Alternative Assessments

Assassination of a High School President

2011-01-18T16:07:00.001-05:00

Release Date: October 6th, 2009 (DVD)

Genre: Comedy / Crime / Mystery

Stars: Bruce Willis, Mischa Barton, Reece Thompson, Michael Rappaport

Synopsis: A school newspaper reporter gets his big break when he outs the student body president for stealing the SAT tests from the principal's office but further investigation suggests a frame job and a much bigger scandal.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

A well crafted premise and certainly a strength for the film.

Writing / Production:

At times "Assassination of a High School President" is down right entertaining and others it is completely boring and uninteresting. The biggest criticism for this film is that it does not harness momentum efficiently and winds up a series of peaks and valleys.

Acting:

It is a shame that Michael Rappaport was not used more often as he was absoultely hillarious. Bruce Willis is very nice in his role as the principal but the rest of the players which include the leads left a bit to be desired.

Originality:

"Assassination of a High School President" feels a lot like a bad tribute to classic detective mystery movies and if it had done enough to more closely mimic that genre it would have been a pretty novel concept.

Overall:

This movie put a lot of stock in a fantastic finish and while the ending was pretty good that doesn't quite make up for the fact that the audience has to labor through a painfully hit or miss feature length fare to get there.

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The Town

2011-01-17T15:27:00.000-05:00

Release Date: September 17th, 2010

Genre: Crime / Drama / Thriller

Stars: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Ham, Jeremy Renner

Synopsis: A career bank robber finds himself involved with a manager taken hostage during one of his heists and fights the strong currents from his life of crime in an attempt to change his life for good.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

The premise of exploring a love relationship between a criminal and his victim is a strength for this film.

Writing / Production:

"The Town" has some very nice heist and chase scenes with hit or miss dramatic efforts in between. While its nothing extremely special, the film is still pretty good and has a lot of entertainment value.

Acting:

Ben Affleck has been responsible for some the worst acted scenes in recent history but he is much better in "The Town" and even shows some signs that he has the ability to be a really good actor at times. Jon Ham and Jeremy Renner probably turned in the best performances in this effort.

Originality:

The fresh and creative feel is why "The Town" has impressed a lot of audiences in my opinion.

Overall:

This movie isn't a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination but it is a breath of fresh air from the steady diet of cookie cutter big budget and big name films steadily shoved down our throats.

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Exam

2011-01-15T23:35:00.001-05:00

Release Date: November 16th, 2010 (DVD)

Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Stars: Luke Mably, Chukwudi Iwuji, Nathalie Cox, Adar Beck, Gemma Chan

Synopsis: Eight candidates for a highly desirable position at a powerful company sit down to take an examination with very specific instructions and quickly discover their test forms are blank leaving the participants to seek the question as well as the answer.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

A solid idea that wasn't quite perfectly formulated.

Writing / Production:

Struggles to establish a nice rythym but eventually becomes very interesting before the momentum is spoiled by a ridiculous ending.

Acting:

Mostly decent with a smattering of poor cheeseball moments that stick out badly.

Originality:

I think the basic premise is a very original idea but the ending plot twist meant to blow the mind's of the audience is old hat and poorly executed to boot.

Overall:

"Exam" was a film that had a lot going for it but ended up feeling awkward like something was just a little off throughout the entire movie. In the end the explanation for the tense scenario is completely absurd which does not help the overall impact of the movie.

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Dad's in Heaven with Nixon

2011-01-14T11:41:00.000-05:00

Release Date: September 14th, 2010

Genre: Documentary

Stars: Tom Murray, Chris Murray

Synopsis: A portrait of the filmmaker's family, particularly his autistic brother, and their trials and breakthroughs in spite of a difficult relationship with their father.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

The decision to share an intimate family struggle with mental disorder is sure to be appreciated and helpful to many who face similar circumstances while managing to peak the interest of a broader audience.

Writing / Production:

The filmmaker often fails, particularly during the first half of the film, to focus on the most interesting and entertaining aspect of the story he is trying to present (his autistic brother). Instead he focuses on the havoc instilled upon the family by his dead bi-polar father which is relevant historical information that unfortunately hijacks a large part of the film along with old home movie reels. Thankfully, the second half of the documentary is much more enjoyable.

