Skyfall

Reviewed by Junior

Directed by Sam Mendes

Starring Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Berenice Marlohe, Ben Whishaw and Albert Finney.

Daniel Craig's third outing and the 23rd installment in the Bond franchise was a long time coming, following Quantum of Solace in 2008, but well worth the wait.  Definitely fulfilling the promise of Casino Royale and one of the best films in the 50 year history of the franchise, Skyfall satisfies in every way: story, acting, character development, music, cinematography, and nerdy fanboy references.

Typically, the film starts with an exciting action sequence combining a motorcycle chase across rooftops to a fight atop a moving train.  This scene sets up the rest of the film, giving a simple, understandable goal facing 007 and MI6: the recovery of a list of every undercover NATO agent currently embedded with terrorist organizations around the world.  The loss of the list has created considerable political pressure for M, as well as jeopardy for agents in the field.

As director, Sam Mendes brings a maturity and patience to the proceedings that was lacking in Quantum.  The action scenes are exciting, but filmed without the rat-a-tat editing so common in action films today.  He allows the audience to see and appreciate what is happening, in a more classic style of filming.  He also manages to allow his actors time to have brief but substantial character scenes amidst all the action, giving them a chance to shine, and they do.

Judi Dench as M is central to the story, and she is a joy to watch, as always.  Also, the audience is given the opportunity to appreciate the complicated relationship and how it has evolved between she and Bond. We are also introduced to elements of Bond's childhood history.  A new female agent named Eve is both a Bond girl and a sexy, appealing new(ish) character.  Finally, Javier Bardem stands out in an original character turn as Silva, the villain of the piece, mincing and charming, brilliant and threatening, wounded and crazy.

The cinematography is beautiful.  The musical score is wonderful, Bondian and glorious, particularly the theme by Adele.  The whole movie hearkens back, in many ways, to the best parts of the franchise, which is intentional, given the fact that this movie is released during the 50th anniversary of Bond.  Given that, there are more than a few wink-wink-nudge-nudge elements that are thrown in for fans, all of which are fun and appreciated and not too distracting, unless you really try to wrap your head around how old Bond is supposed to be here, if you consider the decades-old history to which they allude here, and whether this is really M, the original M, given that proto-Bond was only two movies ago.....well, if you go there it might give you a headache.  Best not to think about that too much.

I thought the franchise was effectively rebooted after Casino Royale and its direct sequel, Quantum of Solace, gave Bond his "double-Oh" status, invented his martini, and taught him to say "Bond, James Bond."  But at the end of Skyfall I see that we are truly there now, all the elements back in place, and ready to start a long series of James Bond missions.  If Skyfall is any indication of the quality we can expect, I am ready for 23 more...

ACTING: 10
LOOK: 10
STORY: 10
OVERALL: 10

Paranormal Activity IV

Paranormal Activity 4 is the latest (and hopefully final) installment in the franchise that yet again, splices together home movies to show further evidence of a long standing family haunting. I've seen all three of it's predecessors and for most point, enjoyed them. None of these flicks have been ground breaking by any means but have at least offered up some cheap scares and realistic dialogue to paint a relatable picture in which this could happen to YOU! Even though this was not a planned franchise, writers have been able to create an ongoing story line that gives a little more information than the last but still keeps you a bit curious. No. 4 not only fails to provide ANY scares (cheap or otherwise) but also to make any logical use of the established story.

Unlike the previous 3 films, this installment focuses on footage taken exclusively by a 15 year old girl and her lovable loser boyfriend. Despite having multiple cameras throughout the house capturing the moves of an entire family, the teens are definitely the focus point and the only characters that push the story along. While it's clear that this was a ploy to appeal the a younger demographic, the tension created by the young girl is lacking and most of the dialogue is wasted on complaining that her parents won't listen to her. This was a risky move that did not pay off in two BIG ways. First, by changing demographics, filmmakers have removed the only consistently positive quality in the prior films, relatability. You simply must relate to your main character in a plot driven solely by their reactions to a situation. Second, this film is rated R, thus eliminating the targeted demographic right out of the gate.

I give this a 3/10 with points only awarded for overall production quality and giving me something to do on a Monday evening... Below is normally where I would embed the movies trailer but felt this to be more appropriate.

SINISTER

Sinister is the story of True Crime novelist (Ethan Hawke) who travels from town to town (with his family) following the trail of unsolved crimes to write about. The first half of this film is quite good, using horror which is deep and dark without being in your face or over-the-top. Filmmakers did a great job of mixing horror with mystery and suspense, never really coming right out and announcing that this is a supernatural thriller. 

Our protagonist moves his family into a house where a brutal murder took place years prior. While rummaging through the attic, looking for clues to help his book, footageof previous mass murders is discovered by Hawke and reviewed throughout the film. Despite investigating a single incident, each of these “home movies” depicts a different murder in which a different family is killed using unique methods in separate locations across the country. The only things all these films have in common is, they are all silent, you never see the camera operator, and an entire family is murdered sans one child never to be seen again. The vintage look of super-eight footage, great acting from Hawke, and gruesome nature of the footage left a lasting impression in my mind without making my skin crawl. The story up until the second half is mysterious and intriguing without being outright confusing, allowing for either a human or supernatural antagonist and really, either would have been alright at that point! 

The second half is another story. Almost immediately after some of the pieces fall together, the story takes boring turn and slaps you across the face with answers to questions that haven't been asked. This ruined any chance of an actual surprise or suspenseful ending. Despite this disappointing turn for the worse, the good aspects of this flick never go away for good. The original creep out factor remains along with a good performance by Hawke but instead of letting the audience use any part of their imagination, more and more blatant, annoying evidence is shoved down your throat. Unfortunately the downturn in storyline comes down a simple “less is more”. This movie was a disappointment to me not because I had high hopes, but quite the opposite. Going into this film I expected more B-rate horror (which is fine!) and instead was given a glimpse of hope only to be let down once again in the second act.

