The case for Alien 3

There was no way Alien 3 could win. Not only was it the long-time-coming sequel to one of the most popular and revered movies of its genre, but it fed fans an early peak at a potential dream storyline, only to jerk them the other way with a more familiar, financially prudent one. Despite being an Alien/Aliens fanboy, I resisted seeing 3 for years -- and when I did I kind of enjoyed it. This feeling was enhanced recently when I watched the 2005 re-cut of the film, which puts it closer to director David Fincher's original vision before Fox stepped in. While 3 certainly is not in the same league as its predecessors (and miles away from the coloring book bird shit of Resurrection), it's also a movie that when set on its own and regarded individually is actually very enjoyable. But the movie, even in the new cut, does have some problems -- which I'll get to, but first a look back at the impossible expectations facing 3.

In the years leading up to 3, the Alien fan fervor was continually stoked by the high quality comic book and novel series by Dark Horse that took up the franchise and offered inventive stories and sometimes stunning illustrations. My experience was with Book 2 and Earth War, both of which had their own unique graphic style and followed similar storylines of large scale alien wars on Earth and beyond, with tons of action, lots of blood and new twists to the Alien universe. The overriding theme with all of the Alien comic books and novels was a lot of aliens, and possibly a conflict on Earth.

So you can imagine the response from the original teaser trailer, which was little more than a voice-over of 'They say in space no one can hear you scream -- on Earth, everyone can hear you scream.' Fantastic, Aliens on Earth! This trailer must have been made at the earliest of stages of 3's production, because even before the reported 30 drafts of the script -- the original never included Earth (Wikipedia's Alien 3 entry speaks of an early script where Hicks and Bishop are the main characters, and another where Ripley lands on a wooded planet inhabited by farmers). Further complicating the promised 'on Earth' premise is that the movie's title in that teaser was still 'Alien 3,' not 'Aliens 3' or 'More Aliens' -- indicating a singular nature of the enemy that ended up in the finished product. It seems unlikely that there would have ever been a concept centered around just one alien on Earth -- because the whole point of 'Alien' and 'Alien 3' was the lack of weapons (maybe it would have taken place in a mine? on a boat?).

3's critical and commercial meltdown upon release was exacerbated by a 'what could have been?' sentiment started by that original teaser. Instead of Ripley fighting through hordes of Aliens as she made her way up the Statue of Liberty to be picked up by Bishop at the torch (why not?), we have a movie where the title villain doesn't really make an appearance until it's halfway over. Worse yet, Ripley was dead, realistically ending any hopes for a make-good sequel.

Over the years, the stories from behind the scenes of 3 have made it a sort of modern day Mr. Arcadin or Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid in terms of studio interference. After seeing the theatrical cut, Fincher essentially disowned the movie -- a gutsy statement for a first-time director -- and refused to participate in any of the DVD extras for Alien Quadrilogy (though he reportedly did do interviews for the DVD, where he blasted Fox -- and they were subsequently cut out by the studio). Despite Fincher's non-participation, the lavish set does include an extended cut of the film, which makes it more enjoyable but does not erase all of its problems.

Watching the new cut, I couldn't help but imagine how interesting 3 would have been if it wasn't part of the Alien universe. So much of the first half is dependent on the prison colony not knowing who Ripley is or what her secrets are -- if this was a standalone movie and the viewers were getting filled in along with the prisoners, it wouldn't make the first half feel so slow. The slow first half gets the best treatment in the new cut: the alien emerges from a cow instead of a dog (much more realistic -- in the original cut the dog pretty much explodes, leaving an alien in its place), there's a great little shot of a prisoner finding a dead face-hugger (presumably one that impregnates the host with a queen alien) and a few scenes enhance the character development (the best is a frightening attempt at raping Ripley by a group of prisoners, showing that they're just as dangerous as the alien).

Not until the plot development of The Company coming to retrieve the alien and Ripley, and the prisoners banding together to kill the alien do things really start to pick up and develop into a nice thriller. Lacking even the flamethrowers of Alien, the characters have to get creative to survive, and I would put these scenes among the best of the series. Perhaps the greatest (and most overlooked) strength of 3 is the acting by the first-rate cast. Charles Dutton hasn't gotten too many quality roles, and you could argue that this is his best -- possibly channeling his own prison experience. Charles Dance, Paul McGann and the great Pete Postlethwaite are all great character actors who are allowed to work without much of a leash. And of course the photography and production design we've since come to expect from Fincher is always on display in 3, presenting a dark labrynth of despair and disrepair.

The biggest problem with 3 is the alien itself -- both in how it is presented and what its role is. I used to enjoy the creature effects in 3, but that was when I saw it on VHS and it seems like the new DVD transfer really exposes the effects' problems. For the first time we really get a good look at the full alien (this was impossible with the predecessors since puppets were used), but it just never looks real. More troublesome is the creature's role in the film -- it never really gains that aura of menace and evil like the lone beast in Alien. Despite the theat of The Company's arrival, there just never seems to be a serious urgency in killing the alien -- maybe because Ripley is the only character we really care about, and she's going to die anyway from what's inside her.

The 2005 cut enhances 3, which remains an interesting scifi sequel, and an entertaining study in the studio process. I have to also mention perhaps the single-biggest change of the new cut: when Ripley dies, we don't see a fully-mature queen alien bursting out of her chest -- this always struck me as odd, since it went against everything in the previous films and helped end the movie on a frustrating note.

FRIDAY SCREEN TEST: Andy Horbal

[A note about this series: As a child, The Oregonian's entertainment magazine A&E was something I looked forward to every week, not only for movie reviews by Shawn Levy, but for their weekly Film Freak. Each week, the paper would profile someone on their movie tastes -- it was usually someone in the local entertainment field, but sometimes it was a baker, or city official or a nobody. I was always praying that the Film Freak would somehow pluck me out of Madeleine Elementary for a quick interview. Little things like that were cherished in the pre-Internet age. I'm hoping Friday Screen Tests will inspire similar enthusiasm -- each week, a new blogger or critic. I've been planning this for awhile and have a good corps of my favorite writers onboard with me. Enjoy.]

I first found Andy Horbal's No More Marriages! via his supremely overwhelming and thought provoking Film Criticism Blog-a-thon -- which ended up being so wonderfully vast, that it probably deserves a disclaimer at the top warning readers what they're getting into. Andy's posts have a way of stirring conversation that only adds to his editorial (this poll generated 277 comments), and it doesn't hurt that he usually uses a series of excellent screen grabs to illustrate his points. Andy also keeps a handy running post of monthly links, pointing readers toward the furthest reaches of pop culture and beyond.

NO MORE MARRIAGES?: The unique title of Andy's blog is perhaps a reference to the movie that inspired its creation a year ago this month: Brokeback Mountain.

THAT'S A WRAP!: 'I saw The Mummy in high school and I left the theater saying to my friends, "Bloody hell! I could make a better film than that!" I think I started looking at film schools the next day...'

ONE AND DONE: The phrase 'what is your favorite movie?' rankles some of us in its bitter singularity: how can you choose just one? Andy's final answer is at the ready: Playtime. It's a good time to be a fan of the Tati classic, as it recently received the treatment by Criterion.

SEVEN DAYS WITHOUT A MOVIE MAKES ONE WEAK!: 'I get all itchy if a day goes by without a movie...'

NO SUMMERTIME BLUES: 'I disliked the first Spider-Man a great deal and I had no reason to believe the sequel would be much better, but I quickly realized that I was watching perhaps the single best summer special effects spectacular ever. A movie like this is a mixed blessing: every summer since I've found myself ponying up $8 for movies like The Island and Superman Returns just in case...'

SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK AGAIN: 'LSD + Night of the Living Dead = A lifetime of looking over your shoulder...'

ONE CRITIC'S GARBAGE: 'My negative responses to film are as interesting to me as my positive responses, so I end up spending as much time re-watching and thinking about "bad" movies as I do "good" ones. Because, the thing is, if I'm watching the film, then someone liked it enough to spend money on it. Someone expected other people to like it. So where's the discrepancy, right? Is there something wrong with me? I'll give you a representative selection of a "bad" movie that fascinates me: Rocky IV. I disagree with just about every decision made in the making of that film, but I love it. That movie is America...'