Acting:

The most entertaining character in "Dad's in Heaven with Nixon" is the filmmaker's brother Chris Murray who is a charming and funny man with a child's innocence that has not let his autism keep him from living a full, happy, and independent life.

Originality:

I know that there are documentaries about mental disorder and autism but I don't think they have become common enough to make audiences grow tired of them.

Overall:

This film would have been a real gem if the rest of the Murray family would have got out of the way and let it be even more about Chris. As it stands I would still reccomend a look as the interviews with the filmmaker's brother are priceless and you can always fast forward through the uninteresting material to get to them.

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The Girl Who Played with Fire

2011-01-13T13:54:00.000-05:00

Release Date: July 9th, 2010

Genre: Crime / Mystery / Thriller

Stars: Noomi Rapace, Michael Nyqvist, Lena Endre

Synopsis: Lisbeth Salander is back and this time she is being framed for a triple homicide and must dodge the police as well as thugs while she tries to clear her name with help from a familiar ally.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

There is alot to keep up with (especially if you must rely on the English subtitles) but if you are up to the task the storyline is well put together and rewarding.

Writing / Production:

While I am not a big fan of long films, "The Girl Who Played with Fire" seemed to leave out some vital information and reveal other facts at the wrong time making certain aspects of the plot almost nonsensical. Most everything is cleared up by the end of the film however and the journey was not without entertainment value.

Acting:

All of the players were capable and talented. Noomi Rapace just seems to be one with her role as Lisbeth Salander and she sure can kick butt.

Originality:

Although there isn't much of anything in "The Girl Who Played with Fire" that audiences haven't seen before, it is remarkably on par with some of the best Hollywood has to offer in this genre.

Overall:

I liked this sequel better than its predecessor, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" because it is more consistent and doesn't keep the audience waiting as long for something significant to happen. The film is quite interesting and entertaining although it may be hard to follow for some audiences.

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Pan's Labyrinth

2011-01-12T11:07:00.000-05:00

Release Date: January 19th, 2007

Genre: Drama / Fantasy

Stars: Ivana Baquero, Maribel Verdu, Sergi Lopez

Synopsis: A pregnant woman moves herself and her young daughter in with a military Captain whom she has recently married near a warzone in 1940's Spain where fantasy and reality collide resulting in heart wrenching drama.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

A fantastic and well imagined story that may have been guilty of being slightly over ambitious.

Writing / Production:

A stunning visual achievement that did not feel the least bit hokie even when dealing with outright fantasy. The characters and dialogue are believable and effective which makes "Pan's Labyrinth" a delight to watch.

Acting:

Excellent performances resound throughout this film. Sergi Lopez as the Captain is as cold and unlikeable a villain in any film and Maribel Verdu plays the brave and rebellious Mercedes brilliantly as well.

Originality:

The crafting of this sort of fantasy film for an adult audience is certainly a tactic that is rare indeed.

Overall:

It may take more than one viewing of "Pan's Labyrinth" before the film can be fully appreciated (especially if you don't speak Spanish). Most audiences should be captivated by a film that achieves excellence in multiple categories which adds up to an entertaining ride.

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The Maiden Heist

2011-01-11T12:28:00.000-05:00

Release Date: October 27th, 2009

Genre: Comedy / Crime / Drama

Stars: Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken, William H. Macy, Marcia Gay Harden

Synopsis: Three museum security guards on the brink of retirement plot a heist to save the art they hold most dear from being relocated in Denmark.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

A lovely concept that carries a lot of promise for both comedic and sentimental value.

Writing / Production:

"The Maiden Heist" is not nearly as funny as most audiences might expect but it does feature a handful of humorous moments. On the other hand the film packs more heart than expected as well although there is a bit of a void in the back story as to exactly why each man adores the art in question so deeply.

Acting:

The film features three very experienced talents and they are as brilliant as they are different. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the performances was the consistent and steady quality that did not allow any of the leads to upstage the others.

Originality:

Caper movies have been done to death but "The Maiden Heist" does a lot to distinguish itself from the crowd by focusing a lot more on the characters and their relationships to the art rather than the heist itself.

