Friday, June 27, 2008

Hot Fuzz

Hot Fuzz. Funny looking, critically acclaimed action comedy from the makers of the immensely popular Shaun of the Dead(which I have never watched, re: Zombies, afraid of - me). I've wanted to see it for a long time, but never did for some reason I can't explain. It was on HBO, I dvr'd it, so here we are.

We open on a montage of a policeman(Simon Pegg who co wrote the film), the most effective officer of the London force. He excels in all things academic and physical, and seems to always "get his man". Far from endearing him to coworkers, however, this makes him the object of resentment and jealousy. The upward chain of command is the hilarious trio of Martin Freeman, Steve Coogan, and Bill Nighy. They soon exile Sgt Angel(Pegg), sending him to a sleepy village in the country.

As I said I haven't seen Pegg's other movies, but he seems very well suited to the part. He is anal and condescending, while still being funny. Sidekick Danny(Nick Frost) quaintly seeks fellowship and approval, working his way into our affection. I'd like to see Frost in more roles. The movie moves quite well, and keeps you on your toes somewhat. The violence gets a bit over the top to be honest, but it's palatable.

Fuzz should make you laugh and cringe, and will probably make you want to see other projects from this team, like Shaun of the Dead, and Run Fatboy Run. I'd recommend, if you can handle a bit of gore. You even get the immensely powerful screen presence of Timothy Dalton, who really simmers.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Drillbit Taylor

Drillbit Taylor. Silly formula comedy starring nerdy teenagers and the inimitable Owen Wilson. I hear it is similar to My Bodyguard, which I have never seen. I like the concept, it's partially written by Seth Rogan, and I'm a fan of the Wilson brothers. And I had the DVD. So why not?

Nerdy Kids. Drillbit is centered around nerdy kids. Troy Gentile, who has a biting wit, has played a young Jack Black in two films, and plays the angry fat kid well. Nate Hartley is a good tall skinny protagonist. Then we have the notably hobbit-heighted David Dorfman, in a role quite different from his character in the Ring movies. They all do well, taken under the wing of Wilson, who always plays a nutty but loveable guy well.

Stephen Root, who I love from Newsradio(one of the most underrated shows ever) is a great clueless principal, and fringe characters are all good enough. There's some stupidity, and a lot of funny. Cheesy high school substance, and some feel good at the end. If you like stupid comedies, I think you should check it out.

PS - my favorite line from Drillbit Taylor "the guy who does your mom says get up"

Sunday, June 22, 2008

All In

All In. First of all, you may know I'm a poker player. So I try to keep up on poker movies. Second of all, who doesn't love Dominique Swain? I'm also a big fan of the overly-candid Michael Madsen. So far, so good. Right? If only we stayed there.

This is a bad film. bad ... Bad ... BAD. Terrible, awful. Remarkable horrible. Physically painful. What was so bad you ask? A-HA! What a question. What elements are there in a movie? That's what is bad about it.
Casting, check
Acting, check
Music, check
Writing, check
Everything, check
The filming style felt like a terrible soap opera.

Some notes from the film :

-Doctors tell med students they're useless and dangerous in front of the patients they're about to treat
-Prestigious medical schools have small lecture rooms with armless deskless chairs and antique chalkboards
-A cabal of poker experts with inside information who are basically cheating still need terrible acting and a lucky river card to win a single hand
-Poker rooms and tournaments use generic monochromatic chips, with no logo or denomination on them
-A team of medical students including a math genius needs a wristwatch to observe the difference between 4 and 8 seconds
-All poker players do the EXACT same thing every time they bluff or have a hand. And don't realize it. And show their cards at the end of every hand.
- A 3-7 straight ALWAYS gets there. And wins.
I don't want to go on. It's putting me in a bad mood, and that's not fair to Margo. Trust me on this.

Even being a cinematic professional, I can't believe I finished. But I did. And it was for you, gentle reader. I hope you can appreciate my sacrifice. In the span of a week I get to replace the best(In Bruges) and worst(All In) movies reviewed on this site. Enjoy.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Recount

Recount. HBO tv movie about the 2000 US presidential election. When it came out I thought it was going to be some weird documentary, but it turns out it's a legit movie with real star power. It also stirred up some old anger.

I remember the 2000 election, watching the results as they came in across the country. Gaping in disbelief at the parity of the results. I honestly could NOT believe that George Bush was going to be our president. That idiot, with nothing going for him, whom no one seemed to be backing. I didn't understand what was happening. Then the whole Florida debacle. My parents lived in Florida(Dade county) at the time, but neither of them could vote at the time. Because of the election, my mother became an American citizen, for the right to vote against Bush next time.