STRIKE UP THE FLUX CAPACITOR: Seeing The Passion of Joan of Arc during its original theatrical run must have been a lot like being struck by lightning...

LIFE AS HE KNOWS IT: '"Wake up woodchuck chuckers, it's... Groundhog Day!" The most life-affirming movie ever made. Ever.'

Contact DVD Panache if you are interested in contributing to Friday Screen Test.

Three forgotten femme fatales

My recent viewings have given me three of my favorite femme fatale characters and actresses that rarely get the notoriety they deserve. The first has long been a favorite of mine, while the other two have only recently perked my interest

Billie Jean (Helen Slater in The Legend of Billie Jean)

When the best teen movies of the 80s are spoken of, the works of Hughes, Spielberg, The Cories, as well as the usual suspects of The Goonies, Adventures in Babysitting and maybe a few good slashers are frequently the topic. My top five in this category will include some combination of the previous, but also a largely forgotten gem that is not even on DVD: The Legend of Billie Jean.

Released in 1985 as a vehicle for Helen Slater, a Pat Benetar single, some kid named Christian Slater and as much teen angst and injustice you can serve up in 96 minutes, Billie Jean is pure entertainment for anyone seeking to relive those seemingly carefree years. Filling the movie's one-sheet and most of its scenes is Slater, whose unique beauty was perhaps never put to better use as a striking young girl who walks the line between innocence and heartbreaker. Alongside Slater is the blond (!) and barely recognizable Christian Slater (no relation), as well as Dean Stockwell and an early role by Yeardley Smith (who was 21 at the time but looks no older than 11). Behind this respectable 80s talent is Benatar's "Invincible," which must have been viewed by the studio as the movie's trump card (chords from it are played throughout, and the song itself is played at length no less than twice).

One of the more endearing qualities of Billie Jean is that the central prop is a top of the line Honda scooter (God those were cool), belonging to the Billie's brother Binx (Slater). After a milkshake skirmish at a local Sonic with spoiled ruffians, said bullies steal and trash the scooter, leading Billie to seek reparations from Head Bully's bully dad. Predictably, Bully Dad wants more than Billie's gratitude in exchange for the repair money. Confusion and youthful stupidity in Bully Dad's store lead to our gang being framed for armed robbery -- and they go on the run. Worse yet, no scooter repair money!

Though on the run from the law, Billie becomes a sort of folk hero for teens across the country. Getting inspiration from a Joan of Arc movie, Billie sheds her golden locks and continues to stick it to the grown man -- eventually growing into a Pied Piper-like figure with the nation's youth. Did I mention that every character speaks with exaggerated south Texas accents? That Yeardley Smith is the comic relief? That there's a getaway scene involving marbles? That Peter Coyote has a significant role!?!

It's all here, and so much more. The action really picks up when Billie uses her newfound media celebrity to save a child from his abusive father and ultimately get sweet revenge on Bully Dad and adults everywhere in a scene that must have sold millions of "Invincible" singles. It's a little sad to realize that of all the actors in the movie, Christian Slater had the best career, while Helen Slater's presence and looks couldn't help her get another meaningful onscreen role again -- perhaps unfairly blamed for the dreadful failure of Supergirl, when she played the title role.

Annie Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummins in Gun Crazy)



Oh how I love the alternate title for this movie: Deadly is the Female. Goddamn that rocks, and really seems to fit better in regards to the story and the movie's message. As the sex bomb with the six shooters Annie Laurie Starr, Peggy Cummins has one of the most memorable and jaw-dropping sexy entrances in all of cinema. After being introduced by her carnie manager, Starr struts out firing a pair of revolvers, wearing skin tight pants with holsters resting on her hips. As she goes about her trick shooting act (which includes shooting targets through her legs), she treats the men in the audience (as well as the viewers) to a view of her behind that must have been considered scandalous in 1950. You have to understand: Cummins is absolutely poured into these pants and with the look on her face throughout the shooting exhibition is simply the definition of a vamp.

Gun Crazy has more to offer than just Cummins, giving us the story of reformed bad boy Bart Tare, fresh off a tour in the military and committed to a straight life after once being a delinquent youth obsessed with guns. Those good intentions go astray with the sight of Starr one night at a carnival. Tare is invited onstage to best Starr's crack eye and the result is a ferocious display of sexuality in the form of dueling pistols and wills. Starr's display consumes Tare, and two quickly are a pair. But a carnie salary does not satisfy Starr, and she soon convinces Tare to rob a bank with her. The bank heist is presented in a breathtaking one-shot scene filmed from the back seat of their getaway car, and the deadly pair are soon on their way across the country picking up loot wherever they can. Yes, deadly is the female who can put such an honest boy up to no good.

Gun Crazy was a fun surprise, packaged in Warner's Film Noir Classic Collection -- though I would hesitate to classify it as film noir. Yes, the subject of a woman turning a man to crime smells somewhat of noir, but outside of that it looks and plays a lot like the better crime movies of the era (think White Heat or The Public Enemy). Still, DVD Savant provides a commentary track (credited as a film noir expert), and I'll defer to his knowledge.

Marnie Edgar ('Tippi' Hedren in Marnie)



Though she's not commonly mentioned as one of film's timeless beauties, something about Tippi Hedren is intoxicating to me. She has such a flawless -- possibly girlish -- face, and that rare way of barely moving her lips (hardly ever smiling) that I've also noticed with Scarlett Johanson. I can see why she was a Hitchcock girl, her odd but beautiful qualities are similar to Kim Novak's -- who has a somewhat masculine face, and also uses stone emotions. When paired with Sean Connery in Marnie, it's all eye candy.

In The Birds, Hedren isn't given too much to do save for screaming -- but as the mysterious, venomous Marnie, she is clearly in her element. Panned upon its release, Marnie holds up well as an absolutely gorgeous movie with sexual themes similar to what Hitchcock presented in Notorious. It's a wordy movie and I'll try to describe the plot with few of them: Marnie has many aliases and has left many trusting men poor in her stealing wake, until she meets Mark (Connery) who catches on to her game. Mark forces Marnie to marry him, lest he reveal her crimes -- but he is not so much concerned with having a comely wife as he is aroused by her cunning nature and obsessed with figuring her out.

In Notorious, power-wielding Carey Grant grappled with being a pseudo cuckold while gives us Connery playing a man who has created a pleasant domination-submission scenario with a woman who is used to having the upper hand. In both movies, the men are in unchartered sexual territory and struggle with how far they want to take it. But with Marnie, it's tough to find much sympathy for either character, unlike Notorious. The characters are unlikable and seem to have little consequences for their actions. Still, it's a gorgeous movie with a great Herrman score (his last for Hitchcock).

"Does Anybody Remember Laughter?"

The bar has been lowered. Not only for Hollywood and the moviegoing public, but the general creative direction of comedies. If you know what I speak of, you have no doubt seen the trailer for Epic Movie, which appears to take the obscenely unoriginal attempts at satire of the Scary Movie saga into unseen levels of unfunny.

What the HELL is this thing?

Before we get into the real horror of the matter, let's look at what it's following. I steered as far away from Scary Movie 4 after seeing its predecessor, which was the biggest bomb attempt at comedy I had seen since Saving Silverman. Not only did Scary Movie 3 look like a straight-to-Comedy Central production, it just wasn't funny. At all. The only mildly funny gag in the whole movie wasn't even an attempt at satire, it was the somewhat-clever 'rats vs. mice' bit. The only reason I gave '3' a try is that I actually liked the second one, which I felt was even superior to the original. The problem with '3' was that in the process of handing the directing reins from Keenan Ivory Wayans to David Zucker, the movies dropped their clever gags and writing and somehow discovered that it's funny simply to pop in references from recent movies and pop culture. The problem with this is that when seen even a year after its release (if not during its theatrical run), the movie feels achingly dated -- which makes the unfunny jokes even more painful.