Overall:

The one thing that hurts "The Maiden Heist" the most was trying to delicately balance itself between comedy and drama. Perhaps the film could have been either a great comedy or a fantastic drama but it struggled greatly in trying to be both. Still the film is not completely devoid of value and a lot of audiences should enjoy it.

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Beeswax

2011-01-10T19:33:00.000-05:00

Release Date: August 7th, 2009

Genre: Drama

Stars: Tilly Hatcher, Maggie Hatcher, Alex Karpovsky

Synopsis: Twin sisters deal with a variety of problems that range from landing a decent job to getting sued by a business partner.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

This aspect of the film is very loose and undefined. "Beeswax" feels alot like reality television only with more normal humans and no cutaways to interviews.

Writing / Production:

Probably the best part of this film was how the filmmakers were able to make the audience feel like a fly on the wall. The worst part is that a lot of times what the audience is looking at from their unique perspective is just not entertaining.

Acting:

The cast was phenomenal in that they did not come off at all like they were conscious of being on camera.

Originality:

"Beeswax" does accomplish a finished product unlike any movie experience most audiences are likely to have had.

Overall:

While I am quick to applaud the fresh vehicle this particular film used, it would have been really special if the substance had been more consistent and interesting.

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Frozen

2011-01-09T13:01:00.000-05:00

Release Date: September 28th, 2010

Genre: Drama / Suspense / Thriller

Stars: Shawn Ashmore, Emma Bell, Kevin Zegers

Synopsis: A weekend ski trip goes horribly wrong for three college students when they find themselves stranded and forgotten on the chair lift in freezing conditions with a pack of wolves lurking below.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

The premise was quite imaginative and provides a great backdrop for the suspense that ensues. Kudos to the filmmakers for being forward thinking enough to plug most, if not quite all the holes that are typically associated with films like these.

Writing / Production:

A very admirable effort considering that this film must have been shot on a very modest budget. The suspense is quite captivating and the pace is perfect most of the time which made "Frozen" quite entertaining.

Acting:

From the beginning it is obvious that the performances in the film would be second rate at best. I will however admit that as the film progresses the chemistry and quality of the acting gets considerably better though it never reaches excellence.

Originality:

A lot of this movie's appeal stems from the hard work of the filmmakers to come up with a scenario for their thriller that hadn't been used.

Overall:

I admit that a few minutes into "Frozen" I was ready to write it off as another B movie that could not deliver on the promise of its plot. Fortunately the film progressively improved until I was on the edge of my seat with suspense. Check it out and if the bad acting makes you hate the characters you can always cheer for the wolves.

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The Long Kiss Goodnight

2011-01-08T18:54:00.000-05:00

Release Date: October 11th, 1996

Genre: Action / Crime / Drama

Stars: Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Craig Bierko

Synopsis: An amnesia stricken woman is haunted by her past eight years into her new life as a wife, mother, and schoolteacher.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

An extremely entertaining premise for a film even if it was way beyond the realm of believability.

Writing / Production:

"The Long Kiss Goodnight" is filled with cheesy one liners, over the top stunts, and questionable plot points but is damn entertaining and enjoyable so whatever the filmmakers did was working.

Acting:

Samuel L. Jackson plays the part of the inept sidekick perfectly and Geena Davis pulls off the difficult task of going from innocent schoolteacher to bad ass assassin pretty well although her performance wasn't a complete homerun. Craig Bierko was so entertaining as the villain it was hard to hate him.

Originality:

It feels alot like many films from this genre and time period but it definitely has a distinct character.

Overall:

This film was flat out fun and easy to watch. Some audiences will certainly be critical because the film is admittedly an easy target for the "yeah right" crowd but don't let that keep you from having some fun and check out "The Long Kiss Goodnight".

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Good

2011-01-07T15:22:00.000-05:00

Release Date: September 28th, 2010 (DVD)

Genre: Drama

Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Jason Isaacs, Jodie Whittaker

Synopsis: An academic in Nazi Germany is swept into "the party" when he is tapped by higher ups to write a paper but he faces conflict within himself and is faced with helping his Jewish friend at great risk to his own personal well being.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

The premise of portraying how a good and decent person could become exploited and drawn into the Nazi party is a solid one indeed.

