Obscure Films For Saturated Times

The Last American Virgin (1982)/Lemon Popsicle (1978)

2012-05-23T02:26:00.001-07:00

Being that it is now Summer I am going to review one of my favorite teen sex comedies, The Last American Virgin. Released only five months after Porky's, The Last American Virgin became a cult classic and has helped pave the way for the teen sex comedies we know and love and the modern ones we have ultimately grown to hate in comparison.

Israeli director, Boaz Davidson made a film called Lemon Popsicle (A.K.A. Eskimo Lemon A.K.A. Going All the Way) which was loosely based on his own teen exploits while growing up in 1950s Tel Aviv, Israel. Released in 1978, Lemon Popsicle was a success and spawned nine sequels with the latest, The Party Goes On, released in 2001. In 1982, Davidson directed The Last American Virgin for American audiences while making some changes like setting the film in Los Angeles and the music from the golden oldies to modern rock music. The plot and even some sequences are basically identical, so I will talk about both here but focus mostly on the American remake.

Gary (Lawrence Monoson) is an average high school student and pizza delivery boy. He and his two best friends, Rick (Steve Antin) and David (Joe Rubbo) have what every teenage boy has on their minds: Sex. The horny trio are at their local hangout when they spot three hot girls, or rather two hot girls and one not-so-hot girl. The boys convince the girls to come back to Gary's house for the night in an attempt to have sex and after some comedic moments, Gary's parents come home unexpectedly and ruin the party.

Later on Gary crosses paths with Karen (Diane Franklin) and falls desperately in love with her. Gary attempts to get her to go on a date with him but is shot down and later finds Karen at David's party, dancing with Rick. Lovelorn Gary continues his quest for Karen's affection while she dates Rick, who just wants to take her virginity.

Since there isn't much to the plot and that there are some moments you have to experience for yourself, I won't go any further.

Now, there are a lot of interesting scenes in the film and while some are funny, some are serious, while others are down right perplexing and unintentionally funny. First off, Gary is a bit of a stalker. After seeing Karen at the local teen hangout, Gary asks David who she is and one morning before school, he pops her bicycle tire, backs his car up, drives up to her and asks her what's wrong. Since she is without transportation to school, Gary offers to drive her while pretending he didn't know which one she went to. I know that as a teenager, I often played dumb or did some things that were foolish in order to get closer to a girl but Gary is just plain creepy. If you think I'm overreacting, check out this picture below of how Gary stares at Karen in the beginning of the film:

The look Benji ( Lemon Popsicle's Gary) gives to Nikki (Popsicle's Karen) when he first sees her is nowhere near as creepy and seems more natural compared to Gary's which is guaranteed to make any modern girl reach for that pepper spray.

Nymphomaniacs, hookers, crabs, teen drinking, drunk driving, abortion, that cheap feeling after bad sex and a creepy Gary round out this brutally honest and groundbreaking teen comedy that I can't seem to get enough of. There is also a very interesting scene that takes place in the boy's locker room at school where the boys make a bet as to which guy has the larger penis and then proceed to line up and (hold onto your hats people)...

...MEASURE EACH OTHER'S ERECT PENISES!

I am seriously not joking and find it to be one of the most humorously disturbing scenes I've ever seen committed to film. The scene is also in Lemon Popsicle and I don't know much about Israeli film or culture but maybe this was just another instance of what teenage boys did in 1950s Israel but I can say that in 1980s America, this would just not happen.

I do have one small pet peeve about both films and that is the music. No, the music isn't bad (in fact the Virgin's soundtrack was used heavily to promote the film) but it's that there are a few songs that are repeated a couple of times throughout the film; while I see that as a different film making technique it can get a little annoying. I do tend to enjoy the music of Lemon Popsicle a little more as I am partial to oldies and think that the music is a better fit to the corresponding scenes.

What I love about the film the most is that it has no shame and is ready to give up the real side to being a sex-starved teenager while finding out about some of life's important and life-altering lessons. Lemon Popsicle is the more stylistic film of the two and while I enjoy it immensely I prefer The Last American Virgin mainly because of the things it got away with even for 1982. There is a part of me that wishes I had seen Lemon Popsicle first because I couldn't help thinking of Virgin while watching it which didn't diminish my enjoyment, however it's tough to watch a film that is almost identical without thinking of the other film. One enjoyable aspect of watching the two back-to-back is comparing identical scenes and seeing how small, practical things are handled differently from Tel Aviv to Los Angeles.

While the film isn't a hilarious knee-slapper there are some pretty funny moments and even some emotional ones. Last American Virgin is more-so a funny film with serious moments, perfect for parties and drinking games while Lemon Popsicle seems more of a serious film with funny moments. While that doesn't make either film better or worse, it is simply a difference of each film's tone. Virgin is also a great time capsule of the 1980s and the successes and failures of being a teenager with raging hormones. The last thing I will say about The Last American Virgin is that it has one of the most memorable and unconventional endings I've ever seen in any teen film.

Both films: 4 Pizzas (Out of 5)

See It or Be It!
Check Out the Trailer for The Last American Virgin:

Stella Wants You to Check Out the Trailer for Lemon Popsicle:

Watch Lemon Popsicle (The Full Movie):

Pick Up the DVDs On Amazon:

Being John Malkovich (Criterion Release)/The Avengers

2012-05-08T18:11:00.000-07:00

Next Tuesday (5/15), Criterion will release Being John Malkovich on Blu-ray and DVD. This new edition features an updated image transfer and lossless audio and comes highly recommended by myself and the guys over at Bluray.com.

Click the image below to check out their review:

Pick up the Blu-ray or DVD at Amazon:

Go Through the YouTube Portal and Check Out the Trailer:

On another note, if you are into comics and superhero movies, you've probably already seen The Avengers but if you haven't you should go right away...

...Right NOW!

I know it's a new film that appeals to the masses, which is something I don't usually recommend on this blog but I feel it is my duty to let you know if there is a film out there that is worthy of recognition regardless.

That being said, The Avengers is one of the most entertaining and overall fun movie-going experiences I've had in a long time and I rarely go out to the theaters because of the garbage that gets released on a weekly basis. Over the years, I have lost faith in the Summer blockbuster but The Avengers has completely restored my it! It proves movies can still have a big budget, be entertaining and above all fun!

This Summer is looking good for superhero/sci-fi fans as I am also looking forward to Prometheus and The Dark Knight Rises so we'll see how they all stack up after they are all released but for now, go see The Avengers!

Pump Up the Volume (1990)

2012-04-30T14:40:00.003-07:00

This next review is a film that holds a special place in my heart that reminds me of my youth and the beginning of my high school years: Allan Moyle's 90s dramedy, Pump Up the Volume.

Christian Slater plays Mark Hunter, a teenager who has just moved with his family from New York to Paradise Hills, Arizona. Like every teenager thrown into a new environment, Mark naturally hates it. Mark also has a very unique and bleak outlook on life which he voices through his pirate radio station anonymously under the moniker, Happy Harry Hard-On. As Harry, Mark is an outgoing, outspoken persona, commenting on everything from high school, parents, homosexuality, embarrassment, loneliness, masturbation, and what is wrong with American society, however, during the day he is a shy, timid loner.

When a fellow student, Malcom Kaiser calls the show saying he is going to commit suicide, Mark berates him but later identifies with Malcom, who hangs up and is confirmed dead the next day. After Malcom's suicide, Mark decides to stop broadcasting but quickly decides against it and goes back on to talk about how suicide is a stupid, selfish act. He then goes on to say that nobody is perfect and making everyone believe that you're crazy is a lot better than going crazy internally, possibly leading to suicide. The teenage listeners riled up and more and more of them believe in Harry, while teachers, parents and the media start paying attention to the show. A free-spirited and rebellious fellow student, Nora (Samantha Mathis) finds out that Mark is Harry and she inspires him to keep up the good fight and to "Talk Hard".

Now as usual, my loyal readers, I will not go into the rest of the plot because that would take the fun out of actually watching the film although I will say that there is a slightly contrived sub-plot regarding corruption at the high school. What is most interesting is Mark's monologue radio rants and his overall persona he displays to the world as Happy Harry Hard-On. Mark acknowledges that he can't talk to his parents, girls or anyone else for that matter, but when he is on the air, seemingly speaking to no one, his true personality comes out and we see that he is smart, outgoing and opinionated. I identified with Mark because, in a similar way, I acted completely different at school than at home, didn't have many friends and spent my lunches alone. After Mark's show goes viral, an interesting thing happens and all of the students, including the jocks, the achievers, the outcasts, and everyone in-between (including some parents) believe in him and his message.

The dream of the 90s may be alive in Portland but it's also very alive in Pump Up the Volume. If you were alive in the 1990s you may recognize the neon, the permed hair, the gigantic boom box radios and that not one of the students walking around the high school have their heads buried in a cell phone. This film seems dated, even to those who weren't alive or conscious of their surroundings during that time but what works the best in Pump Up the Volume is its universal message about the perils of being a teenager and how speaking your mind, believing in yourself and standing up for what you believe in is all that matters. It also speaks to a generation of teenagers who felt that there was nothing new to do in a society that had seemingly reached its zenith by the late 1980s.

Christian Slater turns in an awesome performance, which may not have been Oscar worthy but definitely should have been acknowledged by more critics. Even though he was 21 at the time this film was made, Christian Slater does a great job at making us believe he is a troubled teenager. A lot of the film's laughs come from Slater's on-air persona and the off-the-wall things he says. Samantha Mathis also shows some talent here in her first major film role. Mathis delivers a few lines here and there which might make some chuckle but overall she handles herself well as a rebellious teen, in love with Mark's message of "Talking Hard" - "The idea that a voice can just go somewhere uninvited and just kind of hang out like a dirty thought in a nice clean mind." This would be the first in a series of three films in which Slater and Mathis star in together: The other two are the 1992 animated film, Ferngully: The Last Rainforest and the 1996 John Woo action extraordinaire, Broken Arrow.

What I like the best about Pump Up the Volume lies in it's overall sense of not taking itself seriously, while effectively getting across a message. It may seem like a serious film but what makes it work is its heart and humor, mainly thanks to Christian Slater. Don't get me wrong, this is nowhere near being a perfect film, in fact it has many flaws, especially in terms of editing, dubbing, continuity and some hammy acting by some of the supporting cast. If you're able to look past these flaws, and just have fun with it, Pump Up the Volume is a great watch that will make you think about the struggles of being a teenager, and possibly make you feel nostalgic if you are an adult.

TALK HARD!

4 Microphones (Out of 5)

Do Your Homework in the Dark, Eat Your Cereal With A Fork and Check Out the Trailer:

Pick Up the DVD on Amazon:

Killing Zoe (1994)

2012-04-14T13:58:00.015-07:00

Here is my review of a film I had forgotten about until today when I stumbled upon the DVD and decided to give it a spin.

Marketed under the banner, "From the Creators of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction," Killing Zoe was written and directed by Roger Avery - the guy who wrote the gold watch speech given by Christopher Walken in Pulp Fiction while Quentin Tarantino and Tarantino's producer, Lawrence Bender served as executive producers.

Zed (Eric Stoltz) arrives in Paris to do a job for Eric (Jean-Hughes Anglade), an old friend he hasn't seen in eleven years. He settles into his hotel room, orders and enjoys a French ̶p̶r̶o̶s̶t̶i̶t̶u̶t̶e̶ escort named Zoe (Julie Delpy). After business, the two realize that they both have feelings for each other. The smitten couple are awakened by Eric who throws Zoe out and proceeds to take Zed out to meet his friends for an drug-fueled night in Paris. Before I forget, the job Zed has been brought to Paris to do is to crack a safe at a bank they're robbing the next day and while Zed is simply hungover, Eric and his crew are still feeding the heroin monkeys on their backs and burst into the bank with zeal and theatricality, ready to kill at a moment's notice.

The rest of the film is about the resulting bank robbery. Now I know that you're thinking that this is just another bank robbery film and my response is yes, it is and no it's not. What follows is one of the better bank robberies I've seen since Dog Day Afternoon, Point Break or Heat. What makes Killing Zoe different than the run-of-the-mill bank robbery film is the lack of a police drama unfolding outside of the bank or action sequences involving the robbers trying to get away.

What also intrigued me the more and more I watch this film is my investment in Stoltz's character. While every one of the other bank robbers is not unlikeable, you are really focused on Zed and Eric and they are the two characters you know the most about. The thing is, that what you do know about Zed and Eric is very little and it makes you want to pick up clues as to who they are.

