05/26/06 Cars

Cars (2006), directed by John Lasseter

watched w/ Leslie, Sarah & Rebecca; theater (Lowe's Motor Speedway, Charlotte, NC); World Premiere Event

Can I just say that this was the coolest movie premiere viewing that I have ever seen. And furthermore, can I just brag a bit about this being the largest movie world premiere ever too?! Yes, supposedly we were part of about 30,000 of my closest friends taking in this momentous occasion in rainy Charlotte in the grandstands of a race track. Yes, that cunning Dinsey/Pixar and their creative marketing ploys...but I was like a big kid at the event. Although the weather played a bit of havoc, the night was packed full of entertainment (and that was even before the great film)! Let's see...there were fireworks, 82nd Airborne marching band & Army Honor Guard drill team, Larry The Cable Guy stand-up & M.C.'ing the event, exhibition NASCAR race w/ Darrell Waltrip, musical acts including Chuck Berry (yeah, he's still alive & kicking), F-16 jet fly-overs, charity check presentation of $1 million dollars, and a full-out Hollywood red carpet intro w/ all the movie's stars. OK, so I'm not too big into name dropping, but here goes...some of the attendees were aforementioned Cable Guy & Waltrip, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, John Ratzenberger (Cliff from "Cheers", and Pixar good-luck charm), Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub (TV's "Monk"), Katherine Helmond (grandma from "Who's The Boss"), Bonnie Hunt, Owen Wilson, and Mr. Paul Newman! Yeah, it was sweet. Only notable no-shows were George Carlin & Michael Keaton. And get this, even U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta was there (sure, he gets a lot of Hollywood premieres thrown his way...I venture to say I've been to as many now as him). Let's see...oh yeah, and there was the movie. It was a great movie adventure for young and old, as all Pixar movies have been in the past. They keep up the solid streak here, as it follows the life of one race car Lightning McQueen (Wilson), who's a cocky rookie about to vie for the national title cup. One lonely night he's accidentally dumped into small town Radiator Springs, where his boyish (or is that car-ish?) antics end him up in community service repaving the road. What he finds in this no-place-on-the-map is a bunch of friends, valuable life-lessons from retired race car Doc Hudson (Newman), and a chance to bring life back into the town he now calls home. It's your average moral lesson told in race car formula. Overall, the event was awesome! And to think, a Hollywood premiere in little ol' North Cackalacka! I sense a moral tale coming on.

5 out of 5 stars

05/25/06 On The Waterfront

On The Waterfront (1954), directed by Elia Kazan

watched w/ Leslie; DVD rental (Netflix) @ home

Simply a classic, and most well-known for its famous line by Brando of "I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am..." Yes, it's a mob-influenced story that seems so played out in today's genre, but with Brando at the helm and it never losing its cinematic luster...I couldn't help but fall in love with it. Brando plays washed-up prize fighter-turned longshoreman Terry Malloy, who's brother is involved in the local mafia. Growing up in the shadows of such infamous characters, Terry wishes dearly to live out his life peacefully, all the while latching onto the dreams of his talent that never were. Upon witnessing a killing done by some mob thugs, Terry falls for the dead man's sister...and is instantly put into a tough spot. He wants no part of the drama, but is pulled in both directions by his love for her, and his love for his brother. It's a landmark movie about true-life issues that plagued the blue-collar working environment of the era. Law enforcement commissions are ready to hold hearings to end the racketeering that corrupts the dock-workers union. Taking on wily crime/union boss Johnny Friendly (great name), Terry is now in the fight for his life. With the help of a do-gooder priest, who tries to offer the longshoremen sanctuary for speaking out about the corruption, Terry becomes a tragic hero for the men. It's the simplest of stories, with the most complicated of human characteristics...and Brando acting in his prime (or first prime at least). It's the grittiness of the black & white filming that beautifully captures the dire straits, and a score that fits in perfectly with the story. I though this long-awaited viewing, cemented it's stance as a classic in my mind. Cement shoes that is.

5 out of 5 stars

05/24/06 The Weather Man

The Weather Man (2005), directed by Gore Verbinski

watched solo; DVD rental (Record Exchange) @ home

Continuing my belief that Nicholas Cage is very streaky in his acting talent, and noting that usually solid director Verbinski was due for a bomb...this one was almost as dreary as the plot that plodded along. I read somewhere that this was described as one the most pessimistic tales that has come out mainstream in recent years. Perhaps. What is perhaps more accurate is to say that this one of the most pessimistic attempts at completing a portrait of American family dysfunction, social excess and perversions, and fake plastic people. Wait, that's spot on. Cage plays a local Chicago weatherman (clever title, huh?), who is going through his own stormy (so punny) personal turmoil, and trying to keep a mask of a smile up for the cameras...all the while questioning his purpose in this crummy thing called life. Yeah, a real upper. His wife loathes him, her new fiance enfuriates him, his son is in & out of rehab & sketchy encounters, his daughter is made fun of & rebels with foul language and smoking, and his father is not only a brilliant writer that he never felt he could live up to...but is also dying, which tends to lighten the mood. Basically, everything in this movie is a bummer. Life, parenting, being a kid, relationships, jobs...it's all crap. Cage trudges through life, getting pegged with the public's garbage as they pass him on the street (and oh, if it isn't perfect product placement on the filmmakers including items like 7 Eleven Big Gulps & Wendy's Frosties being hurled at Cage's face...so blatant, yet so poignant). He wants to snap like Michael Douglas in "Falling Down," but he's too dorky to do so, or too spineless. He decides to make up for his shortcomings in trying to save his failed marriage, re-connect with his kids, get a promotion, and finally mend ties with his father & earn his respect. There's are minor doses of great introspection, and some comedic relief for such heavy context...but too little too late. Kind of like the weatherman's life. Now everybody, take your extra large Slushies from the theater, and chuck them at the screen.

2 out of 5 stars

ATTENTION BRAD CHALLENGE READERS!!!

We are fast approaching the half way point of Brad's Movie Challenge and so far so good. We here at the Brad Movie Challenge would like to thank you for keeping up with Brad's progress and all of your support.

A good Challenge, like a good movie, must have several twist and turns to keep things fresh. After awhile the same old thing, day after day, can become boring and tedious. So I feel that it is time to spice things up a bit. And you are going to help me.

On June 18 2006 (Father's Day), Brad will watch a film chosen by you! The rules are simple.

E-mail all movie suggestions to challengebrad@hotmail.com. Only one suggestion per e-mail, however you may e-mail as may times as you like. One e-mail will be choose at random , by me, on June 11 2006. Whatever movie is suggested will be the film Brad must watch 06/18/06. Please keep in mind the basic RULES of the Brad Movie Challenge. If the movie chosen at random is shorter than 75 minutes, or if it is a film that Brad has previously seen then it will be disqualified and another e-mail will be chosen.