So here we are at 'Epic Movie,' which drops the theme of skewering horror movies and goes after any recent blockbusters. Let's see, that will mean we'll get a homosexual Superman, an excuse for a bunch of drug jokes in Narnia, maybe some homosexual Pirates of the Caribbean and . . . some drug jokes from 'Willie Wonka'? Is that it? Oh wait, seems we also get some poignant skewering of 'Davinci Code' in the form of an albino character (albino humor!) and also some Mexican/homosexual humor care of Nacho Libre. Brilliant.

The sad thing is, this movie will make money (if you don't believe me, 'Night at the Museum' is already long past the $150 million mark) and this tragic trend of hit non-comedies will continue. If you really want to ruin your day, take a look at some of the comments on the movie's MySpace page, here's a few snippets of agony:

'yo, i can't w8 4 dis movie 2 com out, i'm gonna go c it on da day it does'

'cant wait to c this movie ... "omg a talking beaver*girl kicks beaver*" ... lol'

'this movie will trully kick ass'

'EPIC MOVIE OPENS IN 17 DAYS!!! This movie is going to kick serious *bleep*!!! Word to the CRAACKEN!!!'

It's just depressing that these kind of movies represent the state of satire filmmaking today. Zucker cut his teeth with some of the best of the genre in 'Airplane!' 'Top Secret!' and the like, but those movies were based around well-executed goofball comedy inside a shell of takeoffs on recent subjects (and even then, they were generalizations of genres, not the exact characters). If the misguided youth of today is this excited for 'Epic Movie,' will they ever know what it is like to laugh at something that is actually funny? If a girl kicking a beaver makes them laugh, what then when they see This is Spinal Tap or The Big Lebowski?

Most confusing is that a couple members of Christopher Guest's Comedy Troupe (Jennifer Coolidge, Fred Willard) -- talented actors who know what comedy should be -- are apparently willing to grit their teeth through a few days on set in exchange for another month at Atlantis.

I can't remember ever wanting a movie to fail as much as I do with 'Epic Movie.' It represents laziness and a collective disinterest in quality filmmaking.

Note: Extra large kudos to readers who know which 1970s concert movie this post's title is taken from.

'Thr3e' is a z3ro

You may have seen previews for the mystery/thriller Thr3e on the Sci-Fi channel recently, and perhaps were slightly surprised that you were watching a trailer for a theatrical movie and not a straight-to-video release. But after seeing 'Thr3e' (opening toda in select markets) via a screener disc recently, what jumped out to me is that the previews do not tout its one selling point: as being a Christian mystery thriller.

Based on the popular Ted Dekker novel of the same name, 'Thr3e' is distributed by Fox Faith -- a new Christian wing of Twentieth Century Fox -- and on paper would appear to be a viable attempt at getting a mostly clean Hey-People-This-Isn't-7th Heaven! Christian movie into the mainstream. Why? The book (which I have not read) has a plot that's pretty much ready-to-film, even though it borrows heavily from many other better movies ('Saw,' 'Se7en'). Wait Adam -- you're saying a Christian movie could resemble 'Saw' or 'Se7en'? That's exactly its problem, in trying to cater to more mainstream movie fans, 'Thr3e' is ultimately a failure as both a straight-up thriller and a Christian movie.

The story follows Kevin Parsons -- a young seminary student who is very good at looking sullen -- who suddenly finds himself tormented by a villain who uses a voice-altering device and a bunch of vintage mini reel-to-reel players to ensnare his victims in easily-escapable traps and puzzles. The villain desperately wants Kevin to confess his sin (as we are frequently told), lest his bland bomb-laden puzzles continue to unspectacularly explode 'round the city. Luckily Kevin has childhood friend Samantha at his side -- who took an interest in his emotion-free existence at an early age -- and a female detective who was once a target of a similar villain.

The Christian hook outside of Kevin being a seminary student is that there are cursory biblical references in the villain's puzzles -- and a desperate attempt to develop a theme of good vs. evil within man. If you're looking to take your family to a Christian movie, the preceding is really all you get -- oh wait, there is a priest character at the end who issues a weightless proclamation that we must put our trust in God, but you've probably heard that line before. Like the trailers airing, 'Thr3e' contains no Christian message, unless you count the fact that it's a 'Se7en' clone made without gore or harsh language.

So people looking for a Christian movie will be disappointed, but so will the handful of folks who get lured in via the non-Christian Sci-Fi Channel trailers. This is your by-the-numbers thriller where people dash from one dark corner of a city to another, featuring haggard-looking cops in trench coats and manufactured suspense under the constant drone of the villain's digitally-altered voice through a cell phone. The puzzle-killer aspect of the movie would seem to be a chance for success, but one dreadfully dull sequence illustrates how this device fails: a friend of Kevin is found with a bomb strapped to him and the words 'wages of sin' written on his fore head -- in a frantic race against time, Kevin remembers where in the bible these words are spoken, and uses the verse and chapter numbers to stop the bomb. Why would a killer go to that much trouble when he's up against a seminary student? What's more, there's never any sense of danger because the bombs left by the killer never really do any harm because of how poor the movie's pyrotechnics are. Example: characters run away from a refrigerator right as it explodes in a fireball, but when they return to it five seconds later, the blast has only mildly scalded the inside of the appliance.

The answer to many of the movie's confounding lack of excitement can be found in the 'twist' ending taken straight from the book. Looking back, it would seem that a twist of this sort could be an ace-in-the-pocket of 'Thr3e' -- like 'Signs' or 'The Village' -- but it ends up being terribly unsatisfying and almost completely unblievable. What starts out with the intentions of a theme on confession and good vs. evil ends up being an ancient plot device that relies on a stereotypical view of the mentally ill that I thought Hollywood buried for good in the 1970s. Any 'Amen' you may say at the end for its alleged Christian message will only be for the sight of the closing credits.

List Me Deadly

We find ourselves in a new year, and yet I still have not posted a year end list of sorts. Well since I'm late to the party, I think I'll go in a different direction. My new release viewing this year was dreadfully low, so this post will focus on my favorite DVDs of 2006.

Best Box Set
1. The John Ford-John Wayne Film Collection
This was one set that made me jump out of my chair after reading about the early specs, and I still consider it one of my best purchases of the year and a very cherished cornerstone of my collection. What sets this set apart from others is the sheer value of it: for a little more than the price of buying the new editions of 'The Searchers' and 'Stagecoach' (included) you also get SIX OTHER MOVIES. And these are no throwaway titles (though it's admittedly hard for me to get excited about The Long Voyage Home), they're some of the best ever produced by this duo.


2. Superman: Ultimate Collector's Edition
From the You Wanted the Best You Got the Best shelf comes this gargantuan chunk of superfan bliss. The 'Superman' collection is similar to the above set in value, but gets knocked down a peg due to the famously questionable quality of (at least, depending on who you ask) two of the including movies. Even the most hard core Superman fans would admit that they could live without III and IV, but neither are without their merits (e.g. Brick Vision and Robot Hag). In addition to generously upgraded DVDs of all five movies, you also get the new Donner Version of II, the theatrical version of The Movie, old Superman cartoons, a huge documentary and even a chance to send away for 27x40 posters of each movie (I could do without five Superman posters, but have always had a spot in my heart for the 'Quest for Peace' poster).

3. Preston Sturges: The Filmmaker Collection
This is the rare set that lets you explore the given works of a genre or director nearly completely. From the brilliant comedic director's golden era (1941-44) we get everything but The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, all packaged in a pretty attractive price. I'm sure there's plenty of fans out there like me who have heard all the praises of Sturges, but have yet to really penetrate his work (in my case, Sullivan's Travels is my lone voyage), and this set solves that problem nicely.

4. Controversial Classics Collection
A somewhat steep price is the only knock on this set, which has a nice blend of well-known classics and forgotten wonders. The beauty of this collection is that all of the movies contained were all genuinely controversial in their own way: Bad Day at Black Rock (see it!) was the first film to touch on post-WWII American-Asian hostilities, The Blackboard Jungle's violence and tension is still shocking today in some respects (not the least of which is Glen Ford's explosive performance), while A Face in the Crowd was an early examination of the power and influence wielded by the media.