There also seems to be a very weird underlining theme of homosexuality throughout the film as Eric is shown having sex with one of his fellow bank robbers, not to mention an extreme sense of brotherhood towards Zed and trying to prevent Zed from being with Zoe on a couple different occasions. Homosexual acts aside, Eric's cock-blocking of Zed is enough to make any viewer wonder what his problem really is.

The characters of Zed and Eric also are stark contrasts to each other and this is especially apparent from the moment we meet Eric and they way he treats and talks about Zoe. Eric is very outspoken,outgoing, funny and primed to explode, while Zed is more of a clear thinker who is more quiet and calculated. You can tell that he was someone who did some hell raising when he was younger and is still chasing that high despite the fact that we can tell that he has grown up to a certain extent. Eric on the other hand is hopelessly addicted to heroin and is obviously chasing a different high.

Delpy plays Zoe as the hooker with the heart of gold - She is an art student by day and an escort by night in order to pay for her classes. She is passionate about art and has a high opinion of herself, despite her profession. Even though the idea of an escort falling for a client in such little time is a farfetched idea, the chemistry between Stoltz and Delpy makes it a little more believable. Their playful dialogue in bed after sex doesn't feel forced but at the same time, I don't believe they are head-over-heels in love with each other. There is a connection here but it isn't over exaggerated.

Killing Zoe is an independent film and it shows but not the extent that it is unwatchable. Stylistically, it is shot with an overall basic style of cinematography but at times is more free, mostly during the times Eric is onscreen. Colors are very dark and droll in the beginning and at times where it's necessary, for example, in an underground jazz club. In contrast, there are some good, sparse uses of bright reds and blues from the halfway mark of the film to its conclusion.

What I love about the film is its simplicity, simple plot and the intriguing set of main characters. I also like its style and bleak outlook of the future (especially depending on how you perceive the ending). When I was fourteen, I had never seen Dog Day Afternoon and Heat hadn't been released yet. Killing Zoe is not the best crime film ever, especially considered against "traditional" standards but it's certainly not one of the worst. It came at a time where film was matching what grunge was doing to music. It was a different breed that, sadly isn't around any more even when it comes to bank robbery films.

If you're going into Killing Zoe expecting it to be a Tarantino film, you will be disappointed as his film-making style or exuberant dialogue is not present here, however it is something you can tell he probably enjoyed.

4 Syringes (Out of 5)

Découvrez la bande-annonce!!

(Check out the trailer!)

Pick Up the DVD on Amazon:

Series 7: The Contenders (2001)

2012-03-29T13:36:00.008-07:00

As I keep my promise to bring you more reviews, I am going to jump right into a film that I believe was ahead of its time even back when it was released in 2001.

With The Hunger Games making all kinds of money right now, I thought I'd shine a little light on a great, unnoticed film with the same subject matter.

Series 7: The Contenders is about a group of six people, five of which are randomly chosen to be on a survival reality show where the last one standing wins. Every one of the contenders is given a gun and is forced to play regardless if they want to or not since the other contestants are hunting them down. The film's main focus is on the winner of the last show, Dawn Largarto (Brooke Smith of Silence of the Lambs fame) who is eight months pregnant. After already winning two games, Dawn just has to win this last one before finally winning her freedom.

The five other contestants include Connie - a 57-year old emergency room nurse, Tony - an unemployed father of three, Franklin - a retired man who lives in a trailer park, Lindsay - an 18-year old student and Jeff - an artist who has been diagnosed with testicular cancer and is Dawn's old high school sweetheart.

The film starts off with the pregnant Dawn entering a convenience store and shooting a male customer in the head. She then proceeds to ask the clerk for a certain food she's craving. The plot of the film is revealed in a narration and montage in the beginning of the film. After that we are introduced to each of the contenders and given little back stories on each. The majority of the film focuses on Dawn and Jeff's relationship. The two were a couple in high school and broke up after Dawn got pregnant and had an abortion while Jeff, believed he was gay. Now married to a woman, Jeff is suffering through his illness and wants to die. He even offers that Dawn be the one to kill him.

Throughout the film each contender tries their best to kill each other and some interesting situations arise which is why I have to cut this plot description even shorter than usual this time.

The beauty of this film is the way it handles its dark comedic elements. The beginning of the film starts off as if it were a real television show and then after a few minutes you might find yourself laughing at it because the idea sounds so ridiculous but then like a warm bath, you sink in and get connected with the characters. There are some instances where the viewer's suspension of disbelief may be challenged but as long as you're able to look past that, I can guarantee a positive viewing experience.

Brooke Smith plays Dawn as a mother on the edge who will do whatever it takes, including killing for her baby. I find it intriguing that years before Dawn had aborted a baby she was going to have with someone she truly loved but is willing to fight for a baby that she can't even remember who fathered it. There are times where Brooke's performance can be too over the top but there are also a lot of moments where you sincerely believe in her and want her to win. The film does a good job of flushing out her character arc and later, gives you more to deal with when you find out more about her and Jeff.

There are also some good moments between the minor characters in this film. For example: each character comes in contact with Dawn and their humanity is tested due to her pregnancy. To the viewer, Dawn's unborn baby seems to make her invincible at times. I especially liked the interaction between Dawn and Jeff who give the viewer something to relate to, especially if you've ever felt alone and ostracized. Of the supporting characters, I especially liked the over-the-top teenage girl, Lindsay, who, like all teenagers, takes this contest way too seriously. She and Franklin, the old man, have a great running competition that ends with funny but bad consequences. There's also a good sub-plot with Tony who has been pushed too far. What happens can only seem reasonable to someone under the duress of losing his job, while trying to provide for his family and involuntarily participating in a game like this.

Besides some hammy acting by some of the supporting cast, the look of the film may be its only shining downside. I can't seem to find any technical specs online but I'm assuming this film was shot on digital video and converted to 35mm. It seems as if it were intended to give the film a TV show appearance but ends up reminding me of early to mid 1990s sci-fi shows. One must also realize that this was shot back in 2000 when reality TV was still in it's infancy (compared to the cesspool it has mutated into now).

On the upside, I did enjoy how the film was treated like a TV show with recaps of past events we just witnessed and "Coming up on Series 7" narrations. Personally, I would have filmed some fake commercials to scatter throughout, making it feel more realistic. Now, this isn't to say that the filming techniques make the film unrealistic, it's just something the viewer has to deal with and get over, or otherwise you won't end up seeing the film's merits.

Now, I haven't seen The Hunger Games and I have no intention of seeing it in the immediate future. While I do enjoy this type of sub-genre, it doesn't seem too interesting to me, however, I believe Battle Royale (2000) is the champion among them all. For everyone who thinks The Hunger Games ripped off Battle Royale, there are plenty of films and books which deal with the subject of hunting humans. The short story, "The Hounds of Zaroff" (1924 - Richard Connell) and film, The Most Dangerous Game (1932) come to mind. Some others are the films, Surviving the Game with Ice-T and Rutger Hauer, The Running Man with Arnold Schwarzenegger and the novel written by Richard Bachman A.K.A. Stephen King.

All in all, Series 7: The Contenders is a fun film that is modest in its presentation and acknowledges its faults while making you laugh at things you think you shouldn't be laughing at. It's a film that you shouldn't take too seriously, although some of the character's own personal struggles might soon seep into your brain, making you care more about them, while possibly reflecting on your own life.

3 1/2 Lottery Balls (Out of 5)

Check Out the Trailer Before You Get Chosen Yourself:

Pick Up the DVD on Amazon:

Shallow Grave Criterion Blu-ray/DVD Announced

2012-03-21T03:36:00.002-07:00

Announced only a few days ago, The Criterion Collection is releasing Danny Boyle's masterpiece of thriller cinema, Shallow Grave on Criterion Blu-ray and DVD on June 12th!

Click HERE for my original review!

Click on the BLU-RAY COVER BELOW to go to Criterion's homepage and pre-order it!

Film Geek (2005)

2012-03-18T16:55:00.009-07:00

I am sorry I have not been writing many reviews as of lately. I have been on a month long excursion to Africa and there is no internet there. I have also been looking for a job and if you live in the United States, you should know that it isn't easy. I was kidding about the Africa trip - like I can afford that!

So without further ado, I am going to review a light-hearted film that you should definitely check out if you are a film enthusiast and enjoy the comedy genre. The rest of this review will be written in courier, the standard screenwriting font.

Scotty Pelk (Melik Malkasian) is a film geek living in Portland, Oregon who works at a video store called Video Connections. None of the other employees like him too much due to his lack of a personality and the fact that all he talks about is movies. Of course, Scotty runs his own movie website, Scottysfilmpage.com which hasn't gained a single hit. Like the obsessive he is, Scotty checks his hit counter on a daily basis and is disappointed every time. When Scotty is fired from Video Connections for being an annoyance to customers, he looks around town at other video stores that he could work at with no success.

On the bus, Scotty sees a girl (Niko, played by Tyler Gannon) reading a book about David Cronenberg and tries to talk to her about film but is rejected. Scotty eventually takes a job at an auto parts warehouse where he tries to connect with his co-workers, of course by talking about movies.

On his way home, Scotty sees Niko again and they talk some more over coffee. She invites Scotty to the opening of her art gallery later that night. Scotty shows up and is surprised to see Niko and her ex-boyfriend who is stalking her. Niko kisses Scotty to make her ex jealous and so begins a nerd's fascination with a woman who showed attention.

The rest of the film deals with Scotty trying to fit into the "normal" world via Niko who tries to assimilate him. Melik Malkasian portrays Scotty as an annoying nerd with a certain naive charm to him that you have no problem laughing at him one minute and then wanting to punch him in the face repeatedly. Scotty is similar to a puppy that craps everywhere, annoying everyone because he just wants to be loved.

Now, as a film geek myself, I can identify with Scotty on many levels. I used to work at a video store, I have a film blog and film is my universal language. Just typing the word "Universal" makes me think of Jaws and the classic horror monsters. At the video store Scotty even uses a shrink wrap machine and blow dryer...man, that takes me back. Like Scotty, I am very opinionated about the films I like and do not like. When he is working at the video store, Scotty even smells the VHS boxes - something I unabashedly still do.

Scotty is disconnected from the real world and even admits that he likes movies because they take him away from reality and let him be other people. He is so disconnected that when Niko asks Scotty what kind of music he likes, he lists off film composers like Howard Shore and Bernard Hermann. Scotty uses the worlds, "brilliant" and "awesome" a lot when talking about films and tries to persuade a customer at the video store to rent wide screen titles because they preserve the director's intentions.

As for the film itself, Film Geek is a great indie comedy that is geared towards the film geek, him/herself. There are plenty of jokes that the average film geek would understand that would fly over the average movie goer's head, however there are also jokes that everyone will understand and enjoy. The comedy that works the best for the average person is seeing Scotty's ineptness and how he handles the real world.

Film Geek does have its small problems and it is in no way a perfect film, nor does it comes close. There are some wooden deliveries of dialogue and the background music that is supposed to sound like things people in their mid-twenties would listen to is not. All of that doesn't mean this is a bad film and simply put, Film Geek is fun! Being that it's an independent film, it doesn't have lavish production values or the best actors when it comes to supporting characters but it works. There is some good instrumental music (complete with ba-ba-ba's) that gives the film and Scotty a more innocent and playful tone. The camera angles are impressive as the educated viewer can tell that the director and cinematographer knew what they were doing. In fact, I saw a lot of setups that I would have done myself, while being surprised by others.

It's rough around the edges at times but the charm of Film Geek is in its lead, Scotty and how he handles the world around him.

All in all, Film Geek is something I enjoy watching every now and then to remind me that there are other people like myself in the world who are more disconnected from society than I am. Like every other great indie film I see, it gives me hope that one day I will be able to make a film that people enjoy even if it is on a shoestring budget.

3 1/2 VHS Tapes (Out of 5)

Check Out the Trailer Before Scotty Does:

Pick Up the DVD at Amazon:

Four Rooms (1995)

2012-01-02T14:45:00.003-08:00

So it's a new year and one of my many New Year's Resolutions is to write more reviews for my ~~six~~ seven hungry fans. I am going to start 2012 off with a film that really gets a bad wrap but is one of my all-time favorite films: The indie quartet directed comedy, Four Rooms.

