It rarely, if ever, gets talked about, but it is possible to find a good horror movie. To qualify, a good horror movie is a good movie with an element of the unnatural that is scary or at least creepy. These movies are generally easy to spot because you’re shocked at the director’s ability to tell a story. I blame the industry. If there weren’t so many terrible and incoherent horror movies the following titles wouldn’t be so stunning.
Last week I made a rare visit to the cinema, and was immediately reminded precisely why my trips are so few and far between. Although I had successfully evaded the Regal ‘First Look’ at sundry pieces of cinematic ordure sliding down the pipeline, no sooner was I sitting comfortably than I was subjected to one of the vilest obscenities I have ever beheld. [Read more →]
The filmmakers involved in New York, I Love You were given three constraints: They had to shoot their segments in 24 hours, they had a week to edit and they needed to give the sense of a particular neighborhood. Some of the short segments are funny, some are dark, some have a twist and some are stronger than others. They also seem intertwined with New York, and as a whole, New York, I Love You is as enjoyable as a whirlwind weekend in New York. [Read more →]
This year we will have 10 Best Picture nominations. 10. Off the top of my head, here are the films I can think of deserving them:
–The Hurt Locker
–Up (primarily for the montage; anyone who’s seen the movie knows what I’m talking about)
That is all. [Read more →]
The first image in A Serious Man is a quote from Rashi: “Accept with simplicity everything that happens to you.” At the end of the credits, among the usual boilerplate, we see that “No Jews were harmed in the making of this motion picture.” In between is one of the most riveting films I have seen this year. [Read more →]
Vampires were scary at one point in time. I remember watching the 1931 version of Dracula starring Bela Legosi and feeling shiver go down my spine from time to time based on nothing more than solid acting. But let’s face it the vampire scene has changed and not in a good way. [Read more →]
Advertisements for films are often misleading. The advertisements for Couples Retreat made me think that the film would be a harmless and average comedy, with perhaps a few very funny scenes. The advertisements are accurate; this film is all that and less. [Read more →]
My horror movie roundups continue — Not all horror movies are scary and full of dismembered corpses. Some are quirky, funny, and enjoyable as a cross-genre exercise. Horror comedies are a rarity. A horror comedy is a movie that is both scary and funny by intent (Shaun of the Dead). Not to be confused with a horror movie that’s funny because it’s so awful it’s physically painful (Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan). Still some do exist and are totally worth seeing when you want something Halloween-esque but not terrifying.
After all the credits for Whip It have rolled, the film ends with the words “To all the girls who believe you can… You can.” It is hard not to like a film with this message, especially when this point is made twice. First time director Drew Barrymore seems like a seasoned pro and is aided by Shauna Cross ‘s tight screenplay based on Cross’s 2007 book Derby Girl. The film boasts strong performances from women ranging in age from twenty to fifty. Oh yeah, this female fest also has exciting action sequences, believable characters, a good story and it is fun. [Read more →]
Well it’s October, or as I call it: Horror Movie Month. It’s baffling to me how movie studios release titles like Halloween 2 (the new Rob Zombie version) in late August. Or February in the case of the new Wolfman, which I’d love to see any weekend in October, but not sure I’m interested in it as a Valentine’s Day date flick. Granted, I’m not a numbers guru but basic fucking logic dictates that you release horror movies around Halloween and Christmas movies in December. Anyway, since there isn’t really a cool horror movie in theaters I’d like to take the next five weeks to do a video round up — Yes, I’m that egomaniacal. This first installment will focus on classic and old horror movies.
When Needy Lesnicky (Amanda Seyfried) says her best friend Jennifer (Megan Fox) is evil, boyfriend Chip (Johnny Simmons) agrees. Needy corrects him saying, “No, I mean, she’s actually evil. Not high school evil.” If, like me, lines like this have you rubbing your hands together in delight, you should savor this smart, funny and creepy horror film. [Read more →]
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia came back on the air last week, and thank goodness. My world goes out of focus without a collection of insane people running around Philly doing insane things. Not only was the premiere amazing, but I also saw the stage performance of The Night Man Cometh (a rock opera based directly on an episode from last year). The humor of this show is incredibly dark. They are all horrible human beings doing terrible things. They find babies in a dumpster, mentally and emotionally abuse each other, and take advantage of people. Watch it! Love it! SUNNY!
Thursday nights on FX. It’s usually On Demand too.
I think I am supposed to like Bright Star. I am interested in John Keats, I loved Campion’s The Piano and I have a high tolerance for slow period pieces about love. But this film left me cold. Even the credits annoyed me. Keats deserves better. [Read more →]
I started out life as a Latin teacher, and apart from being able to spend time poring over smut no one else could understand and being called a scholar and not a pervert –- it was long ago and in those days the former term was considered preferable -– the appeal was that the subject domain didn’t change very much. You could delve deep and really understand what you were doing.
Oh, Saint Heraclitus, where did I go wrong? I fell into the blogosphere, and I will never be the same again. [Read more →]
“Nature’s first green is gold.” By the time I’d finished reading and seeing the movie “The Outsiders” that poem was all I could remember. Robert Frost became an idol to me of sorts and after just one viewing of the film version of “The Outsiders,” I could recite all 8 lines of that poem by heart. By the time I had seen the movie, all of its stars were already known to me via other films. When “The Outsiders” film was released I was only 7, but in the late 80’s I had seen much more of Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Ralph Macchio and of course Patrick Swayze in other films. [Read more →]
Quentin Tarantino said, “Holocaust movies always have Jews as victims. I want to see something different. Let’s see Germans that are scared of Jews.” Inglourious Basterds is part spaghetti western, part war film and part Jewish revenge fantasy. While it lacks the power and fun of earlier Tarantino efforts like Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2, Inglourious Basterds is an entertaining film that raises intriguing issues. [Read more →]
For those who may not know, I’ve been deciphering mythological messages in TV shows, music, and movies long before Lost, and will hopefully continue to do so long after its finale next May. It’s something that most people don’t think about, but I believe that these stories and themes are reflections of our collective unconsciousness, and that storytellers are able to tap into them. In other words, I feel that today’s writers, musicians, poets, and artists are like modern-day shaman who channel messages that all of us are ready to know consciously. [Read more →]
This is my first foray with Christopher Moore, unless you count repeatedly grabbing Lamb in bookstores reading two or three pages and then putting it down. My issue with him has always been a matter of substance mixed with comedy. When I saw Fool and realized it was about Lear I compromised and bought the audio book. It was an excellent experience, and I’ll definitely listen to it a second time in a few years.
If the idea of a close-up on Andy Griffith’s face while he has a loud and enthusiastic orgasm makes you wince, you should avoid Play the Game. In fact, unless you are aching to see Matlock/the Sheriff of Mayberry getting horizontal with Liz Sheridan (best known as Jerry’s mom on Seinfeld) followed by the big O, you should avoid Play the Game. I would be happy to see a more dignified look at romance between fine actors in their eighties. But Play the Game suffers from poor directing and even worse writing, and four excellent lead performances cannot save it. [Read more →]
Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
I like this poet.
And so should you. [Read more →]
