Join us in scintillating Oscar-related dialogue. Delayed due to regrettable technical details which I hope I have now permanently solved.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
New Releases - February 24, 2009
Not the biggest week in recent memory, but at least we've got Futurama, Sex Drive and Molly Hartley. Podcast will follow. Coming out Tuesday:
Extreme Movie
Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder
The Haunting of Molly Hartley
Perfect Hideout
Red Sands
Screamers: The Hunting
Sex Drive
The Way of War
What Just Happened
Breaking Bad Season 1
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Reviews - Body of Lies, Religulous and Changeling
Body of Lies - ***1/2
In short: A well-made modern spy film that will easily satisfy genre enthusiasts, but it never really excels or surprises.
Excellent production value and a solid espionage script that's full of twists without really becoming confusing, but I just can't help comparing it to 'Traitor,' which used a lot of the same tricks to better overall effect. It's a good summary of the logistical problems of the war on terror and the intricacies of cultural conflict between West and Middle-East, but the utterly cliche love story side-plot strains belief, some of the more obvious cinematic devices (like Crowe's constant attention toward his family contrasted with DiCaprio's ongoing divorce) come off as shallow, and the pacing is pretty methodical although it doesn't get boring. If you watched the trailer, you'd be left with the impression that the film centers on the antagonism between Crowe and DiCaprio's characters, but that's really not the case. The film wisely doesn't paint its characters as good or evil, just people fighting for their own personal causes. Crowe's biggest accomplishment in this film is finding a way to incorporate the word 'buddy' believably into every sentence, but Mark Strong should really be getting top billing here, his character gets more screen time than Crowe's and his performance goes further toward selling the film than either of the other leads. For modern espionage, you could do way worse, but Traitor is still the forerunner.
Religulous - *1/2
In Short: Ideology aside, the only question that really matters is "Is it funny?" To me, the answer is no, but I'm just one guy. If you're interested in the subject, you should give it a watch just to be part of the conversation.
The heart of the film is an appeal for reason over faith, acceptance of doubt over steadfast certainty, but the film doesn't exactly practice what it preaches. Maher has exactly zero interest in understanding or even communicating with the people he 'interviews' (there's a scene with a pair of openly gay muslims where the interviewees don't say more than two words, they just sit there and nod while Bill makes wisecracks). Maher is just as unshakeably certain that his view is the only valid one as his subjects are of theirs, so not one single idea gets through in either direction. This film isn't going to change anyone's mind about anything. Its only visible purpose is as some kind of flickering applause sign for demagogues, an excuse for anyone who identifies with Maher's fringe attitude to pump their fists every time he 'scores.' Maher's attacks for the most part aren't new, and a lot of them have been floating around since the Renaissance. The few original points he makes are lost in a sea of foolish ones (Why doesn't God destroy the devil? Why did God let the holocaust happen? Even when these questions are answered CORRECTLY in the film, Maher laughs it off as stupidity.) At the end of the day, it's a poor documentary which giddily uses the most manipulative kind of interview editing techniques in a bid for cheap laughs. If you're looking to be informed, it's not going to happen. Maher doesn't want you to think for yourself, he wants you to think the same way he does, and if he could see past his 'I'm the smartest man who ever lived' arrogance, he might be able to actually participate in the discussions he starts.
Changeling - **
In Short: A fantastic performance and an immersive 1920s setting aside, the film reduces 'true events' to comic-book level browbeating morality, leaving an overwrought and unsatisfying film.
