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October 25, 2005

Scary Stuff

img - screensavershot.com

Oh, it's that time of year again - when millions of children begin the start of fresh cavaties - HALLOWEEN is upon us.
And what is a staple of Halloween ? Horror movies.
Since there are the classics that everyone knows and consistantly see this time of year, and most likely are played over and over again on cable, here are some horror movies you might not know about which are true classics.
(updated 10/28)

hometheaterhifi.com
If you haven't seen The Pledge, you don't know Jack (cheap joke, I know).
One of my favorite movies of all time is Sean Penn's naturalistic horror film about child predators. Jack Nicholson plays Jerry Black, a retiring cop who makes a promise to catch the killer of a young girl. By befriending Lori, played by Robin Wright Penn, who's child has the traits of what the killers past victims had, Jack himself becomes a predator of sorts, seeking out situations which will lead him to the killer, but also put Lori's daughter in harms way. This is a disturbing and brilliant piece of the limits we set ourselves at, due to our promises, and how it bends perception and intentions. An absolutely amazing and somewhat forgotten film.

dvd.nickbosse.dk
I know many of you have either seen or know about the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
But what most of you don't know is how creative Peter Jackson's films were before. And when I mean 'creative', I mean different-ways-you-can-rip-apart-human-flesh 'creative'.
Dead Alive (aka Brain Dead) is the story of a young man who's mother is bitten by a strange monkey creature thingy... so what happens to dear ol' mom ? She becomes a flesh-eating zombie. Yes. And from then on, the movie is all kinds of gore and dismemberment. SO MUCH FUN TOO!! And it has the classic line... "I kick ass for the lord", as said by a priest with martial arts expertise. Disgusting can be funny and enjoyable at the same time in this kiwi gore fest.

amazon.com

Suicide Club isn't exactly a horror film - it has some social commentary, and well, suicides, but it is pretty gruesome and disturbing at times. I would not recommend this for the average horror fan, but for someone seeking out foreign material, such as Takeshi Miike or Kitano. High school kids in Japan are dropping like flies. Their deaths are a mystery, and seemingly out of character, but the real corruptor of the dying youth is simplistic and shocking. Although definitely NOT for the faint of heart, it's thought provoking and haunting. Suggested for fans of Battle Royale.

allposters.com

The obvious classic and somehow underseen go-to horror film for me is The Evil Dead.
I can convince any of my friends to see it, and instantly, they either check out because they can't take it or cave in to the extreme gore- it's the basic story of some college kids renting a cabin, yes, in the woods. But from this basic formula, and through Sam Raimi's creativity, this basic plot is something more, with the 'dead' which been awoken from the ancient words from the 'Book of the Dead', attacking Ash (Bruce 'The Man' Campbell), and his friends as they try to enjoy their stay.
No big budget special effects here - Raimi's grassroots craftwork makes this low budget thriller graphic and shocking. And yes, this is from the man who made those little hit 'Spider-Man' movies.
The Evil Dead is unrated and most definitely not suitable for kids. - Sequels : EVIL DEAD 2 - DEAD BY DAWN =and= ARMY OF DARKNESS.

fangoria.com

A few years back, at the first year of the Independent Film Festival of Boston, I decided to see this little horror film called Soft for Digging - no big stars in the cast and a simple plot of a man losing his cat and discovering a body. Interesting ? Yes. And even more interesting is the gimmick - the movie has NO DIALOGUE. Well, there are some words spoken, but for nearly 70 minutes, you are subjected to the silence and visual horror that is this film. It was one of the most gut-wrenching and uncomfortable experiences I've ever had with a horror film. I can't really describe it, but when you take out the words and stick with the details, a movie like this nearly reaches subtle brilliance.

amazon.com

Now, if you call yourself a horror fan, you must bow down to Dario Argento. His films are true classics, filled with amazing visuals and intense moments. Suspiria is one of my favorite movies ever. Argento's film looks at the spooky happenings at a dance academy in europe- the main character
Suzy (Jessica Harper) is a young american girl who, on one windy, stormy night, arrives at the school to move in. But from the get-go, Argento brings on the shock with a disturbing opening. The lush imagery. The troubling score. Suspiria is a true piece of horror in all parts.

amazon.com

If there's one horror movie which made me rethink everything at the end, it was 1973's The Wicker Man. Seargent Neil Howie goes to a small island in Scotland to investigate the disappearance of a young girl - but what he finds is a cult of sorts spread throughout the island, led by Lord Summerisle, played by the sinister Christopher Lee (Sauron, fyi). I can't say much about it, but the movie is shocking, gripping, and ends with a surprise. I can't help but stress how essential this movie is as far as classic horror goes - there's a remake of this starring Nicholas Cage and directed by Neil LaBute coming out next year. If you are to rent this, I suggest getting the VHS as opposed to the DVD, since the film has a few different cuts - you might be able find the version of 101 min or so... not 88 min like the dvd.