Whomever sends the chosen e-mail will not only have the honor of picking a movie for Brad to view as part of his Challenge. They will also win a signed photo of master thespian Steve "The Goot" Guttenberg.

Be the envy of your friends and family with this pre-printed top notch signed photo of entertainer & raconteur Steve "The Goot and nothing but the Goot" Guttenberg.

So vote now. And let's not be easy on Brad either people. I don't think he has had the privilege of Britney Spears debut film Crossroads. Nor has he spent the time contemplating the acting range & talents of Mariah Carey in Glitter.

Vote often & stay tuned to Brad's Movie Challenge.

Steve Guttenberg is no way, shape or form affiliated with the Brad Movie Challenge. Please don't hassle or provoke Mr. Guttenberg and lets be honest, the Police Academy franchise lost all of its appeal upon his departure. God Bless The Goot.

05/23/06 Carnival Of Souls

Carnival Of Souls (1962), directed by Herk Harvey

watched solo; DVD (personal copy) @ home

This is what low-budget horror flicks are all about, beyond being a standard on your late night television. The veritable epitome of this genre has to lie in films like this, and Romero's "Night Of The Living Dead." Romero was influenced greatly with ideas from this earlier production, both in style and approach to working within a small budget framework. Using a local Utah abandoned pavilion as the inspiration, Harvey cast his story about death after life. After inconceivably surviving a terrific car crash off a bridge, Mary wanders aimlessly into a small town. She is a professional organist (yeah, tons of macabre organ playing abounds), and takes a job at the local church. She finds lodging in a boarding house, where she promptly begins to see shadowy and deathly figures following her (lead by Harvey himself, as the scary "Man"). Mary soon begins living with constant fear and ghostly apparitions, slowly driving her insane. When her fears take hold of her, she falls into a surreal dreamworld where no one can either hear or see her...begging the question whether she even exists at all. The film is chock-full of eerie landscapes, scary phantoms, and haunting organ soundtrack...and to think that Harvey could create so much with so little. You have to recognize how laughable the sound quality/editing is in the film, as it represents the worst foley artists ever. However, it's really breathtaking at moments to follow the Fellini-esque cinematography, the Romero-esque grotesqueness and Lynch-esque creepiness. All of those great filmmakers had influence or were influenced upon director Harvey. The funny thing to remember, is that this is basically the only feature-length film he ever made. Harvey's twisted brain was utilized more in the world of academia and industry in producing over 400 short films for educational/documentary purposes. He is the ultimate A/V geek.

5 out of 5 stars

05/22/06 Hugo Pool

Hugo Pool (1997), directed by Robert Downey

watched w/ Leslie (partially); DVD rental (Netflix) @ home & car ride (Raleigh, NC)

This one was odd. In what was labeled (rightly so) as a quirky tale, the film follows the bizarre day of one young entrepreneurial (and smokin' hot) pool cleaner Hugo Pool (Alyssa Milano) in Los Angeles. Hey, isn't everyone in L.A. bizarre though? If this movie is any indication, then yes is the correct answer to that one. There are a ton of (B-list) famous people in this one, including Sean Penn (weird eccentric "Benny & Joon" kinda guy, Malcolm McDowell (wacked out war vet dad), Cathy Moriarty (horse track gambling mom), Richard Lewis (mobster-esque playboy), Patrick Dempsey (wheelchair-bound Lou Gehrig's disease sufferer & love interest to Hugo), and Robert Downey Jr. (Germanic/Hungarian? psychopath rich-boy). She's got 44 pools to clean today, and all she needs for any of these characters to come waltzing into her life messing everything up. Oh wait, they do. Once Downey burns down his house, he hops in the truck with Dempsey's wheelchair, listening to his Stephen Hawking-like-Speak-N-Spell keyboard, as mom dodges bookies with sex to get one last bet at the track, while dad picks up Penn & his blue suede shoes in the water tanker, all to get back into town by 6:30 sharp before Lewis puts the hit out on them all. Did you follow that? Me neither. It's tough to watch or explain. And by the way...did Robert Downey Sr. get Jr. into show business, or was it the other way around. See this junk & you be the judge. P.S. You see at least 95% of Milano's boobs in this one (boyhood/puberty crush almost enough to give it another star, but I'm not taking the cheap way out).

2 out of 5 stars

05/21/06 Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi

Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi (2003), directed by Shemi Zarhin

watched w/ Leslie; theater (Galaxy Cinema, Cary, NC); Triangle Jewish Film Festival

Let's ease on down the religious road to another multi-faceted belief...Judaism. We were very excited to go this particular local festival, but alas, with choosing a later movie to see we missed out on the kosher deli and rockin' klezmer band. It would have been nice to see elements of the culture layered with the cinematic presentations. The film we saw was really really good though.Set in modern day Israel, it follows the life of 16 year old Shlomi, who is the constant caretaker of his lovingly dysfunctional family, leaving him no time to ever think about himself. He has quite a few characters in the family, including his divorced parents (controlling mother and hypochondriac father); battling siblings (newly-wed drama queen sister and wanna-be musician/sex symbol brother); and his senile World-War II reminiscent grandfather. In fact, with all of the attention being focused on his relatives, his work in school always suffers and it is questioned whether or not he has a learning disability. What a routine math exam proves to Shlomi's principal is that he is quite a bright young man, and he seeks to enroll him into a specialized school to harness his potential. If these tribulations weren't enough to keep Shlomi busy, a beautiful young woman moves in next door sparking his teenage lust and awkward attempts at love. The one thing that Shlomi does very well is his cooking for people (usually a therapeutic release), so he wields his culinary skills to win the girl over. The whole story is very heart-warming and genuine in showing family ties, combined with young love. Shlomi continues to understand his own importance and faith, and branches out to find his own way...mending many family squabbles along the way...and he wins the girl! Bonus points! The film lends a candid look into not only a Jewish family's life, but one of a Israeli family and the cultural implications of that foreign land.

4 out of 5 stars

05/20/06 The Da Vinci Code

The Da Vinci Code (2006), directed by Ron Howard

watched w/ Leslie; theater (Mission Valley Cinema, Raleigh, NC)

Here it is...one of the most controversial movies about one of the most controversial novels in a very long time...and it stars Hollywood box-office gold Tom Hanks, and was directed by Opie. C'mon, how much more vanilla can you get with the controversy? Considering the fact that I never did delve into the reading of said novel by Dan Brown, I knew of the brouhaha only through what I heard & saw on talk shows and newspaper articles. That being said, I think I went into the film purely as a spectator with hopes of seeing an adventure unfold. Ummm...it gets you half-way there. An average effort by all involved to stir the pot up some more through good acting and plot twists & turns than a backwards Carolina mountain highway. Tom Hanks plays renowned symbologist Robert Langdon, who while on a lecture circuit in France gets pulled into a murder mystery of seemingly ritualistic killing of a curator at the Louvre. The granddaughter of the curator turns out to be clever cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), who befriends Langdon on his quest to uncover the answer to the enigmatic riddle that unfolds with his being implicated in the murder plot. Constantly evading the detective (Jean Reno) on a mission to arrest them, and procuring the advice of trusted scholars (Ian McKellen) the two will stop at nothing to understand. Along the way it is revealed that another world behind Christianity exists in two opposing forces; Priory of Sion (secret society sworn to guard the truth of the religion) & Opus Dei (clandestine sect trying to uphold a shroud of lies of the same religion). It's all way to heavy to try & take sides...and it proves that it's all a nefarious plot to get you to both have faith & question everything. Thanks for clearing it up guys. The film does for Opus Dei what recent Nicholas Cage film "National Treasure" did for Freemasonry and Tom Cruise did for Scientology; letting us all know they are bit out there (and willing to knock Katie Holmes up).I'm not putting anyone down specifically here..."we're all mad here."

