11/06/06 Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby

Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby (2006), directed by Adam McKay

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

Once again teaming up the comedic talents of writer/director McKay and writer/star Will Ferrell comes this preposterously potent portrayal of the sweeping NASCAR culture in America, through the screwy view of off-color humor. Ferrell plays the inane racing hero Ricky Bobby (gotta love the love for double first names), who embraces everything about the NASCAR circuit, from the sponsorships (he's in a Wonder Bread car for crying out loud) & fame (signing babies foreheads and ladies' boobies), to the rush of the need for speed. His lifelong best friend is the dim-witted yet loyal Cal (John C. Reilly), who helps keep his friend Ricky in the hunt for the racing title due in large part to their successful tag team maneuver of the "shake & bake" (another chance for sponsorship gold if you ask me). When a flamboyant French Formula One racer named Jean Girard ("Borat" & "Ali G" star Sacha Baron Cohen) gets thrown into the title mix, Ricky must do whatever he can to prove his worth as a driver and a man! The hilarity thus ensues, due in large part to Ferrell's incessant ad-libbing in the face of any traditional script ideas he may have had, all to better deliver the laughs (point in case is the two famous scenes from the trailer with him thinking he's paralyzed only to jab a fork deep into his thigh, and flipping his car through the air & praying to Tom Cruise's witchcraft Scientology doctors to spare him his life). Yeah, funny, and if you don't think so, you're either a Scientologist or have been stabbed by a fork recently. A strong supporting cast comes in many unexpected forms of comedic timing, including crew chief Lucius (Michael Clarke Duncan), past McKay/Ferrell collaborator David Koechner, NASCAR drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. & Darrell Waltrip, deadbeat father Gary Cole (yeah, Lumbergh from "Office Space"), cute redhead Amy Adams (from "Junebug" nominations), cameos by Elvis Costello & Mos Def, Andy Richter, and Ferrell's on-screen sons named Walker & Texas Ranger. It's just Will Ferrell's world lately, and we're all living in it. It's almost just as much fun to wait until the credits roll for the ridiculous outtakes and wait for the eventual entire 2nd movie's length worth of gags and deleted scenes that will end up on the DVD version. That's what you have to look forward to with a Ferrell comedy...plenty of hilarious stuff that they couldn't even find time to cram into the original hilarity. Two funny movies for the price of one.

4 out of 5 stars

11/05/06 A Prairie Home Companion

A Prairie Home Companion (2006), directed by Robert Altman

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

Here is a very interesting and engagin concept. Take two of the foremost auteurs in their respective professions (both in the business of entertainment mind you), and put them together for one huge production of epic proportions, yet down-home accoutrements. First, you have the wonderfully wry Midwestern satirist and all-round language artist Garrison Keillor, who is the author/creator of many realistic stories of the fictional Lake Wobegon and the long-living radio show "Prairie Home Companion". Second, you have the accomplished ensemble-loving director of such classics as "M.A.S.H.," "Nashville," and "Gosford Park" who has a knack for incorporating colorful characters into almost any setting. Both of these men are very recognizable in their breadth of work, but also in their very close connection to the nature of middle-America and its inhabitants. What emerges in this wonderfully simple storyline is Altman's interpretation on Keillor's radio show of the same name, and perhaps just how the series final performance could go off...with just a few major hitches! Employing a stellar and famous ensemble cast, as well as Keillor himself, you see the likes of the talented (Meryl Streep, Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly, Kevin Kline, and Tommy Lee Jones); the talented only in an Altman film or "9 to 5" (Lily Tomlin); and the not-so-talented even in an Altman ensemble (Lindsay Lohan). Keeping to the integrity of his ensemble radio performances, Keillor represents himself naturally in the film, but also uses a lot of the musicians and acts that pop up often in his loveable routines. Streep and Tomlin play famous singing sisters who are in the twilight years, faltering over past romances with the likes of Keillor, and trying to convince their talented daughter/niece Lohan to also perform with them on the show. Kline plays a somewhat sleazy producer of the show, Jones a gruff business type who has to axe the show from the air. Perhaps the most fun are Harrelson and Reilly who play comedic cowboys who sing about the blues of everyday life. All in all, its a muted chaos that holds the show together behind the scenes, and allows you some genuine vignettes of what a radio show could really "look" like. If you have never looked into either of these famous artists, Altman or Keillor...please try. Maybe not your everyday cup of tea, but at least give them a chance to give you that bittersweet take on the simple things in human nature. Also, it should be noted that Altman died very soon after I watched this film, and so this being his final piece of work, it is a very good place to get to know him and appreciate his collaboration with Keillor.

3 out of 5 stars

11/04/06 The Prize Winner Of Defiance, Ohio

The Prize Winner Of Defiance, Ohio (2005), directed by Jane Anderson

watched solo; DVD (borrowed from parents) @ home

Coming in with another movie based on a true story, but much more fictionalized than yesterday's (ummm, instead of the actual wild parrots seen there, we have stars like Julianne Moore and Woody Harrelson replacing the actual people to protect their...well not so innocence). What the story is about, comes from the book of the same name, written by the daughter Terry Ryan of the woman for whom the subject of this movie becomes clear after the straight-forward title and plot are unveiled. What I mean to say is that this is an honest tribute to a woman who was not only a strong and resilient person but a loving mother of ten children (that's right, ten!) and catchy jingles. Alright, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself in the explanation. Terry Ryan's biography of her mother Evelyn and their family growing in post-war Ohio is one of unflinching honesty and turmoil. Julianne Moore plays the mother Evelyn, who must scrape every ounce of energy and money to raise her ten kids in a modest household when times are tough. She does so with an ever-present sense of sickening 50's charm and decorum and a smile. The biggest problem that comes from the family's financial struggles is that the father Kelly (Woody Harrelson) takes to the bottle, drinking the family finances away and lashing out in frustrated violence on inanimate objects. His daily tantrums are upsetting to not only the kids, but his poor wife who must try to keep this rocky relationship together. Why you might ask? Well, there is no good reason in my opinion, perhpas its a sign of the times when people almost forced themselves to stay in bad relationships for the sake of religion, the kids, their own fears, whatever. I cannot pass judgement on these people and their life, because I'm sure it was very hard, but it just makes you angry to see these things (even in a fictionalized manner) play out without someone stepping in to stop it. Of course, it is shown how even the teenage children would in fact step in and try to stop the violence, but it seems in the happy-go-lucky world of Hollywood that everything was always made better in the end. Anyway, the point is that the one glorious thing that Evelyn did for her family was to have a serious knack for writing catchy jingles and mottos to the advertised products on the radio & TV...which would occasionally bank the family some serious prize winnings (in the form of not only money, but household items & food that kept the family afloat for many years). Even with these winnings, things were hard, and Kelly's drinking seemed to take the place of his growing jealousy and inferiority complex he received from his wife being more successful than he. It's truly a sad story wrapped up in a brilliant wholesome smile for the 50's scene, but I just didn't like the Hollywood treatment for the film. I'm sure the true story from Terry Ryan was much better, and the one nice thing I could see in the film (that was just too depressing) was at the end when all of the actual ten Ryan children play themselves on screen. That was a nice touch.

2 out of 5 stars

11/03/06 The Wild Parrots Of Telegraph Hill

The Wild Parrots Of Telegraph Hill (2003), directed by Judy Irving

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

Since nature/animal documentaries are abundant in today's cinema, and I'm usually a sucker for watching them mindlessly (a la the Discovery Channel while scarfing on late-night munchies in college...hey wait a second, just what are you implying?), all it takes is one good review for me to plop down in front of the screen to take in a film of nature's wonderous beauties. However, considering Jenny likes to recommend to us some movies that she's never even seen, I'm curious as to whether she's truly seen this at all...nonetheless I appreciate and value her opinion in these matters, so I am fully willing to check this one out as well. Granted, it has gotten a lot of critical acclaim as well, but I tend to not let those critiques mean much to me...I don't know those random newspaper people, so why should I trust them and their stars or "thumbs up" anyway?! Oh wait, if anyone is out there reading this very review of mine, I am the pot calling the kettle black. Disregard that cynical take...just enjoy a mindless review of me mindlessly watching a nature documentary. This one has an added splice of life to it, in that the nature is being found in an urban setting, namely the city trees in San Francisco's waterfront Telegraph Hill neighborhoods. The story centers around a particular flock of red-headed (and one blue-headed) wild parrots that have taken refuge in the city's treetops, and have become acquainted with one of the local residents, a man named Mark Bittner. Mark, a former homeless musician who found solace in finding and interacting with the wild birds. A lot of his own (and humans alike) character traits are echoed in the actions of the parrots, which leads the documentarian and narration into many parallels between the species. Getting to know the parrots by cute names given to them & their characteristics, Mark grew intimate with their experiences and created a very close bond with the animals. What is even more engaging is the fact that the man himself was being observed and studied with a loving eye by the filmmaker Judy Irving in such a profound way, that it lead to their eventual blossoming love...and the two are now married! How's that for life imitating art, or vice versa, or well, I'm not even sure if that's it, but it sure is ironic...don't you think? In any regards, the documentary itself was a bit too slow-paced for my liking, but the fact that the guy's group of best friends is a flock of wild parrots, and he falls for the documentarian of his life's work is pretty interesting in and of itself. For more of the bohemian Mark's exploits (like his subsequent book of the same title, and his love for bicycles and blues music) check out his website. For just witnessing his odd eccentricity, check out this film.

