The Automaton

Let’s make your choice or rejection of in-theaters Up in the Air a simple one: if you’re expecting belly-roll laughter or Fight Club nihilism, you’re probably better off with another movie. However, if you like Clooney – who is in full force, albeit in type-cast fashion – and you are the kind of moviegoer who likes to sit back and enjoy the journey, then Air is right for you.

There’s nothing terribly funny about it, though there are a few really good laughs. It’s somewhat predictable, evidenced by my theater’s Nancy Drew wannabe who guessed the result of every scene mere seconds before it played out (much to the annoyance of, well, everyone but him). And yet, Air just works. It’s entertaining, true to life, with solid acting and fun, relatable characters (particularly young Anna Kendrick, who hasn’t exactly been allowed to shine in the Twilight series as Bella’s annoying friend Jessica).

The plot is one I think we’ll see more and more if fans show an interest, and that’s the middle class guy who fears there’s nothing much to him other than his job. Since Clooney’s character fires people for a living, the contemporary element of a fickle and heartless workplace permeates the film, though your heart is with Clooney – safe in work so long as there are others who aren’t safe.

If you hadn’t guessed it already, though, this isn’t a film for people under, say, 25 years old. Call me an agist, but I doubt that viewers younger than that can appreciate the film’s subtlety and message, even if they get a chuckle or two from some crafty cameos.

So, while you could save a few bucks and wait ’til Up in the Air comes on DVD, you’d do well to see it on the big screen if you’ve already seen Avatar. Regardless, check it out at some point down the road; you won’t be disappointed.

Filed under: Drama - In Theatres NOW
Tags: « film • goerge clooney • movie • review • up in the air »
by Darren Todd
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Having recently seen the original Last House on the Left, I thought it right to check out the new version that’s just come out on DVD. With a strong cast, I thought it likely that at least the acting would prove solid, and the new Last House doesn’t disappoint. But what about the horror? Is it as disturbing as the original? In two words: Not really. But the new Last House has its own virtues that are worth noting.

First, the camerawork is excellent, reminding me of the two recent Texas Chainsaw Massacre remakes that stand on the virtue of camerawork alone. Particularly, there’s good use of reaction shots and off-camera action that carry the viewer along nicely.

Second, while not raw enough to solicit feelings of discomfort, the mayhem is unnerving enough to keep your blood moving while watching. This would have been nice to see in the theater, honestly, and warrants rental or purchase for those home theater aficionados out there that want real immersion.

There are enough changes to the storyline to interest those who saw the original and wonder if the remake is worth watching. There are a couple of things that might have worked a little better than how they played out, but by and large this new version has enough of its own merits to stand apart from the original. While absent the typical “jump scares” of modern horror, well-wrought tension and in-your-face conflict bring Last House above most contemporary remakes.

Filed under: Horror - On DVD - Rated R
Tags: « dvd • film • movie • review »
by Darren Todd
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This week’s new-to-DVD review received a tepid reception in theaters, which was largely why I waited for The International with Clive Owen and Naomi Watts to hit DVD. The gist is that Interpol and the New York City DA’s office seek to bring down an international bank involved in small-arms deals in the middle east.

Sure, it’s somewhat typical “rich white guys secretly rule the world” stuff, but the real draw of International is the action.

The camerawork is noticeably unique, with top-down shots and other odd angles done just enough to add to the film without losing viewers in the artistic. The coregraphy for the action, however, is quite well done. The shootout at the Guggenheim is spectacular, and there’s just enough build-up to the action sequences to add to tension without becoming frustrating (a slippery slope sometimes. Remember Executive Decision where – despite perfect tension-building – the film becomes exhausting and kills the potential for subsequent views).

Owen and Watts both do a good job in this, notably because the film foregoes any love interest or super, slo-mo moments to make either protaganist seem meta-human or uber-cool. Thus, their characters are quite believable.

At heart, International is not a deep film, but a good action/intrigue flick that’s certainly worth a rental or buy. It has definite re-playability, and makes a good film for escapism.

