For MRQIV, I decided to tackle 7 films that I've promised to review here at some point or another. The lessened stakes allow me to at least express some thoughts on these pictures without having each review become a big deal.
At least two of these movies will receive a Double Dip treatment at some point in the future, but I do make good on my claims, whenever I can. And I can't do that unless I just suck it up and actually get these reviews out. So today's offerings are: Better Off Dead, Primer, Hot Fuzz, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, The Incredibles, and Tucker & Dale vs. Evil.
Better Off Dead
Make no mistake, Better Off Dead is not just some piece of 1980's nostalgia, it's among the best comedies that I have ever seen, and I am grateful for this film's mere existence. When I mentioned Savage Steve Holland's masterwork here this February, I knew it would come up here at least a few more times.
BOD tells the story of Lane Meyer, a high school teen who's having the worst day of his life. It's nearly Christmas, and his girlfriend just dropped him like a bad habit. He pleads with her to stay, yet the bigshot jerk on the ski team has already snatched her up. He's consistently behind in his classes, and his job is both embarrassing and insulting. Also, his treasured car is now a total junker. It's all so unhappy - and so hopeless - that Lane has decided to kill himself... But every time he tries, he screws it up.
What's great about Better Off Dead is that it's one of the funniest black comedies you will ever see. Teen suicide is no laughing matter, but the filmmakers ease the pathos by packing the film with every kind of comedy out there: slapstick, satire, word play... My favorite element of this picture, though, is its sheer absurdity.
Early on, Lane's 12 y/o brother receives a book on how to pick up chicks, and you later see his room full of gorgeous women, in violation of logic, universal morality, and state laws. The paper boy is willing to hunt people down because of an overdue $2 debt. Everyone from teachers to the mail man thinks that it's okay to ask Meyer if they mind them asking his ex out.
Throughout it all, Better Off Dead is an insanely-funny, terribly-charming watch. Young Cusack is very charismatic as the leading sad sack, the crazy locals that make up the ensemble cast are endlessly entertaining, and the story is excellent. I could watch a dozen movies like this. Or I could watch BoD a dozen times (and I probably have).
Showing posts with label Pixar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pixar. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Friday, January 18, 2013
Question for the Week of Jan 14-20: Movie + Soundtrack
What are your favorite movie soundtracks?Movie scores are always fun to talk about; most film fans are pretty passionate about the score/music to their favorite pictures. I'll take this question as "which movies do I own both in video and audio." I find that if a movie has a soundtrack that good, I'd probably get the movie as well....
In my case, there's even more to consider: CDs used to be really expensive, so buying a movie's soundtrack when it wasn't in the top 40 or whatever meant that you thought it was really, really good. A few of these discs I picked up for $18, *shudder*.
[UPDATE: This post went up at 10AM and I just took 10 minutes of my lunch break to fix any typos. The 9 or so people who already saw this aren't being treated as well as everyone who showed at 1:15PM or later, and I'm sorry for that. I couldn't come in to edit until now...]
Pulp Fiction - there's really nothing left to say about the soundtrack. Unfortunately, many of its songs have been overused to death in lame ads, so, in all honesty, I probably wouldn't like hearing them anymore. You've screwed me again, corporate America!
Grosse Point Blank - although I don't own the second cd (no seriously, there were a lot of songs in this movie), I was taken with the picture - and its excellent soundtrack - from the first time I saw it. I caught a free preview with one friend, saw it two days later with a girl I was dating, then saw it again with a friend a week or so after that.
I wanted to use the scene where Debi plays The Specials, but I can't find it.
The Mystery of Rampo - this is a fantastic Japanese film, artistic and intellectual, but engages you very early on; yet it's very emotional. Between those last four compliments and the inventive plot, the style, the acting, and the cinematography, The Mystery of Rampo really bears every grace that a picture can have.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Pixar Worker's Fan Storyboards
Josh Cooley is a storyboard artist at Pixar - one of my favorite film-making studios (now owned, sigh, by Disney). He has worked on Ratatouille, Up, both Cars films, and is uncredited for his work on The Incredibles.
