In Home Viewings: "Bernie"

In 1998, an article in Texas Monthly magazine recounting the very odd tale of Bernie Tiede (Jack Black) and Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine), the elderly widow he murdered in 1996. A beloved member of the community, Bernie had befriended Mrs. Nugent when no one else could (or would) and eventually had become her daily companion despite their gap in age and general phase of life. But as their relationship deepened, Nugent became more and more possessive and abusive of Bernie, a soft spoken funeral director who never could find a way to end their strange little relationship until the day he finally snapped. Despite having a confession on file and a seemingly air tight case, district attorney Danny Buck (Matthew McConaughey) came to fear that the East Texas community would sympathize too much with Bernie, setting the stage for the sort of quirky trial that is only befitting of such a strange story.

Without question, Bernie is one of the weirder films I’ve seen in quite some time. Part re-enactment, part documentary, director Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused) excels in creating a surreal environment for his film that continually keeps the audience off guard in a very endearing way. Though the story is quite tragic, Bernie is presented as a comedy and as odd as it may seem, that’s exactly the dynamic that this tale needs. Considering the interviews with real townspeople who knew Bernie and Nugent at the time, the tone of the film seems exceedingly appropriate. It’s too weird to be presented as straight drama or tragedy and doing so would have turned Bernie into a Lifetime Movie of the week that no one (especially me) would pay attention to. In a weird way, by approaching the subject matter from a comedic perspective, Linklater allows for it to be taken seriously while also giving his lead actors a chance to shine.

I’m not sure when the last was that MacLaine did something worthwhile but it’s safe to say it’s been a long time. As such, this is a performance she can be exceedingly proud of as she brings Nugent to life in exquisite detail. MacLaine forces you to both hate and sympathize for Nugent and most importantly, she doesn’t let her character become completely inhuman, a fact that honestly makes Bernie an uncomfortable experience at times. It would be easier to laugh along with the film if MacLaine wasn’t so good at making Nugent a tragic figure of sorts. McConaughey, too, is quite believable and unendingly appealing for the first time in many years. Given the critical acclaim McConaughey has garnered this year, it has become apparent that I may have to retract at least a few of the horrible things I’ve said about him over the years.

The success of Bernie, however, rests solely on the shoulders of Black, who comes through brilliantly with what may very well be the best performance of his career. Very rarely have I thought of Jack Black as a real actor. Almost all of his roles, whether good or bad, come across as Jack Black, not as a character portrayed by Jack Black. “Understated” has never been an adjective one would use to describe Black’s performances but that’s exactly what this is. Maybe for the first time ever, Black puts on the skin of another man and manages to bring him to life in his own right. Bernie has many layers and Black pulls each of them back expertly, providing laughs while still presenting him as a tragic figure. If you’ve seen Nacho Libre, Be Kind Rewind, or Gulliver’s Travels you may, like me, find it hard to believe that Black is capable of genuine acting but this is a fine example of what the man is truly capable of.

Bernie doesn’t always plow forward with the same quirky pace that is starts out with and as such, it does seem to drag a bit. Moreover, it is at times difficult to completely enjoy the comedic aspects given the film’s subject matter. But for what it is, Bernie makes for a quality, seriously off-beat viewing that stands out in terms of true uniqueness. 

Review: "Lawless"

I cannot tell you, dear readers, how much I wanted to like Lawless. No, like is not the correct term. Between the cast, the setting, and the delicious trailers, I wanted to LOVE this movie. Instead, I found myself focusing more and more on the film’s flaws and thinking about what could have been than I did keying in on the positives. As such, Lawless stands as one of the most disappointing films of the year for me and one that illustrates how only one or two missteps can derail an entire film.

Set in Depression-era Franklin, Virginia Lawless focuses on the Bondraunt family, a set of brothers who have made quite a name for themselves as prominent bootleggers. Forrest (Tom Hardy), a grizzled veteran with a litany of legends attached to his name, is the patriarch and decision maker of the family, Howard (Jason Clarke) stands as his enforcer, and as the youngest, Jack (Shia LaBeouf) is mostly employed as a gopher, a role that leaves him appropriately disenfranchised. When Forrest rejects the idea of paying a toll to the new law in town, Special Deputy Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) is brought in from Chicago to crack some heads and force the Bondraunts to fall in line. But Rakes underestimates the willpower of the Bondraunts and before long, their fight has turned into an all-out war that speads across the county and puts anyone and everyone in danger.

First off, it should be stated that even with the complaints I am about to register, Lawless is by no means a bad film. In truth, I very much admire the effort put forth here to bridge the gap between summer blockbuster and award-caliber drama, which (I think) was the goal here. It was a bold attempt even if it resulted in a misfire. Most of the acting herein is exquisite, though should we expect anything less from the likes of Hardy, Pearce, Gary Oldman, Jessica Chastain, and Mia Wosikowski? Hardy and Chastain each give restrained but at times magnetic performances that cannot be ignored. Oldman, though (thoroughly) underutilized, brings great presence to his screen time and it is a treat to see the coolness with which his character unleashes the beast in select circumstances. And Pearce delivers the film’s greatest portrayal, instilling Rakes with a wicked, diabolical streak of sheer evil that often drives Lawless when the narrative sputters. The audience immediately DESPISES Rakes and that loathing kept me invested when I otherwise might have given up. Likewise, the cinematography is excellent and the setting is so very appealing. Who among us doesn’t love a good gangster film? There’s just something about the Prohibition era that seems to suck us in.