The first two-thirds of the film are adequate if not excellent, but I could tell there was something missing. It was not until the movie ended on a perfectly appropriate note and then proceeded to linger on like a lonely houseguest, awkwardly repeating itself without a whiff of conflict or tension for a pointless and frustrating 45 minutes that I knew exactly what went wrong. For that was when the credits rolled, and the words "Written by J. Michael Straczynski" burned my eyes with angry photons. Let me tell you about J. Michael Straczynski. He's a lot like Joss Whedon, in that he knows that scripts grab hold of people by way of fierce dramatic climaxes, only while Whedon is guilty only of being somewhat too verbose, Straczynski is a total hack. Thanks to him, we have a film where everyone is either GOOD or EVIL, and the characterizations stick steadfastly to those labels with little else to cling to. The story's inherently interesting, there's some great acting and the direction is sound, but it's all built on a foundation of hackery, with John Malkovich playing a selflessly one-dimensional crusader for justice, aligned against a bunch of moustche-twirling supervillains who strap Jolie to an electroshock machine as if it were a pair of train tracks. There's a reason Eastwood had to rescue this script after nobody else showed interest in it, and he's done more with it than a lesser director could have, but that's all the more reason he should have known to lop off the meaningless courtroom scenes like a gangrenous limb. I just hope Jolie's fully deserved Oscar nomination doesn't lend the film itself too much prestige.
In short: A well-made modern spy film that will easily satisfy genre enthusiasts, but it never really excels or surprises.
Excellent production value and a solid espionage script that's full of twists without really becoming confusing, but I just can't help comparing it to 'Traitor,' which used a lot of the same tricks to better overall effect. It's a good summary of the logistical problems of the war on terror and the intricacies of cultural conflict between West and Middle-East, but the utterly cliche love story side-plot strains belief, some of the more obvious cinematic devices (like Crowe's constant attention toward his family contrasted with DiCaprio's ongoing divorce) come off as shallow, and the pacing is pretty methodical although it doesn't get boring. If you watched the trailer, you'd be left with the impression that the film centers on the antagonism between Crowe and DiCaprio's characters, but that's really not the case. The film wisely doesn't paint its characters as good or evil, just people fighting for their own personal causes. Crowe's biggest accomplishment in this film is finding a way to incorporate the word 'buddy' believably into every sentence, but Mark Strong should really be getting top billing here, his character gets more screen time than Crowe's and his performance goes further toward selling the film than either of the other leads. For modern espionage, you could do way worse, but Traitor is still the forerunner.
Religulous - *1/2
In Short: Ideology aside, the only question that really matters is "Is it funny?" To me, the answer is no, but I'm just one guy. If you're interested in the subject, you should give it a watch just to be part of the conversation.
The heart of the film is an appeal for reason over faith, acceptance of doubt over steadfast certainty, but the film doesn't exactly practice what it preaches. Maher has exactly zero interest in understanding or even communicating with the people he 'interviews' (there's a scene with a pair of openly gay muslims where the interviewees don't say more than two words, they just sit there and nod while Bill makes wisecracks). Maher is just as unshakeably certain that his view is the only valid one as his subjects are of theirs, so not one single idea gets through in either direction. This film isn't going to change anyone's mind about anything. Its only visible purpose is as some kind of flickering applause sign for demagogues, an excuse for anyone who identifies with Maher's fringe attitude to pump their fists every time he 'scores.' Maher's attacks for the most part aren't new, and a lot of them have been floating around since the Renaissance. The few original points he makes are lost in a sea of foolish ones (Why doesn't God destroy the devil? Why did God let the holocaust happen? Even when these questions are answered CORRECTLY in the film, Maher laughs it off as stupidity.) At the end of the day, it's a poor documentary which giddily uses the most manipulative kind of interview editing techniques in a bid for cheap laughs. If you're looking to be informed, it's not going to happen. Maher doesn't want you to think for yourself, he wants you to think the same way he does, and if he could see past his 'I'm the smartest man who ever lived' arrogance, he might be able to actually participate in the discussions he starts.
Changeling - **
In Short: A fantastic performance and an immersive 1920s setting aside, the film reduces 'true events' to comic-book level browbeating morality, leaving an overwrought and unsatisfying film.