3 out of 5 stars

11/02/06 All Souls Day: Dia De Los Muertos

All Souls Day: Dia De Los Muertos (2005), directed by Jeremy Kasten

watched solo; DVD rental (Netflix) @ home

It is in fact that most macabre and spiritual-sensitive of holidays, Dia De Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead to those English speaking folks. It is that Mexican (dating back to the Aztecs) traditional holiday that gives celebration in honor of loved ones who have died and moved on to a higher level of consciousness. A powerful and moving tradition, yet it most likely today has connotations of evil, death and the afterlife in a commercialized sense. On a complete side note, today is also my friend Amy's birthday...and unrelated she has always been a movie fan as well, and encouraged the Challenge, so I know she would appreciate the loyalty to a holiday tradition also on this particular day...plus she's been to Burning Man, which in its own right has some misconceptions by outsiders in a vast celebratory sense. Both of them are exciting and intriguing, so let's delve into one (probably very skewed) approach to the Day of the Dead. Leaning more on the macabre side of the telling of death, this film is a bit of a low-budget horror that actually pulls you in and despite all its shortcomings makes for a decent scary flick. It's the basic premise of the obnoxious American students, away on an exotic vacation who get lost in a dusty old town with no connection to the outside world, and must spend the night before they can get back on the road to home. A few kinks get thrown in the plan, when the car breaks down, a funeral procession is interrupted by a living woman with her tongue cut out trying to get help escapes, creepy town citizens who won't give you the time of day, old women with secrets hidden, an abandoned hotel with weird inn-keepers, and a corrupt sheriff who's up to no good. So, what do the co-eds on vacation decide to do when things go bad...get their drink on, casual sex it up, and call their other friends into the same godforsaken town to enjoy the creepiness with them! Sounds like fun, Spring Break Cancun here we come! So what did the unsuspecting Americans stumble upon when they try to get help...oh just some ancient secret of Dia De Los Muertos celebration where the town has a dark secret in its past, and zombies have returned to Earth to reclaim their past unless a human sacrifice will appease them. Uhhh, hopefully the kids don't try and fight them off on their own...that can't end well. Well, whatdya know?! They try it anyway. It's campy, it's somewhat creepy, it's classically bad in all the right ways, and it's "Hostel" meets "Night Of The Living Dead." Will our youth never learn? A nothing film that turned out to have some bite. I'm also intrigued after looking director Kasten up in his new cadaverous tale called "The Wizard Of Gore." Could be so bad its good.

3 out of 5 stars

11/01/06 Xanadu

Xanadu (1980), directed by Robert Greenwald

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

I'm almost embarassed to say that we watched this one...sort of like "From Justin To Kelly" or "High School Musical." The glaring difference here is that we did this one by choice. Perhaps I wanted to punish myself for gorging on too much candy or alcohol over the Halloween weekend...who knows? Maybe I have a sick curiosity to see Olivia Newton-John in leotards (sans her "Let's Get Physical" equipment room motif)...get off my back! Whatever the reason going into the film, I wish I would have listened to my macho tendencies and abandoned the thinking of "oh, c'mon this will be funny to make fun of" mentality before witnessing this catastrophic endeavor. All involved in the making, producing, selling, organizing, starring, publicizing, watching, purchasing, renting, and burning (because that's just harmful to the ozone) of this movie ought to be punished. This film is an atrocity in roller skates. I don't even know where to begin with the Crayola choreographed madness! Olivia plays Kira, a magical muse in roller skates (yes, you heard that right) who happens upon the California beachfront landscape to inspire an angst-ridden struggling artist named Sonny (c'mon, the guys job is to paint larger than life replicas of popular album cover art work for local storefront windows...he's a hack). Sonny doesn't listen to the rules, or his mangy boss, but is angel struck when he sees the wispy vision of Kira go-going in her skates down the boardwalk one day. She leads him to this abandoned building (a dusty murder scene waiting to happen...where actors' careers go to die) where her dance fever turns his thoughts on becoming an entrepreneur. Kira wants Sonny (who I swear had to be in the Bee Gees at some point, but is actually the dude from "The Warriors") to turn this dump into a rockin' disco roller rink (please, don't laugh, it's HIS dream), and enlist the help of washed up showbiz guy Danny Mcguire (actually Gene Kelly in his final screen role...boy, i bet he gets Hell for that one in Heaven!). What we come to realize (whether you care or not) is that Danny too was dumbfounded by the very same muse of Kira some 40 years ago. Both men embark on this hopeless adventure to make some really sad dreams come true. All I have to say is that if lead man Sonny's previous role in "The Warriors" had his new crew of roller-skating muses with pixie dust going up against any one of the street gangs in the first film...let's just say it would be a bloodbath. And no Olivia Newton-John in leotards could save them from a gory demise...but then again, we could just let them die with disco. In conclusion, "Xanadu", Xanadon't see this movie.

1 out of 5 stars

10/31/06 Rosemary's Baby

Rosemary's Baby (1968), directed by Roman Polanski

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

Since there was no poll for this most gruesome & ghastly of holidays, I took it upon myself to introduce a classic horror movie into my personal collection and my Challenge. I heard from a friend that there were deals going on at the local Best Buy (I will not bow to a corporate sponsorship) for the Halloween season where scary movies were getting slashed at affordable prices in order to get you into the terrified mood for the night of hooliganism and candy. Yes, amidst the slasher flicks of "Friday The 13th," "A Nightmare On Elm Street," and the oh-so-obvious "Halloween" series, stood like a beacon of supernatrual and satanic dischord on the shevles this twisted classic. Rosemary (played by mousey and waifish Mia Farrow) and her new husband Guy (why are people called this...should a woman's name also be Gal?) move into an apartment building in New York, as they try to start their new family and settle down. The couple befirends an elderly couple, Roman and Minnie, as well as a few other tenants in the building...one of which Rosemary has an instant connection with in their youthful homemaker gossip down in the laundry room. However, when that young friend turns up dead by an apparent suicide, strange things begin to become apparent to Rosemary. Upon finding out that she is pregnant, the feelings of joy with her husband soon turn to mystery and suspicion that the elderly couple and other tenants are up to something strange in their interest for her new baby. It is soon found through research that her apartment building is housing for something unholy, and that even her beloved husband could be involved in the satanic offerings the tenants' cult could possess. As she searches deeper into some kind of meaning or answers, she begins to unravel a very dark and scary presence in the building she now calls home. Will she be able to escape what horrific things she has foreseen? Is she simply losing her mind slowly at a vulnarable mental & physical state of new pregnancy? What is the true meaning and purpose of Rosemary's baby?!?! The world may never know...or you may never want to know if you are the faint at heart or stomach. Instead of the usual blood & guts gore that permeate the costumes of this annual pagan ritual Halloween (oh yeah, and the delectable candy that we fill our gullets with)...I thought a little mind warp might do the Challenge audience some good. This is a creepy film, mostly in its delivery so frankly of such vile situations. Polanski's a freak anyway, he's his own little Halloween story.