Filed under: Action - On DVD - Rated R
Tags: « clive owen • dvd • film • movie • naomi watts • review • the international »
by Darren Todd
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Who wouldn’t want to see Gerard Butler getting really pissed and wreaking havoc like Leonidas in 300? So I felt a little predisposed to enjoy in-theaters Law Abiding Citizen, and a solid 7.3 out of 10 stars on IMDb didn’t hurt, either.
And – for the most part – I am not disappointed. Citizen is smart, original, and full of emotion. Directory F. Gary Gray of The Italian Job and A Man Apart knows a bit about shooting payback, fusing enough emotion and heart into it to get the audience buy-in.

But there are a couple of drawbacks in case anyone was hoping for the perfect “falling down” flick. Foremost, it’s a little predictable. For some reason, directors tend to use sound (or the absence of it) to cue in viewers when something’s about to happen. The result is that you know what’s going to blow up before it does, who’s about to die, and often how. I think it would have proved far more potent to leave the surprises as surprises instead of preceding them with wide-angle shots and pregnant pauses (a dead giveaway – pun intended).

Too, I felt like this shaped up to be another Seven, where intricate plans wove together in such a macabre fashion that there was no way to guess the ending, and it would keep you up that night still putting the pieces together. In this respect, however, Citizen falls a little short.

All told, though, Citizen is worth watching in theaters and definitely worth a rental if you’d rather wait. There’s really nothing eye-popping, so waiting for it to hit DVD might be a good call if you’re not crazy excited to see it.

Filed under: Action - On DVD - Rated R
Tags: « film • gerard butler • in theaters • law abiding citizen • movie • review »
by Darren Todd
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I went into in-theaters Paranormal Activity with pretty high expectations. I’d heard “it’s the scariest movie ever” and the 7.6 rating (which was 8.2 a couple of days ago) didn’t hurt matters, either.

I wouldn’t say I was disappointed; this “found footage” style film in the vein of The Blair Witch Project and Quarantine is definitely spooky. I would just say that it will be very scary for some, and just so-so for others. Perhaps needing to sleep tonight, it’s a good thing I’m among the latter, but that certainly doesn’t invalidate the very many people in the theater who were scared out of their wits.

As odd as it might sound, I think Paranormal will scare women much more than men. The protagonist is the female, for one, and many of the scarier scenes revolve around her and her being vulnerable during sleep, having a lack of brute strength, etc. These unseen, psychological fears just aren’t as prevalent with guys.

The film does require a good deal of imagination, which – more often than not – is right up my alley. In this case, however, despite solid acting and directing, most of the scenes are nothing I haven’t seen on YouTube a hundred times. After all, when unseen forces are the culprit, it invites amateur filmmakers and requires no high-dollar actors, effects, or make-up.

So let’s put it this way: if you go see Paranormal in theaters and it scares the hell out of you: that’s great. It’s supposed to. If you go and feel like there’s something missing, but you like the concept, check out Home Movie instead. It’s much higher on the disturbing scale, and has more visual stimuli. It’s arguable that Quarantine – to the right person – is just as scary as Paranormal; it just depends on how your imagination operates.

In Theaters: “Paranormal Activity” little spooky, little funI will say that – if you have any interest – it’s worth seeing in theaters just in case you’ll really like it. That kind of immersion of sight and sound is often vital for “found footage” films.

Filed under: Horror - In Theatres NOW - Rated R
Tags: « film • Horror • movie • paranormal activity • review »
by Darren Todd
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This throwback flick hits all of the staples of great ’80s action cinema. There’s the salty cop who treats gunshot wounds as a minor annoyance when “bagging his man” instead of as a medical emergency. There’s fast cars driven by coked-out yuppies with the sleeves of their jackets pushed to the elbow. There’s a strip club scene, with background hoot and hollers from nowhere (seemingly the equivalent to the laugh track in strip club scenes).

For The Hidden – an action/sci-fi about a body-snatcher-type villain going Grand Theft Auto – there are a few factors upping its ranking amid other ’80s classics. For one, the effects are quite good, with more squibs going off than a Rambo flick, and plenty of blood to boot. The plot twists, in ’80s fashion, are more like moseys, and fairly transparent, but the acting from this fairly star-studded cast holds strong.

Of course, it’s as cheesy as most everything from that time period, but a fast pace and likable characters drives it along better than most.