The first two-thirds of the film are adequate if not excellent, but I could tell there was something missing. It was not until the movie ended on a perfectly appropriate note and then proceeded to linger on like a lonely houseguest, awkwardly repeating itself without a whiff of conflict or tension for a pointless and frustrating 45 minutes that I knew exactly what went wrong. For that was when the credits rolled, and the words "Written by J. Michael Straczynski" burned my eyes with angry photons. Let me tell you about J. Michael Straczynski. He's a lot like Joss Whedon, in that he knows that scripts grab hold of people by way of fierce dramatic climaxes, only while Whedon is guilty only of being somewhat too verbose, Straczynski is a total hack. Thanks to him, we have a film where everyone is either GOOD or EVIL, and the characterizations stick steadfastly to those labels with little else to cling to. The story's inherently interesting, there's some great acting and the direction is sound, but it's all built on a foundation of hackery, with John Malkovich playing a selflessly one-dimensional crusader for justice, aligned against a bunch of moustche-twirling supervillains who strap Jolie to an electroshock machine as if it were a pair of train tracks. There's a reason Eastwood had to rescue this script after nobody else showed interest in it, and he's done more with it than a lesser director could have, but that's all the more reason he should have known to lop off the meaningless courtroom scenes like a gangrenous limb. I just hope Jolie's fully deserved Oscar nomination doesn't lend the film itself too much prestige.
New Releases - February 17th, 2009
Here's what's out right now, I'll post reviews for Body of Lies, Changeling and Religulous in a bit. Maybe we can get Dave to chime in too since he's seen a couple I haven't.
Alien Raiders
Amal
Body of Lies
Changeling
Choke
Dead Like Me: Life After Death
Flash of Genius
Heavens Fall
High School Musical 3
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
I Served the King of England
The Midnight Meat Train
Quarantine
Religulous
Right At Your Door
Touch the Top of the World
New on Blu-ray:
Body of Lies
Changeling
High School Musical 3
Quarantine
A History of Violence
Alien Raiders
Amal
Body of Lies
Changeling
Choke
Dead Like Me: Life After Death
Flash of Genius
Heavens Fall
High School Musical 3
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
I Served the King of England
The Midnight Meat Train
Quarantine
Religulous
Right At Your Door
Touch the Top of the World
New on Blu-ray:
Body of Lies
Changeling
High School Musical 3
Quarantine
A History of Violence
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Podcast #1 - My Name Is Bruce, W., and Blindness
Yes, for all of you out there who don't get enough of Dave and I talking exasperatedly at one another in the store, our singular brand of caustic discourse is now available in your own home.
A few points:
-This is really our first crack at this.
-We agree a great deal in this podcast. That's not typical.
-For the time being, this embedded video will have to suffice - That means you can't download the file or play it outside this window. Hopefully in time we'll be able to have a fully featured and fully subscribable podcast.
-Tune in next week for lots of Oscar debate.
A few points:
-This is really our first crack at this.
-We agree a great deal in this podcast. That's not typical.
-For the time being, this embedded video will have to suffice - That means you can't download the file or play it outside this window. Hopefully in time we'll be able to have a fully featured and fully subscribable podcast.
-Tune in next week for lots of Oscar debate.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Reviews - W., Blindness and My Name is Bruce
W. - ***
In short: An adequate, well-acted portrait, but far from a compehensive retrospective of the W. years.
It delivers what it promises without major problems. Maybe it would have worked better with a more comedic tone, but that's not ours to judge. Does it cast Bush as sympathetic? Yes, but it doesn't defend the man. All it's guilty of is major oversimplification, paying lip service to the 'good and evil' cowboy psychology behind Bush's thinking and writing off all his failings as the result of daddy issues. That makes for some good drama, but falls short of the scope of the subject, which has staunchly occupied American popular culture for the better part of a decade. A sense of scale is missing, apart from a few protests we never see more than a couple of dozen people at a time, and while this is in keeping with Bush's close-knit group of advisers, the sequence that takes us from the 'Mission Accomplished' speech to the realization that Iraq was a massive error feels glossed over. Brolin is dead on, as many have noted, but Condie Rice feels like a caricature, and Powell, fulfilling the dramatic role of devil's advocate, is made out like an unmitigated saint, which is neither accurate nor dramatically interesting. I do admire the film for pinning responsibility on Bush, as while he is portrayed as a puppet of his advisers, the 'decider' line is used to reinforce his complicity. It's not a bad film, better than it could have been, but I hope we get a more definitive document once the dust has settled.