5. Bogie & Bacall -- The Signature Collection
A great example of how a box set can bat 1.000 without being huge or luxurious. For a low price you simply get four genuinely excellent movies including at least two (for me it's The Big Sleep and Key Largo) that can be considered among the best ever made. This set does not offer heaps of extras, but it also has exactly zero fat on it and is a great value (gotta love the name, too).

Best Re-Issues
1. The Maltese Falcon
Like many of Bogart's movies (*cough* 'Casablanca' *cough*), this classic was in serious need of a re-issue, as it does not deserve bare-bones treatment. The resulting treatment was more than anyone could have expected, which was highlighted by the inclusion of two previous film versions of the story and also three radio adaptations. The other extras -- a new transfer, feature-length documentary, commentary and even a blooper reel -- combined to make this DVD one of the rare instances when a major studio's release is on par with what Criterion would have done.


2. The Searchers
Available on its own or in the aforementioned Ford-Wayne set, Warner Bros. celebrated this timeless movie's 50th anniversary in style. The handsome packaging foreshadowed the lavish treatment of the film inside: a stunning transfer, three wonderful featurettes, an informative commentary by the always entertaining Peter Bogdanovich (his track on 'Citizen Kane' is another good one) and an introduction by Patrick Wayne are just starters, as you also get a large assortment of lobby cards, on-set correspondance and even a 1956 comic book adaptation of the movie. The latter is a treat for 'Searchers' fans, as it was printed in the early days of the comic book code era, and as such there were significant liberties taken with the movie's storyline to omit graphic content.

3. Forbidden Planet
Another 50th anniversary edition, the classic sci-fi triumph's rich colors and amazing special effects can finally be seen as they should. Highlighting the generous extras is a spinoff movie starring Robby the Robot and the mildly disappointing but well-meaning TCM documentary 'Watch the Skies.' I was lucky enough to receive the Ultimate Collector's Edition of this for Christmas, which comes in a large tin and includes lobby cards and a Robby the Robot figurine, and let me tell you: if you're expecting to open up the tin and find a like-sized robot, you'll be disappointed (its size is even misrepresented on the official picture of the set, but at least you get a nice-sized tin). Read DVD Savant's take on the movie for his typically-engrossing analysis.


4. Brazil: The Criterion Collection
Another in Criterion's applauded effort of re-upgrading movies. In Brazil's case, it was one of the first movies to be overflowing with extras, first on laserdisc and later as one of the first huge efforts on DVD. This new version gives the movie a much needed anamorphic upgrade, and also adds a single-disc incarnation for those who don't need multiple cuts of the movie or want to pay twice as much. The extras are still eye popping, with the short 'Love Conquers All' cut dropped on America and the proper 146-minute Gilliam edit. DVD Journal regards the previous version as the best DVD ever made, and this only makes it better.


5. Seven Samurai: The Criterion Collection
Perhaps a more impressive Criterion re-issue was their new three-disc 'Seven Samurai.' The Kurosawa classic put Criterion on the mainstream map for unmatched DVD quality and was their top-seller for a long time. Not only does the new version one-up the original's lauded transfer, but also adds two more discs full of extras including exhaustive documentaries (such as a two hour Kurosawa conversation produced by the Director's Guild of Japan) as well as a booklet packed with essays.

Best of the Best
Saturday Night Live: The Complete First Season
In another huge DVD year, this release probably made the most waves just for what it represented. Definitely no stranger to DVD, Lorne Michaels and company upped the ante by committing to what they have been dared by fans to do from the beginning: give us everything. And it's all here: every uncut episode and even the musical guests. To me, the biggest whopper of this idea is imagining down the road when we have thirty-some seasons for sale, and the inevitable BOX SET TO END ALL BOX SETS featuring EVERY season with somewhere in the neighborhood of 200+ discs! What this also signals is the strength of the DVD format, because I doubt that NBC would release six or so SNL seasons on DVD, then commit to Blue Ray or HD-DVD and leave DVD in the cold. If this is a true commitment, it's one that will span years.

Dazed and Confused: The Criterion Collection
This was a personal slam dunk, that feeling you get when Criterion chooses one of 'your' movies that you never thought would have gotten the treatment, and boy did it get it: appropriately outrageous cover art, a Linklater commentary, documentaries and a booklet full of high-quality essays. This is just a loving tribute to a great movie that means a lot to plenty of people, and has even managed to increase my love for it (best example: Linklater clues us in on the scene with Carl's mom pulling the shotgun being his tribute to the similar scene in 'Night of the Hunter').

Essential Art House - Fifty Years of Janus Films
I'm not exactly recommending this one -- I'm not sure I would even want it if I had the means -- but it's reassuring to know that something like this exists (sort of how the Pagani Zonda deserves to be worshipped, even if it really has no place in the world). I think of this as the Galactus of DVD -- Criterion saying 'you call that a knife, this is a knife' and promptly pulling out a MOAB bomb. For the low low MSRP of $850, you get a 50 disc phonebook of a set includes 50 films and a 200 page book that will provide equal wonder and horror for anyone in your home.

Best Trends
1. Movies within movies
I noticed this one last year when the Wizard of Oz three disc set included long-forgotten silent treatments of the classic story, and you're seeing it more often now, as evidenced by a few of the above. I love seeing extras like this that break from the mold.

2. Slim-line box sets
It seems that the days of box sets the size of a phone book are coming to an end, as studios are starting to catch on to the idea of using slim-line (or slim-pack, whatever you call the very thin packages) holders inside sets to reduce their girth. Not only does it look better, but it makes everything much easier to handle without wear and tear.

3. More economical 'discing'
Like the above, the days of DVDs having two discs just for the hell of it seem to be dead too. The worst example of this for me was the old double-disc version of 'Big Trouble in Little China,' which put the full screen version on one disc and the widescreen on the other, despite the fact that there were few extras to take up space. It seems that since prices of DVDs are getting lower and lower, manufacturers are more apt to keep them low by keeping everything on one disc.

Best of 2007?
Bicycle Thieves: The Criterion Collection
Another Criterion that will hit home with me, Bicycle Thieves is one of the best movies you will ever see and is very deserving of some world class DVD treatment. Though it's set in post WWII Italy, this is simply a timeless movie about life that has indescribable highs and lows of genuine emotion. Haven't heard any specs on this one yet, but I'm sure it will be top notch.

Long-rumored Eyes Wide Shut special edition
There have been rumors practically since its theatrical release about a definitive director's cut of 'Eyes Wide Shut,' and there's some 'truthy' information about its future being bounced around lately. Initially this focused on the controversial decision to digitally mask some of the more graphic elements of the orgy scene, but now the most anticipated feature of the DVD would be an anamorphic widescreen transfer. Kubrick's more recent movies are presented in open matte full screen at his famous request, reportedly believing that full screen looked better on televisions -- and he obviously did not live to see the day of widescreen TVs. The most recent 'Eyes Wide Shut' DVD is presented in the actual aspect ratio it was filmed in (it was matted on the top and bottom for its theatrical run), but it's frustrating to watch on a widescreen TV and the picture itself could use a remastering.

Tom Goes to the Mayor: The Complete Series
It's a small triumph that this short-lived, much-loved [adult swim] series is coming to DVD, but it's a minor miracle that it's all going to be on one three disc collection. If you missed Tom's original run, it was a strangely animated and even stranger written show, that was always bizarre and hilarious. Its crude underground origins are similar to South Park's, and I hope it enjoys more popularity on DVD.

Night of the Comet/Solarbabies
Just announced from MGM, a pair of 80s scifi movies that had long languished in the Night of the Creeps/Monster Squad level of digital non-existance. I'm very familiar with Solarbabies, one of those movies that you could always count on HBO to show way too many times in the late 80s. Combining a little of a Mad Max-like apocalypse future with teen angst and some roller skates -- 'Solarbabies' is pure magic. I've seen bits and pieces of 'Night of the Comet' -- a tale of valley girls trying to save the world after a large scale disaster, and it'll be tough to keep me away from this one.

Criterion's Eclipse series
A very exciting announcement from Criterion has been their decision to start a new line devoted to forgotten/cult films, which will be offered at an affordable (around $15) price. The only movies on the Eclipse line so far is a collection of Ingmar Bergman's earliest efforts, but you know there's going to be an announcement or two down the road that will really blow your socks off.