3 out of 5 stars

05/19/06 Zardoz

Zardoz (1974), directed by John Boorman

watched w/ Leslie; DVD rental (Netflix) @ home

Isn't it so utterly painful when a whole production team (writers, directors, actors, etc.) all join an effort that they hope will live on in the annals of cult classics...only to so early on in the creative process realize that they are about to make huge career mistakes by participating...only to push on with the effort as a team for some shred of dignity...and abruptly release it to a puzzled audience who firmly believe that all involved have finally "lost it." Such is the legacy of "Zardoz" I'm afraid. It seemed so campy and good-hearted in its silly approach to a futuristic chasm between the haves & have-nots. Well, anything that starts off its saga by having a humongous floating rock-carved head of a very evil-Santa-Clause-ish deity named Zardoz, spewing religion and guns (that's right, shotguns came flying out of his mouth) to the masses of loincloth-laden Brutals, only to reach the utopian land of the rivals the Eternals in death...well, it's too much junk in the trunk I say. I can't honestly believe that folks like idol Sean Connery or a young serious actress like Charlotte Rampling could have taken their roles seriously, what with all the talk of scientific explanations for male erections and catatonic hippies. It tries to speak about class structure and the void that grows between people (excuse me, the vortex if you will). Connery's character of Zed begins to question the whole thing, when he comes across a copy of Baum's "The Wizard Of Oz" (please read more into the title) and decides to disrupt life in his search for the truth. Oh Sean, yes the ladies liked you in the loincloth, but save it for the Bond sequels. Zardoz commands you so.

1 out of 5 stars

05/18/06 The Vanishing

The Vanishing (1993), directed by George Sluizer

watched w/ Leslie (partially); DVD (personal copy) @ home

Once again, an American remake of what most call a far superior foreign film original. Having remembered viewing clips of the original Dutch version in some of my film courses in college a few years back, I was always intrigued to compare both it and the American retread. It just seems that I got the order messed up and will have to backtrack in comparison. The plot is twisted and shockingly realistic, enough that it should make you worry terribly about this situation happening in real life. It follows a young couple in love, on a road trip, and in the midst of lovers' quarrel they come to a secluded truck stop for a break. Leading up to the unfortunate meeting of the story's villain Barney (a creepy chemistry professor with a need to understand deranged human psyche), we see how he has methodically plotted a chance to abduct a woman in order to prove that all the good in his life can be balanced by such evil. The woman happens to be Diane (Sandra Bullock) who vanishes in plain site from her waiting boyfriend Jeff (Kiefer Sutherland), which sends Jeff on a maddening 3-year quest to find her and her abductor. Flash forward to the present day, and Jeff has seemingly moved on in his life with a new girlfriend, work as a writer, etc....when he is sucked back quickly into the obsessive world of finding a missing person. It's an obsessive fix that has haunted him, and nothing short of the truth will set him free. I think Jeff Bridges plays the creepy villain well, off-setting his malice with a awkwardly nerdy family life & eccentric habits. He reaches out to find Jeff and promise to show him the truth, if and only if he agrees to one final hellish ride with Barney to go through the same things Diane did so many years ago. It's genuinely creepy at times, with a pretty good climactic ending...however, I'm sure the original one is better. A decent attempt at an overly-budgeted remake...and surprisingly, the same director (Sluizer) was tapped to helm both versions...that's not too common.

3 out of 5 stars

05/17/06 Beijing Bicycle

Beijing Bicycle (2001), directed by Xiaoshuai Wang

watched solo; DVD rental (Netflix) @ home; suggested by Jeff

Quietly one of the most sad and depressing films I've seen, and in a story that involves no death or vast destruction. It is an insular tale that begins with one man's journey from a rural town to the big city of Beijing, only to have his life collide with one of the local boys' circle of friends. Young Guei arrives from the country to find work as a lowly bike messenger, scrap to get by, and cling to the hopes that even the bike he must ride to work will someday be his through his wages. On one terribly unlucky day, the timid Guei finds that his sole possession of a bike has been stolen, is subsequently fired, and begins a citywide quest to find it in order to gain his job back. He stumbles across teenage schoolboy Jian and his pack of ruffian friends who claim that Jian has purchased said bike secondhand, while Guei believes them to be the thieves. Focused completely on trying to gain back the one piece of dignity he has left, Guei is faced with the nagging fact that Jian is not willing to part with what he symbolizes as a rite of passage in his teenage world that his father had never bought for him before. The story follows the struggles, altercations and bickerings between the two young men over possession...and ultimately what the bike means symbolically to both of them. The alliterative movie title simply signifies the cultural impact of the bicycle as a means for transportation, livelihood, and self-worth in China's capital city. The movie is saddening in that it's hard to watch the bullied Guei and the arrogant Jian battle over the bike incessantly...only to be a bit redemptive in their mutual compromise to share the bike in the end...only to have that arrangement shattered once again by poor timing and ignorance. It's a simple tale played very understated by both lead actors. I only hope that if you do have a bike in China Jeff...don't let Chinese hooligans in hoodies beat you up and take it. Stay strong.

4 out of 5 stars

05/16/06 The Day The Earth Stood Still

The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951), directed by Robert Wise

watched w/ Leslie; DVD rental (Netflix) @ home
It seems like you can't talk about classic science-fiction cinema without including this picture. Simply melding the ordinary and the fantastic into one landmark black-and-white film, this came on the heels of a time in America when global and extraterrestrial occurences were of peak interest. During this time in the 1950's, the U.S. was not only locked in a bitter Cold War with the Russians that threatened nuclear fallout, but also caught up in a technological race for reaching outerspace and its unknown depths. That fervor is at the heart of this movie, that poses the question of what were to happen if alien life landed on our planet unexpectedly. What's creative about the response to such an occurence in this film is that it happens with a singular lifeform (a dude named Klaatu that looks oddly human) who comes not with malice, but in peace with a grim message for all people of Earth. Of course, in our paranoia & weaponry, we shoot the guy when he lands...then he escapes, and decides he must bring his important message to the masses of the world in some kind of public forum. While on a virtual manhunt for this alien, all of the country and world are wrapped up in their own confusion and paranoia, disregarding the fact that the alien has blended into society. It's a bit eerie how similar to modern day society the commentary is here, with warfare, prejudices, and reliance on technology in everyday life playing key roles. It's funny that the title refers simply to the fact that when all of the electrical/mechanical/robotic elements of the world shut down, the Earth in effect stands still. To think that the social comments, as well as the (at the time) special effects being impressive of this 1950's film still hold fast today as classic is what meant the most to me here. Also, you can see how different of a world we live in now, knowing that no person in their right mind today would let their kid go gallivanting around with some creepy alien stranger named Klaatu.