But for me, so much of the good contained within Lawless is undermined, in equal measurements, by the presence of Shia LaBeouf and the disjointed approach to storytelling of John Hillcoat. Like his acting counterparts, LaBeouf is trying and trying hard to give a great performance and if truth be told, it’s probably his best work yet. Even still, at no point could I shake the feeling that I was watching LaBeouf playing a character, rather than a character played by LaBeouf. I think LaBeouf wants to be a good actor but I don’t think he is and I found his presence incredibly distracting and mismatched in this setting. I can only imagine how much better Lawless would have been with someone like Joseph Gordon Levitt in the place of LaBeouf.

Just as LaBeouf is mismatched to the rest of the cast, so too is Hillcoat to the overall goal of the film. A director with a flair for a sprawling, even keeled approach to drama (see: The Road, The Proposition), going in I questioned whether Hillcoat was the right man for the job of turning this movie into the audience-accepted, modest blockbuster the studio clearly wanted it to be and I kept coming back to that thought. The characters are yearning for development and yet most of them are given only token backstories and then set aside in favor of more screen time for LaBeouf. Oldman is barely used, Hardy’s character never gets a chance to take off, and even Pearce’s development leaves us with far more questions than answers. Moreover, the narrative is extremely slow to unfurl and takes far too many headscratchingly unnecessary tangents that I can’t describe as pointless but which could have been reworked to fit within the core storyline. I’m all for a good slow burn that meticulously makes its way towards the finish line but Hillcoat moves so slowly as to allow for both disinterest and predictability. There is so much ground that could have been covered here but instead the audience is given far more of Shia LaBeouf than any of us have ever asked for. It’s a shame, really, because somewhere within Lawless is a GREAT film that would have dominated the award circuit. It just isn’t this version of the film.

The Week That Was and the Week That Will Be - 9/10

This wasn't my best week for staying atop movie news. Sorry about that. It was a weird week in real life this time around and that took some attention. Also, there were important things happening elsewhere, like the beginning of the NFL season which, of course, resulted in countless hours of fantasy football research. When you're a nerd, you're a nerd all the way. As such, I'm sure I missed important things this week but it did seem like most of the important stuff concerned screenings of some big movies at the Toronto International Film Festival. All those blurbs coming out of Toronto actually made me want to go to Canada for the first time in my life. (I'm kidding, Canada, your country is great, Nickelback aside.) Anyway, my bad on any missing, important news blurbs.

The big news of the week, sadly, is of the passing of Michael Clarke Duncan at the age of 54. MCD had almost 100 credits to his name, most notably his incredible, Oscar-nominated performance in The Green Mile. Rest in peace, big guy.

Tobey Maguire has been cut from Ang Lee's Life of Pi, a near lock for contention in the Best Picture race this season. Apparently, Maguire was too recognizable among a group of unknowns and Lee decided to go a different direction. 

There is rumor of a director's cut of The Dark Knight Rises coming to Blu-Ray and I've been salivating over it for days. 

Jeffrey Wright has taken on the role of Beetee in Catching Fire, the upcoming sequel to The Hunger Games. Great casting choice for one of the few remaining substantial roles. 

Andrew Stanton talked to the LA Times about his recent flop, John Carter, and the cost of doing business in Hollywood. I still say John Carter wasn't bad at all. 

Ruth at Flix Chatter has delivered this month's Five for the Fifth. Head on over and give your answers! 

In accordance with the beginning of the NFL season, Fogs over at Fogs Movie Reviews gives us his top 10 sports movies of all time. Great list!

Weekend Box Office Report

If your film tops the weekend box office but collects under $10 million, do you still get to call it the number one film in America? I say you should have to at least call it, “The Number One Movie in America By Default.” Despite poor reviews, The Possession stays atop the box office this weekend thanks in part to a complete lack of competition. Lawless continued to underperform, leaving one to question whether John Hillcoat was the best director for this sort of project in the first place. Our two new films found almost as little favor with audiences as they did with critics (more on that shortly) as The Words barely managed a $5 million pull and The Cold Light of Day couldn’t even break its way into the top 10, finishing up under $2 million (yikes). I gave my money to both Lawless and Premium Rush, wasn’t impressed by either, and will not have to find a way to crank out 600 words on both. Sigh.

1. The Possession - $9.5M ($33.34M)

2. Lawless - $6M ($23.52M)

3. The Words - $5M

4. Expendables 2 - $4.75M ($75.41M)

5. The Bourne Legacy - $4M ($103.7M)

6. ParaNorman - $3.83M ($45.09M)

7. The Odd Life of Timothy Green - $3.65M ($43M)

8. The Campaign - $3.53M ($79.47M)

9. The Dark Knight Rises - $3.28M ($437.84M)

10. 2016 Obama’s America - $3.28M ($26.08M)

New to DVD

The Thing I'm Going to See

Castle: Season 4 – Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, Molly C. Quinn

As a general rule I am against the traditional procedural. The method just doesn’t work for me. However, there have been exceptions over the years and having just completed the first three seasons of Castle in shotgun fashion, I’m willing to put this show in that category. The week-to-week storylines are as lackluster as I imagined they would be (just pull any plot from any crime-related drama and Castle has done it) but the lead characters are outstanding. Gotta love ol’ Nathan Fillion and this is a role custom made for him.

The Thing That You Should See

30 Rock: Season 6 – Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan

Big Bang Theory: Season 4 – Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco

This week I offer the TV fans out there something for everyone. If you’re a fan of the more progressive, witty sitcom then may I suggest 30 Rock, the closest thing we currently have to Arrested Development. The sixth season was especially satisfying because the back half of season five was a mess and I took great joy in seeing the show return to its prominence. If you’re a fan of the more traditional sitcom, Big Bang Theory is the perfect transition to the wittier programs the networks currently have to offer. BBT is surprisingly smart, has a solid storyline, and is exceedingly rewatchable.