After Quentin Tarantino's success with Pulp Fiction in 1994 and Robert Rodriguez's Desperado in 1995, they, along with indie directors, Allison Anders and Alexandre Rockwell (who directed In the Soup. Click the link in the title to see my previous review of that film) wanted to make a film set in a hotel with a wacky bellhop who had comedic adventures in each room, directed by each auteur. Originally, titled Five Rooms, Richard Linklater was scheduled to contribute a room but he later dropped out before production began.

As before, I won't give you the entire plot details on each room but I'll give you enough to salivate so you'll go watch the movie yourself. Since each room is short and there are other scenes with Ted intertwined before and between each room, these descriptions will be short but as usual, I will give my thoughts afterwards. Here's the plot:

Ted (Tim Roth), a new bellhop at the once popular Monsignor Hotel in L.A. is working the late shift on New Year's Eve. On top of that, his boss, Betty (Kathy Griffin) has left him all by himself so she can go to a party. Ted is about to have a memorable night whether he likes it or not.

The Missing Ingredient:

The first room, directed by Allison Anders (Gas, Food, Lodging) is the honeymoon suite which is inhabited by a coven of witches (Madonna, Valeria Golino, Ione Skye, Lili Taylor, Sammi Davis and Alica Witt). They are coming together to resurrect their Goddess, Diana (the gorgeous Amanda De Cadenet) after she was imprisoned by a jealous lover many years ago. Each witch has brought a symbol of love with them to put into the calderon to resurrect Diana but Eva, (Skye) who was supposed to bring semen failed to "get it". The other witches give her an hour to get some and fortunately for him, Ted happens to bring up the room service.

The Wrong Man:

The second room, directed by Alexandre Rockwell is room 409 in which Siegfried (character actor, David Proval) and Angela (Jennifer Beals) are having a lovers quarrel. Ted is supposed to bring some ice to a party in room 309, however the man who called was too drunk to remember where he is and tells Ted room 409. Ted ends up right in the middle of Siegfried and Angela's psychosexual drama involving a gun, pills and a very unstable Siegfried.

The Misbehavers:

The third room, directed by Robert Rodriguez, deals with a husband and wife (Antonio Banderas & Tamlyn Tomita) who want to go out to a New Year's party without their two young children. They call Ted up to bring room service and the husband (referred only as Man in the credits) decides to pay Ted $500 to watch his kids for the night, providing they don't misbehave. After the Man and Wife leave, Ted tells the children to call him if they need anything and he leaves them alone for the night. Naturally, the children end up calling Ted a bunch of times and get on his last nerve. Things get worse when the Man and Wife arrive early at the hotel.

In between these two rooms is a very amusing interlude including Marissa Tomei, smoking pot and playing Rambo on Sega Genesis while talking to Ted on the phone. The two banter on about Ted's night and while it is unclear who wrote and directed this scene, it is well written, directed and acted. Kathy Griffin also has about a page's worth of dialogue with Ted and that's all I have to say about her.

The Man From Hollywood:

Quentin Tarantino directs and stars in the last room about a film director (who would've guessed?) and his entourage (which includes Paul Calderon, Jennifer Beals and an uncredited Bruce Willis) who want to re-enact a bet to dismember from an old Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode. The group is drunk and wants to pay Ted to be the hatchet man.

First off, I need to address the obvious: Tim Roth shines in this film! Originally the role of Ted the bellhop was written for Steve Buscemi and as much as I love Buscemi, Roth was clearly the better choice. Ted is seriously stressed out and yelling most of the film and while most actors will make you want to stop watching, Roth's Ted makes you want to see how much more he can take. Complete with subtle nervous ticks, sweating and some of the best comical delivery I've ever seen committed to film. No joke. You may end up not liking Four Rooms since if it's one thing the internet ever did, it was to prove that everyone's taste in film is different, however you will agree that Tim Roth stole the show here.

Now the small group of those who have seen and enjoy this film will agree that Rodriguez's segment (the third room) is by far the best. While I completely agree with this, that is not to say that the other rooms do not have their strong points. In the first room, there is some good quick-witted comedy and the women add sex appeal (especially Ione Skye who is still beautiful). Add Ted in for the great performance and voila!

The second room (Rockwell's - Room 409) is interesting to watch the first time for the plot and another for the performances of David Proval, Jennifer Beals, and of course, Tim Roth. There are some comedic moments that work, and some that that may be confusing but all in all, it's still a good one. Proval, who usually doesn't get a lot of screen time in the films he is in is a standout here and his and Ted's nervous, erratic banter makes this one work.

Room three, directed by Robert Rodriguez, is by far the best because it's a slappy, madcap segment that doesn't take itself as serious as the other rooms do. The direction, editing, Tim Roth, dialogue, music and other performances (including the kids) make this one shine the brightest and in a small way, make the viewer feel sorry for the other directors whose rooms weren't this good. Roth's aggravated banter with the kids and the final nail-biting moment of this room will have you in stitches from laughing and may give you some hypertension for Ted's possible fate at the hands of Antonio Banderas.

Quentin Tarantino's room is probably my second favorite if not for the dialogue and the predicament that Ted is thrown into, especially given the earlier events of his night. Tarantino starts off with a lot of dialogue given to himself which may turn some viewers off but near the end of this segment, it becomes more interesting and entertaining as he is laying out loads of money on the table if Ted accepts his offer. Bruce Willis, who spends a lot of screen time yelling is great as always and of course, there's Tim Roth.

I should also comment on the music in Four Rooms. Combustible Edison and Mark Mothersbaugh (film composer of Devo fame) contribute some great uplifting, lounge music to give the film a zany, comical feel. Sadly, if you watch this film through Netflix Instant Queue there are a few songs that have been changed most likely due to rights issues. Despite the film finally being presented in high definition, these "new" songs change the quirky feel of the film and are the major drawback to watching it on Netflix.

Four Rooms may not be a perfect film, nor is it filled with symbolism, subtext or social commentary but it is a fun film to watch while leaving your brain out for a while. Did I mention Tim Roth steals the show?

4 Rooms (Out of 5)

Hop to It and Check Out the Trailer:

Pick Up the DVD at Amazon:

David Hess (1942-2011)

2011-10-13T00:37:00.011-07:00

I was stunned the other day to learn that a great actor of exploitation cinema has passed away. David A. Hess died in his sleep on October 8th. He left a legacy of film and music to us and will be deeply missed.

Back in January, 2010, I was lucky enough to catch a viewing of the classic film, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with David and we shared some words on the film and his work. It was a night I will never forget until the day I die.

Check out the David Hess Demo Reel:

As usual, it has been a while since my last review and this time I am going to make it up to you with three, count 'em - three mini reviews of the "David Hess trilogy" in chronological order:

Last House on the Left (1972)

Pretty Mari Collingwood (Sandra Cassel) lives out in the country with her parents, just turned 17 and with her friend, Phyllis they are going into town to see a concert and have a little fun. Krug, Sadie, Weasal and Jr. are criminals on the lam and are out to have a little fun as well. The two camps cross paths the baddies take the girls out to the woods to have ~~some~~ rape, humiliation and murder. Then, Krug (Hess) and company meet with car trouble and head to a nearby house to hideout for the night. The film then turns into a revenge film complete with some dumb, lighthearted moments to take some of the strain off because while one may argue their opinion of the film, most will agree that it is very stressful to watch.

The spunky, uplifting soundtrack was written and performed by Hess and gives the film a quirky personality even when all sorts of terrible things happen a few minutes later. There is also another song that is very somber and fitting for the scene of the film in which it plays. "Now You're All Alone" works very well in making the viewer come to a screeching halt from all of the intense torture that has just occurred and makes them reflect on how Mari has given up hope in being rescued.

Here's the song:

Hess' character, Krug is who really shines throughout the film by making us hate him as a vicious, sadistic man with the faintest bit of remorse (and I stress faintest). Although the other actors do fine jobs of not over-acting, (with the exception of the Sheriff and his sidekick) Hess has the charisma which cemented him as one of him as one of exploitation's greatest villians. This was Wes Craven's first film and while it wasn't necessarily scary, it was disturbing enough to make lots of waves as it was banned in the UK for twenty-two years.

I must say that I love this film because of its juxtaposition of lightheartedness, intimidation and the characters, especially Hess and Cassel who does her job well, making the viewer like her more than enough so they feel worse seeing terrible things happen to her. The violence and sex are obviously the exploited elements of this film and they work well with the comedic elements to make a perfect cult classic while making you think too.

4 1/2 Peace Signs (Out of 5)

Check Out the Trailer or BLOW YOUR BRAINS OUT:

Pick up the Blu-ray or DVD at Amazon:

Hitch-Hike (A.K.A. Death Drive and The Naked Prey) (1977)

Hitch-hike is quickly becoming one of my favorite films of all time!

Alcoholic journalist, Walter Mancini (Franco Nero) and his wife Eve (Corinne Cleary) whose marriage is hanging by a thread are on a road trip to Los Angeles. If that isn't enough they end up doing something your mother probably told you never to do a hundred times: They pick up a hitchhiker, Adam Konitz (Hess). Now, you are probably thinking to yourself, "I know where this is going" but you don't (unless you've seen this before)! Konitz had just escaped a mental institution and stole two million dollars with some partners and now he wants the Mancinis to drive him to Mexico. Then Konitz's partners return, take control of the Mancini's car and head for Mexico. Konitz kills his partners and gets his original ride back and ends up raping Eve but not after Walter shoots him dead.

As usual, I won't spoil the ending because you really should be watching this instead of Real Steal, but I am going to say that I found it refreshingly unconventional for the type of film it has been up to this point. When Hollywood tries to make endings like this, they always fail because it ends up coming off as cheesy or unconvincing because there is no self-identification with the characters. In Hitch-hike, even though you may not be going through the same emotions of dealing with a failed marriage, there's still a likeable connection to the characters which therefore makes you more sympathetic to them.

Most Hollywood films of this nature have characters that I could care less about so then I am anticipating their hardships and even deaths while I feel dirty and vulnerable because I paid $10.50 to see it.

What I love about this movie is that Hess is playing the character he knows best but has a different quality that isn't as balls out, hardcore sadistic as Krug in Last House on the Left. He playfully taunts Walter and Eve as they drive, making the couple reflect on themselves and their marriage. Although you may like them to a degree, it's Hess who ends up looking like the more put together person in the car, helping you to forget that he is playing "the bad guy" except when he shows it physically.

Of the three films, this is the one I have only seen once but that number will quickly increase.

4 1/2 Whiskey Bottles (Out of 5)

Check Out the Trailer but Watch the Road:

Pick up the DVD at Amazon:

House on the Edge of the Park (1980)

House on the Edge of the Park is an interesting film that I have gotten many things out of multiple viewings. While it may not be the strongest of the Hess trilogy that does not mean it is a bad film.

Alex (Hess) drives around at night in New York City and spots a pretty girl in a car beside him. He chases her down, brutally rapes her and takes a locket from around her neck before strangling her to death. Later, Alex is about to "go boogie" with his friend, Ricky who works as a mechanic at a garage. A young rich yuppie couple, Tom and Lisa drive their car inside and complains of engine trouble. Ricky quickly finds and fixes the problem. Tom and Lisa are grateful and invite him and Alex with them to a party they are headed to.

Once there, Alex and Ricky meet Tom and Lisa's friends, Gloria, Glenda and Howard. After some drinks, laughs and dancing, Ricky is humiliated by Gloria who asks him to do a drunken striptease while Lisa teases Alex with sexual advances. Ricky then plays a (rigged) card game with the hosts as Alex, upset about Ricky's treatment and Lisa's teasing, pulls a straight razor from his pocket, fights and end up tying Howard up to a table. Another simple plot, right?

What follows is one of the longest collections of scenes of constant abuse and humiliation by Alex and Ricky that can only really be rivaled by Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects. The stakes get higher as teenage neighbor, Cindy stops by to check on the party and is humiliated and cut all over her body by Alex.

Naturally, I won't reveal any more of the story since there isn't much to it, however there is a plot twist near the ending. While after suffering with these people for the last hour or so, the actual ending and resolution is a little drawn out but there is still much to think about in terms of similarities (if only a few) and differences between the upper and middle class. David Hess's performance is the only notable one here as everyone else isn't always as nonchalant at being terrified as he is terrifying.

Of course, Hess, who knows this role all too well is fantastic and yet there are a few differences for his character this time around, the thing about The House on the Edge of the Park is that you actually feel more sympathetic for Alex and Ricky up to a certain point, although that opinion may change a few times before the film is over.