Blindness - **1/2
In short: A solid premise and excellent visuals can't save a plodding and emotionally disconnected film.
It's a frustrating and ambivalent experience. I think the film's commitment to straight-up drama, casting aside clear opportunities to move into thriller or horror territory, was a mistake. But who needs tension or fear to hold interest when we're examining the core tenets and assumptions of our society, right? And that would be fine, only the film gives the very subtlest clues about the inner world of the characters, and this creates serious problems when those characters behave in completely nonsensical ways. Everyone who's seen a film that features a pandemic has got to be asking why Julianne Moore doesn't just turn herself over to the medical research community so we can isolate her immunity and cure the plague. Why doesn't she do that? Why doesn't anyone who knows she's immune suggest she do that? There could be perfectly reasonable answers to these questions, the film just doesn't feel it needs to address them. And frankly, that would be fine as long as it can hold my interest with character-driven drama, which it can't. I have a feeling it worked much better as a novel, where we can seamlessly enter the inner world of the characters' minds. I absolutely must applaud the visuals though, Meirelles' love of texture and contrast makes for consistently impeccable cinematography, and elevates everything else. I just feel that when the film's crucial final line has to be delivered via narration by an apparently clairvoyant Danny Glover, maybe that means you've chosen the wrong novel to film.
My Name Is Bruce - ***
In short: If you love all things Bruce Campbell, you're going to see it anyway. If you've never heard of the guy, don't bother.
And here we have a movie that seems entirely impossible to criticize. I mean, if a scene is bad, they meant it to be bad! If a joke comes off lame, they meant it that way! It's infuriating, frankly. Then there's the fact that to even be in the audience of these jokes, you'd need to be a shameless pop culture attendee. So let me just stick to what I can criticize: What seems like a pretty original idea is actually just a point-for-point rehash of Galaxy Quest, only without a trace of sincerity. Very little time is spent actually examining the difference between an on-screen persona and a real person, even though to me one of the funniest things about the film is how much of a caricature 'Bruce Campbell' is. The third act fails to reach the same intensity as the climax of the second. But hell, what am I even doing this for? If you're a Campbell fan you have to see it, and if you're not you'll wonder why anyone would be. It made me laugh anyway, but is it a bad thing when the funniest part of a film is the sly, self-mocking racism?
Monday, February 9, 2009
New Releases - February 10, 2009
Here's what's coming out Tuesday. I'll chime in later with reviews for 'Blindness,' 'W.,' and 'My Name is Bruce.' Dave and I plan to do a podcast discussion as well, so keep an eye out.
New Releases:
Against the Dark
Blindness
Frozen River
The Guitar
The Lodger
Love and Other Disasters
Miracle at St. Anna
My Name is Bruce
Nights in Rodanthe
Poison Ivy: The Secret Society
Real Time
Afro Samurai: Resurrection
W.
New on Blu-ray:
Donnie Darko
Nights in Rodanthe
Pride and Glory
W.
New Releases:
Against the Dark
Blindness
Frozen River
The Guitar
The Lodger
Love and Other Disasters
Miracle at St. Anna
My Name is Bruce
Nights in Rodanthe
Poison Ivy: The Secret Society
Real Time
Afro Samurai: Resurrection
W.
New on Blu-ray:
Donnie Darko
Nights in Rodanthe
Pride and Glory
W.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Madagascar 2 - Release date correction
It seems Madagascar 2 (and its companion piece, The Penguins of Madagascar) doesn't officially come out until this coming Friday, February 6th. On behalf of Jumbo Video, I'd like to personally apologize for this error, and rest assured I will tender my resignation effective immediately (not really).
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
New Video Games in Stock
We've added a few new games to the rental inventory, a couple of which have been in stock for the PS3 for some time, but long overdue for the 360. Enjoy.