Apparently, he's not just a workman who takes his job as clocking in from 9-5 (or more likely, 9-5 the next morning). He's a fan of film, and a skilled artist. I was very happy, in the third week of June, that Uproxx showed off the art in his new book, Movies R Fun. It's a bunch of storyboards of moments from movies, and they are very, very impressive.
Just follow the Uproxx link above and enjoy the 22 images in their gallery. I'm not sure on the release date for the book, as Amazon is being kind of buggy about it.
Apparently, he's not just a workman who takes his job as clocking in from 9-5 (or more likely, 9-5 the next morning). He's a fan of film, and a skilled artist. I was very happy, in the third week of June, that Uproxx showed off the art in his new book, Movies R Fun. It's a bunch of storyboards of moments from movies, and they are very, very impressive.
Just follow the Uproxx link above and enjoy the 22 images in their gallery. I'm not sure on the release date for the book, as Amazon is being kind of buggy about it.
Monday, March 7, 2011
2011: The Year of the Remake/Sequel
Apparently, the Chinese got it wrong: it's not the Year of the Rabbit, but the Year of the Remake/Sequel. Admittedly, their calendar is very old and might not have an animal to cover "remakes." Hmmm... maybe the Year of the Donkey counts?
The people at The AV Club put out a nice recap of 2011's coming remakes and sequels. But The AVC did more than just point to the Box Office Mojo article on the topic. They also used /Film's own article to put together the list. The tally is pretty staggering.
30 movie sequels and remakes is the conservative estimate. As it stands, 2011 will break records for the most #4 or #5 entries in a series in one year. A lot of these pictures seem like "blockbusters," whether or not they deserve the term.
I mean, "Harry Potter 7b" is one thing, but really, "Johnny English Reborn?" Rowan Atkinson is great, but the first film (from 2003!?) was critically reviled. Still, it made $160M, and that's really all that matters.
The people at The AV Club put out a nice recap of 2011's coming remakes and sequels. But The AVC did more than just point to the Box Office Mojo article on the topic. They also used /Film's own article to put together the list. The tally is pretty staggering.
30 movie sequels and remakes is the conservative estimate. As it stands, 2011 will break records for the most #4 or #5 entries in a series in one year. A lot of these pictures seem like "blockbusters," whether or not they deserve the term.
I mean, "Harry Potter 7b" is one thing, but really, "Johnny English Reborn?" Rowan Atkinson is great, but the first film (from 2003!?) was critically reviled. Still, it made $160M, and that's really all that matters.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Movie Review Quickies, Part III
This latest batch of quickies tries to offer a bit of variety - as much as possible without actually straining my still-healing eye. The line-up is: The Man With One Red Shoe, The Godfather 3, Frantic, The Edge, I Am Legend, One Fine Day, Ratatouille, and Transformers. Enjoy.
The Man with One Red Shoe
A fun (but stupid) vehicle for a pre-guaranteed-success Tom Hanks. Two US Intelligence Execs are out to burn each other; the smarter one decides to pretend a random violinist (Hanks) is his top agent, just to distract the dumber one. Soon the dumber one's team is destroying his life, and he may die soon. Also, his best friend's wife is trying to sleep with him!
When I watch a movie like this, I really miss the energy of Hanks' early comedies. If you don't find it funny or charming, you'll probably hate it. If you do enjoy this film, you'll have to thank the impressive cast - Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning, Edward Hermann, Jim Belushi, Carrie Fisher, and Daryll Hannah - all do good work.
Some of the jokes may not work for you, but (probably) enough will… I feel foolish because I still haven't seen the French film this was based on.
Godfather 3
A modest train-wreck of a movie. The famous Corleone family inches toward the late 90's, and Al Pacino CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE, AND YOU NOTICE BECAUSE NOW HE YELLS INSTEAD OF ACTING. Funny, Michael was usually so quiet.
