12 Movies El Luchador is Looking Forward To in '11

As the 2011 Summer Blockbuster season whimpers to a close after dreadful entries like "Green Lantern" and "Cowboys & Aliens" spewed their visual and aural detritus all over our collective unconsciousness, we can finally start ringing in the fall with some smaller films, albeit a couple weeks early. The end of 2011 promises some films with brains, the most neglected organ by the film industry in this country. Most will be overlooked in the theater, and mostly unseen even on Bluray, but at least there is some interesting pictures coming out that didn't spring from the mind of Stan Lee or Jack Kirby. Who am I kidding, I'm still going to see "Conan."

THE LAST CIRCUS August 12 Just watch the trailer. That's all I need to say. Complete madness. And judging from director Alex de Iglesia's early work this one is going to be off the charts weird.

BRIGHTON ROCK August 19 My interest in this picture stems from director Rowan Joffe's earlier script work with "28 Weeks Later" and "The American." Both were solid pictures that had very simple scripts, and may have been good purely because of the direction. I kind of want to see if his writing skills, along with his directing skills have any need for further study. Let's hope he's no William Monahan

CONTAGION September 9 I'm a sucker for Soderberg. I'm even stoked for "Haywire." He made the most under appreciated masterpiece of 2009, "The Informant!" and consistently makes solid pictures... not counting "Ocean's Thirteen"... or "The Good German." Other than that he's gold.


DRIVE September 16 Ryan Gosling notwithstanding, I think I'm most excited for this movie over any other. Nicolas Winding Refn makes some crazy movies, and while this seems like a bit of a remake of "The Driver" from 1981, I think it is going to be out of control. The bit with the hammer and the bullet in the trailer is awesome.
THE IDES OF MARCH October 7 Strangely I don't really like Ryan Gosling. Did anyone else sit through "All Good Things?" He seems like he still reads Sartre even though he's out of his twenties. But he's in two movies on this list. Then again so is Clooney, but I have no problem with Clooney. His acting choices are pretty stellar, and despite "Leatherheads" I think he has some pretty good directing chops as well.

A VERY HAROLD AND KUMAR CHRISTMAS November 4 This is the exception to the "brains" rule stated above, but the trailer looks hilarious. The last two have been funny, and this one looks to capitalize on Neil Patrick Harris' sexual preference in a way that "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo" missed. What kind of strippers is he really into?

TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY November 18 Tomas Alfredson's first English Language picture looks like a great look back at a spy genre that never was. A couple movies spring to mind that circumvent the James Bond trappings of these types of pictures; "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold," "Our Man in Havana," "The Tailor of Panama," to name a few. Judging from his work on "Let the Right One In," I can't wait.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN December 2 I know almost nothing about this film, but the trailer looks kind of bananas. Even though I think Tilda Swinton looks kind of like a praying mantis, and the kid in the movie is a bit annoying, Lynne Ramsey's "Movern Callar" was a very weird, good little picture, and is worth a watch. It will be interesting to see where she goes with this.

THE DESCENDANTS December 16 Alexander Payne finally making another film. It has been seven years since "Sideways," and the only thing we've gotten from him is the well done pilot for the underwhelming HBO show, "Hung," a vignette from "Paris, J'taime," which I never bothered to see because anthology films are just as annoying as short films which are just as annoying as short stories, and a TV show called "House of Payne," which I've never seen, but the description seems like a departure for the guy.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO December 21 I've read the books - okay listened to them on audiobook, but I know the story - I've seen the movies - okay the first two, which kind of suck even for Swedish TV Movies - but I think that David Fincher will do something incredibly moody and dark out of this material. Plus the tag line, "The Feel Bad Movie of Christmas" is pitch perfect for the the tone I'm hoping for.

A DANGEROUS METHOD TBD This might not even come out this year, but it is expected to. Some of Cronenberg's movies can skew to the annoying (eXistenZ springs sickeningly to mind), but his last few films have been nothing short of great. Seems like kind of a boring subject matter, something that you expect Judi Dench to be all over, but this crazy canuck might be able to mine something wacky out of the birth of psychoanalysis.

THE SKIN I LIVE IN TBD The acquired taste that is Pedro Almodovar's movies has been on my palate for years. His Spanish, Sirkian pictures are so smart, funny, sappy, and bizarre that when one comes out I can't wait to get to the theater and see something else and wait for the Almodovar movie to come out on DVD because I'm not going to pay $12 to read anymore. I save that dough for "Transformers 3" where it deserves to be wasted.

Read More After the Jump

Comedy or Tragedy?

In 2003, just before his shift ended at Mama Mia’s Pizza-Ria in Erie, Pennsylvania, a pizza delivery man named Brian Wells agreed to go on one last delivery of the day. It would be the last of his life. His day ended with a bomb, while strapped to his neck, detonating, killing him. It seems like a sequence from a “Saw” movie however this real life story eerily mirrors the events in the new comedy, “30 Minutes or Less” from “Zombieland” director Ruben Fleischer. The script by first timer Michael Diliberti could actually have skewed toward an action or horror picture, and Fleischer and the execs at Columbia Pictures just thought it might be funny to cast comedians in the lead roles. Who knows? Maybe there are some seriously disturbed people over at Columbia. Though they may have made a good decision because despite the grizzly similarity to the bizarre real life events the movie is actually pretty funny.

Like Mr. Wells, Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) is a pizza delivery man who gets in over his head when he is lured into the clutches of two low rent idiots/masterminds, Dwayne and Travis (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson respectively). Strapping a homemade bomb to Nick’s chest Dwayne and Travis want him to rob a bank for one hundred thousand dollars within ten hours or he won’t be slinging pizzas anymore. Terrified Nick enlists the help of his best friend Chet (Aziz Ansari) to pull of the heist.