"Skate It" - Wii
"Skate 2" - PS3, 360
"Mirror's Edge" - 360
"Fallout 3" - 360
"Skate It" - Wii
"Skate 2" - PS3, 360
"Mirror's Edge" - 360
"Fallout 3" - 360
Monday, February 2, 2009
Review: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist' - ****
In short: If you're annoyed by teenage hipsters then steer well clear, but if you meet it half-way you'll find a genuinely sweet and romantic minor classic of the genre.
It's tough, because although I had a really great time with this film, I could completely understand someone hating every second of it. It's far from a runaway success, as the structure seems contrived and it's just as predictable as any romantic comedy you could name, if not more so. But I think this one's special. It walks an extremely fine line, with writing full of the cynical affectations and awkward characterizations that populate every off-beat teen comedy since Napoleon Dynamite, and I'm sure the dialogue will annoy a lot of people into a blind rage on principle alone. The difference here, at least for me, is that this time the constant apathy and pop culture references aren't ornaments to distract from the fact that the characters are empty shells. The film thankfully puts character first, and contrasts all that too-cool detachment with genuine longing and romance. It's also not afraid of sex, and yet captures perfectly the awkwardness and innocence of young love. I found a scene set in a recording studio achingly familiar, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Michael Cera is particularly well-cast in a role that looks at first glance like typecasting, but actually gives him a lot more freedom to be a real human being than the films that have made him a household name. (This is a good thing, because he's getting dangerously close to being just another Jon Heder.) Go in with no assumptions and you'll find wit, intelligence, a smattering of very funny dialogue, and a deep reservoir of romance. If you don't feel any affection for the main characters by the end, you're the one with an apathy problem. It put a grin on my face for 90 minutes straight.
In short: If you're annoyed by teenage hipsters then steer well clear, but if you meet it half-way you'll find a genuinely sweet and romantic minor classic of the genre.
It's tough, because although I had a really great time with this film, I could completely understand someone hating every second of it. It's far from a runaway success, as the structure seems contrived and it's just as predictable as any romantic comedy you could name, if not more so. But I think this one's special. It walks an extremely fine line, with writing full of the cynical affectations and awkward characterizations that populate every off-beat teen comedy since Napoleon Dynamite, and I'm sure the dialogue will annoy a lot of people into a blind rage on principle alone. The difference here, at least for me, is that this time the constant apathy and pop culture references aren't ornaments to distract from the fact that the characters are empty shells. The film thankfully puts character first, and contrasts all that too-cool detachment with genuine longing and romance. It's also not afraid of sex, and yet captures perfectly the awkwardness and innocence of young love. I found a scene set in a recording studio achingly familiar, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Michael Cera is particularly well-cast in a role that looks at first glance like typecasting, but actually gives him a lot more freedom to be a real human being than the films that have made him a household name. (This is a good thing, because he's getting dangerously close to being just another Jon Heder.) Go in with no assumptions and you'll find wit, intelligence, a smattering of very funny dialogue, and a deep reservoir of romance. If you don't feel any affection for the main characters by the end, you're the one with an apathy problem. It put a grin on my face for 90 minutes straight.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
'Zack and Miri' Blu-Ray delayed
For reasons unknown, the street date for the Blu-Ray of 'Zack and Miri Make a Porno' has been pushed forward a week and a half, now landing on Friday the 13th.
Reviews: 'Passchendaele,' 'Zack and Miri'
PASSCHENDAELE - ***
In short: A sometimes good, sometimes great film with a really lousy ending.