This is also another film that may be hard to watch if you are offended and/or seriously disturbed by rape and sexual violence. I saw this film once when I was 13. A friend of mine knew it had a lot of female nudity and at that age I was intrigued, however now that the pubescent excitement of seeing naked women has faded into memory, now I see the underlining messages in House on the Edge of the Park when back then, when I was young, it was all about nudity.

3 1/2 Razors (Out of 5)

Join the Party and Check Out the Trailer:

Pick up the DVD at Amazon:

So there you have it: Three great films that showcase what "The Mad Hessian" at his best. There are other films David Hess has been in that are great so check out his filmography on IMDB.com and pick out some films that look interesting to you.

R.I.P. David - You will live on through the films and music which have undoubtedly made an impression on many people.

Myself and The Mad Hessian

1/16/10

Red State (2011)

2011-09-08T13:06:00.002-07:00

Now I know I said that I don't review current films but I believe that Kevin Smith's Red State is the second best film of the year after Hobo with a Shotgun. I usually only give you a little less than half of the plot but being that this is a new film, there may be some minor spoilers ahead so beware. Also, if you have any strong religious beliefs that you do not wish to have challenged, please stop reading now as this film deals very heavily with religion, specifically Catholicism.

Three teenagers respond to an online posting to gang bang a woman out in the countryside. Before arriving, they side swipe a parked car where Sheriff Wynan (the fantastic Stephen Root) sits, engaged in a sexual act with another man. The teens get frightened and leave the scene, heading for the woman's trailer. Sarah Cooper (Melissa Leo) greets the boys, gives them beers and tells them to disrobe. Before they can get their underwear off, all three pass out and later, Jared (Kyle Gallner) wakes up in a cloth-covered cage in the Five Points Church where Abin Cooper (the always amazing James Parks!) is giving a sermon to his congregation about America's corruption, sinners, homosexuality and the "end times". Among the twelve or so people in the church are Sarah Cooper, her daughter, Cheyenne (Kerry Bishé), husband, Caleb (Ralph Garman) and a few children. After the sermon, the children are led out of the room and Abin identifies a man saran wrapped to the cross in the middle of the room as a homosexual they found in an online chat room. The crucified man is shot in the head and dumped into the crawl space below where we see the other two teenagers, Travis (Michael Angarano) and Billy Ray (Nicholas Braun) who are still alive but bound to each other with heavy saran wrapping.

Sheriff Wynan returns to the station and tells his deputy to locate the countryside for the teens' car. Just as Cooper is binding Jared to the cross, he notices the deputy driving up to the compound and goes outside to have a chat with him. Travis and Billy Ray (the other two teens) free themselves and try to escape. Billy Ray runs into a small rooom filled with automatic weapons, grabs one and faces the door. Caleb runs into the room and the two end up shooting each other. The deputy hears the gunshots and calls Wynan for back-up but is shot and killed. Cooper then picks up the dead deputy's radio and tells Wynan that if he comes near the compound, he will tell his wife about his homosexual affairs. Wynan calls Special Agent, Keenan (John Goodman) of the ATF to secure the compound and free the hostages.

This is where I will stop because the last fourty-five minutes (cir.) of the film are more intense than the first fourty-five.

Now it's time to wax the actor's cars: Michael Parks deserves to win an Oscar for his performance here as does John Goodman. Both actors shine through Kevin Smith's well-written dialogue. Intentionally, Parks allows you to hate him, and rightfully so, playing a character that seemingly has no other morals other than his religious doctrine and even that is askew (pun intended for you Kevin Smith fans). His sermon before the killing of the first man is filled with a strong venom, masked as a loving, caring preacher while making jokes and small talk with the children in between his "gospel" of contempt for the non-religious heathens. John Goodman shines through as the conflicted ATF agent who wants to do the right thing while following orders in fear of him losing his job - which everyone with a job these days can understand. Goodman is crass but sensible and is the most conflicted character in the film, despite the other character's dilemmas. Melissa Leo is also fantastic as the faith-blinded daughter of Cooper who does a great job of making you hate her, and believe that she is simply bat shit crazy.

Kevin Smith previously dabbled with Christianity in his 1999 film, Dogma and while it was a fantasy comedy, Red State does not take itself lightly...at all. This is a very heavy-handed film and while there are laughs, they are far and few between as the drama and action elements take over. This is Smith's first serious film and I use the word "serious" in the sense that the film itself is serious, dealing with serious subjects and people in realistic life and death dilemmas that the slap-happy comedy parody Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back or any other Kevin Smith films didn't have. It's not that I do not like any of Smith's other films. Far from it. It's simply that this is a different type of Kevin Smith film and he knew exactly what he was doing from the moment he put the pen to the paper or the hands to the keyboard. In my opinion, it is his best film by far and I am partial to the first Clerks.

Now onto the plot: While dealing with a sensitive subject such as religion, Red State makes you fear those who show their extremist religious beliefs to the audience and that is what is bound to (and has previously) gotten Smith a lot of negative publicity.

Remember, there is no such thing as negative publicity!

Even when Dogma came out in 1999, there were protests by people who haden't even seen the film and yet they were judging it because of it's subject matter. The radical religious (and non radical alike) usually say that only God can judge people, but these people are willing to judge a film that is about God. Ironic isn't it?
A hate group, concealing itself as a Baptist church, known for their stance that "God hates fags" protested Red State's Sundance premier. Obviously they haven't even seen the film, but if they did, they would find some striking similarities between themselves and those depicted on the screen. According to TMZ.com, the Westboro Baptist church spokesperson said, "God hates fags, God hates fag enablers, therefore God hates Kevin Smith."[1] I don't know about you, but I love Kevin Smith and feel he deserves every freedom to make a film like this if he wants to.

Red State handles the issues of faith and spirituality with an automatic rifle blast to the heart and the brain, making the viewer ponder their own beliefs and opinions about Catholic dogma and the people who take it too far. Intense, entertaining and thought-provoking, Red State is by far one of the best films of 2011 and Kevin Smith's second best (behind Clerks).

5 Raised Hands (Out of 5)

Red State is currently available on VOD via iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, Vudu, Best Buy, Blockbuster, Comcast, Xbox 360, Zune, PS3 and any other VOD provider you can think of. Or just go to Cooper's Dell.

The Blu-ray and DVD will be released on October 18, 2011. Pre-Order it on Amazon:

Praise the Lord and Check Out the Trailer:

[1] TMZ.com

The Last Supper (1995)

2011-08-11T11:52:00.003-07:00

"If you're not a liberal at twenty you have no heart, if you're not a conservative by forty you have no brain." - Winston Churchill.

That said, this review is of the 1995 film, The Last Supper directed by Stacey Title.

Like everyone who has ever been to high school, I thought I knew it all even when it came to our sophomore film class. I had seen everything that was on our list of films to watch and I already knew what I was going to write about each film for each of our papers, scattered throughout the semester. One day, our teacher put The Last Supper in the VCR and I was amazed at how much I discovered about myself in terms of simple, independent film making as well as how myself and others felt about political issues. I also realized that I didn't know jack shit.

The Last Supper is about five liberal graduate students in Iowa who gather together and share meals with a guest and discuss issues about love, life and of course, politics. Jude (Cameron Diaz - in one of her only good roles), Pete (Ron Eldard), Paulie (The lovely Annabeth Gish), Marc (Jonathan Penner), and Luke (The underrated Courtney B. Vance). Pete's car breaks down on his way to one of their weekly dinners and is given a ride by Desert Storm veteran, Zack (Bill Paxton). The group offers him to stay for dinner and during the course of the meal, finds out that Zack is an outspoken racist, insulting the group and eventually attacking Marc who strikes back with a knife to Zack's back, killing him. Obviously, the group panics and eventually decides to not speak of the incident again and to bury the body in the backyard, under a tomato plant.

Marc and Luke end up convincing the group that Zack was an evil person and come to the conclusion that hypothetically, if they could go back in time and kill Adolf Hitler before he spilled his evil on the world, they would. Why not discover and dispose of the would-be Hitlers before they can unleash their reign of terror upon the world?

The five decide to poison a bottle of wine and leave another untouched; if the person they invite to dinner seems as if they would commit atrocious crimes against humanity, then they give them a glass of the poisoned wine and bury them in the backyard. Some of the dinner guests include Charles Durning, Mark Harmon and Jason Alexander. A local sheriff (Nora Dunn) is investigating the case of a missing little girl discovers an abandoned truck in the woods and she eventually traces the truck to Zack, who is a prime suspect in the missing girl case as well as a convicted sex offender. The group rationalizes their first killing and feels that they've done their job well, protecting the world from scumbags like Zack.

The killing continues, the tomato garden grows and seemingly, no dinner guest is spared. Eventually the sheriff begins getting suspicious and the group ends up running into a popular conservative talk celebrity played by the always great Ron Perlman, who is obviously based on Rush Limbaugh.

As a teenager in 1998, my first reaction to the character's actions was positive. I agreed with many of the issues they talked about and killed others over so my enjoyment of the film was complemented with my idealistic ideals about the world and politics and so on; I enjoyed it more because I identified with them to a degree. Now, after having not seen the film in almost ten years, I can say that what they were doing was every which way but right. I admire their intentions, however, they come off now as children who are so involved with their cause that they forget to look at other aspects of their plot such as everyone's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, not to mention the consequences, both human and legal. What I find amazing is how much my views of the issues brought to the table (pun intended) have changed and I simply chalk it up to my own always-changing personal growth as well as the always-changing world we live in. I do not agree with our main characters or any of their guests 100% and since there is an certain charm to being young and idealistic, I do not see my 17 year old self as dumb, only naive and not the hardened person I have become now.

Enough of that and back to the film itself! The cast of The Last Supper is excellent even down to its cameos who are always a joy to watch. Courtney B. Vance of Law & Order fame ends up stealing the show in the last act and proves his chops worthy of film, which in my opinion is where he belongs because I detest TV and see it as an inferior medium. In a rare case, Cameron Diaz takes a backseat and actually proves herself to be a good actress. As Jude, Diaz shows that she can be an actress, rather than a celebrity; her bitterness seeps through her pores and while she may not be the most likeable member of the group, she is the one with a decent head on her shoulders. Bill Paxton is especially great as an over-bearing racist and war veteran. Paxton does such a good job of making you believe that he is that character and not the likeable guy from Apollo 13 and Titanic (or Aliens for that matter). He plays it so well, you end up hating him to the point where you could see yourself killing him. Ron Perlman, as usual does what he does best, which is take any role and adds a hardened seriousness that is believable and captivating, especially since his screen-time is very sparse.

There isn't much else to say about the film without ruining the experience for you but I can say that there is a good original soundtrack by Mark Mothersbaugh and the film is not completely serious; there are a few laughs and some that lie underneath its surface, as well as others that make you question yourself for laughing. When the end credits begin to roll, you will agree with me that even if you didn't agree with any of the characters in The Last Supper, you will be able to say that it made you think.

3 1/2 Tomatoes (Out of 5)

Have Some Wine and Check Out the Trailer:

Pick Up the DVD on Amazon:

st Supp

In the Soup (1992)

2011-06-27T02:46:00.002-07:00

If you read this blog regularly, odds are you are into film more than the casual viewer. If you are into film, then you will identify and most likely enjoy this review of Alexandre Rockwell's 1992 indie flick, In the Soup.

Steve Buscemi plays Aldolpho Rollo, an aspiring filmmaker (who isn't these days, eh?) who has an epic screenplay, Unconditional Surrender, that he wants to make into his cinematic masterpiece - the one he'll be remembered for. Of course Aldolpho lives in a crappy apartment in NYC and struggles to make ends meet as it is, let alone has the money to make his film so he puts an ad in the classifieds, selling his screenplay. Joe, played by veteran character actor, Seymour Cassell, a big time (possibly ex-mob) hustler replies to the ad and wants to buy Aldolpho's script and help finance his film. Joe's methods of obtaining capital and his over-zealous lifestyle catch Aldolpho off-guard, yet for his love of the filmmaking, Aldolpho goes along with Joe's methods of madness. Joe's outgoing attitude combined with his paranoid meathead of a brother, Skippy (Will Patton) and girlfriend, Dang (Pat Moya) add to Aldolpho's squeamishness about becoming "In the soup" with Joe. Beautiful Angelica (Jennifer Beals) who lives next door to Aldolpho could care less about him or his movie, yet Aldolpho fantasizes about making her his leading lady in life and in his film.