4 out of 5 stars

10/30/06 Taxi

Taxi (2004), directed by Tim Story

watched solo; DVD (borrowed from parents) @ home

No it's not the loveable misfit sitcom from the 1970's with Danny DeVito cracking wiseacre jokes, Tony Danza playing cool as a cucumber tough, and Andy Kaufman as Latka hamming it up for foreign yuks. Instead, we get a idiotic retread of French filmmaker Luc Besson's 1998 stylishly written movie of the same name but American-ized. And the roles are given to moron Jimmy Fallon cracking dumbass jokes, Queen Latifah playing cool as a cucumber roughneck, and well Luc Besson hamming it up with foreign yucks. The one solitary thing that attracted me to this version however was actually in the writing credits for the film, as they included some names that you may never have heard of, but if you paid attention to a few mentions in this year's Challenge...have gained some insight into the many instances of "The State" and its former members comedic timing. Two of the guys on the case for helping re-write this Besson script with an offbeat American twinge are none other than "Reno:911's" Thomas Lennon (Lt. Jim Dangle and his short shorts) and Ben Garant (Deputy Travis Junior and his stache). Yes, it's true...these funny dudes have brought us some hilarious things with "The State" and "Reno:911" but have also fallen flat on their "just paying the bills" butts with such stinkers as "The Pacifier" and "Herbie Fully Loaded." I guess everyone is entitled to a few mess-ups in their life, but I still wanted to give this movie a chance. You have Fallon as inept detective Washburn, who can't drive a car to save his life commandeering the taxi cab of speed demon and street-smart cabbie Belle (Latifah) teaming up in the oddest of odd couple pairings...all in the hopes of catching the masquerading gang of beautiful Brazilian babe bank robbers (there's a tongue-twister for you, and I'm just talking about the alliteration fellas!). No one believes loser Washburn as he's hot on the trail of the criminals, and even his new "partner" Belle would rather be driving race cars than solving crimes. One of the few Besson touches you can see in the film is when Belle's cab becomes "Pimp My Ride" with the push of a button, creating her taxi to be anything but street legal...something you might see on MTV's "Cribs" in an airplane hanger garage. The story is stupid, the acting is terrible, the writing is half-hearted, and probably delivered so badly anyway. While I've seen much worse, I was expecting a bit more from the producers and writers...although I should have known better from a director who only did the turd of a comic book hero movie in "Fantastic Four." There are way better futuristic flying cars in Besson's "The Fifth Element," and Fallon was only funny when he couldn't stop laughing at his own jokes on "SNL." Could I plug any more shows more and this movie less?

2 out of 5 stars

10/29/06 Monster House

Monster House (2006), directed by Gil Kenan

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

It's the classic tale of horror and spookiness that thrills in scaring tykes at bedtime or around the campfire, and always intrigues us as adults (who like to believe we're too old for that sort of shenanigans, but are usually the ones who walk unsuspectingly into the sinister trap of said "imagined" fear, and in reality would be scared out of our wits in a situation even remotely close to some of the scenarios put forward in such lavish scary stories). That being said, this is still just a new spin on old favorite in that spooky spectacular. What is refreshing here is the new style of animation put forth, which captures very realistic facial and body language expressions in the characters on screen...and on top of that is the breadth of voice talents they pulled in for this feature, for such a new-comer in filmmakers. Some of the talents heard here include Catherina O'Hara (the mom), Fred Willard (the dad), Kevin James & Nick Cannon (the bumbling officers), Jon Heder (as burnout Skull), Kathleen Turner (where has she been? as creepy Constance), Maggie Gyllenhaal (older sis Zee), Jason Lee (Zee's punk boyfriend Bones), and Steve Buscemi (as the crotchety bad-guy Nebbercracker). And that's not including the "stars" of the film in the youngsters who stumble across the macabre adventure with the monster house (D.J., Chowder & Jenny)...all voiced by snot-nosed punks from some Nickelodeon shows that I've never heard of, but I'm sure are famous enough in the pre-pubescent age bracket. Anyway, the three troublemakers start trouble when they decide to retrieve some lost objects of the neighborhood children to the crotchety old man Nebbercracker's front yard across the street. His house has always been infamous for being spooky-looking and never too friendly to the kids in town. No one dare enter the grounds, or talk to the old man for fear of being taken prisoner...but little do they know that it is not the man, but the house they should fear the most! With state-of-the-art special effects and humorous dialogue for both child and adult to enjoy, this tale begs to jump out at you on screen in 3-D! I usually don't win by letting my little sisters pick out a movie to watch, but I really enjoyed this one, as it was fresh and entertaining. Every kid wants to have an adventure like this one, magical, dangerous and something to brag about later (if you don't get yourself killed in the process)! I won't reveal the true secrets of the deep dark monsters within the house across the street...but it will definitely have you second guessing your neighbors, yards that eat small babies and tricycles, and houses built before 1950. Ooooooh.....aaaahhhhh!

3 out of 5 stars

10/28/06 Over The Top

Over The Top (1987), directed by Menahem Golan

watched w/ Leslie; DVD rental (Netflix) @ home; suggested by Mike A.

How can you go wrong with this thought process? First, cast the stoic heroic likes of blockbuster star Sly Stallone (fresh off some "Rocky IV," right before some "Tango & Cash," and bookended by some high-caliber "Rambo II & III") as a down on his luck trucker (a bad ass trucker I might add). Second, make him vulnerable by showing his dark side, abandoning his wife & kid some years before only wanting to make things right now later in life. Third, name him after something like a cross between a 50's gumshoe and a 80's pro-wrestler...Lincoln Hawk. And finally, oh I don't know, make him good at something other than trucking and leaving his family...how about knitting? No, too dainty. Taxidermy, no too morbid. I got it, arm wrestling! Yes, that's box-office gold! Why didn't we think of it before we cast him as a boxer, or a Vietnam vet, or a hard-nosed cop, or an Italian Stallio?! Regardless of whether this film was to be destined to be on countless bargain-priced shelves in the video store or numerous hours on the "USA Network" or "MST3K", you have to appreciate the sheer 80's cheese that is this wonderfully different film. As Leslie & I will be going to a Halloween costume party this evening, and seeing the suggested source of watching this film, Mike A., it's all I can do to thank him for recommending it...and all I can do to apologize for not having dressed up like Lincoln Hawk this evening (instead I'm a Cancerian crab with potholders for hands...it's complicated). I digress, but so does the movie, does it matter? Upon hearing about his ex-wife's death, Lincoln tries to rekindle the relationship with his long-lost son. This doesn't sit well with the father-in-law who wants nothing to do with him, and the son who is none too happy to see the untimely return of his father. Not one for being a softy in such sappy reunions, Lincoln (or is it Sly in reality?) takes the tough love approach in teaching his son the ways of life, the road, his own personal regrets & wrongs, and finally arm wrestling. Yes, it is in fact not time that heals all wounds, but rather arm wrestling. That is unless the wound is a broken ulna from said arm wrestling, than that's just irony.In any case, Lincoln and son find a way to bond through it all, lessons are learned, and yes you do get to see some on-screen arm breaking in the hugely anticipated arm wrestling tournament in Vegas. Yeah, the money shot. And what can compliment this cheese-tastic movie more than the horrendously synthesized musical score soundtrack (just throw in "Eye Of The Tiger" and be done with it!) and the Fabio-esque cover art (is that an eagle perched behind Sly?). The 1980's for better or for worse, 'til death do us part. Now, I'm off to practice some of my new found skills (shhh, don't tell anyone, or the secret will be out & my chances in Vegas shot) on some unsuspecting drunkards at the party...although it will help that I have potholder crab hands to my advantage (unless I need to hold my beer).