Using discovered footage in a real time story line is a bit of new twist on an old idea but worked well in this case. It allowed screenwriters to take the spookiest aspects of the POV horror genre and combines it with good 'ol fashioned WRITING to churn out a decent affect. 

 I recommend this film only because of how many things were done right for the genre but don't expect to be impressed with it as a whole. All in all I would rate this 6.5/10 with a few extra points for the musical score.

The Campaign

The Campaign

Director: 

Jay Roach

Writers: 

Chris Henchy (screenplay), Shawn Harwell(screenplay)

Stars:

 Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis and Jason Sudeikis

The Campaign follows the story of  Mr. Smith Goes to Washington  with a comedic twist in which our protagonist is an average god-fearing American family man, just a little stranger.

I went into this film expecting to be bombarded with a weak story, dependent on an over the top performance from both  Galifianakis and  Ferrell but was pleasantly surprised. Neither hold a candle to  James Stewart but, Galifianakis did display a refreshing change of pace.

If you're looking for a theater experience with a decent amount of laughs, check it out. With anything else in mind, you may be disappointed.

Keep in mind, I was not at all impressed buy the trailer (Ferrell seems to do most of the work) but was entertained by this flick.

Extra points for Lithgow and Aykroyd!

Halloween Movies

Reviews by Junior

The leaves are turning, the air is crisp, and there are plastic spiders, synthetic spiderwebs and carved pumpkins decorating the houses up and down my street. All of which means that it must be my favorite time of year, Halloween, a time to dress up in outlandish costumes, get some candy, and celebrate all things ghastly and ghoulish. To get in the mood, I've been watching some horror movies lately, and thought I'd offer some short reviews of them, in no particular order...

Jennifer's Body
Starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried

This high-school horror movie from 2009 features local favorite Amanda Seyfried and Megan Fox (as the title character) in a campy story about two girls who part ways after a fateful night seeing an aspiring indie rock band at a club. Jennifer is the pretty, popular one, like Alicia Silverstone in Clueless, and Amanda plays "Needy" Lesnicky, her pain-Jane BFF. After Jennifer goes off in the band's van she returns, changed, and with a desire for eviscerating her male high school classmates. The story's played mostly for laughs, the gore is light and the sex even lighter, considering Jennifer's actually been turned into a succubus. Still, Amanda Seyfried is good in it. Mildly entertaining.

Wes Craven presents Dracula 2000
Starring Gerard Butler, Christopher Plummer and Justine Waddell

This decade-old entry into the Dracula sub-genre begins from an interesting premise: Dracula is truly immortal, and cannot be killed. Van Helsing (Plummer) has captured him and devoted himself to eventually finding a way to do so, but has been unsuccessful for a coupla hundred years. To extend his own life to watch over Dracula, Van Helsing has been taking regular injections of Dracula's blood.

Predictably, some thieves break into Van Helsing's private holdings and inadvertently free Dracula (played, unrecognizably, by a younger, thinner, non-bearded Gerard Butler), who makes a beeline for Van Helsing's daughter (in New Orleans, natch), with whom he feels a connection because she carries his blood. Along the way he makes vampires out of Jeri Ryan, Omar Epps and others, and Van Helsing and his assistant pursue. Vampire slaying ensues---kinda makes you wonder how neophytes who didn't know vampires existed 5 minutes before can be so good at staking hearts and lopping off heads, but whatever...

Unfortunately, this fun premise, and a great twist at the end, are wasted on a schlocky production, unsure whether it's funny or serious, and definitely not scary. Suitable for a round of MST3K, or as a curiosity if you're a big Gerard Butler fan.

Halloween II (2009)
Written and directed by Rob Zombie
Starring Scout Taylor-Compton, Brad Dourif and Malcolm McDowell

Michael Myers comes back a year after his first rampage to finish the job. In Rob Zombie's second entry into the Halloween mythos, he rethinks a lot of the story and gives Michael Myers a supernatural motive of sorts for all the mayhem. Having had success with the initial remake, the studio gave him a lot more freedom with this one, and he uses it, after an initial tip of the hat to the hospital carnage of the original Halloween 2, to jump a year forward, follow up on the characters (Malcolm McDowell's "growth" being particularly witty) and change the characters to his liking.

More importantly, and in contrast to such well-conceived but poorly executed dreck as Dracula 2000 above, Zombie shows that he knows how to create tension in a horror film, giving surprises at the right time, using music and pacing and slow motion. Zombie mixes up the killings, showing enough but not too much, conveying the brutality and pain of Myers' attacks. Zombie seems, more often than not, more interested in the aftermath than the actual attack. Very skillfully handled. I hope Zombie continues to make many more horror movies, and this one is set up for a very different Halloween III.

Drag Me to Hell

Reviewed by Billy Bob Biggs.

Directed by Sam Raimi.

Written by Sam & Ivan Raimi.

Starring Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao and David Paymer.

After a long, dry spell where he made big-budget superhero flicks, Sam Raimi returns to his horror roots with Drag Me to Hell, the story of a nice, ambitious bank employee who rejects the wrong person's loan and is set on the express train to hell, or maybe the bus to Beelzebub, since it's gonna take three days to get there.

The movie starts off with Christine (Alison Lohman) attempting to impress her bank boss and get a promotion by refusing to give a kindly old lady an extension on her mortgage. Unfortunately, the kindly old lady goes all batshit and hides in the back seat of Christine's car, always the best way to approach your loan officer. The conversation doesn't go so well and they end up pulling each other's hair out and poking one another in the eye until the old lady craftily hides under Christine's car until she can pop out and rip a button off her coat, cursing it and Christine and putting her (and her coat) on a 3-day path to Hell!