Since this film has such a basic plot, I will not tell you any more, but I will say that the characters make this movie interesting and loveable. Steve Buscemi plays Aldolpho perfectly and reminds me of a time in my life when I was very impressionable and thought I knew everything about movies. Aldolpho is reserved and nervous, yet confident about his filmmaking and writing skills. Seymour Cassell is at his finest as Joe thanks to his over-confidence and playfulness. From the moment he meets Aldolpho, he impacts his life and makes him a more confidant person. Jennifer Beals plays Angelica with a great cold shoulder and at times she even makes you want to hate her for being so snobbish to Aldolpho. She is not easily impressed by Aldolpho and is very mysterious and off-putting towards him as beautiful girls often are towards the shy, lonely cinephile. There are also great small roles played by Jim Jarmusch, Carol Kane, Stanley Tucci and Sam Rockwell.

Besides the acting, the character development, and the story, what makes In the Soup work is the overall spirit of the film. Anyone who has ever wanted to make a film will sympathize and connect with Aldolpho. Anyone who has ever been in an uncomfortable situation while the other person doesn't have a care in the world can also agree with Aldolpho. Joe's lightheartedness and often youthful carelessness makes Aldolpho uneasy, while teaching him to not take everything in life so seriously and that the things a person wants in life aren't that hard to obtain. He also acts as a father figure to him and is taken back by Aldolpho's enthusiasm and passion for film even if he is a casual viewer.

There is an especially funny scene where Aldolpho reads the in-depth shot by shot, overly artsy, Renoir-like screenplay to Joe, who finds it boring and overwhelming after only four pages.

Through the course of this film, Aldolpho introverted personality and inhibitions begin to vanish and he eventually learns that films don't have to be complicated, artsy and full of symbolism. He learns to keep it simple and focus on the emotions that are exhibited by the characters on the screen and those that are felt by the viewer, watching that film.

Sometimes less is more and in the case of In the Soup itself, that remains true. There were even times during my second viewing of this film that I wondered if Alexandre Rockwell actually had a "Joe" in his life and that this film was semi-autobiographical.

What I love about In the Soup is that it pumps you full of dopamine and makes you feel good about yourself. Its lightheartedness is enjoyable and fun to watch. The characters, especially Joe and Aldolpho and including Angelica, help to guide this film into your heart and brain. Even though it is a black and white film and mostly composed of dialogue, In the Soup is definitely a casual film disguised as an arthouse film. That doesn't mean you should check your email, Facebook or Twitter while watching because like a good action film that you don't want to miss a second of, here the characters are what you don't want to miss.

4 1/2 Screenplays (Out of 5)

Check Out the Trailer and Buy My Screenplay:

Pick Up the DVD on Amazon:

This picture is for Blake!

2011-2012 Movie Season

2011-06-20T02:30:00.000-07:00

In the interest of doing something different (and proving that I am not completely against modern films) I am going to give you a list of my most anticipated movies for the next year and a half. Here they are in order of release:

The Thing (2011) - October 14

This sounded like a bad idea when I heard about it but after reading script reviews and spy reports I am actually giving this more than a snowball's chance in hell - pun intended. I hear that alongside Joel Edgerton and the insanely gorgeous Mary Elizabeth Winstead that the ill-fated Norwegians are the main characters with 1980s style clothing and technology and that the Thing itself isn't (or shouldn't) come off as cheesy. Unless I see something otherwise that makes this look like a steaming pile of crap, count me in for October 14th.

Here's a bootleg trailer!

The Dark Knight Rises - July 20, 2012

Christopher Nolan and company are back and there's really nothing else left to say except, unless I'm dead, I'm there!

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - December 14, 2012

What can I say? I loved The Lord of the Rings trilogy and have complete faith in Peter Jackson to stay as truthful to The Hobbit as he did with LOTR while still making an epic and entertaining film.

Django Unchained - December 25, 2012

Quentin Tarantino's upcoming spaghetti western about a freed slave and a German bounty hunter (the amazing Christoph Waltz - Col. Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds) go on a blood-spattered rampage to free his slave wife from an evil plantation owner...'nuff said!

The Master - TBA (Late) 2012

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix star in an ode to organized religions (more specifically L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology).

I'll watch anything by Paul Thomas Anderson and especially after seeing some of the sets in person this past week on Vallejo's own Mare Island, I can only say that I can't wait!

For the most part that is it! Now, that's not to say that there could be a few gems I might enjoy here and there but the films listed above are all a must see - Unless I die a tragic death from head-on crash or flying off a cliff or getting trapped under a gas truck (that's the worst) or beheading due to falling glass from a truck carrying glass...

...like this guy...

...I will be watching these films on opening day; you can take that to the bank!

I will be back soon with another review for all five of you who salivate for more!

Shallow Grave (1994)

2011-06-07T17:41:00.004-07:00

Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, 127 Hours and Slumdog Millionaire are films often associated with their director, Danny Boyle who is arguably one of the most influential directors of the 21st century. What you might not know is that Boyle's first film, Shallow Grave is an often overlooked masterpiece.

Three friends and roommates, David Stevens (Christopher Eccleston of Gone in 60 Seconds (2000) and G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra), Juliet Miller (Kerry Fox) and Alex Law (Ewan McGregor - who needs no introduction) need another roommate to fill a vacant room in their spacious apartment. After numerous perspective tenants, Hugo (Keith Allen) shows up and seems suspiciously too good to be true, yet ultimately, they let him rent him the room anyway. After not hearing or seeing Hugo for a while, David, Juliet and Alex break down his door, stumble onto his corpse, the heroin he overdosed on. They also find a briefcase full of money...a lot of money. The three decide to keep the money and get rid of Hugo's corpse. David, a mild-mannered, but ill-tempered accountant is given the task of removing the arms, legs and teeth so the body cannot be identified, and burying the rest in the woods. David begins to suffer from depression and the guilt behind the body and the money. He then locks himself in the attic along with the case of money and becomes paranoid of anyone, including Alex and Juliet. Two gangsters looking for Hugo torture people until they find the apartment; they break in, assaulting Alex and Juliet. David gets the drop on them, killing them and eventually burying their bodies in the same fashion as Hugo. The police get involved and begin sniffing around the apartment, hinting that they know something is wrong.

As usual, I will only say that it's up to you to enjoy what follows, as I don't like spoiling movies for others. First off, you may think that this is a standard paint-by-numbers "People-Find-Lots-of-Money-and-Don't-Trust-Each-Other" film which it is, however it is done with such fine technique that it is very satisfying and often subtly funny. It is a mystery/thriller but it is also a black comedy and as most black comedies the humor ranges from being very conspicuous as well as being subtle. There are times where you, the viewer may think you know where the plot is going to go and sometimes it's right where you thought. Other times, a curveball will come out of nowhere, catching the confidant and most jaded of thriller fans off guard.

This was Ewan McGregor's second film and shows off his acting chops, proving that he knows what to do with a character. In this case, his character is young, obnoxious, ambitious and even naive. McGregor ends up with most of the comic relief mostly due to the fact that the other characters are more levelheaded. With simply a few stiff strides from the kitchen to the front door as he hurriedly leaves to go to work, Eccleston lets the viewer know how tense David is as he verbally fends off Alex's annoying, mundane questions with quick, sharp replies. His subtle facial expressions also do his character well, as he is one of those people who don't have to say anything to tell you that he is tense and constantly thinking and analyzing every option. Once he disposes of Hugo's body and hides away in the attic, Eccleston gives us plenty of character development to ponder what his true motives are and it is with him that a lot of the intrigue and suspense in the second and third act of the film come from. Kerry Fox plays her part with that of a mother figure, who is grounded in reality, yet wants to have fun and get David to relax a little. She often is the one who tries to diffuse the banter between David and Alex while trying to diffuse tense situations as the characters' situation becomes more complex.

Danny Boyle shows that even long ago before many knew whom he was, that he knew what he was doing behind the camera. Others have said that Shallow Grave is very Hitchcockian and I can say that I think that is exactly what Boyle wanted and what he produced. Written by John Hodge, who had the daunting task of turning Irvine Welsh's novel into the Trainspotting screenplay keeps us interested in his characters while making us like them, become annoyed by and ultimately doubt them. Dialogue (as well as the music and cinematography) in the first act is very up beat and enjoyable and by the second and third act, everything turns dismal and suspenseful.

The cinematography by Brian Tufano, who also gave Trainspotting its own unique look, gives us great standard angles as well as some different, refreshing takes on cinematography in the thriller genre. Lighting plays a key role in this film as well: When David, Juliet and Alex are drawing straws to determine who will get the job of chopping up Hugo, their hands (and straws) are lit by the simple glow of their van's headlights. In the same scene, there is an oversaturation of red light that comes from the rear brake lights of their van which is duplicated in the entire frame when David ends up doing the dirty work.

Overall, Shallow Grave ranks among my top 25 films of all-time and if you are sick of contrived thrillers and plot twists that involve split personalities, clones, double agents and the like, check this film out! It may not have an all-star cast, explosions or CGI but it does have a damn good plot and characters to guide you through it. Remember that this was an independent film that was shot in thirty days and I have even read that the budget was so tight that during filming, many of the props had to be auctioned off in order for the crew to afford film stock.

5 Shovels (Out of 5)

Check Out the Trailer:

Pick up the DVD on Amazon:

Hobo with a Shotgun

2011-05-19T21:23:00.000-07:00

The best movie of 2011, Hobo with a Shotgun will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on July 5th and if you don't buy it I'm gonna sleep in your bloody carcasses tonight!

You can check out my original review of the unapologetic refreshing homage to exploitation films here:

My Original 'Hobo with a Shotgun' Review

You can also purchase the DVD/Blu-Ray that comes fully loaded with special features including:

- Making of Featurette

- Behind the Scenes Interactive "Shotgun" Film Mode

- Alternate Ending/Deleted Scenes

- Video Blogs

- Original Trailer, 2011 Trailers and TV Spots

- Commentary with Director, Jason Eisener, Star, Rutger Hauer...and More!

Hobo with a Shotgun Blu-ray

Hobo with a Shotgun DVD

Hobo with a Shotgun 2 Disc DVD (with Digital Copy!)

Here's the Release Flyer:

Check Out the 2011 Trailer:

"Mother Teresa is a goddamn SAINT!"

Curdled (1996)

2011-05-09T07:47:00.001-07:00

I apologize for my lack of reviews for the past couple weeks, but I was recently laid off from my job and needed time to lay around and watch more movies. So without further ado, I give you my review of Reb Braddock's Curdled.

Curdled began as a student film that was screened at a film festival in Italy. The film caught Quentin Tarantino's eye and with his help, was made into a feature-length film written and directed by the original writing/directing team of writer John Maass and director, Reb Braddock. The original 30-minute student film starred Angela Jones, an unknown theater actress whom Quentin loved so much that he wanted to star in the feature length film. After seeing her in this film, Tarantino cast Jones as the cab driver, Esmarelda Villalobos in "The Gold Watch" segment of Pulp Fiction. Curdled was released through Tarantino's Rolling Thunder Pictures banner in 1996.

Here's the plot: Paul Guell (William Baldwin), nicknamed the Blue Blood Killer whose Modus operandi is to seduce and murder the wealthy women of Miami by decapitation. Murder intrigues Gabriella (Angela Jones) and she is especially interested in the Blue Blood case. She takes a job at PFCS - a cleaning service that cleans up murder scenes, including some of the Blue Blood scenes. She becomes very fascinated with the work, making some of her co-workers suspicious of her morbid curiosity with the crime scenes. Paul's last victim has left a clue to his identity at his last crime scene - Which is Gabriella's first Blue Blood cleaning job. She is immediately obsessed with how it happened and begins taking her work home with her in the form of stolen files and diagrams from PFCS so she can study every aspect of the killer's actions.

This of course, leads her co-worker and trainer, Elena (Mel Gorham) to suspect that Gabriella is not mentally stable or well suited for the job. While Gabriella cleans a bloody disgusting crime scene, she talks to Elena about growing up around a bakery and how she loves the children's story, "Hansel and Gretel" all while blowing and popping her bubble gum. Gabriella's friend, Eduardo (Bruce Ramsay) who would like to be more than friends, is also taken back by Gabriella's obsessive interest in the murders but pursues her anyway. Meanwhile, Paul tries to figure out how to remove the evidence that would convict him before Gabriella or anyone else sees it. Now, as usual, I will stop talking about the plot because ruining films by giving you the whole plot isn't my style, although I will say that Gabriella ends up having a run-in with the Blue Blood killer.