3 out of 5 stars

10/27/06 Accepted

Accepted (2006), directed by Steve Pink

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

Leslie's friend Kristin has come to town to visit us, and what better way to entertain friends than to hit the dollar theater and pick a ridiculous comedy to have you rolling in the aisles. Well, at least laughing until you pee your pants...well, cracking up. Whatever, sometimes you just need a good laugh and there doesn't need to be any rhyme or reason why! Stop your judging, we can love silly sophomoric comedies too, you judges! While the world is firmly engrossed with high-grossing tales of crude humor and collegiate excess (a la "American Pie" or "Old School" type flicks), some lesser-hyped fare gets looked over in its "run-of-the-mill" approach to the same jokes. However, I feel like this one may stand on its own as a sort-of modern day "Animal House" feel. What do you get when you have a bunch of rejects that don't want to be the world's doormat anymore? Sometimes there are tears and lots of heavy drinking, but in other instances you will see the willpower (and devious nature) to throw a big middle finger to the system's powers-that-be and give them a taste of their own medicine. Cliché enough for ya?! When high school burnout Bartleby (the hipper Apple dude from those Apple vs. PC commercials) finds out he's been rejected by every major university that he's applied to (and so have a handful of his "average" friends), his crew thinks up a scheme to keep their eager parents at bay with questions of their future academics. They create a bogus website & mailings accepting the kids to the illustriously illegitimate college of South Harmon Institute of Technology. Yes, that's right, the acronym is S.H.I.T. There is one major problem with the "well-thought-out" plan though, not only do the parental units buy it, but so do hundreds of aspiring students who log onto the site only to be equally accepted too! Oh boy, now the crew has to find a makeshift facility to house the students, create a genuinely unique curriculum to appease their appetites, enlist the help of washed up cynic professor Uncle Ben (Lewis Black), show parents around at a fake parents' day tour, and all the while throw the biggest campus parties in the history of academia! Tough job, but somebody's got to do it. Bartleby must keep up the charade if he at all hopes to win the trust of his new girl Monica (yeah, good start with a big-time lie buddy!); and make life easy for his friends Rory, Hands, Glen and poor Sherman who's fortunes to land at prestigious Harmon College fall flat with his attempts to fit in a the snobbish fraternity (ask him about his wiener). Basically this movie may end up teaching you a thing or two about life, lying, cheating, the Man & the system trying to keep us down, corruption, politics, academics, relationships...naw...mostly it will be about ignoring all that real stuff and letting yourself at nothing for an hour & a half. Oh and don't do drugs. Take this degree and shove it!

3 out of 5 stars

10/26/06 Nacho Libre

Nacho Libre (2006), directed by Jared Hess

watched w/ Leslie, Kristin (partially) & again w/ Rebecca; DVD rental (Netflix) @ home

Now solidified as one of my all-time favorite comedies, Hess' "Napoleon Dynamite" was an instant classic when it hit the ground running on the film circuit some 2 years ago. To be honest, I had heard nothing good about this follow-up feature of his since the moment it was released...no doubt people trying in vain to compare it to "Napoleon," when it's an entirely different (albeit same quirky tilt to the humor) film. Where as before it was virtual unknown/underscored nerd Jon Heder as the lead character, and now its the expectations of famous/over-the-top goofball Jack Black as the titular Nacho. Originally the orphaned boy named Ignacio (Jack Black) in a Mexican monastery, the man is now a hapless cook who tries in vain to win the hearts (and stomachs) of the other orphaned children and monks in the monastery. Seen as a laughing stock, Ignacio daydreams allow him to think of bigger & better things for himself and the orphanage. With his big heart, and his eccentric brain, he decides to enlist in a local luchador (Mexican wrestler) tournament, which will not only help him win prize money to upgrade the orphanage's food supply, but hopefully win the heart of the beautiful new Sister Encarnacion with whom he's smitten. Enlisting the help of a slovenly thief Esqueleto, Ignacio transforms into the heroic-looking Nacho by donning the traditional luchador mask & cape and training with his new friend in such tactics as chucking live bee hives at his head. The dynamic duo is luckless at first, but even at losing the wrestling matches to more skilled & stronger opponents, the two earn valuable money that goes back into Ignacio's hopes for the children. All the while keeping his double identity as a luchador a secret, lest he be banished from the monastery and ridiculed even more, Nacho earns the respect of the community, children and finally Sister Encarnacion alike. When his moonlighting gig at losing is still not enough to satisfy his dreams, and prove once & for all that he is somebody, Nacho & Esqueleto take on the ultimate match in the prolific (and snobby) Ramses the great in a battle royale tournament than could guarantee a bright future for those at the orphanage. The oddball journey doesn't take the usual path to get to its heart-warming moral, but it does a fantastic job as a family film (and a brilliant follow-up in left-field humor to the acclaimed "Napoleon" in my opinion) in expressing the important things in life. Let's just say that the end is happy enough to allow Nacho/Ignacio to bring back a large bus to the orphans in order to take them on glorious field-trip adventures and give them all the things he never had as a child. And he gets the girl...err nun...in the end. Viva Nacho and his recreational pants!

4 out of 5 stars

10/25/06 Partner(s)

Partner(s) (2005), directed by Dave Diamond

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

Tonight's selection is a special choice in regards to the supporting actor's role in the film, rather than the seemingly tired plot of wacky indiscretions. You see, this evening, Leslie & I will be going to see a wonderful stand-up show of two former members of the illustrious (ok, not so illustrious but brilliant underground comedy troupe whose members would go on to do much more illustrious things in the future) MTV comedy group "The State". I know I've referenced this troupe before, in having watched earlier this year the lovably quirky "The Baxter" and seen the oddities abound in such flicks as "Wet Hot American Summer," but this film is the best option we could hope for on such short notice. The members of the troupe that I speak of include the supporting actor in the film and headliner for this evening's show Michael Ian Black (also of VH1's "I Love The 80's, etc." anecdotal fame, and Leslie's crush) and his "Stella" buddy Michael Showalter. Undoubtedly the two comedians' performances will be hilarious later, but for now let's get back to the matter at hand of seeing one's acting abilities on screen. In our film "Partner(s)" we have an enterprising young lawyer who will attempt almost anything to try and land partner status at the lofty city law firm that he currently works at. When it seems he will be passed up for promotion in favor of a female colleague (and ex-girlfriend), the guy searches for the edge that will help him land this important job. It just so happens that the guy's best friend and roommate Christopher (Michael Ian Black) is a gay man, which leads to the mistaken identity that the two men are a couple...and is the perfect "chic" edge that he needs to generate a buzz and swing the vote in his favor. Much to the chagrin of parents, and the surprise of former girlfriends, the guy is a hot commodity, and he must work to keep up the charade. The ex-girlfriend is not fooled by his ruse, and wages a battle to expose him for his lies...but another matter makes it hard for him to come clean...yup, he falls for the boss' hot daughter (who believes him to be gay, and not in it for the you-know-what). With the lies becoming more complex, and the lessons soon to be learned...and the supporting actor trying his best to make the film fun...we end up in the same scenarios we always do with these type of films. I'm not gonna lie, it was at times amusing and sweet-hearted. I think the real answer is that I was just waiting around to see Black and Showalter in person for their more edgy (and less conventionally edgy) stand-up routines. Bring on the comedy. And as Leslie said, he's not as cute in person (but funny nonetheless).

3 out of 5 stars

10/24/06 Colors

Colors (1988), directed by Dennis Hopper

watched solo; DVD rental (Netflix) @ home

Considering the only other film I've seen directed by famed rebel actor/director Dennis Hopper was the psychedelic manifesto against "The Man" and conformity and the system and "squares"..."Easy Rider"...this might be almost the antithesis of subject matter. Then again, maybe not...considering the settings were similar in that they were a few against the rest of the world. In "Easy Rider" you had a few hippies riding on the open road, sharing their sex, drugs & rock 'n' roll...with the conservative straight-laced townsfolk who didn't take kindly to strangers and would rather call them "queers" and beat the crap out of them. Now, in "Colors" you see the ghettos and barrios of East L.A. with their violence, drugs & guns running rampant through the eyes of two supposed straight-laced cops that want nothing more than to clean up the bad element with force. As this film digs deeper into the psyche of the men in uniform who must not only put their lives on the line in this kind of daily environment, we get to see a relationsghip (albeit a strained one) between two very different officers that must "protect & serve." War between rival gangs the Crips & Bloods is ever escalating, but the one war that gets the most heat in the film is the war between the street thugs and the cops themselves (basically thugs in uniforms). Brilliant performances by both Robert Duvall and Sean Penn as the street-smart veteran and fiery rookie cops respectively. Their tumultuous relationship as partners hits every level of contempt, loyalty, anger, and mutual admiration for very different procedural police ways. With a gangster-rap soundtrack, the presence of real-life gang members, and the rebellious nature of Hopper's filmmaking all come together for a gritty portrayal of the L.A. streets and survival. It seems quite tame by today's graphic filmmaking standards, but it was definitely a pioneer for other successful "urban dramas" that were to be helmed by directors that came from those tough environments, like John Singleton's "Boyz N The Hood," the Hughes Bros.' "Menace II Society," and even Antoine Fuqua's "Training Day." Hard to believe that Hopper was that pioneer though.