That's right, Gypsy curse fans, for those of you who have been waiting since 1996's Thinner for another entry into this fine sub genre, your wait is over! Amazing they are so few and far between considering the relevance to our lives today. I can't go two blocks without seeing nasty, one-eyed crazy gypsy ladies putting curses on some poor hot dog vendor or cab driver...

So anyway, Christine may be a morally ambivalent yuppie, but she can sense when she's got a hex on her soul so she immediately goes to have her fortune read by Dileep Rao, who, despite operating a little retail amulet and magic powder shop, has enough magic in him to recognize that he doesn't want this cursed girl within 10 feet of him, and he sends her packing.

Soon Christine is back home with her kitty, Justin Long having gone home to play with his coin collection, and the demon makes its first appearance. See, it takes the demon three days to work up enough power to drag Christine to hell so initially he just shows up to say "howdy," cast scary shadows on the wall and slap her around a little.

Christine becomes convinced that she has been cursed and goes back to Dileep, who begins taking her credit card payments and advises her to make amends with the old gypsy lady, which doesn't work. Christine runs around for two days prior to her deadline trying various things to get rid of the curse, making animal sacrifice, trying to transfer the curse to someone else, all the while having visions of the old gypsy lady attacking her in a shed, gruesome eyeballs popping up in her soup, and the demon showing up for her nightly flogging.

I won't give more away, but it's Sam Raimi back to his gruesome, Three Stooges horror best.

12 buckets blood. Eyeballs roll. Corpses roll. Stapler fu. Volkswagen fu. Goat fu. No breasts. Billy Bob says check it out.

The Undertaker and His Pals (1966)

Written and Directed by T.L.P Swicegood

Starring Ray Dannis, Warrene Ott, James Westmoreland, Marty Friedman, Sally Frei, and other people you never heard of.

Reviewed by Billy Bob Biggs

This is a movie about a trio of motorcycle riding, masked thugs who show up in people's tiny apartments, or while they're in the steam room, or sitting in their car in broad daylight on a California seaside highway to beat them, stab them, and cut off their tasty bits and cook them up in a seedy greasy spoon that no one eats at. The two crazies at the greasy spoon have come up with a sure-fire recipe for their troubles, along with the undertaker. The crazies get fresh meat that no one will eat and the undertaker gets mutilated bodies for which he can overcharge whoever's paying for the funeral.

This was an impressive directorial debut for T.L.P. Swicegood (amazingly, apparently his real name), who had a couple of writing credits prior to this innovative gem. He had a lot of new ideas on how to make a horror flick which I'll note as they come up. Sadly, he was not allowed to make any more movies after this one so we'll never know how far he could have taken the art of blood-spattered gorefests.

• New Idea #1: Undercut the tension in horror with a boppy jazz soundtrack.
  

The movie opens with our motorcycle trio breaking into a woman's crappy one-room apartment, and, after a brief chase across the room, stabbing her to death and escaping with her meaty gams (apparently they had looked up in the phone book girls with big legs who lie around their apartments writing letters with no pants on.)

• New Idea #2: Having a photo comedically change expressions, from smiling, to alarmed, to saddened, while the victim is dismembered.

Cut to a private detective whose secretary moons over him and wants to marry him. In an apparent attempt to change her mind about his appeal he takes her to the aforementioned greasy spoon, where the owner behaves weirdly and has only one dish to offer per day. Then the p.i. takes her home and leaves her on her doorstep.

• New Idea #3: Completely disregard the Hollywood tradition of shooting a scene that's supposed to take place at night, at night. Audiences in 1966 were mature enough to not care when the sky goes from dark night to broad daylight to twilight and back again in one scene. Innovative!
  

The secretary immediately changes into her pajamas and goes outside to see who is strangling her cat. Upon finding three leather-clad motorcyclists in her backyard she neglects to scream or run back into the house, but cowers against the side of it in horror as the men advance on her like snails across 30 feet of open lawn. Finally, she attempts to run away when they are within grabbing distance but too late!

• New Idea #4: Have the murder happen off-camera and pan toward the body for a minute or two, until the audience has lost interest in watching, and just about the time they have decided to scoot out to the concession stand for another box of Raisinets, have the dead, impaled body of the victim peek into the screen for a split second and cut to a new scene. Peekaboo! Didja see it?

I don't want to spoil the rest of this cinema classic for you, but here are some of the other innovations of T.L.P. Swicegood:

• New Idea #5: When a woman is being chased by the men on motorcycles, reversing and skidding and revving their engines while she zigs and zags on foot across the blacktop, ignore the tradition of having the sound effects match what's going on. The sound of a softly purring motorcyle engine will suffice.
• New Idea #6: Have your villains be broadly silly and comedic before, after and during scenes of menace and mayhem. That won't undercut the terror.
• New Idea #7: Have your hero disappear inexplicably before the end of the movie so the villain can be killed by a supporting character, by accident!

Zero breasts. 5 buckets blood. Legs roll, internal organs are played with. Cleaver to the head, chain to the face, multiple stabbings, full-body acid dunking. Three stars.

Billy Bob says check it out.

Children of Men

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron

Released 2006

Starring: Clive Owen as Theo, Julianne Moore as Julian, Michael Caine as Jasper and Clare-Hope Ashitey as Kee.

Review by CINEMAGIRL:

Children of Men starts in a time much like our own, with a horde of disconnected people glued to the action unfolding on a television screen in a coffee shop, as it is announced that the world's youngest person has died. However, the year is 2027 and in this time human beings are infertile, making the youngest of us semi-miracles and celebrities and society's tie to the once hopeful past.

