Friday, March 25, 2011

A Few Quick Reviews

PAUL- Get out and see this movie stat because it is one of the funniest movies I've seen in a while. Much better than I thought it would be, and I love Simon Pegg and Nick Frost who co-wrote the screenplay together, this film is non stop funny. Two British sci-fi geeks tour the American countryside where they come face to face with rednecks, bible thumpers, the FBI and the coolest alien ever. It's nice to see a different spin on the whole alien comes to earth story where for once the things aren't trying to take over the world or eat your face.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are hilarious long before the plot even kicks in, but when Paul shows up, voiced perfectly by Seth Rogan, the movie flies into the stratosphere. This film is literally non stop funny and that is a rare thing nowadays.

Kristen Wiig is at her best as a reformed religious nut who's so insane at first that her bulls#@t religious beliefs are wrong even by wingnut standards. But after realizing her beliefs are way off when Paul mind melds her, she becomes a very sweet, engaging character. This could have been played very broadly for laughs but Wiig dials it down and gives a tremendous performance.

Other actors like Jason Bateman, John Carroll Lynch, Bill Hader, and David Kroeger steal the show when they pop up on screen along with a few cameos that I won't ruin here. Best of all, the movie has a huge plot twist near the end that no one will see coming. This is a fantastic film. Go see it. NOW!

5 stars out of 5.

MY SOUL TO TAKE- Should have been called MY HOUR AND FORTY FIVE MINUTES TO TAKE AND NEVER GIVE BACK. What the hell happened to Wes Craven to release this piece of nonsense? It starts of iffy and goes way downhill fast. I swear, after the prologue, the film takes forever to get going with teens talking. And talking. And talking. My Dinner With Andre this wasn't. One of the year's worst. Miss at all costs. We can only hope that Scream 4 won't be this bad.

no stars.

THE FIGHTER- Well deserved Oscar piece that was filmed right here in Lowell MA. Christian Bale nails it as Dicky, the former boxer turned drug addict. His younger brother, played by Mark Wahlberg, is the true talent and has to tread lightly between his well meaning but drug addled brother, his domineering Mom and sisters and a new girlfriend, engagingly played by Amy Adams. A must see even if your not a boxing fan.

4 and a half stars out of five.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

INSIDE JOB: ONE OF THE BEST DOCUMENTARIES EVER

Some documentaries come out and wow you with their thoroughness and timely fashion. This is such a film. If you ever wanted to know how badly the banks control every aspect of your life, watch this movie. Anyone not pissed by the end is dead, stupid or both. Jefferson warned against banks getting too much power and this film is a testament to how every administration since Reagan has been Corporate friendly. The last ten minutes thrash Obama as a corporate stooge, no better than his predecessors. What bill of goods did he sell us? Just to remind you, almost every campaign promise was a lie that he has reneged on. ALMOST EVERY ONE. Would you vote for a man who is this dishonest? This is a must watch film about why we are broke, which we aren't, the money is being stolen at an astronomical rate because of derivatives which should be banned for destroying economies, including ours. This is the best horror movie ever made because it's all true.

5 stars out of 5

Friday, March 4, 2011

DVD releases: Ong Bak 3 and Stonehenge Apocalypse

Ong Bak 3 was rumored to be bad. It was. Tony Jaa has been one of my favorite performers and martial artists but had a huge Charlie Sheen-like fallout over his first directorial debut with the producer, who also owns his contract. I have to side with the producer that this film is a mess with a horrible story line, fight scenes that seemed repetitious and dull and a complete lack of focus. For half the movie, nothing happens. Jaa gets back in shape after being brutally beaten, the bad guy gets killed by some sort of supernatural demon? who sets himself up as king and then Jaa fights him at the end. That's the movie. A few not well done fight scenes and WAY too much plot makes this film a must miss for all but the most die hard fans. Rent the first one to see what Jaa is capable of. For now Jaa is in a Tibetian monastery until his contract runs out. I hope his next movie is better than this drivel.

one star out of 5

On the other hand direct to DVD title Stonehenge Apocalypse is a great B movie with Misha Collins from Supernatural and Peter Wingfield from Highlander doing a great job. The movie, which has the best title ever, centers around Stonehenge starting a worldwide doomsday machine that will wipe out mankind. Misha plays a fringe scientist that has all the answers as Wingfield's scientist pish poshes every idea he has, to disastrous conclusions. Sure it's cheaply made but that's half the fun. The film is pretty good, bad effects aside. If your looking for an escape for an hour and half, you could do far worse, like Ong Bak 3.

2 and a half stars out of 5

Drive Fast to Drive Angry 3D

Every now and then, a film comes along that defies expectations. There are films out there that should, by all rhyme and reason, suck and suck bad. They come across as cheap and explotive and never achieve any sort of momentum. This is not one of those pictures.

The plot I would like to leave as abstract as possible because it only ruins the experience. Know that Nicholas Cage is Milton, a bad ass who is after his kidnapped granddaughter by a cult leader named Jonah King (Billy Burke). He is helped along the way by an old friend Webster (David Morse) and an uber hot ex-waitress Piper (Amber Heard). Besides the gang members, they are also being pursued by a mysterious individual The Accountant (William Fictner) and most of the countries police force which is elevated by the surprise return of film legend Tom Akins as a Captain.

This film has everything you want in a film lie this: gratuitous nudity, sex and violence all in glorious 3D. And for once the 3D actually works well as it was shot in 3D and not converted like most of the crap out there nowadays. The film is non stop action, unbelievably hot women, most of whom get naked at some point (although not Amber Heard. Rats.), and a plot line you haven't seen a million times. Try to know as little as possible going into this because it is much more fun to have the plot unfold in front of you rather than have it spoiled before hand.

Horror director Patrick Lussier does a great job keeping the plot moving and has been rumored to be starting on another ill fated Halloween sequel and the sure to be terrible Hellraiser remake. I'm hoping this director may elevate them past the crap level they should be at.

This is must see in the theater for the fantastic 3D effects that will be lost on the small screen, ala Piranha 3D. This is what 3D was made for. Drive fast and drive hard to this flick. Sure it's stupid, loud and empty. It's also non stop fun.

4 stars out of 5