4 out of 5 stars

05/15/06 She's The Man

She's The Man (2006), directed by Andy Fickman

watched w/ Leslie; theater (Blue Ridge Cinema, Raleigh, NC)

Borrowing from a wide variety of other works of literature and film...I thought this was going to be another Hollywood re-hashing of the teeny-bopper set's angst-ridden love story. Embarrassingly, I must admit that I enjoyed the film. I owe it completely to the fact that it revolved around my loved sport of soccer, and that the Nickelodeon-style humor of lead actress Amanda Bynes reminds me of the silly escapades of my Nickelodeon-watching youth. Claiming to be a modernization of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," this tale follows teenaged Viola as she struggles to break down gender barriers in the high school world, all the while bending her own. Seeing that her high school's girls' soccer team is about to be dropped as a program, Viola takes it upon herself to prove her sex's worth on the field...so she decides to impersonate her twin brother transferring to rival high school and trying out as him on the boys' soccer team. Posing as a boy poses all sorts of uh-oh type problems (as you can imagine...but don't imagine too much you naughty thing you!). Not only must Viola prove her worth, she also falls for the one person that could make things awkward for her...her roommate/teammate Duke! Oh geez. She enlists the help of her friends to keep the charade up in order to make the team, beat her ex-boyfriend's team, help get her brother laid, and win the heart of her love. That and finals! Wow, the pressure. Actually, you may remember this plot aside from the Shakespearean reference in such titles as 80's fave "Just One Of The Guys" (replace soccer tryouts with newspaper reporting); "Bend It Like Beckham" (girls can kick butt too); and "Ladybugs" (isn't it eerie how much Amanda Bynes in drag looks like Jonathan Brandis in drag?).

3 out of 5 stars

05/14/06 Love Me If You Dare

Love Me If You Dare (2003), directed by Yann Samuell

watched w/ Leslie; DVD rental (Blockbuster) @ home

Winner of the Mother's Day poll created by Jenny (although I heard a rumor she's never seen this one), I wasn't sure what to expect from this French film. I was completely surprised with how much I loved this freakishly tainted love story. First off, just the colorfully visual style of the cinematography is very reminiscent of Jeunet's work like "Amelie." Sort of a magical realism. Then, the major theme of the film is love...yes. However, there is a certain amount of hate or lust or sado-masochism to the story...well all of the above. Based upon two young lovers (Julien and Sophie) who in childhood become fast friends in their respective dysfunctional families, and manifest their sexually charged feelings in an odd game of dare between the two. Constantly trying to one-up each other with dares that range from prankster to twisted, they form a tight bond which carries through adulthood. Upon adulthood, the couple begin to attempt more than just the "harmless" pranks that caused them joy to escape pain. Now, they are truly trying to avoid the fact that both of them are destined to be with each other by inflicting spiteful emotional head games, and vastly skewing their ideas of reality and happiness. Taking the whole love/hate thing to a heightened level of uneasiness, the French really know how to inflict ruthless romance. However wicked this game seems, keep in mind it's only a movie...and a wonderfully different one at that. I'm not quite sure why this was an option for Mother's Day in particular...but all I can say is, please don't forget to tell your mother how much you love her...and never watch this one with her. It could be awkward. Hell, maybe it's a metaphor for how your growing up affected your mother...being that it had to be love/hate, and equally loving as spiteful. She deserves the best on this day.

4 out of 5 stars

05/13/06 Layer Cake

Layer Cake (2004), directed by Matthew Vaughn

watched w/ Leslie (partially); DVD rental (Netflix) @ home

Ahhh, back at home and better yet, back to watching quality movies. I love this one! Granted, I could have seen that review coming just by watching the movie's previews or the style with which it exuded cocky swagger. It's another in a trend of hipster/gangster British flicks that welcomed a resurgence with Ritchie's "Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels." Yet, this one remains fresh and smart, as well as full of action, betrayal and sensuality. Daniel Craig (he'll make a great James Bond) plays a intelligent and successful drug dealer among England's elite criminals. Longing to leave the illegal trade business behind, Craig must undergo one final job-to-end-all-jobs involving the disappearance of a rich man's daughter, brutal gun-toting thugs, and a crapload of purloined ecstasy. In order to make it out of the game alive, Craig must use his cunning savvy and charisma to elude everyone (never really knowing who's on his side or not). With tons of plot twists and intertwined characters, the film's title of "Layer Cake" is a metaphoric description of the dealer's many layers he must uncover to find the truth...and ultimately his escape. It's really well crafted, and a nice touch how you never get to know the main character's name, credited only as XXXX. Also, a nice turn as a baddie by "Harry Potter's" Michael Gambon (Dumbledore). I really liked the flashy layered special effects, reminiscent of Fincher's "Fight Club," replacing the pugilistic world with a narcotic one. It keeps you guessing, and will mess with you even more if you watch the deleted scenes and alternate endings.

5 out of 5 stars

05/12/06 Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter

Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter (1966), directed by William Beaudine

watched solo; DVD (personal copy) @ car ride (from Woodbine, GA to Savannah, GA)

You should be able to tell simply from the horrific title alone that this was going to be a gleaming turd on the roadside of a movie. Something that you may pass by, catch a glimpse of, realize what it is you just saw, and dart your eyes away as soon as is humanly possible in order to not throw up and focus on driving. Unfortunately, with Leslie helming the vehicle and me having some technological troubles with the DVD player...this was what I was stuck focusing on. Boy did my eyes hurt by the end of it...not so much from staring at a tiny screen in the dark, as it was trying to hold the crying on the inside to a minimum for my torture. What can I say about this glorious work that isn't already alluded to in the main credits? Oh yeah, it's not actually Frankenstein's daughter so much as it is his grand-daughter. Jesse James is pretty much a wimp, with a gigantic oaf of a sidekick who becomes the perfect prey for the mad-scientist lady's evil brain experiments. It's based in a very Mexican-populated western town, where there happens to be a castle run by the wealthy Frankenstein family. Some of the worst dying scenes ever by a shoot-em-up western film. I would have much rather watched this in MST3K format, or with legendary B-movie connoisseur Joe Bob Briggs' commentary. Apparently this foolish flick was directed infamously by quickie-filmmaker Bill "One-Shot" Beaudine for his lack of second takes on his editing process. Quality.