Writing / Production:

None of the protagonist's relationships were really allowed to fully materialize on the screen which only served to dull the sympathies of the audience. A would be intriguing plot never panned out to cash in on its entertainment potential. On a positive note the final shot of the film is one of the most powerful I've seen in some time.

Acting:

Nobody jumped off the screen with a particularly powerful performance including Viggo Mortensen in the lead role. On the other hand none of the players were so horrible as to distract the viewer.

Originality:

Nazi Germany has been explored from just about every angle possible on the silver screen and "Good" does not provide anything drastically different than what we've seen before.

Overall:

Perhaps one of the most unmoving films ever produced about the Holocaust which was unfortunate because the storyline should have yielded better.

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Eat Pray Love

2011-01-06T13:51:00.000-05:00

Release Date: August 13th, 2010

Genre: Romance / Drama

Stars: Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, Richard Jenkins

Synopsis: A newly divorced middle aged woman decides to attempt to overcome her troubles by taking a lengthy vacation to Italy and India where she meets interesting new people and finds herself.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

Basing this movie on the true incredible journey of a woman who found herself in a place that many people can identify with was a great idea.

Writing / Production:

At its best "Eat Pray Love" is refreshing, funny, and charming but it is also boring and drawn out. There aren't a ton of bad things to say about the script but those responsible for editing would have done well to cut thirty or fourty minutes off this film.

Acting:

Julia Roberts is one of my favorites and it was good to see her putting her show stopping talents to good use again. The rest of the cast is quite delightful as well and I don't recall being distracted by any particularly horrible performances.

Originality:

The film used some old tricks but the idea of a woman finding herself before finding a man and not vice versa is quite different.

Overall:

To put it quite plainly the movie would have been really good (not great) if it was kept under the two hour mark. As it stands there is a decent movie contained within "Eat Pray Love" you just have to tolerate the excesses that devalue the film.

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Killshot

2011-01-05T17:33:00.000-05:00

Release Date: January 23rd, 2009

Genre: Crime / Drama / Thriller

Stars: Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane, Thomas Jane, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson

Synopsis: A hit man for the Toronto mafia teams up unexpectedly with a small time conspicuous crook but when their extortion scheme goes sour they choose to hunt down the witnesses that have been placed in a federal protection program.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

In some regards it makes for an exciting storyline but why would a professional cool hitman get involved with a young hot shot that obviously would get him arrested or killed?

Writing / Production:

"Killshot" goes back and forth between being really interesting and kind of dull. There was not a lot of sympathy generated for the victim couple which will leave more audiences cheering for the villains than usual.

Acting:

Mickey Rourke certainly stands apart from the rest of the cast but this movie was pretty well acted.

Originality:

Everything in this movie is very familiar except the pairing of the two villains which really is just an ignorant plot hole.

Overall:

"Killshot" has some entertainment value but don't expect any extraordinary creativity. Maybe the film would have made a little more sense if Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character wouldn't have been so over the top and out of control.

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Street Thief

2011-01-04T10:44:00.000-05:00

Release Date: June 21st, 2007

Genre: Crime, Thriller

Stars: Frank Zieger, Wesley Walker

Synopsis: Shot in the style of a documentary, the film follows the exploits of professional burgalar Kaspar Carr as he cases various jobs and takes down scores.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

An incredibly intriguing idea that is only made better by its believable execution.

Writing / Production:

"Street Thief" will have just about every audience questioning whether they are watching actual criminal activity taking place because the film feels very real. The movie also is very entertaining and interesting most of the time with a few notable exceptions.

Acting:

The work of the players in this film is quite brilliant considering how difficult it was to ascertain whether they were portraying characters or themselves.

Originality:

The "mockumentary" has been done before but mostly for the purpose of humor and it is always relatively easy to recognize as a hoax. "Street Thief" is very real and that sets it apart.

Overall:

If my basic knowledge of the United States "justice" system hadn't made me realize that this film couldn't possibly be based upon fact I would still be wondering whether "Street Thief" was a true documentary. Even though the movie didn't quite entertain at every turn it was still mostly very interesting.