As our leading man, Theo (Clive Owen) breaks from the mesmerized and traumatized coffee shop crowd and exits to the street, the shop explodes, showing us that not only is the human race screwed with infertility but random violence, terrorism and chaos. Sort of like today, but on steroids; a frighteningly grim picture of the not-so-distant future.

In this tragic world, Theo has one ally, Jasper played by a long-haired aging hippie version of Michael Caine. Jasper lives in hiding in a wooded compound with his catatonic wife, a victim of government interference and control.

In this age, there are two forces at work, the government, which is fighting an enormous war on immigration and shipping illegal immigrants to camps, and the Fishes, a radical group working to undermine the government.

Theo is quickly recruited by his ex-wife, Julian - the leader of the Fishes - played by Julianne Moore to help her move a refugee out of the country, a miraculously pregnant African girl named Kee.

Theo doesn't want the job, but ends up roped into the situation and accepts his fate as the Joseph to this Mary. There's even a great scene with the two of them in a barn where Kee reveals her pregnant belly to her protector.

Along the way, there are violent action sequences and chase scenes, but rather than carried out in the typical Hollywood fashion, there are long, single-shot sequences, almost POV, where the camera looks around to give the viewer an eyeful. The look is similar to documentary, or more-so, reality television, which again, is a clever connection to today's viewer and the path our destructive actions may be taking us down.

One scene in particular is gut-wrenching in its slow, mesmerizing pace. After Kee has given birth to the miracle baby and is attempting to hide it amidst a violent refugee uprising and military retaliation, the child is revealed, putting a halt to the war and bloodshed as onlookers stop for a moment of reverence. This scene was incredible and clearly drove home the point that the hope of a child and the future tied to it are powerful enough reasons to end violence.

Children of Men is an excellent ride. Not so much fun as enthralling. Science fiction thrillers like this that are set so near in the future that they don't feel like a stretch at all are often the most disturbing because of the possibility that this really could be the fate of humanity.

I definitely recommend this the rental. Watch it on the weekend when you have time to pore over it and consider all its attributes.

ACTING: 8

LOOK: 8

STORY: 9

OVERALL: 8.5

Friday the 13th (2009)

Directed by Marcus Nispel

Starring Jared Padelecki, Danielle Panabaker, Amanda Righetti, Travis Van Winkle, Aaron Woo and Derek Mears.

Review by Billy Bob Biggs

The new Friday the 13^th reboot starts out pretty good, showing newbie director Marcus Nispel knows what puts butts in seats for a Jason flick, namely teenagers getting drunk, getting nekkid and getting killed in creative ways by everybody’s favorite hockey-mask wearing psycho. In the first 15 minutes we are treated to 5 pot-head idiots who think it’s a good idea to venture out to Camp Crystal Lake, pop their tents, pop their tits and make the sign of the double-backed woodchuck.

Soon Jason notices the zit brigade and shows up with his trusty machete and a bear trap he happened to have handy. He makes Jiffy Pop out of one of them and goes all Frank Booth on another. Heads roll, legs are flayed, flesh burns, roll opening credits. Off to a good start.

If you don’t know Jason, where have you been since 1980? He’s got mama issues; he’s not a big talker. He pretty much kills anybody who wanders into the woods. He’s not into torturing them or eating them afterwards or anything, pretty much wants to kill them as quickly as possible, with whatever’s handy. Gardening implements are a favorite, but knitting needles or the occasional flare gun are not out of the question. He likes to sneak up behind people and stand there until they notice him. He does sometimes get creative with the corpses afterwards, a favorite gag being stringing them up in the ceiling or the trees so that pop down like a reverse jack-in-the-box to scare the crap out of his next victim. I always wanted to see him go through the mechanics of doing that; maybe it’ll be on the DVD extras.

This flick plays like Jason’s greatest hits. First we get a quick recap of mama Voorhees, we move through Jason’s awkward teen years with a sack on his head, and then he discovers hockey. We also have the teenager who reminds Jason of his mama and the usual spam-in-a-cabin gags.

One of my faves is always the creepy, half crazy local who warns our group of victims about how Crystal Lake is a sucky camping spot, but in pretty unhelpful terms, like “People go missing around here, they’re gone for good. Outsiders come they don’t know where to walk…We just want to be left alone, and so does he.” They never say anything truly helpful like “You teenagers need to turn your car around and get the fuck out of here ‘cause there’s a crazy man living around here who kills everybody who so much as stops to change a tire within 5 miles of Camp Crystal Lake. I’d move myself but my property value has totally gone to shit because of that psycho.”

Our next group of victims is 7 friends who go to this preppy jerk’s house near Crystal Lake. The preppy jerk’s name is Trent, but he’s not Trent Reznor and you pretty much want him to die as soon as he starts talking. He does have a way with the women, though, and says stuff like “You got perfect nipple placement baby .” When Trent finally does die (hope that doesn’t spoil you too much) you can be happy to know that that annoying Trent guy---the dicky football player in Transformers---got killed too. ‘Cause it’s the same character, played by the same actor.

There’s a token black guy and a token Asian in the group, and a couple of girls…they soon hook up with a good looking, motorcycle-riding sincere guy who’s looking for his sister that disappeared with the group before the credits (can you say hero?)

There’s a great scene where Jason kills a couple out water skiing topless. Gratuitous Chrissie from Jaws. Jason proves what a great shot he is, really impressive, and the director gives us one last look at the girl’s boobs before she sinks back into the lake.