1 out of 5 stars

05/11/06 Legend

Legend (1985), directed by Ridley Scott

watched w/ Leslie, Brad B., Allyson & Loren (partially); DVD (personal copy) @ Camp Scoutshire Woods (Citronelle, AL)

Yes, this fantasy film should be held in the upper echelon of all fantasy films just for its pure imagination and wild costumes/make-up/set designs. I had never got around to watching it until now, although I should have (as many of my fellow audience repeatedly told me). If you are at all a fan of the brilliant fantasia that is "Labyrinth," "The Dark Crystal," or "The Neverending Story," you will absolutely love this one too. What can I say?! It's insanely creative, beautifully designed, and makes even Tom Cruise's acting skills not seem creepy (granted he was very young here, and hopping around in a sort-of chainmail dress most of the film). It has probably one of the coolest villains ever in Tim Curry's overly guised Lord of Darkness (should give the kids nightmares, along with all his goblin henchmen). It has the beautiful Princess Lily ("Ferris Bueller's" girlfriend Sloane...and what else did she do that's worthwhile?) being the captive in the balance of the evil Lord wreaking wintry havoc on the magical land. It has elves, demons, and unicorns (yes, a bit pansy but they are the foremost prognosticators of weather phenomena ever) oh my! Hell, the only thing that was awful in this film was the horrible 80's synth Euro-metal score by somebody called Tangerine Dream. I'm sorry, but the only thing that makes me sadder than a unicorn losing it's horn is an inept German sorcery muzak band. That and Tom Cruise jumping on couches is what will bring eternal winter to our world.

5 out of 5 stars

05/10/06 Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning

Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (2004), directed by Grant Harvey

watched w/ Leslie (partially); DVD (borrowed from Jason) @ Camp Scoutshire Woods (Citronelle, AL)

Coming in third in this splendidly reprobate series about teenage werewolf loving sisters, this film serves as the prequel origins of the siblings' plight. If you are not familiar with the trilogy of "Ginger Snaps" films, you ought to be, as they are wickedly campy horror flicks. The two actresses play well into creepy roles of bloodlust and weird sisterly bonds of loyalty. It's like a lycanthropic Playboy love letter. This story delves back into the 19th century Canadian wilderness (which is not much unlike the 21st century Canadian wilderness), where the two girls are warned of evil from a trippy Native-American clairvoyant, and forced to hole up in an all-male trading fort post for refuge. Once in the fort, it is soon learned of the scary evils of werewolves that roam the lands around the camp, and all the men's relgious fear of the beasts. Of course, one sister (Ginger) goes and gets bit...and some enigmatic Indian warrior tries to save her...and younger sister Brigette tries to remain the voice of reason in this psychotic world. It's fun, and scary, and probably my favorite of the trilogy...mostly for understanding the storyline more and the period/era in which the film is set. It seems more desolate and unknown. Plus, while watching this in a cabin in the woods during a lightning/hail storm, and having to walk back to your bunk alone...makes it all the more desolate and unknown.

3 out of 5 stars

05/09/06 Frozen Alive

Frozen Alive (1966), directed by Bernard Knowles

watched solo; DVD (personal copy) @ Camp Scoutshire Woods (Citronelle, AL)

This viewing really brought forth the sometimes annoyingly painful rigors of routine for me on the Challenge. What I mean by that is this...when forced to sleep in some dirty cabins in the middle of Alabama, after working long 12 hour days in the sun building houses, only to come back to your cot to sleep on and want to get another movie under your belt for the daily ritual, and people want to use your sleeping quarters as a recreational hall to play cards, ping pong, and the occasional drum circle jam session...it's a bit hard to concentrate through your crappy headphones to listen to what is potentially the worst movie ever just to say that you've seen a movie today to prove a point. It's a little tough is all I'm saying. I wanted to play ping pong damn it! Oh yeah, the film was utter garbage. Straight from the cheapest rip-off of the "Twilight Zone" comes this tale of a scientist (mad perhaps?) who concocts the idea to experiment with cryogenic freezing to prevent disease. You would think that it had something to do with that by the title, but honestly, it was merely the last five minutes of the film that barely broach the subject...as the rest becomes a ridiculous love triangle between the scientist, his wife and his assistant. Then while he makes himself a popsicle, his wife is murdered and he's a prime suspect. Oh good grief. I should have left this movie buried in the campground woods of Alabama...but then again, it could come back to haunt me.

1 out of 5 stars

05/08/06 Shaft

Shaft (1971), directed by Gordon Parks

watched w/ Leslie & Brad B. (partially); DVD (personal copy) @ Camp Scoutshire Woods (Citronelle, AL)

He's one bad mutha...shut yo mouth. What, I'm just talkin' 'bout Shaft! Had to intro with that ultra-cool opening line, now that it is so ingrained into popular culture. It's amazing that I've never actually made it around to see this classic blaxploitation film. We all know the deal, and we all know the brilliantly famous theme song from Isaac Hayes (known more famously to you younger kids as Chef from South Park). We all know that this is the one (all due respect to Van Peebles' "Sweetback") that set the establishment on its ear. This is the ultimate in cool swagger for the African-American culture that was about to blow up big time onto the cinematic screen as now the hero, not the afterthought. It plays right into the ethos of all the originality of this groundbreaking film genre (minority hero-firgures, civil rights activism, sexual frankness, and pushing the envelope in just about every other category). However, it also holds the critiques that came along with such a defiant thematic approach, such as stereotypical characterization and excessive violence. However, you cannot deny how remarkably hip this film was and still is, most notably for the dead-on performance of leading man Richard Roundtree (an icon of African-American cinema). As far as the plot & basic premise go, it's not anything you've never seen before...as it follows a rough-around-the-edges detective as he takes on the seedy underbelly of New York City crime syndicates, breaks down racial taboos with his patent black leather fist, and scoring with the ladies. The film is fun mostly for its brash coolness and bad-ass kitsch, as the theme song says it all. We all wish we could be the private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks! "He's a complicated man, but no one understands him but his woman." Can you dig it?

4 out of 5 stars

05/07/06 Dementia 13

Dementia 13 (1963), directed by Francis Ford Coppola

watched solo; DVD (personal copy) @ car ride (from Bay St. Louis. MS to Citronelle, AL)

If you are at all a fan of cinema, and of great directors, like me...then usually you have a penchant for checking out those directors' earlier works to see where the genius comes from. Then again, sometimes you see how awfully bad those first attempts can be, humbling the notion of keeping these so-called geniuses up on a pedestal. This early Coppola work falls somewhere in the middle. I give him credit that he found a beautifully haunting old Irish castle to film at, and that he was reaching for some well-placed chills, as well as honing his shooting style. However, the acting is weak in a lot of places, and overall the characters became confusing for me (was it the sister who comes to dinner, or the wife, and the sister-in-law is the bitchy one...oh forget it). Basically there is a rather rich family in Ireland who live in a castle, while the one son John lives in the U.S. Upon his sudden heart attack, John's wife Louise decides that the only way for herself to be cut into the inheritance is to pretend John is away on business and go overseas herself to meet with the family and worm her way into the estate. Upon arrival to said estate, it is soon revealed that the family holds a dark secret of the sister's death by drowning in the backyard pond for many years now. Clinging to the past is the matriarch Lady Haloran, her battling sons Richard and Billy, and the nosy family psychiatrist Dr. Caleb. Trying to uncover the truth about the secrets is Louise, only to devastating consequences! Yikes! Part mysterious thriller, part slasher flick. A decent first attempt for Coppola...as he was only a decade removed from his eventual masterpiece "The Godfather." I guess we all have to start off making campy horror films though eh?