There are some surprise appearances, as well, like seeing Danny Trejo with about a 5-second cameo before getting blown away. There’s also Lin Shaye, still notorious as the landlady from the Farelly Brothers’ Kingpin.

So if you like ’80s films and are in the mood for some good shoot ‘em up action, check out The Hidden.

Filed under: Action - On DVD - Sci-Fi
Tags: « '80s • film • movie • review • the hidden »
by Darren Todd
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When Robert Heinlein wrote Starship Troopers, critics went so far as to call him a fascist for his societal representations in the book. There were no prisons: administrative punishment was whipping in the public square. Heinlein conveyed the ideology behind this by comparing punishing people to training a dog. Not something most people react well to when the idea is presented.

And yet, there is a brilliance in Starship Troopers and its commentary on personal accountability, civil responsibility, and the progress of our species. While the first film conveys some of these ideas, it could also be taken as subtle criticism of the book. The society in the film operates the same, but then portrays some citizens as fanatical or the consequence of such social structures as problematic.

Still, forward-thinking ideas such as a society both race and gender neutral to the point of co-ed showers for military cadets. Of course, look no further than Heinlein’s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress to see how he often portrayed women as equals long before the idea took root in reality.

Director Paul Verhoeven, perhaps better known for Robocop and Total Recall, put more than its share of violence and graphic images in Troopers, but – for me – this only further made statements about how novel the whole concept was: edge not only in social commentary, but in gore and chaos.

The book is well-worth the read whether you enjoyed the film or not. However, my take on the film is that you can get the idea of what Heinlein is writing about by watching the movie quite well. So if you like one, you’ll likley enjoy the other.
But then there’s a caveat. The horrid sequels actually undermine the message of the original film. The aforementioned elements of eccentricity (which certainly came through in Verheoven’s other work) are made into comical, eye-rolling idiocy in the sequels.

In essence, the sequels break the frame of the original, and make the edgy parts of the film seem entirely tongue-in-cheek. I don’t portend to know what Verhoeven means to portray in the original, but I’m quite certain it isn’t the groan-worthy silliness of the sequels.

Before Starship Troopers 2 and 3, I would have put the movie on par with the book. But with the subsequent films having dragged down their predessesor, I’m saying read the book if you really want to appreciate the story.

Filed under: Action - On DVD - Rated R
Tags: « book • dvd • film • movie • review • robert heinlein • starship troopers »
by Darren Todd
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I watched new-to-DVD Drag Me To Hell without knowing that the director (Sam Raimi) also did the Evil Dead trilogy. So here’s what I saw:

1. Tons of “fluid horror” none of which was particularly good or appropriate. Mostly it was some sort of nasty fluid going into the hero’s mouth, prompting a gag reflex. Fluid is funny in comedies, nor scary in horrors (except in very rare occasions, such as when the kid spits in Keifer Sutherland’s mouth in Flatliners – that’s well done.

2. Too much CGI, which is a culprit in lots of horror flicks, of course. The talking goat looked like the singing horses in The Three Amigos…so, not scary.

3. Acting so bad you expected the cast to break out into fits of laughter. It did feel intentional, but could have been over-acted instead of poorly acted to convey farce.

So imagine my utter surprise when I found a 7.4 out of 10 on IMDb, and comments overwhelmingly praising the film.

Of course, anyone who conveyed disappointment was met with quips like “You obviously don’t know Raimi. He did Evil Dead, for God’s sake!” or “You just didn’t get it.”

The fact that Raimi did Evil Dead does not excuse him from making decent films in the future, however. Sure, Hell has great camera angles and an excellent score, but it’s a turd in pretty much every other aspect. When Tarantino does a film that’s not his best, say Death Race, or when the Cohen Brothers put out esoteric and reaching works like The Man Who Wasn’t There, viewers don’t shrug and say: “But it’s the guy who did Reservoir Dogs” and then assume that – if they don’t like every film – they must not “get it”.

Even I, after finding out that this was the Evil Dead guy’s movie, found myself thinking: “Maybe it wasn’t THAT bad…”.  No, Hell is indeed a crappy horror movie, and doesn’t even work as farce. It doesn’t matter who the hell made it.
So, let me stand aside my disappointed brethren when I condemn Drag Me To Hell to its namesake. If you like Raimi, re-watch Evil Dead and save yourself the agony of sitting through this movie. The characters are arbitrary, the acting bad, and the plot “twists” are visible a mile away.