For a low budget film, Curdled works well on a number of levels. The premise is simple; there are good levels of humor and suspense, not to mention enough plot and character development to keep the viewer interested. Most importantly, Angela Jones' performance is stellar. She brings a childish curiosity to murder that makes you wonder about her psyche and at the same time, accept her as a real character that I can see why Quentin Tarantino loved her so much and fought to keep her. Jones gives you enough to like Gabriella, fear for her and even question her motives at times.

The supporting cast is great, especially the crew of PFCS who lend a great hand in helping us believe the seriousness of what the do for a living. Barry Corbin (of TV's Northern Exposure) plays Gabriella's boss at PFCS and does a good job of lending some dry humor as does Mel Gorham as Elena who lends an over-worked cynical hand in training the eager and overly excited Gabriella. Daisy Fuentes, Lois Chiles (Moonraker, Creepshow 2) have small roles, as well as Kelly Preston who lends some brief satirical moments as she hosts an America's Most Wanted rip-off complete with a small blip referencing the Geko Brothers (George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino from From Dusk til Dawn).

William Baldwin is decent enough as the Blue Blood killer, even though he does deliver some lines with a little too much tongue-in-cheek. When he tells a victim, "Don't stop looking at me" I wondered if his delivery was to intentionally make the viewer to laugh or if it was unintentional; to this day, I believe it is the latter. That isn't to say that his entire performance is laughable or even bad. Baldwin portrays his debonair serial killer role in such a way that allow the viewer to hate him as well as times where the viewer can even generally like his character. I have never been a fan of William Baldwin, but in his scenes with Gabriella, their characters bounce so well off of each other that there is a noticeable chemistry and an obvious tension between the two. While both actors shine in their own ways, Jones still remains the standout.

Don't get me wrong, the plot, screenwriting and pacing of Curdled are utterly fantastic, not to mention there is a lot of dark humor and all of the supporting characters do their jobs well, however I cannot stress enough how good of a performance Angela Jones gives. I'm very surprised that her film career hasn't taken off because she is a terrific leading actress who can really carry the viewer through a story. I am also amazed that writer/director Reb Braddock hasn't done much with his career as well because he can tell a good story and keep the viewer interested and entertained.

This is a great independent film that is very underrated and should have gone a lot further than it did. Thankfully, this is why home video and this blog are great because hopefully now Curdled can reach a bigger audience. If you aren't a Quentin Tarantino fan, don't let that stop you from watching this film because the only thing you see of him is his picture for about six seconds. If you are a fan of black comedy and/or interesting characters you owe it to yourself to watch Curdled at least once.

The DVD has a plethora of special features including the original 30 minute film, a shorter test version, deleted scenes, director/producer commentary, behind the scenes special, Quentin Tarantino intro and outro, promotional material and the full versions of the commercials, movie and TV show seen within the film. All have introductions by director, Reb Braddock.

4 Knives (Out of 5)

NOTE: I could not find a trailer online, however I have found a good scene to watch that will leave you thirsty for more!

Pick up the DVD from Amazon:

Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

2011-04-21T17:51:00.005-07:00

This week's flick is quite the gem! Brian DePalma's 1974 rock musical, Phantom of the Paradise!

A combination of Phantom of the Opera, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Faust, Phantom of the Paradise is in no way a perfect film but it sure is fun to watch! While it was released a year after The Rocky Horror Show stage musical and preceded The Rocky Horror Picture Show by a year, they both have a similar quality and will ensure an enjoyable experience!

Paul Williams stars as Swan - a mysterious and enigmatic musical genius who runs his record company, Death Records with an iron fist. William Finney plays Winslow Leach, a composer/musician who plays his opera, "Faust" as back-up to Swan's nostalgia group, The Juicy Fruits. Swan loves the music and wants to use it to open his version of a musical Disneyland, The Paradise. Swan's assistant, Philbin (the late, great George Memmoli) steals Winslow's music under the guise of a record contract and when Winslow hasn't heard back from Swan, he goes to Death Records to inquire and is kicked out. Later, Winslow goes to The Swanage (Swan's mansion) to see a line of women rehearsing his song. Winslow meets aspiring singer, Phoenix (Jessica Harper) and after hearing her sing it, believes she is the best pick to sing his opera.

Winslow is kicked out of The Swanage after two cops, called by Swan plant drugs on him and he is whisked away to Sing-Sing for life. Once there, Winslow loses his teeth which are replaced with metal ones thanks to a prisoner program funded by Swan. After hearing his music sang by The Juicy Fruits on the radio, Winslow loses it, escapes Sing-Sing and heads to Death Records where he tries to destroy everything, including a record press which he accidentally falls into, deforming his face and destroying his voice. Winslow crawls to the ocean and falls in, never to be seen again.

Back at The Paradise, Winslow sneaks in and steals a costume and a mask to hide his newly deformed face - becoming The Phantom. While Swan is watching The Beach Bums (formerly The Juicy Fruits) rehearse, Winslow plants a bomb in the prop car, nearly killing them. Later, Swan sees a security tape and recognizes Winslow. Swan confronts Winslow, promising him the chance to get his music heard again and Winslow agrees on the condition that his cantata is done his way with only Phoenix singing. Swan wants Winslow to re-write his cantata for Phoenix and makes Winslow sign a record contract in blood because "ink isn't worth anything [to me]." Winslow is then locked in a room with a bevy of pills and paper so he can re-write his cantata. After it is completed, Swan orders the room to be permanently sealed up with Winslow inside. Threatened by Phoenix's perfection, Swan replaces her with a glam rock star named Beef (Gerrit Graham) and makes Phoenix a back-up singer. After awaking to find out he has been betrayed, Winslow breaks out of the room and threatens Beef with death to anyone (except Phoenix) who sings his cantata. Pressured by Philbin, Beef goes on anyway and is killed by Winslow while the crowd cheers; giving Phoenix the spontaneous chance to sing. Phoenix is met with screaming and thunderous applause.

As usual, I can't say much more as it would ruin the experience, but from here on, the film gets stranger and stranger. There is so much to say about this film that I don't know where to begin so I will start with the obvious - The music. Written by Paul Williams, the songs are a great addition to this film and are the backbone of what makes it fun, zany and emotionally gripping. From The Juicy Fruits' take on 50's rock/pop bands, The Beach Bums' riff on surf music and finally The Undead's glam-rock/horror pop, most of these songs will be stuck in your head for a while. The very last song in the film, "The Hell of It" is one of my personal all-time favorites. The song Phoenix sings after Beef is killed, "Old Souls" is sung perfectly by Jessica Harper (who now sings children's songs). You can really feel her passion for singing in her voice and when the curtain drops, in iris-in, Phoenix smiles to herself with great accomplishment and you can't help but feel happy for her.

Being a Brian DePalma film, Phantom is definitely a very visual film, however more so in terms of mise en scène. Although a lot of the angles are standard, there are some interesting shots and visuals. DePalma's use of split-screen is never over-used and never done without purpose. The scene where Winslow plants the bomb in the car for The Juicy Fruits' rehearsal keeps your eyes bouncing back and forth between frames, while wondering what is going to happen (even though I already told you, so it's more of a "When is it going to happen?") Even though this is one of his earlier films, you can tell that his visual eye is something he has always had, which he has perfected over the years.

The acting is over the top and it's definitely deliberate. DePalma wanted this to be a fun ride that didn't take itself too seriously but in doing that, he did succeed on making the characters likeable, giving this film a slightly serious tone. Take the scene where Winslow is trying to destroy the record press: When he is knocking boxes of records over and flailing about, you might be laughing and even when his face gets stuck in the record press, you may still be laughing but once you see how much he is suffering, you may not be laughing as much because Winslow is the protagonist, even if he is a silly protagonist.

Paul Williams is perfectly cast as Swan and he brings a delightful vileness, mixed with a false sense of trust to the character. Being in the music industry definitely helped Williams play this role with perfection. Jessica Harper is by far the best here, giving us just enough of a character that we can sympathize and empathize with and when she sings, we, the viewers listen and even root for her because we want to see her succeed. Near the end Harper gets a little extreme with her deliveries and over-emotes but I chalk that up to that's what DePalma was going for. Gerrit Graham is superb as Beef; this guy is over the top and then some! Playing a drug-addicted prim a-donna rock star, I find it fantastic that Graham delivered all of his lines with complete seriousness (the dressing room/shower scene especially). Lastly, I need to mention William Finney who plays Winslow/The Phantom with such homeliness that through all of his cheesy lines and slap-stick actions is a character who you sympathize with because he is just trying to make his dreams come true and everywhere he turns, he is rejected and spit on. When he first appears as The Phantom, Finney gives us enough anger and angst that we want to see him succeed even more; Finney lets you into his life as Winslow and makes you side with him as The Phantom.

Phantom of the Paradise was billed as a horror rock musical but I didn't see too many horror elements, although Psycho is spoofed. I see it more as a psychedelic musical rock opera romance but no matter how you categorize it, it's still about [music and] "the man who made it, the girl who sang it...and the monster who stole it."

The film did poorly in theaters back in 1974 but has now gained a cult following. There was even a festival organized by fans called, "Phantompalooza" which reunited the cast with Paul Williams performing in concert. There is even a mega fan site at: http://www.SwanArchives.org which is filled with information on everything about the film. Check it out! Phantom of the Paradise is available on DVD for a modest price and is worth every penny!

All in all, this film is full of fantastic music, characters and visual eye candy. Suspend your disbelief as soon as you put this film into your player. The plot does throw a few curve balls your way and while you may be thinking things don't make sense and that it's a silly film, but when the last song begins and the end credits role, there will be no doubt in your mind that it was a fun ride!

5 Dead Birds (Out of 5)

Check Out the Trailer or Become the Phantom's Next Victim!

Pick up the DVD on Amazon:

Pick up the Soundtrack on Amazon:

Body Parts (1991)

2011-04-13T18:46:00.003-07:00

After seeing this at my neighborhood used record store for a mere $3.95, I had to pick it up and give it a spin and I'm glad I did.

Jeff Fahey (The Lawnmower Man, Grindhouse, Machete, TV's Lost) plays Bill Chrushank, a criminal psychologist and college professor who loses his right arm in a car crash. On the operating table he accepts the offer from Dr. Webb (Lindsay Duncan) to have his arm replaced with a donor's. Once Chrushank returns home to his family, he begins noticing physical and psychological effects he attributes to his new arm. Chrushank finds out that his new arm once belonged to a psychopathic killer who was on death row and recently executed. Chrushank then finds out that two other men were recipients of the donor - One had both his legs replaced and enjoys playing basketball while the other, a painter (Brad Dourif who is great as usual) who now paints violent pictures while selling them for small fortunes. Both men dismiss Fahey's warnings about their new body parts (!) and like everyone else, consider him crazy.

As usual, I'm not going to give away any more of the plot because everything I review here should be watched with a minimal amount of spoilers to further enhance your experience. I will say that this is a pretty basic film in terms of camera work, angles and lighting but do not let that sway you from watching it because what's really crucial here are the characters and the story. The story does get a little ridiculous but what else could you expect from a film called, Body Parts? This is definitely a psychological horror/thriller that will have you immersed in the characters while screaming with joy at the over-the-top blood and violence.

Fahey delivers the serious acting chops here by playing a family man who is content with his personal life, yet not with his professional life. He dislikes what he does for a living and once he receives his new arm, he is hell-bent on finding out the history behind the man it was previously attached to as well as Dr. Webb's motives for attaching it to him. This is another film where the main character goes balls-out trying to uncover a mystery while destroying him emotionally and physically. Over the course of the film, you can really see Chrushank's mental state transforming as it builds from a snowball into an avalanche as he tries to control his physical actions and his emotions, while letting his inhibitions go to put an end to his own personal hell.

Brad Dourif can do no wrong (except maybe Prophecy 3 or Halloween II) but as usual, he can make a bad film better by his acting; he really makes the second act come alive and lends a bit of sadistic humor. Playing Remo Lacey, a man who only sold basic paintings of parks and mountains to doctors offices, now has the other arm of the deceased killer and paints pictures of terror and horror while becoming a hit in the art world. He loans a shrill counter personality to Fahey's and doesn't care about the horrible effects because he's a success thanks to it.

All in all, this is a great film that was overlooked back in 1991 and while it's not perfect, it deserved more acclaim that it got for its characters and off-the-wall plot. Thanks to DVD, Body Parts has developed a small cult following and hopefully over time it will grow. Check it out!