Most of the humor in the picture is provided by the leads who all pack enough energy into their delivery and timing to propel the thin plot the scant eighty-three minute run time. One of the best stand-up comedians around, Ansari pulls of his attempt to transition to supporting lead territory, not so much in the dramatic bits, but his comedic presence more than makes up for the fact that most of his lines are yelled at top volume. Equally as funny is McBride who channels his triumphant Kenny Powers character from “Eastbound and Down” throughout the film. At this point it seems like that the brash, over-confident prick may be McBride’s only weapon, but even so it is a weapon of mass hilarious destruction. Faring evenly in the midst of the standouts Swardson and Eisenberg hold their own, but neither can step out of the shadow of their on-screen counterparts.

Though it doesn’t matter. The film is over before you know it, a fun diversion that strives for nothing more. For sure the script had more plot strewn around, but the film makers seemed to have cut and cut until there was nothing left to complain about. There are very few bits that don’t serve to push the film forward onto the next joke, and even though the next joke is inevitably someone yelling an outlandishly rude comment at another character they seem to elicit laughs nonetheless.

Unfortunately there are few classic or memorable scenes. Most of the funny dialogue seems to have sprung from the minds of the actors, a testament to their talents, but by the end little sticks in the recesses of my brain as something that will stand the test of time. Late nights in the future when the film finds its way to the small screen, pay cable or basic, it will be a go-to way to finish out a night of getting stoned or drinking, but earlier in those nights groups of dudes won’t be quoting the lines back and forth like those of the “Ghostbusters,” “Old School,” or even “The Hangover.”

But not every movie has to be a “Classic.” Some are just serviceable comedies that get laughs. In fact that is a feat in and of itself. It is pretty impressive that given the real life antecedent of the script (which the studio vigorously denies any connection to) the film manages to mine any laughs, let alone the amount is receives. It may be easier to watch the film if you don’t know, or can divorce one’s self from the story of Mr. Wells, if you don’t think about the families of those effected by the events that actually transpired. Is it ethical to take the horrible catastrophes of a victim, and twist it into the mirthful guffaws of popcorn grazing consumers? The answer to that question will have to wait until Monday’s box office numbers come rolling in.





Rated R
Dir: Ruben Fleischer
Written by: Michael Diliberti
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari, Danny McBride, Nick Swardson

Read More After the Jump

Better Living Through Chemistry

“What if you could be the best version of yourself?” is the question asked in Neil Burger’s new film, “Limitless.” But at that point would you really even be yourself? In the film floundering novelist Eddy Morra (Bradley Cooper) gains such abilities through a wonder drug ominously dubbed NZT that speeds up his intellect, allowing his IQ to increase exponentially. Hovering somewhere between a thriller and a sci-fi film, “Limitless” is overflowing with visual style, something lacking from Burger’s previous film, the tragically overrated, “The Illusionist.” The difference between the two films is so vast, I can only wonder if Burger laid his hands on some NZT when directing the former.

On our first introduction to Eddy he is a grungy mess, one step up from homeless, habituating a grimy hole in a New York Chinatown tenement. The first couple chapters of his novel are due in a couple days, but he hasn’t written a word. To add insult to injury his girlfriend, Lindy (Abby Cornish) has just kicked him to the curb. Running into his ex-wife’s brother, Vernon, (Johnny Whitworth) on the street changes all of that, when he offers Eddy a test run with this new “FDA approved” drug that promises to give you a better you.

As it turns out NZT is like Adderall on speed. After wooing the landlord’s angry wife with some witty and insightful comments about her paper at law school that seem way out of his league, Eddy realizes that his memory, deductive reasoning skills, drive, and ambition have all been kicked into high gear. He beds the woman, writes the pages for his novel, cleans his apartment, all in the span of a few hours. Burger goes all out with the effects, showing Eddy’s first experience with the drug as multiple version of the character walking around the apartment doing all of the work to some bumping techno beats. This is just the beginning of the music video type story-telling devices that the director employs to both tell the story, and gloss over some of the scripts flaws.

The next day his potential has been spent, Eddy crashes, and needs another fix. Finding Vernon at his home the dealer is much worse for wear. Undeterred by the bruises on the dealer’s face Eddy pushes for more NZT, despite the fact that the drug is obviously not FDA approved. Vernon sends Eddy out on some errands. Upon returning he finds the apartment ransacked and Vernon dead. Luckily Eddy does what the murder could not, he finds the stash. These drugs are in high demand, and with the limitless supply of neural enhancers Eddy can unlock his inner genius.

Rising star Bradley Cooper seems like an obvious choice for Eddy. At times he seems like more polished Matthew McConaughey, he never lets a suit wear him, but can come off a little too slick to be trusted. As Eddy’s life goes off the rails as a result of his addiction it is hard to find sympathy for the character as all of his unrepentant bad choices have added up to his situation.

Though Burger keeps the film going with all the tricks in his bag the script by Leslie Dixon drops the ball on a lot of the subplots. Later in the film it becomes pretty obvious who murdered Vernon, but it is never really settled. Another murder toward the midpoint of the film comes and goes in what seems like it was a much larger way in the book, “Dark Fields,” by Alan Glynn, upon which the film is based. Here it enters only to heighten the tension of the second act slightly, but is dropped unceremoniously when the plot is through with it.

Some of the more interesting aspects of the drugs affects are also glazed over. When Eddy ups his dosage of NZT he becomes intellectually unstoppable, but starts losing time, not knowing where he is or what is going on. A particularly fun fight scene, variations of which have shown up in “Sherlock Holmes” and “The Green Hornet” of late, is never gone back to or explained. All of his symptoms are fixed by simply going back to the prescribed dosage.

