by movie title, actor or director, and watch the reviews of thousands of movies.
Lots of great material is here, from their infamous tussle over Cop and a Half, which Ebert actually recommended, to their loud debate over Blue Velvet, which Ebert actually did not recommend. (Siskel, God rest his soul, had his flubs too - he recommended Armageddon.)
Sadly, much of the duo’s early work, including their breakout run on PBS’ Sneak Previews, is not available, because, as Ebert explains, most of those tapes were thrown out. If the archive has their special shows (best-ofs, Oscar picks, etc.) I can’t find them through a search yet, except for the one where Ebert and Martin Scorsese picked the best films of the 1990s. (That’s TONS of fun, BTW). Still, there’s so much to see here, one could spend hours looking through it, like I did last night.
The archives reminded me that Siskel and Ebert agreed much more often than not. It was just that when they disagreed, it was especially memorable. Sometimes, even when they did agree about a particular movie, like Steven Spielberg’s Always (the one film of his that completely missed the mark), they ended up arguing about some aspect of it, and those lively debates were always fun to watch.
I also noticed how much longer the reviews used to be, even as recently as the mid-90s. Siskel and Ebert used to spend several minutes discussing each title in depth. Nowadays, the reviews zip by in much less time. Proof of shorter attention spans? I think so.
I was also reminded of how much I miss Siskel, who died in 1999. Since his passing, the show simply hasn’t been the same. Siskel and Ebert were equals, and no one Ebert has partnered with has produced the same spark. It was rather like the dynamic between Lennon and McCartney. Once the great partnership dissolved, the output since then has never matched what the team did at its height. (Interesting trivia: Ebert and McCartney share the exact same birthday: June 18, 1942).
Siskel’s replacement, Richard Roeper, is an eminently decent guy and a strong writer, and he has improved since he started on the program, but he’s always been the junior partner to Ebert’s senior partner, and that’s not nearly as interesting as what Ebert had with Siskel.
Over the past year, Roeper’s been stuck in the unenviable position of having to carry on without Ebert, who almost died from the after-effects of cancer surgery. As of now, Ebert has blessedly begun writing reviews full time again, but since his jaw bone was removed, he is unable to speak. He hopes to have surgery to restore his speech, which will facilitate his return to the show.
Until he does, this archive provides us with some great reminders of how entertaining a good movie review can be.
PS: Good old YouTube does have some Siskel and Ebert clips that aren’t in the archive, including this priceless Sesame Street appearance.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Other critics
Movies that seem better when you’re a kid
My friend, fellow writer and movie buff Allison Dickson recently put up this entertaining post on her blog Memoirs of a Gouda about guilty pleasure-type films.
Since I don’t want to be a complete idea thief, however, I’d like to take her concept and spin it a different way.
What movie did you love as a kid and still love now, even if you know it’s really rather dumb?
When it comes on, that little angel on your shoulder says, “Man, what were you thinking when you ate this up? Turn it off! ” But then the devil says “Don’t listen to him, it’s FUN! Watch it!”
The example that leaps to my mind is the James Bond movie Moonraker.
Most 007 fanatics will tell you this is one of the Bond turkeys, and I suppose they’re right. I’ve since come to my senses enough to realize that James Bond really doesn’t belong in outer space.
But darn it all, I was about 9 when I discovered Moonraker. It was the first James Bond movie I ever saw, and I thought all those gadgets were really neat, especially that gondola that sprouted wheels and rolled through Venice. I know it’s silly and stupid, but I can’t hate it because it introduced me to Bond. You might even say I have an affection for it.
The TV equivalent was The Dukes of Hazzard, which I thought was the bomb when I was 10. That didn’t stop me from thinking the movie was a bomb a couple of years ago. Some movies are bad enough to wipe out all traces of nostalgia.
So come on, spill, folks. What are those movies that your inner child can’t give up now, even when your outer adult is telling you they’re bad?
Permalink | Comments (9) | Categories: Ask the Audience