The Thing You Shouldn’t See

Snow White and the Huntsman – Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron

You know, I didn’t hate this movie when I saw it earlier this summer. But I’ve changed my tune. This movie sucks and moreover, it lacks any semblance of significance. I’ve seen very few movies that simply sit around and do nothing the way Snow White does. Add in Kristen Stewart being oh so Kristen Stewart-y and Chris Hemsworth seeming bored throughout and you’ve got a colossal waste of time.

Also New

What to Expect When You’re Expecting – Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks

Girl in Progress – Eva Mendes, Cierra Ramirez, Patricia Arquette

Lola Versus – Greta Gerwig, Zoe Lister Jones, Hamish Linklater

The Vampire Diaries: Season 3 – Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder

Spartacus: Vengeance: Season 2 – Liam McIntyre, Katrina Law, Lucy Lawless

Private Practice: Season 5 – Kate Walsh, Taye Diggs, Tim Daly

Blue Bloods: Season 2 – Donnie Walberg, Bridget Moynahan, Tom Selleck

Terra Nova: Series – Jason Mara, Shelley Conn, Stephen Lang

Up All Night: Season 1 – Will Arnett, Christina Applegate, Maya Rudolph

New to Blu

Jeepers Creepers (2001) – Justin Long, Gina Philips, Jonathan Breck

The Firm (1993) – Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman

The Score (2001) – Edward Norton, Robert De Niro, Marlon Brando

Titanic (1997) – Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane

Coming to a Theater Near You

I hope none of you wasted your weekend at a movie this weekend, dear friends. Both of the new films of the day found a way to finish below a 20 percent rating with The Words scoring an abysmal 16 percent and The Cold Light of Day somehow outperforming it with a whipping 10 percent. You have to try hard to be that bad.

September usually brings with it the not quite blockbuster-y enough blockbusters and the not quite Oscar-y enough Oscar wannabes. We’ve already seen The Words (which at some point aspired for award contention) flop miserably and later this month we’ll get Looper, which I CANNOT WAIT FOR but which is probably too confusing to be a summer blockbuster. This weekend, though, we’ll get a treat in the form of a legitimate, strong, Best Picture contender as well as one of the films that is sure to make everyone’s “worst of 2012” list.

The Master – Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams

A troubled veteran (Phoenix) has issues assimilating into post-WWII society until he gets involved with a charismatic religious leader (PSH). Based in part of the formation of Scientology, Paul Thomas Anderson’s first film since 2007’s There Will Be Blood has received a tremendous amount of attention and I must say, the studio (and Anderson himself) has built the buzz over this one extremely well. More than anything else, I’m most excited about seeing Phoenix in a role that has Oscar written all over it. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: Fresh, 91%

Resident Evil: Retribution – Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Michelle Rodriguez

Alice (Jovovich) returns to kill zombie-things and stuff. Gah, these movies are awful. AWFUL. The previous installments, of which there are four, average a 25 percent Rotten Tomatoes score and that number seems exceedingly high. Somehow I have seen all of these movies, usually after they’ve reached HBO, but this is where I draw the line. No more, Milla Jovovich. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: Rotten, 22%

Also New: Finding Nemo returns in 3D…An alumnus (Josh Radnor) and a current student (Elisabeth Olsen) fall for each other at a professor’s retirement party in Liberal Arts…A high powered broker (Richard Gere) finds himself in trouble after some shady business dealings in Arbitage…A group of old friends (including Channing Tatum) get together on the eve of their high school reunion in 10 Years…and Nicolas Cage does Nicolas Cage things in Stolen.

Review: "Searching for Sugar Man"

This space is dedicated, more than anything else, to the average moviegoer who doesn’t spend countless hours a week watching movies and keeping up with industry information but simply wants a bit of knowledge before walking in unaware to a given movie. As such, I usually go out of my way to avoid any potential spoilers. Between trailers and the plethora of information available at the touch of a smartphone, it’s difficult enough to successfully navigate the spoiler-free world of movies and TV without me adding to the issue. Certain films, however, are fundamentally impossible to properly discuss and dissect (and therefore review) without throwing in a spoiler or two. Such is the case with Searching for Sugar Man. Now, I knew the “spoiler” I’m about to delve into going into this film and it certainly didn’t hinder my experience. But even still, this is an outstanding documentary that I will be encouraging everyone to see and if you feel a story-related spoiler would damage your ability to enjoy it, please read no further. You’ve been warned.

In 1971, folk-rock musician Sixto Rodriguez released his second and final American album on Essex Records out of Detroit. Upon selling literally no copies of the record, Rodriguez was dropped from his label and began a short existence as a struggling artist in the bar scene, a role that didn’t suit him, and subsequently led to his on-stage suicide. A complete failure on American soil, somehow Rodriguez’s debut album, “Cold Fact”, found its way to South Africa and became a huge sensation to a country deeply divided by the apartheid. Before long, Rodriguez’s songs became an anthem of sorts for the lower class of South Africa and the middle class who supported the end of the apartheid but lacked a rallying cry. The Rodriguez albums became more and more popular, making him bigger than Elvis or The Beatles in South Africa though almost nothing was known about the man. In the late 90s, a pair of Rodriguez fans, Stephen Segerman and Craig Bartholomew-Strydom, sought to find out more about their hero and what led to his untimely demise. Through a string of strange events and many months of searching for information, the pair finally broke their story wide open when they were put in touch with Rodriguez, alive and well, making a living as a construction worker in Detroit.