Anyway, it’s a pretty good reboot, though Jason didn’t leave anybody’s severed head in the refrigerator. Probably saving that for the sequel. 14 dead bodies, 3 gallons blood, 7 breasts, 1 ass. Heads roll, ears roll, machete to the head and throat, machete whackamole, arrow thru the head, speedboat to the head, spike thru the throat, axe and machete to the back, antlers to the back, tow truck to the back, fireplace poker through the eye. Gratuitous Blue Velvet and “Sister Christian.” 3 ½ stars.

Billy Bob says check it out.

Zombieland

Directed by Ruben Fleischer

Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin.

Reviewed by Junior.

Doubling the genre of zombie parody films (held exclusively by Shaun of the Dead since 2004), Zombieland is a solid entry with a small, good cast. The film begins with one lone survivor, Columbus (Eisenberg), and his rules for survival, used repeatedly for humorous effect throughout, such as 1. Cardio, 2. Beware of Bathrooms, 3. Seatbelts, 4. Doubletap... all explained and proven very practical by our unlikely, somewhat nerdy protagonist.

Columbus soon hooks up with another survivor, Tallahassee (Harrelson), who revels in the chaos of Zombieland and has no such concerns for rules or other survivors in general. This diametrically opposed male duo soon meets up with two sisters, played by Stone and Breslin and our quartet, after initially clashing, set off on a road trip across a zombie-filled wasteland to California.

The film starts out with some very violent bits initially, which should be no surprise considering the genre, but soon settles into more of a lightweight buddy flick (x2) vibe. One can almost forget that the world has been overrun by the undead. Our heroes never seem to be in any real danger, which doesn't hurt the enjoyment of the film, but does give it a different flavor than you might expect. We learn the backstories of our motley group and they bond. I won't give away the very entertaining cameo appearance, all too short lived, when they arrive in Hollywood.

Of course, in the third act the movie does reach a slightly menacing crescendo, reaching a satisfying conclusion and setting up a sequel. Not, in my opinion, as funny, smart, or dark as Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland is nevertheless an entertaining romp with an appealing cast, solidly directed by first-timer Ruben Fleischer, at a perfect length of 88 minutes.

Story: 6

Acting: 7

Look: 7

Overall: 7

An Education

Directed by Lone Scherfing.

Based on the memoir by Lynn Barber. Adapted for the screen by Nick Hornby.

Starring Carey Mulligan as Jenny and Peter Sarsgaard as David.

Released 2009.

Review by CINEMAGIRL:

An Education is a lovely, well-acted film with great 1960s scenery a sweet love story and....a dark underbelly.

Jenny (Carey Mulligan - Oscar nominee) is a studious, English private school girl whose father (Alfred Molina) dreams of educating her at Oxford. While Dad is busy pushing her to study her Latin, Jenny would rather play her cello and hang out with her gal pals at the local coffee shop, where they smoke cigarettes and fantasize about being Parisian.

One day, Jenny meets David (Peter Sarsgaard) - a playboy twice her age - and a world of decadence, jazz clubs, and fine dining opens up to her. Jenny's parents believe David's good intentions, or at least choose to look the other way, and accept his "positive" influence on their daughter while becoming enamored with his wealth.

The dynamic between Jenny and David is enthralling. Jenny has her head on her shoulders. She is a commanding girl which David is so happy to oblige. David enjoys wining and dining with his new girlfriend, who although half his age, can hold a discussion on Classical music and speak French. In a sense, he's found a lady he can mold into a girlfriend, instead of the other way around.

David is charming, disarming, so willing to please...but all as long as he can get his own way. He is gentle, yet completely manipulative - willing to lie, cheat and steal because he is infallible. After the writer and director so expertly pull the audience in and make them feel comfortable in this completely inappropriate relationship does the story begin to reveal the many reasons why this coupling is doomed.

What I really loved about this story was rather than depicting Jenny as a flirtatious bimbo who had a train-wreck relationship headed her way, she is quite the opposite. Although it could be argued that she was manipulated by the ever charming David, Jenny is a willing accomplice throughout the story. She leaps at the chance to be treated like an adult and fulfill her personal dreams. Granted, she is far too immature to be completely responsible for her actions or the relationship, however she is not the classic "girl victim" who falls for a man out of her league only to be emotionally and psychologically damaged. You get the feeling that Jenny will be all right, because she is so smart and wise for her age.

Interesting to keep in mind is that this screenplay is based on a memoir, meaning this actually occurred in the life of the author. Nick Hornby is nominated for an Oscar for best adapted screenplay.

I highly recommend this film. I don't think it has much of a chance as a Academy Award Best Picture nominee (it's just not that kind of movie) but it's an excellent ride made memorable by great acting.

STORY: 8

ACTING: 8

LOOK: 8

Overall: 8

Wanted

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov

Starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Terence Stamp and Thomas Krestschmann.

Reviewed by Junior.

An aimless office drone (McAvoy) is thrust into a world of preternaturally endowed assassins, learning that his father was one of them and that he is similarly endowed with extraordinary capabilities. After undergoing an excruciating indoctrination/training under the supervision of Fox (Jolie), he is sent out on his first assignment.

This movie can best be described as fantasy. While modern action flicks always require some suspension of disbelief, the outrageous Matrix-like capabilities of these assassins (due supposedly to having excess adrenalin in their systems) go well beyond any relation to reality. Further, the film serves as a fantasy for anyone stuck in a job they don't like, whose personal life isn't working out, and whose bank account isn't what they would wish it to be. All this is changed for our protagonist, Wesley Gibson, in one fell swoop.

McAvoy, fresh off a strong performance in the well-regarded The Last King of Scotland, does good work here, for what little is asked of him. Similarly slumming are Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman, who both give stock performances. The story is outlandish, with a magical loom giving coded messages from Fate to assign the assassin's targets and mysterious, milky baths which allow the killers to heal in days from serious wounds which should take months to heal. Oh, and the assassins can shoot bullets in a curved arc, rather than in a straight line like the rest of us.