Plenty to Unwrap

One of the advantages of having Christmas at home is that I usually end up copious amounts of movies on or around Christmas (another obvious advantage is that there's no one around to shout 'Don't open the presents, it's not even December yet!'). This year, along with my traditional Christmas Eve viewing of 'Eyes Wide Shut,' I found a couple wonderfully terrible made-for-tv Christmas movies to watch (at the encouragement of my wife), a new release and a couple others I've finally gotten around to seeing.

Dreamgirls
I was one of the few who didn't shoot up the sky with a Tommy gun after seeing Condon's 'Chicago' -- my main complaint being that its songs and antics were too draining -- but predictably bought into the Oscar buzz surrounding 'Dreamgirls.' I was ready to put my 'Chicago' complaints behind me after the first act of 'Dreamgirls' -- during which it attains an energy, rhythm and genuine giddy-ness rarely seen these days -- but when Condon slowly starts putting on the brakes during the second half of his movie, I felt my enthusiasm similarly dampen.

While 'Dreamgirls' is good and I will recommend it, a Best Picture award for this movie will be even more of a shame than 'Crash' winning last year over 'Brokeback Mountain.' Compared to 'Chicago,' it is inferior in almost every way, starting with the story. Even if the plot was not loosely based on The Supremes' triumphs and success, it would still be achingly similar to every Behind the Music humble beginnings/rocket to stardom/crash to earth/rebound story ever told. As soon as the Dreams make it big, a group of five educated adults could leave the theater and brain storm what cliches of fame and fortune the rest of the movie will touch on -- and probably be right about 95 percent of it.

Before sleepytime in the last couple acts, 'Dreamgirls' is a marvel of musical entertainment, with showstopping songs delivered with overwhelming passion, combined with a career performance by Eddie Murphy as a James Brown-like singer and Jamie Foxx as a driven but serpentine producer. The movie is at its best when showing how hard the company works on the road and behind the scenes to get a chance in the white-run music industry. The first act is helped by economical storytelling and exposition, two elements that are lacking in the movie's latter stages.

The problem Condon makes himself is introducing needless plot points, which stretch on but then are tied up later with a bat of an eye. A large part focuses on Deena Jones' (Beyonce) film career and Curtis' (Foxx) efforts to make a black version of 'Cleopatra.' We are given a scene with Deena auditioning for a film role behind Curtis' back while he allegedly rounds up mob money for his project -- but both of these storylines meet cursory endings with almost no consequence (in the former's case, Curtis forgives Deena seemingly on a whim, literally less than a minute after accosting her).

On paper, the extra storylines should have served to flesh out the main characters and given emotional weight to the movie's sendoff performance, but that's hardly true since half of the quartet onstage for said concert are still virtual strangers to the audience -- the only thing we learned about Lorrell was that she liked men, and nothing is ever known about Michelle save for her name. 'Dreamgirls' has an outstanding cast and mostly good songs, but I saw nothing that would elevate it from the level of entertainment that many movies reach to the pinnacle of brilliance that supposedly only one film per year attains.

Alien
At 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve, I found myself the only one awake in a house with nary one wrapped present. My standard fare, 'Eyes Wide Shut' had been ingested earlier, so I went with a wildcard choice -- along with Maker's Mark paired with the best egg nog ever -- and the result couldn't have been better. I had recently picked up the famed Alien Quadrilogy (along with the Mel Brooks Collection) as part of Deep Discount DVD's buy one get one deal for select Fox boxed sets, so I was able to pop in the Ridley Scott's cut of the '79 classic (the Quadrilogy is half off at Amazon and a certified steal for $32 at Costco).

Because Aliens occupies such a large part of my early film history (more on that in a later post, hopefully), its predecessor has always been a little hazy in my memory. Somehow I envisioned 'Alien' as tepid compared to the lavish sequel, but a fresh viewing reminded me that it is usually superior to James Cameron's version in terms of pacing and storytelling. Like 'Halloween,' part of the appeal of 'Alien' is reliving a variety of horror devices for the first time, which are now commonplace and cliche. Action taking place in dark, closed corners, just a few glimpses of your monster -- Scott may have made these choices based on budget, but it works perfectly.

An underrated decision by Scott was his choice to push up most of the action -- it really begins at the chest-burster scene -- to the one hour mark of the movie. All the time before that isn't wasted on character backgrounds and comic relief, rather we see how the different characters think and it's never served up to us on a platter just who will be the last one standing. More than any crewmember, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is by-the-book and relies on her knowledge of the ship and its tactics. She is able to escape the ship because of her intimate knowledge of its procedures and technology (all shown to us in that first hour). These skills of Ripley are best showcased in the final climax, when she shows no panic at her surprise visitor and deals with it mechanically. Watching 'Alien' with egg nog (+ bourbon) in hand and snow on the ground outside made for a grand Christmas Eve night.

A Perfect Day
My wife took the liberty of TiVo-ing a multitude of Christmas movies, leading to the inevitable showdown with a couple of made-for-TV lumps. Of the two, one was surprisingly watchable -- this wasn't it. An apparent TNT production starring Rob Lowe and Christopher Lloyd, 'A Perfect Day' had a serviceable budget aiming for a sincere redemption story along the lines of 'It's a Wonderful Life,' but it appears that the greatest hurdle for the director was convincing Lowe to act. I've never seen a movie that is dragged down so much from one actor's performance. Although the story was nothing new and the script offered little, Lowe never once flinched from his 'at least our shooting schedule is only two weeks!' face.

Lowe plays Rob (was the character name a compromise?), a recently fired something or other who decides to finish a book he started in college, which leads him to surprise fame, which leads the movie into every 'what about your family/friends' convention, which was used to greater effect by The Cheetah Girls. There's some would-be M. Night Shyamalan twist involving an 'angel' (Lloyd, yes he's still alive), and by the end I think Lowe winced hard enough for a smile to come through.

A Christmas Do-Over
This movie grabbed my attention when I realized: a) it was an unapologetic Christmas spin on 'Groundhog Day' and b) it starred Adrienne Barbeau and Jay Mohr. The latter was noteworthy because this movie was made on such a shoestring budget and obviously took advantage of being able to re-use footage for the plot. Oh the plot -- um, something about Mohr's character going to his ex-wife's family's house for Christmas and then he can't leave because a boulder blocks the only road out (one of those land-locked peninsula towns we hear about so much) and then his day keeps repeating again and again. Mohr is a pretty good physical actor and is given some respectable material, allowing the movie to sidestep its many unintentionally goofy moments. One thing 'A Perfect Day' and 'Christmas Do-Over' had in common was scenes with CGI snow, which looked accordingly horrible -- didn't they have some cheap way of filming fake snow before CGI?

The Other
This was a big surprise, it really blew me away and can't believe I hadn't heard of it before. Adapted for the screen from Thomas Tryon's novel by the author, 'The Other' immerses us in an idyllic rural community in 1935 with a family that has a history of tragedy. Little Niles Perry is constantly at play with his twin brother, constantly avoiding scrapes of youthful trouble, but we slowly start to catch on that something is not as it seems. The once-perfect country atmosphere slowly degrades as tragedies mount, and the tension keeps increasing until a startling end. As Dennis Cozzalio shrewdly pointed out, the twist that makes 'The Other' work is trotted out about 45 minutes earlier than Shyamalan would have chose, and it's completely believable. I don't want to say too much, but this is superb subtle, atmospheric horror from the early 70s and was recently released on DVD.

When movie worlds collide

Over at superblog The House Next Door, there's an excellent post and subsequent slew of comments that started with a simple, yet hilarious idea: combine like titles of movies, and sift through the resulting madness. I couldn't help but be drawn in by this brilliance, so I offer some of my own (original) creations:

The Poseidon Adventures in Babysitting
A Chicago babysitter (Elizabeth Shue) is supervising some unruly kids, and their routine trip downtown leads them to unwittingly board a Lake Michigan ferry. The ferry's captain (Leslie Neilson) ignores the weather reports and presses on into the face of a typical Lake Michigan tidal wave, which overturns the ferry. Not only do the babysitter and kids have to fight through danger to reach the top (bottom) of the capsized ship, but they must do it before the 'rents get home!