Posted by madamczyk at 08:05 AM | Comments (5)

October 12, 2005

Say Anything...

image from cbc.ca/arts/images

You know what guys, I know that people are reading this blog.
And even though nobody, including yourself, is/are making comments as to what I've written and such, I keep moving forward, writing my reviews, but deep down, I'm trying to write something that'll make you FINALLY say something.

But you know what, this is a great time for input.

So you, the Seacoast Online Cinemallory Blog Reader,

TELL ME YOUR STORY!
Do you read my blog because you like my reviews?
Or do you hate how I dislike some pretty general stuff that could please anyone ?
Also, if you want to force me, yes, me, to see ANY movie out there that I haven't reviewed,
I'll do it... as long as it's showing within distance of where I am in Chicago.

Lloyd Dobler didn't quit, so I won't either.
SAY ANYTHING !!!

Posted by madamczyk at 11:54 AM | Comments (11)

October 07, 2005

Wallace and Gromit - The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

When it comes to family films, nobody does them quite like Nick Park and the Aardman studios.
They both last had a huge success with the animated film 'Chicken Run', and will surely experience the same with the delightful, amazing, and unique 'Curse of the Were-Rabbit', starring none other than Wallace and Gromit.

Through the shorts 'A Grand Day Out', 'The Wrong Trousers', and 'A Close Shave', Nick Park has shown Wallace and Gromit as the best of pals, going on amazing adventures either on the moon, or in their own neighborhood. Now as the duo has their own business, 'Anti-Pesto' (yes, clever), where they go around protecting the prized vegetables which are prone to bunny attacks. You can't blame the rabbits - they've got to eat somehow. When Anti-Pesto catches the bunnies, they keep them in their home, feeding and taking care of them.

One day, Lady Campanula Tottington (voiced by Helena Bonham Carter) calls, because she has a big bunny problem. She's obviously the kind of lady that Wallace would go for, and someone whom has quite the estate, not to mention, fondness for plants and vegetables. But Lady Tottington has a fiancee -- Victor Quartermaine ( surprisingly provided by Ralph Fiennes) believes that the bunny situation can be solved by gunfire, so when Wallace rolls in with Gromit and their humane bunny capture device, Victor sneers at their presence.

As adorable as those little bunnies are, they still are attacking the local soon-to-be prized veggies, and Wallace wants to figure out a way to stop them all. He has a mind control device, and plans to hook it up to the bunny machine with the little guys inside, while also attached to his head, which he will send brain signals to them making their hunger for veggies to reverse.
But oh no! What happens ? A poor little bunny, named Hutch, is accidentally sucked out of the Bun-Vac machine, and into the mind device on Wallace's head. Thankfully, the bunny is alright.. or so we think.

Eventually, and, because of the title, the town is attacked by the 'Were-Rabbit', a gigantic hopper who not only enjoys veggies, but anything resembling them. Team Anti-Pesto is summoned by the towns people to capture the bunny... but it turns out Wallace and Gromit got a rather big problem on their hands when trying to capture the bunny.

Everything about this movie is top-notch in the charm and wonder. I was a bit hesitant in seeing my favorite clay duo try to capture a giant rabbit, but the movie dispels all fan-based reserves in the first few minutes. Wallace and Gromit absolutely can work in an 85 minute feature film. Nothing in this movie is just for kids - every comedic moment is for the entire audience, but there are some little sight gags and influences for any parent to appreciate. I felt like a kid again, laughing at everything. There wasn't an unfunny moment, or lost gag - it's hard to imagine that it's been this long that I've truly laughed with joy at a feature film.

If you're going to see a movie this or any upcoming weekend, as an adult or wanting to take the youngsters, I highly suggest you hop to the theater to see this movie. It's the best family film of this year (so far... ah, I have to say that, unfortunately), and will surely make my end of the year list.

all images from rottentomatoes.com

Posted by madamczyk at 11:15 PM | Comments (0)

October 06, 2005

Elizabethtown - a journey worth taking ?

This is from the opening night of Elizabethtown at the Chicago International Film Festival

I started off my evening walking down State Street in Chicago, past Marshall Fields, and down the road to the Chicago theater. A film festival sponsored by a vineyard. Good grief.
Red carpet, crowd, paparazzi -- they were all there.
And so was Roger Ebert, Susan Sarandon, and Cameron Crowe.
After killing my feet with my shoes (ow), and surging through the crowd, I actually caught a glimpse of Mr. Chicago Sun-Times himself. 10 feet away. A open roped off area.
I looked, I saw, and that was it.
'YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE STANDING HERE!'
some crazed woman exclaimed this to me, and I whisked myself upstairs to my seat in the balcony ..
I just saw the person who, in a nutshell, is partially responsible for me writing this very article. I don't like the movies he likes - inspiration has nothing to do with quality.