The story told in Searching for Sugar Man is one that would be deemed completely unrealistic if it were presented in a scripted drama. Stuff like this just doesn’t happen, even if many of the events took place before the Internet boom. First of all, when you hear the songs Rodriguez penned for his two albums (spliced in continually through the course of the film), you find yourself completely shocked that the guy didn’t make it here. Every record producer or former collaborator dug up by director Malik Bendjelloul goes above and beyond in praise of Rodriguez, all of them vexed as to why he never made an impact on the American charts. His songs are reminiscent of the best of Bob Dylan, a soulful bluesy brand of folk that pulls no punches in the writing and is backed by a rich, unique voice. Second, the myth of what became of Rodriguez and his on-stage death was so widely believed as to become written into the history books as fact. Everyone beyond the handful of people actually connected to the man knew him to be dead. And third, the way in which this one man, of all the bands and musicians from the era, became such an enduring sensation in a foreign country, completely unbeknownst to him or really any of his inner circle, is nearly beyond belief. Again, stuff like this just doesn’t happen.

The back half of the film centers on the rediscovery of Rodriguez and his return to the stage in 1998. Footage from his six night concert series in South Africa shows Rodriguez to be a proficient, comfortable performer who was in no way intimidated by the throng of adoring fans that flocked to the arenas. Even if Searching for Sugar Man was a complete miss in every department, it would still be worth the price of admission if only to see the reaction of the fans in the packed house when their hero, long believed to be dead, took the stage for the first time. It compares to Beatlemania, Bieber Fever, or any other music-related madness that has gripped a nation. Inserted in amongst the concert footage and the interviews with adoring fans and collaborators are moments with Rodriguez and his three daughters, all of whom paint the same picture of their father as a simple man who never needed the spotlight but nevertheless graciously accepts it and thrives in it. At the time of filming, Rodriguez was still working in the construction industry despite having to take occasional leaves of absence to play sold out shows across the ocean. It is an almost unbelievably surreal life that Rodriguez lives and yet it seems entirely reasonable to the man and his kin.

From a filmmaking standpoint, Searching for Sugar Man isn’t flawless. Much of the post-production value seems a bit dated or perhaps cheap and the built-in drama of what became of Rodriguez didn’t completely work for me, though it did for others in my party. Nevertheless, the story is such an engrossing one as to make up for a multitude of sins and Bendjelloul does a masterful job of mixing the interviews with his subjects in order to make Rodriguez’s tale a cohesive, multi-faceted one complete with humor, tears, and a sense of sheer wonderment. This is a triumphant film that deserves the award attention it is sure to get and one that I hope many of you will seek out.

Review: "The Bourne Legacy"

At times it can be difficult to admit one’s mistakes. We like to think we’re right most of the time and even we aren’t, we often find ways to excuse, justify, or brush off those mistakes. Today I must bite the bullet and concede a lapse in judgment: I was wayyyy too excited about The Bourne Legacy. As a major fan of the original trilogy, I got caught up in the excitement of a new film, the casting of Jeremy Renner, and that magnificent tag line, “There was never just one.” I got ahead of myself, named this movie as one of my top ten most anticipated of the year, and let my expectations go unchecked heading into opening weekend. I was wrong and that disappointment undoubtedly tainted my viewing of a film that never quite measures up to what it could be.

Running concurrently with the events of The Bourne Ultimatum, Legacy finds the CIA attempting to tie up all loose ends of their super-agent program known as Outcome that essentially used Bourne to develop a scientific method for genetic modification. All Outcome agents are quickly disposed of save for one: Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner), a rebellious sort of lone wolf who is suddenly forced to go on the run and fight against the organization that made him who he is. In need of a final genetic procedure, Cross travels across the country to come to the aid of Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz), an Outcome lab rat who has herself run afoul of the CIA. With the head of the agency, Colonel Eric Byer (Edward Norton), hot on their tails, Cross and Shearing make a trek across the world in order to perform the procedure Cross desperately needs and give themselves a fighting chance of taking on the CIA.

The best thing I can say about The Bourne Legacy is that it tries. It tries very hard, in fact. Tony Gilroy, who wrote the screenplays for all of the previous Bourne films, clearly wants his film to be better than the previous entries and the failures herein have nothing to do with his effort. Likewise, the performances of the respective cast members are all of high quality. Norton excels when given the opportunity though he is underutilized and suffers from a character that should be bigger than it is. Weisz proves herself a valuable member of the cast and supersedes the one dimensional damsel in distress that I generally expect from this sort of role. Her character has a purpose and she brings it to life appropriately. More than anyone else, Renner acclimates himself to his role quite well and carries on in the tradition of Jason Bourne with flair. Renner shows off a range of abilities including action star potential and one scene in which he makes you forget you’re watching a summer blockbuster and instead remember his Academy Award-nominated turn in The Town.

That’s about where the positives end, however. All of Gilroy’s efforts to create a significant action thriller are for naught due to the listless nature of the pace and the overly complex narrative that sucks the life out of the better action sequences. Legacy takes FAR too long to gain traction and start moving and once it does it’s difficult as a viewer to switch gears. Gilroy needs a solid hour to explain his plot before we can get down to the action-centric entertainment we expect from this film. I can enjoy a complex action film as much as the next guy but whereas the original Bourne trilogy excelled in combining plot with action, Legacy just stymies itself over and over. The script is kind of a mess to be honest and plays out like the Michael Clayton of Bourne films, a comparison that seems lazy considering that film is Gilroy’s claim to fame but is also completely fitting. There are some great action sequences in which Renner is fantastic but they are almost always swallowed up by an abyss of boring and seemingly needless plot complications that don’t serve a purpose. I believe Gilroy set out to make a thinking man’s action movie and instead created an incredible film to nap through on a Sunday afternoon if not for a few noisy interruptions.

As I seem to find myself typing far too often this year, Legacy isn’t a bad film. There are inspired moments and I think it’s worth seeing if only to catch Renner upping his physical game. Above all else, it lays the groundwork for future installments in the series which I have to believe will be much better than this one is and will hopefully bring Damon and Renner together for a round of pure, unadulterated awesomeness.

