Movie of the Day – Natural Selection

May 1, 2013 Leave a comment

This is a movie I have been waiting awhile to talk about, mainly because it didn’t get a release in theaters other than the festival circuit.  It kind of sucks talking about a movie that a lot of people won’t be able to see unless they get the VOD treatment or some form of streaming.  Natural Selection was a movie I was back in November 2011 at a local film festival in Kansas City.  I have to admit, even rewatching it makes me realize how much I loved this movie and the subject matter presented.  A fantastic flick with a knockout performance from Rachel Harris, Natural Selection wowed me with a deep, character drama with some dark hints of humor.

So it was a relief to track this down on dvd and give it another watch.  With an amazing performance from the two leads, Harris being the standout of the pack.  The movie certainly is indie at heart, with a strong character driven script that propels the interesting story and filled with moments of earnest, heartfelt discussions about the issue at heart.

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Movie Review – Argo

November 15, 2012 7 Comments

A part of me really was hoping that Argo was going to be a prequel to Die Hard where we got to see how Harry Ellis got to be in the position he was in at the Nakatomi Towers before being tragically killed by Hans Gruber.  A man can dream, but then again the appearance between Ben Affleck in Argo as Tony Mendez and Hart Bochner as Harry Ellis is uncanny.  But I digress and Argo itself deserves to be talked about this awards season.  A captivating tale about a hostage rescue plan that could only be dreamed up in Hollywood, but executed precisely by the CIA.  It’s the sort of story that Hollywood executives would dream of having come up with.

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Movie of the Day – Cannibal! The Musical

October 27, 2012 7 Comments

I never knew cannibalism could so fun, lively and musical!  Leave it to Matt Stone and Trey Parker to weave their creative abilities into a musical, comedy horror movie.  Now I personally don’t have much to say about the movie overall.  It is a Troma production, thus the low visual quality and the acting is sporadic and a bit, well, childish I guess.  But what truly sets this movie apart, is the fantastic commentary from the young, soon to be famous creators of South Park.  If you have never seen the movie, well it is pretty fun and a decent musical.  There are moments of horror, but more so for the comedic effect, which is effective.  If you can get a hold of the dvd, the commentary alone is worth watching this movie.  The creators and actors just get utterly shit faced and its a blast.

Set in 1873, the film deals with Alfred Packer (Juan Schwartz, aka Trey Parker), who is accused of cannibalizing members of his six-man party on a trip West. There are comic songs, Japanese people pretending to be Indians, and a cyclops whose eye spurts pus. The film’s highlight may be Alfred’s saloon kung fu fight with a cocky fur trapper named Frenchy over his beloved horse Liane. Cannibal! is surprisingly light on gore for a Troma Team release (save for the prologue and finale), concentrating instead on goofy sight gags, sex jokes, and silly songs like “Shpadoinkle” and “Hang the Bastard.” ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

That’s about it for a post today.  I am getting dressed for a Halloween party as Breaking Bad’s Heisenberg.

Peace!

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Movie of the Day – The Room

August 26, 2012 4 Comments

After I posted about Birdemic yesterday, I went back into the movie collection and memory to come up with a movie that could top Birdemic.  I mean if you read yesterday’s post, then you know how utterly amazing Birdemic is and that can’t be beat in any way shape or form.  So in order to match that quality, I had to pick a movie that was on the level of Birdemic.  If you have never seen The Room, you are in for a terribly bad good movie.  I mean this is so bad that the marketing for the movie changed from a thriller/drama to a dark comedy after the initial premier and showings.  The reason for this, the audience was cracking up at the film and decided they can salvage the movie by promoting it as a dark comedy.  GOLD!