I assume everyone involved with making this thing knew a lot was riding on their work. This was the movie that was finally going put Canadian film on the map. Apart from being the highest-budget Canadian film ever made, matters of national pride and Canadian identity around the world were at stake, and all this may have been a little much to lay on the shoulders of one Paul Gross, a metaphor he himself takes a bit too literally in the film's final scenes. More on that in a minute. I don't understand the writer/director/star syndrome, even in a project as personal as this was to Gross you'd think that telling everyone else what to do would cement his auteur status, but Gross insists on doing everything by himself, including the sometimes jarringly dated and out of place musical score. The result of a director stretched too thin is an uneven film, and yet for every half-hearted line or clumsy characterization there's an original scene or neat bit of plotting to make up for it, so on the whole, the flaws are forgivable. What is not forgivable is the film's absurd climax, a horrifically earnest passion-play (passchen-play?) that's about as far removed from 'subtle' as a film can easily get. I don't blame Gross for this scene, he was too close to the material to be remotely objective about it, I even admire the script's willingness to 'go big or go home,' I only wish that someone who knew what was at stake had had the balls to say "Paul, this is bad. Really bad. Hilariously bad. And I won't let you do it." I'll let you see it for yourself if you haven't, but it makes the rest of the film seem laughable, and it doesn't deserve that. There's good, world-class stuff here, the opening in particular is downright great, and it's a shame the solid filmmaking was finally brought down by its boundless ambition. I suppose you can't have one without the other, though.
ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO - ****
In short: In the sex comedy genre, Seth Rogen, Judd Apatow and Kevin Smith can hardly go wrong together. A solid, if somewhat routine genre outing.
I really think this is Kevin Smith's best film. In a way it's exactly what you'd expect, but Smith has a love of dingy New Jersey suburbs and strip malls that let him see beauty and humanity in the soul-crushing industrial wasteland, and the leads work hard to get a lot of good material out of their characters. Don't let the title fool you, this film is more sweet than raunchy, in spite of some decidedly off-colour gags. It's really just another low-key character driven comedy of which there is no shortage, but it proves that with the right oversight and polish, Kevin Smith can still bang out a more than decent movie, which is good news to those of us who are embarrassed to note that we once idolized him. The third act has been called awful, and perhaps it's mis-handled, but after Chasing Amy, it wasn't totally out of left field.
In short: A sometimes good, sometimes great film with a really lousy ending.
I assume everyone involved with making this thing knew a lot was riding on their work. This was the movie that was finally going put Canadian film on the map. Apart from being the highest-budget Canadian film ever made, matters of national pride and Canadian identity around the world were at stake, and all this may have been a little much to lay on the shoulders of one Paul Gross, a metaphor he himself takes a bit too literally in the film's final scenes. More on that in a minute. I don't understand the writer/director/star syndrome, even in a project as personal as this was to Gross you'd think that telling everyone else what to do would cement his auteur status, but Gross insists on doing everything by himself, including the sometimes jarringly dated and out of place musical score. The result of a director stretched too thin is an uneven film, and yet for every half-hearted line or clumsy characterization there's an original scene or neat bit of plotting to make up for it, so on the whole, the flaws are forgivable. What is not forgivable is the film's absurd climax, a horrifically earnest passion-play (passchen-play?) that's about as far removed from 'subtle' as a film can easily get. I don't blame Gross for this scene, he was too close to the material to be remotely objective about it, I even admire the script's willingness to 'go big or go home,' I only wish that someone who knew what was at stake had had the balls to say "Paul, this is bad. Really bad. Hilariously bad. And I won't let you do it." I'll let you see it for yourself if you haven't, but it makes the rest of the film seem laughable, and it doesn't deserve that. There's good, world-class stuff here, the opening in particular is downright great, and it's a shame the solid filmmaking was finally brought down by its boundless ambition. I suppose you can't have one without the other, though.
ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO - ****
In short: In the sex comedy genre, Seth Rogen, Judd Apatow and Kevin Smith can hardly go wrong together. A solid, if somewhat routine genre outing.
I really think this is Kevin Smith's best film. In a way it's exactly what you'd expect, but Smith has a love of dingy New Jersey suburbs and strip malls that let him see beauty and humanity in the soul-crushing industrial wasteland, and the leads work hard to get a lot of good material out of their characters. Don't let the title fool you, this film is more sweet than raunchy, in spite of some decidedly off-colour gags. It's really just another low-key character driven comedy of which there is no shortage, but it proves that with the right oversight and polish, Kevin Smith can still bang out a more than decent movie, which is good news to those of us who are embarrassed to note that we once idolized him. The third act has been called awful, and perhaps it's mis-handled, but after Chasing Amy, it wasn't totally out of left field.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
