Lock, Stock, and Two Film Geeks

Pixar does it AGAIN. 4/4

Just when I think I’ve outgrown Pixar films, they go and release a film like Toy Story 3.

The best cartoons are the ones that are made for kids, yet have something for the adults to enjoy, whether it’s a few well-disguised jokes that go past the kids’ heads, fascinating animation, or just good old-fashioned nostalgia.  It’s in this way that Pixar is the sneakiest of film companies: they don’t make cartoons, they make real films.  They just happen to be animated.

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I remember pretty vividly the days when the approach of summer meant my favorite time of year for films.  I’d pull out the Calendar Summer Sneaks section of the Los Angeles Times and look through every movie that was on deck.  I even recall making a list of the things I just “had” to see that summer.  I wouldn’t say the appeal of summer blockbusters has gone away completely, an exciting, fun, action packed summer flick is still one of the most enjoyable things in the world for me.  But, I have become a bit more discerning, because just because a film is trying to be “fun,” doesn’t mean it can’t be well executed, have an interesting story, and feature engaging characters.  When I recently made my list of anticipated movies for this summer, I considered expanding it to 10 or featuring some honorable mentions, but when it came down to it, most of the movies beyond the first five were wild cards.  I hoped they’d be good but I had no amount of certainty that they were.  Amongst these considerations was Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the newest video game adaptation from producer Jerry Bruckheimer (reigning king of the summer blockbuster?)  Video game adaptations have never been good, it’s simply a fact.  But I’ll admit I’m a fan of Jerry Bruckheimer, having liked even some of his films that most have not, and I have fond memories of playing the original Prince of Persia on my first PC, so I had cautious hopes that I’d have a good time watching this movie.  So what’s the verdict? Continue reading

Haunting and Intimate: 3.5/4

You would expect a film titled sex, lies and videotape to be obscene, if not flat out pornographic.  And while there is virtually no sex and no nudity to speak of, the characters strip themselves bare through the art of intimate conversation.

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For those unaware, Troll 2 is a film that is considered by many to be the worst film ever made.  And yet, it’s gained a cult following because it’s so entertainingly bizarre that it’s an extremely enjoyable view all the way through.  We reviewed it back in the day in our Film Duel column, check it out if you haven’t already.  Moving on.  Best Worst Movie is a documentary made by Michael Stephenson, the child “star” of Troll 2.  He, alongside almost every American involved with the film, had been embarrassed all his life about his involvement in the film.  But when a cult following begins to build around the film, many of the characters involved begin to see things differently.  In many ways, Best Worst Movie is the story of a phoenix.  It’s the story of new life rising from the ashes of something that was dead. Continue reading

Letters to Boo-liet. 1/4

Hoping to latch onto fans of Twilight and Nicholas Sparks, Letters to Juliet isn’t hopelessly romantic so much as it is just plain hopeless.  What’s more frightening is girls from the ages of 14 to young women in their mid to late twenties (or tweenties maybe?) will be coming in droves to see this saccharine disaster.

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This time around I have a slightly classic recommendation for you.  Movie experts have long praised Ran as not only one of the better foreign films, but one of the best films ever.  IMDB’s top 250 (hardly a home for sophisticated criticism, but still an easy place to start when looking to build the “canon” of film) places the film at #143 currently, which is nothing to sneeze at in terms of rankings.  And as someone who’s already seen Seven Samurai and Rashomon, it seemed time to take the next step in my education on the works of Akira Kurosawa.  For those who don’t know, Kurosawa is essentially the most heralded auteur in Japanese Cinema history.  He’s known for long, epic, period pieces primarily set in feudal Japan.  He’s not the most accessible filmmaker by any means, but a full viewing of his better films is always rewarding to those who have the patience.  Ran is no less trying when it comes to its commitment requirements, but I found it incredibly immersing and an amazing film overall. Continue reading

Harry Brown will most likely be described as “British Death Wish with Michael Caine”, and to an extent, it is.  However, Michael Caine’s performance as the titular elderly avenger and the film’s political tone turns the film into something greater than your run-of-the-mill revenge shoot ‘em up.

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In this era of redone, re-envisioned and rebooted superhero films, it is expected that our superheroes be portrayed in a more realistic, edgy manner than that of their Golden Age-era counterparts.  But there hasn’t been a film that, both, pays homage to caped crusaders and displays gleeful irreverence to the genre.  At least, not like Kick-Ass.

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Whatever happened to the children of John Hughes, with their angst, their questions and their seemingly never-ending youth?  They grew up to find their answers only lead to more infuriating question, and growing up is never easy, no matter how old you are.

Cameron Crowe’s Singles is one of the first films to chronicle the burgeoning “Generation X”, a culture of grunge music, environmentalism, flannel, tattered jeans and relationship woes.  Singles focuses on two couples as they experience the trials and tribulations of being in relationships.  Neither relationship is what one would call typical, which provides a considerable (and sometimes unnecessary) amount of drama.  Steve and Linda (Campbell Scott and Kyra Sedgwick) are both instantly drawn towards one another, but their relationship is shaky at best, mostly due to Linda’s experience with dishonest men.  Janet and Cliff (Bridget Fonda and Matt Dillon) are the more entertaining, albeit lopsided couple, with Janet madly in love with Cliff, who’d prefer to keep it casual. Continue reading

Many know by now that I love a good con film.  Additionally, traditionally I’ve been someone who enjoys something with a healthy dose of comedy, rather than a deeply depressing genre.  So when I view a film like Paper Moon, a comedy/drama about a confidence man and a girl who may or may not be his daughter, it’s generally not hard to predict how I will feel about it ahead of time.  I’m not very familiar with the films of Peter Bogdanovich, who directed this film, nor the work of Ryan O’Neal, who stars in it.  Nor had I seen anything with Tatum O’Neal, who I assume is generally categorized as a child star because of films like this one, which was her debut (or perhaps it’s the nepotism — working with her father in this film certainly must have helped).  But I am of course a fan of the genre, and the presence of Madeline Kahn didn’t hurt either.

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