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Movie of the Day – Used Cars

August 13, 2012 Leave a comment

Before Robert Zemeckis got into the family, oscar, creepy motion capture phase of his career, he did his first one and only R-Rated film.  Now I am sure that doesn’t mean much to a lot of people, but for me, I am always fascinated by with directors and their changes over the years in filmmaking.  I mean you have a director who is continually trying to sell the movie going public on motion capture films (Polar Express, Beowulf, and Christmas Carol) but they are just creepy looking to even sit through.  He’s like a used cars saleman, trying to push this on us even when we are apprehensive.  Well, today, it is only fitting that I pick his perhaps finest (yeah yeah he made Forrest Gump and Back to the Future) comedy film and only R-rated film at that.  Used Cars is that pristine relic of a comedy that pretty much set up the comedy style we get today in our crude, raunchy sensibilities.

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Movie of the Day – They Live

August 10, 2012 5 Comments

I am hear to chew bubblegum and talk about this movie…and I’m all out of bubble gum.  Never has a line seemed more perfect to open up a chain of ass kicking that ensues.  They Live is a cult classic…period.  Anyone you ask about this movie will remember 2 scenes from this movie that is essentially the crux of my post today.  But amongst the two iconic scenes in this movie, or the ones that standout to everyone, this is a subversive film that manages to blend politics, consumer consumption, greed and the brainwashing of the masses.  Plus loads of shooting, fighting and weird looking aliens.

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Movie of the Day – Severance

March 2, 2012 Leave a comment

We’ve all been on some company outings/team strengthening exercises/what ever companies think helps strengthen team morale.  So if you saw the trailer, then I can assume you have experienced (not the murder and death stuff) the dread of having to be isolated with people you work with.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the people I work with, I just wouldn’t be doing trust falls around them.  Companies take note, we like to bond with our workmates over booze and probably more booze.  Fact of life.


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Movie of the Day – Death to Smoochy

December 10, 2011 Leave a comment

I will admit that the concept of a movie revolving around the apparent cutthroat world of children’s television seemed, well ridiculous.  It is a bit funny to think that once the camera stops rolling, Barney the Dinosaur just takes off the costume head and immediately starts smoking and drinking, all the while yelling obscenities at the interns in front of the young children on the show.  I can only imagine, but if that were true, I guess Death To Smoochy would be based on real life.  Anyways, the point is watching Robin Williams wear a technicolor suit jacket and yell “fuck” and “shit” as he tries to derail Edward Norton in a Rhino costume from stealing his spotlight.  I would honestly watch their shows if they existed during my childhood.  Screw you Muppets and Sesame Street!

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Movie of the Day – Cold Souls

September 15, 2011 2 Comments

Hmmmm.  A movie that deal with the idea of removing your soul and letting you live life without fear, worry or other stupid emotions that could our minds everyday.  I am not sure if this is a play on current healthcare industry with their Viagra, Clarinex, Prozac, and that pill that gets rids of foot fungus, but could kill you as a side effect.  Too many people worrying about symptoms that they lose sight of their life.  Maybe the trailer is describing what really make us, well, us.  The concept of removing the, albeit briefly, is a farcical idea that just seems work so well.  I am not sure if it’s the acting, the message, the science fiction like story, or that it is something new and unique from a first time writer and director.  All I know is that this movie tackles a subject that defines us all.  Also I could just be rambling on and on about nothing altogether, but damnit, this is one of those trippy little films that remind about Being John Malkovich.

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Movie of the Day – Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

July 17, 2011 1 Comment

A little change of pace from today as we shift from a cult classic movie, to a send up of the noir, detective genre, but with some interesting touches.  If you aren’t familiar with the director Shane Black’s directing work, well this is his first movie that he has both written and directed.  You may already be familiar with some of his contributions to film as he was rather prolific in late 80s and mid 90s action movies.  He has written scripts for Lethal Weapon 1 & 2, The Monster Squad, The Long Kiss Good Night, and even getting an opportunity to direct Iron Man 3.  He has been responsible for some memorable films, so it is exciting to see what he is able to do with a dark comedy script he wrote and has Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer acting together in throwback to pulp detective books that are every bit trashy and intriguing.  Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a stylish and slick paced movie with sardonic wit coming from both Kilmer and Downey as a detective and criminal/actor solving an ever entangled conspiracy.

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