3 out of 5 stars

05/06/06 Escanaba In Da Moonlight

Escanaba In Da Moonlight (2001), directed by Jeff Daniels

watched solo; DVD rental (Netflix) @ car ride (from Tuskegee, AL to Range, AL)

Now begins the first big challenge to this year's Challenge...a road trip to a campground for the week. I owe thanks for continuation of the streak of movies this week to my parents, not only for birthing and raising me (a challenge unto itself); but also giving me the gift of a portable DVD player as an early birthday present. Therefore, it was my duty after a long stretch of drive through the Carolinas and Georgia to let Leslie take the wheel and me to kick back with a film from the great cold north to take our mind off the upcoming heat. I chose the offbeat comedy stylings of one Jeff Daniels, most notably of "Dumb & Dumber" fame. In this, his directorial debut, he harks back to the eccentric culture that is his Michigan roots, and introduces the country to a lesser known fabric of America...the Upper Peninsula (affectionately nicknamed the U.P.). I have a friend from Michigan who had already explained some of the wonders that are this culture, but this one caters to the humor that comes from that environment of rugged living, harsh accents, deer hunting, beer drinking, hard working, nature loving and hearty eating (just what exactly is a pasty you might ask). Having come from that area himself, you can tell that Daniels attempts a decent satire without coming across as just plain mean-spirited about their quirky habits. Set in a small town, Daniels plays the lead role of Reuben Soady, who at 43 years old comes from a long line of deer hunting to provide for their families. Unfortunately, due to bad skill or bad luck, Reuben has never bagged a buck...and is constantly taunted by townsfolk as the "buckless youper." Going for the traditional family jaunt to the forrest deer camp with his brother Remnar and father Albert, Reuben hopes to break his luckless streak and bring pride back to his family by shooting his first deer. All kinds of wacky circumstances arise upon their camp, including inexplicable occurences, whiskey turning into sap, cars catching fire, and UFO sightings. With the help of family ghosts, and his Native-American wife's mysticism, Reuben will once and for all conquer his fears. Along with a cast of odd characters like grizzly Jimmer Negamanee from Menominee, fart jokes, and hokey special effects; this one was destined to become a cult classic. It's definitely an honest attempt at that anyway, and there's a bunch to laugh at here...but in the end, I thought it could have tried a little less hard to be that classic. An off the map kind of comedy that delivers a memorable movie. Now, let's have a pasty.

3 out of 5 stars

05/05/06 Night Tide

Night Tide (1961), directed by Curtis Harrington

watched solo; DVD (personal copy) @ home

Running around to get ready for our big trip down to Alabama for the week, I needed to find a short film that would suffice for the time being and keep me entertained while packing. I decided on yet another cmpy sci-fi adventure from the catalog of hits that I own. This one stood out, as it had a young Dennis Hopper in the lead role, as well as a star appearance of one lovely mermaid (for all you mermaid fans out there...you know who you are Sister of L). I went in fully expecting some classic fodder for the MST3K ilk, but I was pleasantly (at least goofily) surprised that this one was a mysterious thriller. A very very very low budget Hitchcockian production of say "So I Married And Axe Murderer" mixed with "The Little Mermaid." Hopper plays a young sailor in the Navy who is on shore leave at a seemingly All-American boardwalk town (see Atlantic City or Coney Island), when he becomes intrigued by the mysterious dark haired beauty Mora. Soon the sailor learns that Mora plays a mermaid in the carnival, and lives in a small apartment above the carousel. Completely engrossed with the woman, the sailor does not heed the warnings of locals who know that Mora carries with her dark secrets and supernatural powers. When stories of Mora's past boyfriends having suddenly vanished become evident to Hopper, he begins the frantic quest to again find his strange love and the truth about her past. Is she really a mermaid, or not?!?! That is a question you will have to watch the movie for yourself to answer. It's campy, yes...but enjoyable. What it lacks in say talent (although you get to see psycho Hopper fine-tune his chops here), it makes up for in low-budget eeriness. A magical whodunnit, with a mystical whocares.

3 out of 5 stars

05/04/06 The Enforcer

The Enforcer (1976), directed by James Fargo

watched w/ Leslie (partially); DVD (borrowed from parents) @ home

Coming third in the Dirty Harry series of films, this installment of the renegade cop with an axe to grind with bad guys is well...dull. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Clint Eastwood (and please don't tell him I didn't like this one, or he will beat me up...and he's like 80 now). It's just that compared to the first two capers, this one seems like it's reaching a bit too much. I know it's what a lot of today's style of shoot-em-up, blow up a couple city blocks type of action flick is based on, but the plotline here is trite. Harry must take on a new partner after his 3rd co-worker is gunned down in the line of fire (kind of like Spinal Tap drummers huh?), and guess what...she's a woman! That won't sit too well with old-school Harry Callahan. Begrudgingly he takes that assignment, but his goal is to bring down the local terrorist organization that is trying to take out the mayor of San Francisco. These extremist political terrorists are named the People's Revolutionary Strike Force (based on the real life Symbionese Liberation Army known for the kidnapping of Patty Hearst), and the group that ends up taking the heat for their bad rap is the local chapter of African-American activists Uhuru (similar to the Black Panther party). Harry goes through the town wreaking havoc, kicking ass and taking names. He's got the biggest gun, so guess who's going to win?! Anyway, the story's dumb and just trying desperately to pull from the newspaper headlines...but Eastwood is good as ever. It's got a fun 70's funky cop movie soundtrack, so that's good at least...and there's some climactic scenes in the old Alcatraz prison.