For all of these holes it is hard to tell if Burger is respecting the audience enough to fill in the gaps for themselves, or dropping the storytelling ball. The hints that he is aware of the cards he is holding back are the ways in which Eddy responds to the events. When asked by his lawyer if he did the things he is accused of Eddy’s only response is, “I don’t remember.”

The moral ambiguity that is derived from the drug comes from the invincibility, the omnipotent feeling NZT gives Eddy, and it is no surprise that he goes from being a schluby writer to being a maverick Wall Street trader to Big Business fat cat in no time. Things like murder become just the details of business for Eddy, a minor distraction to his big deal with Carl Van Looten (Robert DeNiro), the reigning tycoon in the world of global energy. Quickly Eddy becomes an allegory for the amorality of the “Masters of the Universe” that brought about the financial crisis of 2008. Working at that level millions of dollars become pawns on a chess board that spans the seven continents, and the rush that those who work in that arena can be like a drug.

However with all of the ups and downs of the drug the side effects are mitigated by working in moderation. If there is a message about drug use, particularly prescription drugs, Burger is saying that if you follow doctor’s orders a dependence on Prozac or Adderall or any other mood enhancing drugs on the market, can help make you a productive member of society. It is only when you get in deep with high powered energy executives or Russian loan sharks that things go awry.






Rated PG-13
Dir: Neil Burger
Written by: Leslie Dixon
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Robert DeNiro

Read More After the Jump

We Band of Brothers

In the cynical world of modern media “clichés” are can be a gift and a curse. Wielded deftly a play against or making light of them can elevate a film giving it a sense of erudition. On the flipside employing every one in the book without any wink or nod to the audience can sink any, otherwise, sea worthy picture. The latter is the case with the new alien invasion effects showcase, “Battle: Los Angeles.” If there was a way to cut out every painfully trite line of dialogue, leaving only the action sequences, the movie would have been about sixty-five minutes long, but it would have been a fun sixty-five minutes. As is half of the film stands as an intense sci-fi action movie, half a laughable melodrama.

Like a game of directorial telephone director Jonathan Leibsman coopts a verite style of shooting previously used by Peter Berg in “Friday Night Lights,” that having been clipped from Michael Mann’s masterpiece, “Heat.” There is a lot of fast cutting, stomach churning hand held photography, and tons of coverage aimed at creating a rich world out of the tiny details. At the get go Leibsman utilizes the style to introduce all of the main characters, mostly Marine grunts who all have various heart-string pulling reasons to live for. There is the guy about to get married, the guy with the pregnant wife, the guy with PTSD, and the virgin, all of which are a little too on the nose. Leibsman finally lands on our hero, Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart), who is conveniently handing in his retirement papers the morning of the impending alien invasion. His commanding officer even says something like, “You had a lot of good missions… all except that last one.”

Then the attack comes. The marines are shipped out to Santa Monica in an effort to secure a couple of civilians rumored to be hiding out in an over run police station in an area slated to be leveled by an Air Force bombardment in three hours. Walking with the Marines through the devastation on the streets of Los Angeles Leibsman manages to fill the sequence with as much tension as he does smoke. Recalling both the Oscar Nominated documentary, “Restrepo” and the “Modern Warfare” games the anticipation creates a palpable fear written on the faces of the actors.

When the inevitable attack comes the action sequences are brutal, a chaos that is intimate and punishing. This is the area in which “Battle: LA” flourishes. Though derivative, the in-your-face hand held style Liebsman uses is effective in bringing an edgy realism to the alien invasion film.

Though they are still aliens, and usually the chink in the armor of any invasion film is the design for the attackers. In this film they sport a sort of bio-mechanical feel that is looks like a lot of function over form, but it is kind of hard to tell. We never really get a good look at the creatures, or even their drone aircraft, due to all that shaky camera work. There are no long, wide shots to get a real feel for the invaders, no interaction with the enemy. It works for the film in the sense that it is hard to pin down any terrible design decisions that would pull one out of the narrative, but after a while could be frustrating for sci-fi geeks wanting to get a real sense of the aliens.

And if the film were just gun fights with hard to discern aliens then “Battle: LA” would be a huge success. The point at which the film falters is the scenes between the fighting, overflowing with cheap dialogue culled from every war movie ever made. If he should be given props for his fun concept, writer Christopher Bertolini should be equally berated for the ten-cent lines he puts into the actor’s mouths. “You’re my little Marine,” SSgt. Nantz tells little Hector Rincon, one of the civilians that the Marines extricate from the police precinct, trying to give him courage. Some of the fault has to fall on Leibsman’s shoulders, however, as he dials the overwrought seriousness of the scenes way up to Sirk-ian proportions, without any of the intended irony. During Aaron Eckhart’s final speech to his men, rallying them to take on the enemy’s headquarters it feels a lot less “St. Crispin’s Day,” and more “Independence Day;” so much so that I kept waiting to see Barack Obama flying around in an F-14 during the third act. Which would have been really cool.

To its credit the film is fun, more so than a lot of the films of this type. The epic scale and the potent action sequences add up to a film that is worth seeing if you just go with it. Don’t worry about the sappy score, or the trite backstories of all the soldiers, just sit back and watch some aliens get blown up. But watch out for any parts when Aaron Eckhart starts talking about his previous battle tours. Those might be times to go relieve your bladder. Trust me you won’t be missing much.