Recount was definitely made by liberals. It shows all of the actions by Democrats and Republicans beginning on November 7th and ending on December 13th, one day after the recount was officially declared over. I got mad watching this. Really mad. I knew what had happened, and how it was going to turn out(duh) but I still got really heated. Riled up. I almost had to stop watching. While it unfortunately affected 'date night' with Mugs, I think that's a sign of a good film. It achieved its purpose quite well.

What's funny is that I'm not really a Democrat(I've voted Green party in all three presidential elections I've been old enough for). I just hate the republican platform so much it pushes me into the arms of their enemy. I was more outraged at the 2000 presidential election than when Ah-Nold was elected(I was living in CA and voted no for Davis' recall), and that's saying quite a lot.

Kevin Spacey is terrific, and I am not sure who Dennis Leary's character is supposed to be, but I hope he has a wicked heavy Boston accent. Laura Dern plays the hopeless, pathetic Katherine Harris like a pro, and all of the casting seemed effective. If you're a republican, you won't like how your party is portrayed so I'd steer clear. But if you're on the fence, or left-leaning at all, check it out. But don't leave anything breakable nearby.

Monday, June 16, 2008

In Bruges

In Bruges. The other day I was with a couple of friends, and we needed a movie to watch. Something to please the crowd, why not try a movie that not many people know about. Less objections that way. Anyways, I had In Bruges on a DVD, I wanted to watch it, it has Colin Farrell(to please the ladies), so there you go.

Let me preface with this : I do not like Colin Farrell. At all. I think he's a terrible actor(Miami Vice, Daredevil, Alexander, S.W.A.T - his IMDB page is a pretty depressing list) and the persona he presents to the public is a total A-hole. I've never been happy to see him in a movie, or even thought he did a good job. If you've read my blog before you know I also don't like Ralph Fiennes. The good news? Intriguing premise, and Brendan Gleeson was good in the latest Harry Potter movie...

We open on the charming town of Bruges, Belgium. Beautiful Gothic buildings, Venice-like canals, and an apparently thriving movie industry. Our two assassins(Farrell and Gleeson) stay in a small hotel, waiting for word from their angry, potty mouthed boss Harry(Fiennes). The scenery is great, and mostly unknown cast performs admirably. We want to know more, to keep watching them. Dialogue is meaningful and effective, and the music is always appropriate.

What's most amazing for me is Farrell. I really liked him. He was amusing, charming, even cute in glasses. His interactions with Gleeson are funny and feel natural, I genuinely enjoyed seeing him. Fiennes was also a virtual tour de force. He was strong and effective, perfectly suiting his position. I really liked this movie. Really, really liked it. It might take over my 'top movie reviewed' title. I would recommend it to pretty much everyone, I am pretty sure I'll buy it.

Semi-Pro

Semi-Pro. I love Will Ferrell. The man is hilarious. He could comedy his way out of Ft. Knox. Fuh reals. Sort of like Leatherheads, Semi-Pro is a period piece about the end of the ABA, and teams trying to get into the money filled NBA.

Ferrell plays Jackie Moon, the Owner/coach/power forward/entertainment coordinator for the Flint Tropics, a sorry franchise in the Midwest. They seem to have one good player(Andre from Outkast) and a tiny fan base. We follow Moon through all sorts of crazy promotions, and his strange shouting awkwardness. It's pretty common Ferrell, and if you're not a huge fan then you might think it's old or unoriginal.

As I said, I'm a huge WF fan, but for me the extras made the movie. Andre was funny, Woody Harrelson was well cast, Andy Richter is always funny, and we even had the always off-the-wall Rob Corddry(who Mugs loves). However funny you find it, Semi-Pro stays that funny throughout, barely changing pace.

Worth watching if it's on TV, check it out while you're doing something else and you won't be disappointed.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Iron Man

Iron Man. I'm a comic book guy. I'm a Marvel Guy. I'm a movie guy. Our big decision last night was whether to see the Hulk or Iron Man. I hate fighting opening nights, even at the crappiest movie theater I've ever been to(the one near my house) so we chose Iron Man. After purchasing our tickets and incredibly greasy buttered popcorn, we sauntered into the 50 seat room with a hole in the screen. Yep, that's the Cinema experience. Woo Hoo

I have been very hard on comic adaptations in the past, as I was an avid comic reader in my childhood. I also hold it against a movie when I think it doesn't stay true to its source, or isn't as exciting or interesting as the original. Iron Man, you've been warned.

