Written and directed by Sean McGinly
Starring John Malkovich, Colin Hanks, Emily Blunt, Steve Zahn, Tom Hanks
Rated PG
Colin Hanks plays Troy Gabel, an unhappy law student pushed into that profession by his dad (played by his real life dad Tom Hanks). Troy secretly wants to be a writer which means he needs money. So when he finds out about a job opportunity being Buck Howard’s assistant, he jumps at the chance. Buck Howard, based on The Amazing Kreskin, is a mentalist most famous for his years as a fixture on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Buck is exuberant, energetic, neurotic…it’s a perfect role for John Malkovich. But there is an underlying anger and frustration in Buck since his career is diminishing. And then he pulls off a trick in Cincinnati that thrusts him back into the spotlight.
This is a great role for Malkovich. He so perfectly captures that mixture of showmanship and frustration. He is a true joy to watch. Colin Hanks enough doesn’t have the charisma to carry a movie yet. And because the movie is so short - 87 minutes - it comes across like a TV movie. The screenplay doesn’t really mine the character of Troy and Buck that deep or even their relationship. Had it done that, we could have had a really special movie here. And straight out of the factory, there is a love story between Troy and another publicist named Valerie (played by Emily Blunt) that goes absolutely nowhere.
Director: Dennis Iliadis
Screenwriter: Carl Ellsworth
Starring: Tony Goldwyn, Monica Potter, Sara Paxton, Garret Dillahunt, Rhys Coiro, Martha MacIsaac, Riki Lindhome, Aaron Paul
I am probably in the minority, but I think Wes Craven’s original 1972 film is brutal yet completely forgettable. I saw it just a few years ago, and can only remember a couple of scenes. I remember being completely underwhelmed by it. And I love good horror. Should I see it again? Probably.
But what I hate even more is Hollywood’s obsession with remaking “classic” horror movies. A true classic - like 1968’s Night of the Living Dead - stands the test of time and I think even younger audiences of today would appreciate it. I’m sick of these stupid ass remakes. And this one looks like another colossal waste of time.
Eli: You have to invite me in.
Oskar: What happens if I don’t?
Oskar: What happens if you walk in anyway?
Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) is a lonely 12-year-old boy. His parents are separated, so he lives with his mother who doesn’t take much interest in him. He spends a lot of his time alone at the playground in front of his apartment complex or wandering around in the cold, bitter snowscape of his Swedish neighborhood. His nose runs a lot, and he rarely wipes it. He is disconnected, isolated, and scared. He is bullied mercilessly at school. Your heart aches for this kid.
Then, he meets Eli (Lina Leandersson). Eli is a mysterious 12-year-0ld girl who shows up out of nowhere in front of Eli’s apartment while he is sitting in solace in the snow. Eli is a lot like Oskar. She is lonely, shy, and looking for companionship. Oh and she’s a vampire.
But this is far from a typical Hollywood horror flick. Director Tomas Alfredson infuses this film, based on a novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, with serious tones of pre-teen anxiety and confusion. Yet lurking below the surface is the constant dread of what it means to make friends with Eli. In fact, this film is an astonishing example of how to set mood. The dark nights, the blowing snow, the wind, the quiet score, it all creates an atmosphere saturated with doom and foreboding. But in the midst of it all, you really care for these two kids. The fact that Eli is a vampire never gets silly. In fact, the film is very somber about the subject matter. There is no sensationalizing about garlic and mirrors and crosses. There is not a lot of violence in the film but when it happens, it is sudden, graphic, and disturbing. There is a scene towards the end that takes place at a swimming pool. Those final images - like the film itself - are unforgettable. If you are a horror fan, you really need to give this unique film a chance to sink its teeth in to you.
Director: Andy Fickman
Screenwriter: Matt Lopez, Mark Bomback, Andy Fickman
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, Carla Gugino, Ciaran Hinds, Alexander Ludwig, Tom Everett Scott, Christopher Marquette, Cheech Marin, Garry Marshall
I like The Rock. I really do. I never thought I would like him as an actor, but he really has a charming screen persona. He just doesn’t always pick the best role. The Rundown is a hell of a fun movie. But this one looks like a dreadful piece of shit. Every time I see the ads on TV, it’s Race for the Bathroom. I know what a lot of people will say…”But it’s just a harmless kid’s movie!” Well, Hollywood is an equal opportunity insulter. It’s not just us adults getting the shaft.
Ahh…it’s so refreshing when a Hollywood insider - and legend - speaks the truth. You may not know John Milius by name, but you’re probably very familiar with his work and undoubtedly know some of the lines he’s written by heart. This article is well worth your time.
Directed by Matteo Garrone Screenplay by Maurizio Braucci, Ugo Chiti, Gianni Di Gregorio, Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso, and Roberto Saviano Starring Salvatore Abruzzese, Toni Servillo, Gianfelice Imparato, Maria Nazionale Not Rated - nudity and strong violence
Based on Roberto Saviano’s 2006 book, Gomorrah (English title) chronicles Saviano’s risky undercover work investigating the Camorra crime family and their activities in Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Scotland. I have not read the book and do not want to do injustice to it by assuming its purpose. But with the brief history lesson I gave myself on Camorra, they are the oldest criminal organization in Italy whose reach and deadly violence surpasses the mafia we all seem to know so well in this country. By the time the movie made its release, it is stated that this organization generated $250 billion dollars through drug trafficking, illegal wasted dumping, racketeering, counterfeiting and gambling to name a few. However, they are also deeply entrenched legitimately in the European economy with fingers in construction and banking. Shockingly, the film suggests – apparently based on fact – that the Camorra is invested in the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. They are responsible for 4,000 deaths in the past 30 years. That’s one death every 3 days.