Rated PG-13

Dir: Jonathan Liebsman

Written by: Christopher Bertolini

Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Aliens

Read More After the Jump

Metaphysical Red Tape

In the world of modern cinema the trailer has become an art form in its own right. A well done trailer gives just enough info to excite a perspective audience, and mobilize them away from HD TV, Netflix OnDemand, Bluray, IPTV, or any of the myriad of choices available to consumers today. A trailer if done wrong can instill the wrong idea about a film into the minds of viewers, completely changing the viewing experience. This is the case with George Nolfi’s new “Sci-Fi” film, “The Adjustment Bureau.” All of the advertising pointed toward a science fiction chase movie with a romance backbone, not the reverse. In fact the film is much more geared toward the romance angle, straddling the two genres, but short changing both.

In the beginning we are introduced to Congressman David Norris (Matt Damon) who has had a meteoric rise to become the frontrunner in a New York Senatorial race. When his campaign is derailed by some past mistakes election night finds Norris in the men’s room of the Waldorf-Astoria sadly practicing his concession speech. To his surprise hiding in a stall is Elise (Emily Blunt), embarrassed by intruding into such a private moment. Immediately there are fireworks between the two, and they jump into a passionate embrace, only to be interrupted by David’s campaign manager, Charlie (Michael Kelly). This is the first sign that the film is closer to “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” than “Total Recall.”

As David’s campaign comes to a close we catch a glimpse of four suited men, all sporting fedoras, ominously looking down on the Waldorf from a nearby roof. These are the overseers, “Case Workers” of the titular bureau, including Richardson (John Slattery) and Henry (Anthony Mackie). Their mysterious motivations keep the first act of the film rolling at a tight clip as, three months later Henry is supposed to make David spill his coffee on his first day going to work, but falters in his duties. As a result David meets Elise on the bus continuing their romantic tet-a-tet.

Damon and Blunt do have chemistry to be sure, and their flirtatious scenes are fun to watch. It is a cinematic courtship done right, the guys will love Elise just as much as the women will love David. Snarky, up front and in his face Elise immediately sees through the façade David has built up as a successful politician. He’s an obvious catch; self-conscious but confident, there is little reason why the two wouldn’t end up together.

When David gets to work, however, he stumbles upon the Bureau’s agents literally changing Charlie’s mind, as all of the workers at the office stand as though they were exhibits at Madame Tussaud’s. For the most part, this is the only plot point Nolfi’s script takes from the Phillip K. Dick short story, “The Adjustment Team,” upon which it was based. David has seen “Behind a curtain he shouldn’t even know existed,” says Richardson as he tries to convince the Congressman that he cannot tell anyone what he’s seen.

Unfortunately Richardson lets David in on the Bureau’s motivation, and it takes some of the steam out of the film. Understandably their motivation is central to the themes of the film, that love will prevail over all obstacles, but without the mystery the scales start to tip far into the romance territory, letting the melodrama pile up.

Though it is a kind of funny idea that this politician cannot really get anything done in his life because of some shady bureaucrats keep blocking his every move. Conceptually the Bureau is a pretty interesting idea, but as the film veers onto the romance trajectory, there is little exploration of the agency. What tidbits Nolfi chooses to include are fun – traveling through Manhattan using all kinds of regular doors as portals for example – but some are a little too dramatically convenient. The Agents cannot predict a person’s intentions anywhere near water for some reason, and the portals only work when they are wearing special fedoras. It goes to explain why they all look like extras from “Mad Men,” but comes off as… well corny would be the term.

The biggest misstep in the film is the overbearing score by Thomas Newman. The rolling guitars that open the film and the swooping orchestral swells during the “epic” moments are much too manipulative and in your face to be effective, and stand out in some places so much that they take over the film, not letting the images speak for themselves. Had Nolfi opted for something a little more somber, interesting, or even tense the overall tone of the film could have been elevated, but as it is the score drags the film down into something one could only refer to as pedestrian.

To his credit Nolfi keeps the film afloat most of the time with good performances from the two leads, however the supporting cast of Slattery, Mackie, and Terrance Stamp as Thompson, a bureau heavy hitter and the only thing that could be called a villain in the picture, do not have much to do. Slattery tries to make Richardson a fun obstacle on David’s journey, but his Richardson hues too close to Roger Sterling, the character he plays to perfection on “Mad Men,” to be original, though not close enough to be as gleefully smarmy as that character.

When all is said and done, “The Adjustment Bureau” is not boring but not so exciting, romantic but not super romantic, science fiction-y but not too science fiction-y. Other than the two leads it is a film of no superlatives, skating through as though it does not really have to try that hard. To be non-committal is the perfect trait for a politician like David Norris, but for a film it is a much harder sell.




Rated PG-13
Dir: George Nolfi
Written by: George Nolfi
Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, John Slattery, Anthony Mackie

Read More After the Jump

I'vehadenoughthanks

In the world of scrolling text, internet banner ads and much publicized trailers one would think that some marketing person would have suggested that Josh Radnor’s new film “Happythankyoumoreplease” should rethink such a moniker. Overly wordy and confusing to look at are the obvious problems, but once one can decipher the actual title it unfortunately conjures up images of greeting cards rather than any type of cinema. Though maybe that was the intended feeling the writer and director, Josh Radnor, wished to covey because it sums up this perfectly inoffensive film pretty well; all except the “moreplease” part.

Centering on a group of Post-Graduates floundering through their twenties, “Happy…” meanders in a phantom zone located between the cinematic disease that is Mumblecore, and a TV pilot. Sporting tiny bits of melodrama and humor the film feels a little more slick and fleshed out than the usual Mumblecore fare, but it never pushes in any real direction, never taking any chances, seeming to stick to some safe Standards and Practices guidelines set by one of the big four broadcasters.