4 out of 5 stars

10/23/06 Thumbsucker

Thumbsucker (2005), directed by Mike Mills-watched solo; DVD rental (Netflix) @ home

Hey, at least the title of the film isn't "Bedwetter." With its oh-so-self-explanatory title, you wouldn't necessarily know what you were in store for. Considering the nasty habit of thumbsucking is something looked down upon by parents, kids in the schoolyard, and dentists alike...it would be safe to bet that whoever the so-called "thumbsucker" (which sounds like it should be turned into a curse word doesn't it?) is, their story would be one of trials and tribulations to fit in. Ahhh yes, here we go. Justin (Lou Taylor Pucci) is a teenager who has the aforementioned oral fixation, as it provides some comfort to him in a life of angst and turmoil. He seems to have some learning disabilities that are challenged with frustration by his parents (played well by Tilda Swinton & Vincent D'Onofrio), teachers (the surprisingly muted performance of Vince Vaughn), friends and even his dentist (a hippie-fied Keanu Reeves). Not performing well in school, Justin and his family go to great lengths to break him of his habit...including hypnosis (by the hippie-fied Reeves) and diagnosed ADD with prescription drugs. The drugs start to work for him, and he performs better in school...shinging in his debate class where Vaughn is the teacher who's looking for Justin's best interest. One slight problem arises within all this inner-turmoil, and that is Justin's other obsession with the pretty girl in class. All of his own pre-occupations are magnified by his parents' personal troubles (father as a broken soul, determined to succeed as a store manager; mother a hopeless nurturer who pines over the TV actor Benjamin Bratt; both parents embroiled in a loveless marriage). Good times. The director Mills is interesting himself in his first feature, with a background in music videos and TV-ads, graphic art for album covers, and fashion design...all of which help to bring alive the vibrant personalities that are abundant here in this quirky coming-of-age film. In the end, everyone learns from each other...to be an adult and give up on addictions with the support of love. Pretty deep for something titled after a childish habit.

4 out of 5 stars

10/22/06 C.S.A.: The Confederate States Of America

C.S.A.: The Confederate States Of America (2004), directed by Kevin Willmott

watched w/ Leslie; DVD rental (North American Video) @ home

Here comes a nice hearty piece of controversial filmmaking that is sure to cause some discussions at the dinner table, and perhaps provide a case of upset stomach (heartburn, indigestion or diarrhea...take your pick) that no Pepto-Bismol can soothe. That upset tummy can be caused by many a great things...it could be the tension that you could feel for watching this controversial material, or acid reflux disease, or cramps from laughing hysterically throughout the film, or did you ever look to your own family genetics?! In any case, this film has been known to kick up some emotions and discussions, showing the true mark of art. Directed by newcomer (and University of Kansas film professor) Willmott, and the added spice of Spike Lee attaching his name as a producer...you can bet to be in for a different treat here. In one of the more bizarre cases of "what if?", we follow this faux-documentary-style film about the modern state of America had the South won the war with its Confederacy...as through the eyes of a British news television show. If that isn't complex enough for you to wrap your head around...throw in some dashes of "Saturday Night Live," "The Daily Show," and "Chappelle's Show" for good comedic measure. You take a difficult period of America's shameful past in slavery, and the Civil War that was to forever decide the way the country was to proceed in society...and flip it on its ear. What you have left is a provocative, satirical, dark and sometimes frightening look at people and history. By taking an "outsider" approach to reporting the mockumentary as an educational tool, the filmmakers (both within the picture and in real-life) pry deep into the prejudices and racial tensions that have always remained in our culture in some way or form. The retelling of the Civil War with the Confederacy victorious follows the logical (or rather illogical) progression of slavery in America, where & exactly what it would be today; the banishing of so-called "heroes" (like Abraham Lincoln) in our world as "radical extremists" to Canada for fear of persecution; and the past 100 years shown historically through a racist perspective. Every major event in American history (i.e. Reconstruction, the Depression, two World Wars, Civil Rights Movement) is duly affected by this tragic outcome...and I'm not just implying this is tragic because it was the South who won (I have deep roots in the Southern states, as well as deep family roots in the Northeastern ones), but the fact that the reasoning behind that win is one of racial/social/human injustice. That we all know to be a tragedy, and if you don't think so, you're a bigot and the butt of this attempt of a in-your-ignorant-face joke. Interspliced throughout the "historical" documentary are ridiculous faux TV commercials that support racist products and slogans (most of which are true marketing motives that had been or are still used in culture today, despite their connotations), that seem like they are straight out of any skit-comedy show that has balls. However, despite all the strong statements that the film tries to make and the comedy that inevitably seeps out of over-the-top satire...the film leaves you wanting a bit more substance. Don't get me wrong, its a ballsy move and hits some important points, and is quite funny in parts...but I think more could have been accomplished. Not bad for a low-budget fare, and it will no doubt spark coversation...and a few stomach aches.

3 out of 5 stars

10/21/06 Mansfield Park

Mansfield Park (1999), directed by Patricia Rozema-watched w/ Leslie; VHS (borrowed from Leslie's Mom) @ home

Yet another Jane Austen adaptation, which we all know by now is going to involve some lovelorn spinsters, sexual innuendo and confusion, social class struggles, and prim & proper attitudes towards love, marriage and everything in between. Very very British if I do say so myself...and I do. From what I read (and I don't read the actual novels mind you, just the liner notes & movie reviews of the adaptations from said books) this is supposed to be Austen's most autobiographical book she wrote...but they're all pretty much the same aren't they? A young Fanny Price comes from very humble means & poor parents who can't afford another mouth to keep feeding is sent off to live at the estate of her wealthy aunt's husband...ahem, Mansfield Park (said with a very uppity-British-nasal cavity). Arriving at the very young & impressionable age of 10, you would think that young Fanny would be nothing short of elated to be in such a graduation of circumstances. Alas, our heroine here is whip-smart and able to displease her rich kin with the flick of the wit. Never quite fitting in to their regal ways, she becomes fast friends with her cousin Edmund...which will forever torment them with the blossoming of something more (that never can quite be in a British novel, everyone must suffer immeasurable pain & suffering to find love). Hello, its her cousin (yuck, even though he's not blood, it's still a bit wrong. However, as the fates of love and arranged marriage would have it...she is promised by her uncle to a wealthy neighbor Henry, who she provokes to prove his worth to be her suitor. This enrages the uncle, and Henry soon is going after Fanny's sister, and Edmund is lost in sexual angst with his lovely cousin, and oh boo-hoo. I'm so tired of the tiresome rigamarole that must be pursued in these period romances. Can't there just be casual sex, regrets, drunken apologies and celebrity stalkers to deal with this pent-up sexual frustration? Oh, and there's always poetry. Just avoid these silly song & dance numbers to your heartstrings...maybe the classic novels are just that and would prove me wrong if given half a chance at true romance. No, they're probably just glorified Fabio-golden-locks-laden Danielle Steele smut. Did I really just compare Jane Austen to Danielle Steele?

2 out of 5 stars

10/20/06 The Fog

The Fog (1980), directed by John Carpenter

watched w/ Leslie; theater (Carolina Theatre, Durham, NC); Femme Fatale Film Series