Plus, the film was pitched as scary, not funny. So just like when you take a big swallow of iced tea thinking it’s Coke, it just doesn’t go down right.

Filed under: Horror - On DVD - PG-13
Tags: « drag me to hell • evil dead • film • movie • raimi • review »
by Darren Todd
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With a name like Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead, you know good and well what’s to follow. You’re probably saying: “I didn’t even know there was a Wrong Turn 2!”

Consider a moment the point of such a film, however. Bad acting? Check. Nudity? Check. Blood and guts? Check. So what’s the harm?

Not every movie is supposed to be as movie and thought-provoking as Atonement, nor should it be, so allow me to extol the virtues of this terrible horror flick.

Wrong Turn is based on the seemingly popular notion that everyone in West Virginia inbreeds, and that inbreeding someone does three things:

1. It takes away your faculties of speech.
2. It mutates you in some Freddy Krueger kind of way.
3. It grants you super strength, an immunity to pain, and regenerative capabilities.

Oh, and you have no moral compunction with mass murder and cannibalism. That just about does it.

Now, into this entire state of nothing but trees and super mutants, throw in teenagers, criminals, and police officers who have someone missed on the news that all of West Virginia is crawling with super mutant cannibals.

Okay, so there’s blood and guts. Is it at least done well. In Wrong Turn, alas, there are several moments of crummy CGI blood, which looks as real as The Flying Nun. But most of the deaths are original and fun, and the acting in such scenes isn’t half bad. It’s pretty bad elsewhere, but in the violence, it works.

The fights are pretty well choreographed, which is an unexpected treat. I was also glad to see the gratuitous mutant sex scene absent in this sequel. (There’s really only one mutant to speak of, so that kinda narrows it down).

The other effects and sets range from good to ridiculous, with 1950s-style fake car scenes, where outside the window looks like a different world rather than the passing night. But the explosions, fires, and other effects make up for it.

So, if you’re in the mood for a good bad horror movie (and for those of you who like them, you know what I mean), check out Wrong Turn 3. However, if you didn’t like the first two, don’t bother. Or if you are expecting something genuinely scary or disturbing. This one hits straight at the chillaxing, gratuitous viewer in you.

Filed under: Horror - On DVD - Rated R
Tags: « dvd • film review • movie • review • wrong turn 3 »
by Darren Todd
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The Business of Being Born offers a unique look at how Americans are born, and how that compares to other countries of the developed world (hint: it doesn’t look too hot). Spearheaded by tv’s Ricki Lake, the film follows midwives, OBs, doulas, and mothers-to-be and reveals the enormous discrepency between what happens in the OB department of most hospitals and what is best for the mother and baby.

As with any revealing and biting series of information, you have to be open to the criticism of our system, but also be willing to form your own opinions and do your own research. Home births via midwife are not for everyone…but neither is being rushed to the OR for a c-section because the OB doc has a tee-time.

If you’ve never seen a birth, prepare for more than your share, as the actual footage is revealing. Modesty goes out the window during an actual birth, so it was cool to see the filmmakers retain that for this doc.

While there are many excellent interviews, Being Born is not rife with facts and figures, if that’s important for the documentaries you enjoy. You’ll find several stats, but much of it is over-the-shoulder experiences of births both good and not-so-good.

The research is pretty strong, uncovering many apects of our national birthing past, propaganda, and the tunnel-vision tendencies of modern clinical practices that could hit home for many viewers, and even solicit some anger. (I would argue that any doc that doesn’t make you question is no doc at all, however).

While I tend to believe that there are peaks and valleys to our medical practices, and that certain, more callous practices could easily tend toward better, more touchy-feely solutions with one wave of the Medicare/medicaid wand, for instance, the doc does argue for a potentially bleak future in American births.

No matter whether you’re a mother, pregnant, a father, bachelor, or never even want kids, The Business of Being Born is worth the rental, if only for extolling a different approach to birth seldom found or given even a modicum of merit in today’s hospitals or insurance companies.

Filed under: Documentary - On DVD
Tags: « film • midwifery • movie • ob • review • the business of being born »
by Darren Todd
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