Several characters don't feel right in this long picture - even when they're fine actors like Andy Garcia. Coppola's daughter never should have appeared in this (the audience openly jeered in unison at one point). At least it looks pretty... I can't tell if the director used too much or too little from the prior "G" films.
Still, there's an incredible adherence to "themes" - no, I'm sorry - THEMES in "G3." You get the feeling that someone can run out of ideas and just call it motif, though. The guy who loudly brays like a donkey (it gives me a chill) is the most annoying character in this film (and possibly film history?). This experience was such an amazing disappointment, I don't even know if I can judge it fairly.
I think this is Art Deco. No wait, her hair is Art Nouveau!
The Man with One Red Shoe
A fun (but stupid) vehicle for a pre-guaranteed-success Tom Hanks. Two US Intelligence Execs are out to burn each other; the smarter one decides to pretend a random violinist (Hanks) is his top agent, just to distract the dumber one. Soon the dumber one's team is destroying his life, and he may die soon. Also, his best friend's wife is trying to sleep with him!
When I watch a movie like this, I really miss the energy of Hanks' early comedies. If you don't find it funny or charming, you'll probably hate it. If you do enjoy this film, you'll have to thank the impressive cast - Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning, Edward Hermann, Jim Belushi, Carrie Fisher, and Daryll Hannah - all do good work.
Some of the jokes may not work for you, but (probably) enough will… I feel foolish because I still haven't seen the French film this was based on.
When the end comes, it will come with hammy, poor acting, my son...
Godfather 3
A modest train-wreck of a movie. The famous Corleone family inches toward the late 90's, and Al Pacino CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE, AND YOU NOTICE BECAUSE NOW HE YELLS INSTEAD OF ACTING. Funny, Michael was usually so quiet.
Several characters don't feel right in this long picture - even when they're fine actors like Andy Garcia. Coppola's daughter never should have appeared in this (the audience openly jeered in unison at one point). At least it looks pretty... I can't tell if the director used too much or too little from the prior "G" films.
Still, there's an incredible adherence to "themes" - no, I'm sorry - THEMES in "G3." You get the feeling that someone can run out of ideas and just call it motif, though. The guy who loudly brays like a donkey (it gives me a chill) is the most annoying character in this film (and possibly film history?). This experience was such an amazing disappointment, I don't even know if I can judge it fairly.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Weekly link run-down, part 3
Life's been hectic lately, so I took my sweet time getting this written. Sadly, it's mostly remake/reboot news, so my comments/snark will be light.
The bad news first: Hulu may start charging for any videos older than the "5 current episodes" fronted by most networks. The plan is to increase ad duration and charge $10/month for all the old stuff Hulu has. I advise you to read the article, mourn a little, and maybe email the company a complaint - explain how stupid this idea is.
Please also realize that this idea is guaranteed to explode in Hulu's owners' faces. And it should, because Hulu is one of the few stand-up things that the entertainment industry has ever done for the American public.
The standard approach to the public by the entertainment industry is simply predatory. Here's the condensed version of the info in that LA times article.
Pixar got the Disney bug a bit hard, I guess. The Champions of Storytelling and their owner have announced their upcoming works through 2012 and it's sequel-heavy to say the least. Pixar is making 3 sequels and 2 new films. It's especially surprising since one sequel is "Cars 2," a follow-up to their most critically-panned picture yet.
The bad news first: Hulu may start charging for any videos older than the "5 current episodes" fronted by most networks. The plan is to increase ad duration and charge $10/month for all the old stuff Hulu has. I advise you to read the article, mourn a little, and maybe email the company a complaint - explain how stupid this idea is.
Please also realize that this idea is guaranteed to explode in Hulu's owners' faces. And it should, because Hulu is one of the few stand-up things that the entertainment industry has ever done for the American public.
The standard approach to the public by the entertainment industry is simply predatory. Here's the condensed version of the info in that LA times article.