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The Locksmith

2011-01-03T15:03:00.000-05:00

Release Date: September 21st, 2010 (DVD)

Genre: Drama / Comedy

Stars: Anslem Richardson, Ana Reeder, Stephen Rannazzisi

Synopsis: A jailed man in the work release program works as a locksmith and gets into a lot of trouble when he tries to help a jealous girlfriend that he meets on one of his calls.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

A nice little idea for a film that feels fresh and gets brownie points for effort even if it didn't always work.

Writing / Production:

While "The Locksmith" is billed as a comedy there didn't seem to be too many laughs even though the situations could easily have been exploited for much more humor. The movie isn't entirely unentertaining, however, as most audiences should be invested enough to feel the anxiety of the lead characters in the tense situations.

Acting:

The cast will be foriegn to most audiences but the performances were very decent for the most part. Ana Reeder played the annoying Margo character a little too far over the top and Anslem Richardson played the title character a little too cool.

Originality:

The films creative storyline was coupled with only a loose embrace upon the cliches of this genre.

Overall:

"The Locksmith" is a watchable film that would have been quite good if it had supplied even a moderate amount of comedy. The film's soundtrack is something that works in its favor offering cool acoustic riffs and interesting lyrics that complement the movie's theme.

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The Year of Getting to Know Us

2011-01-02T20:05:00.000-05:00

Release Date: December 7th, 2010 (DVD)

Genre: Drama

Stars: Jimmy Fallon, Lucy Liu, Chase Ellison, Sharon Stone, Tom Arnold

Synopsis: A middle aged man returns home after his distant father has a stroke and struggles to deal with the past he has avoided for a long time.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

"The Year of Getting to Know Us" is not a movie that benefits from a novel storyline but the plot also doesn't work against the success of the film either.

Writing / Production:

This movie is the definition of boring. The opening sequence will trick audiences into believing that the movie might be funny and interesting but then they will proceed to be put to sleep by what must be one of the most unentertaining films in history.

Acting:

I respect Jimmy Fallon for wanting to test his range and although his performance wasn't particularly awful this project was not the best project for him to try and do that with. There were no performances in "The Year of Getting to Know Us" that were responsible for sinking it but there were also none great enough to save it.

Originality:

Neither the theme of coming to grips with the past nor the flash back and flash forward style are elements most audiences have any unfamiliarity with.

Overall:

This movie gets a little interesting during the last twenty minutes but anybody that makes it that far deserves an award for staying awake in the face of mind numbing boredom. "The Year of Getting to Know Us" is among the worst a person can choose to watch.

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Spring Breakdown

2011-01-01T21:51:00.000-05:00

Release Date: June 2nd, 2009 (DVD)

Genre: Comedy

Stars: Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, Parker Posey, Jane Lynch, Seth Meyers

Synopsis: Three thirty something friends take an opportunity to relive their youth and party on a spring break vacation that they never took when they were younger.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

An excellent idea for a comedy and the storyline follows through for the most part in placing the characters in hillarious situations.

Writing / Production:

There are some really great laugh out loud moments and the film feels like a professionally produced mainstream comedy which cannot be said of most direct to DVD fare. "Spring Breakdown" does lose some steam as it heads for the finish line but it is still a nice effort.

Acting:

The Saturday Night Live alumni heavy cast works very well together for obvious reasons and fans shouldn't be dissappointed by this film. I think Seth Meyers is much funnier than he was in "Spring Breakdown", but everyone else is right on par with what audiences have grown to expect.

Originality:

Very much in the spirit of goofy vacation movies but I think the idea to have thirty something friends revisit a spring break scene is pretty novel.

Overall:

All in all a very good comedy that should be enjoyed by an audience that doesn't already hold a strong bias against the main players. "Spring Breakdown" will make you laugh and has some heart, but not too much.

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Gasland

2010-12-31T15:23:00.001-05:00

Release Date: December 14th, 2010

Genre: Documentary

Stars: Josh Fox

Synopsis: The filmmaker recieves an offer of thousands of dollars to lease his land for the purpose of drilling for natural gas and his investigation of the possible negative consequences of the process end in shocking and horrifying revelations.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

"Gasland" takes on a very interesting subject matter that will undoubtedly be relevant to a world wide audience.