Road House of 1000 Corpses
James Dalton (Patrick Swayze) is one of the best bouncers in the business, but his latest job might be a little too tough even for him: keeping a murderous family's house in order, and restoring justice in a small town that is ruled by the cold-hearted Jasper Kingpin. Dalton brings his own style to the Firefly family, such as wet t-shirt competitions on Friday and a new rule: be nice.

The Day This Island Earth Stood Still
The most confusing science fiction movie ever made: two parrallel story lines see a flying saucer land in front of the White House with a peace ultimatum from beyond the stars, while a scientist boards a different flying saucer to try and save a dying planet (Metaluna), which ignored the first flying saucer's peace ultimatum a few weeks ago. The Soderbergh-esque give-and-take between the storylines ends with a shocking confrontation between a Metaluna mutant and Gort on the White House lawn.

The Truth About Reservoir Cats and Dogs
This charming mistaken identity romance-cum-robbery shootout yarn starts with a radio DJ (Janeane Garofalo) seducing a listener, who then ends up with the wrong girl. The whole mess is sorted out while the gang plans a jewel robbery, which goes horribly wrong -- leading to a shocking scene where Natalie Portman cuts a policeman's ear off and all the characters are killed at the end.

The Bridge On the River Wild
A family on a rafting trip is taken hostage by a group of Japanese soldiers who force them to build a bridge across the Colorado River. The mother (Meryl Streep) slowly gains pride in their impossible task and eventually finishes the bridge -- leading to the suspenseful climax of Kevin Bacon and Alec Guinness battling over a detonator and some bizarre scene where the family's raft jumps over the bridge via cables.

Ed Woodsman
A child molester (Kevin Bacon) returns to Hollywood after 12 years in prison, bent on starting a new life. In order to mask his past, Bacon starts a prolific career in directing Z-grade horror movies, partially financed by the Baptist Church. On the verge of stardom with his latest movie, his past is revealed to his employers and the financing is cut. Put on trial again, the director is able to force an aquittal after blaming his crimes on the fact that he's haunted by the ghost of Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau).

The Glengarry Glenlivet
Adapted from David Mamet's harrowing tale of liquor salesman, the story follows Shelly Levine (Jack Lemmon) as he tries in vain one night to sell a gross of off-brand scotch to unwanting customers. Alec Baldwin gives an inspired performance as a motivational speaker from Seagrams who tries to motivate the group of salesmen. Contains the classic line: 'Irish Coffee's for closers!'

The Wicker Man's Best Friend
A genetically mutated, killing-machine of a dog is accidentally released from a laboratory, and the canine eventually makes its way to a remote island off the coast of Scotland, where the locals practice an ancient religion. Despite several maulings, the locals are accepting of the vicious dog, who is trying to solve a mystery of a vanished girl. The dog can't find any answers, and at the end is lured by a trail of beef jerkey to the 'Wicker Man' and is burned alive.

American Pie 5: The Naked Lunch Mile
The latest entry in the American Pie series finds a younger Stiffler at a posh liberal arts school with a strange tradition for freshmen. A mile-long pathway on campus is transformed into scenes from the David Lynch movie 'Naked Lunch,' and participants must make it all the way through without vomiting or dying -- or else suffer four years of humiliation. The competition starts with runners having to sniff bug powder and shoot an apple off a coed's head, but things get much more difficult later on in the 'Interzone' part of the mile when runners have to dodge flying typewriters and escape the grasp of an S&M maid before finally attempting to break up a cartel selling alien blood as drugs.

Stranger Than Pulp Fiction
Will Ferrell plays Harold Crick, whose life is narrated by Jules (Samuel L. Jackson), a hit man who writes novels in his spare time. Things get weird when Crick gets caught up in the criminal underworld, leading to him shooting John Travolta out of frustration.

Sexy Beastmaster
Gal (Ray Winstone) is an ex-con who took his wife and his powers to communicate with animals to the seclusion of Spain. This peace is interrupted when Dar (Marc Singer) comes back from Gal's criminal past to entice him to embark on a journey to faraway London to make one more score. In London, Gal and Dar battle acid bats, Ian McShane and bad special effects.

Jaguars and Sacrifices and Mayans - Oh Mel!

A few years ago I had East Indian neighbors, who were very passionate about their Bollywood movies. I would try and watch some of them (on Indian channel so no subtitles), but could never really get into them. I always meant to show them an American movie that didn't need subtitles, a movie where you could enjoy it without knowing what the characters were saying. At that time I thought of 'Hoosiers' as a choice, but never had the opportunity to show it to them. I'm telling you this because one of the reasons I enjoyed 'Apocalypto' so much was thinking how it could be enjoyed by any culture.

Yes, there are subtitles, but I would argue that it would be an even more entertaining movie without them simply because 95 percent of what the characters say could be deciphered from director Mel Gibson's visuals. Everything in 'Apocalypto' is visual, every single detail adds to the experience, because there is a sense from the very first frame that you're in an entirely alien world.

You think you know about the Mayan Empire, but you don't. I thought I was pretty brushed up on their culture from high school and college, yet nothing prepared me for the female aristocrats and their startling hair, jewelry and piercings. This is due perhaps to the fact that there really are no Mayan movies prior to this one -- the basis of most of our interpretations of their civilization is based on paintings and drawings. We have all seen photographs of Mayan ruins and perhaps drawings of what the civilization might have looked like, but to see it on a big screen just blows all those memories away.

At its core, 'Apocalypto' is an action movie set against the backdrop of the Mayan Empire. It is thankfully not an attempt to give a complete account of the downfall of their society. Gibson goes to great lengths to make it a story that is a snapshot of one person's experience in the Mayan world -- there is no 'stand at the top of a hill transition into overhead shot of the Mayan city,' nor are there any political scenes. In this respect it is similar to 'Full Metal Jacket,' showing a soldier from his conception and giving us the war through his unique experience. The furthest 'Apocalypto' gets from this strategy is the ending -- which is amusing, but also predictable and somewhat unnecessary.

We are introduced early to Jaguar Paw, a nimble Mayan family man, who sees his village burned to the ground by a brutal war party. He manages to lead his very pregnant wife and small son to 'safety' (a deep hole/cave), and the rest of his tale is his relentless pursuit to come back and save them no matter what his predicament. Jaguar Paw faces certain death many times (sacrifice, various large drops and bigger cats) and seems to emerge stronger after each escape.

'Apocalytpo' is raw, unmerciful and sometimes creative in its unrelenting violence, but never cruel or menacing. During the extended raid scene early in the movie, I braced myself for a gruesome shock as the prisoners were being tortured -- but it never came. Largely off-camera, there is obvious brutality happening against women, but the worst we see is pretty harmless. When the violence and gore does shock, it's (mostly) believable, what we see is horrific, but it's also part of their culture. Only in the third act, when the action is ratcheted up a few notches do we get any kind of cartoony violence.

It's in this final act that 'Apocalypto' changes from a historical survival tale into a spin on the Ten Little Indians-style of one-by-one elimination seen in so many horror movies, as the hunted becomes the hunter. I couldn't help but chuckle as this final sequence reminded me of the last scenes of 'Predator,' and it may be the most excitement you find in a theater this year.

If you're looking for a hidden message in 'Apocalypto,' they're here, but it's nothing overwhelming or anything that hasn't been said before. References to contemporary war and corruption are relavent, but to me it was saying that they're relavent to every civilization -- they all had problems, and there wasn't television or the media to blame. There's also the constant theme of survival, of how even the most astronomic odds can be overcome by sheer will -- again nothing earth shattering.

Though the violence will turn a lot of people off (my wife counted among them), it's hard not to appreciate what Gibson has made. He has a cast of apparent non-actors (no Wes Studis or Lou Diamond Phillipses to be found here), he had a tempting opportunity to give us a sprawing, CGI Mayan city (we get only glimpses from atop the pyramid, this is no 'Gladiator') and he resisted all chances to input at least a shred of contemporary issues or pop culture (no, George Lucas, none of the Mayans give Tarzan calls in the jungle). It's a huge production, but also feels bare-bones. I'm ready for Gibson to not receive much credit for his direction, but I'm having a hard time believing anyone else could have done something more impressive or entertaining.