These imaginative touches aside, the plot itself is easily predictable and ultimately pretty unsatisfying. However, if you are looking for crazy cgi action set-pieces and copious violence, you might enjoy Wanted. There is even a Wanted 2 in pre-production, for some reason.

P.S. Come to think of it, this movie would have actually been helped by the hoary old cliche of the protagonist waking up at the end and realizing it had all been a dream. Then he could have gotten up out of bed and gotten his real life in order. But they didn't do that, so we have Wanted 2 to look forward to.

Story: 1

Acting: 3

Look: 9

Overall: 4

Synecdoche, NY

Written and directed by Charlie Kaufmann

Starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Sadie Goldstein, Tom Noonan, Samantha Morton, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Emily Watson.

Reviewed by Junior.

syn·ec·do·che (n.) - A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole (as hand for sailor), the whole for a part (as the law for police officer), the specific for the general (as cutthroat for assassin), the general for the specific (as thief for pickpocket), or the material for the thing made from it (as steel for sword).

Talented screenwriter Charlie Kaufmann's directorial effort is an ambitious, sprawling rumination on the meaning of life and death and purpose through the eyes of an unfulfilled and either hypochondriac or actually dying theater director, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Catherine Keener plays his wife in what begins as a sad story about a sad couple on the verge of divorce, in therapy, and trying to balance the needs of their young daughter. Add to that the fact that Cadon (Hoffman) seems to be dying to the mix and you have the beginnings of a very depressing movie indeed.

His personal life falling apart and feeling his mortality, Caden (Hoffman) Cotard embarks on an ambitious, sprawling and ever-growing theater piece attempting to encompass---well, everything. It expands to encompass a mini-reconstruction of New York, with actors playing various characters, real and imagined, and actors playing the actors playing them... Meanwhile we follow Cadon as the years slip away and his life continues to be sad and unfulfilling.

After the first 15 minutes the audience is never quite sure what is real and what is not in the film, whether we are in linear time or not, whether any of this is really happening. We are taken on a journey through time and the meaning of life. One has to admire Kaufmann's guts for assaying this most serious of subjects and a very complicated production for his fledgling directorial effort. He shows an accomplished grasp of technique, although a little editing would have helped when the film seems to drag on and belabor some points. The cast is first-rate, and performs well throughout. In the end, though, the audience is left to wonder what was the point of this grim exercise. Perhaps the point is that there is no point.

Story: 7

Acting: 8

Look: 8

Overall: 7.5

"Up In the Air" has it's feet on the ground...

Hello? Hellllooooo? Anyone out there? Sheesh. No posting since October. That's pathetic. It's not that we haven't all seen movies, somewhere...in the theatre, at home or on the telly.

Fine, I'll just have to muster up a review. Here goes.

Up In the Air

Director: Jason Reitman

Written by: Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Starring: George Clooney as Ryan and Vera Farmiga as Alex

Released 2009

REVIEW by CINEMAGIRL:

The film opens with aerial shots, the kind of shots we've all seen from the window seat of a 737. Immediately we are placed in the fast-paced, business travel world of Ryan Bingham, played expertly by the coy George Clooney.

Ryan takes us through the ropes of his life. He is a professional firer - the person companies bring in to lay off workers without getting their own hands dirty. He is an expert in his field, and an expert at business travel - even holding public speaking engagements on the matter. He urges his audience to abandon physical and even emotional attachments, because you can climb faster with a lighter pack.

He himself is home about a month out of the year at his tiny apartment, which is void of all personality and merely a prison for the man who loves to keep running.

After the film sets the stage and introduces the main character, he is thrown two curveballs. One - his travel may be curtailed. And two - he meets a woman on the road.

Ryan starts up a relationship with Alex (Farmiga), another business traveler spending her life in hotel bars and tabulating air miles. The two hit it off, and form a casual attachment while both being emotionally unattached. At the same time he is trying to convince his boss to keep him on the road and not tie him down - notably this idea came from the new girl, fresh out of college and lacking all experience in the field.

This film may feel foreign to contemporary movie-goers because it is done in such a traditional way - snappy lines, round characters who are both great and flawed, complex situations. Clooney could have easily been played by Humphrey Bogart or Gregory Peck. Bette Davis would've made a great Alex.

A nice touch to this film is the use of the recent unemployment in this country that ties this story to modern times. Reitman even cast real people who have been recently laid off to give testimonials. It was a nice, authentic touch considering the seriousness of the matter, and the fact that our leading man, or "hero" is in the job of firing people.

Farmiga is a natural as a globetrotting businesswoman, delivering lines with ease and authority. Clooney is charming as always and well deserving of his Golden Globe nomination. The film is full of funny, chuckleworthy moments, but it is telling that it is nominated for Best Picture Drama by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

I recommend seeing this film soon, while the issue of lay-offs is at the forefront of national news. It would be timeless anytime, but makes a bigger impact considering reality.

STORY: 9

ACTING: 8

LOOK: 7

OVERALL: 8

Current Golden Globe Nominations for this film:

Best Picture Drama

Best Actor (Clooney)

Best Supporting Actress (both Farmiga and Anna Kendrick)

Best Screenplay

Best Director

It's Halloween Movie Time!

Here are some of my favorite film tricks and treats, perfect for renting and scaring yourself for an evening around Halloween.

Posted by CINEMAGIRL.

This time of year I love renting scary and nostalgic Halloween movies. They get me in the mood for the holiday itself and feed my imagination's craving for the creepy.