The gangster movies that are churned out by Hollywood, for the most part if not all, are completely glamorized. From The Godfather, a highly respected and well loved film even by myself, to Scarface, another centerpiece for the lifestyle of most pseudo-gangsters that I also enjoy, cannot compare to what a criminal lifestyle is truly like. There are no lavish parties, a code of respect even among thieves, not even a glimmer of hope. It is a true to form vicious cycle that feeds itself with the people it takes in and spits out with no remorse at all.
The movie tells the story of the everyday workers in this criminal organization from 5 different views. You have teenagers (played by Marco Macor and Ciro Petrone) who think they are tough enough to be the local kings, a young boy (Salvatore Abruzzese) who becomes involved in drug distribution, a man who is a money carrier, a fascinating look into those who deal with the dumping of poisonous waste as well as counterfeit clothing. Every perspective is dangerous, immoral in lacking any gray area, and grim. There is no real sense of relishing in any sort of success for whatever gains are made by these “soldiers”. It is nothing more than an illusion. You do not want to be any of these people prior to their respective conclusions. Case in point, the youngest character is initiated into the life by having to put on a bullet proof vest and be shot at point blank range.
Camera style can be closely compared to that of a documentary. From Garrone’s first scene where relaxing gangsters are brutally gunned down unexpectedly you know exactly where this will all end. The camera follows the characters close as they go through their respective lives. There are no grand shots but it isn’t that type of movie. There are at times when a brief but beautiful shot of the landscape interrupts the violence. The lives portrayed here are based on fact, not fiction. The final scene and shot sum up what it means for most who do not follow the rules set by this organization.
The actors themselves do a very good job. Do not expect a vibrant performance or a lesson in character acting. These characters live a grim existence, and the performances suit that. Those who survive are either left with nothing or a new view that is more hopeless to their prior one. While the younger characters do have some “fun”, the older generation is just trying to survive the best way they can in the only world they. The best role I would say goes to Toni Servillo who plays Franco, the man responsible for dumping poisonous waste into the earth, even with the help of children. In the last part of his respective story, he plays a mentor/boss to a young man who decides that he would rather lose a chance at being “the man” than play a part in destroying the southern part of Italy. Servillo’s character lectures the young man that this is the way it is. There is no escape. The organization is everywhere even if you don’t have a face to put it on, which is the unfortunate and scary truth. And then there is Pasquale (Salvatore Cantalupo) who at the end of his story gets a glimpse of a life that could have been his, but ends up getting in his semi and driving off accepting his position in this world. Not a word is said by him. It is through his very subtle looks and gestures that you understand what he feels and what he will never gain.
My faults with this movie are minor. Garrone takes a few moments too long for my liking to build up some important scenes. However once that destination is reached the final execution is done very well. The film is based on facts . Garrone is more interested in provoking thought and setting a mood instead of a “Who’s getting shot next?” feel. Also, this is a movie about Naples, Italy and is subtitled. It would be an injustice to be in English or dubbed. That alone may not make it many peoples’ cup of tea which is a shame.
Murder and death is a guaranteed part of this life. Gomorrah does not let that overall feeling of dread go away and is established from the first scene. People aren’t dodging bullets non-stop and the tough guy BS posturing is minimal. There is no Godfather in a mansion sitting on hill commanding his soldiers while being surrounded by his loving wife and family. In fact, you do not see any bosses. The fear is that far reaching that the boogie men are never heard from or seen. You wonder how that is as “clans” are warring with one another constantly and yet there is control from somewhere on high. It is shown very well how living in this particular area of Naples is life of what can be strongly argued as slave labor or “pigs to the slaughter”. There is no blaze of glory. Killing and death are as common to them as a morning coffee and getting the mail is to us. This is the Camorra in Naples. It is business as usual.
Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Screenwriter: Justin Marks
Starring: Kristin Kreuk, Michael Clarke Duncan, Neal McDonough, Chris Klein, and a bunch of other people you haven’t heard of.
You’re kidding us, right? I don’t know if this is Street Fighter 3 or 4. Don’t really care. I believe I saw clips here and there of the original 1994 opus starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia.
Look, movies based on video games don’t work. Never have. Most of you know that director Uwe Boll is infamous for trying to make them work and has become a joke in the industry. Andrzej Bartkowiak is apparently trying to keep pace with him after the laughably awful Doom in 2005 and now this.
I know this is a business, but I hate to see people like Michael Clarke Duncan and Neal McDonough slumming like this. Instead of going to see this movie, watch an episode of Band of Brothers to remember McDonough’s terrific performance as 1st Lt. Lynn ‘Buck’ Compton.
Written and directed by Sean McGinly
Director: Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore
Director: Dennis Iliadis
Eli: You have to invite me in.
Director: Andy Fickman
Directed by Matteo Garrone
Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