Though no excuse it makes some sense Radnor’s debut feature feels remarkably like a TV show as he is the star of the CBS sitcom, “How I Met Your Mother.” In “Happy…” he appears both behind the camera, and in front of it, leading the cast as Sam Wexler. As an aspiring novelist the audience is immediately supposed to understand Sam is sensitive, intelligent without pretension, full of untapped potential, and we can tell all of that from his week’s worth of whiskers. On his way to deliver his novel to a new publisher Sam is sidetracked by a young African-American boy, Rasheem (Michael Algieri) who is lost on the subway. Feeling like he has to do something Sam takes the boy in, promising to help him. Rasheem instead becomes both a surrogate best friend and an excuse to slack off for the lonely adult. Rasheem’s presence in Sam’s life leads to some funny situations, including where they go to a typical twenty-something party, a place where no ten year old should ever be hanging out. However, with the presence of Rasheem, Radnor tries to place some weight in the film as Sam misguidedly tries to adopt the boy after learning of his unfortunate home life. Coming from Sitcom world Radnor has the timing to pull of the jokes, but lacks the gravitas to carry the whole film, the dramatic parts in particular.

Overall the biggest issue with the film is the script, which suffers from having too much going on and nothing really happening. Along with the Sam/Rasheem dynamic there are three other couples that swim around in this little pool. Mary (Zoe Kazan), Sam’s sister, is having problems with her boyfriend Charlie (Pablo Schreiber) who has recently returned from California, and has become enamored of the Sunshine State. Her inexplicable hatred of all things Los Angeles makes Charlie’s plans come to a halt when Mary refuses to move with him. A strange pairing of members of Hollywood families (Zoe is the granddaughter of Elia Kazan and Pablo is Liev Schreiber’s brother) the two work as an on screen couple in the sense that they are believable, but their problems are so pedestrian that they have little resonance when the picture ends. Watching the two is like sitting next to another couple at a New York restaurant. They are so close that you are forced to overhear their conversation, be sucked into their lives for a small amount of time, and when you are done with your meal, paid the check and left, you can barely remember what they were talking about.

The second duo is Sam’s best friend Annie (Malin Akerman), and her co-worker credited as Sam #2 (Tony Hale). Annie, suffers from alopecia, has very high expectations when it comes to finding a boyfriend, and refuses the constant advances of the hovering nerd, Sam, who takes pictures of her, asks her to drinks, and is almost like a stalker. When she finally ascents to a meal with the poor schlub it turns out he isn’t as bad as it first appeared, and was only willing to put up with Annie’s repeated rude rebukes due to his philosophy of “Happythankyoumoreplease,” which is a way of looking at both the good and the bad and asking for more. It finally explains the title, but not why there are no spaces. Out of all of the actors, Tony Hale is the one that actually manages to pull some heart strings, mostly because his character is the only one self aware enough not to be slightly off putting.

The third couple is Sam and the poorly named Mississippi (Kate Mara). She is a bartender and singer who Sam falls in love with, only to realize he was more in love with romance than having an actual relationship. Sam’s inability to connect on a deeper level is a symptom of his selfishness, as seen when he freaks out after Mississippi stays over the first night, and he realizes he might be in over his head. He retreats, choosing to spend the time with Rasheem instead of facing Mississippi.

All of these things are fine in themselves, but all in one package the film feels overstuffed, yet not that filling. Radnor chooses to portray all of the characters in a more realistic light, never letting them move toward any extreme. While this even handed direction may work with different material, finding an edge to some of the characters or stories would have gone a long way in this film. While Sam is selfish when dealing with Mississippi he is never to the point that anyone might look down on him for it. Annie is self obsessed, but never so much that the audience is acutely aware of the issue.

Radnor’s light-hearted touch, in front of the camera and behind, is better suited for the small screen than the silver one. Judging from the ratings, “How I Met Your Mother” pulls in each week Radnor has some clout, and explains how this film was made with such a big up-and-coming cast. The performances are solid, and there are some funny moments, but not enough to make the film much more than inoffensive. All of this adds up to a movie that moves through the paces, not making many waves, but not really making any splashes either.





Rated R
Dir: Josh Radnor
Written by: Josh Radnor
Starring: Josh Radnor, Malin Akerman, Zoe Kazan, Pablo Schreiber

Read More After the Jump

Aimed Right at the Bullseye

Here at the end of Award Season there seems to be a void. Everything from the Producers Guild to the Oscars reward the best and the brightest, but what about the trashy and the tarnished? For every “King’s Speech” there are hundreds of pictures designed to do little more than take the hard earned cash of the proletariat. Instead of Best Picture how about an Award show to celebrate the best Sci-Fi Vampire movie, or Best Gratuitous-Testosterone-Fueled-Machine-Gun-Toting Action Flick? If there were such a thing then Patrick Lussier’s new film, “Drive Angry 3-D” would win for best Car-Chase-Satanic-Cult movie for sure.

The biggest asset for this self consciously ridiculous action farce is the Nicolas Cage brand of bizarre acting that he exudes onto each scene with his typical gusto. This time around he plays John Milton, a former criminal who has broken out of Hades in order to save his granddaughter from a Satanic Cult hell bent on bringing the Netherworld to Earth with the little baby’s blood. With a stoic sneer Cage wields his shotgun mowing down all of the cultist where ever he finds them, blowing off hands, destroying kneecaps, and generally laying waste to anyone that gets in his way. There is little in the way of character development, or any sort of depth, but why would there be?

From Cage’s character’s name it is pretty obvious that screen writers Lussier & Todd Farmer have little interest in subtlety, and they don’t waste any time kicking the film into high gear. Opening the film with an over the top chase sequence only to be followed by a brutal gun fight definitely sets the tone for the rest of the picture. There is little screen time devoted to anything other than gun play or auto acrobatics, and the time that isn’t pulses with jiggling females, often half clothed or less. If nothing else Lussier knows his audience.