Here are some of my favorite macabre flicks, rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the scariest:

The Exorcist: Dir. William Friedkin. (1973)

This is probably the scariest movie I've ever seen and the scariest ever made. Sweet little Regan (Linda Blair) becomes possessed by a demon, priests are summoned to perform an exorcism on the girl, pea soup flies. This kid (demon) is so crude, so disgusting, but so good!

Five howls on the scary scale.

Rosemary's Baby: Dir. Roman Polanski (1968)

More creepy than scary. This movie will not make you scream or jump, but it will mess with your head. Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) becomes pregnant after her struggling actor husband (John Cassavetes) makes a deal with the Satanist next-door neighbors. Special note: Actress Ruth Gordon won an Oscar for her portrayal of the dopey, nosey neighbor Minnie Castevet. She is so enjoyable to watch.

Three howls on the scary scale.

Halloween: Dir. John Carpenter (1978)

Michael Myers, clad in a workman's jumpsuit and a white-painted Captain Kirk mask, returns to Haddonfied to terrorize babysitters. Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis is at her best in this original version of the film, which is one of the highest-grossing independent films ever made. I love the shots throughout the film. The spooky POV shots of Michael peering in windows and through bushes, and the fact that he looks so darn scary, even in broad daylight. He's my favorite scary movie character of all time.

Four howls on the scary scale.

Feel free to list some of your favorite scary movies in the comments section and have a Happy Halloween!

Inglorious Basterds

As reviewed by skinnyblacktie

Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Christoph Waltz, Melanie Laurent, Diane Kruger, Brad Pitt, Til Scheiger, Daniel Bruhl, B.J. Novak, Eli Roth and Martin Wuttke

Tonight Chef Tarantino's special is a blood soaked, 'new wave' inspired 'macaroni combat' with a side of 3rd generation retribution. I recommend it. (I would include a hint of 'spaghetti western', but who wants that many starches in one meal?) We first meet 'The Jew Hunter' aka Col. Landis (Christoph Waltz) on a dairy farm in Nazi-occupied France in 1941. Through an exchange of feigned pleasantries with a French dairy farmer believed to be housing Jews, we learn hastily that Landis is very, very good at what he does. Polarized, yet with equal efficiancy and skill at their specific duties, 'The Basterds' come into play. Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), Sgt Hugo Stiglitz (Til Schweiger) along with 'The Bear Jew' (Eli Roth) and company comprise an outfit of American-born Jewish men bread to do one specifically brutal job...kill Nazis (especially Nazis such as Landis). At this point a simple 'seek and destroy' plot could be rested upon, but things become a bit more complex when French cinema owner Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent) meets Nazi war hero and movie star Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Bruhl) and the German movie star Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) becomes involved with the British government. Soon interweaving relationships build and fold, leaving the audience with a climax truly worth applauding.

Tarantino's 'Basterds' pace alternates between the booming escalation of a Phillip Glass piece and the slow humming build of an Old English tale. Each scene contains a peak and valley system which will take you to the edge of your patience, yet reward you with a summit of violence and emotion. The dialogue is sprawling, but filled with gem sentences and a fat diamond at the end of each journey. A true scale is established early on and whether you like it or not, it is a constant. The centerpiece of the screenwriting is the playful and clever anaslysis of dialect, be it German, French, Italian or American. All four dialects and accents (including a hilarious take on British stereotypes) are present and batted back through forth throughout the film. No actor plays with this aspect more than Christoph Waltz who utters all four during the course of the film with arrogance, courtesy and humor on the mind.

Tarantino's direction in the film is something to truly appreciate. His funniest film to date, 'Basterds' is a perfect blend of sophomoric profiling, dark humor and one-liners not previously experienced in Tarantino's films. He was not too afraid to allow the most popular (and most 'tough guy' casted) American actor in the film (Brad Pitt) to provide the most comic relief. Yet, through all of the conventional humor (very much unconventional to the director), Tarantino's stapled situational humor comes forth as casual as two men having a civil conversation while scalping a German S.S. Officer.

Cinematically 'Basterds' is as diverse as the motley array of language used in it. Quick cut scenes, hightlighted around the rims with gun fire, accompany stretched steady-cam shots. The camera takes us into the eyes of a western standoff and then above the studio set to remove the audience from the story for a moment and say,'this is a fictional movie, man...have some fun.' Standard Tarantino stuff applies here.

'Inglorious Basterds' is more than I could have asked for from a new Tarantino film. The plot is interesting without being too smart. The humor is enough to make you laugh at the gore and blood. The direction of pace and character is flawless. Tarantino's most talented film since 'Jackie Brown.'

Story: 8.5

Acting: 9

Look: 10

Overall: 9

R.I.P. King of '80s Cinema

John Hughes died this past week at the age of 59. He's known for writing, directing and producing dozens of popular films, such as Ferris Bueller's Day Off and The Breakfast Club. Love him or leave him, his 1980s films shape the way we still view that decade. He had a way of capturing teenage desperation, boredom and humor like no other director has.

By CINEMAGIRL:

Here's my Top Ten Favorite Hughes' movies (whether produced, written or directed by the man):

10. Sixteen Candles
9. She's Having a Baby
8. The Great Outdoors
7. Home Alone
6. Christmas Vacation
5. Planes, Trains & Automobiles
4. Pretty in Pink
3. Uncle Buck
2. The Breakfast Club
1. Ferris Bueller's Day Off


*photo above of Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller

Away We Go

Directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty)

Co-written by Dave Eggers (author of "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius)

Starring Maya Rudolph (SNL alum) as Verona and John Krasinski (The Office) as Burt.

Released 2009. Now playing.

SYNOPSIS: A thirty-something couple, expecting their first child, take a cross-country journey to find a suitable home to start their family in.