Pixar got the Disney bug a bit hard, I guess. The Champions of Storytelling and their owner have announced their upcoming works through 2012 and it's sequel-heavy to say the least. Pixar is making 3 sequels and 2 new films. It's especially surprising since one sequel is "Cars 2," a follow-up to their most critically-panned picture yet.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Movie Review Quickies, Part II
Part II offers a diverse batch of reviews: Beowulf, Clerks II, The Good German, Michael Clayton, Eastern Promises, WALL-E, Kung Fu Hustle, To Live and Die in L.A., and C.H.U.D. I could've been stingy, but I want to make amends for two weeks of silence. Anyway, if you're reading this, you deserve pleasant surprises. Enjoy.
Beowulf
Many folks clamor to treat animation the same as "real movies." This holds up best with Pixar's work; their dedication to story and character is unrivaled. "Beowulf" was supposed to kick off the same possibilities for pure CGI. Since the studios bet on a violent classic, audiences got an almost-live-action-cartoon. Presumably this would capitalize off that great overlap in moviegoer demographics: 11 year old boys and Comp. Lit. students.
Actually, they were banking off the success of that lousy almost-live-action-cartoon, "300." This story has survived for a long time because it is thrilling and creepy and classic (in every sense); it is of a piece with any mythological tale you can recall. In practice, it was fairly easy to ignore because the emotional content matched the average episode of "GI Joe."
The effects work was amazing - I can understand Angelina Jolie's slight embarrassment, 'cause it looks like her body was directly scanned into a computer. But some nice post-modern writing (thanks for doing what you could, Neil Gaiman) can't give this experience enough depth or emotion.
Clerks II
A little good, but mostly bad. I think my radar is pretty keen at detecting intended awfulness. Sadly, I don't think that's what Kevin Smith was aiming for - at least, not for the overall film.
The dance sequence stands out as a particularly ill-conceived part of the picture. I may have a seizure the next time I see a guy tweak his nipples because that's supposed to be funny. And, for my money, I didn't like the early salvo which has our three leads discussing the do's and don'ts of a certain unusual sex act.
Other parts of Smith's humor worked as usual. Setting the story at a fast-food joint from "Dogma" was excellent - but I loved the satire behind "Mooby the Cow." The call-back jokes were generally good, and I was not too annoyed/distracted by the way that this sequel adhered to the form of the original "Clerks." And yet...
"Vulfie," for short.
Many folks clamor to treat animation the same as "real movies." This holds up best with Pixar's work; their dedication to story and character is unrivaled. "Beowulf" was supposed to kick off the same possibilities for pure CGI. Since the studios bet on a violent classic, audiences got an almost-live-action-cartoon. Presumably this would capitalize off that great overlap in moviegoer demographics: 11 year old boys and Comp. Lit. students.
Actually, they were banking off the success of that lousy almost-live-action-cartoon, "300." This story has survived for a long time because it is thrilling and creepy and classic (in every sense); it is of a piece with any mythological tale you can recall. In practice, it was fairly easy to ignore because the emotional content matched the average episode of "GI Joe."
The effects work was amazing - I can understand Angelina Jolie's slight embarrassment, 'cause it looks like her body was directly scanned into a computer. But some nice post-modern writing (thanks for doing what you could, Neil Gaiman) can't give this experience enough depth or emotion.
Screw Rosario Dawson on a prep station? Disgusting! You do it up against the fridge...
Clerks II
A little good, but mostly bad. I think my radar is pretty keen at detecting intended awfulness. Sadly, I don't think that's what Kevin Smith was aiming for - at least, not for the overall film.
The dance sequence stands out as a particularly ill-conceived part of the picture. I may have a seizure the next time I see a guy tweak his nipples because that's supposed to be funny. And, for my money, I didn't like the early salvo which has our three leads discussing the do's and don'ts of a certain unusual sex act.
Other parts of Smith's humor worked as usual. Setting the story at a fast-food joint from "Dogma" was excellent - but I loved the satire behind "Mooby the Cow." The call-back jokes were generally good, and I was not too annoyed/distracted by the way that this sequel adhered to the form of the original "Clerks." And yet...
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