Along those lines follows the casting of Amber Heard as Piper. After taking a shine to Piper’s car Milton hitches a ride with her only to defend the self possessed little vixen against an abusive boyfriend. Even though Piper is written as a typical male fantasy - she is a gun shooting, foul mouthed waitress who wears tight jeans and drives a Charger – Lussier foregoes the usual romance angle between the two favoring a slightly more interesting father/daughter dynamic. It never feels forced, and is so rarely referenced it becomes the backdrop for their relationship without having to be overt. That could be a nice way of saying that the director was paying more attention to fight choreography than the acting, but I give Lussier the benefit of the doubt.

Though that “Hands Off” may have worked out well when it came to the film’s two villains. The more unfettered of the two is The Accountant, playfully portrayed by William Fichtner. As some sort of bail bondsman for Hell The Accountant is after the escaped prisoner, Milton. Fichtner plays The Accountant like an affluent salesman who is quick to result to some nonchalant violence anytime someone doesn’t immediately go for his pitch. At the beginning, after tracking Milton to Piper’s house and only finding the boyfriend, he makes creative use of a baseball bat. The quirky way in which he tortures the man makes him so lovably vicious without being malicious. He has a job to do, he will get it done, and maiming a redneck seems like it is just part of a hard day’s work.

Almost as over the top is Billy Burke as the leader of the Satanist cult, Jonah King. Even his name is a little too close to “Jo-King” to be taking seriously. In a flashback where Milton recalls seeing his granddaughter abducted and his daughter’s throat slit by King, Burke makes a lavish show of licking the blood from his fingers. This is endemic of the goofy bad guy who dresses in blousy shirt, leather pants, and carries around a cane with a human femur at the end.

While these actors make this silly caricatures come to life, the script is fairly outlandish in the first place. Bursting at the seams with cliché car crashes, and gun fights the film is a mash up of two types of ‘70’s grindhouse pictures. It has the road chase movie hallmarks seen in “Vanishing Point” or “Crazy Larry, Dirty Mary,” mixed up with the Satanism exploitation films of the 1970’s, all with the updated technology of the present day. The result is referential without ever feeling dated.

The fun in “Drive Angry” could have been squandered, there is little originality in the film, but Lussier keeps the film rolling at a Muscle Car’s pace rolling past any deficiencies on to the next car chase, the next gun fight, the next Satanic orgy. Clearly the film makers were having fun because there is no moment in the film that takes itself seriously. Even the moment when Milton recounts his time in Hell watching all the horrors King visited on his daughter is done with Cage’s face half covered in gruesome bruises, starring into a barrel fire. It is so melodramatic it could only be intentionally comedic.

Lussier’s other talent in the film is dealing with the 3-D aspect. Having been on the cusp of the wave with 2009’s “My Bloody Valentine” Lussier is practically a veteran of the gimmick, and in this picture gets to shoot in native 3-D instead of sending the final film through the abysmal conversion process that has made many a bad movie worse in the last couple years. Shooting in the format adds something to the film – call it depth – that can’t be achieved in the conversion process, and thus by the end of “Drive Angry” there are few places that the 3-D stands out like a sore thumb, rather becoming an integral part of the image.

In the end “Drive Angry” is a surprisingly solid and fun little diversion. It is obvious that the all parties involved set out to achieve the goal of making a purely fun little movie with no intentions of pushing the envelope. If a film delivers exactly what it is attempting is that a more successful picture than one that seeks to push boundaries and fails? I guess it would depend on the boundaries; some films should be commended just for tackling certain subject no matter the result, but if ridiculous little movie with no other aim than to entertain does just that maybe it deserves its props as well.





Rated R
Dir: Patrick Lussier
Written by: Patrick Lussier & Todd Farmer
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, William Fichtner, Billy Burke

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's Full 2011 Oscar Picks

This weekend is the Superbowl of movie-nerdom. The time when those who mourned the loss of the Fantasy Moguls game all gather together to pit their supposed expertise against that of their fellow geeks. I am no different. This year I'm pulling for an upset, an "Inception" or "Social Network" revolution against the Colonel Gaddaffi that is "The King's Speech," but I have a feeling I am going to feel just as disappointed as Tripoli street protester. Nonetheless, below is the full list of my picks for those that I think will win. If you so desire click on the film to see which ones I think should actually win, and why.

Original Screenplay - Christopher Nolan "Inception"
Adapted Screenplay - Aaron Sorkin "Social Network"
Visual Effects - "Iron Man 2"
Sound Mixing - "The King's Speech"
Sound Editing - "Inception"
Animated Short Film - "Madagascar, Carnet de Voyage"
Live Action Short Film - "Na WeWe"
Documentary Short Subject - "Killing in the Name"
Documentary Feature - "Inside Job"
Original Song - Randy Newman "Toy Story 3"
Original Score - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross "The Social Network"
Make Up - "The Wolfman"
Costume Design - "The King's Speech"
Art Direction - "The King's Speech"
Editing - "127 Hours"
Cinematography - "The King's Speech"
Animated Feature - "Toy Story 3"
Foreign Film - "Biutiful"
Supporting Actress - Melissa Leo "The Fighter"
Supporting Actor - Geoffry Rush "The King's Speech"
Actress - Jennifer Lawrence "Winter's Bone"
Actor - Colin Firth "The King's Speech"
Director - David Fincher "Social Network"
Best Picture - "The King's Speech"

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's 2011 Oscar Picks: Best Picture

Probably Will Win

The King’s Speech Iain Canning, Emilie Sherman, and Gareth Unwin - If you’ve read any of these picks you know how I feel about this. Going to win. Sorry arbiters of good taste, you lose.

Should Win

The Social Network Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin - Hands down the best film of the year. Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher really make this film stand head and shoulders above the rest. Could not be a tighter film on screen this year that had so much to say. I just wish that kid from “Arrested Development” hadn’t starred in it.