Continuing my appreciation for classic cult film creator John Carpenter's work, and adding to my affinity for exotic film festivals, I was highly anticipating this screening for quite some time. As his work of creative campy cuisine goes (see "Escape From New York," "They Live," and Big Trouble In Little China") its top notch, but the most interesting part of this viewing was to be the presence of the movie's star, the femme fatale herself...Adrienne Barbeau. That's right, not only were we going to see the twisted cheese-fest that is "The Fog," but we were going to get an intimate Q&A session with the starlet vixen afterwards. Now, to the film itself. The story here reminds me a lot of some of the scary campfire-esque tales that were captured in the pages of the 80's children books that could be found on most school library shelves, "Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark" by Alvin Schwartz...scaring small children with its urban legend quality and creepy black & white artwork haunting your daydreams. What we have is a small Northern Californian fishing town that is about to celebrate its centennial, but what dark truths of the town's past will come lurking out of the dense fog on the eve of the festivities? The town was to be based as a leper colony, where people could come to live, but some evil had other ideas. Upon the fateful arrival of the vessel Elizabeth Dane, guided falsely by a campfire light, the crew perished on the rocky banks of the sea. Now, 100 years later, the same dense fog rolls in...and with it brings evil! Barbeau plays local radio DJ Stevie, who broadcasts her show from the perch of a lighthouse (which will not only serve as an ominous beacon to the lurking evil, but also provide a great vantage point for her eventual defense strategy)...who happens upon mysterious goings-on, and must help save the town from the ghostly zombies of the dead crew seeking retribution on the town. Among the other unlikely heroes are sex-pot hitchhiker Elizabeth (Jamie Lee Curtis, who also gets to work on screen with her real-life mother Janet Leigh) and the dude who picked her up, an idiot weather man who's constantly hitting on Stevie, and Father Malone (Hal Holbrook) who finds his lineage linked to the horrific things of the past. The rest of the town is wrapped up in the preparations for the big centennial celebration, and completely unaware of the potential danger that is slowly drifting their way...bringing some gnarly looking zombies with it. Most of the plot and acting is laughable at best, but it still is effective as a good ol' scary story (at least in print, even if it doesn't quite translate visually on screen). The best part of the entire thing was the eventual discussion with the sexy starlet damsel in distress herself, Ms. Barbeau (who's still looking hot for a 60 year-old grandma I might add). It was interesting to hear her talk about the filming process and the movie's cult following over the years, and more intimate commentaries on her relationship to director Carpenter and his use of her as his muse. Some of the audience's highlights when the questions/comments came...one college-age girl in the crowd who was actually in the film "Swamp Thing" with Barbeau in South Carolina, and the pocket-protector dork who owned the movie on laser disc where he could isolate only the musical score components without any of the dialogue. Yeah, it got that movie-geeky. We were there for the cheese, and the historical significance of seeing a great camp movie with its personable camp star. Oh yeah, and the fog didn't win, so don't worry.

3 out of 5 stars

10/19/06 Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown

Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown (1988), directed by Pedro Almodovar

watched solo; theater (Galaxy Cinema, Cary, NC); Viva Pedro Film Series

Hot & bothered can be an easy way to describe the film stylings of one Pedro Almodovar. Perhaps one of the most internationally acclaimed Spanish directors ever, all of his works have raised many an eyebrow and sparked many a discussion. His films often include major symbolism, religious context, and overtly sexual (both passion and gender-roles) portrayals. The first Almodovar experience I can clearly recall is the now infamous bath-tub scene in "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!" with a wind-up toy...this example being one reason his films like to constantly push the envelope and prod the censors into casting NC-17 ratings. Whatever the rating ends up being, it is still obvious how influential and groundbreaking a lot of his films have been. This is one that falls in a long lineage of such works, centering around the fallout of a break-up between to lovers, Ivan and Pepa. Pepa must deal with her husband's telephone message he's leaving. Unable to stand the lonely house full of memories, Pepa soon opens the house up to lease...opening the door to all kinds of characters that will challenge her sanity. There is Candela, Pepa's friend searching for asylum from the police as they suspect her to be a terrorist. There is Lucia, a woman who comes looking for Ivan claiming they had a love-child Carlos some twenty years ago. Let's just throw Carlos into the mix as well, unbeknownst to Pepa. Lucia wants Ivan dead, and Pepa is trying all she can to get through this ordeal and come out the other side sane. It is a true journey of emotions that Pepa must go on in this dark comedy, but leave it to Almodovar's twisted dabblings to leave you wondering what the hell just happened! You may want to seek your own psychiatric help after this one...viva Pedro!

3 out of 5 stars

10/18/06 Art School Confidential

Art School Confidential (2006), directed by Terry Zwigoff

watched solo; DVD rental (Netflix) @ home

After garnering much fame for his eccentric and geeky style of filmmaking (centering largely around oddball characters, underground comic book lore and soulful blues music), Zwigoff hit a major speedbump in enjoyable films with his last one ("Bad Santa") in my opinion. Probably his most well-known feature to date, it was more crass and surly than quirky and funny to me. I loved his other two takes on offbeat counter-culture comics, "Crumb" (a man who seems to be his mentor of sorts) and "Ghost World." Zwigoff spurns major Hollywood fare in order to re-create these vignettes of eclecticism, and does so wonderfully again here in this venture into art school obsession. What is perhaps the funniest part of the film is the tongue-in-cheek "we're not taking ourselves too seriously" approach to the filmmaking and art critiques. The protagonist, Jerome (Max Minghella...son of director Anthony) goes to extremes in his words & actions to shake up the artistic rhetoric and eventually land the girl of his dreams (who just so happens upon him not in a dream, but as a nude model in his figure drawing class...nice). Wanting nothing more than to break through the cliche boundaries that every artist falls into when creating and thereby discussing art, Jerome seeks solitude in his own disillusions, the voice of (un)reason in friend Bardo (clever geek extraordinaire Joel Moore), and the visions of pin-up hottie Audrey (Sophia Myles). Every labeled stereotype exists in the art school classroom world, whether it be the hippie, the tortured soul, the feminist activist, the bored housewife, or the misunderstood jock...and they are painfully pointed out with their ridiculous idiosyncrasies here. A great supporting cast, as usual, helps the dark comedy along its way...with the likes of washed-up professor Sandiford (John Malkovich), vulgar film auteur-wanna-be Vince (Ethan Suplee), regal art history prof Sophie (Anjelica Huston), and failed alcoholic artist Jimmy (Jim Broadbent). The story becomes one of isolation and longing found on the artist as he searches for meaning and importance with the medium of art. Will his final act of rebellion and trust create the art he is searching for, or will be the trust of the woman he loves he needs to regain to make something beautiful? I don't know what the hell that last part meant, but suffice it to say it's pretty cool. Perhaps I had too much pizza & beer at the hippie stone-baked pizza joint tonight. I feel like anyone who went through art schooling (or architecture for that matter) can definitely relate to the pretentiousness.

4 out of 5 stars

10/17/06 Devil's Playground

Devil's Playground (2002), directed by Lucy Walker

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

Now, onto a subject that is equally as engrossing, perplexing, and something that I was completely ignorant about until watching this film (and even after, I couldn't quite say that I understand it or even believe it is real after watching some of these kids). The subject that I speak of, and is highlighted in Walker's documentary, is the tradition of Rumspringa. If you haven't also heard of this, it's ok...it just means your not Amish. According to widespread belief, Rumspringa is the traditional rite of passage of young Amish teenagers at age 16 that allows them to test the boundaries of their faith, outside world culture they describe as "English," and human decency. Yes, any preconceived notions one may have had about the Amish culture before (i.e. no technological trappings of the modern world, basic dress code, etc.)...they will be shattered hereafter. This act of Rumspringa allows these teenagers, before finding their final way in the Amish church, to go out on their own for freedom of choice and actions that most parents would have a heart-attack over. The children portrayed in the film live on their own, have quit school in order to take jobs at factories & stores, partake in heavy partying with drink and drugs, experiment sexually, drive fast cars, play video games, spend money for material things...you know, all the same things that average teenage heathens do. What is shocking is that this way of life is not only not looked down upon, but rather encouraged by the adults of the church, as they all themselves have been through it. It's a finding of oneself, and hopefully a return to the strict church teachings of religion...but on one's own terms. It's a novel and bizarre approach, but it seems to work in most Amish circles. Those who do not come back to the church may be forever on their own however, as a practice of "shunning" can happen to the tight-knit Amish community, but most choose to return. I guess it's the old thinking of whatever your parents try to keep you from doing, you will do it worse than they ever imagined. This approach lays out all the endless possibilities (and consequences) in front of the youth, and waits for them to understand their actions. Alternative to the mainstream, its at least a curious thing to watch. Heck, if you don't believe, get off your buggy and check out a TV...even Oprah knows about it!