2 out of 5 stars

05/03/06 Quigley Down Under

Quigley Down Under (1990), directed by Simon Wincer

watched w/ Leslie, Rebecca and Mom; DVD (family's copy) @ parents' house (Southern Pines, NC)

It seems to be the week of off-kilter westerns. In this one, Tom Selleck stars as American sharpshooter Quigley, who is hired by and travels to meet wealthy Australian rancher named Marston (Alan Rickman, who's not only a superb villain, but also Leslie's favorite actor). Upon arriving in this new wide-open country, Quigley soon learns of Marston's evil plan to rid his land of the native Aboriginal tribes by killing them and using Quigley as his marksman to do so. Infuriated by this request, Quigley fights and offends his way out of favor with the rancher, picks up a doting American woman who constantly calls him by her ex-husband's name of Roy, and battles all the evil henchmen across the outback to stay alive. Quigley begins his quest to save all the Aboriginal people he can, while saving his own hide by playing a deadly cat-and-mouse game with Marston's men. All the evils of the Australian outback are no match for the sheer determination of Quigley...bring on the harsh summer weather, the treacherous rocks & caverns, hunters hungry for human prey, and let's not forget the dingoes. If your not careful, dingoes will eat your baby. Lots of action, but with a continual social commentary as the basis for the action, with just enough comic relief to not be completely tragic...it's a bit "Crocodile Dundee" meets "Hotel Rwanda." Yeah, that's a strange intersection there, I know. However, the film was enjoyable albeit hokie. I kept waiting for Quigley to jump into his red sports car & Hawaiian shirt and bust up some bad guys, waiting for T.C. to come and save him in his chopper.

3 out of 5 stars

05/02/06 Serenity

Serenity (2005), directed by Joss Whedon

watched w/ Leslie; DVD rental (Record Exchange) @ home

Refreshing sub-genre that you don't see all too often, and that is the sci-fi western. Both styles of storyline have a lot of similarities in character development, journey/quest, comic dialogue interspersed with crushing action scenes & carnage, and an ultimate showdown in the end. Brought to us by Mr. Joss Whedon (who brought you TV's "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and "Firefly"), we get this trendy adaptation of a futuristic totalitarian society gone haywire. Set in a post-civil war environment, the crew of a space-freighter "Serenity" must evade the reach of the governmental Alliance once they take aboard cargo of a top-secret nature. That precious cargo lies in the mind & body of one young girl, River, who has been implanted with truth of government experimentation and cover-ups, as well as the mechanics to kick-ass whenever triggered to do so. The captain must decide whether to put his on crew at risk to save this girl in order to broadcast the evil hidden truth to the world, and bring back eventual peace. Sent to destroy River and those plans is a lone hitmen who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. It's fast paced and fun...with lots of layers of futuristic mumbo jumbo that tends to get a bit fuzzy. One thing that was interesting was the thinking that in the future, the two largest super-powers (U.S. & China) would have merged societies and cultures, incorporating a mixed language into everyday routine. However, some things that get annoying in the film are the unnecessary need to have everyone talk in a "modern" colloquialism where all the verbs are in the wrong tense for no reason. Sort of a backwards speak. You can see how it's heavily influenced by series like "Star Wars." It's definitely trying to make some big political statements, but still entertain on that small screen kind of trip.

3 out of 5 stars

05/01/06 Gummo

Gummo (1997), directed by Harmony Korine

watched solo; DVD rental (Netflix) @ home; suggested by Andrew S.

OK. My friend Andrew suggested this film, and based on our lengthy film discussions/debates in college, I at least respect is love of cinema and all its unique genre-benders. So, this is one on the top of a list that he's been recommending to me for years now to see. Why not give it a chance?! I'm up for something completely a departure from the norm. Maybe I spoke too soon, or too freely at least. This is to say the least a strange film, and to say the most I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that it sucked horribly. Sorry Andrew. I understand that director Korine was trying to reach a new style of guerilla filmmaking that is low-key and realist, where he jettisoned any hint of a narrative plot and constructed random interspliced clips of grainy still shots, overdubbed poetry ramblings, and characters so real & twisted that you couldn't even dream them up. So there, mission accomplished buddy. I have just have a problem with the fact that these type of shockingly fresh directors (see Larry Clark of "Kids" fame, or anything Todd Solondz does) just try to cram as many completely messed up individuals and disturbing thematic elements into a film just to be artsy. No matter how "real" they are getting, it's a bit overkill. The story is based in the small town of Xenia, OH (yeah, a real place sandwiched between Cincinnati and Columbus) that has suffered terrible tornadoes and the inhabitants have had hard times coping over the years. Their nihilistic tendencies come through in the forms of our two teenage anti-heroes Solomon & Tummler who among many things...torture cats, huff glue, have sex with mentally handicapped ladies, listen to death metal, and ride their dirt bikes everywhere. Oh yeah, and there's a teenage transvestite, sisters who train to be strippers (Chloe Sevigny, oh the potential wasted here just because your boyfriend is the auteur), bodybuilding dwarf, mute kid who runs around town wearing rabbit ears, and racist bare-chested idiots who wrestle their dining room chairs. Hey, it's just nice to see that rednecks & inbreeding happen anywhere in the U.S., not just the South. I was beginning to worry.

1 out of 5 stars

04/30/06 Mad Hot Ballroom

Mad Hot Ballroom (2005), directed by Marilyn Agrelo

watched w/ Leslie; DVD rental (Blockbuster) @ home; suggested by Jenny

How can you not like this movie? Not just for fans of documentaries or reality shows, and not simply because it's a perfect family-oriented film...but more for its darn delightfully different appeal. The film focuses on three New York City public middle schools that have incorporated the art of ballroom dancing into the urban landscape of classes. Introducing the ballroom dance as a strange departure from the everyday subject matter of public schooling, the film aims to demonstrate the social and cultural aspects that the art can enhance in those who participate. Not only is the film a way to display the medium of dance, but it opens up a world of interest and involvement of the children and teachers that help each other grow with the classes. The filmmakers took care to become a regular fixture in the classroom atmosphere and learning development, but also did not overstep boundaries of expression allowing the real people to create what are the most entertaining parts of this "film." Everybody knows that children on screen can be cute, and tend to ham it up...but these kids show a gradual maturation in self-character and worth that the audience can't help but root for. Set in the already densely packed urban jungle that is NYC, the many children here represent a greater population of the melting pot enviornment; incorporating rich & poor, privileged & neglected, and many different ethnic backgrounds. It's a fascinatingly awkward age to be at (most of the kids are around 11 years old), and everyone can relate to that...let alone someone forcing you to interact with someone of the opposite sex in a social setting involving couth. Yuck! It brings me back to the days in high school where they actually made us square dance in gym class. I had to dance with a girl who's hair smelled like Ivory bar soap. Talk about awkward.