And after a video montage of Susan, starting 20 minutes late, of course, and her finally talking with Ebert, being presented the festival's Hugo award, and Cameron Crowe getting the discussion sit-down shaft, the movie started. We begin with Orlando Bloom playing someone who doesn't get into epic battles or wielding some kind of weapon. Instead, his character Drew has just lost a shoe corporation 'nearly' 1 Billion dollars. $972 million to be exact. And for that, he might as well kill himself. Drew does attempt, but instead, right when he's about to end it all, the phone rings. His father Mitchell has passed away -- all while visiting his hometown in Kentucky - Elizabethtown.

The entire conflict on why Drew has to venture there is because of his mother supposedly 'taking' Mitchell away from the beloved town to California --- oh wait, Oregon.
Elizabethtown loves Mitchell, and they're surely ready to love his son Drew.
But before he gets there, he has a chance encounter with Claire (Kirsten Dunst), the perky flight attendant who knows people, and how to make anyone, especially a Drew, smile.

Elizabethtown sure is a charming movie. But heck, charm can only go so far.
Cameron Crowe is an accomplished director, but this movie is about as dry as Kentucky in the summer. Orlando Bloom has no reason to be in this movie - he isn't a Drew. He's a Legolas. A Ballian (Kingdom of Heaven, because I know you didn't see it). Definitely not a guy who's related to someone living in the great state of Kentucky.

And the other weakness is Kirsten Dunst. Unfortunately, Natalie Portman got this role right with the epilectic charmer Sam in Garden State. Dunst can only do so much - she is a different kind of 'perk' than Sam, but Claire is so one note. So completely able to fix anything -- convenience is a gift, not a way of life.

I sort of liked the people of Elizabethtown, especially scene stealer Paul Schneider, who plays Drew's cousin Jessie. And oh yeah -- Why WAS Susan Sarandon at the screening ? She shows up for five minutes to play the extremely un-fleshed out role of Drew's mom and Mitchell's Wife. I have to go on IMDB.com to look her name up -- okay. . here we go. Well, her name was Hollie.
And just like Hollie's name, Elizabethtown is overall forgettable, and never really finds its way --- you can drive around, but you'll probably just miss it in the mix .. just like 60B.

Elizabethtown opens nationwide October 14th
-
all images from rottentomatoes.com

Posted by madamczyk at 11:49 PM | Comments (1)

October 05, 2005

'Everything is Illuminated' ... and 'Suck'y ?

Today, after two past failed attempts to see one of my most anticipated films of the year, Thumbsucker, I finally wanted to see the movie on a day with 0% chance of rainfall.
And what did I think of it ? I kept waiting and waiting and waiting for the movie to finally end, hopefully have a resolve to the situations shown . . but did it ?

Somehow the movie just didn't do anything, solve anything, .. Lou Pucci plays Justin, a boy who can't focus in debate team, and surely can't get his thumb out of his mouth. When others question his honesty, specifically a girl who he attends school with and frequently daydreams about, Justin's grasp on teenhood goes into the realm of Ritalin, where he can focus, but lose the edge which made him unique.
At the same time, his mother Audrey (Tilda Swinton) has an infatuation with a terrible tv actor, which leads her to do questionable things to her own life, and his father Mike (VIncent D'onofrio) simply isn't around to live with really live the same life as his family.

One reason why I think that this film didn't work is because simply it doesn't go far enough. Things are skimmed. Issues are light, moving onward, and frankly, the side characters just didn't do anything except be side characters. Vince Vaughn as a teacher ? Useless. Benjamin Bratt as the cheesy tv star ? forgettable. The only actor in this movie who really uses their screen time to their advantage is Keanu Reeves, as Perry the dentist who, just like Justin, goes through phases. Justin can respect Perry for helping him, but has a natural teenage backlash against him when Perry's competitive streak with Justin's dad Mike seems like perfect fodder -- but it doesn't work. Director Mike Mills easily could have made Thumbsucker a two hour film fully fleshed out, but the script is meager, and left me wishing that it would have 'sucked' more.

---

In the same realm of the young man's journey to discovery, Actor Liev Schreiber's directorial debut Everything is Illuminated is a bright, gorgeous look at culture, history, and heritage. Elijah Wood plays Jonathan Safran Foer, a collector of things, and also the young man who wrote the book 'Everything is Illuminated', which is, of course, this movie. Simply put, Jonathan wants to find a woman who saved his grandfather in World War II.

In finding the woman, known only from a photo and with the name Augustina, Jonathan goes to the Ukraine, a popular travel spot for jewish families. Shortly after arriving in the Ukraine, he meets Alex (Eugene Hutz), his travel guide, a young man from Odessa, who, with his 'blind' grandfather (Boris Leskin), and his 'seeing eye bitch' Sammy Davis Jr. Jr., are to take Jonathan on a journey to seek for Augustina and her past.

Schreiber's vision of the Ukraine, both torn from past events, with vast landscapes, communities, and farms, is absolutely beautiful. The three characters travelling together are absolutely fantastic - all the actors seem made for their roles. As I think about the movie more and more, it seems that almost nothing about this film is weak - it all depends on how willing you are to take this glorious, charming, and touching journey of discovery of self and past.

all images from rottentomatoes.com

Posted by madamczyk at 09:20 PM | Comments (0)