3 out of 5 stars

10/16/06 Full Tilt Boogie

Full Tilt Boogie (1997), directed by Sarah Kelly

watched solo; DVD (personal copy) @ home & car ride (Raleigh, NC)

Stemming from one of my favorite of directors, Robert Rodriguez comes the tongue-in-cheek vampire melee "From Dusk Till Dawn" that we all know and love (I hope, or else perhaps you are not a fan of film at all). I have owned this gory and hilarious flick for some time now on DVD, but have yet to ever get around to watching its equally brilliant and enjoyable documentary upon its making entitled "Full Tilt Boogie." I figured to be enlightened somewhat into Rodriguez & buddy Tarantino's brains and how they concoct such explosive dialogue and action in their films...yes, I was. I expected to see Hollywood stars George Clooney, Juliette Lewis and Harvey Keitel waxing poetic about their roles and how meaningful their involvement in said film was...true it was also there. However, what I really did not fully appreciate with my expectations was just how informative, educational and downright behind-the-scenes-esque this doc would be. This is not your average run-of-the-mill documentary where they talk about why & how they made it, but rather it gets down & dirty pulling no punches with the actual crew. Everyone from the gaffers, best boys, writers, cameramen, stage-hands, set designers, make-up artists, and craft services folks are represented in all their drunken fraternal camaraderie. Director Sarah Kelly gets the scoop with all these folks, as well as pointed jabs at the Hollywood elite playboy Clooney. You get to see just how difficult it sometimes is to make a movie (i.e. the sandstorm that sweeps across the desert set), and often just how easy it is (i.e. practical joking with buddies and drunk guitar sessions by the motel pool with Quentin Tarantino). This is a really fun way to look at documentaries of films, and gives a whole new meaning to "behind-the-scenes." I wanted a freak show, and that's what I got...now off to the next freak show for the evening...the NC State Fair. While driving in the back seat of the car with friends on the way to the fairgrounds, I had visions of snake-dancing Mexican vampires and deep-fried Twinkies dancing in my head.

5 out of 5 stars

10/15/06 The Asphalt Jungle

The Asphalt Jungle (1950), directed by John Huston

watched solo; DVD rental (North American Video) @ home

Thought by many to have taken the film noir genre and added the great idea of a "caper film" to its repertoire, this intense classic still remains powerful in its presentation. Directed by Huston, the great acting is a cast of bandits including Sterling Hayden as Dix and others going by the monikers Gus, Lon, Cobby, Louis and Doll. Doc, who is recently released from prison, decides to plot the greatest and most ingenious jewel heist in history. To pull off the caper, Doc enlists the help of tough guy Dix, bar owner Gus and family guy Louis; and finally the financial backing of bigwig Lon to hold onto the loot. However, deception abounds and Lon has his own thoughts about fencing the jewels and getting the money all for himself. When the fellas catch wind of this, all Hell is gonna break loose. The cops get involved, everyone is out to get one another, and many underhanded dealings ensue. Not only is the twisting storyline exciting, but the stoic visual treatment given by the black & white cinematography is exquisite. Everything about the film, its acting, its enticing titular allusion and its foreboding score allow us to be sucked into this harsh world of criminals and deception. It still stands as a landmark heist film, which all too often these days get foiled by their own over-saturation of plot twists, and explosive action scenes. This is truly how to pull off a great caper.

4 out of 5 stars

10/14/06 The Postman Always Rings Twice

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), directed by Bob Rafelson

watched solo; DVD rental (Netflix) @ home

Considering I don't get around to reading many novels (how can I when I have an entire year's worth of films to get under my belt before 2006 ends?!) of late, this one had to be fit into the Challenge. Yes, I did actually read the novel first, in order to better center my understanding of the film, and be one of those snobs who can point out the discrepancies between the two. However, I didn't watch the earlier 1946 film, which could have proven to be even more of an in-depth dissertation on the subject...I went straight to the 80's version I had heard more naughty buzz about. Reason being, it stars the enigmatic lead man of Jack Nicholson as Frank, and the sometimes-I-can-be-steamy-sexy-for-an-older-looking-lady in the right role Jessica Lange as Cora. If you are not familiar with the novel (you pathetic losers), it involves sexual tensions, broken dreams and murder mysteries. Frank is a shady drifter who happens into a rural diner one night for a meal. Unable to pay, and after chatting up the owner Nick & eyeing his seductive wife Cora, Frank enlists with a job as gas station attendant at the diner to earn his keep. Once in this situation, it is clear that Frank & Cora have the hots for each other, which boils over in steamy altercations between the two, and unbeknownst to husband Nick. The two then plot to kill Nick for all of the insurance money and reason to start a new life for each other far away. That's where it gets very very complicated. Lies, cheating, and stealing leads to only heartache and death. Yes, the ending is very different than in the book, but what kind of Hollywood movie would it be otherwise!? They can't stick to an original idea, considering they can't ever create one either...why not throw in some of their own flair over an already great premise? Anyway, it is steamy and rough around the edges, but I much prefer the book. You knew I had to say it.

3 out of 5 stars

10/13/06 The Notorious Bettie Page

The Notorious Bettie Page (2005), directed by Mary Harron

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

Definitely one of America's most enduring sex symbols of all-time, Ms. Page was by far one of the most estranged from her own creation. Landing on the scene from small town Tennessee, this country girl went to New York with the hopes of becoming an actress. What she soon fell into was a modelling career, sparked by her friendship with pin-up photographer and filmmakers Irving Klaw and his wife Paula. The rest as they say is history, as many of us by now know the famous dalliances of Ms. Page and the feverish cult following and trendsetting styles that it would still have in this modern day. Her life is one of a compelling and titillating nature, where her infamous posings with various pin-up attire, bondage queens, jungle motifs and S&M themes will forever be remembered and imitated. Her sexual iconic figure has influenced everything from photography, art, filmmaking, pornography, fashion, hair-styles, and sexual freedom. During a tumultuous time of the 1950's, where government was constantly fighting artistic expression with blatant censorship (see the "Kefauver Hearings" on leading to juvenile delinquency)...Page (played here black-haired by otherwise blonde bombshell Gretchen Mol) drove a rocky road towards fame. In the end, whether it was burnout from the industry or her reconnection with her Southern religious roots...Bettie basically vanished off of the face of the earth (in the public eye anyway). With strong female director Mary Harron ("American Psycho" and "I Shot Andy Warhol"), Bettie's life gets the Hollywood re-treatment. Her status as cultural icon is forever set, and continues to produce tributes to her style as with this feature film. Often imitated but never duplicated, Bettie Page is an American icon (and I think Jason is a bit obsessed with her...but can you blame him, she's hot).

4 out of 5 stars

10/12/06 Plaster Caster

Plaster Caster (2001), directed by Jessica Villines

watched solo; DVD rental (North American Video) @ home

Ever since I've heard about this film, and this particular lady, I have been thoroughly intrigued (and a bit impressed) with its significance. Perhaps its part of my fascinations with both films (documentaries in particular) and collections in general (ok hers is a bit peculiar, but I have baseball cards and matchbooks too). Perhaps its the shock of hearing the scope of work she has pursued and to what impact in rock 'n' roll lore it will forever have. Perhaps its just a voyeuristic novelty that needs to be fulfilled. However you see it, you must try to see this movie. In all your subculture/cult readings, nothing will prepare you for the personality that is Cynthia "Plaster Caster" quite like the real thing will. She is an eccentric and dedicated woman, both to her art and the art of rock 'n' roll that she loves...nay worships. Coming out of a respected reverence for many of the rock legends that now grace her mantle, Cynthia has become somewhat of a rock legend in her own right. Trying to knock down the stereotypes that come with being a so-called "groupie," she and her brand became known for how their adoration would get them backstage. It's a clever and intelligent balance of power that she possesses, what with the symbolism of the very phallic offerings that she conjures up, where she comes in being the intimidated fan, but leaves the empowered artist that is intimidating. Well, enough beating around the bush and coy innuendo...yes, the woman makes plaster castings of famous rockers' private parts. What sounds shocking at first, fascinating next, clinical in its process, then finally impressive in its stature...keeps you entertained throughout the film. Cynthia is a compelling figure, with a sorted past and an eccentric nature to say the least. Her list of models that she has worked with is overwhelming, including more famously Jimi Hendrix & Noel Redding, Jello Biafra, Eric Burdon, Wayne Kramer of the MC5, and members of the Buzzcocks and Ministry to name a few. Her craft has definitely become something of urban legend, but to see her perform her initial meetings & casting sessions is somewhat laughable and surreal. You just have to see it to believe it. The debate will always rage on, whether it is art of obscenity, but it does nonetheless what it was intended to do...stir up conversation and opinions. I guess art wins, that's what art does.