So Robert Downey Jr., hm ... Good casting I guess. Snarky and glamorous, he has the look as well as the attitude. Terrance Howard is good in everything he does, and I've always been a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow(sadly Mugs isn't). The story is paced well, and keeps us interested throughout. Jeff Bridges is terrific as the menacing father figure(can you believe that's Lebowski?), and the main terrorist is suitably evil.

The effects are integrated perfectly, far from over the top. One of the two movies made by the brand new Marvel Studios, I am happy. I think they stuck to the story well, and are set up for a series. Not the best movie I saw this week, but I liked it.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Leatherheads

Leatherheads. An old timey movie about the fledgling beginning of professional football in the United States. George Clooney starring, Clooney directing. You can definitely tell. Clooney is certainly a talented actor, but when he directs it feels like a long exercise in showing us all brilliant he is, which is not nearly as much as he thinks he is. He's much better in movies directed by other people.

So the style is ok, a little too quippy, snap-snap-snap. Which is much much less appealing when the one liners are lame as post-1921 FDR. The football action is ridiculous, and it is probably supposed to be. John Krasinski is apparently very cute, and he was funny I guess. Rene Zellwegger
seems like a weaker version of her Roxie Hart rendition(which wasn't that great in the first place).

There were a few laughs, and some real stupidity. Honestly there isn't that much to say about Leatherheads, it was pretty unremarkable...

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

I hope I get 30 minutes in heaven, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. Cool title, cool bring in. Phillip Seymour-Hoffman and Marisa Tomei? I'm hooked.

We open with a much talked about sex scene between Tomei and Hoffman. Raw and realistic, this is quite a way to start a movie. It certainly gets your attention. If only Devil could keep your attention this well. The movie has legitimate star power, and fairly good writing. The plot moves, though sometimes very slowly.

We're taken down a twisted little path, witnessing the many interactions between people who all seem to be bad.

Positives?
PSH, he's one of the best actors of our time
The story is fairly interesting
Marissa Tomei looks AMAZING. And there's lots of her. Really, she's a revelation at 44.

Negatives?
It is boring at times
There's no one to root for
Ethan Hawke is really, really, really annoying. More annoying than I remember. Just insufferable.

If you like Hoffman, see it I think. It's worth watching at least.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

The Raconteurs

The Raconteurs. So no movie last night, but I did do something fun. Why don't I write about it, you ask? What do you think I'm doing right now, silly. Honestly I expect more from my readers...

After work, some friends and I headed over to South Boston, had a lovely dinner at Boston Beer Garden. Buffalo Chicken was eaten, Bud Light pitchers were consumed. Then we headed over to the Bank of America Pavilion(Why don't they have their own web site? Lame as an American Gladiators loser. Why pay naming rights on a venue then not even make a web site for it? Idiots). It's a large outdoors'ish area, right on the water. The weather was perfect, the night was beautiful. We walked around a bit, people watching, looking up future BOA Pavilion events, commenting on the exorbitant concession prices($10 beer, for real).

After checking out the whole outside, and making sure the Sox were winning, we were ready to go in. Our friendly usher informed us that the double letter rows were in front, and the single letter were behind them. We were row "L" so this was bad news. But nowhere there is really that far away, so I was fine with our seats. After sitting down, we notice the whole row in front of us is college meat heads. Frat boys smoking weed and acting like idiots in general.

One of them had a notable T shirt on. The back read :

Getting kids buzzed
since 2002



781 710 9851

Let me ask you, how can I not call that number? So over the protestations of my friends, I call. Ring, ring, ring -- voicemail : "Hello, this is Irving ... " click. I figured it was a land line and gave up. A few minutes later, the kid wearing the shirt reaches in his pocket, takes out his phone. I get poked in the side
"Dude, he's gonna call you"
"He's so gonna call you"
Lo and behold, my cell phone starts ringing. Caller ID : 781 710 9851
Coolly I answer : "Hi Irving, what's up?"
"Hey man"
"How's it going?"
"Who is this?"
"Are you enjoying the concert?"
"Who the F--- is this?"
"Turn around"
"What"
"Turn around"
At which time he turned around, to see me grinning at him. I have a new friend. Apparently Irving is a barber in Melrose, and this is how he tries to drum up business. No one has ever called the number on his shirt before. Frat boys love us, I got my funny story, we're off to a good start.

The opening act, the Black Lips(who I've never heard of) was ok, they sounded kind of generic. Raconteurs were awesome. Jack White played piano first, then sang, then electric guitar, then acoustic, then back to electric. I'm a big Jack White fan, and he certainly didn't disappoint.
Good Venue, good music, good company. Fun night, I'd recommend seeing the Raconteurs if you like-a the rock and roll.