The DVD is now out of print along with a large number of Paramount DVDs so don't expect to find it online cheap. Support your local used record/movie stores and get it for cheap!

3 1/2 Severed Hands (Out of 5)

Check Out the Trailer or Lose An Arm!

Pick up the DVD on Amazon:

Hobo With A Shotgun (2011)

2011-04-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

I know I'm breaking the rules again and while this film was released this year, I feel it needs a review on this blog due to it's lasting impression on my mind and the spirit in which it was made with. It also has my vote of best film of the year even though the year is not even over yet (I doubt something this good will come along in the next eight months that will blow me away as much as this film did).

Originally among a set of fake trailers shown on Canadian prints of Grindhouse (2007), Hobo with a Shotgun was a fun trailer to see on YouTube but it left us wanting more, although we thought not much more could come out of such a great trailer. Robert Rodriguez turned his Machete trailer into a feature film which worked as a exploitation film, but it felt like Rodriguez was hitting the proverbial political nail too hard and that's where I lost interest. Hobo with a Shotgun hits the exploitation nail perfectly on the head while beating the spiked hammer right through your skull!

As usual (and how it should be) the plot is simple: A homeless man credited only as "Hobo" (Rutger Hauer) has arrived in a new town and wants to buy a lawnmower and start his own mowing company so he can be somebody. A crime kingpin called "The Drake" and his two sons keep the town's (mostly sleazy) citizens at bay with fear so Hobo decides to get a shotgun instead and clean house vigilante style. A hooker with a heart of gold named Abby (Molly Dunsworth - who is absolutely terrific!) takes Hobo under her wing and lends a sensitive yang to Hobo's rough ying. Rutger Hauer plays the roll perfectly and amid all of the cheesiness, makes you believe his lot in life as a hobo, which hopefully gives Hauer and other filmmakers a chance to better utilize him. First time feature director, Jason Eisener knows what he's doing with this film and I hope he continues making movies like these because finally, once again, there is a market for them.

As far as plot is concerned, there's not much more to tell because it is so simple and what counts here is the performances, the Carpenter-like soundtrack, the schlock and of course, the violence! Oh, sweet, over-the-top bloody violence! There are so many things in this film that cannot be ruined and a second or third viewing is a must due to how much there is to take in. For now, I can only say that there are tons of new classic one-liners, obligatory over the top violence, bad guys on ice skates, shotgun kills, a bad-ass mercenary duo called “The Plague,” cocaine and an octopus (yes, your read that right, an octopus)!

I have read online that there are a lot of people complaining about the acting so obviously these people have never seen an exploitation film and don't know what they are talking about. Remember, this is the internet where every idiot (including myself) has a voice. The over-the-top acting was mostly unintentional in classic exploitation films but is completely intentional in Hobo by adding to the schlock-fest that it intends to be. Of course, as I mentioned before, the stand-out is Hauer and how seriously he takes the role of the hobo even in a film that is rough around the edges on purpose. Even his nonchalant mannerisms as a homeless man gave me a good chuckle: In the beginning of the film as Hobo is aboard a cargo train, entering the city he waves to a stopped car - Fucking classic!

Even though this film has been released this year among hordes of 3D children's movies, PG-13 "horror" movies, sparkling vampires and paint-by-number rom coms, it is not apologetic about its viciousness and keeps you salivating and wanting more. More movies like this need to be released and I am glad it came out. Hopefully it will show Hollywood what they are lacking: Good old-fashioned fun that doesn't censor itself and doesn't use the same old formulas that moviegoers are bored of. Watching Hobo with a Shotgun gave me the same charge of cinematic love and creativity that I got when I saw Grindhouse in theaters back in 2007. Movies were fun again.

A good film is like a big puddle of water with so many subtleties that our brains need to soak it up like a sponge. I need to see Hobo with a Shotgun again to soak it up some more, although I already appreciate it for what it is: A great riff on exploitation films that purposely doesn't take itself seriously and is one hell of a ride!

Hobo with a Shotgun is currently available On Demand and through X Box 360 / Zune, The Playstation Network, iTunes, European theaters now, Canadian theaters on May 25th, and in selected USA theaters on May 6th. If you like exploitation films do yourself a favor and watch it now!

Seriously, watch it NOW!

"I'm gonna sleep in your bloody carcasses tonight!"

5 Shotguns (Out of 5)

I've added both trailers. First, the original Canadian version shown at SXSW and the 2011 unrated feature film. Watch them both!

Links at the bottom to watch the movie!

Official Site:

http://www.hobowithashotgun.com/

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/HOBO-WITH-A-SHOTGUN/105517406157831

Rent it on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Hobo-Shotgun-Pre-Theatrical-Rental/dp/B004UP3D8M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1302228106&sr=1-1

Rent it on Zune / X Box 360:

http://social.zune.net/movies/Hobo-With-a-Shotgun/79e34ee3-926e-42a8-97e5-c00379c2bc3d

Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974)

2011-04-01T16:58:00.002-07:00

DISCLAIMER: This is not an April Fool's post. I considered reviewing something current like Battle: Los Angeles or The Lincoln Lawyer, but I couldn't bring myself to writing about a shitty movie which would make me depressed and sad. So I decided to write about a really good movie - one of my all time favorites.

Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry begins with NASCAR driver, Larry (Peter Fonda) and his mechanic, Deke (Adam Roarke) planning on robbing a grocery store manager (Roddy McDowall in an unaccredited role) via a hostage situation involving his wife and daughter so they can finance their careers in the auto industry. The morning before the job, Larry quietly leaves his motel room and his one night stand, Mary (Susan George) still sleeping in the bed. The two men complete the job successfully and are about to make their getaway when they are confronted by Mary who wants to tag along or she will turn them in. The two men reluctantly agree and they drive off as the Sheriff (Vic Morrow) begins hunting them. The trio change cars and evade the police successfully until the sheriff begins pursuit in a helicopter.

Naturally, I hate to ruin films for those who haven't seem them so this is as much as I will say regarding the simple plot which leaves more room to focus on the characters and the chase scenes. For me, what makes this film great is its spirit. It doesn't take itself too seriously and for the few moments that it does, the following scene is a funny one or an exciting chase sequence. I will say that the ending of Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry is one of the best emotionally driven and overall best endings ever committed to film. When the tires have cooled off, the characters and the actors playing them are what contributes to the film's great spirit and for me personally, are what makes the film more enjoyable.

Peter Fonda is the guy you can identify with the most because besides from the robbery business which he is just dabbling in, he is your classic everyman who just wants a shot at doing what he's best at: Driving (and being a smart ass in a way that Fonda seems to be enjoying in this role). The chemistry between Larry and Deke is fantastic: You can tell that they are good friends by the way they talk to each other and once Mary comes into the mix, there is a slight undertone of tension due to Deke's dislike of Mary and Larry's playfulness towards her. The characters of Larry and Mary themselves bounce off of each other thanks to their snappy and witty dialogue. They bicker at each other like brother and sister or a couple who have been together for a long time while "Honeymoon Stage" is still in effect. Susan George does a wonderful job of playing Mary, the troubled girl who is just looking for fun. She pushes Larry's buttons with great precision that you just want to see more of the two of them in other situations in life. The late Vic Morrow is spectacular as the sheriff chasing the trio and he plays his part so well that you would think that he may have even been in law enforcement at one time in his life.

The chase scenes are done with real old school stunt driving and look great due to their realism. Movies like Drive Angry may have the eccentric flash and CGI to make them more appealing to today's audiences, but this movie was done with real drivers, performing real dangerous and exciting maneuvers and to me, that is more exciting than a bunch of things flying at the screen in under three seconds time. While the pacing of the car chases may seem slower than today's standards, they are still exciting to watch and even more exciting because you since you care about the characters in that car from early on in the film, you care more about them even more when they are in peril.

If you're looking for a fun, no brainer film with good car chases and likeable characters who you would want to hang out with after the film is over, check out Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry! It is being re-released on April 12 from Shout! Factory as a double feature with another great Peter Fonda flick, Race With the Devil.

5 Dodge Chargers (Out of 5)

Check Out the Trailer!

Pick up the DVD on Amazon:

Idiocracy (2006)

2011-03-28T17:56:00.003-07:00

This is supposed to be a weekly blog but I've decided to bend the rules today and write about a film that was virtually unnoticed when it was released but has now achieved cult status all while re-defining the term. Today's film is Mike Judge's Idiocracy.

Back in 2006, this film was virtually non-existent; no one knew what it was, who had done it or what it was about. Now, I can't lie and say that I was a fan from the beginning but I can say that I was hooked on it pretty early on and it still holds up as a great comedy, but it is already losing its appeal due to its saturation as a cult film as many great cult films unfortunately fall victim to. Now that Hollywood is running out of fresh ideas, cult films are being remade into feature films with bigger budgets, bigger stars and bigger marketing campaigns that the term cult doesn't seem to apply to the original film any more. To some people like myself, this makes us ashamed to say we loved the original in the first place. It isn't like me to review a film like this on this blog, but it still is a good film, despite all of the hype.

The plot is simple: Joe Bauers, played by Luke Wilson is an "Average Joe" who works for the military, sitting on his ass, defending the library - How novel. Because Joe is very average, he is called in for a secret black ops mission to become cryogenically (cryo·gen·i·cal·ly) frozen for a year, along with a female, Rita (Maya Rudolph) who is also considered average, although she is a prostitute. The hibernation chambers become neglected when the army base is destroyed and Joe and Rita sleep for five-hundred (500) years and awaken to see that in the year 2505, people are ridiculously (ri·dic·u·lous·ly) stupid.

Joe becomes arrested and looked down upon by everyone because he is of average intelligence and "talks like a fag" (speaks normally). Due to his above average scores on an "intelligence test" Joe is recruited by the President Commacho (A WWF-style "President" played brilliantly by the awesome Terry Crews) to fix society's problems including the food shortage, a dust bowl and everything else that can go wrong when society is too stupid or lazy to fix their problems. The dust bowl has occurred due to the watering of crops with Brawndo (Gatorade) because it has replaced water thanks to Brawndo purchasing the Food and Drug Administration as well as the FCC. Because the TV told them so, the idiots believe Brawndo has to work better than water because "it's got electrolytes" while water is looked down upon as being for the toilet only. Joe deals with trying to persuade the people that using water will work on crops and that being smart is not bad. Of course, no one believes him and he is sentenced to rehabilitation which is very reminiscent (rem·i·nis·cent) of the Roman gladiators fighting off the impossible for others' enjoyment.

The film's opening prologue breaks everything down ever so humorously while the frightening social commentary on current American society make this feel like it could really happen. A husband and wife with high I.Q.'s talk to the viewer documentary-style about how they want children and how things like their work schedules and the state of the market prevent them from doing so. Contrasted with this is a man with limited intelligence named Clevon who impregnates anything with a vagina and has dozens of kids, making his family tree that of a willow. Now, of course, the professional couple end up not having any kids and the male ends up dead due to a heart attack while masturbating to provide sperm for artificial insemination, proving that intelligence is no longer a factor in natural selection any more.

As usual, this is as far as I am willing to go with the plot because first of all, it's not my style to give spoil the whole movie by writing the synopsis, and secondly, while Idiocracy doesn't have the best plot from here on, it does have a damn good message in it: Don't be afraid to be smart (and don't let stupid win). The first time I saw this film, it was good for a bunch of laughs and the laughs still work on repeat viewings, but after a second viewing, I saw the true terror of this film. I had been working in retail for about ten (10) years and I quickly identified with Joe's frustrations with trying to reason with these kind of people; however, since then, I have realized that society is becoming more and more stupid and that the events of this film are not only plausible, they are seemingly impossible to avoid, thus making Idiocracy a sort of apocalyptic horror film.

Now, I suppose I should comment on the cult status that Idiocracy has obtained in the last few years. Given that it didn't receive a proper theatrical release, the film went unnoticed until it hit DVD. I think a lot of people found the dark humor to be spot on with society's present trajectory (tra·jec·to·ry - a path, progression, or line of development resembling a physical trajectory) and identified with it. Sadly, I do see a lot of the average binge-drinking college kids quoting this movie and while I'm glad it's finally getting the exposure it deserves, it can only seem like a paradox to me that gives the film more of a validation of things to come.

If you think I'm being too negative about our society's current state, I just heard that Rebecca Black just got a record deal. Case closed.

What day is it today, Rebecca? Oh, yeah, the apocalypse!