5 out of 5 stars

04/29/06 The Brain That Wouldn't Die

The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962), directed by Joseph Green

watched w/ Leslie, Tim and about 30 other people (party); DVD (personal copy) @ home

I'll have to admit that it was very difficult to pay attention to this film during the party that was held at our place this weekend. I had started this film before people started coming over, and then it got more & more crowded and hard to hear the film. I saw the entire film, but portions were almost inaudible, and as bad of a DVD as it was, there were no subtitles to help me out. However, the movie was so awfully bad (it was a staple of MST3K for crying out loud) that it didn't need but that dialogue that myself and party-goers gave it to spice up the flat storyline. This is one the ultimate in cheesy B-movies of the early 1960's sci-fi craving audiences. The plot revolves around a mad surgeon who has been secretly experimenting in human transplantations of organs/limbs and tissue regeneration. Yes, ahead of his time medically (this is eerily evident in today's face transplant society), but downright devious in the moral code of doctors. Anyway, gallivanting along his twisted path, he takes his fiance to his experiment hideout...only to suffer a major car crash along the way. He survives, and lovingly saves his lady's severed head from the fiery wreckage, in order to keep it "alive" on test-tubes and beakers. He must now search the strip-clubs and seedy photo shoots (hey, if he's buying a new model, he'll want an upgrade right?) of middle-America to find the perfect specimen to create his new woman! One slight problem is that the head won't shut up about being imprisoned in the evil lab, the sidekick doctor is a fruitcake, and there's a horrible monster locked in the closet. Oh yeah, that's what I said. There are plenty awkward silences, inept script musings, and oh-so-not-haunting musical scores to this ridiculous fare that you could determine the storyline with no words needed. Don't worry, I checked the rules, and it's ok if I couldn't hear the whole thing...trust me, listening to some of the dialogue later mad me wish I hadn't. It'd be so much better with Tom Servo & Crow partying with me anyway! Now where did I place that severed limb?

2 out of 5 stars

04/28/06 Valley Girl

Valley Girl (1983), directed by Martha Coolidge

watched w/ Leslie; DVD rental (Netflix) @ home

Totally tubular! Like, as if! The fact that I missed this film from my childhood is so grodie to the max! OK, ok, I'll stop dropping coined phrases from the 80's...not that you get enough of them on "I Love The 80's" or anything. I had never realized how good this seemingly silly movie was going to be. Taking the sex-driven comedies like "Fast Times" and the biting wit of a cross-caste darkness of "Heathers", then mixing in a pre-cursor to the trendy fakers of "Clueless" and you have this candy ring gem of a flick. And I'm not a big fan of Nicholas Cage, but this is right when he dropped the Coppola for the cage and was trying to "find" himself as an actor. He's great as edgy punk-rocker Randy who with his friend crash a valley party, as he sweeps popular girl Julie ("she's truly dazzling") off her feet. Julie's friends completely disapprove of her relationship, and the teenage angst & hormonal imbalances prove to much for her to choose between rugged Randy and pompous in his khakis Tommy. Just like "Say Anything", the guy has to win back the girl he digs despite the bitchy clique she runs with, hippie-fied parents with no strict rules, meddling ex-boyfriends, and oh yeah, high school getting in the way! With an awesome soundtrack of catchy pop-punk anthems (that were deftly incorporated into the film) of lesser known bands of the era, it is best known for launching the popularity of Modern English's "I'll Melt With You." The film launched a ton of now famous catch-phrases (check out the great Bouncing Souls song "These Are The Quotes From Our Favorite 80's Movies"). One last fun tidbit, E.G. Daily (Loryn in the movie) has a very distinct voice that would later go on to do numerous cartoons, most notably Buttercup from "Powerpuff Girls" fame. Truly dazzling.

4 out of 5 stars

04/27/06 Hostel

Hostel (2005), directed by Eli Roth

watched solo; DVD rental (Netflix) @ home; suggested by Garrett

One of the most talked about horror movies in awhile (although there has been a glut of scary movies of late). It should have been the most talked about anti-tourism marketing plan ever. "Hostel" was tagged by many to be the scariest movie ever. With such lofty expectations, I'm going to have to say it fell a bit short of that, but was still a good scare and very very messed up. What did you expect from a film that was done by the guy who did "Cabin Fever" and co-produced by Tarantino? The film begins with the backpacking adventure of two American kids and one nomad Icelander they befriend along the way through Europe. The trip is one of hedonistic excess for the three men, which further demonstrates the foreign view of the "ugly American" tourist as all three decide to be rude, crude and socially unacceptable to the locals. After ticking off locals in a club, the guys stumble across a fellow stoner who tells them tales of a pleasure-filled hostel in Slovakia that will cater naked women to serve all of their fantasies. Of course intrigued, the guys search against all the warning signs to find this pleasure-dome. Along the way they meet a creepy Dutch businessman, hot Czech and Asian chicks, co-ed saunas, Bubblegum gangs of children who jack tourists, and torture museums. Yeah, it gets weirder. So, they break all rules of foreign travel...stay together as a group, never take drugs from mysterious hot foreign girls in rave clubs, don't get drunk & pass out anywhere, etc. The story begins in a T&A fest a la "Eurotrip", then quickly spirals into a hellish underworld of brutal murders by locals a la "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Just when you think travel is safe, it's not. I won't go into the goriest of details, but there is lots of mutilation and sick stuff. Some may say the pranksters got their just desserts, but why is that the most ignorant of the group becomes the hero? Anyway, this film does for the Slovakian tourism industry what SARS did for Asian countries. Keeps people the F away. Look for the cool cameo by Takashi Miike in the elite "Club."

3 out of 5 stars

04/26/06 Beauty And The Beast

Beauty And The Beast (1991), directed by Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise

watched w/ Leslie; VHS (personal copy) @ home; Leslie's birthday

Call me a curmudgeon. Go ahead, because I didn't really like this movie. Watching purely for the sake of my love, who's birthday it was today, to enjoy. We may both be the perfect "Beauty And The Beast" duo. Her with her intelligence, beauty, grace and literary tendencies. I with my temper, brashness, fuzzy facial hair and moody behavior. Does that about cover it? Always touted as one of the Disney classics, this was again one of the middle-era of films I never saw...but lived during the oversaturation of it into pop culture. I mean, c'mon, this film was nominated for a Best Picture award at the Oscars in a time when animated films didn't even have a category let alone nominations! That is saying something. However, I just think the story failed to live up to the hype or the magic that I remember of earlier fairy tales, like "Snow White" or "Cinderella." We know my stance on needless musical numbers, but this one was only saved by the well-known "Be Our Guest" tune (mainly because the dishware and furniture sang it). The classic story was rushed through (even for typical animations) in this short feature. Belle plays a dissatisfied girl in a quaint French village, who tired of misplaced affections of arrogant Gaston, escapes through the books she reads. The Beast is originally a selfish prince who didn't know of love, and is banished by a curse to live as a monster until love breaks the spell. Upon a chance encounter, Belle and the Beast meet; he forces her to remain with him at his castle, she fights his temperament, he learns to be civil, they fall madly for each other, villagers want him dead, there's a ballroom dance number, yadda yadda. I think the technological advances in the animation were all of one whirlwind scene, but it was impressive. I'm just amazed that this average film was taken with such praise. It must have been a slow year in Hollywood in 1991. This seemingly dark-tinted tale was glitzed up so much that it didn't seem scary at all...but I guess that's what Disney does best. I'm a curmudgeon at heart, but I love my girlfriend very much.

3 out of 5 stars