Trailer Spotlight - 8/31

It's been a few weeks since I've had the chance to do a Trailer Spotlight. We'll be playing a bit of catch up with some of the trailers I've missed recently but in order to keep this from getting too far out of hand I'm going to cap this session at five. For a complete recap of what we've missed lately, head over to The Focused Filmographer and browse through his Trailer Time Thursday posts. Great stuff there!

Red Dawn (November 21) - Chris Hemsworth, Adrienne Palicki, Josh Hutcherson
If you haven't tracked the troubled history of Red Dawn over what seems like the last decade, you may not be as surprised as I am that this is finally finding its way to theaters. It was announced in 2008, began production in 2009, and was scheduled for release in 2010 before MGM ran into financial issues. It's been sitting on a shelf ever since, though n post production the baddies were changed from the Chinese to the North Koreans. This release date kind of came out of nowhere, too, as the studio backers felt (rightly so) that this was a weak Thanksgiving market and that Red Dawn could find some favor. The first trailer is in and I must admit it looks much better than I would have expected.



Zero Dark Thirty (December 19) - Chris Pratt, Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton
It definitely won't be the only movie related to the events of Seal Team 6 and the killing of Osama Bin Laden but Kathryn Bigelow gets credit for being the first to put the story on the screen. I love what Bigelow did with The Hurt Locker and this cast is outstanding, even if it does lack a bankable star. We're not given much here but just from a patriotic standpoint, Zero Dark Thirty is likely to be a big hit.



Seven Psychopaths (October 12) - Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson
If you're a fan of dark comedies and you haven't seen Martin McDonagh's In Bruges then you're doing things wrong. It's outstanding and it gets better upon further viewings. McDonagh re-teams with Farrell here and man, does this look good. And what a cast he's assembled this time around! PREDICTION: Tom Waits will steal the show in this film. Mark it down.



The Company You Keep (TBD) - Shia LaBeouf, Robert Redford, Anna Kendrick
Wait. So you're telling me there are TWO movies this year in which a thoroughly undeserving Shia LaBeouf is being backed by a tremendous cast of much better actors? What's your deal, 2012? It's been over a decade since Redford has done much of anything worthwhile but at the end of the day, he's still Robert Redford and he can still get me to a theater just on the off chance that he nails it. The Company You Keep looks to have some potential but as with Lawless, it will probably come down to whether or not LaBeouf can not stink.



The Last Stand (January 18) - Arnold Schwarzenegger, Genesis Rodriguez, Forest Whitaker
Oh boy, did I save the best for last. And by "best", I mean "really bad even for January." Having just come off of my Expendables 2 viewing, I have to say that Arnie was the worst part of the movie (beyond the actual writing, of course). I expected some rust given his long hiatus but it was more than that. His flat, painful deliveries were indicative of an aging pitcher who has lost his fastball. The Last Stand looks pretty miserable my friends.

Review: "The Expendables 2"

In this day and age of prequels and sequels, there is one important question every studio or filmmaker must be prepared to ask when they produce a hit: “How do we make the next one bigger and better?” If you’re Sylvester Stallone and your hit is The Expendables, the answer to that question is simple: just add Chuck Norris. BOOM. Your sequel is immediately and appreciably better.

The Expendables 2 finds Barney Ross (Stallone) and his crew of mercenaries still running roughshod over third world baddies and taking on the jobs that no one else will. Given a mission by CIA agent Church (Bruce Willis) that will ostensibly settle their debt to the agency, the Expendables head to China in order to track down and bring home a mysterious box with the help of Maggie (Nan Yu). But upon retrieving the box, the team is ambushed by the notorious Villain (Jean-Claude Van Damme) who steals the box and does the group an irreparable harm. With revenge squarely on his mind, Ross, Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), and the rest of the gang take on perhaps their toughest challenge yet in order to apprehend Villain and prevent him from executing his diabolical plan.

As it pertains to movie criticism, for me there is nothing harder than rating and reviewing a film like Expendables. How do you judge a movie that is rife with blatantly bad dialogue, displays absolutely no character development, and values style over any semblance of substance? You’d say that movie is pretty bad, right? But what if that same movie is also an unhealthy amount of fun, makes up for its lack of story with tremendous doses of absurdly violent action, and creates an environment that is unquestionably perfect for its content? That would be a pretty good film, right? In almost every way in which we as a society value and grade movies, Expendables is an abomination. And yet, after about 30 minutes, this film (even more so than its predecessor) has a way of winning you over, even if you went in dead set on hating it. As strange as it may sound, there is a certain charm about Expendables that transcends the ridiculous action sequences and the beat you over the head with an iron rod approach to storytelling.

For me, the specific charm that Expendables (and other films like it) utilizes is the understanding between the audience and everyone involved in the production that none of what transpires in this film should be taken with even the slightest hint of seriousness. From the very beginning and over and over throughout the course of the film, Expendables extends to the audience a sly wink or, if you prefer, a knowing nod, that allows you to completely dispense with the silly notion of “reality.” It’s as if the movie opens with a scrolling note, Star Wars-style, that simply reads, “Hey, you know how stressful work was this week? Well, you can forget about all that, little buddy. For the next two hours all we’re going to do is blow crap up and make some jokes that are so bad you can’t help but laugh. And when it’s all over and we’ve killed approximately 100 million Russians, you’ll feel a little better about that glass ceiling. So sit back, relax, maybe inject some testosterone into your veins, and enjoy. Later ‘brah.” Every ounce of Expendables is easily comprehended (duh) and once you’ve accepted the mindless but undoubtedly awesome brand of entertainment, director Simon West wastes no opportunity to make each stunt more ridiculous than the last.