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's 2011 Oscar Picks: Director

Probably Will Win

David Fincher The Social Network – This could arguably be Fincher’s best film. He put together a crack team of people, and sent them on their way to making a magnificent picture. David O. Russell doesn’t really have a chance, and the Coens already have their trophy. Aronofsky is a decent bet, but my money is coming down to Fincher and Hooper. I think he’ll beat out Tom Hooper for the win, but it will be a close race.

Should Win

Christopher Nolan Inception - Quite possibly the biggest snub in Oscar history. Or at least of late. Definitely this year. Except maybe Daft Punk. Whatever. Just imaging conceiving a huge, sprawling action sequence taking place over three different realities, all with their own rules, shooting over months and months of photography, and still being able to keep everything cohesive in your head. This film is one of the most amazing directorial achievements in memory.

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's 2011 Oscar Picks: Actor

Probably Will Win

Colin Firth The King’s Speech – He didn’t win for, “A Single Man” though he should have, so I guess it is fitting that he’ll probably take home the statue this year. Though I want to see pretty much anyone win besides James Franco just to see if his attitude changes in the waning minutes of the program. Not that I bear any ill will against the guy – he seems cool – but it may make for some interesting television during what proves to be a terrifically boring misfire. Franco! Hathaway! Huh? Anyway Colin Firth is just about a lock for this one.

Should Win

Dany Boon Micmacs – Under appreciated is the only thing that comes to mind when thinking of Boon’s performance. Channeling Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin into his Basil was the least of the praise to be given this guy. He melds charm, wit, and pathos into a single bumbling, lovable character.

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's 2011 Oscar Picks: Actress

Probably Will Win

Jennifer Lawrence Winter’s Bone - This is another film that I thought was good, but not incredible. When it comes down to it the movie was a bit annoying. The film’s director, Debra Granik is a Cambridge, Massachusetts born, Brandies/NYU educated woman who has no ties to the Ozarks. Not that hillbilly roots are a prerequisite for making such a film, but the faux-authenticity that she tries to cram into the film makes one yearn for “All the Real Girls.” And I hated that movie. Oh yeah, and Jennifer Lawrence, was good – not great – but I think the voters will gravitate to her. John Hawkes was good, but I digress.

Should Win

Natalie Portman Black Swan – In this film Natalie Portman actually lives up to all the hype she usually gets. Only to be destroyed by “No Strings Attached,” but that is another story for another time. Despite, “Closer” there isn’t an adult role in which I think she shines. None except, “Black Swan.” Her performance as Nina Sayer is both terrifying and awe inspiring, and is the only contender to beat Lawrence.

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's 2011 Oscar Picks: Supporting Actor

Probably Will Win

Geoffrey Rush The King’s Speech – Okay, this is where this movie picks up steam. And I say again, Geoffrey Rush was good, but at the end of the day the movie wasn’t mind blowing.

Should Win

Armie Hammer and Josh Pense The Social Network – These guys were mind blowing, almost distracting even, as the Winklevi. The face replacement technology employed in this film is pretty incredible, and the honor shouldn’t go to just Hammer. Both men put in an insane amount of work, and strictly about acting their co-star Andrew Garfield may have given them some competition, this is on of the most interesting performances of the year.

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's 2011 Oscar Picks: Supporting Actress

Probably Will Win

Melissa Leo The Fighter – Every time this lady opens her mouth she seems more and more insane. I love her Oscar campaign ads that are touting her as a glamour icon. Maybe they work, or maybe they are just nuts. Eh, she was good in this movie. Maybe I was wrong about “The King’s Speech.”

Should Win

Hailee Steinfeld True Grit – I don’t know if I would call this “Supporting,” but this little new comer was great. She held her own in scenes with Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon, which is no small feat for such a young actress. Some may have found her performance to be a little too theatrical, but I thought it was pitch perfect for the Cohen Brother’s weird little movie.

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's 2011 Oscar Picks: Foreign Film

Probably Will Win

Biutiful Alejandro González Iñárritu – How do you say the title? Why? Because that’s how Iñárritu’s kids spell it? Oh that’s cute! Voters love that stuff.

Should Win

I Am Love Luca Guadagnino – One of the best of the year. A cinematic adventure of technique and storytelling. This was a stylistic masterpiece that was well acted, impeccably directed, and stitched together with hands like that of a haute couture master. Up there with Nolan and Daft Punk for major snubs this year.

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's 2011 Oscar Picks: Animated Feature

Probably Will Win

Toy Story 3 Lee Unkrich – Pixar is the Cadillac of animation, and everybody knows it. Not only are they driving the technology, but their writing is usually second to none. Here is no exception. Rarely does a film franchise score a hat trick, but the “Toy Story” saga does.

Should Win

Toy Story 3 Lee Unkrich

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's 2011 Oscar Picks: Cinematography

Probably Will Win

The King’s Speech Danny Cohen – People fell for this movie, and I don’t know why. It was a good movie, but nothing about it stood out to the point of the acclaim it is getting. The photography is one of the aspects that people are talking about, and that was the most pedestrian. Tom Hooper and Danny Cohen had a beautiful and lush palette in the film, and the softness of the imagery was good, but it was ruined by the oh-so-precious framing. Too much head room, excess use of negative space, yadah-yadah-yadah. It has been done before (See Wes Anderson, Hal Hartley, etc.), and put to better use. It just seemed out of place, and over done.

Should Win

Enter the Void Benoit Debie - Though I think this movie is masturbatory nonsense, it has its merits. One of them being the Cinematography. The biggest reason was the way that everything was put together was a technical feat of its own. Since they don’t give out awards for best title sequence this film should at least be singled out for its bold use of the camera.