Recent viewings

Publisher's note: November was admittedly not my best effort. The combination of football and a new work schedule really got me off track. I appreciate your patience while I try and get back into my groove.

Shut Up and Sing
I was able to attend a sneak preview of this on Sunday, and it blew away my high expectations. I expected a lot from this not just because I'm a closet Dixie Chicks fan (their version of 'Landslide' is one of my favorite songs from the past few years) but also because the subject matter is something that inspires such a continental divide. On the surface it is a documentary about the Dixie Chicks, but the main theme is about the hard-headedness of America. The cameras of 'Shut Up and Sing' were there in London 2003 to capture the infamous concert when lead singer Natalie Maines uttered their undoing: 'We're ashamed the president is from Texas.' As their footage from the concert will attest -- the line was said in fun, going along with the anti-war sentiment in London at the time, but of course that's not how it was interpreted stateside.

'Shut Up and Sing' also serves as a poignant observation on how much the nation has changed since the beginning of the Iraq war. When Maines said that line, the U.S. was just getting ready to invade Iraq, Bush's approval ratings were still in a post-9/11 climb and many thought the military action in the Middle East would be brief. You have to wonder if the same thing happened today if anyone would really care. And you really have to question what the reaction would have been if it was a group of male performers who made the comment. It's much easier in this country to reap that kind of hate and vengeance on women.

Tangents like the above are not present in 'Shut Up and Sing,' the filmmakers wisely let their vast and interesting footage do the talking -- straying away from sit-down interviews and narration. The documentary is at its best showing the strategizing from the band and its inner circle about how it will fight the impending media firestorm -- eventually concluding that they'll stick with their guns. Many other issues are touched on -- such as the inner workings of the record industry and the marketing of a band through today's convoluted system of radio webs -- but it's the raw emotions captured that really allow 'Shut Up and Sing' to soar above most recent pop culture documentaries. Moments such as Emily Robison weeping at the thought of the cross Natalie must bear because of her comments (saying through her tears that she would walk away from the band if it was too much for her friend) are genuine and will stay with you.

Casino Royale
Yay! Another late review! I realize this has been praised as the best Bond in whatever, but I'll take it a step further: it's impossible to even compare it to other Bonds, because it is an entirely new franchise now, it's been reinvented and simply rocks in every way. It seems that Martin Campbell went out of his way to leave out every conceivable Bond cliche which has linked all the movies together -- there are virtually no gadgets, no over-the-top WTF intro (it's very quick and actually has to do with the rest of the movie), no lavish title sequence (it's stripped down and colorful), even the song is completely different (an annoyance for me actually -- not one of Chris Cornell's better songs). Since there was no reliance on these tired devices, 'Casino Royale' is able to have an intricate (but not intentionally confusing, i.e. 'The World is Not Enough') plot, amazing stunts not involving a BMW turning into a robot dinosaur and some scenes of absolutely brutal violence and tension.

And then there's Daniel Craig. My God. I said when he was cast that American audiences would love him because he's a British Steve McQueen and that was just me talking about his looks, it even involves his acting. McQueen has been called one of the best prop actors ever and I think Craig has a similar skill (the poker scene in particular). Who needs Pierce Brosnan's smirking, daffy English clown when you can have the one-inch-out-of-control badass actions and brutish chicanery of Craig?

I hated every Brosnan Bond after 'Goldeneye' (great fun directed by Campbell) -- the theme in those movies seemed to be to push the technology quotient with each film, and as a result progressivly got dumber and dumber (really, AN INVISIBLE CAR?? We're supposed to believe that?). The over-the-top nature had to be topped with each succeeding movie, resulting in the braindead embarrassment of a videogame Bond windsurfing in the Arctic in 'Die Another Day.' I was convinced the series was dead after that last one, now I can't wait to see what they can do with this model again (assuming they do stick with the Campbell-Craig model, they could easily screw it up again).

Hardcore
Here's a movie I had wanted to see for quite awhile, one of Paul Schrader's first films, it uses the fear of the exploding sex industry to great effect in what is essentially a re-telling of The Searchers. Schrader, who also wrote the movie, gives us Jake VanDorn (George C. Scott), a midwestern businessman who keeps his house full of his church members. We catch glimpses of his daughter Niki, who seems somewhat withdrawn. After seeing off Niki on a missionary bus tour across the country, Jake finds out later that his daughter had gone missing after the group's trip to Knott's Berry Farm.

Jake hires a private detective (an surprisingly greasy and smarmy Peter Boyle), who eventually finds an 8mm snuff film with Niki as the main star. Jake is destroyed by what he sees, but takes it upon himself to dive into a world he barely even knew existed in order to pull his daughter out. In Schrader's version of 'The Searchers,' it isn't savages who kidnap the little girl, it's the unseen savagery of the new generation and the unthinkable horrors of the sex industry that take his daughter. Like Martin Pawley in 'The Searchers,' Jake gives no thought to his previous life as he slowly breaks through every moral barrier he had once lived behind in order to satisfy his hunger of finding Niki. Jake allies himself with strippers and snuff dealers, oftentimes trying to see into their world before pulling himself back, trying to keep some shred of his previous self intact.

It's all very similar to what Schrader would do with Auto Focus, with a man plunging further and further into the darkness because the way back is an even longer journey.

Hard Candy
Similar in some ways to 'Hardcore,' but substituting a more contemporary public fear (sexual predators) as its driving force. I thought I was prepared for how unnerving this movie would be, but I was still shocked. It's the classic tale of the hunter becoming the hunted as young Hayley turns the tables on her older adversary. Even though it's disturbing on many levels throughout, there is almost no violence, making it resemble the best told ghost stories and subtle horror movies -- it's all in the details and atmosphere.

I can't say it was a terribly memorable script, but it was incredibly well-acted and directed. The mood never flinches, and you are never sure just what direction it will all go next. Ellen Page is fantastic as the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood's clothing, who has a sinister plan for one man to seemingly pay for the sins of many others. You think you know about her plan, but her motives and actions are always twisting. What works well is that the movie treats her like the adolescent she is -- her plan is good, but certainly not perfect. She makes mistakes, but so does her victim Jeff -- a hipster photographer who picked up the wrong girl in a chat room. If you're going to watch it, there are times when you're going to wonder if the upcoming images may leave you forever scarred, but keep with it -- and it is hard at times, I know.

The Sadist
I've really been enjoying Turner Classic Movies' 'Underground' episodes with Rob Zombie. Late night on Fridays, Zombie (looking much slimmer and more inviting than I remember) introduces a cult classic and offers his takes on it. I really didn't know what to expect from Underground, but TCM has really committed to the project (check out the cool Web site; and Zombie hangs out in an overly lavish set), dishing out real, hard to find, cult movies and apparently selling Zombie on his role as host (even if his lines often sound scripted). The first movie I caught was DePalma's Sisters, a delightfully twisted and well-made tale of once-conjoined twins, and recently I watched 1962's 'The Sadist.' (Trish -- didn't catch 'Wild Guitar,' which preceded it on TCM, any good?)

Starring the bizarre Arch Hall Jr., you could make the case that 'The Sadist' was grindhouse even before there was such a thing. The level of cruelty and violence is out of character for the year, and its appeal is purely shock value. In 'The Sadist' we find three unlucky teachers whose car breaks down and their trail leads them to an abandoned repair shop. The place seems desserted, except the house has a table with three uneaten dinners on it, and soon we meet the title characters. Hall plays Charlie Tibbs, and Marilyn Manning (who also played Hall's girlfriend in Eegah!) is his murderous accomplice. The two cut-ups are on a killing spree and set about toying and torturing the teachers for the duration of the movie.

The movie quickly loses its momentum in the middle scenes, but makes up for some of that with an out-of-nowhere raucus and violent ending. If you've seen Hall in 'Eegah!' where he plays an ah-shucks teen, he's completely different here as a snarling villain. Hall's at times grotesque would-be hunky looks work better in this movie, which usually finds him pointing his Neanderthal brow down a gun.