Moreover, every single member of the cast (with the exception of Dolph Lundgren who might not actually be alive) completely buys in to the sheer absurdity of their film and “acts” accordingly. Stallone will never get the credit he deserves for realizing exactly what he is today and exploiting that to the best of his ability. There’s a genius to the creation of this franchise and its execution that is due almost entirely to Stallone and his ability to pull in virtually every washed up action star to actually make Expendables live up to what it sets out to be is paramount to the success of this film. West does a great job, too, of hiding the members of the cast who really can’t act in the background and propping them up with hilariously bad one-liners. The cast outside of the actual members of the Expendables represent perhaps the best of the movie. Sure, the action scenes are great but getting to see Bruce Willis smirk through every TERRIBLE piece of dialogue he’s given to work with is a treat to behold. I am shocked to report that Van Damme is actually good in his role as the over-the-top villain (seriously, his name is Villain!!!) and gets my vote for “Best Performance in a Horribly Acted But Nonetheless Great” action movie. And then there’s Norris who appears in the movie for all of three minutes, delivers perhaps five lines, and yet somehow completely steals the show. His first appearance marks the moment when Expendables 2 outreaches its predecessor and the joke surrounding his entrance is worth the price of admission in and of itself. (I won’t spoil it but rest assured that keeping it quiet is KILLING me.)

I could spend hours pointing out all of the plot holes, bad acting, and willfully bad writing that comes into play in Expendables. Virtually everything about this movie is completely detached from reality, except for the number of rounds a gun can hold which for some reason seems to be a real bugaboo that no one is allowed to violate. But at the end of the day, Expendables is EXACTLY what it is supposed to do and hits the mark on every level that an awful movie like this could ever be expected to aim for.

In Home Viewings: "Casa de mi Padre"

The son of a wealthy Mexican landowner, Armando Alvarez (Will Ferrell) is a simple man who is only entrusted with small tasks around the ranch. When his brother Raul (Diego Luna) returns home with a plan to bring in more money, Armando is initially excited about the proposition despite his jealousy over Raul’s new fiancé, Sonia (Genesis Rodriguez). Soon, however, it becomes apparent that Raul’s plan involves the drug trade, drawing unwanted interest from both the local cartel leader Onza (Gael Garcia Bernal) and a corrupt DEA agent (Nick Offerman). With the family’s legacy in danger and his own life on the land, Armando must become the man neither he nor his father thought he could ever be.

Told entirely in Spanish, Casa de mi Padre plays out exactly the way it is intended, as a mix of Spanish telenovela melodrama and Will Ferrell’s manchild foolishness. There are few surprises here and at times this film becomes tiresome but then again, there’s something to be said for committing to a bit and sticking with it religiously, and in this way Casa is a success. I half expected Casa to turn into a Scary Movie-like parody but instead Ferrell and the rest take great pains to approach the subject matter with a seriousness that it really doesn’t deserve. In doing so, Ferrell sells the movie enough to make one buy in, at least enough to stay relatively interested in a low budget, low expectation movie. If Casa were a car and Ferrell the dealer, you wouldn’t buy it as a brand new, turbo charged Mustang but you could grab onto it as a used Camry with reasonable mileage. And really, that’s all one should expect from a $6 million indie film built around the idea of Will Ferrell speaking Spanish, no?

The actors surrounding Ferrell are adequate in their roles, though none are asked to do much of anything. Rodriguez fits the bill as the beautiful but troubled love interest and she, better than anyone else in the cast, seems to roll with Ferrell’s antics. A scene in which Armando and Sonia become, shall we say, romantically entwined, the lead-up to and execution of which is so absurd as to bring about laughter even though I should know better. Here Rodriguez is an excellent muse for Ferrell. At the end of the day, though, Casa is virtually a one man show, a platform for Ferrell to do something different while still staying in a comfortable place. In comparison to his other films (of which I am a great and lifelong fan), Casa is fairly weak but if nothing else Ferrell should get credit for thinking outside the box and doing something a bit risky. There’s more to like here than I anticipated, included the blatantly fake backdrops and at least one scene that is ripped from the pages of a Monty Python sketch, making Casa a modest success in my book.

In Home Viewings: "Battleship"

Dear Reader(s),

By day’s end, there are likely to be many reasons to remember August 28^th, 2012. Perhaps a well-known celebrity will be arrested, a small earthquake will be detected in Arizona, John Mayer will pop up with a new gal pal (you stay away from Rachel McAdams, John), or another newsworthy event will take place, cementing this day in our memories forever. But as for me and my house, today will be remembered as the day that Battleship came out on Blu-Ray, making it readily available for multiple, shameless viewings in the vein of The A-Team and Fast Five.

I cannot blame you, dear reader(s), if Battleship has somehow slipped your memory after its less-than-stellar premiere in May. Based upon the board game of the same title, Battleship recounts the heroic tale of a group of Navy sailors, led by a troublemaking lieutenant (Taylor Kitsch), who stand as the only thing between an alien force and the total annihilation of the human race. When their more advanced weapon systems are knocked out, the sailors resort to the use of a World War II era battleship and basic sonar plotting to target and take down the alien crafts while buying time for a larger force to join the fray. It is part sci-fi, part popcorn action flick, part naval recruitment video, and all AWESOME.

And yet, very few viewers on these shores saw Battleship and even fewer gave it praise. Its theatrical run was incredibly short for a movie with a hefty budget ($200 million) and most critics hammered it as a tremendous flop belonging in the same category as Cutthroat Island and Waterworld. If you were to scan through reviews for Battleship, some of the descriptors you would find would include: “noisy”, “cliché”, “stupid”, “shameless”, “one of the dumbest ideas for a movie…ever” and on and on. I cannot, in good conscience, combat any of these adjectives nor will I try. In fact, I quite agree with just about all of them. Battleship is unquestionably noisy, cliché, stupid, shameless, and one of the dumbest ideas for a movie ever. How it ever got the green light in the first place is beyond me, though it does give you a hint at just how important the foreign market is to the future of blockbusters, as this film made (if you will excuse the pun) a boatload of money overseas.

And yet, one thing most of the reviews for Battleship have neglected to mention is that in spite of being stupid, shameless, noisy, etc., this movie is also an absurd amount of fun in ways I cannot truly justify nor elaborate on. There may not be a single scene, line, or character that I can point to as an illustration of what works in Battleship; I can only tell you that throughout the course of its obscenely long 130 minute runtime, never once did I hate my life. Okay, maybe once or twice when Rihanna and Brooklyn Decker were struggling to read their lines effectively I hated my life. But otherwise, I laughed a lot despite the obvious jokes, I rooted for the characters despite their shallowness, and I fully embraced the, “Yay for veterans!” attitude that ran through every ounce of the movie despite its blatant and obvious nature.

The biggest mistake in the making of Battleship is the fact that the studio ever acknowledged it was based on the ruddy board game. Had they kept Hasbro’s involvement in the dark, there’s a chance this movie would have garnered at least a marginally more positive reception from critics. As it is, though, I believe the idea that a movie could be developed out of a simple and outdated board game such as this clouded the minds of just about everyone who saw it, causing most viewers to go with a negative perception that is only deepened by the movie’s brazen foolishness. But there is a certain “don’t take this so seriously” slyness instilled in Battleship by director Peter Berg that is lost in all the negativity and that, “how could this possibly be good?!” mindset that accompanied virtually every critic into the theater door. The answer is Battleship CAN’T possibly be good and accepting that paves the way for a rollicking good time the likes of which we didn’t see enough of this summer.

I cannot and will not tell you, dear reader(s), that Battleship is good or that you should see it. If viewed without the proper mindset, there’s a chance this movie could actually make you stupider by approximately 17 percent. But as for me, August 28^th, 2012 stands as a banner day in the world of absurd, “I can’t help but love this” entertainment and I can’t wait to watch this hunk of junk again.

Regards,

Brian

P.S. Peter Berg, if you’re reading this, I already spent $10 on this film. Seeing as how I may be the only person who actually bought a ticket, I don’t think it would be too much to ask for a free Blu-Ray copy. Email me for my address. I see what you did here.

The Week That Was and the Week That Will Be - 8/27

My apologies for the lack of content over the last two weeks. Moving is just one of the worst things ever created and moving after not moving for three years sucked the life force and creativity right out of me. But I made it and I'm ever so thankful for the new digs. This week I'll have a couple of reviews and a MONSTER Trailer Spotlight and I expect to announce a few exciting changes around here soon. So thanks for sticking around. I promise I will (or won't, whichever) make it worth your while.

If you were thinking this was the sort of site where you wouldn't get constant and obnoxious fanboy-esque updates on the status of the upcoming fourth Arrested Development season (and subsequent movie), then either you're new around here or you just haven't been paying attention. The aforementioned fourth season of America's greatest "sitcom" ever will debut in the spring of 2013 and will be 13 glorious episodes instead of only 10. I may die from the anticipation.

Anna Kendrick is reportedly in the lead for the female role in the upcoming Captain America sequel. I'm of the opinion that the more we get to see of Kendrick in non-Twilight related films, the better.

Fresh off the success of The Hunger Games, director Gary Ross plans to move on to a prequel to the Peter Pan story which I must say sounds far more interesting than the actual Peter Pan ever has been (not a fan).

It's been rumored for a while now but show runner Greg Daniels has confirmed that this will indeed be the final season of The Office. I'll be sad to see it go (and will undoubtedly devote some space to a full recap of the series that no one will read) but really, it's past time.

Cinema Blend gives us a list of 11 big name/likable actors and actresses who've had a miserable movie we'd all just assume overlook. Can't agree with all of them (nothing wrong with You've Got Mail and does Channing Tatum belong on this list?) but it's a run read. Check it out.

Weekend Box Office Report

There are few things sadder (in terms of First World Pains) than the weekend that marks the conclusion of the summer movie season. In theory, the season should last one more week with Lawless headed to screens this weekend. But when the number one film of a given week brings in under $15 million…that’s all she wrote. “Sorry kids, the August movie schedule has seriously underperformed, you’ve got to go back to school now.” I plan on catching up with Expendables 2 this week but I suspect the studio is a little disappointed with its haul to this point despite its 2 week stay at the top spot. Speaking of disappointing, I did catch up on Bourne Legacy this week and all of you were right: it’s “meh” at best. That’s a missed opportunity right there. Premium Rush found substantial critical appeal but didn’t register with audiences (probably because the marketing was painfully bad) and Hit and Run just stuck its toe into the top 10 despite being an undoubtedly miserable film. Meanwhile an anti-Obama documentary took in almost $10 million over the course of its 10 day run. So that’s awesome.

1. The Expendables 2 - $13.5M ($52.31M)

2. The Bourne Legacy - $9.3M ($85.5M)

3. ParaNorman - $8.54M ($28.27M)

4. The Campaign - $7.44M ($64.54M)

5. The Dark Knight Rises - $7.15M ($422.18M)

6. The Odd Life of Timothy Green - $7.12M ($27.08M)

7. Premium Rush - $6.3M

8. 2016 Obama’s America - $6.23M ($9.07M)

9. Hope Springs - $6M ($45M)

10. Hit and Run - $4.67M ($5.86M)

What I’ve Seen and Really Isn’t So Bad

Battleship – Taylor Kitsch, Liam Neeson, Rihanna

Actually the descriptor “isn’t so bad” might not be strong enough. All cards on the table, I kind of love Battleship. It is popcorn film foolishness of the highest order and features moments of spectacularly bad acting (mostly from Rihanna and Brooklyn Decker) and yet it is absurdly enjoyable. I never wrote a review back when I saw it due to time constraints but I expect to put one out this week, for which I will be chastised by my fellow bloggers. But I care not, this one is just plain fun.

What I’ll Be Catching Up On – TV Edition

The Walking Dead: Season 2 – Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies

Once Upon a Time: Season 1 – Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Robert Carlyle

Despite my self-professed nerdiness, I’ve never been on the zombie bandwagon. As such, The Walking Dead took some selling from trustworthy sources in order for me to buy in. I did just that in season one and loved it despite some serious flaws. I did not love the first half of season two and missed the back half entirely. How those remaining 6 or so episodes turn out will dictate my involvement with the show moving forward. Once Upon a Time is a show that looked like it could be interesting and one that several of my friends enjoy. But when it debuted around the same time as Grimm last season, I picked Grimm as my network TV fantasy procedural of choice and now will have to catch up on this one. I’ve heard good things.

What I’ve Seen and You Should Too…Maybe

Homeland: Season 1 – Damian Lewis, Claire Danes, Mandy Pankin

Sons of Anarchy: Season 4 – Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman, Katey Segal

Boardwalk Empire: Season 2 – Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt, Kelly Macdonald

What we have here are three of the five best dramas that television has to offer, all of which are outstanding in their own ways and all of which are most assuredly worth catching up on…if you can handle the serious, graphic content.

Sons is probably my favorite hour long show on TV and season four stands as an excellent illustration of how to reenergize a show on the fly after season three wrapped up almost all of the conflicts that had been laid out over three years.

Homeland came out of nowhere last year to be one of the more intense shows on television and stands as the only reason to subscribe to Showtime.

And Boardwalk…well Boardwalk is a strange beast, a show that is exquisitely written, acted, and put together and that works magnificently as a cohesive 10 episode whole, and yet drags endlessly from week to week. It is my least favorite of these three shows and yet it might be the best of the bunch. I’m sure this analysis was completely useless. You’re welcome.

Also New

Think Like a Man – Michael Ealy, Chris Brown, Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart

The Pirates! Band of Misfits – Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven

Darling Companion – Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, Dianne West

The Lucky Ones – Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner

In Plain Sight: Season 5 – Mary McCormack, Fred Weller

New to Blu Pick of the Week or Whenever I Feel Like It

Jurassic Park (1993) – Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum

Someday I’ll write a full piece on Jurassic Park and give it the full attention it truly deserves. But for now, let me just say that this is one of my 10 favorite films of all time and one that left an indelible mark upon me as a kid when I first saw it in a theater. It’s a movie that unquestionably reminds me of why I love movies and I’ve been looking forward to seeing it on this format for some time now. (NOTE: Jurassic Park was released on Blu-Ray last year as part of a trilogy pack but let’s be honest, the sequels in this franchise are horrid and I like to pretend they don’t exist.)

Also New to Blu

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) – Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet

Atonement (2007) – Keira Knightley, James McAvoy

Universal continues its 100^th anniversary celebration with an extensive list of Blu-Ray releases including: Airport (1970), Harvey (1950), Vertigo (1958), The Birds (1963), Scarface (1983), Out of Africa (1985), and Double Indemnity (1944).

Coming to a Theater Near You

I’m glad I missed out on writing this column last week because I would have missed badly on both of the major releases. I thought Hit & Run (Rotten, 45%) would end up under the 20% threshold because, let’s be honest, that looked HORRID; somehow, though, it found favor with some respected critics. Meanwhile, Premium Rush had the feel of a movie shot and stuck on a shelf four years ago only to be released to bank off of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s newfound star status but is apparently good (Fresh, 75%). I don’t know what to do with that to be honest. Do I have to go see Premium Rush now? This week marks the end of the summer season and the transition into the lesser popcorn flicks and not-quite-award-caliber dramas. *Sigh*

Lawless – Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce

A gang of Depression-era bootleggers (Hardy, LaBeouf) have their livelihoods threatened by the arrival of a new lawman (Pearce) and a fight with a hardened criminal (Oldman). Lawless looks incredible and I’ve been looking forward to it for months. The cast alone (minus LaBeouf whom I think we can all agree needs to be stopped) was enough to get me to the theater and adding in the bootlegging/Prohibition element, a fascination of mine thanks in no small part to The Untouchables, has had me counting down the days to this release. That said, director John Hillcoat is not for everyone; his style is a very deliberate, patient, and even dry blend that doesn’t necessarily lend itself to a summer blockbuster. My gut tells me this will be the classic example of a film that you either love or hate and may not be what audiences expect it to be. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: Fresh, 73%

The Possession – Natasha Calis, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick

A young girl (Calis) is possessed by an evil spirit residing in an antique box found at a garage sale. Creepiness abounds. Hey, you know how you can insure that I absolutely will not see your movie? Have a kid get possessed by Satan or one of his subsidiaries. I can’t even handle the trailer. No thanks. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: Rotten, 47%

For a Good Time, Call… - Ari Graynor, Lauren Miller, Justin Long

Per IMDB: “Former college frenemies Lauren and Katie move into fabulous Gramercy Park apartment, and in order to make ends meet, the unlikely pair start a phone sex line together.” Hey, you know how you can insure that I absolutely will not see your movie? Include the term “frenemies” in the basis of the plot. Also, am I missing something on Ari Graynor? I don’t get it. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: Rotten, 55%