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's 2011 Oscar Picks: Editing

Probably Will Win

127 Hours Jon Harris - You may say what you like about Danny Boyle, but you can’t say he doesn’t have a very deep bag of tricks. Pulling out all of the stops he and Harris craft something out of nothing. This is one of the times that “King’s Speech” won’t take home the gold, mostly because the whole of “127 Hours” was made with flashy editing, and it is hard for voters to see past that.

Should Win

I Am Love Walter Fansano - This is one of the most boldly edited films of all time. Not only is every moment crafted down to the frame, but there are some choices made by director and editor that could have flopped miserably if not handled with perfection. And this was. Recalling the work of Antonioni’s “L’eclisse,” “I Am Love” is one of those films that got little recognition, but will gain in renown in years to come.

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's 2011 Oscar Picks: Art Direction

Probably Will Win

The King’s Speech Production Design: Eve Stewart, Set Decoration: Judy Farr - Like I said in Costume Design, nothing beats research.

Should Win

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Production Design: Stuart Craig, Set Decoration: Stephaenie McMillan - And creativity is usually left by the wayside.

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's 2011 Oscar Picks: Costume Design

Probably Will Win

The King’s Speech Jenny Beavan - And now begins the “King’s Speech” steamroll. Months ago I would have said that “The Social Network” would be the big winner this year, but with the momentum the former has been gaining, and that which the latter has been losing it seems tides have turned. Not that “The Social Network” is up for an award in this category, but I do think the choice of Addidas slippers for Zuckerberg was a bold choice over the Nike ones. Something like “The Tempest” seems like a shoe in, with all of its creativity, but when it comes to Oscar nothing beats research.

Should Win

I Am Love Antonella Cannarozzi – This film was a surprise gem. I was confused to see that it wasn’t nominated for Foreign film. Director Luca Guadagnino crafted a spectacular film, and one of the major elements were the costumes. Not so much the actual garments, but the color palette. The way Tilda Swinton’s dresses melded with the set design, the foliage in the mountain scenes, and the overall look of the film should be commended. This was costume design in a way that isn’t obvious, but nonetheless makes a picture soar.

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's 2011 Oscar Picks: Make Up

Probably Will Win

The Wolfman Rick Baker and Dave Elsey - I’m always a little confused about why things like “Barney’s Version” gets nominated for this category. Sure they can make a guy look old, but can they make him look like a human dog? That is way cooler than making Paul Giamatti look droopy. Not a stretch if you ask me.

Should Win

Sex and the City 2 Judy Chin, Kerrie R. Plant, Nicki Ledermann – Amazing. SJP, KD, and CN’s personal make up artists could have been nominated for best construction they way they applied that spackle. I had to leave out Kim Catrall’s make up artist because nothing can help that situation. Seeing her in this movie makes one weep for the halcyon days of “Big Trouble in Little China.”

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's 2011 Oscar Picks: Original Score

Probably Will Win

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross The Social Network – This is technically the best score of the year. There are no “buts.” Like the Three Six Mafia before him Trent Reznor is finally respectable. Ever since his Nine Inch Nails farewell tour in 2009 Reznor has been in the global consciousness once again, and he’s the hot pick to win. If the farewell tour can do this for a dude that was at his peak in the mid ninties, imagine what it will do for James Murphy.

Should Win

Daft Punk Tron Legacy - This score may not have been as versatile or good as Reznor and Ross’s, but there is no way John Powell for “How to Train Your Dragon” should be up there and Daft Punk should not. This score was nuts, and really the glue that held that mess of a movie together. I only say they should win because this is a bigger snub than Christopher Nolan for director. Was it the motorcycle helmets that made Academy voters pass them up, or the whole French thing?

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's 2011 Oscar Picks: Original Song

Probably Will Win

We Belong Together from “Toy Story 3” Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman – I think it is just because of the fondness we all have for “I Love LA” that we forget how insipid Randy Newman’s music really is these days. I really like the “Toy Story” movies, but not because of the obligatory Randy Newman song. However, out of the nominees, this is the best of a bad situation. Neither the representative from the Goop nation nor Chuck can really belt out a tune, and without M.I.A. that “Slumdog Millionaire” guy sounds like Sting.

Should Win

Who Cares – This is a dumb category that is a waste of broadcast time. James Franco should just read one of his short stories instead.

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's 2011 Oscar Picks: Documentary

Probably Will Win

Inside Job Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs – I’m feeling the wars and the environment are the underdogs here. The real hip thing this year is the economy, and everyone is talking about “Inside Job.” Personally I’m unemployed, and have to beg for spare change just to get a ticket to any movie so I wasn’t going to waste my money on this when I could see “Country Strong” for a third time, but I hear it is good.

Should Win

Exit Through the Gift Shop Banksy – This should win just because I want to see what Bansky will do. It is hard to say if this movie is real or fake, but that is part of the fun. Personally I want it all to be real. That dumb, fat, French idiot deserves every penny if dumb, fat American idiots are willing to pay him.

Read More After the Jump

El Luchador's 2011 Oscar Picks: Documentary Short Subject

Probably Will Win

Killing in the Name Jed Rothstein – Again a hard call. The other one that may pull the win is “Sun Come Up,” about an island in off Papau New Guinea that is being swallowed by the sea due to melting ice caps. The villagers are forced to relocate to a place that is already rife with violence and civil war. “Killing in the Name” is about a terrorist, and contains interviews with recruiters from Al Queda, kids at a jihadist madrassa, and a radical Islamist bomb maker. Very tough race, but I think the vast amount of access Rothstein achieved will help put it on top.

Should Win

Warriors of Qiugang Ruby Yang – Once again, it should win because it was the only one I could find to watch for free. Click here to view the film.

Read More After the Jump