4 out of 5 stars

10/11/06 Songcatcher

Songcatcher (2000), directed by Maggie Greenwald

watched w/ Leslie; VHS (borrowed from Leslie's Mom); suggested by Leslie's Mom & Jason's Mom

A historic moment of the Challenge has occured...with this film, it marks the 300th movie of the year! Not too shabby, and not too far away from completion. This begins the home stretch for me, and I thought I would take my choice for the day from two supporters who have suggested this to me awhile back...both Leslie's & Jason's moms. Yes, aside from my own wonderful mother, these ladies have been the best "2nd mom's" anyone could ask for, with one soon to become my mother-in-law and the other one has always treated me like another son (with me being friends with hers). So, with that lovely intro, I feel it sets me up for absolutely NO criticism from said friend Jason (or anyone else who has a heart) on why I liked such a sappy story as this one. Set in the rural mountain areas of the Appalachia, the tale tells a human story of love and deep-rooted culture through interactions of outsiders to the tight-knit communities that often make up small rural towns. What carries the film throughout is the idea of a deep-rooted musical culture that is prevalent in areas that have endured suffering and hard-working backgrounds, and it becomes more than being just about the music itself...but what it represents. When she is passed over for promotion at a prestigious university, Dr. Lily Penleric (Janet McTeer) impulsively decides to head to the mountains to see her sister and capture the long lost traditional songs of the mountain people in order to not only document history, but somewhat further her career. At first she is shunned by most, but is soon taken in by some locals and falling romantically for the stoic yet sensitive Tom (Aidan Quinn). With her deep passion for the content she is trying to capture, the townsfolk begin to accept her for what she is and the importance her work can have. Once totally immersed in the culture, and then facing a terrible tragedy, Dr. Lily must choose what is most important of all in keeping with these peoples' sacred traditions. The movie is filled with emotional ups & downs (yeah, call me a softy), but what was most powerful to me was the music. I recommend it on that alone, and wish to seek further research into its rich history. Country roads take me home.

3 out of 5 stars

10/10/06 Red Riding Hood

Red Riding Hood (2003), directed by Giacomo Cimini

watched w/ Leslie; DVD rental (Red Box) @ home

A few notes of novelty here for your reading enjoyment. First, this was my first rental of a movie from a vending machine ever...yes, it's true. I don't know if anyone is familiar with the company Red Box (or others like it, I'm not trying to plug a company in any way, shape or form), but we happened across it at our local grocery store whilst deciding between a shopping cart or the quickie carrying baskets. For whatever it's worth, it at least catches the eye for the shoppers, and since it's turned into our only local $1 a night rental place, it may come in handy in a pinch. I digress, for the second note of interest is that this is at least the fourth "Little Red Riding Hood" adaptation that I've watched this year alone (perhaps a record, perhaps subconsciously intentional...but whatever the reason, it is true) following "Hoodwinked," "Freeway," and "Hard Candy." I guess if you go back to the erotic blunder of "Fairy Tales" earlier in the year, it is technically the fifth! I never realized it could be such a compelling story as to warrant so many reiterations. It is a classically fractured fairy tale, and deserves some justic say in the horror genre...which this piece of crap movie fails to deliver. It had so much potential, yet so much random-ness. Jenny is a twisted little girl who is abandoned on the streets of Rome by her mother, setting the girl off on listening to her evil imaginary friend George (think if James Stewarts' Harvey wore the "Scream" mask and was part Scooby-Doo) to kill heathens in cold blood. When the girl's grandmother comes from New York to bring Jenny back home & to religion, well...things get a bit morbid (as if they weren't already). Perhaps a convoluted twist on the original tale, but it could have worked so much better in this macabre setting. Alas, leave it to a low-budget syndicated TV-show quality of Italian schlock horror...to ruin our chances at a bloody tribute. This may turn me off to any more "Little Red Riding Hood" adaptations for the rest of the year...I mean it.

2 out of 5 stars

10/09/06 The Chess Player

The Chess Player (1927), directed by Raymond Bernard

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

In what seems a very grandiose scheme for an epic silent film, this classic French-made film follows the embroiled history of the 18th century Polish revolution against Russian occupation, all boiled down to one momentous chess player and his strategy. Boleslas is the rebel leader of the Polish troops who have been trying to reclaim their land from their Russian captors, and becomes a soldier that is challenged to escape his way out of the battles that he has been up against and try to win the woman he loves. The wacky Baron Von Kempelen is the mad scientist who likes nothing more than to sit around his mansion concocting creepy and humanlike automatons that will one day rule the world and fight man’s battles for them. When the Baron challenges the great Russian Empress Catherine II to a game of chess to determine his creations’ skills, the lady is none too impressed with the automatons’ actions. What she doesn’t know is that the Baron has smuggled the rebel Boleslas into the machine’s body and had him playing as the robot itself! Yeah, it’s that strange...but since it’s a silent film, the overwhelming classical soundtrack and epic battle scenes carry most of the leading characters through the turmoil that is ensuing all around them, whilst in the middle of a mind game to the death. The cinematography and kinetic frenzy of the film itself call to mind the grim realities that this story is based in, but also just how experimental and new the cinematic form was at the time. This much referenced classic (one interesting example is the 2003 documentary “Game Over: Kasparov And The Machine” which owes its depiction of the chess master’s challenge of taking on IBM’s computer Deep Blue in a strategic mind game of chess) is not only a cultural landmark in film with its storyline, but also heavily influenced a lot of today’s dark tones in conveying mood with cinematic flare (imagine if you will, Nine Inch Nails’ modern macabre classic music video for the song “Closer” with tortured monkeys and deviant sex acts galore). Also, aside from the overtly sinister feelings you get with watching the movie (the automatons would seem to me the very same creepy talking robots you see in today’s museums recounting historic trivia to schoolchildren on field trips)…I can’t shake the image of that magical vending machine game that the teenage boy plays at the carnival in the movie “Big” so he can turn into an adult Tom Hanks and land a mega-millionaire movie star billing. That would be pretty sweet.

4 out of 5 stars

10/08/06 Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine (2006), directed by Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris

watched w/ Leslie; theater (Crossroads 20 Cinema, Cary, NC); free screening; suggested by Jenny & Laurie & Joel

Happening across some free movie passes through a volunteer at work, we went out on a night on the town this evening...to see this quirky comedy that we have been hearing so many good things about for months. The story is a simple one, filled with complex characters and their strange idiosyncrasies that go on a mishap-laden adventure across the desert landscapes of America. While the cast of misfits deserves much praise in the actors themselves (we'll get to them in a minute), I think it's nice to point out the creative burst that comes from the film's two directors Dayton & Faris (who, to my knowledge are probably the only husband/wife team to direct a movie together that I have seen). Plus, they come from a healthy music video lineage that includes the likes of Smahing Pumpkins (beautifully shot "Tonight, Tonight" song), Weezer, Red Hot Chili Peppers & R.E.M. With that impressive background they must have had no problem in snapping up some Hollywood talent for their first feature film (and convincing them to be absolutely nutty in their roles. OK, now to the lovely weirdos that make up the story...there's loser motivational speaker dad (Greg Kinnear) and lovelorn push-over mother (Toni Collette) trying their darndest to raise two bright yet eccentric children, Dwayne & Olive. All the while they must contend with housing crotchety and inappropriate junkie grandpa (Alan Arkin), and Proust scholar uncle (Steve Carell) who's attempt at suicide over a secret gay affair has left him in the care of his family. With all the emotional and mental problems facing this family, it's hard enough for them all to be in the same room with each other, let alone taking a cross-country jaunt in an old beat-up VW van. Alas, that is the quest they must go on if they are to get their charming "ugly duckling" young Olive off to her dream of being entered in a pre-teen beauty pageant. Of course, this premise sends all kinds of self-esteem red flags a-flying. Brother Dwayne, who's immersed in his philosophical vow of silence and wants nothing more than to protest this act, must keep his little sister's best interests. Dad's lousy motivational comments, and mother's constant bickering puts Olive in a parental predicament. And the advice isn't coming any better from unstable uncles or foul-mouthed grandpa's. Despite all the heated turmoil, and automotive breakdowns (the constant squeal of a broken horn is hilarious), the family sticks together and makes it to their destination. Not to ruin the ending for you, but little Olive's routine at the beauty pageant will leave you bursting with laughter and uneasy smiles. Throughout the movie, you have a sense of hope and hilarity to this well-intentioned but messed-up group. It's that "ugly duckling" syndrome that we all in some way feel at certain points in our life, and that never gets truly showcased in most major cinema that makes this piece so enjoyable. Screw the establishment, and rock out to Rick James.

4 out of 5 stars