Writing / Production:

The interviews of the residents affected by natural gas drilling were informative and effective but became very repetitive. This combined with the monotonous voiceover from the film maker, it became challenging to remain invested. The last segment of the documentary when an authority figure finally agreed to talk on camera and the footage from the congressional hearing was much better.

Originality:

Very much in the spirit of a Micheal Moore movie but not quite as entertaining. "Gasland" is still very original in breaking important information about natural gas drilling to the general public.

Overall:

While I understand the appeal of going for a feature length film, the cause and certainly the value of "Gasland" would have been greatly furthered by cutting it to just under an hour. Nevertheless, the subject is still very important and if you can't stomach the entire documentary you should at least search for videos of flammable tap water on YouTube.

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Once Fallen

2010-12-31T14:43:00.001-05:00

Release Date: November 2nd, 2010

Genre: Drama / Crime

Stars: Brian Presley, Taraji P. Henson, Ed Harris

Synopsis: A man is released from prison after serving five years for drug trafficking with intent to turn his life around but trouble for his best friend and his still imprisoned father threaten to keep him entrenched in a life of crime.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

"Once Fallen" follows a very familiar plot line which is a decent one but there are no twists or punches that make it special.

Writing / Production:

The film was very slow developing and didn't get very intense or interesting until the last twenty or thirty minutes. The final product felt very amateurish and underfunded.

Acting:

A mixed bag of good, poor, and average performances pervade this picture. Brian Presley in the lead role is obviously not up to par with the more recognizable talent in this film which detracts greatly from its value. Ed Harris and Peter Weller provide very fine and entertaining performances and everyone else is mostly average.

Originality:

The theme of "Once Fallen" has been revisited many times and there are few if any tweaks on the idea that make the film stand out.

Overall:

It is unfortunate that the talents of Ed Harris and Peter Weller are somewhat wasted on a film that is so poorly constructed and ineffective. Unfortunately "Once Fallen" is largely unentertaining and feels like something we've all seen before just not as good.

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Showgirls

2010-12-30T14:53:00.000-05:00

Release Date: September 22nd, 1995

Genre: Drama

Stars: Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon

Synopsis: A woman makes her way to Vegas with dreams of becoming a showgirl but must first resort to dancing as a stripper before clawing her way to the top.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

The overall idea for the movie isn't as awful as the film itself but the main storyline also has far too many subplots that do compound the disaster.

Writing / Production:

The dialogue is just plain awful and everything else is ridiculously over the top and gratuitous.

Acting:

Maybe the only thing in the film worse than the dialogue are the performances of everyone responsible for delivering the lines.

Originality:

Perhaps this movie deserves credit for coming as close to becoming outright pornography as possible without crossing the line.

Overall:

This movie is the epitomy of bad but I couldn't take my eyes off it. Perhaps because it was deemed forbidden fruit by the ratings Nazis and maybe because that girl from "Saved By The Bell" I used to watch every Saturday as a child gets naked. While the rest of the movie is laughable, the raw eroticism was as real as it was gratuitous.

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Barry Munday

2010-12-29T20:46:00.001-05:00

Release Date: December 7th, 2010 (DVD)

Genre: Comedy

Stars: Patrick Wilson, Judy Greer, Colin Hanks, Cybill Shepard

Synopsis: A man loses both his testicles after an assault from the angry father of an underaged girl he is chasing and soon finds out he may have impregnated another woman before the mishap occurred.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

A great idea for a comedy even if the premise proves to be funnier than the actual film.

Writing / Production:

"Barry Munday" does not cash in as much as it should on its comic potential although the film does offer some laughs in spots. The film does manage to remain relatively interesting throughout and has a lot of heart to its credit.

Acting:

Judy Greer was absolutely perfect in her role as the unconventional female lead but I was not completely sold on Patrick Wilson as the title character even though he was not completely horrific. The film is helped greatly by an experienced and talented assortment of supporting characters who add quite a bit of entertainment value.

Originality:

Usually a comedy with this kind of storyline is over the top and wears itself out trying to crack the audience up at every turn but "Barry Munday" shakes things up by bringing alot more substance (maybe just a little too much).

Overall:

The worst thing about this movie is that you will not laugh nearly as much as you would expect and the best thing is that you still may find value in the film in spite of that fact. The problem that "Barry Munday" is bound to run into is that the audience that will appreciate the film most is not likely to be the one that will view it.