3 1/2 Carl's Jr. Stars (Out of 5)

Brought to you by Carl's Jr. - "Carl's Jr...FUCK YOU, I'm eating!"

Check Out the Trailer!

Don't Be an Idiot! Pick up the DVD on Amazon:

Blow Out (1981)

2011-03-24T19:58:00.001-07:00

Today's movie is the 1981 Brian DePalma thriller, Blow Out.

This is such an underrated gem and something I watch once or twice a year with a bud (Most DePalma films are like that). DePalma's style is definitely recognizable in this film by it's long tracking shots, eerie atmosphere and his use of every inch of the frame (mis en scene) to create a film that is enjoyable to film buffs and the casual viewer.

A movie sound effects technician, Jack Terry (John Travolta – In one of his best performances) is out recording sounds for a piece of shit horror film when he captures sound evidence of a plotted political assassination – A car has an apparent “blow out” and crashes into a nearby lake. Jack sees this and jumps in, hoping to find someone alive. He finds and rescues Sally – a prostitute “connected to” the presidential candidate played by Brian DePalma's ex wife, Nancy Allen. Soon enough, Jack is involved in the mystery and tries to prove that nothing that night happened by accident. The film has some expected and unexpected twists and turns and there are great tense moments, not to mention insights into the film and audio recording world.

Here's the thing about Nancy Allen: The first time I watched this film I was annoyed by her performance, simply putting it off as another DePalma film with his wife in the supporting role. A funny thing happens as the story progresses: you begin to realize that her character is supposed to have the quirks and off-putting dumb personality and after repeat viewings, you may even sympathize with her and like her.

John Lithgow is in Blow Out and is fantastic as always as an assassin involved in the political plot whose one loose end is Nancy Allen’s character. As always, Lithgow is fantastic and menacing as a man posing as a serial killer to cover his tracks. Dennis Franz is also in this movie as another man who witnessed the “accident” and whether you like him or not, in this film, he does what he is supposed to do very well - playing a man trying to profit from the tragedy while having a “connection” to Sally.

I don’t want to say anything more about the plot because it is too good to ruin, not to mention it has one of the most dramatic endings in film history. Over time, I have become fonder of this film and consider it one of the best in the thriller genre and one of DePalma’s very best. Quentin Tarantino ranks this film among his top three all-time favorite films, and while I wouldn’t place it among my top three, I can definitely see why he likes it and why you should too.

"That's a good scream."

It is being re-released on Criterion DVD and Blu-Ray on April 26. There is a bare bones MGM DVD version out as well. Highly recommended – GO GET IT!

4 1/2 Microphones (Out of 5)

Listen Carefully...Check Out the Trailer!

Pick up the DVD on Amazon:

Criterion Blu-ray

Criterion DVD

Out of Print DVD

Breakdown (1997)

2011-03-24T19:42:00.001-07:00

This week’s movie review is the 1997 thriller, Breakdown starring Kurt Russell.

Russell plays Jeff Taylor who is driving across country with his wife, Amy, played by Kathleen Quinlan (Event Horizon, The Doors and The Hills Have Eyes remake). Their car ends up broken down in the middle of the desert and a passing trucker stops to help. Jeff stays with the car while Amy hitches a ride with the trucker to a diner twenty miles down the road so she can call a tow truck. Jeff finds some lose cables and fixes the car and drives to the diner to meet his wife; she is nowhere to be found and the hillbilly locals say they never saw her.

What follows is an intense search for his wife accompanied by some really good twists and turns in a very basic but moving plot. J.T. Walsh, (‘The Negotiator’) MC Gainey (TV’s Justified and as Swamp Thing in Con Air) and Jack Noseworthy (a fantastic character actor – Google him and I bet you can’t say you haven’t seen him in something) play great supporting roles and really make you believe their characters. You may love them as actors, but you will hate their characters in this movie. As usual, I don’t want to give much away but these guys really make you hate them and that’s what acting is all about.

Everyone knows how much of a badass Kurt Russell can be but in the beginning of this film, he doesn’t come off that way. He plays a “normal” family guy trying to start a new career in a different part of the country. Over the course of time, his desperation and anger take a hold of him and it does him well as a character because you really see how far he will go to get to his wife. All of the characters in this film, including Russell and Quinlan’s give you enough character development to care about them as they go through the mental breakdown (pun intended) involved with a situation such as theirs. There are even times where you sympathize with the villain characters, if only for a brief moment or two.

Although well received by critics, this film came and went under the radar back in 1997 but has found a nice niche on DVD. It works as a great edge-of-your-seat-thriller with enough twists and turns to keep even the most jaded thriller aficionado interested. While watching this film, I kept thinking how easily it could have been made in the late 1970s or 1980s due to its style, simple plot and search and revenge themes. I then realized that the reason it probably didn’t fare well with audiences at the time was due to the new wave of CGI-laden films being released beginning in the early 1990s. If it was released in the late 1980s, this film might have a better chance.

I found myself yelling at the screen a couple of times (proof positive that I am very involved in a film) due to a character’s actions, lack of actions or the always popular good (dumb) idea. The action/thriller elements are intense and there are enough dramatic elements to keep you invested and going. It does a good job of making you think about how far you would go to rescue a loved one, and what you would do in real-life situations and as the film’s tagline suggests: “It Could Happen To You!”

4 Mack Trucks (Out of 5)

Breakdown Already and Check Out the Trailer!

Pick Up the DVD on Amazon:

Thursday (1998)

2011-03-23T18:01:00.003-07:00

This week's review is on a fantastic indie black comedy that is really hard to find on DVD (even VHS for that matter). Skip Woods' Thursday, starring Thomas Jane, Aaron Eckhart, James LeGros, Paulina Porizkova and Mickey-Fucking-Rourke! Before Skip Woods became a screenwriter for Swordfish, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and G.I. Joe - The Rise of Cobra he made this terrific little flick and if you ask me, he should have stuck to making movies like this instead of those other two winners (Swordfish wasn't that bad and it deserves another chance!) but I digress. Thomas Jane plays Casey Wells, an ex drug dealer from Los Angeles who has recently moved to Texas to clean up his act, start a family and become an architect. He has met and married a woman he loves, they own a house together, plan to adopt a child and have the every day problems married people have like scheduling conflicts and arguments that really don't mean anything. Life is good for Casey...until one Thursday when Nick arrives at his doorstep.

Casey's old drug-dealing partner, Nick (Aaron Eckhart) shows up at his house with a couple of suitcases (uh-oh!). The two friends remember the old days and Nick is amazed at how domesticated Casey has become. Nick asks to borrow Casey's car for a few hours ("A fucking station wagon!") and leaves Casey alone. Casey discovers one of Nick's suitcases in one of his bedrooms and finds it filled with heroin. Fearing the worst, Casey dumps it all down the sink drain and breathes a sigh of relief, that is until he receives another visitor at his doorstep.

A Rastafarian pizza man shows up and turns out to be a hit man, looking for the heroin that Casey just destroyed. When the Rastafarian is about to kill Casey, his last request is for a little ganja and what Rastafarian can resist that? They smoke together and when Casey gets a chance he incapacitates the Rastafarian and holds him captive in his garage. Not a minute after he has secured the Rastafarian, Casey receives visits from a representative from the adoption agency and another one of Nick's acquaintances, a hot little spit-fire of a woman named, Dallas (Paulina Porizkova) who scares away the adoption agent with a "Casey Wells Story" from the past seen in flashback. Once alone with Dallas, Casey is tied to a chair and what follows is one of the hottest rape sequences committed by a female committed to film.

Billy Hill (James LeGros) shows up looking for the heroin and doesn't care that it is gone because he plans on torturing Casey for the sheer fun of it. James LeGros make you laugh with his portrayal of a sadistic hillbilly and will make you think twice about the way you say "cauterize" in the future. Mickey Rourke comes into play as a corrupt cop (as if there were any other kind of cop these days) who wants Nick and a large sum of money that was in suitcase number two. Rourke isn't in the film too long (most of Casey's visitors aren't) but as always he plays a great bad-ass.

Now it would be evil of me to reveal the rest of the movie for you (I feel I've already said too much as it is) but when you watch it you may be thinking that it's a Pulp Fiction imitation, which it is, but it happens to be one of the better Pulp imitators by blending black comedy elements with jokes about suburbia along with a few hit man/drug dealing movie cliches that don't leave a bad taste in your mouth. The beginning sequence is about the only thing that I have a problem with and once you watch this, you'll know what I mean. It is funny and suspenseful at first but if viewed a second or third time, it comes off as annoying and cliched.

It's great to see two of my favorite actors (Jane and Eckhart) in a movie that really shows off their acting chops, not to mention good performances by other lesser-known actors in supporting roles (James LeGros as Billy Hill, Michael Jeter as the adoption agent and of course, Mickey-Fucking-Rourke!) Like I said before, this movie is a Pulp Fiction imitator and while it isn't perfect, it's not terrible either; it fits into a small niche of films that I like to revisit every once in a while when I need solid gold entertainment and a few good laughs.

The rest of the movie is great and worth the DVD (needle) in the hay hunt, that is if you are lucky enough to come across a copy. The unrated DVD has been out of print (OOP) for a while now due to the bankruptcy it's distributor, Polygram/USA films and apparently only 1,000 copies were produced. Other films injured by the bankruptcy were, Topsy-Turvey, The Last Days of Disco and some movie called, No Looking Back (which stars Lauren Holly and Edward Burns so who cares?) The Big Lebowski and Being John Malkovich were also originally released under the Polygram/USA banner but weren't affected and remain in print.

4 Drug-Filled Briefcases (Out of 5)

Check Out The Trailer!

Eat Your Snackie Cake and Pick Up the DVD:

The DVD pictured above is a nice alternate to the official USA Films version. The only drawback is that the few title cards in the movie are in a language different than English.

USA Films Official DVD:

UPDATE!

Thursday has now been added to Netflix Instant Queue!

Switchblade Sisters (1975)

2011-03-23T16:30:00.001-07:00

This week’s movie review is the 1975 classic girl gang flick, Switchblade Sisters.

This gem of an exploitation film was directed by Jack Hill (Coffy, Foxey Brown, Spider Baby) under the title The Jezebels and then changed to Switchblade Sisters because the film did poorly under the first title. It doesn’t matter what title you prefer, if you love exploitation films, then this movie is for you! It has everything you could want from an exploitation film: Girl on girl fights, “women in prison” elements, blaxploitation elements, Shakespeare, sex, switchblades, gunfights, cheesy 70’s music and not to mention some of the best bad acting ever. It also has a young Don Stark (Bob Pinciotti) from That 70’s Show!

The Silver Daggers is the male gang that runs a portion of town run by Dominic; the Dagger Debs are their girls, run by Lace. The plot begins with a normal day for the Dagger Debs: Taking care of a crooked repo man and ending up in a fight at the local burger joint. The Debs come across a girl who challenges them at the burger joint: Maggie. Maggie shows the Debs she can fight and as the cops come to arrest them all, Maggie ends up in juvenile hall with them. Once there, a fight with the female wardens creates a bond between Lace and Maggie. When the Debs get out of juvie, they decide to initiate Maggie by having her get a medallion from the rival men’s gang leader, affectionately called Crabs. The actor portraying Crabs does a perfect job of helping you laugh at him, with him, love him and hate him all at the same time.

Maggie returns with the medallion and is now a new member, gaining more interest from Dominic, making Lace jealous. Lace’s sidekick is a one-eyed tornado of instigation, affectionately named Patch. Patch never liked Maggie from the beginning and now that Dominic is giving Maggie more attention than Lace, she tries to sway Lace into getting rid of Maggie for good. They go through with their plan and of course, things go wrong and the film takes a new path and the girls break free from their male counterparts and become their own girl gang named, The Jezebels.

As usual, I don’t want to give away any more but the plot has a few more twists and turns that you should enjoy on your own, not to mention more of the great schlock you went into this movie expecting. All in all, this is one fun flick that will have you laughing at things that are funny as well as things that you may question yourself as to why you’re laughing at it. The characters in Switchblade Sisters seem very campy and one dimensional at first, but a little before the half-way mark, you end up liking them and sympathizing with them at times. The ending is over the top, but by this point, would you expect anything less? In my opinion, the movie itself serves as a great time capsule to mid 1970s pop culture, in the same way that Saturday Night Fever immortalized the disco era on film.

I highly recommend Switchblade Sisters!

5 Switchblades (Out of 5)

Check Out the Trailer Or Get Stabbed!

Pick Up the DVD on Amazon: