Review: Silver Linings Playbook

Plot:  Based on the novel by Matthew Quick of the same name, Silver Linings Playbook follows the story of Patrick Solitano Jr. (Bradley Cooper) a former history teacher who just spent the last eight months in a mental institution for beating up his his wife Nikki's (Brea Bee's) lover.  Diagnosed as bi-polar, Pat Jr. is hell bent to get his wife and his life back without the help of drugs or the help of his obsessive compulsive bookie and Philadelphia Eagles fanatic father Pat Sr. (Robert DeNiro) or mother Dolores (Jacki Weaver).  He enlists the help of the emotionally damaged Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) to win Nikki back.  Tiffany agrees but on one condition: Pat Jr. has to help her with a dance competition.  But as the competition nears Pat Jr. begins to realize that the life he so desperately wants back may not nearly be as good as the life right in front of him.

Review:  Dark, funny, and surprisingly moving, Silver Linings Playbook is the latest film from Academy Award nominated director David O. Russell.  Richly acted, wonderfully written, and often funny, Silver Linings Playbook is hands down one of the more surprising films I've seen in awhile. 
     I have to admit that going into this film I wasn't expecting much .  The previews looked underwhelming and I was expecting nothing more than your typical, run of the mill romantic comedy.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  What separates Silver Linings Playbook from other romantic comedies is its authenticity.  Great films have the ability to hit a note of truth in the viewer and that holds true for this movie.  The writing, plot, and dialogue are equal parts realistic and riveting and I believe David O. Russell has a real shot at winning Best Adapted Screenplay next month at the Oscars.  Not bad for a romantic comedy.
     In fact I hesitate to call the film a romantic comedy.  It's almost insulting to SLP because of the negative connotation that the term "romantic comedy" has acquired.  "Romantic comedy" implies a schmaltzly driven drivel fest where two star crossed lovers eventually kiss in the rain as the credits roll.  SLP is anything but that.  The film addresses with a keen insight the concepts of grief, mental illness, sports, family, and love.  None of these things are straightforward.  In real life they are messy and often painful things.  But even pain is something you can laugh at.  For example, Pat Jr. in his delusional attempt to get back Nikki decides to read all of the books on her teacher's syllabus one of them being "Fairwell to Arms."  At the end of the book he screams "What the fuck?!!" throws the book out the window and proceeds to rant at 3am to his parents about the horrible ending.  Russell does a fabulous job in this scene of showing how invasive and ridiculous mental illness can be, sometimes at the same time.  Another scene of a similar nature where Tiffany and Pat Jr. discuss the drugs they've been on for mental illness really spoke to me because I've been down that road before myself.  It was poignant and funny at the same time.
     Silver Linings Playbook also demonstrates why there needs to be a Best Ensemble Cast Award for the Oscars.  Everyone in this film is at the top of their game and memorable in their own way, even Chris Tucker as Pat Jr.'s mental health facility friend.  Silver Linings Playbook is actually the first film in 30 years to have nominations in the Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress categories.  And believe me they are all well deserved.  Jackie Weaver (who was also nominated a few years ago for Animal Kingdom) shines as Pat Jr.'s mother Delores who is often torn between her husband's issues and her son's.  She walks a tight line between being a peacemaker and having a nervous breakdown.  Robert DeNiro gives his best performance since Heat as Pat Sr., a man who can't really understand his son's emotional problems but at the same time feels that he's partially responsible. 
     I'd also like to extend a thorough and heartfelt apology to Mr. Bradley Cooper.  I'll no longer refer to him as Phil from The Hangover.  Cooper's Oscar nomination was well deserved as his performance of the mentally unbalanced Pat Jr. is one of the best since Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People.  Cooper was able to capture the totality of mental illness, what it means to be a human, and the fact that in this life there is no "normal."  He's also incredibly funny and vibrant.  Some of his scenes with DeNiro and Lawrence are just captivating.
     As for Lawrence, let me put it this way, I saw Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty, and Jennifer Lawrence's performance as the emotionally damaged Tiffany blows Chastain out of the water.  Lawrence brings an authenticity and a pathos to Tiffany rarely seen on the big screen.  She's also darkly funny and took on a major physical challenge for the dance scenes.  Lawrence should win the Oscar just for her scenes in the restaurant and just after with Bradley Cooper.  I'll definitely be rooting for her next month even though I think she'll end up losing.
     Silver Linings Playbook clearly depicts how while life is never perfect, there are always good things to take away.  Somewhere there is always a silver lining.

My rating:  9/10
    
    

Blu Ray and DVD releases for this week!!!!

Here are your Blu Ray and DVD releases for Tuesday January 22nd:

End of Watch, The Paperboy, Pina, Searching for Sugarman, Nobody Walks, Nature Calls, Death Race 3: Inferno, The Men Who Built America, The Quiet Man, Ivan's Childhood**

**DVD only

"I'm sleeping like an astronaut tonight!!!" Bill Hader to take over for David Hasselhoff in the "Baywatch" movie

     I'm a huge Bill Hader fan.  He's hilarious and his impersonations (especially of Al Pacino) are spot on.  Well apparently Hader will soon be spotting breast implants and possible drowners as well.
     "The Wrap" reports that Hader will be taking over the lead role from David Hasselhoff in the upcoming Baywatch film.  Robert Ben Garant (who co-created "Reno 911!") will be directing the film which will be a comedy/action hybrid a la 21 Jumpstreet.  Hasselhoff will apparently make a cameo but no news on whether Pam Anderson or her tits will make an appearance.  The plot follows lifeguards who explore an oil rig off the coast of Malibu only to find out it's a meth lab.
     Now I wasn't the biggest fan of 21 Jump Street but if Hader is on board I may just have to check this movie out.

Will David Fincher get "Gone Girl"?

     I haven't had a chance to read the wildly popular book "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn yet, but it is definitely on my list.  According to "Deadline" it may be on David Fincher's list too--his list of possible upcoming movie projects.
     Fincher, who is currently working on a remake of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, is considering the female driven thriller as his next film.  This is of course assuming he doesn't sit in the director's chair for the next Star Wars film, which is still a possibility.  David Fincher is no stranger to thrillers with strong female leads as 2011's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo proves.  Having heard the various plot points that Flynn's book involves, I'd say this was right up his alley.
     Academy Award winning actress Reese Witherspoon will produce the film through 20th Century Fox under her Pacific Standard movie banner.  No word yet if she'll star in the movie but it's probably inevitable.
     For those of you not familiar with the book here is a brief synopsis:

 On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

Will Mary Kate or Ashley Olsen appear in "Man of Steel"

     OK so the answer is actually neither I just wanted to see how some of you would react.  However there is a bit of interesting Olsen news pertaining to Man of Steel.  Jimmy Olsen, or should I say his replacement?
     According to "Comicbookmovie" and IMDB there is a Man of Steel screen credit listed for a Rebecca Buller.  Her character's name?  Jenny Olsen.  Yes friends and neighbors it looks like Jimmy has been replaced by Jenny. 
     Personally I don't have an issue with this.  Zack Snyder and crew have already made numerous changes in order to put their personal stamp on this particular Superman movie.  Perry White (Laurence Fishburne) is now black, Lois Lane is a redhead, and John Williams will  not be scoring the film.  I know that these changes, including Jenny Olsen, fly in the face of Superman cannon, but I'd rather have an original Superman film than a rehashed, recycled piece of garbage that follows the Superman codex.

JJ Abrams and Ron Howard team up to bring us a fantasy that sounds like a remake of "What Dreams May Come"

     While ostensibly a fantasy movie collaboration between Ron Howard and JJ Abrams sounds awesome, a further review of the source material sucks Gollum's balls.
     When I first heard that these directors were teaming up for a fantasy I was desperately hoping it would be for a Dark Tower project.  After I found out it wasn't I was hoping for something with elves and magic and such.  Perhaps the long awaited adaptation of Terry Brooks' "The Elfstones of Shannara"?  Um...no.
     Instead the two are joining forces to bring us All I've Got based on a 2003 Israeli TV movie.  Here's the plot:

The original film follows a woman named Tamara who survives a freak car accident that, sadly, claims the life of her boyfriend, Udi. Years later, after Tamara has re-married and raised a family with a new man, she passes away and moves on to the afterlife, where she is given a difficult choice: Forget her life, and return to the time before the accident, where she lived happily with Udi; or remain as she currently is and wait, patiently, for her husband and children to join her in paradise.

     Not only does this sound like an atrocious film dripping with false sentiment, it sounds like a blatant ripoff of the Robin Williams film What Dream May Come.  "Cinema Blend" states that Howard will direct and Abrams will produce through his company Bad Robot.  I don't know.  I might have to catch this one at the dollar theater.
    

Pacino and De Palma reteam to bring Joe Paterno's story to the big screen

     The director/actor combo of Brian DePalma and Al Pacino, that brought the world Scarface and Carlito's Way, are re-teaming to bring audiences the Joe Paterno biopic Happy Valley.  The film will be based on the Joe Posnanski book "Paterno."
     Paterno coached the Penn State Nittany Lions for over forty years leading them to several national championships and becoming the all-time winningest coach in Division IA football history.  Unfortunately, the end of his career was marred by the sexual abuse scandal of his former defensive coach Jerry Sandusky.  Doing little to stop the situation, Paterno's statue was taken down and over ten years of wins vacated.
     While I know that broaching the Jerry Sandusky issue in Happy Valley is inevitable and necessary I would sincerely hope that it doesn't become the overriding focal point of the film.  People are two quick to forget that Paterno was a man that changed the lives of a lot people he coached, was active in the community, and a complex and interesting man in his own right.  Although these things don't excuse his failure to act, I believe that De Palma and Pacino will show every facet of his life not just the final six months.
     The film is still in pre-production and the start of principal photography is yet to be determined.  Hopefully this film will arrive quicker than the Lombardi biopic which was supposed to come out two years ago.

Terminator 5's neural net processors kick into high gear

     You know I was beginning to think that the whole Terminator 5 talk was that--just talk.  However, with AH-NOLD's latest film The Last Stand getting fairly positive reviews and his willingness to do another Terminator movie, I may have changed my mind.
     The studios seem to think so too as they've hired two new screenwriters to take on the script for the fifth film in the franchise.  According to "Deadline" Laeta Kalogridis (Avatar, Shutter Island, Alexander) and Patrick Lussier (Dracula 2000, My Bloody Valentine) are tasked with bringing Skynet back to the big screen.  I'm cautiously optimistic.  Shutter Island and Avatar were both good movies even if Alexander was a bloated disaster.  I actually liked Dracula 2000 but My Bloody Valentine was horrendous.  Knowing how Hollywood works though these guys might be ousted a month from now and all the Terminator 5 could be whispers in a hurricane.

Review: Fright Night (2011)

Plot:  High school student Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) seems to suddenly have it all.  His acne has cleared up, he's getting along with his Mom Jane (Toni Collette), and he's dating one of the hottest girls in school Amy Peterson (Imogen Poots).  But just when everything seems perfect, a new neighbor named Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves in next door.  When Ed, (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) Charley's former best friend tries to convince Charley that Jerry is in fact a vampire, Charley blows him off.  However when kids at school, including Ed, begin to disappear, Charley begins to suspect that his friend may have been right and that Jerry must be destroyed.  But even with the help of celebrity vampire aficionado Peter Vincent (David Tennant) can Charley really destroy a 400 year old creature of the night?

Review:  The 21st century version of Fright Night proves to be a marginally entertaining film that is heavy on gore and humor but light on scares.  While I somewhat enjoyed director Craig Gillespie's updated version of the 1980s classic, it certainly won't go down as a classic vampire movie.  Gillespie's pacing comes across frenetic and rushed with little time for plot or character development.  And yet despite the rushed feel of most of the film, there are certain scenes that dragged on for an eternity.  For example the scene where Charley tries to save his stripper neighbor from the clutches of Jerry's dungeon goes on...and on...and on.  How a director can manage a slap dash pace and yet have scenes that are mind numbingly cumbersome is beyond me.  Yet somehow Gillespie succeeds.
     To be fair it is not all Gillespie's fault.  Marti Noxon's formulaic and tired script bears a lot of the blame for Fright Night's faults.  It was as if Noxon's script came out of a step by step instruction book on how to write a horror screenplay.  Step One:  Have nasty and obvious vampire move next door.  Step Two:  Have main protagonist's best friend disappear.  Step Three:  Have main protagonist finally admit his neighbor is a vampire.  Step Four:  Have protagonist enlist the help of a reluctant vampire expert who initially resists but then joins the fight.  Step Five:  Have protagonist's hot girlfriend kidnapped by the vampire, etc, etc, etc.  You get the idea and the idea is not originality.
     Except for Star Trek, I've never been a huge fan of Anton Yelchin.  He's blander than a Congressional bill memo and half as exciting.  There is little depth to Charley and I find it very unrealistic that when Ed approaches him about a missing friend (a friend mind you that the two of them have been friends with since they were toddlers) that he could care less.  Yelchin's emotional outbursts, the few times they do occur, ring false and forced.  Imogen Poots as Charley's girlfriend Amy is just a token hot chick and Toni Collette, a normally brilliant actress, is relegated to the background.
     Fortunately Fright Night is not bereft of any redeeming features.  This isn't Twilight after all.  Far from it.  For one thing there is real gore in Fright Night and some of the vampire kills are pretty cool.  Also the concept of the setting was logical; a Las Vegas residence where the population is transient and a lot of people work on the strip at night.  I also loved the set design, particularly Peter Vincent's (David Tennant's) occult like apartment.    
     Speaking of Tennant I thoroughly enjoyed his portrayal of the Vegas magician Peter Vincent, which is a not too subtle rip off of Chris Angel Mind Freak.  Vincent provided a majority of the comic relief and while there was more than a little Doctor Who (the role that made him famous in the UK) in Vincent, Tennant's performance was none the less entertaining.
     The one actor who categorically saved Fright Night was Colin Farrell.  His slick, sleek, and cocky performance as the vampire Jerry was spot on.  Whether he was threatening Charley to stay out of his business through a mild conversation with major subtext, setting fire to Charley's house, or draining a bystander's body dry, Farrell proves why he is still a viable actor in Hollywood.  I just wish he would pick better movies to star in.
      While many vampire films bite deep, Fright Night unfortunately only manages a mild nibble.

My rating:  6/10

"The Wild Bunch" never killed a single person

     I'd like to talk a minute about my grandfather Gordon Dale Munn, or as most of the grandkids refer to him "Beepa."  My Beepa is almost 83 years old and a military veteran.  He raised five wonderful children including my mother and was married to my late grandmother Mary ("Geeka") for over sixty years.  Beepa is a Christian who tries to live a good wholesome life and for the most part he succeeds.  He's a fan of sports particularly the Washington Redskins and the Los Angeles Dodgers.  He even got to see a game a Ebbets field back when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn.
     Beepa is also a movie fan, in particular Westerns.  His favorite film of all time (and one of mine) is The Wild Bunch, a film thought by many movie critics to be the best Western ever made.  It is also an incredibly violent film even by today's standards.  In fact noted critic Vincent Camby wrote at the time that it was "the first truly interesting American made Western in years.  It's also so full of violence that it's going to prompt a lot of people who do not know the real effect of movie violence (as I do not) to write automatic condemnations of it."
      Yet even at thirteen years of age my Beepa thought it was OK to sit me down and have me watch this film...and I loved it.  It didn't corrupt me. I didn't become deranged.  I knew and still know the difference between real and imaginary events as well as movie violence and real violence. 
     At this point you've probably figured out where I'm going with this post.  I'm not here to argue gun control laws or what should or shouldn't have happened in Connecticut.  I don't consider myself well versed enough to make a cogent argument either way and quite frankly I could give two shits.  It doesn't interest me.
     But I do know a thing or two about movies.
     For those of you who read this blog you know that I thought Django Unchained was one of the best films I saw in 2012.  Yes it was bloody but no more than The Wild Bunch or The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and certainly not as much as any of the Saw movies.  Yet despite this The Christian Film and Television Commission tried (unsuccessfully) to have Django Unchained re-rated to NC-17.  Here is their press statement:

"In light of the recent shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut where 20 first-graders and 6 staff members lost their lives, we are calling on the MPAA to give DJANGO UNCHAINED an NC-17 rating.

DJANGO UNCHAINED is the most violent movie of the year and is full of brutality, graphic violence, and crude language. The violence is extremely grotesque including blood spurting like lava from gunshots, a man hung upside down, several people shot point blank, and a slave is eaten by dogs. The extreme violence and bloodshed is no surprise coming from director Quentin Tarantino who also directed extremely violent movies KILL BILL VOL. 1, PULP FICTION, and INGLORIOUS BASTARDS.

     I have to say that personally this disgusts me.  This is one of the "automatic condemnations" that Camby warned about.  It is nothing more than a blatant attempt by a group to use a tragic public event to forward their political agenda. They could have picked any movie.  Django Unchained was the closest hat available and they scooped it up.  Had the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary not occurred, I seriously doubt The Christian Film and Television Commission would have tried this crap. 
     No Christian group, no institution, no individual, will EVER convince me that there is a direct causality or even a correlation between violent movies and acts of violence.  The proof is simply not there.  If there was a straight forward connection then theoretically I should have gone on a shooting spree by now.  But I haven't.  Because I know the difference between right and wrong.  I take personal responsibility for my actions.  I don't try to blame others for my mistakes and I certainly don't blame the cinema.  There are millions of movie goers who watch violent films yearly and yet manage to still be kind and decent human beings who support their communities and live clean wholesome lives.  People like my Beepa. 
     Rather than shift unfair blame to violent movies and video games how about focusing on the emotional problems of the shooter?  We live in a society where mental illness is still a stigma, particularly among men.  Thousands don't get the help they need and thousands ignore the signs that a person is really hurting inside.  I've lived with clinical depression for over fifteen years.  Thankfully I had a great support system, a good therapist, and access to medication that's helped me live a relatively normal life.  Unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky.  If others had seen the signs earlier could it have prevented the shooting?  Only God knows, and in thirty-four years of life I know only two facts when it comes to spirituality:  there is a God, and I'm not him.
     Maybe just as important is the personal responsibility aspect that I mentioned before.  Bottom line is that if you don't want to expose yourself to violent movies then don't watch them.  If you don't want your children exposed to Django Unchained then change the channel or set usage controls on your television.  And look I'm no babe in the woods, I know that kids will find a way to watch violent movies or videogames somehow.  (Hell I saw Robocop when I was ten.)  As parents you can only regulate so much and be with your kids so many hours in the day.  But in my opinion if you've done your job as a parent and taught your children the difference between right and wrong, then in the long run (hopefully) you don't have anything to worry about. 
     At the end of the day everyone is personally responsible for their actions both good and bad.  The Wild Bunch never killed a single person.  That's something I think my grandfather and I could both agree on.

Late actor River Phoenix's final film to debut at the Miami International Film Festival

     As good as Joaquin Phoenix is as an actor, River Phoenix had he lived, may have had an even better career.  I'm still mesmerized by his performance in Stand By Me and My Own Private Idaho is a film on another level altogether.  Tragically, River Phoenix overdosed at the age of twenty three on Halloween almost twenty years ago.  At the time he was ten days from finishing his latest film Dark Blood by director George Sluizer.
     After almost two decades and an embittered insurance battle, Dark Blood will finally see the light of day in North America this March at the Miami International Film Festival. 
     Here's the plot:

Jet-set Hollywood couple Harry (Jonathan Pryce) and Buffy (Judy Davis) travel through the desert on a second honeymoon, trying to save their marriage. Their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere leaving them to find shelter in Boy’s (River Phoenix) beaten down shack, unaware they will become his prisoners. Boy’s wife died of leukemia after nuclear tests occurred in the desert leaving him alone and far away from society. Buffy is seduced by Boy’s honesty and vulnerabilities, while Harry represents everything Boy hates about the civilized world and its culture. Buffy decides to sleep with Boy to buy the couple’s freedom, but these circumstances will push Harry to the edge, leading to a terrible tragedy.

     I have to admit this sounds like a really cool psychological thriller.  I for one am happy that audiences will soon get to see this talented actor's final film at last.

Sony scoops up rights to new Robert Langdon novel: Will Tom Hanks' mullet return to the big screen?

     I'm a big fan of Dan Brown's novels, particularly the Robert Langdon ones.  "Angels and Demons," "The DaVinci Code," and "The Lost Symbol" are all excellent fast paced thrillers that incorporate equal parts history and mystery.  Unfortunately, neither The DaVinci Code or Angels & Demons were very critically acclaimed.  They just didn't seem to translate well to the big screen and the wooden acting of Tom Hanks didn't help either.
     Even though both films made an enormous amount of money worldwide, there has been virtually no progress on the third film, The Lost Symbol, which focuses on the mysterious world of the Masons.  Ron Howard, who directed the first two films, left the project and even though Mark Romanek has been circling the film, the movie is currently in development hell.
     Despite this fact Sony hasn't wasted any time acquiring the movie rights to the FOURTH Robert Langdon novel which releases May 14th.  Entitled "Inferno" the novel finds the intrepid professor of symbology traveling through Europe discovering the hidden secrets to Dante's 14th century poem of the same name.  Sounds intriguing.
     Personally, I think Sony should just stop while they are ahead.  The novels just don't translate well to film and in any case I think the fervor behind "The DaVinci Code" has died down enough that I don't think it will be much of a box office draw.  If Robert Langdon does return to the big screen let's just hope that Tom Hanks' leaves his mullet at home.

Review: Dredd

Plot:  Based on the British comic books, Dredd is set in an apocalyptic future where most of the United States is uninhabitable and 800 million people live in Mega-City One, a vast metropolis stretching from Boston to Washington D.C.  With 17,000 crimes reported daily the only thing preventing total anarchy is the Hall of Justice and the Judges.  Judges are literally judge, jury, and executioner, with the power to assess and pass sentence immediately--even if that sentence is death.  Among the Judges the most famed and feared is Judge Dredd (Karl Urban).  After Dredd is assigned a psychic rookie named Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby) for evaluation, the duo's day starts bad and becomes worse.  After responding to a multiple homicide call at Peach Trees, a residential building housing 70,000 inhabitants, Dredd and Anderson discover that the complex is ruled by the violent drug lord Ma-Ma (Lena Headley).  Ma-Ma and her cronies produce the new designer drug Slo-Mo which makes the mind feel like it is moving at 1% its normal speed.  Outnumbered and outgunned, Dredd and Anderson will be severely put to the test and not everyone will make it out alive.

Review:  Finally!  After the disastrous abortion of a film that was 1995's Judge Dredd, director Peter Travis and writer Alex Garland deliver a proper film that fully represents the dark anti-hero made famous by Fleet Comics.  Visceral, bloody, and chock full of testosterone, Dredd is everything you want in an action film and more.
     What makes Dredd succeed as a film is its complete lack of pretension.   It doesn't try to be anything more than it is, which is simply an hour and a half balls-to-the-wall action flick where the bullets and the blood fly fast and often.  Yet Garland's script is far from mindless and the violence, while gruesome and persistent isn't overly gratuitous.  This is a violent post apocalyptic world where it is kill or be killed.  The "every man for himself mentally" is reflected quite well. 
     Director Peter Travis does a superb job of keeping the pacing taunt and fast.  Everything from the initial opening motorcycle chase scene, to the final confrontation with Ma-Ma vibrates with intensity that kicks your adrenaline into overdrive.  Travis also did an excellent job of capturing the claustrophobic nature of this dystopian future.  Everything is strung-out, run down, and pressed tight.  This is due in large part to the wonderful cinematography of Anthony Dod Mantle.  I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the very realistic special effects.  Some of the kills, especially in slow motion, are absolutely mesmerizing. 
     Of course Dredd would be worthless without a strong actor in the lead role and Karl Urban (The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek) steps up to the plate and hits a titanic home run.  Forget Sly Stallone and his "I AM THE LAW!" crap in his Rocky-like voice, Urban fully captures the grim and brutal nature of the character.  In fact we never see Dredd without his helmet on.  This not only reflects the sentiment of a faceless justice system but also mimics the comics as well.  Yes Dredd is monotone and scowls a lot but THAT'S HIS CHARACTER!  He's supposed to be like that.  Dredd is a person obsessed with following the law to the letter and has no qualms about summary executions.  Dredd lives in a black and white universe and that's maybe part of his universal appeal.  All of us at some level wish that we could have that absolute moral authority where there is no gray area.  Dredd doesn't just have it--he lives it.
     Olivia Thirlby balances out Dredd nicely as the wide-eyed psychic rookie Anderson.  It is nice to see her evolution from a timid judge unsure of herself to a badass by the end of the film.  I will admit however that sometimes her psychic abilities made for some convenient and beneficial moments throughout the course of the movie.  Then again this is the world of Judge Dredd not Downton Abbey.
     Have no fear.  Dredd is a reboot that succeeds.

My rating:  8/10

Blu Ray and DVD release dates for this week!

Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for Tuesday January 15:

Taken 2, To Rome with Love, The Possession, Won't Back Down, About Cherry, The Intouchables, Five Broken Cameras**, I Am Bruce Lee, 30 Nights of Paranormal Activity with the Devil Inside the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Sleeper*, Hannah and her Sisters*, The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Tin Drum, Life's Too Short**, Merlin Season 4

*Blu-ray only
**DVD only

Ben-Hur being reboot???

     Call this a remake, a reboot, call it whatever--I just call it a bad idea.
     With the success of The Hobbit and Skyfall, MGM is once more trending in a positive direction.  Apparently, they think this means it gives them the right to reboot one of the classics of American cinema--Ben-Hur.  According to "Deadline" MGM just bought Keith Clarke's spec script about the titular Jewish prince.  The script will apparently focus more on Lew Wallace's novel rather than the feud between Ben-Hur and Messala.
     Look I understand wanting to re-make a film that's closer to the original novel than the first film.  It worked well with True Grit.  But this is a film that won 11 Academy Awards for crying out loud!  Where does MGM get the balls to take on a project like this?  Oh well let's hope the reboot is as good True Grit's was.

By Crom! Turtles and Barbarians set to get in front of the camera this year!

     Spin your shells and grab your broadswords--both Ninja Turtles and The Legend of Conan are set to begin filming this year!
     "Production Weekly" revealed that the Michael Bay produced Ninja Turtles will begin shooting this April with a release date of May 16, 2014.  Considering this is going to be a very heavily laden CGI movie, that date is likely to change because of the necessary post-production.  Throw into the mix that we've heard virtually zip on the casting and the likelihood of a delay becomes even more probable.
     Meanwhile Conan himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger states that Universal finally came forward to greenlight the movie.  Not only that, they want a quality writer and director on the case and they want to make the film age relevant for the character.  I may have mentioned this in a previous post but this film is set to be a direct sequel to the original, ignoring Conan the Destroyer.  We'll get to see the King aspect of Conan, a man who is looking for one last battle.  According to AH-NULD principal photography could take place in New Zealand and may start by the end of this year.

"A Good Day to Die Hard" will be R

     Well my interest in this film just went way up.
     While I enjoyed Live Free or Die Hard, I must admit my enthusiasm was dampened by the fact that it was only PG-13.  I mean come on.  It almost seems sacrilegious for a Die Hard movie to be rated PG-13.  Well either the studios have smartened up or they aren't concerned about the rating because it's not May, but in any case A Good Day to Die Hard will be rated R.
     I'm still a little nervous that this movie is set in Russia because it seems odd that McClane has gone global now but hey what do I know?  I just hope it's a good action film.

Review: Zero Dark Thirty

Plot:  Based on the ten year manhunt for Osama Bin Laden, Zero Dark Thirty follows the exploits of CIA operative Maya (Jessica Chastain), a fictionalized representation of the real woman who tracked down Bin Laden's chief courier and the complex he resided in at the time of his death.  Despite challenges from other CIA intelligence officers, al-Qaeda, and her own friends, Maya remains single-minded in her one purpose--to find and kill the most notorious terrorist of all time.

Review:  Dark, gritty, and always provocative, Zero Dark Thirty is a well crafted and intelligent thriller unlike any I've ever seen before.  Academy Award winning director Kathryn Bigelow somehow manages to keep the tension high and the audience fully invested even though we know the ultimate outcome.  The scrupulous attention to detail that served he so well for the bomb squads in The Hurt Locker, comes in handy once again when it comes to the inner workings of the CIA abroad.  Whether it is a war room meeting between an assistant associate director (Mark Strong) or the horrifying torture of an al-Qaeda member, the authenticity crackles across the screen.  I must admit however that I didn't care for Bigelow's choice to have the location of a scene spelled out every time the scene changed.  A cardinal rule of film making is show don't tell and I think Bigelow dropped the ball there.  Additionally, the names of the al-Qaeda terrorist members and their aliases become extremely difficult to follow after awhile.  I realize this is a fast paced thriller but the last thing you want is someone to get bogged down in a "Where Is Fared Abdul Ahmed Kareem?" pop-up book.
     Any of my minor directorial concerns are offset by the mesmerizing performance of Jessica Chastain as Maya.  Her portrayal has already earned her a Golden Globe and there is a strong chance she'll be holding up Mr. Oscar next month.  As chauvinistic as this may sound, you just don't expect a female to thrive in such a male dominated mission.  But make no mistake, Maya is a bulldog and single minded in her goal.  She recognizes that old ways of thinking about the enemy need to be put aside.  Maya's strong will actually becomes more resolute as time goes on.  (For example early on Maya is slightly disturbed by the torture tactics of Dan (Jason Clarke) but by the end she's using her own guy to interrogate and punish people.)  Seemingly by will alone Maya is able to convince those around her that Bin Laden's courier is the key.  Yet Chastain also brings a quiet humanity to Maya.  She's not a robot.  Maya loses close friends along the way and mourns for them.  In fact the closing scenes represent well how a single obsession can be emotionally wrenching.  Chastain makes Maya easy to root for because despite her position, at the end of the day she's very human.
     Many have called Zero Dark Thirty out for being a "pro-torture" film.  I think that's not only untrue but unfair.  Make no mistake the waterboarding, putting people in small boxes, leaving them naked for days--these are forms of torture, real acts that the United States permitted.  (Anybody who tries to tell you otherwise is trying to sell you a fecal flavored lollipop and trying to pass it off as dark chocolate.)  Zero Dark Thirty merely tries to depict events AS THEY ACTUALLY HAPPENED.  It doesn't sugarcoat.  It leaves the morality decisions up to the audience.  And in the end it makes for not only a great thriller but a surprisingly honest movie.

My rating:  9/10

Screenwriter for "50 Shades of Grey" aims for an NC-17 rating

This is a "50 Shades of Grey" cake.  I'm not joking.  This thing actually exists.  Someone paid someone to make this cake.



     In a move that is less unexpected than John Kruk buying a Big Mac, 50 Shades of Grey screenwriter Kelly Marcel told "The Sunday Times" that she plans to make the screenplay adaptation of the "novel" so raunchy that it will garner an NC-17 rating.
     Marcel, who took over the writing duties after Elmo left*, states that "We are 100% going there."  Hopefully "going there" means employing phrases that aren't exclusively used by fifteen year old girls and fifty year old moms trying to act cool.  Then again E. L. James' "novels" started out as "Twilight" fan fiction so maybe the verbiage is a step up.
     In any event not everyone is on the same page as Marcel.  Producer Dana Brunetti said "the script isn't even written yet, so how could we know how the Ratings Board will rate it?"  Other studio representatives refused further comment.
     Although no casting announcements have been made yet this movie is on the fast track to the theaters.  The movie is much like one of Jets coach Rex Ryan's farts.  You don't when it's coming but it's inevitable.

*Correction, Marcel took over the writing from Snuffleupagus not Elmo.

Steven Spielberg puts thinking robots on hold for awhile; comments suggest another nail in the Indy 5 coffin

     If you're a Steven Spielberg fan the following news comes as quite disconcerting.  Robopocalypse was set to be the Academy Award winning director's next film.  In fact the movie was supposed to shoot before Lincoln but we can probably all agree doing Lincoln first was a good move.  Despite the delay, casting had already commenced with Anne Hathaway, Ben Whishaw, and Chris Hemsworth all attached.  Production was supposed to begin this spring but sadly that is not to be.
     Speaking to "The Hollywood Reporter" a spokesman for Spielberg stated today that "the script is not ready" the film is "too expensive to produce" and that essentially "it's back to the drawing board to see what is possible."  I can understand the script aspect but since when does Spielberg worry about budget costs let alone question his own limits of what is possible? What is possible?  You are Steven effing Spielberg the guy who did Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones!  Anything is possible!
     Speaking of our favorite archaeological adventurer, Spielberg shared in a recent interview that at this point in his career he could do an action movie "in his sleep" and that the field "doesn't attract me anymore."  This could very well put to bed the idea of another Indiana Jones movie or at the very least the idea of Steven Spielberg directing it.
     What I find more upsetting is the idea of Spielberg not doing action or science fiction movies anymore.  As much as I love  his dramas, some of his classic movies are action/sci-fi films.  It will be a sad day indeed if he decides he doesn't want to do that genre anymore.  As for Robopocalypse I supposed audiences will have to wait and see.

Is director Christopher Nolan about to blow our minds again with "Interstellar"

     There are very few directors out there who I'll see anything they put out.  Directors like Spielberg and Scorsese fall into that category.  As does Christopher Nolan.  And if the reports from "The Hollywood Reporter" are true this potential project sounds like a match made in heaven.
     "The Hollywood Reporter" states that Nolan is in negotiations to direct the hard science fiction film Interstellar.  The script is written by Christopher's brother Jonathan, has been in circulation for seven years, and originally had Steven Spielberg attached to direct.  While details are scarce (isn't that always the way with a Christopher Nolan film?) we do know that the plot "involves time travel and alternate dimensions in a story that sees a group of explorers travel through a wormhole.  The script is based on scientific theories developed by Kip Thorne, a theoretical physicist, a gravitational physicist, and an astrophysicist at Cal-Tech."  So Sheldon, Leonard, and Raj from "The Big Bang Theory" essentially. 
     I love the idea of Nolan tackling this film.  I'm a huge fan of hard science fiction writers like Asimov and Clarke, so a hard science fiction film done by Nolan sounds epic.  And you know he's a stickler for being as realistic as possible so I can't wait to see what he comes up with.  Negotiations are ongoing but if Nolan does sign on the film will be made by Paramount and Warner Bros.

85th Annual Academy Award nominees announced: drugs and alcohol suspected

So I'm just going to provide an actual list of the nominees first and then I will go over some of the epic failures from this year's crop of nominations:

Best Picture:

AMOUR (Sony Pictures Classics), Nominees To Be Determined
ARGO (Warner Bros.), Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney, Producers
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (Fox Searchlight), Dan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald, Producers
DJANGO UNCHAINED (The Weinstein Company), Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone, Producers
LES MISERABLES (Universal), Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh, Producers
LIFE OF PI (20th Century Fox), Gil Netter, Ang Lee and David Womark, Producers
LINCOLN (DreamWorks), Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (The Weinstein Company), Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen and Jonathan Gordon, Producers
ZERO DARK THIRTY (Sony), Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow and Megan Ellison, Producers


DirectingMichael Haneke - AMOUR
Benh Zeitlin - BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Ang Lee - LIFE OF PI
Steven Spielberg - LINCOLN
David O. Russell - SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

Actor in a Leading Role
Bradley Cooper - SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Daniel Day-Lewis - LINCOLN
Hugh Jackman - LES MISERABLES
Joaquin Phoenix - THE MASTER
Denzel Washington - FLIGHT

Actress in a Leading RoleJessica Chastain - ZERO DARK THIRTY
Jennifer Lawrence - SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Emmanuelle Riva - AMOUR
Quvenzhané Wallis - BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Naomi Watts - THE IMPOSSIBLE

Actor in a Supporting Role
Alan Arkin - ARGO
Robert De Niro - SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Philip Seymour Hoffman - THE MASTER
Tommy Lee Jones - LINCOLN
Christoph Waltz - DJANGO UNCHAINED

Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams - THE MASTER
Sally Field - LINCOLN
Anne Hathaway - LES MISERABLES
Helen Hunt - THE SESSIONS
Jacki Weaver - SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK



Writing (Adapted Screenplay)ARGO, Written by Chris Terrio
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, Written by Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin
LIFE OF PIi, Written by David Magee
LINCOLN, Written by Tony Kushner
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, Written by David O. Russell

Writing (Original Screenplay)AMOUR, Written by Michael Haneke
DJANGO UNCHAINED, Written by Quentin Tarantino
FLIGHT, Written by John Gatins
MOONRISE KINGDOM, Written by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola
ZERO DARK THIRTY, Written by Mark Boal

Foreign Language Film
AMOUR (Sony Pictures Classics), Austria
KON-TIKI (The Weinstein Company), Norway
NO (Sony Pictures Classics), Chile
A ROYAL AFFAIR (Magnolia Pictures), Denmark
WAR WITCH (Tribeca Film), Canada

Animated Feature Film
BRAVE (Disney•Pixar), Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
FRANKENWEENIE (Walt Disney Pictures), Tim Burton
PARANORMAN (Focus Features), Sam Fell and Chris Butler
THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS (Sony), Peter Lord
WRECK-IT RALPH (Walt Disney Pictures), Rich Moore
Art DirectionANNA KARENINA, Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, Production Design: Dan Hennah; Set Decoration: Ra Vincent and Simon Bright
LES MISERABLES, Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Anna Lynch-Robinson
LIFE OF PIi, Production Design: David Gropman; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
LINCOLN, Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Cinematography
Seamus McGarvey - ANNA KARENINA
Robert Richardson - DJANGO UNCHAINED
Claudio Miranda - LIFE OF PI
Janusz Kaminski - LINCOLN
Roger Deakins - SKYFALL

Costume Design
Jacqueline Durran - ANNA KARENINA
Paco Delgado - LES MISERABLES
Joanna Johnston - LINCOLN
Eiko Ishioka - MIRROR MIRROR
Colleen Atwood - SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN

Film Editing
William Goldenberg - ARGO
Tim Squyres - LIFE OF PI
Michael Kahn - LINCOLN
Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers - SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Dylan Tichenor and William Goldenberg - ZERO DARK THIRTY

Documentary (Feature)
5 BROKEN CAMERAS (Kino Lorber), Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
THE GATEKEEPERS (Sony Pictures Classics), Nominees to be determined
HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE (Sundance Selects), Nominees to be determined
THE INVISIBLE WAR (Docurama Films), Nominees to be determined
SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN (Sony Pictures Classics), Nominees to be determined

Makeup
HITCHCOCK, Howard Berger, Peter Montagna and Martin Samuel
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, Peter Swords King, Rick Findlater and Tami Lane
LES MISERABLES, Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell

Music (Original Score)
Dario Marianelli - ANNA KARENINA
Alexandre Desplat - ARGO
Mychael Danna - LIFE OF PI
John Williams - LINCOLN
Thomas Newman - SKYFALL

Music (Original Song)
"Before My Time" from CHASING ICE, Music and Lyric by J. Ralph
"Everybody Needs A Best Friend" from TED, Music by Walter Murphy; Lyric by Seth MacFarlane
"Pi's Lullaby" from LIFE OF PI, Music by Mychael Danna; Lyric by Bombay Jayashri
"Skyfall" from SKYFALL, Music and Lyric by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth
"Suddenly" from LES MISERABLES, Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg; Lyric by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil

Sound Mixing
ARGO, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Jose Antonio Garcia
LES MISERABLES, Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes
LIFE OF PIi, Ron Bartlett, D.M. Hemphill and Drew Kunin
LINCOLN, Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom and Ronald Judkins
SKYFALL, Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell and Stuart Wilson

Sound Editing
ARGO, Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn
DJANGO UNCHAINED, Wylie Stateman
LIFE OF PI, Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton
SKYFALL, Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers
ZERO DARK THIRTY, Paul N.J. Ottosson

Visual Effects
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton and R. Christopher White
LIFE OF PI, Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott
MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS, Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams and Dan Sudick
PROMETHEUS, Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley and Martin Hill
SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Philip Brennan, Neil Corbould and Michael Dawson

Documentary (Short Subject)
INOCENTE, Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine
KINGS POINT, Sari Gilman and Jedd Wider
MONDAYS AT RACINE, Cynthia Wade and Robin Honan
OPEN HEART, Kief Davidson and Cori Shepherd Stern
REDEMPTION, Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill

Short Film (Animated)
ADAM AND DOG, Minkyu Lee
FRESH GUACAMOLE, PES
HEAD OVER HEELS, Timothy Reckart and Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly
MAGGIE SIMPSON IN "THE LONGEST DAYCARE", David Silverman
PAPERMAN, John Kahrs

Short Film (Live Action)
ASAD, Bryan Buckley and Mino Jarjoura
BUZKASHI BOYS, Sam French and Ariel Nasr
CURFEW, Shawn Christensen
DEATHS OF A SHADOW (Dood van een Schaduw), Tom Van Avermaet and Ellen De Waele
HENRY, Yan England

     Although the Oscars is the one and only award show I watch every year, I've become increasingly disenchanted ever since Saving Private Ryan lost out as Best Picture.  It's not like the Oscars haven't always been a popularity contest (Sandra Bullock anyone?) but ever since then the glad handing and "make up Oscars" have gotten even worse.  When I awoke this morning and saw this list I was completely gobsmacked.  It was as if the Baseball Writers Association of America hooked up with the Academy Award voters, snorted some coke, popped some ecstasy, and swallowed it with a Sterno tequila chaser. 
     As you can imagine most of the categories such as Art Direction and best short film I could care less about so I will just focus on the big categories, and believe me there are plenty of omissions and inclusions that have me questioning whether the Mayans were actually right and we are really living in some quasi bubble Universe from LOST.  Hurley's hairy man-boobs could have done a better job at picking nominees than these jackwagons.

BEST PICTURE

Believe it or not this is the category I have the least amount of problems with.  All films are extremely deserving and well reviewed.  With the exception of Amour I'm familiar with all of them although I must admit I've only seen Lincoln and Django Unchained.  (I'm going to see Zero Dark Thirty) tomorrow.  Although to be fair Les Miserables seems tailor made for the Oscars and the reviews are mixed.  There are two movies that I'm surprised didn't make it--The Master and Skyfall.  I love Paul Thomas Anderson and although I didn't get a chance to see it in the theater, I'm planning to as soon as it comes out on DVD.  Now you are probably wondering why I'm mentioning a film that I haven't even seen yet.  I'll give you two reasons.  One is that I've never seen a PTA film I haven't liked and two the film received several other nominations in the acting categories.  As for Skyfall, it was the most entertaining film I saw last year and I think it got snubbed because it was a James Bond film.  On a side note I'm also wondering why Moonrise Kingdom got snubbed which was purportedly director Wes Anderson's masterpiece.

BEST DIRECTOR

This category actually may contain the two most glaring omissions of them all which I will get to in a minute.  First of all I think it is an absolute joke that Quentin Tarantino didn't get nominated for an Academy Award.  I fervently believe that it is the violent nature of the film coupled with the tragic shootings in Connecticut that swayed the Academy voters.  Maybe they didn't want to be seen as honoring a man who perpetuates violent films.  Even more egregious are the omissions of Kathryn Bigelow and Ben Affleck.  Most pundits thought both of these people were shoe-ins and I agree.  Seriously what does Affleck have to do to get people to forget about Gigli?  The man has directed three phenomenal films.  And as for Bigelow...I mean you gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me right?  She's scooping up every directing honor for Zero Dark Thirty left and right!  But they completely leave her off the ballot?!!  I won't bring up Wes Anderson, Christopher Nolan, or Paul Thomas Anderson not being including here because that would be an exercise in futility.  Suffice it to say that the Academy really messed this one up and more than likely Spielberg will walk away with Kathryn Bigelow's statue.

BEST ACTOR

I have slightly mixed feelings on this category.  I want to reserve judgement because I haven't seen Silver Linings Playbook or Les Miserables yet but I find it hard to believe that Phil from The Hangover put on a performance worthy of an Oscar nod.  And Hugh Jackman's nomination feels like a life time achievement award nomination.  Where is Jamie Foxx from Django Unchained? Where is Bill Murray from Hyde Park on the Hudson?  Where is Jonathan Hawkes from The Sessions?  More importantly where is Liam Neeson from The Grey?    In all honesty it's a moot point because Daniel Day-Lewis will just stuff this statue under his stove pipe hat and saunter away with his third Oscar anyway.

BEST ACTRESS

Quite honestly I haven't seen any of the films these women are in so I'm going to leave well enough alone.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Poor Leo.  Poor poor Leonardo DiCaprio.  You pull off one of your best roles ever as the diabolical Calvin Candie and you are left completely off the list.  Like Bigelow I thought DiCaprio was not only a shoe in for the nomination but for the win as well.  This one just leaves me scratching my head in anger.  Especially since Tommy Lee Jones performance in Lincoln was WAY over-hyped.  And I guess they thought it would be nice to reward Robert DeNiro for being in his first good film in a decade.  Javier Bardem's role as the notorious villain Silva in Skyfall was ten times the performance.  And what about Michael Fassbender?  Dude was killer as the android David in Prometheus.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Again no qualms here.  I'd be shocked if Hathaway doesn't walk away with it in a landslide.

As for the rest of the minor categories I really only have two objections.  The first is that I think it's a travesty that Hans Zimmer didn't get nominated for Best Original Score.  Does John Williams have to be nominated every fucking time?  The man doesn't fart concertos!  Also Adele getting nominated for best song is ridiculous.  "Skyfall" was a terrible Bond song and the worst part of an amazing movie.

Well I guess that's my rant for this year.  Check back in a couple weeks when I do my Oscar predictions.

Blu Ray and DVD releases for this week!!!

Here are the Blu-Ray and DVD releases for Tuesday January 8th:

Frankenweenie, Dredd, House at the End of the Street, Hit and Run, Jack and Diane, Stolen, Game Change, Samsara, Guns Girls and Gambling, Two Lane Blacktop*, Cape Fear (1963)*, Driving Miss Daisy*, The Jazz Singer*, Grand Hotel*, Mrs. Miniver*, Archer Season 3, Smash**, Anger Management Season 1, Episodes Seasons 1 and 2**

*Blu Ray only
**DVD only

Review: Red State

Plot:  When southern teenager Jared (Kyle Gallner) receives an invitation online for group sex from a mysterious woman, he invites his horny friends Travis (Michael Angarano) and Billy Ray (Nicholaus Braun) to attend.  The party soon goes south however when Jared and his friends are taken prisoner by the ultra conservative, gay hating Five Points Trinity Church, led by the twisted Abin Cooper (Michael Parks).  Before long Jared, Travis, and Billy Ray are in a fight for survival--and God help them if they fail.

Review:  Red State rocked me to my core.  There's no simpler way to put it than that.  Harrowing, well written, occasionally over the top, and dripping with tension, Red State is a scathing social commentary on  how the ultra religious right in this country can warp the Bible's words to promote their own hate filled agenda.
     I'm still trying to reconcile the fact that Kevin Smith (yes THAT Kevin Smith) directed this movie.  I mean this is the guy who brought the term "snowball" into the sexual act lexicon and who's famous for writing the line "You never go ass to mouth."  A director who made his bones doing comedy, Smith nevertheless succeeds in the thriller/horror department.  The pacing is rapid and barely stops for breath.  Red State is meant to be outrageous and overwhelm the audience on a visceral level, and the pacing reflects that.  The film's extreme nature is meant to parallel the extreme nature of the radical religious right in America.
     In addition to directing, Smith also wrote the script.  Smith has always had a keen ear for dialogue and Red State is no exception.  He handles the profanity laced verbiage of the high school teenage boy and the scripture laced tirades of a demented preacher with equal success.  Smith has always been good at crafting a well made and heart felt comedy but it was nice to see that he can write and direct scenes of tension that are on par with anything I've ever seen on film.
     But a script is only as good as the actors portraying the characters and thankfully Smith cast some good ones to go along for the ride.  Academy Award winner Melissa Leo lends crediblity and her considerable acting talent to Sarah, Abin Cooper's daughter.  It is fascinating to see Sarah be a doting mother and supposedly God fearing woman one second and then a violent killer sporting a machine gun the next.  John Goodman also succeeds as ATF special agent Keenan, a man assigned to monitor the Five Points Trinty Church (based on the real life Westboro Baptist Church) for illegal gun activities.  A conflicted man, Keenan is faced with the horrific task of executing his superior's orders against the Cooper Homestead or following his conscience. 
     Michael Parks however steals the show as the diabolical Abin Cooper.  Every scene he's in is beyond captivating, especially the somewhat lengthy sermon he gives when we are first introduced to him.  Cooper is a master orator capable of twisting the words of God to suit his needs and control his followers.  What makes Cooper so fascinating as a character is in fact his ability to manipulate.  It's almost Machiavellian.  Even more impressive is how the sermon starts out somewhat normal and then degenerates into a hate filled diatribe that ends in the brutal murder of a kidnapped homosexual man.  It was like watching Hannibal Lecter without the pension for cannibalism.
     Kevin Smith's Red State has stayed with me several days after watching it.  The ending was equal parts horrific and hilarious.  Perhaps the best thing I can say for the film is that it makes you think and that's really the goal of any good movie whether it's intentional or not.
     Without question Kevin Smith's Red State is an important film for the 21st century and next to Clerks, his best film ever.

My Rating:  9/10

Review: Lockout

Plot:  The year is 2079 and ex-CIA agent Snow (Guy Pearce) is arrested for allegedly killing an undercover agent.  Although he insists that he was investigating a mole in the agency, Snow refuses to give up his inside source.  Meanwhile, in orbit around the Earth Emilie Warnock (Maggie Grace) the daughter of the President, arrives on MS1, an experimental maximum security prison that puts criminals in stasis for the length of their sentence.  While investigating the affects of long term stasis on prisoners' minds, an unexpected security breach causes all the prisoners to be released from stasis.  Facing 30 years in stasis, Snow is given a choice:  save the President's daughter or be put to sleep until 2109.  Snow accepts but has a hidden agenda of his own.  His contact is on MS1 and only he knows the location of certain briefcase that will fully vindicate Snow and reveal the mole.  Armed only with a few guns and sarcasm, Snow arrives on MS1 with a misson that may cost everyone's life on the prison including his own.

Review:  Lockout was simply a blast to watch.  While not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, it nevertheless entertains with constant action and a great performance by Guy Pearce.  This is the definition of a "guy's film" and was a nice throwback to action movies of the 80s and early 90s.  In fact calling Lockout "Die Hard in space" is a fairly accurate description in my mind.
     Directors James Mather and Stephen St. Leger know their audience well and rarely does the action let up.  I was impressed by the tight pacing of the film which clocks in at just over 90 minutes and has the percussive beat of timed C4 charges.  The two also co-wrote the film with Luc Besson.  Besson is the master of action (The Professional) and sci-fi (The Fifth Element) and after the horrendous debacle that was Taken 2 I'm glad to see this movie played out well.  While the tropes here are common (i.e. President's daughter taken, prisoners running the prison, a reluctant and sarcastic hero) the three writers nevertheless manage to add a new ingredient to an old formula. 
     As exciting as the action was, I have to admit too much of the movie used green screens and CGI and honestly it wasn't always well done.  The motorcycle chase scene with Snow at the beginning of the film looked like a pure hack job that a ten year old with a laptop could have created.  And a scene towards the end of the film where two characters re-enter the Earth's atmosphere, stretch the suspension of disbelief to the breaking point. 
     However, there are some solid acting performances that make up for some of the less than stellar special effects.  Joseph Gilgun is excellent as the Scottish psychotic killer Hydell.  While his character is somewhat one dimensional, Gilgun adds equal parts humor and sadism to make Hydell memorable if not always comprehensible.  Peter Stormare is also perfect as the smarmy and annoying Scott Langral, Chief of the Secret Service.  Stormare has made a living playing these characters and his performance leaves you constantly guessing on what side of the fence Langral lies.
     Maggie Grace is solid as Emilie although at times her performance seems forced.  Let's be real here though, Grace was obviously there as eye candy.  I will admit the by-play between Emilie and Snow is pretty good even if the inevitable "romance" between the two characters is predictable.
     Without question though Guy Pearce carries this movie.  His Snow was just freaking awesome.  Think Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken but with more sarcasm and wit.  Pearce dishes out one liners and punches with equal aplomb.  Snow is a man's man, the slick action hero every thirteen year old boy thinks is cool.  Although Snow comes across as a smart ass (and he is) he's also very calculating.  His efforts to track down the briefcase throughout Lockout is an intriguing sub-plot that never gets tiresome.  Snow doesn't get a lot of character development but then again he's not meant to.
     I sincerely hope audiences get more of Snow's character in the future but if Lockout ends up being the only incarnation of the ex-CIA operative, I'll feel privileged just to have the one ride.

My rating:  8/10

Review: Winter's Bone

Plot:  Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) has a major problem.  Her degenerate father Jessup is once again in trouble with the law for cooking meth and has put up the family's house and land for bond.  When Jessup fails to show up for the court date and is presumed dead, Ree receives the news that she, her younger brother and sister, and her mentally troubled mother will be evicted within the week.  Ree has only one shot--track down her father alive or dead.  However, in the poverty stricken Ozarks where trust is hard to come by, Ree will have to confront angry and belligerent neighbors who have no qualms about killing and her meth addicted Uncle Teardrop Dolly (John Hawkes), if she wants to save her family.

Review:  Director Debra Granik's Winter's Bone is stark portrayal of poverty in the Ozarks that while fascinating, occasionally suffers from deliberate pacing.  I was continuously shocked by how bleak and dark the world of Winter's Bone is.  Poverty as a whole isn't something we like to talk about in the United States, maybe because we are reminded that we are the "greatest country in the world" on a daily basis.  But in Winter's Bone you can't escape it.  It is in your face.  It's in the ramshackle home that Ree and her family lives in, the absentee fathers among her neighbors, the pervasive drug use and violence especially towards women.  Granik's message about the poverty is as about as subtle as a baseball bat to the head.
     Poverty in the end becomes a character in its own right in Winter's Bone.  This is due in large part to the excellent cinematography of Michael McDonough.  His brilliant camerawork captures the stark landscapes of poverty not just in the Ozarks itself but in the people that dwell in those poverty stricken lands.  A haunting score by Dickon Hinchliffe lends a sadness and quiet dignity to the film as well.
     However, Winter's Bone might have been a boring and unwatchable film, if not for the powerhouse performances of Hawkes and Lawrence, for which both received Academy Award nominations.  Hawkes' Teardrop Dolly is a mixed bag.  On one hand he is a violent meth addict who isn't averse to slapping people around and holds to the code of silence that the Ozarks employs.  He wishes Ree would just leave his brother well enough alone.  Yet as the film progresses the audience also sees a fiercely loyal and protective man that abhors anyone trying to order him around.  The scene where Teardrop refuses to get out of his car after being pulled over by a police officer is the definition of tense.
     As good as Hawkes was, Jennifer Lawrence was better as the 17 year old Ree Dolly.  Spirited and determined, there is a dignity about Ree that persists even in the face of such challenging social circumstances.  Family is everything to Ree, whether it means showing her younger siblings how to skin a squirrel for food, shoot a gun, or brush her mentally ill mother's hair.  Yet beneath this exterior toughness is a vulnerable 17 year old girl who wants to escape and join the Army and a daughter who bears the responsibility of raising two siblings on her own.  The scene where Ree implores her unresponsive mother for guidance just breaks your heart.
     In the end Winter's Bone proves to be a candid and exemplary look at poverty in America that definitely deserves all of its acclaim.

My rating:  9/10

Review: Django Unchained

Plot:  In the winter of 1858 bounty hunter King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) is looking for the Brittle brothers, a trio of ruthless killers that Schultz has been tasked to bring back dead or alive.  However, since Schultz doesn't know what the three brothers look like he tracks down someone who does--a plantation slave named Django (Jamie Foxx).  After freeing Django from a group of slave traders, Schultz schools him in the ways of the bounty hunter and promises to help free his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from the nefarious plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).  But can the duo fool Candie and his suspicious overseer Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson) long enough to rescue Broomhilda without bloodshed?

Review:  If you've ever seen a Quentin Tarantino movie you know that the answer to that last question is inevitably no.  In fact with Django Unchained it is an emphatic no.  Fierce, honest, brutal, will written, and superbly acted, Django Unchained is a spaghetti western that Sergio Leone would be proud of and proves to be director Tarantino's best film since Pulp Fiction. About the only thing missing was Clint Eastwood.
     All the trademark Tarantino quirks are here: the abrupt closeups, jolting violence, spirited and witty dialogue, and of course an excellent sound track that mixes 60s western riffs, James Brown songs, and even modern hip hop.  What sets Django Unchained apart from other Tarantino films (and other films in general) is its unflinching look at slavery and its brutality.  Tarantino has taken a lot of flack for scenes that depict a slave being ripped apart by dogs, the Mandingo fights to the death, and whipping scenes, but let's be honest people: these things happened.  As much as I respect the movie Lincoln, it was a film that dealt with slavery throughout yet never once showed an actual slave in the entire film.  Obviously, different movies different styles but the sentiment is there.  In many ways you could consider Django Unchained the anti-Lincoln.  The film is about America's dirty little secret that most people don't want to confront openly.  Not Tarantino.  He rubs your face in it.  Not since the mini-series "Roots" has slavery been so violently depicted.
     That's not to say that Django Unchained is not without levity.  There are some incredibly funny scenes particularly the initial appearance of Big Daddy (Don Johnson) who resembles Colonel Sanders.  However, the best was probably where a group of pre-KKK members complain about the masks they are wearing because they can't see.  Scenes like these, as well as numerous instances of witty dialogue, offset an overall bloody and powerful film.  Furthermore, Django Unchained proves to be a very viable love story.  Although both Washington and Foxx spend minimal time on the screen together, the chemistry is dynamite and Django's love for Broomhilda is undeniable.  He's even willing to perform an elaborate ruse with Schultz to become the lowest of the low--a black slaver who is scouting fighting talent at Candie's plantation.
     As for the acting everyone, and I mean everyone, is at the top of their game.  Foxx has created an iconic and memorable character, a virtual Clint Eastwood cowboy for the 21st century.  I delighted in seeing Django progress from a repressed slave to a confident and educated gunfighter.  While the scene where Django whips his old slave masters is awesome, what I found even more compelling was a flashback scene where Foxx begs those same masters not to whip his wife.  My heart broke for Django in that moment and it made his revenge all the more righteous.  I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the repartee between Foxx and Samuel L. Jackson.  The closing scene between the two is just riveting and is a nice tip of the cap to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.  Jackson was fantastic as the vile Stephen. In any other year Foxx would probably be getting an Oscar nod, however I think he's going to miss the cut.
      The one who most definitely will not is Leonardo DiCaprio.  His performance as plantation owner Calvin Candie is mesmerizing.  This is the first real villain that DiCaprio has ever portrayed and he knocks it out of the park.  Rarely has there ever been a more reprehensible and evil villain portrayed on screen.  Unrepentant and despicable, Candie orders white cake in the same tone as when he commands dogs to tear apart a slave.  Candie practically oozes slime every time he's on camera and when he finally receives his inevitable comeuppance, I had to restrain myself from cheering.
     Equally as impressive as DiCaprio was Academy Award winner Christopf Waltz as Dr. King Schultz.  Schultz acts as a virtual surrogate father for Django.  He despises slavery and you can visibly see the disgust on his face during the Mandingo fighting, even though he's masquerading as a potential buyer.  This lends a humanity to the character who after all is a bounty hunter by profession.  The camaraderie between Waltz and Foxx is reminiscent of Paul Newman and Robert Redford in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  I wouldn't be surprised at all if Waltz also receives an Academy Award nomination on January 10th.
     I can't over emphasize what a powerful, riveting, and entertaining film Tarantino's latest is.  It exceeded all my expectations.  Put simply Django Unchained was off the chain.

My rating:  10/10