Review by CINEMAGIRL:

Verona (Rudolph) and Burt (Krasinski) are a youngish, committed - yet unmarried - couple unexpectedly expecting a baby. When the two find out that Burt's parents (Catherine O'Hara and Jeff Daniels) are moving out of the country just before the baby is due, the couple sets off on a cross-country tour to find a new home in a new town near friends or relatives that will provide a healthy support system for the new family.

And so the adventure begins. Burt and Verona first stop in Phoenix to visit her former boss (Allison Janney), who is married (to comedian Jim Gaffigan) with two kids, and thrilled to death that the young couple might decide to live near them. However, the old boss and her hubby are total alcoholics and apathetic parents and their meeting at the local dog track leaves them unsettled, and questioning their own abilities as future parents.

Later, Burt and Verona venture to Madison, Wisconsin, to visit a childhood friend of his - a very outspoken, liberal, hippie-mama portrayed by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Burt and Verona meet her at the college campus where she works as a professor and enter her office to find her openly breastfeeding her two children - an infant and one that's more than a few years old - in the middle of the room. The evening with LN (that's her name) and her husband - who have a "family bed" and aversion to strollers - unfolds into hilarity. The hippie couple becomes more and more outrageous and patronizing until the mild-manner Burt explodes in the most ridiculous way. (I thought this was the funniest part of the film.)

The film looks at the many ways there are to raise kids along the way, including stereotypes, pointing out the ridiculous in nearly each scenario.

A recurring subplot to the story is that Verona's parents are no longer alive. This comes up throughout the film and creates an emotional, dramatic angle for Verona to reconcile and the couple to deal with. It is handled gently without becoming overbearing.

The film is shot in a standard sort-of way. There are no dramatic angles or inventive shots. It's simply a nice story delivered in a direct way. The real stand-out of the film is the dialogue, co-written by Dave Egggers, known for his memoir "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" and his recent journalistic novels.

Eggers writes for Gen-X, using a natural tone that speaks directly to the reader, or viewer, rather than pandering to you or trying to make you feel stupid. His words, and that of collaborator Vendela Vida, were delivered well by Rudolph and Krasinski, two comically trained actors who work(ed) on two of the funniest shows on TV.

Overall, Away We Go is funny, entertaining, fresh and very well cast. I recommend seeing it in the theatre now or renting it later.

STORY: 8.5

ACTING: 8.5

LOOK: 7

OVERALL: 8

Orthodox Stance

A 90 min. documentary film about an Orthodox Jewish boxer who balances his sport and his faith.

Released 2008

Shot, written and directed by Jason Hutt

Screened this year at South Side Film Festival, Bethlehem, PA.

This interesting documentary follows Dimitriy Salita, a Russian-born Orthodox Jewish boxer, during the rise of his professional career.

Review by CINEMAGIRL:

Because of the strict observance of his faith, Dimitriy Salita cannot box on the Sabbath, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. When he travels he must be careful to only eat kosher foods and to avoid using electricity or driving a car during the Sabbath. That means that even at a hotel where he is scheduled to fight a bout, he will turn off the lights, light candles, pray, and stay in for the night.

This documentary is shot in a verite style. You can tell that one camera operator followed Salita most of the time, shooting him with a small digital camera, capturing audio as the scenery would allow. The look of the film can be jarring at times, but the viewer can accept it because it is consistent throughout the film. Hutt, the director-cameraman, etc., followed Salita during his life's routine, to the Starrett City Boxing Gym in Brooklyn, the Chabad, training camp in the Poconos, to his home with his brother and even on trips to Vegas and Puerto Rico with his friend/religious advisor in tow.

Hutt was able to film the small moments that make characters real because he ingratiated himself into Salita's life. For instance, he was there to film Salita's brother Mischa helping him pick out a suit for a photo shoot, or capture a crushing rebuke fom his trainer when he discovers Salita is still two pounds overweight just two days before his biggest bout.

It is endearing watching Salita balance his personal life with his professional career. He is surrounded by a great cast of "characters" - from his trainer Jimmy that has known him and looked out for him since the age of 13, to Israel, the friend and advisor who travels with him and helps him follow Orthodox rules.

I would recommend renting this film or catching at future festivals.

LOOK: 7

STORY: 8.5

OVERALL: 8

'M' (1931)

As reviewed by Skinnyblacktie




Directed by Fritz Lang




Starring Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann, Inge Landgut, Otto Wernicke, Theodor Loos and Gustaf Grundgens.

'Wer ist der Moder?" (Who is the murderer?) Screenwriters Fritz Lang and Thea von Harbou ask this question through concerned parents and paranoia struck police men after a ninth child (Inge Landgut) is murdered within the past year. The wake of this social dynamic quickly curls up and slams down hard upon the criminal element of the community and foams over in the form of civilian justice (injustice). And so and so it goes, the criminals of the city devote their time to catching the murderer, not for the greater good, but so the police will stop harassing them as if they were child murderers.

Lang's work is beautifully shot. Numerous chase scenes from brick-walled cobble-stoned city streets to singular light based shots in sewer systems and hide-and-go seek suspense elements in buildings provide a visual suspense witch matches the powerful story.

The acting is a bit overly dramatic at points, but overall the emotion is dealt very well. Peter Lorre does a fantastic job playing quite possibly the first serial killer in a motion picture (sorry for the spoiler... I doubt you can pick Peter Lorre out of I line up...I couldn't).

'M' is a film of cause and effect. For every problem there is a solution...for every solution a motive...and contained within every motive is the benefit of someone somehow. There are no heroes...there are no villains...there are simply the viewers' personal answers to social questions. Buy the end of the film you will ask yourself 'Wer ist der echte Morder?'

Story-----9
Look-----9
Acting-----8
Overall-----9