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Happy Holidays from AltAss

2010-12-28T00:28:00.000-05:00

AltAss is on vacation and will be back to bringing you daily reviews again in a few short days. In the meantime we would like to wish you Happy Holidays as we press on toward the New Year.

Exit Through the Gift Shop

2010-12-25T08:58:00.000-05:00

Release Date: December 14th, 2010 (DVD)

Genre: Documentary / Comedy

Stars: Banksy, Thierry Guetta, Shepard Fairey, Space Invader

Synopsis: Details the story of a man who devotes his life to documenting the underground world of street art and winds up becoming an artist himself.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

A very fascinating story that is funny and also says a lot about the condition of our society.

Writing / Production:

The one flaw I found with this film is that for the first half it is unclear as to why Thierry Guetta is the main subject of the documentary as opposed to the talented street artists who risk their life and freedom to make a statement that may only be visible for a matter of hours. Once the twist is unveiled that Guetta used his connections from the hours of recording these artist to leverage his own success as an artist, the beginning makes more sense and it would have been more effective to reveal that fact a bit sooner.

Acting:

While there aren't "actors" in a documentary the subject characters are entertaining and interesting which helps to make the film fun to watch.

Originality:

The exposure to street art combined with this unbelievable tale of a man who gains overnight success in the art community by somewhat questionable methods provide extremely fresh material.

Overall:

"Exit Through the Gift Shop" is a comical expose of a quirky man who loves street art and a serious indictment of how his own art work became worth thousands of dollars. Hopefully this documentary will not only entertain audiences but also encourage them to value independent thought especially when it comes to viewing and purchasing art.

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Predators

2010-12-24T15:30:00.000-05:00

Release Date: July 9th, 2010

Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi

Stars: Adrien Brody, Alice Braga, Topher Grace, Laurence Fishburne

Synopsis: A group of professional killers from different backgrounds find themselves dropped into a jungle with no memory of how they got there and hunted by something otherworldly.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

Brings a decent formula to the table for what could amount to a pretty entertaining action adventure ride.

Writing / Production:

The biggest problem with "Predators" is the painfully slow start and mundane lulls between the action. The action scenes are okay but disappointing considering how long the audience sits in anticipation of them. The special effects seemed hokie at times which drove the final nail in the coffin for this film.

Acting:

I just don't think bad ass is in Adrien Brody's range so it is unfortunate that the film makers didn't go with someone else. Laurence Fishburne and Topher Grace were very good but their roles were too small to carry the movie. The rest of the supporting cast gets a solid B+.

Originality:

The film is a sequel and really offers only one small plot twist audiences may not see coming that is in the end quite trivial.

Overall:

Action adventure movies are supposed to keep your juices flowing and at the very least not put you to sleep. "Predators" fails to do either and perpetually will keep you waiting for something good to happen.

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The Chosen One

2010-12-23T02:15:00.001-05:00

Release Date: November 9th, 2010 (DVD)

Genre: Comedy

Stars: Rob Schneider, Steve Buscemi, Carolina Gomez

Synopsis: A down in the dumps American car salesman is deemed "The Chosen One" by three shaman from a Columbian tribe seeking his help to restore order to the universe.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:

It' an off the wall and wacky idea but that isn't always a bad thing when it comes to comedy.

Writing / Production:

There were a couple of funny moments but this movie didn't even try for laughs during a vast majority of the film. The overall tone and direction was surprisingly serious and wrong considering anybody who picks this movie up will expect humor.

Acting:

Steve Buscemi is great as the protagonists spritually "enlightened" brother but Rob Schneider gets away from his niche with disastrous results in "The Chosen One". The rest of the cast is not memorable for being superb nor heinous.

Originality:

I think we'd all agree there are plenty of boring unfunny films parading as "comedies" in this world.

Overall:

"The Chosen One" was written by Rob Schneider, directed by Rob Schneider, and starred Rob Schneider. Just not the Rob Schneider we like who makes us laugh without thinking too hard. The new Rob Schneider wants to be taken more seriously and he makes terrible movies that are hard to stay awake for.

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What did you think? Leave a comment below and tell us how you'd rate this film!