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DVD Panache in your ear lobes!
You've read my post about Troll 2, now listen to my fan commentary podcast for the movie! The good people over at Best Worst Movie bit me with the festive 'Troll 2' bug, and since I've now seen it close to 10 times now, I felt I had plenty of feelings and observations on the movie to fill a 90-minute commentary. This was my first crack at a fan commentary and it turned out pretty well, won't be my last -- stay tuned.

Funny time with film movies for me!

So I finally saw 'Borat,' and was surprised to see that even after three weeks, it could still sell out a theater. The whole place was in hysterics all the way through, and I couldn't help notice that it seemed like many of them had seen it before, with a select few conveniently saying the jokes before Borat did. I was expecting my wife to note enjoy it (I think she had similar thoughts), but even she (a first grade teacher) couldn't help but laugh out loud for the more funnier parts. I don't think I have much new to say about it that you've probably read before, but I will complain that in many scenes it seemed that most of the potential went unfilled. Why couldn't we see more of Borat in Washington, outside of telling Alan Keyes how he made friends at a Gay Pride parade, or asking Bob Barr but one question? Same goes for the final scenes in Los Angeles, where everything seems rushed, especially for the church bus that got him there, which was the subject of exactly zero jokes.

Outside of minor quibbles, the movie IS funny. Really funny. I was actually expecting it to be much more offensive, and thought it came off as relatively tame (minus a couple scenes). Some of the best material is in its lampooning of anti-semitism, such as the Running of the Jew tradition in Borat's village, which consists of someone in a huge Mardi Gras-style costume grabbing for money. When Borat and his producer are in a Jewish-run bed and breakfast in Georgia, they are horrified to find that the Jews can shapeshift into people, and can also take the form of cockroaches (which enter their room, but are soon turned away when Borat throws dollar bills at them). Then there's THE scene, which should be the funniest of any movie this year. It doesn't involve Borat embarrassing Americans, it's just ultra disturbing/genius slapstick that will leave you reeling.

'Borat' has sparked some interesting debate on Jim Emerson's Scanners blog, mainly on the debate of comedy criticism, and the funniest movies ever made. Emerson takes offense to the saying that analyzing comedy is anti-comedic, saying 'if you don't understand why you're laughing, when you're laughing, then you don't appreciate the comedy and you may as well not be laughing at all, since any old reaction is probably comparably appropriate for you.' I agree, but there have been many comedic experiences for me (such as this), where I would not even attempt to explain in words why it makes me laugh.

I've found that when discussing favorite films by genre, you generally find the biggest divide with comedies. I don't know if there has been studies on it, but just like there are scientific personality types, there are also scientific sense of humor types. For example, there is a definite group of people who will never find Wes Anderson movies funny. Another example is the group of people who will never find Monty Python's Life of Brian to be that funny. I subscribe to the latter group, and although I thought 'Life of Brian' was well made an had a few good gags, there are some people (read the comments for Emerson's post if you don't believe me), who feel that it is God's gift to comedy.

Emerson's request was to provide a list of favorite off-the-beaten-path comedies, but I'm sad to report that most of my favorite funnies are of the mainstream variety. You're all probably familiar with these four, and so instead I'd like to share my favorite moments from each one.

The Royal Tenenbaums
I've heard this movie described as all style over substance, which is partly true, but it's also true that the Tenenbaums style is the substance. I laugh the most at the small, but brilliant details in Anderson's movies, such as:

--Royal Tenenbaum being served some sort of exotic martini after discussing with his children that their parents are getting a divorce. The timing, as always, is dead-on, and after multiple viewings you find yourself busting up at the thought that Royal had the foresight to order Pagota to make him an exotic martini prior to this critical moment. This scene is also another example of Royal's almost-sincere dialogue:

'Why?'
'Well, your mother has asked me to leave, and I have to respect her position on the matter.'

--Maybe the best-written line in the movie is Eli's excerpt from his book 'Old Custer.' The joke is wonderfully economic, because in a few lines, you learn that 'Old Custer' is not only a bad book, but a book that Eli is a bad author, who is trying desperately to sound smart. It would be one thing just to have the book be poorly written, but to have it depicted as being over written is gold:

The crickets and the rust-beetles scuttled among the nettles of the sage thicket. "Vámonos, amigos," he whispered, and threw the busted leather flintcraw over the loose weave of the saddlecock. And they rode on in the friscalating dusklight.

--The paintings. No explanation really needed.

--Gene Hackman and Danny Glover have the movie's two best exchanges, this being the best:

'I know what stomach cancer looks like. I've seen it, and you don't eat three cheeseburgers a day with french fries when you got it.'
'How do you know?'
'My wife had it.'

The Big Lebowski
This movie used to be a sleeper, then it was underrated, then it was one of the best comedies of the past 20 years, and now people groan whenever you want to talk about it because everything has already been said. Well I'd like to add a few of my own thoughts, if I may. When you watch this movie enough times, you can start to make a case that every line in the script is funny. I know this because for the last four months, I've communicated with a co-worker almost exclusively in 'Big Lebowski' lines. We've reached the point where yesterday I said Walter's line, 'not exactly a lightweight' (from the 'Branded' conversation) to him and we both laughed out loud. It occurred to me later, that the line would only be funny when placed into the context of the whole movie, and perhaps then only to someone who has seen it multiple times.

What keeps you laughing when your viewing count is in the double digits (or, in the case of my co-workers, the triple digits) is the unique way in which most of the characters genuinely straddle the line between genius and dufus with everything that comes out of their mouths. When Walter and the Dude are raging about the literary connections between life and Vietnam and quoting Lennon one minute and then honestly debating how a shitty rug tied together a shitty apartment the next, it never stretches the reality of their characters. Nor does it hurt that their performances of these characters also include such props as mountainous slurs, dirty jellies and Miller Lite inside a small plastic cup.

--'The Big Lebowski' is also full of wonderful details. I always lose it when I see Walter casually sit down at the landlord's recital in a full suit. Same goes for the Dude's reaction of reassurance when Walter tells him that the Jesus really is a pedophile.

American Movie
By far the most off-the-beaten-path of my choices, which is a shame. This movie should be more widely seen, as it would be at the top of any 'best mockumentary' list ... if it actually was fiction. What makes 'American Movie' so goddamn hilarious and breathtaking at the same time, is that it's just seemingly ordinary parts of a person's life that makes it into a classic comedy. Chris Smith's camera follows filmmaker Mark Borchardt, who falls somewhere between artist, fool, community leader, blessed/wretched family member/friend and dumbshit. Borchardt (whose very appearance is cause for laughs), is intent on finally finishing his grassroots film production of the horror movie 'Coven' (pronounced COH-ven, not CUV-en, because the latter 'rhymes with oven'), even if it means wringing every last cent out of his dying grandfather, causing physical harm to his friends and shattering his family life.

If that last sentence sounded kind of tragic, rest assured, it most certainly is, but every minute of it is so back-breakingly hilarious. Every scene takes the layers of previously built up comedy and adds one after another, with the topper being the unbelievably awful movie-within-a-movie that Borchardt makes (the DVD includes the full version). There's no movie that prepares you for the comedic emotions you feel while watching Borchardt futily try to record a line of dialogue from his grandpa, then see the finished product with the unfortunately-dubbed line put in. And that's just Borchardt, there's an entire community of characters here, ranging from his scratch-off ticket addicted friends to the local 'actors' who are willing to put up with Borchardt and possible harm to their body all in the name of being in a terrible movie.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: 'Eegah!'
Everyone has their favorite MST3k episodes, and for me and my family, it's this one. Why? It's not the worst movie MST3k has done, but it seems to give them the most material:

--'Star' Arch Hall Jr. is not really ugly, he's just incredibly weird-looking, which leads to many unintentionally frightening shots of his face, and subsequent skewering by Tom, Crow and Co.

--Hall also thinks he can sing, and lends his talents more than once to this movie . . . very poorly. It's one thing to sit down with an acoustic guitar, it's another to bring your Fender poolside complete with a giant amp.

--A truly bizarre scene where Roxy gives her dad a shave.

--An oven in a living room.

--Director Arch Hall Sr.'s decision to dub in all the lines . . . himself!